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Fraud claims against an Orleans County nursing home are moving forward in a legal battle between New York Attorney General Letitia James and several downstate operators.

In a ruling this month, State Supreme Court Justice Frank Caruso allowed many of the most significant claims in the case to proceed, though he also granted the dismissal of allegations against the more minor players in the case. The December rulings by Caruso were in response to a number of motions to dismiss the case filed in April 2023 by the nursing homes proprietors.

The judges decision represents progress in a slow-moving case thats been going on for more than two years. The case will now move forward to discovery, the pretrial process in which both sides exchange information. Many in the states long-term care industry are watching this case, because it could represent the state further cracking down on operators who allegedly use business arrangements with related companies to wring profit out of a nursing home.

In November 2022, James sued The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion, claiming the nursing homes operators had pocketed more than $18.6 million that should have been spent on resident care. While the owners enriched themselves through a complex web of related-party transactions, James claimed, the 120-bed nursing home was understaffed and the quality of care suffered.

Every individual has the right to live out their golden years in peace and dignity, James said in Buffalo when the lawsuit was announced as she was joined family members of former and current Villages residents.

Attorney general sues Albion nursing home: 'Egregious history of insufficient and unqualified staffing' The state's lawsuit against the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center said the nursing home's owners are responsible for "causing physical and emotional harm to vulnerable people who lived at the nursing home and stripping them of their dignity."

Since that lawsuit was announced, James office has filed several more across the state, targeting nursing homes that allegedly misused taxpayer money to the detriment of residents. In November, Bronx-based Centers Health Care, which owns the 200-bed Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, agreed to pay up to $45 million to settle a lawsuit filed by James in June 2023 that accused the operators of financial fraud and resident neglect.

James lawsuit against The Villages names several corporate entities as well as individuals: Comprehensive at Orleans; Telegraph Realty; CHMS Group; Villages of Orleans LLC; ML Kids Holdings LLC; David Gast; Sam Halper; Ephram Lahasky; Bernard Fuchs; Benjamin Landa; Joshua Farkovits; Joel Edelstein; Israel Freund; Gerald Fuchs; Tova Fuchs; Teresa Lichtschein; and Debbie Korngut.

James office did not provide a comment for this story.

Dennis C. Vacco, a partner with Lippes Mathias and attorney for Comprehensive at Orleans, which operates The Villages, said his client vigorously denies the allegations in the complaint. Further, Vacco pointed out that Judge Caruso in June denied the attorney generals request for preliminary injunctions as well as requests for the appointment of independent health care and financial monitors at The Villages.

At least from Comprehensives perspective, were going to continue to vigorously defend, Vacco said. The judges denial of our motion to dismiss doesnt change our view of the case, and were going to continue to vigorously defend against these allegations, which we deny.

Vacco is well-versed in government investigations and regulatory compliance. He was elected New York State attorney general as a Republican in 1994 and served one term in the role, from 1995 to 1998.

Attorneys for the other defendants in the case did not return inquiries seeking comment.

While Bernard Fuchs is listed as the owner and operator of The Villages, the attorney general argues that Fuchs is a straw man owner and operator of the nursing home, and that all defendants are the actual owners and operators.

James office alleged several separate violations of law against all defendants, which sought to dismiss the claims against them. Carusos 26-page decision went through each of those claims, with the judge deciding which motions to dismiss would be granted or denied.

Tracking the plight of Albion nursing home now being sued by AG How did The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center become the target of a lawsuit that seeks to remove some of its owners and stop the facility from admitting any new residents until conditions improve?

The attorney general said the defendants engaged in repeated and persistent fraud by: using The Villages Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement payments for their own use; using self-dealing lease arrangements with The Villages and orchestrating a scheme to use a mortgage loan to further profit; failing to seek Health Department approval for withdrawals and transfers from The Villages and filing false or misleading documents with the Health Department; failing to deliver adequate care to residents; and enriching themselves to the detriment of the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

Caruso dismissed those claims against the defendants Lichtschein, Korngut and Farkovits, all of whom he found had no operational role at The Villages or its landlord, Telegraph Realty. In addition, Caruso dismissed the claims against Israel Freund, Gerald Fuchs and Tova Fuchs, who all received payments from Telegraph but had no operational role at The Villages.

For the specific claim over failing to deliver adequate care to residents, Caruso dismissed that claim against Landa and Edelstein. The court found Landa had a 16.66% ownership interest in Telegraph and was a signatory on The Villages operating account, but that access had nothing to do with patient care. Similarly, Edelstein was a signatory on The Villages operating account but was not involved in patient care.

Caruso denied the remaining motions to dismiss, which means all of the corporate entities named in the lawsuit as well as Gast, Halper, Lahasky, Bernard Fuchs, Landa and Edelstein could be found potentially liable on certain claims as the case progresses.

In a win for James, the court appeared to uphold the attorney generals theory that it could constitute fraud if the defendants took out money that was disguised as rent. The attorney general has alleged Medicaid funds were funneled to the owners and operators through excessive rent payments from The Villages to Telegraph.

In essence, it would mean that respondents were repeatedly providing substandard care and then giving themselves the money for that care through the rent payments and distributions, Caruso wrote.

Troubled Orleans County nursing home facing $80K in fines over resident medication error The investigation, which was completed Jan. 12, focused on an error that occurred Jan. 4, when licensed practical nurses were dispensing and administering residents' 5 p.m. medications.

The judge also dismissed Landas motion for sanctions. Landas attorney argued in an April 2023 filing that James for years has relentlessly pursued and harassed Landa, a businessman and prominent Republican donor who owns and operates dozens of nursing homes nationwide.

There was no fraud in the operation of The Villages, and even if there was, Mr. Landa certainly had nothing to do with it, his attorney wrote in the filing. Mr. Landa did not own or operate The Villages, plain and simple. He was simply a minority investor in The Villages Landlord.

But in his decision, Caruso wrote that there is a colorable claim that Landa played a key role in the operation of The Villages and could be liable for the alleged scheme involving the lease agreement and refinanced mortgage.

The attorney generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit began its investigation into The Villages in early 2020 in response to multiple complaints from residents, family and staff, according to a January 2023 affidavit of Det. Jaimie Krzyskoski of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The Villages, a former Orleans County-owned nursing home that was acquired by the current ownership in 2015, has an overall rating of one out of five stars, or much below average, on the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.
Economic activity picked up in China in early 2024, buoyed by stronger exports. The World Bank projected Chinas GDP growth at 4.8 per cent in 2024, marking an upward revision of 0.3 percentage points from the December 2023 forecast. The revision reflected stronger-than-expected exports and the impact of policy measures to support the property market and higher fiscal spending.

During H1, 2024, Chinas GDP expanded by 5 per cent, aligning with the economic target set at the beginning of 2024. The economic data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated the expansion in several key areas, including industrial output and foreign trade. The second quarter of 2024 presented a more complex picture. GDP growth slowed to 4.7 per cent y-o-y, and was down from 5.3 per cent in the first quarter. The industry & manufacturing sector saw the highest growth rate, increasing 5.8 per cent y-o-y.

Outside China, the validation of Chinas economic growth came from the Conference Board which also forecast Chinas real GDP growth of 5 per cent. The US think tanks Leading Economic Index (LEI) for China decreased by 0.2 per cent in August to 149.7, after remaining unchanged in July. The LEI declined by 1.3 per cent over the six-month period from February to August of 2024. On other side, its Coincident Economic Index (CEI) for the country improved by 0.8 per cent in August to 149.8, following an increase of 0.7 per cent in July. The index grew by 1 per cent over the six-month period from February to August of 2024. LEI provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term, while CEI offers an indication of the current state of the economy.

Plans to upgrade industry

In early 2024, the Ministry of Industry & Information Technology and three other departments jointly released plans to upgrade the overall quality of the textile industry (2023-2025) of China. The plans additionally aimed to ensure that 70 per cent of the countrys textile businesses reach a high level of digitalisation by 2025. Further, the plan also set out seven other priorities for the sector: bolstering independent innovation, integrating high-end textile manufacturing, transitioning to intelligent manufacturing, adopting green and low-carbon circular economic development models, building recognisable brands, ensuring supply chain resilience and optimising regional resources.

Slowdown in manufacturing

The month of September witnessed a deterioration in Chinas manufacturing sector that got reflected by a downturn in new orders including exports, after an improved August, as reported by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The headline seasonally-adjusted Caixin China Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a composite indicator designed to provide a single-figure snapshot of operating conditions in the manufacturing economy, fell to 49.3 in September, down from 50.4 in August. Though the fall was marginal, the rate of decline was the fastest since July last year.

Overall confidence was also affected by concerns over the global economic and trade outlooks. Optimism levels at Chinese manufacturers slipped to the second lowest recorded since data collection for this series began in April 2012. Firms lowered headcounts amid reduced workloads and cost concerns. Purchasing activity declined amid reduced new work inflows and with adequate inventory holdings. In fact, the slowdown in production growth resulted in pre-production inventory holdings rising for a second successive month in September.

Further, the stocks of finished goods accumulated as well, owing to delays in outbound shipping and a drop in new orders. Supply constraints and shipment delays led to another slight lengthening of lead times for the delivery of inputs to Chinese manufacturers. Still the manufacturers managed to keep production on, by working through their backlogs. The slowdown caused a fall in average input prices with export charges also easing as competition intensified.

Seven-month trade

Between January and May, the Chinese exports of textiles, garments and accessories increased around 1.4 per cent to $115.842 billion compared to $114.283 billion in the same five-month period of 2023. A year prior, the exports of garments and accessories totalled to $55.680 billion which increased marginally at 0.2 per cent to $57.126 billion in 2024. Textile products, including yarn and fabric, increased 2.6 per cent to $58.716 billion from $58.603 billion during the comparable period. In May alone, the exports of garments and clothing were recorded at $13.246 billion, and shipments of textile yarn, fabrics and articles amounted to $12.886 billion, yielding an aggregate amount of ~$26.133 billion.

During the same period, China imported textile yarn and fabric products worth $4.591 billion, rising 5.9 per cent over $4.335 billion in the first five months of 2023. In May alone, the imports by China totalled to $0.920 billion.

In the first half of 2024 i.e. from January to June, China achieved a significant value addition in textile exports, when fabric exports comprised nearly 80 per cent of its total exports. Asias largest nation exported $42.66 billion in textile products, with fabric exports amounting to $33.983 billion which reflected the countrys consistent focus on fabric exports.

At the same time, Chinas exports of home textiles to ASEAN nations decreased 2.8 per cent from $2.311 billion in the first half of 2023 to $2.245 billion in 2024. Since 2022, when it peaked to $5.283 billion, the exports have eased. During the pandemic in 2020, the ASEAN block had become a significant buyer driving Chinas exports up to $4.709 billion.

Including July, the cumulative exports of textile and garments grew 1.1 per cent and reached $169.839 billion, driven by a 3.3 per cent rise in textile exports. However, the garment exports witnessed a 0.8 per cent drop with an export value of $26.798 billion in the month of July alone. During the seven-month period, imports of textile yarn and fabrics increased slightly by 0.5 per cent.

Changing trade dynamics

The 2024 Fashion Industry Benchmarking study of leading US fashion companies was released by the US Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) in July. The study found 43 per cent of surveyed companies sourcing less than 10 per cent (18 per cent in 2018) of their apparel products from China in 2024. Almost 60 per cent were reported to no longer use China as their top apparel supplier which is much higher than 25-30 per cent range before the pandemic. In addition, a huge number of companies (80 per cent) admitted to further reducing their apparel sourcing from China over the next two years through 2026.

Although China still maintains the overall market share, it is gradually losing momentum in nearly all key western clothing markets  the US, EU, the UK and Canada. This is mainly because of perceived heightened sourcing risks that is associated with China, ranging from concerns over forced labour in the Xinjiang region to escalating geopolitical tensions involving the country. As a response, China has also been diversifying its clothing exports beyond these markets to Asian members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Africa since 2021. Since these developing economies also aspire to expand their own clothing production and exports, the long-term prospects for their Made-in-China demand remains uncertain.

Between June 2023 and June 2024, the average unit price of US apparel imports from China decreased unusually by 7.6 per cent, as an increased supply of Chinese clothing began to suppress market prices. This resulted in a 40 per cent lower unit price of US apparel imports from China than the imports from Bangladesh in the first half of 2024, thus raising the risk of market disruptions. This is feared to potentially lead to additional trade tensions and restrictive measures against Chinese products.

At the same time, Asian countries are also becoming more cautious about using Chinese yarns and fabrics due to the enforcement of anti-forced laws, such as the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA), and the perceived risks associated with sourcing Chinese cotton.

Green transformation guidelines

In August, Communist Party of Chinas Central Committee and the State Council released new guidelines to accelerate efforts in the green transformation of industries, services and other social activities to realise the country's pre-set green, low-carbon development goals. The guidelines said that key areas in China's economic and social sectors would see notable progress in green transition by 2030, as, by 2035, the goal is set for the country to witness a massively green, low-carbon and circular economy with economic and social development fully adopting the green and sustainable path. They also targeted the scale of the energy-saving and environment protection industry in China to reach CN15 trillion ($2.1 trillion) by 2030. By the same year, the target for non-fossil fuels is to constitute at least 25 per cent of the country's total energy mix.

The guidelines overall set the tone for many aspects of China's green development, including the commitment to green growth, a comprehensive restructuring of the country's industrial system, broad application of green production methods and societal adoption of an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Chinas top cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have already accelerated their pace of green transformation by rapidly replacing pollutant internal combustion engine vehicles with clean electric vehicles, with other tier-2 and tier-3 cities set to follow the suit.

Y-Warm development

Beijing MatrixTech Technologies Co. developed a new thermal insulation material, Y-Warm, in its Beijing laboratory. The developed material processes a pore thickness of 20-280 nanometres, pore diameter 30-190 microns, closed pore rate above 95 per cent and void rate above 96 per cent (substrate is subtracted). The Y-Warm has extremely low thermal conductivity but has multiple practical features, such as moisture permeability, quick-drying, and antimicrobial. While evaluating Y-Warm, SATRA Technology Centre found that four times the weight of a renowned brand is required to achieve the same insulation effect as Y-Warm. Additionally, Y-Warm passed the standard EU test SVHC, which is a safety guarantee for application.

According to Beijing MatrixTech Technologies Co., the tactility of Y-Warm functional textile stays stable and warm after storing at -60C for a week. In addition, this new material can float on water after being soaked with water several times of the original weight. Even folding 30,000 times at -40C does not damage the material. Y-Warm has been successfully applied in garments, gloves etc due to its excellent insulation performance and remarkable features. A new application of Y-Warm in shoe wear, set to be launched in the winter, would produce lighter, better warm-keeping and more comfortable shoes.

Cinte Techtextil 2024

Cinte Techtextil China was held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre from September 19-21, 2024, organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA). Nearly 400 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions participated in the global trade event spanning over 38,000 sq metre of exhibition space. In addition to the high-traffic International Areas which featured the German Pavilion, European Zone, and various overseas brands, the fair also showcased six domestic themed zones and six domestic pavilions covering major market segments and application areas. Suppliers from other countries and regions across Asia and the Middle East also added to the variety of offerings in the International Area.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SB - WE)
Alia Bhatt is fully committed to her fitness regime as she prepares for her upcoming films, Love & War and Alpha. Her trainer, Karan Sawhney, recently shared a video on Instagram, giving fans a glimpse of her intense workout. The clip features Alia confidently performing pull-ups, overcoming her initial hesitation, and finishing with a proud smile. She also worked on a pulley machine, dressed in sleek black athleisure with her hair neatly tied in a bun, exuding determination.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karan Sawhney (@karansawhney11)

On the professional front, Alia is working on Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Love & War, an epic period drama slated for a

March 20, 2026 release

. The film reunites her with Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, promising a grand cinematic experience under Bhansalis iconic direction.

In addition, Alia will headline Alpha, a female-led spy thriller from Yash Raj Films Spy Universe. Featuring Sharvari, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol as the antagonist, the action-packed film is scheduled for a Christmas 2025 release in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Fans are eagerly awaiting this project, which will expand the popular Spy Universe franchise. The actress left for her year-end holiday with husband Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Raha Kapoor late last night and will be back in the city in January.
Enjoying a global popularity also means that one is subjected to extreme scrutiny and trolling from time to time. South Korean boyband Bangtan Sonyeondan aka BTS' agency has always been clear on one thing, that they would not tolerate any malicious behaviour targeted at any of their talents.





In a statement, BIGHIT said, "Since our previous notice, multiple suspects whose cases were forwarded to the prosecution have been fined up to two million won. Among them were individuals who continued uploading malicious posts despite being penalized in earlier complaints. One defendant, who posted hundreds of insulting and defamatory statements on their personal blog, has been convicted and fined a total of five million won. We remain committed to ensuring that suspects with ongoing investigations and legal proceedings are held accountable and face appropriate penalties." Now, BIGHIT Music has revealed that they have taken legal action against several perpetrators for spreading malicious misinformation about the band members.

It said that ongoing cases include the damage lawsuits against Taldeok Camp and civil and criminal lawsuits related to the leak of artists' personal information as well as stalking are currently under progress.





Currently, five out of seven BTS members are completing their mandatory military service. The septet includes Kim Namjoon, Kim Taehyung, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jeon Jungkook, Jung Hoseok and Park Jimin.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 27, 2024) - Fairchild Gold Corp. (TSXV: FAIR) ("Fairchild" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Michel Lebeuf as Corporate Secretary. The appointment is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Mr. Lebeuf currently serves as the managing partner of Lebeuf Legal and acts and has previously acted as director and officer for many listed issuers on the Canadian Securities Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange. A seasoned corporate finance and securities attorney, Mr. Lebeuf has developed an expertise in securities law, particularly in the areas of natural resources, institutional and corporate financing, and public and private mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Lebeuf holds a degree in Political Sciences (international relations) and a Civil Law degree from the Universite de Montreal (UdeM). His professional memberships include the Bar of Quebec (Barreau du Quebec), Montreal section.

Also, the Company and Mr. Steve Cozine have mutually agreed to his resignation as director of the Company to pursue other opportunities. The Company would like to thank Mr. Cozine for all of his efforts and wish him success in his future endeavours.

About Fairchild Gold Corp.

Fairchild is engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and the United States. Its current portfolio consists of the Fairchild Lake Property in Ontario and the Copper Chief Project in Nevada.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward- looking information"). Without limiting the foregoing, such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the process and completion of the Offering, the use of proceeds of the Offering and any statements regarding the Company's business plans, expectations and objectives. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or the Company management's good faith belief with respect to future events and is subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis and financial statements and other documents filed by the Company with the Canadian securities commissions and the discussion of risk factors set out therein. Such documents are available at www.sedarplus.ca under the Company's profile and on the Company's website, https://fairchildgold.com/. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any News Release Announcing Offering 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.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/235408

SOURCE: Fairchild Gold Corp.
Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 27, 2024) - This Christmas season, PIFster Inc, a leader in connecting donors with local charities, is celebrating the second anniversary of its groundbreaking Pay It Forward app. This innovative platform has redefined charitable giving, enabling individuals to make a significant impact with micro-donations as small as $1 per month.





Max Dollarhide, two-time recipient of the PIFster community's donation. PIFster aided in transporting the family to Cincinnati for Max's life-saving heart surgery. Support a different cause EVERY month with PIFster.

In just two years, PIFster has empowered hundreds of individuals to support 24 vetted local charities, creating a ripple effect of positive change in communities. The app's unique approach allows users to nominate, vote on, and champion the causes they care about most, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.

"Veteran owned and operated PIFster is more than just an app; it's a movement," said Shashana Kaplan, CEO of PIFster Inc. "Our platform embodies the spirit of service and sacrifice, and has shown that small contributions, when combined, can lead to substantial and lasting change. For example, PIFster recently helped 7 year-old Max Dollarhide and his family travel to Cincinnati for life-saving heart surgery. In a moving and heartfelt thank you video posted to the PIFster YouTube channel, his mother shared, 'It's a really big deal for us... We are so, so grateful for all the help that we've gotten. It's been incredibly expensive... Without your help, we would not have gotten here.' We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to continuing to empower individuals to make a difference, with a special focus on supporting our veterans and first responders who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities."

PIFster's success can be attributed to its user-friendly interface, diverse selection of vetted charities, and commitment to transparency and community engagement. By providing a platform for micro-donations, PIFster has made charitable giving accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial means. With PIFster, every dollar counts, and every contribution makes a difference.

As PIFster embarks on its third year, the company remains dedicated to expanding its reach and empowering more individuals to support the causes they care about. By fostering a culture of giving and community involvement, PIFster is transforming the landscape of charitable giving and creating a brighter future for all.

Join the PIFster Movement

Learn more at PIFster.org, then register on the web app and become part of a community dedicated to making a difference, one dollar at a time. Together, we can Pay It Forward and continue to support unsung heroes and make a real difference in the world.





PIFster founders, Shashana Kaplan & Chris Conlee, with a loving, cleft-lip bull terrier rescued from euthanasia. Every life counts!

About PIFster Inc

Discover unsung heroes! PIFster, the Pay It Forward app, connects donors with vetted local charities making a real difference.

Press Inquiries

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/235375

SOURCE: PIFster Inc
Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old inmate in New Yorks Marcy Correctional Facility, was brutally assaulted and beaten to death by prison guards. Governor Kathy Hochul has condemned the senseless killing and fired the 14 involved read more

Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old inmate was brutally assaulted and beaten to death by prison guards at New York's Marcy Correctional Facility. Image courtesy: NY Attorney General

In a harrowing incident that has sent shockwaves throughout the United States, a 43-year-old inmate named Robert Brooks was brutally assaulted and beaten to death by prison guards at New Yorks Marcy Correctional Facility.

Disturbing body camera footage released on Friday shows correctional officers repeatedly assaulting the handcuffed inmate until he lay completely motionless and bloodied. Brooks tragically succumbed to his injuries the following day.

Reacting to the incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her outrage and called the attack a senseless killing. She has ordered a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind the tragedy.

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Heres what we know so far about the case.

(Please note the report contains details that readers may find distressing)

What happened?

Footage released by New York Attorney General Letitia James reveals a harrowing series of events involving the brutal treatment of Robert Brooks while he was handcuffed and seated on a medical examination table.

James, who is leading the investigation, stated that releasing the videos was necessary to ensure transparency and accountability in the wake of Brooks tragic death.

The viral video shows officers striking the inmate in the face and groin, with one officer using a shoe to hit him in the stomach. Another officer is seen lifting Brooks by the neck and dropping him back onto the table, even though he does not appear to resist or pose any threat.

As per The Guardian report citing court records, Brooks was being restrained by multiple officers, one officer punched him three times in the buttocks and stomped on his groin.

In another clip, two officers pull Brooks to a seated position on the exam table, his face visibly bloodied, before one strikes him in the chest with a closed fist.

The footage, which lacks audio as the officers did not activate their body cameras, also shows an officer placing an unidentified object in Brooks mouth before hitting him again as others watched.

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Two male nurses are also seen standing in the hallway, occasionally peering into the room as the assault continues. Toward the end of the videos, they are called into the room to check Brooks vital signs.

While the final autopsy results are pending, a medical examiner has preliminarily determined that Brooks, who suffered fractures and severe injuries, may have died as a result of asphyxia due to compression of the neck.

A grotesque display of inhumanity

Following the release of the disturbing footage, New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to initiate the termination of 14 workers from Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, including correctional officers, sergeants and a prison nurse.

We have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law, and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse, Hochul stated, emphasising that such actions would not be condoned in New York.

Daniel Martuscello, the state corrections commissioner, also announced that his department has launched an internal investigation in an effort to bring institutional change.

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The Correctional Association of New York, an independent prison oversight organisation, had flagged serious issues at Marcy Correctional Facility in a report last year.

The report detailed rampant physical abuse by staff, with 80 per cent of incarcerated individuals reporting they had witnessed or experienced abuse and nearly 70 per cent alleging racial discrimination or bias.

The Correctional Association of New York flagged serious issues at Marcy Correctional Facility in a report last year. The report detailed rampant physical abuse by staff. File Photo.

The organisations executive director, Jennifer Scaife, said the footage of Brooks being assaulted is sickening and appalling, but not surprising given its previous findings. She called on the state prison system to address the systemic issues that allow such brutality to flourish.

Tina Luongo, a chief attorney at The Legal Aid Society in New York City, called for complete transparency regarding the use of force by state correctional staff and demanded a full accounting of this tragedy.

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Like everyone who has seen this video, we are horrified, angered, and deeply saddened, Luongo said, describing the assault on Brooks as a grotesque display of inhumanity that is utterly appalling.

Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault, had been transferred to Marcy from the nearby Mohawk Correctional Facility on the same day the incident occurred.

Also read: I cant breathe: How a Black mans death in Ohio reminds of George Floyds killing, systemic racism

Brooks family vows to seek justice

The release of the footage has left Robert Brooks family heartbroken, and they have expressed their deep outrage and sorrow over what they witnessed.

In a statement, the family described the video as devastating and shared the painful impact of seeing the horrific and violent final moments of Brooks life. They have vowed to pursue justice, declaring, We will not rest until we have secured justice for Roberts memory.

They added, We cannot understand how this could have happened in the first place. No one should have to lose a family member this way.

Elizabeth Mazur, the lawyer representing Brooks family, also spoke out, saying, He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff.

With input from agencies
Gah, a village in Pakistans Punjab province, is mourning the loss of former PM Manmohan Singh. It was in this tiny village that Singh spent his childhood, before Partition forced his family to relocate to India. Known affectionately as Mohna, Singhs journey to the corridors of power in India remains a source of connection and pride among the locals read more

Singh, who passed away at 92 at New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday night, spent his early years in a tiny village in Pakistan. PTI

In Gah, a small village around 100km southwest of Islamabad, the air was heavy with grief as residents gathered after Friday prayers to mourn a man who had once called this village home  Dr Manmohan Singh.

The entire village is in mourning. We feel that someone from our family has died today, Altaf Hussain, a local teacher told PTI, as villagers came together to remember their beloved Mohna, who rose to prominence as Indias 14th Prime Minister.

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Singh, who passed away at 92 at New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Thursday night, spent his early years in a tiny village in Pakistan.

To this day, Singh was one of their own. Despite the partition and decades of separation, his journey to the corridors of power in India remained a source of connection and pride.

Heres a closer look at Manmohan Singhs time at this tiny village.

I played, while Mohna prepared for exams

It was in Gah Begal village, now part of Chakwal district in Pakistans Punjab province, that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932.

His father, Gurmukh Singh Kohli, worked as a clerk for a dry fruits trader, while his mother, Amrit Kaur, passed away when Singh was just five months old. Raised by his paternal grandmother, Jamna Devi, Singh grew up in humble surroundings.

His early education began at the local primary school in Gah, where his admission details are still treasured: admission number 187, dated April 17, 1937, his caste as Kohli.

Ghulam Mustafa, then the village schools headmaster told The Dawn, We still show this to our students. We tell them that one of them could be like him. I tell them, Manmohan Singh studied right here, in these classrooms."

Even after Singh became Indias Prime Minister, he remained deeply rooted in the memories of his birthplace.

Some of Singhs classmates were alive when he became Indias Prime Minister in 2004, but many have since passed away. Their families, however, still hold on to memories of those days and cherish the connection.

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Muhammad Zaman, son of Muhammad Ashraf, fondly recalled his fathers reaction when he learned of his best friends rise to the post of prime minister, My father ran to me and said, Oye, apna Mohna Hindustan da wazeer ho gaya! (Our Mohna has become Indias prime minister!).

Zaman further said, The entire village danced that night. Even those who had never met Singh, felt proudFather used to tell me bedtime stories of Mohna. He made him sound like a hero from our village folk tales. He studied under candlelight, my father used to say. While I played in the fields, Mohna was preparing for exams.

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Singh stayed in Gahs school until the age of 10, when he moved to Peshawar to live with his father and continue his education. After the partition in 1947, he relocated to Amritsar, where the Singh family started a new life.

A young Dr Manmohan Singh with children : Rare Pic pic.twitter.com/6CUp8Ibm1n  Rachit Seth (@rachitseth) July 2, 2017

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Ashraf, remained in Pakistan, however their bond didnt change with turbulent times.

Sixty-five years ago, the land was dividedand so were we, Ashraf, who passed away in 2010, said at the time. But friendships like ours, they cant be partitioned.

Also read: Why Manmohan Singh was always spotted wearing a blue turban

A man of his words

Though years passed, the connection between Gah Begal and Manmohan Singh never wavered. Even after Singh became Indias Prime Minister, he remained deeply rooted in the memories of his birthplace.

Raja Ashiq Ali, a local and nephew of Singhs friend told ThePrint, I feel immense pleasure to share that Manmohan Singh was such a man of the word that in 2004, he told me through his principal secretary that [village] upliftment projects would soon be underway, and then, we witnessed unprecedented development.

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Mr. Raja Mohammad Ali, a boyhood friend from Gah village in Pakistan, meets with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on May 30, 2008. Image courtesy: PMO Archives

According to local residents, Singh helped fund the renovation of the village school, establish a hospital, and solar-powered lighting systems.

Indias The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) played a pivotal role in these development projects. They installed two power micro grids in Gah. This included 51 solar-based domestic lighting systems, 16 solar streetlights, and solar heaters in three mosques.

In 2008, Singh extended a personal invitation to his schoolmate, Raja Muhammad Ali, for a visit to New Delhia meeting that became a treasured memory for the villagers.

Raja Mohammad Ali, a childhood friend from Gah village of Pakistan, meeting with then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on May 30, 2008. Image courtesy: PMO Archives



He took shawls and shoes for him. I sent him Chakwali rawori. Raja asked him to visit Gah, but the Mumbai attacks happened, and everything changed, Ashraf had recalled.



While Singh was unable to visit Gah during his lifetime, the news of his passing plunged the village into deep sorrow. We wanted to participate in his last rituals, but we know that it is not possible for us, said Ali.

He added, All of the villagers yearned for the arrival of Manmohan Singh, but unfortunately, he could not come to Gah. Now, we ardently wait to receive his wife and daughters in Gah.

With input from agencies
After an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed tragically, those who survived tell the tales of horror and chaos unleashed in the moments leading up to the disaster. Only 29 out of 67 on board survived. Passengers say they heard loud bangs and thuds outside the plane before the plane nosedived read more

The crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Only 29 passengers and a crew member of 67 on board survived, and some of them have now shared their harrowing experiences of the moments leading up to the disaster. Reuters

Flying from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in Chechnya on Christmas Day turned fatal for many on board an Azerbaijan Airlines flight when it crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after veering off its planned route.

According to officials, 38 people of the 67, including the pilot and crew members on board, lost their lives in the crash.

However, 29 passengers and a crew member survived, and some of them have now shared their harrowing experiences of the moments leading up to the disaster.

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Heres what they had to say about what happened.

Heard loud bang, felt like the plane was drunk

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, was on its way from Baku to Grozny in Russia when disaster struck.

Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the survivors, described the terrifying moments leading up to the crash from his hospital bed. Speaking to Reuters, he said he heard a loud bang as the plane approached Grozny.

After the bangI thought the plane was going to fall apart, Rakhimov recalled. Fearing the worst, he began to pray.

It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way, he added. It was as if it was drunknot the same plane anymore.

A viral video captured during the crash offers a glimpse into the chaos inside the cabin. In the footage, a passenger is heard shouting Allahu Akbar (God is great) as the plane nosedived. Yellow oxygen masks dangled from above, and cries and screams filled the air.

The final moments of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane before its crash in Kazakhstan were captured by a passenger onboard.



Aftermath also included in the footage. pic.twitter.com/nCRozjdoUY  Clash Report (@clashreport) December 25, 2024

According to a crew member, the Embraer 190 aircraft had already made three unsuccessful attempts to land in Grozny due to heavy fog.

Flightradar24 data revealed that the planes vertical speed oscillated over 100 times in the final 74 minutes of the flight. Eventually, the flight was redirected to Aktau in Kazakhstan, but trouble soon escalated.

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Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant told Reuters the flights captain said that he was advised to land the plane at sea, but he decided to set a course for Aktau and land it on the groundHe warned that there would be a hard landing and asked us to be ready and prepare the passengers.

An Azeri crew member, also hospitalised after the crash, recounted hearing three loud bangs from outside the aircraft.

The pilot had just lifted the plane up when I heard a bang from the left wing. There were three bangs, he told ABC News.

Moments later, he felt something strike his left arm and realised the cabin had depressurised.

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I dont know what touched me; I just looked and saw blood, he explained.

Another passenger, Vafa Shabanova, said she too heard a loud bang, quickly followed by a second. Crew members instructed her to move to the back of the plane as oxygen levels in the cabin dropped.

 NEW FOOTAGE: Moments Before the AZAL Plane Crash



 Video captured onboard the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190AR flight reveals alarming details:



An emergency hole is visible on a wing component, raising questions about structural damage during flight.

A passenger's leg pic.twitter.com/UZC3LCihok  Axel (@AxelCharai) December 25, 2024

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Rakhimov described being thrown back and forth in his seat, strapped in, before everything went quiet. It was then that he realised the plane had landed.

I realized that we have landed, he told The New York Times. I didnt know what to do  whether to laugh or cry.

Unverified footage of the crash showed the plane bursting into flames as it hit the ground. Soon after, videos emerged of survivors stumbling out of the charred wreckage, dazed and disoriented.

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Did a Russian missile hit the plane?

Kazakhstan has announced that it has opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Officials have confirmed the recovery of the planes black box, which is expected to provide crucial insights into the events leading up to the tragedy.

Initially, Russias aviation watchdog suggested that the crash might have been caused by a bird strike.

Preliminary: after a collision with birds, due to an emergency on board, its commander decided to go to an alternate airfield - Aktau was chosen, the agency shared on Telegram.

However, Azerbaijan Airlines presented a different theory, alleging that physical and technical external interference might have caused the crash. While it did not elaborate on the nature of this interference, the airline suspended several flights to Russian cities on Friday.

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, December 25, 2024. AP

Adding to the speculation, a high-ranking Azeri government source told ABC News that new evidence suggests the plane might have been shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile. This theory links the crash to the areas ongoing tensions, where Russian air defences have recently been combating Ukrainian drones.

The Fighterbomber Telegram channel, reportedly operated by Capt Ilya Tumanov of the Russian military, shared a video showing damage to the plane that some believe resembles shrapnel or shelling.

The Kremlin has refrained from commenting on the speculation, emphasising the importance of waiting for the investigations findings.

The investigation into the air accident is ongoing. We do not think we have the right to give any assessments until conclusions are drawn, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

He further stated, We have our own aviation authorities that can do it, and this information may come only from them.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russias federal air transport agency, pointed to Ukraine as a possible culprit.

The situation in the Grozny Airport area was rather complicated on that day and at those hours. Ukrainian drones were conducting terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz, Yadrov said, according to Russian state media.

As investigations continue, authorities are piecing together the events that led to this tragic incident.

with input from agencies
Some of our most-read stories of 2024 are of crime  rape, murders and more. From the mass rape trial of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot to the failed assassination attempts on Donald Trump, from the killing of a four-year-old by his mother in Goa to the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata, a look at the headlines that left us shaken read more

A woman holds a placard with a portrait of Gisele Pelicot during a gathering in support of the Frenchwoman, who was the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot at their home in the southern French town of Mazan, the day after the verdict in the trial for Dominique Pelicot and 50 co-accused, in front of the courthouse in Avignon, France. The slogan reads 'Thank you Gisele'. Reuters

Stories of true crime fascinate the world. Theres a lot of interest in criminals and their motives.

Some of our most-read stories of 2024 were on hit-and-runs and murders, sex crimes and school shootings. Assassinations grabbed headlines  the failed bids of US President-elect Donald Trump and Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico. In India, the murder of politician Baba Siddique came as a shocker.

The most heartbreaking of all stories were those of sexual abuse  the horrific mass rape of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot and the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in Indias Kolkata.

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As we prepare to say goodbye to the year, heres a recap of the crimes and criminals who left us shaken.

France mass rape trial

One of the biggest villains of 2024 is Dominique Pelicot. The former electrician was sentenced to 20 years and has been dubbed the worst sexual predator in recent history. What was his crime? He drugged and raped his now former wife Gisele and invited 70 other men to rape her while she was unconscious. Along with him, 50 others were found guilty. Heres how the case unravelled.

Gisele Pelicot leaves the Avignon courthouse after hearing the defences final plea at the trial of her former husband Dominique Pelicot accused of drugging her for nearly ten years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home in Mazan, a small town in the south of France, in Avignon. Dominique Pelicot was found guilty f repeatedly drugging and raping his wife for almost a decade, and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her unconscious body in a case that has horrified the world. All the Frenchmans 50 co-defendants were also found guilty of rape. AFP

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder

In a murder that shocked America, Brian Thomson was shot to death on December 4 outside New Yorks Hilton. The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Americas biggest health insurer, was there to attend the investor day hosted by the company.

The search for Thomsons killer continued for days. On December 9, he was arrested at a McDonalds. Luigi Mangione is 26; he came from a wealthy family and was a former Ivy League student. So what pushed him to commit a murder? Heres everything we know and how Mangione now charged with murder became the internets hero.

People hold placards outside New York Supreme Court, on the day of an arraignment hearing for Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group chief executive Brian Thompson, in New York City, US on December 23. Reuters

Donald Trump rally shooting

1. One of the most defining images of 2024 is the picture of Donald Trump, his first up in the air, his face bloodied. It was taken minutes after a bullet was fired at the US President-elect, who was then campaigning for the polls at Bulter in Pennsylvania. Trump survived, the bullet reportedly hit the upper part of his ear.

The FBI identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old. A registered Republican, he was killed by a Secret Service sniper. But who was Crooks and how did he hoodwink all the security? How did he plan and execute the audacious attack? We explain

2. The assassination attempt on Trump once again triggered the debate on gun control in the US. Thomas Matthew Crooks used an AR-15, Americas most popular weapon. A similar AR-platform-style weapon was used by a 14-year-old who went on a rampage inside a high school in Georgia in September, killing four people and injuring nine others. But why are AR-15s used so frequently?

Donald Trump is assisted by the Secret Service after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13. Reuters

Donald Trumps hush money trial

In an election year, Donald Trump was in the news for another reason  the hush money payment case. In May, he was convicted of felony crimes, as a New York judge found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to adult actor Stormy Daniels, who said the two had sex.

Trump is the first President-elect who will enter the White House after being convicted of a felony. He has now lost the bid to dismiss the conviction, as a Manhattan judge ruled recently that the Supreme Courts presidential immunity decision does not apply to this case. What is the case and what does this mean for Trump as he prepares to take charge?

Anti-Trump demonstrators held up signs near Trump Tower as Donald Trump held a press conference after being found guilty over hush-money charges in New York City. Donald Trump became the first former US president ever convicted of a crime after a New York jury found him guilty on all charges in his hush-money case, months before the US election. File photo/AFP

Southport stabbings

In a heartbreaking story, three young girls, aged six to nine, were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport in the UK. A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. He was identified as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, who was described by neighbours as quiet and introverted.

The 29 July incident led to unrest that shook the UK. Crowds that gathered turned violent after a vigil and attacked the police and a mosque and chanted anti-Muslim slogans. But what was the connection between the slogan and allegations of Islamaphobia?

Flowers and letters are seen following a vigil for the victims of the knife attack in Southport, Britain on July 30. Reuters

The Gurpatwant Singh Pannun assassination plot

The alleged failed plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun continues to haunt India-US ties. The FBI has accused Indian agents of involvement in the assassination attempt.

In a report in late April, The Washington Post identified R&AW agent Vikram Yadav as the person who hatched the plot. But who is Yadav? This story explains.

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Pune Porsche hit-and-run

2024 saw several hit-and-run mishaps grab headlines in India. One of them was the Pune Porsche accident. The mishap that led to the death of two young engineers was caused by a 17-year-old boy, who was the son of a prominent realtor.

The speeding car driven by the allegedly drunk teen hit the engineers who were returning after dinner. The case was front-page news for weeks  the teens family tried to bribe doctors and reached out to politicians and the boy was granted bail on the condition that he write an essay. After all the uproar and protests, the accident was revisited and the teen was sent to a remand home. The accuseds parents were also arrested for the alleged cover-up.

The Porsche car found without number plate, in Pune was allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy who knocked down two motorbike riders, causing their death in Kalyani Nagar. File photo/PTI

Baba Siddique murder

1. In India, as the country celebrated Dusshera, a shocking murder took place in Mumbais affluent suburb of Bandra  that of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. Three armed individuals fired at him outside his sons office. The crime was carried out by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, whose leader is currently in Patiala jail. Heres how the assassination was planned.

2. After the killing of Siddique, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang threatened that anyone helping Bollywood actor Salman Khan would be targeted. Siddique was known to be close to the Hindi film industry and his iftar parties were often the talk of town.

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But what is the Bishnoi gangs enmity with the Bollywood superstar? It is linked to a case that dates back to 1998 in which the actor was embroiled.

Actor Salman Khan leaves the residence of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique who was shot dead by three assailants, in Mumbai. File photo/PTI

Kolkata rape and murder

1. In mid-August, doctors and students came onto the street in protest. It was against the death of a trainee doctor at a government-run hospital in Kolkata. The 31-year-old medic was raped and murdered but the RG Kar Hospital tried to downplay the case as an incident of suicide.

The accused in the case was identified as Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, who had access to the hospital premises. The CBI has filed a chargesheet against him. However, he claims that he is innocent and is being framed by the government. We look at the life of Roy, who had a history of drinking.

2. While Roy is the main accused in the case, the spotlight is also on Dr Sandip Ghosh. He received flak for his poor handling of the RG Kar rape and murder. Known for his close ties to the Trinamool Congress, the doctor too was not new to controversy. He resigned from his post at the medical college but was reinstated to another place. But as protests refused to die down, he was arrested and recently got bail.

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Junior doctors march during a protest over RG Kar Hospital rape and murder incident, in Kolkata. File photo/PTI

Bengaluru CEO kills 4-year-old son

A bone-chilling story shook Goa last January. A mother, who checked into a service apartment in Candolim with her four-year-old son, murdered him. She stuffed his body into a bag and was trying to flee when she was caught near Karnatakas Chitradurga district.

Suchana Seth, the CEO of Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence company Mindful AI Lab, with her son, whom she has been accused of killing

The woman was identified as Suchana Seth, the CEO of a Bengaluru-based start-up. She was getting a divorce but was unhappy with a recent court order that allowed her estranged husband to meet their child. Is that what drove the mother to suffocate the boy to death?

Bengaluru fridge murder

In 2022, 27-year-old Sharddha Walkar was murdered by her live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala in Delhi. He killed her, then chopped her body into pieces and stored it in a fridge. Two years on, similar copycat murders continue.

This September, the body of a 29-year-old woman was found in her home in Bengalurus Vyalikaval. It was dismembered into close to 50 pieces and stored in a refrigerator. The incident came to light after neighbours complained of a foul smell.

The woman was identified as Mahalakshmi and she was killed by a colleague; the two were reportedly having an affair. The man, Mukti Ranjan Ray, 30, died by suicide in Odisha days later. Heres what happened.

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The suicide of Bengaluru-based techie

The shocking suicide of a Bengaluru-based techie Atul Subhash became a subject of debate in India. He left a 24-page suicide note and an 81-minute video in which he blamed his estranged wife and in-laws for harassment and also spoke about the divorce proceedings.

After days on the run, the woman Nikita Singhania and her family members were arrested. But who is she and how did the law catch up with her? Find out in these stories which are among the most-read in December.

Thats our annual roundup of 2024s crime stories. One can hope the next year is more peaceful.
The Mahakumbh festival considered the largest public gathering in the world, draws millions of pilgrims, ascetics, saints, sadhus and devotees from all corners of India and from across the world. The festival is celebrated every 12 years and rotates between four revered locations: Haridwar on the banks of the Ganges, Ujjain by the Shipra River, Nashik by the Godavari, and Prayagraj read more

The Mahakumbh, held every twelve years, will take place from January 13 to February 26, 2025 in Prayagraj. File Image- Reuters

Pilgrims visiting the 2025 Mahakumbh will be treated to a breathtaking visual experience as Uttar Pradesh tourism plans to host a drone show in the Sangam area. The show will depict scenes of religious and spiritual importance, including the iconic Samudra Manthan.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is a big economic opportunity for various sectors, such as hospitality, transportation, tourism and retail. The UP government is promoting the religious gathering, hoping it will give a fillip to spiritual and religious tourism.

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The drone show will be organised above the Sangam Nose area during the evening, the state government said in a statement.

The most propitious of these days occur in cycles of 12 years. When the time comes for Prayagraj, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, millions flock to the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers during a festival called the Maha Kumbh Mela.

It has become the largest such gathering of humans anywhere on Earth.

In 2025, between Jan. 13 and Feb. 26, about 400 million people, more than the population of the United States, are expected to participate in the festival.

The Sangam nose is the exact point of confluence of three holy rivers: the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati According to District Tourism Officer Aparajita Singh drone show will be held during the opening and closing of the event.

A fleet of around 2,000 illuminated drones will bring to life the legendary tales of Prayag Mahatmyam and the Mahakumbh. The spectacular show will depict iconic events like the mythical Samudra Manthan (ocean churning) and the emergence of the Amrit Kalash (nectar pot), creating a magical visual narrative in the evening skies, said District Tourism Officer Aparajita Singh.

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The show will also highlight the religious and spiritual significance of Prayagraj, providing a unique experience for pilgrims and locals.

Mahakumbh 2025 is gearing up to be a global cultural spectacle. Preparations are in full swing, reflecting CM Yogi Adityanaths vision of a grand and spiritually elevating Mahakumbh, according to the statement.

Development and beautification work is underway across temples, Ganga ghats, parks, roads, and flyovers in Prayagraj, it said.

Additionally, visitors and pilgrims will experience several new and unique attractions during this iconic festival, it added.

The event will feature floating restaurants, water activities, hot air balloons, and laser light shows. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is introducing innovative attractions to enhance the experience for visitors.

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Starting in the first week of January, a musical fountain laser show on the Yamuna River at Kali Ghat will provide a mesmerising experience for tourists visiting Prayagraj.

Moreover, the spectacular lighting drone show will be a highlight during the Mahakumbh, offering a memorable experience for both visitors and residents of Prayagraj.

With inputs from agencies.
Apart from the provisions of the treaty, the Yunus regime is an unelected interim government. So an unelected regime has hardly any basis to seek the extradition of a democratically-elected former prime minister who is still a leader of a major political party read more

Bangladesh has been in the grip of extreme anti-India sentiment ever since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country and flew to an Indian Air Force base onboard a military aircraft in the wake of the mass uprising against her Awami League government on August 5. Bangladeshs interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has repeatedly labelled Indias concerns over the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, as interference in Bangladeshs internal matters.

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The interim foreign secretary, Md Jashim Uddin, recently said that Bangladesh did not make any comments on the internal matters of other countries and expected India to do the same. He was speaking at a press briefing after the Foreign Office consultation with his Indian counterpart Vikram Misri in Dhaka.

Bangladesh has launched a diplomatic offensive against India as its interim government has been levelling wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the Indian government over the past couple of months. These allegations include claims about the Indian media allegedly circulating fake news about the atrocities inflicted on Hindus in Bangladesh in connivance with the Indian government and the government of India plotting to undo the regime change in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasinas rival political parties are adding fuel to the fire by further stepping up the anti-India rhetoric. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi recently condemned New Delhi for its alleged interference in Bangladeshs internal matters and for sheltering ousted PM Sheikh Hasina. The comments were made at a rally in Dhaka organised by various BNP-affiliated bodies who marched all the way to Akhaura, a border town near Agartala. The protestors demanded action against what they called Indias involvement in the recent attack on the Bangladesh consulate in Agartala and the alleged desecration of the Bangladeshi flag in the Indian city.

The Yunus government is an interim one and doesnt enjoy a peoples mandate or democratic legitimacy. Even as the interim government has announced that they plan to hold elections by late 2025 or early 2026, there is a simmering discontent amongst various political parties of Bangladesh, who want elections to be held earlier. Irrespective of when the elections will be held, the interim government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and most leaders of her party, Awami League, are barred from contesting elections.

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In such a hostile scheme of things, Bangladesh has now formally asked India to extradite former PM Sheikh Hasina. A day after sending a verbal note to the Indian government regarding the extradition, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government said that if no response is received within natural time, it will serve a note of urgency. Indias Ministry of External Affairs, in the meantime, has confirmed receiving the note verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission, but it has refused to comment on the matter.

India and Bangladesh signed an extradition treaty in 2013, which was amended in 2016, under which such requests can be legally processed. The treaty was signed between the Sheikh Hasina government of Bangladesh and Indias Modi government mainly to address the issue of fugitives operating across borders. Thus, the need for such a treaty was felt against the backdrop of the alarming situation of Indian insurgents, especially from the North-East, hiding in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi militants from radical outfits hiding in Assam and West Bengal.

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The treaty was subsequently amended in 2016 to speed up and simplify the extradition process. The amendments go in favour of the Yunus regime seeking Hasinas extradition, as the country seeking the extradition is no longer required to provide evidence of the offence committed. A mere arrest warrant from a competent court would suffice, as per the amendments. According to Bangladeshi media reports, Sheikh Hasina is accused in over 100 cases and faces multiple charges, including mass killings, murders, abductions, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

However, India is not bound by the treaty to extradite Hasina, as there are a number of provisions based on which India could refuse. One of the grounds on which extradition can be refused is the offence being of a political character. However, this category is not a very strong ground for India to refuse extradition, as there are multiple exemptions to the political offence categorymurder, manslaughter or culpable homicide, kidnapping, abduction, etc. Since Sheikh Hasina is charged with most of these offences, it would be difficult for the Indian government to refuse the extradition on those grounds.

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As per another provision, the extradition may also be refused if they satisfy the requested state that it would be unjust to extradite them. There are many reasons given for the grounds on which the extradition can be deemed unjust, such as if the accusation against the party whose extradition is being sought has not been made in good faith in the interest of justice. This provision for refusing extradition is quite subjective and open-ended, and thus, legally speaking, its not very difficult for India to refuse Hasinas extradition on these grounds.

The provisions of the treaty, apart, the Yunus regime is an unelected interim government. So on what basis can an unelected regime seek the extradition of a former prime minister (who was democratically elected) and is also the leader of a major political party? This is yet another pertinent question. India could always argue that itd rather wait till free and fair elections are held in Bangladesh and a democratically elected government starts running the country.

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Moreover, when Muhammad Yunus spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2024, he openly acknowledged that the so-called revolution wasnt a spontaneous outburst but a meticulously planned and orchestrated exercise. Thus, he admitted that there was manoeuvring and conspiracy involved in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshs former Prime Minister.

Thus, an unelected government that openly acknowledged orchestrating a movement to manoeuvre regime change in Bangladesh, seeking the extradition of a democratically elected former prime minister, who was forced to flee the country to save her life and seek asylum in neighbouring India, doesnt seem to stand on convincing grounds. Moreover, attacks on minorities continue unabated in Bangladesh. In the latest incident, 17 houses of the Christian community in the country were torched on Christmas Eve. As various Hindu advocacy groups and organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), urge the Modi government to raise the issue of Bangladeshi Hindus in the UN, it seems only a matter of time before the human rights violations perpetrated covertly or overtly by the Yunus regime get some sort of official international condemnation.

With Donald Trump all set to officially take over as the 47th President of the US on January 20, 2025, it certainly wouldnt be a smooth ride for the Yunus regime. Its worthwhile to recall that Trump has highlighted the issue of radical Islamist violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh. While giving out a Diwali message in early November, Trump stated in a post on Truth Social, I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.

Moreover, Sheikh Hasina, the former PM of Bangladesh, has repeatedly accused the US government of orchestrating regime change in Bangladesh. She further claimed that the US government had wanted her to surrender the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and thus allow the US to have a strategic hold over the Bay of Bengal, and since she refused to oblige, she had to go.

Thus, the upcoming Trump government in the US might not be so keen on putting up with the high-voltage antics of the Yunus regime, leaving aside shielding it from international scrutiny. Although Donald Trumps America First policy means that his administration wouldnt probably go out of its way to immediately fix the situation in Bangladesh and hold the Yunus regime accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity under its watch. In politics, there is a sea of difference between election rhetoric and what can be possibly achieved on the ground once a government comes to power.

Thus, the change in Bangladesh, after the Trump government takes over, is not going to be sudden or dramatic. It will most probably be a long-winding process marked by chaos and tumult in the region, something in which India has direct stakes and will have to manage the situation extremely tactfully from the point of view of its own internal security.

Will India agree to Bangladeshs request for Sheikh Hasinas extradition? Most probably not. Political stability in Bangladesh is crucial for Indias internal security and strategic interests. The extradition of the former PM of Bangladesh would be the final nail in the coffin, sending Bangladesh perpetually into an unending spiral of anti-Hindu and anti-India radical Islamist politics. Thus, India should (and will in all probability) gradually step up pressure on the Yunus regime through international consensus and backdoor diplomacy to conduct free and fair elections in Bangladesh as soon as possible. India should also do its best to ensure that Sheikh Hasinas Awami League gets fair play in the elections.

Its not an easy task, considering that the international community hasnt come out strongly against the situation in Bangladesh. The West has a history of using conflicts and coups in the Global South as a geopolitical tool to further its strategic interests. Thus, from their point of view, its best to keep the pot simmering and keep the region on tenterhooks.

But the West now deals with a much more assertive and decisive India. With its own backyard embroiled in multiple crises, the West needs India, an emerging superpower and a leader of the Global South, to boost its own economy and build consensus on major global issues. Thus, with Donald Trump poised to take over the US government, its just the right time for India to build a strong international consensus on the Bangladesh issue and draw the attention of the UN to the ongoing atrocities against religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Rati Agnihotri is an independent journalist and writer currently based in Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
The regional and extra-regional powers are repositioning themselves with the new government, and the effect of the change of guard is likely to have varying consequences for these powers; meanwhile, peace remains elusive in Syria read more

In the aftermath of Hayat Tehrir al-Sham (HTS) assuming control in Damascus and Bashar al-Assad having fled to Russia, the new leadership is occupied in normalising the situation. Schools, colleges, and government offices have reopened. A flurry of diplomatic activity is taking place, and France and Qatar, among others, have opened their embassies. The UN, UK, and EU have sent their representatives to interact with the new government in Syria.

The new leader of Syria, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, alias Jolani, has exhorted Western countries to lift the economic sanctions imposed during the Assad regime. Consequent to his declaring that they will not wage war against Israel, the Israeli defence minister has stated that Israel will not interfere in Syria. Israel has already destroyed more than 80 percent of the war-waging effort of Syria.

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Sharaa is projecting HTS as a more moderate, inclusive, and nationalistic party and hopes that the group will be taken off the list of terrorist groups by the UN, US, and the Western world. Minorities such as Christians, Alawis, Shia, and Druz are being reassured that the new establishment is not going to take revenge and shall take them along in rebuilding the nation.

The regional and extra-regional powers are repositioning themselves with the new government, and the effect of the change of guard is likely to have varying consequences for these powers.

Turkey

Turkey was a major supporter of HTS in overthrowing and overpowering the Assad regime. Turkey is sensitive to the Kurdish movement in the north and northeast of Syria spreading to their southern Kurdish majority areas. Turkish troops are occupying some northern areas of Syria and would expect close relations with the new government as well as to keep the northern areas of Syria under their influence. Turkey would also be looking forward to having a major share in rebuilding Syria, having enhanced trade and commerce activity, and helping the Syrians to revive their economy.

The smooth return and rehabilitation of over three and a half million Syrians who were refugees in Turkey has also to be coordinated with the new establishment. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hopeful that the new government will be formed by giving representation to all groups, including the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). The important issue of operations against Kurds and areas of influence in the north and northeast of Syria has also to be ironed out between Turkey, the US, and the new government in Syria. Overall, Turkey is going to be a major gainer in new Syrias affairs and is likely to fill the void created by dwindling Russian and Iranian presence.

Israel

In the last few months, Israel systematically weakened and degraded Hezbollah in Lebanon and the anti-aircraft and air defence capability of Iran. In doing so, it ensured the exodus of Hezbollah fighters and Republican Guards in large numbers from Syria in order to stabilise their domestic situation.

Israel also backed the European Union in supplying wherewithal to Ukraine and forcing Russians to thin out of Syria to be deployed in the war in Ukraine. As a result, they made the job of HTS easier to oust the Assad regime. Israel is the biggest gainer in the new Syrian canvas. They have occupied the remaining one-third of the Golan Heights, almost 250 sq km, and extended their frontiers eastwards, getting closer to Damascus. In a series of air attacks, the Israelis have destroyed most of the warplanes, airports, battleships, ports, tanks, guns, and anti aircraft guns and destroyed the majority of the war-waging material in Syria.

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Israel has also shattered the Shia Crescent and the axis of resistance (or evil), thereby eliminating the threat from Hezbollah, Hamas, and other proxies of Iran to a large extent. Although Israel is amongst the countries that have regarded HTS as a terrorist group, over the years, they have had openings of back channels with most of the opposition groups, especially those who were active in Golan in the initial years of the Syrian Civil War from 2013 to 2016. The destruction of 80 per cent of war-waging capability of Syria and the occupation of the buffer zone further into Syria has not gone well with the new government and doesnt augur well for long-lasting peace between the two neighbours. Israel needs to take mid-course corrections on their approach towards Syria post-Assad regime.

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Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries had extended moral and material support to the myriad of opposition groups and have helped them to finally bring down the minority government of Assad. The GCC countries would now look forward to assisting the new government in rebuilding Syria and reviving its economy. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have had huge leverage with the new establishment in Syria and will have a great influence on them. GCC countries are relieved to see the Shia Crescent having been weakened and Iranian proxies almost eliminated.

As part of the Israel-India-UAE-US (I2U2), the UAE had already normalised relations with Israel, and along with Saudi Arabia, they can be peace brokers in the Middle East affairs. With reduced influence of Iran in Syrian affairs, the GCC countries will also have to fill the void created in oil supplies to Syria. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, in recent years of stalemate in Syria, had normalised relations with the Assad regime and worked on getting Syria back into the Arab League. Qatar and Kuwait continued to support the rebel groups and as such have better relations with the new establishment. The GCC countries are appreciative of the interim government being more inclusive and retaining and reviving state institutions.

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Iran

Iran is the biggest loser after the fall of the Assad regime. Iraq and Syria acted as a conduit for Iranian weapons and other war-waging efforts for supplying Hezbollah in Lebanon. The fall of the Shia Crescent and the axis of resistance has shrunk the strategic influence enjoyed by Iran in the region. However, the new government in Syria still has to maintain working relations with Iran if they want to ensure 80 per cent of their crude oil imports from that country. Iran is down in the Middle East balance of power but not out and will make all efforts with the help of Russia for a resurgence. The proxies of Iran operating against Israel through Syria will not be effective for a long time to come.

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Russia

While the Western world was expecting the Assad government to fall in 2012 when I joined as head of the Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), the peacekeeping mission at Golan Heights between Syria and Israel, they were completely off the mark. The Russian ambassadors in Syria and Israel had the true picture of the ground situation and always told me that the Assad government was very stable and strong and was not going down in a hurry. It was with Russian and Iranian support that Assad lasted through 13 years of civil war. The Russians are now close to losing their foothold in the Mediterranean, with their naval base in Tartus and the air base at Hmeimim in Latakia having been thinned out. The Russians were also controlling their operations in Africa from these bases.

Russians are negotiating with the new interim government to continue to have footholds in these bases. While the naval base at Tartus has been operative since 1971, the air base in Latakia was established in 2015. Traditionally, Syrian students have been going to Russia for higher studies and getting engineering and medical degrees. Some of the students, in addition to the degree, also got wives from Russia, and there are more than 40,000 Russian-origin women married to Syrians, and Russia would endeavour to ensure their security.

The US

The US was not involved directly in the overthrow of the Assad regime and was also caught off guard and surprised at the momentum of the attack by the HTS and allied groups. Later, the Biden administration enhanced the air attacks on the remnants of ISIS in the eastern part of Syria bordering Iraq and Jordan in a bid to ensure that they do not interfere in the power struggle and let HTS call the shots. The US has now removed the terrorist tag on Ahmed al Saraa but has still to take a call on removing the economic sanctions. There are issues for the US in the north and northeast where their NATO ally Turkey is hellbent on fighting SDF, a Kurdish group, with their Syrian proxy, the Syrian National Army (SNA).

The SDF is a partner with a 900-strong US military presence in dealing with ISIS in the eastern part of the nation. Similarly, the US has supported its ally Israel when it attacked the military assets of Syria and created a buffer zone in the Golan Heights by moving into Syrian territory by labelling them as defensive measures. The US cannot hold onto these positions if they have to do business with the new establishment in Damascus. As per President-elect Trumps statement, the US may leave Syria alone to solve its mess and not have an active role in Syrian matters. With his America First attitude, President Trump may continue to let the US lead from the rear and further reduce its presence in Syria.

The Way Ahead

Turkey and GCC countries must undertake sincere reconstruction of Syria and let the HTS-led government stabilise the political situation. They should resist the temptation of getting embroiled in the domestic affairs of Syria but must remain as facilitators and also not allow spoilers to divide the country as per areas of influence. Israel needs to show restraint and engage the new establishment in a positive manner. The roadmap for a political transition in Syria espoused by UN Resolution 2254 of December 18, 2015, should be followed for Syrians to have an indigenous solution for the country without external interference.

As per the well-drafted UN resolution, which was time and again stymied by the Assad regime, who did not want to transfer power, the interim inclusive government must continue for a year to stabilise the country and then usher in fair and free elections under international observers. The 1974 Agreement between Israel and Syria must be respected with the new government in Syria undertaking ownership, and UNDOF should continue to occupy the buffer zone and keep the two opposing powers away from a conventional war.

At the time of writing, fresh, fierce fighting has erupted between the Turkey-backed SNA, which supported HTS in the attack on Assad Forces, and the National Democratic Forces (NDF) in the north and northeast. Militias loyal to the Assad government, comprising mainly of Allawis and Christian communities, are fighting the police and armed forces of the new government in Tartous. As many as 14 police officers have even been killed by these militias. US-backed militias are fighting in the east to finally push out remnants of ISIS. Iraqi and Jordanian armed forces are deployed along their border with Syria to ensure no armed groups enter their countries. Peace is likely to take a long time to return to Syria!

The author was the head of the mission and force commander at the Golan Heights from 2012 to 2015. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is considered the pioneer of economic reforms in the country, passed away on Thursday night. He was ill for a long time. Singh, first as a finance minister and then as a prime minister, is known as the pioneer of economic liberalisation in India. So much so that when it comes to the economy, it is natural to mention Singh.

People may have critical opinions about his two tenures as the prime minister of India, but no one can deny the fact that his contribution in saving and growing the Indian economy is important. Singh, who made his mark as an economist, policy maker, and politician, is known for changing the face of the Indian economy. The Gulf War of 1990 had caused a threefold increase in oil prices. Due to Iraqs attack on Kuwait, India had to bring back thousands of its workers to India. The result was that the foreign currency sent by them had completely stopped. On top of that, the political instability in India and the public outrage that emerged against the Mandal Commissions recommendations were weakening the economy. To bring the country out of this difficult situation, PV Narasimha Rao, the then prime minister, had chosen Manmohan Singh as the finance minister.

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Singh had served as Economic Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and as Chief Economic Adviser and then Secretary at the Ministry of Finance. He served as Director of the Reserve Bank of India from 1976 to 1980 and then as Governor from 1982 to 1985. He has also been Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Chairman of the University Grants Commission. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of India under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). He held the prime ministers post for two consecutive terms, from 2004 to 2009 and from 2009 to 2014. He was Indias finance minister 13 years before becoming prime minister, but Manmohan Singh was much more than the qualifications given in his CV.

Singhs greatest contribution to the country is the economic reforms he ushered in as finance minister. Indias international trade balance was in a dismal deficit in 1991. India was short of both money and time. It had foreign exchange reserves of less than $6 billionenough to meet only two weeks of the countrys imports. There was government control over foreign capital investment. There was a complex licensing system for imports. Wars with China and Pakistan, scams in the stock market, government control of manufacturing, etc. were holding back the economy. The country was on the verge of economic collapse, and to save it, he decided to devalue the rupee twice in July 1991, first by about 9 per cent, then by 11 per cent.

With the devaluation of the rupee, our exports became cheaper, a necessary correction to our worsening trade imbalance. As an emergency measure to deal with our current account deficit, the Reserve Bank of India pledged its gold holdings with the Bank of England to raise about $400 million to reduce the current account deficit.

After this, Singh initiated a series of reforms in the Indian economy that he called reforms with a human face. The introduction of Industrial Policy, 1991 was the prelude to the abolition of the license Raj. To overcome this crisis, Manmohan Singh opened the Indian market to foreign companies in this budget. This step brought the first success to the government in a few months, when in December 1991, the Government of India succeeded in getting the gold mortgaged abroad released and handed over to the RBI. This flow of foreign capital began to change the country; people had more money, and lifestyles changed.

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Big brands of the world knocked on the doors of India. While presenting the budget on July 24, 1991, Singh had said, There is no opportunity to waste time. Neither the government nor the economy can spend more than its capacity year after year. There is no scope now for working on borrowed money or on time. We need to expand the scope and area for the operation of market forces.

Jobs and industry grew. This new system of globalisation is a system of survival of the fittest. When the countrys fiscal deficit was around 8.5 per cent of the GDP, Singh brought it down to 5.9 per cent within just one year. Globalisation in the country was started by Singh in 1991. He not only opened India to the world market but also simplified the rules of export and import. Singh made major changes in three categoriesliberalisation, globalisation, and privatisationunder which changes like foreign trade liberalisation, financial liberalisation, tax reform, and foreign investment were made.

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In simple words, the decision on how much of a commodity would be produced and how much it would cost was left to the market and not the government. These reforms put India on the path of rapid economic development and made the country an attractive destination for international investors.

The period from 2004 to 2014, when he was the prime minister, was the 10 golden years of the Indian economy. Indias GDP grew at an average rate of 8.1 per cent during this remarkable decade. Real GDP growth reached a record high of 10.08 per cent in 2006-07. In 2007, India achieved its highest GDP growth rate of 9 per cent and emerged as the second fastest-growing major economy in the world.

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The largest social welfare program during his tenure was the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, widely recognised as the worlds largest job guarantee scheme. Its main purpose is to be involved in infrastructure construction works (like road construction, water conservation, tree plantation, etc).

His major achievement was the signing of the Indo-US civil nuclear energy agreement, a decision that nearly brought down the government after the left parties withdrew their support over the issue.

The Singh government passed an act in 2005 to give citizens the right to seek information from public authorities. It was named the Right to Information Act (RTI). This brought transparency to the work of the people in the government and also ensured accountability. Let us tell you that the Right to Information Act empowers Indian democracy, improves the way the government works, and gives citizens the right to seek information from their government.

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In 2005, Singhs government introduced VAT tax, which replaced the complex sales tax. The Right to Information Act 2005, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) 2005, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI/Aadhaar) 2009, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE), and the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) to provide housing to the poor and homeless in cities in 2011, the National Food Security Act, 2013, etc, are his major initiatives that transformed the country. Mobile and internet connectivity reached the remotest areas of the country, ushering in the digital revolution.

Singhs economic liberalisation policy helped millions of Indians to overcome poverty. He gave a new lease of life to the ailing economy. Manmohan Singh carried out large-scale economic reforms in the Indian economy, and no one can deny that he has made a significant contribution in overhauling the Indian economy.

The author is a professor at Atal School of Management, JNU. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Unlike the US relations with China or Russia, the issues with India are relatively manageable, as they are not deeply strategic and the roots of American power are not being challenged by India read more

US President-elect Donald Trump is no doubt an unorthodox politician. It would not matter much if the US were not a globally pre-eminent power and whose views and positions had little impact on the world. But the US is the worlds foremost economic and military power, it intervenes militarily abroad liberally in pursuit of its interests as it sees them and has numerous military bases across the globe which gives a huge reach to its power. It dominates the global financial system and uses sanctions as a tool to punish countries at will. A maverick US president who is unpredictable in his conduct therefore poses a major challenge to the international community.

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Trumps first presidency had already rocked many boats. The Transatlantic Alliance has been the pillar of the Wests post-war hegemony notwithstanding the loss of their colonial possessions by European powers. Trump questioned the continued relevance of NATO, believing that the Europeans were exploiting the US by placing upon it the principal burden of providing them security. He summoned the Europeans to raise their defence budgets, a demand to which the Europeans have been responsive.

He came across as anti-EU to the point of openly backing Brexit. His views on engaging Russia, seen by the previous US administrations and Europe as a continuing major security threat to the West, caused dismay in Europe. He walked out of the Paris climate change agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, the WHO as well as the UNESCO. He disregarded UN resolutions on the Palestine issue by shifting the US embassy to Jerusalem and turning his back on the Palestinian Authority.

He was seen by Europe as a right-wing nationalist, disinterested in pursuing a values-based foreign policy centred on democracy and human rights as political tools to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and promoting regime changes. He was seen by his allies and others as transactional. No wonder the Europeans felt unsettled by his policies and personality, to the point of affirming that they and Trumps America no longer shared the same values.

Trumps slogan Make America Great Again was seen as an inward-looking streak, a rejection of globalisation, and protectionism in trade. His administration undermined the WTO and used tariffs to extract concessions, etc.

During his election campaign, Trump made it clear that he would negotiate with Russia and seek a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine, causing immense anxiety in Europe.

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All this explains why the Europeans, with the exception of Hungary, rooted for a Democratic win in the presidential election and were aghast at the idea of a Trump win. The UKs Labour Party also favoured a Kamala Harris win. The blistering attack on Trump by the current UK foreign minister when he was in the opposition is no doubt a source of embarrassment for the British. The US Vice-President Vance has already derided the UK as the first Islamic state in Europe.

Now that Trump has been re-elected, Europe will face a particular challenge in terms of compatibility of values. Trump is aggressively anti-woke, he abhors the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) as an organisational framework, rejects transgenders, has announced that he will remove all transgenders for the US armed forces, is strongly opposed to gender affirming surgeries, has strong anti-immigration views, and so on.

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In the lead-up to his taking charge as president, Trump has been brutal with some of his allies and partners. He has always disliked Trudeau, and that antipathy has been expressed cruelly by calling him the Governor of Canada and inviting Canada to become the 51st state of the US, as that would provide the country full security, ease its internal tax burden, and so on. He has continued this personal humiliation of Trudeau by referring to him as the Governor of Canada and inviting him again to make Canada the 51st state of the US in his somewhat bizarre Christmas message.

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He has announced his intention to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican exports to the US  and this in violation of the revised NAFTA agreement that he had already forced on these two countries during his first presidency  if he did not obtain cooperation from the two countries on illegal immigration and on controlling the flow of the drug fentanyl into the US.

In an earlier statement, Trump had made claim to the Panama Canal built by the US 110 years ago, which was strongly rejected by the President of Panama. In a most unusual Christmas message, Trump has reiterated his complaint about China illegally operating the US-built canal and the US expending billions in repairs but excluded from any say in operating it. The implied threat to Panamas exclusive ownership of the canal has been repeated.

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In his first term, Trump had voiced his desire to own Greenland. In his Christmas message, which should have been that of peace and harmony and not territorial ambitions, Trump lays claim to Greenland, which he argues is needed by the US for national security purposes and that this will be realised in accordance with the wishes of the people of Greenland.

On China, his messaging has been confusing. He had earlier threatened China with 100 per cent tariffs on its exports to the US. In November, he announced his intention to impose an additional 10 per cent tariffs on China (along with additional 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada), as part of his first Executive Orders when he takes office on January 20, 2025. He has also announced his intention to continue providing arms to Taiwan.

At the same time, he has extolled Xi Jinping as Chinas leader, calling him an amazing person and observed in mid-December that there was no global problem that the US and China cannot solve together. Is Trump conscious of the fact that such a statement can be misconstrued as USs willingness to explore a G2 consensus with China?

He has extended an invitation to the Chinese president to attend his inauguration, when there is no precedent of a foreign leader attending the ceremony. That the Chinese president would at all be willing to be present at the inauguration when Trump has surrounded himself with China hawks, and when Xi Jinping is not in a position to make a deeper assessment about the challenges ahead in the US-China ties, is not something that Trump seems to have considered. Why should Xi Jinping expose himself to an embarrassing snub, when, as announced, Trump imposes, on the heels of Xis presence at the inauguration, increased tariffs on Chinese exports to the US as one of first administrative acts?

While Russian President Putin has expressed his readiness to listen to Trumps proposals for a solution to the Ukraine crisis and his willingness to explore a compromise, Foreign Minister Lavrov has spelt out Russias position on any potential discussion with the US on Ukraine more explicitly. He has ruled out any ceasefire, as he sees such a step as merely buying time for Ukraine to recoup and to be furthered armed by NATO. Any solution has to fundamentally safeguard Russias security interests, which includes the eastward expansion of NATO, as well as an agreement that is so constructed that it cannot be legally violated. This would be in addition to addressing another root cause of the situation which lies in the Kiev regimes racist policies with regard to everything Russian in Ukraine.

Trump has already announced his intention to quit the WHO. On climate change, even if he does not withdraw from the Paris Agreement again, his intention to boost oil and gas production in the US means that the US position on the climate change issues, be it financing or technology transfer, would be uncooperative. On Iran, he could follow a more aggressive approach, now that Iran has received a major strategic setback in Syria and Lebanon, and Israel has been emboldened by its successes against Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel could well enjoy full support from Trump for its doggedness on security issues.

India has to take all these dimensions of Trumps thinking and policy approaches in forging its own responses to the challenges ahead. Trump has repeated his reproaches about Indias high tariffs and his intention to reciprocate. His good personal equation with Modi and the pro-India disposition of some of his key appointees, such as the Secretary of State, the NSA and the Director of National Intelligence, would provide us diplomatic cushions. Unlike as in the case of China or Russia, the issues in India-US ties are relatively manageable, as they are not deeply strategic and the roots of US power are not being challenged by India.

Kanwal Sibal is a former Indian Foreign Secretary. He was Indias Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
The exchanges of fire come after Afghanistans Taliban authorities accused Pakistan of killing 46 people, mainly women and children, in air strikes near the border in the southeastern province of Paktika this week. read more

Taliban security personnel stand guard near a damaged car two days after air strikes by Pakistan in the Barmal district of eastern Paktika province on December 26, 2024. Image- AFP

Days after Pakistani aircraft conducted aerial bombings in Afghanistan, Taliban forces retaliated by targeting multiple locations in Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of 19 soldiers.

The intense clashes continue in the eastern Afghan provinces of Khost and Paktia, which border Pakistan, according to TOLOnews, citing a source from Afghanistans Ministry of National Defense. Afghan border forces have reportedly set fire to several Pakistani military posts in Khosts Ali Shir district and captured two Pakistani posts in Paktias Dand-e-Patan district.

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Sporadic fighting, including with heavy weaponry, erupted overnight between border forces on the frontier between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan and Khost province in Afghanistan, officials from both countries said.

The exchanges of fire come after Afghanistans Taliban authorities accused Pakistan of killing 46 people, mainly women and children, in air strikes near the border in the southeastern province of Paktika this week.

A Pakistan senior security source said they targeted terrorist hideouts, though Islamabad has not officially confirmed carrying out the bombardment.

One frontier corps (FC) soldier has been reported dead, and seven others have been injured, a senior security source at the border told AFP, adding clashes took place in at least two locations in Pakistans border district of Kurram.

The Afghan defence ministry said on X that several points across the border with Pakistan where the attacks in Afghanistan were organised were targeted in retaliation.

A provincial official in Khost told AFP the clashes forced residents to flee border areas, but that there were no reports of casualties among Afghan forces.

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In Khost city, the provincial capital, hundreds of Afghans demonstrated against Pakistan on Saturday, calling for accountability for civilian deaths.

Taliban denies harboring militant fighters

The strikes were the latest spike in hostilities on the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with border tensions between the two countries escalating since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

Islamabad has accused Kabuls authorities of harbouring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity  allegations the Taliban government denies.

Skirmishes along the frontier escalated after Pakistans military conducted deadly air strikes in Afghanistans border regions in March, which Taliban authorities claimed killed eight civilians.

The UN assistance mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, called for an investigation into the credible reports of civilian deaths, as the UN childrens agency UNICEF said children are not and must never be a target.

UNICEF is deeply saddened by reports that at least 20 children have been killed in an attack near the border in eastern Afghanistan, regional director Sanjay Wijesekera posted on X.

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The strike comes after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)  who share a common ideology with their Afghan counterparts  last week claimed a raid on an army outpost near the border with Afghanistan, which Pakistan said killed 16 soldiers.

We desire good ties with them (Kabul) but TTP should be stopped from killing our innocent people, Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a cabinet address on Friday.

This is our red line, he added.

Pakistan has been battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions since the Talibans takeover in Afghanistan.

In 2024 alone, the military has reported 383 soldiers and 925 militants killed in various clashes.

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With inputs from agencies.
Between January and October, more than 37 million acres of Brazils Amazon burned  an area larger than the state of Chhattisgarh. Bolivia experienced a record number of fires, while Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana also saw surges read more

Aerial image of an area of Amazon rainforest affected by illegal fire on the banks of the BR-319 road between Porto Velho, Rondonia State and Manaus, Amazonas State, northern Brazil. AFP

The Amazon rainforest endured a devastating year in 2024, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought marking its worst 12 months since 2005. These challenges exacerbated deforestation in a biome vital to combating climate change.

Global warming fuelled severe drought, which in turn fed widespread fires. Authorities suspect many fires were deliberately set to clear land for cattle grazing, further compounding the damage.

The fires and drought experienced in 2024 across the Amazon rainforest could be ominous indicators that we are reaching the long-feared ecological tipping point, said Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch. Humanitys window of opportunity to reverse this trend is shrinking, but still open.

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Widespread fires and record destruction

Between January and October, more than 37 million acres of Brazils Amazon burned  an area larger than the state of Chhattisgarh. Bolivia experienced a record number of fires, while Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana also saw surges. Fires linked to deforestation and pasture management were a key driver of the blazes.

Smoke from fires in Brazils Amazon, Cerrado savannah, and Pantanal wetland blanketed large areas, a testament to the scale of destruction.

For the second consecutive year, the Amazon River reached historic lows, prompting emergency declarations in some countries. One of the rivers main tributaries in Brazil dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, leaving residents in crisis.

Scope for hope

Despite the destruction, there were some gains. Forest loss in Brazil, which hosts the largest portion of the Amazon, fell by 30.6 per cent compared to the previous year, hitting the lowest levels in nine years. The improvement was attributed to the policies of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has stressed forest protection. This contrasted sharply with his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, under whose administration deforestation surged to a 15-year high.

Colombia also reported historic lows in deforestation in 2023, but by mid-2024, deforestation had risen again due to dry conditions caused by El Nino. Illegal economies continue to drive deforestation in the Andean nation, said Bram Ebus, a consultant for Crisis Group in Latin America.

Global responsibility and indigenous leadership

The year also saw progress in recognising the Amazons global significance and the role of Indigenous communities in conservation. At COP16, the United Nations biodiversity conference hosted in Colombia, nations agreed to grant Indigenous groups a greater voice in conservation decisions.

If the Amazon rainforest is to avoid the tipping point, Indigenous people will have been a determinant factor, Miller said.

The appointment of Martin von Hildebrand as secretary general of the Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organisation was seen as another step forward. If the political will is there, international backers will step forward to finance new strategies to protect the worlds largest tropical rainforest, Ebus said.

With inputs from AP
According to the Italian foreign ministry, the war correspondent named Cecilia Sala was detained on December 19, but her arrest was only made public on Friday read more

A 29-year-old Italian journalist was arrested while she was reporting in the Iranian capital of Tehran and was held in solitary confinement for a week. According to the Italian foreign ministry, the war correspondent named Cecilia Sala was detained on December 19, but her arrest was only made public on Friday.

Sala works for the Italian newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media. As per the ministry, the young reporter was in Iran on a regular Journalist visa and had published several reports on the shifting landscape in Iran following the fall of deposed President Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria.

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Following orders from foreign minister Antonio Tajani, the embassy and consulate in Tehran are monitoring the case with utmost attention from the outset, Italys foreign ministry said in a statement. Working in coordination with the council presidency, we are engaged with Iranian authorities to clarify Salas legal situation and verify the conditions of her detention," the ministry furthered.

The journalist being held in the notorious Iranian jail

Following the confirmation from the Italian foreign ministry, several media outlets reported that Sala is being held in Tehrans notorious Evin prison, which mostly holds detainees facing security charges. The prison complex has long been criticised by Western rights groups and was blacklisted by the US government in 2018 for serious human rights abuses.

The foreign ministry mentioned that Sala was allowed to make two phone calls to her relatives. Meanwhile, the Italian ambassador, Paola Amadei, visited Sala in prison on Friday, and Tajani told the local reporters that the journalist was in good health condition. Meanwhile, Chora Media, where Sala used to work also shared a statement of condemnation following the arbitrary arrest.

The independent voice of Cecilia has been silenced. Italy and Europe cannot tolerate this arbitrary arrest. Cecilia Sala must be immediately released," the Italian podcast firm said in a statement. In a separate article Il Foglio said: Journalism is not a crime. We decided to share Cecilias story after receiving assurances from the heads of our diplomacy that informing our readers about her arrest would not slow down the diplomatic efforts to bring her home.

It is pertinent to note that Sala was quite popular in Italy with nearly half a million followers on Instagram and has been a regular guest in several Italian talk shows. Elly Schlein, the leader of the centre-left opposition Democratic party urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis government to take swift action in this regard.

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We immediately call on the government to take every useful initiative to shed light on this matter, to clarify the reasons for this detention and, above all, to bring Cecilia Sala back to Italy as soon as possible, she said. Iranian officials on the other hand are yet to acknowledge the detention of Sala. In the past, Tehran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with other countries.

With inputs from agencies.
The officials said that many members of the Assad family had travelled to Dubai from Beirut and others had stayed in Lebanon since Assad was toppled on Dec. 8. Lebanese authorities had not received Interpol requests to arrest them, including Rifaat, the officials said read more

Rifaat al-Assad, an uncle of the ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad charged in Switzerland with war crimes over the bloody suppression of a revolt in 1982, has flown from Beirut to Dubai in recent days, two Lebanese security officials said on Friday.

The officials said that many members of the Assad family had travelled to Dubai from Beirut and others had stayed in Lebanon since Assad was toppled on Dec. 8. Lebanese authorities had not received Interpol requests to arrest them, including Rifaat, the officials said.

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The UAE foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Lebanese officials said they did not know if Rifaat or the other Assad family members intended to stay in Dubai or travel elsewhere.

Rifaat, in his late 80s, was brother to Assads father, the late president Hafez al-Assad, and led elite forces that crushed a 1982 Muslim Brotherhood uprising in the city of Hama, killing more than 10,000 people. In 2022, the independent Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) monitoring group alleged that between 30,000 to 40,000 civilians had been killed in Hama.

Switzerlands Attorney Generals Office has referred Rifaat al-Assad for trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over killings and torture in Hama, under the principle that all countries have jurisdiction over such crimes. He has denied responsibility.

This month, Swiss judicial authorities said they had suggested the trial could be shelved due to his ill health.

The 1982 Hama assault is often described as the model for Bashar al-Assads later crackdown on the rebellion that began in 2011 and toppled him this month. When rebels seized Hama on Dec. 6, their leader Ahmed al-Sharaa referred to it, saying they would cleanse that wound that has persisted in Syria for 40 years.

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Rifat al-Assad helped Hafez al-Assad seize power in a coup in 1970, and served as a vice president before unsuccessfully challenging his brother for power and going into exile.

He has lived in Switzerland, Spain and France, where a court found him guilty in 2020 of acquiring millions of euros worth of property using funds diverted from the Syrian state. In 2021 he returned to Syria.

The Lebanese officials said the wife of his son Duraid and their daughter had been held for trying to travel from Beirut airport on Friday using expired passports that had been tampered with.

Earlier this month, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said top Assad advisor Bouthaina Shaaban had flown out of Beirut after entering Lebanon legally. In an interview with Al Arabiya, Mawlawi said other Syrian officials had entered Lebanon illegally and were being pursued.

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Caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati said on Monday Lebanon would cooperate with an Interpol request to arrest former Syrian intelligence officer Jamil Hassan, accused by U.S. authorities of war crimes under Assad.
Canadas newly-appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trumps commerce secretary nominee, who will also lead the countrys tariff and trade agenda read more

Senior members of Canadas cabinet held talks Friday with US President-elect Donald Trumps nominees to lead the departments of commerce and the interior, as Ottawa works to hold off the threat of punishing tariffs.

Canadas newly-appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trumps commerce secretary nominee, who will also lead the countrys tariff and trade agenda.

Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum was also at the meeting held at Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

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Leblancs spokesman Jean-Sebastien Comeau, who confirmed the participants, described the talks as positive and productive.

Trump has vowed to impose crippling 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian imports when he takes office next month.

He has said they will remain in place until Canada addresses the flow of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl into the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised retaliatory measures should Trump follow through on his pledge, raising fears of a trade war.

Leblanc and Joly outlined the measures in Canadas Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives, Comeau said in a statement.

Canadas Border Plan  estimated to cost CAN$1 billion ($694 million)  was crafted as part of Ottawas response to Trumps concerns.

Lutnick and Burgum agreed to relay information to President Trump, the statement said.

Trudeau is facing his worst political crisis since sweeping into office in 2015.

Leblanc was named finance minister earlier this month after the surprise resignation of Chrystia Freeland.

In a scathing resignation letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of prioritizing handouts to voters instead of preparing Canadas finances for a possible trade war.

More than 75 percent of Canadian exports go to the United States and nearly two million Canadian jobs depend on trade.

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At first blush, it may seem curious that jurors Friday found strip club owner Peter Gerace Jr. guilty of paying a bribe to former Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Joseph Bongiovanni among his other convictions.

After all, Bongiovanni was acquitted of accepting a bribe from Gerace earlier this year.

How can one person be convicted of paying a bribe to a person who was found not guilty of accepting it?

Prosecutors contend its not as straightforward a contradiction as it might seem, although Geraces defense attorneys had already asked a judge to dismiss the bribery count before jurors rendered their guilty verdict on it.

You maybe get into some distinctions with the different evidence that came in at this trial versus the Bongiovanni trial, and different juries are entitled to render different verdicts, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripi, the lead prosecutor for the governments trial team in the Gerace and Bongiovanni cases.

We have two different cases, U.S. Attorney Trini Ross said at a news conference following the Gerace verdicts. We have different rulings from the judge. We have different evidence that goes in. We have different juries. It just all makes sense based on ... the evidence that went in and the situation of how people heard the evidence in this case.

Jurors on Friday convicted Gerace, the owner of Pharaohs Gentlemens Club in Cheektowaga, on all but one of the nine charges he faced: conspiring with Bongiovanni to avoid federal narcotics investigations; bribing Bongiovanni; maintaining Pharaohs as a drug-involved premises; conspiracy to distribute drugs at Pharaohs; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, by coercing Pharaohs dancers to engage in sex acts between 2009 and 2018 for his financial benefit. He was also found guilty on two of three witness tampering counts.

In Geraces case, jurors rendered a guilty verdict on the charge he paid Bongiovanni a bribe to avoid federal narcotics investigations and induce the FBI to abandon an investigation.

At Bongiovannis first trial earlier this year, a jury deadlocked on the charge he accepted a bribe from Gerace, one of 12 unresolved counts from that trial.

Jurors at Bongiovannis retrial never got a chance to pass judgment on that bribery count.

Thats because, ahead of Bongiovannis retrial, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo acquitted the former DEA agent on the charge Bongiovanni was paid an undetermined amount by Gerace to help him and his Pharaohs Gentlemens Club avoid the federal narcotics investigations.

In his ruling, Vilardo said only surmise and guesswork could lead a jury to determine that the money constituted a bribe.

Key testimony for the bribery count came from Katrina Nigro, the ex-wife of Gerace, who testified she twice gave Bongiovanni envelopes thick with cash at Pharaohs and said Gerace gave him a birthday card containing $5,000.

No one testified about the purpose of the cash, Vilardo said in his ruling after the first Bongiovanni trial. Nigro admitted that she did not know why Gerace gave it to Bongiovanni.

But looking only at what was presented to the jury at (the first) trial, as this court must, there simply is no evidence  circumstantial or otherwise  from which a rational juror could infer beyond a reasonable doubt that the money was a bribe in exchange for Bongiovannis taking official acts, the judge said.

Earlier this month, after the prosecution rested in the Gerace trial, Geraces lawyers asked Vilardo to acquit him for the same reason the judge acquitted Bongiovanni of bribery.

We feel the proof at this trial came in the identical way as it did in Bongiovanni, defense attorney Eric Soehnlein told Vilardo.

Tripi, however, told the judge that testimony about Geraces relationships with other public officials and law enforcement agents came up at the Gerace trial that did not come up in Bongiovannis trial.

That is a whole category of proof that is different, Tripi told Vilardo in court as he urged the judge to retain the bribery charge against Gerace.

Vilardo reserved ruling on the defense motion to dismiss the bribery count, among others.

The circumstances are different as Vilardo considers whether to dismiss Geraces bribery count. When Vilardo dismissed Bongiovannis charge of accepting a bribe from Gerace, a jury had deadlocked on the charge and left it unresolved. When Vilardo rules on Geraces request, it will come after he has heard a separate batch of evidence in Geraces trial and after a jury has convicted him of paying the bribe.

Although the judge acquitted Bongiovanni of accepting a bribe from Gerace, Tripi pointed out the jury in Bongiovannis retrial convicted the former federal agent of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which included as an element an agreement to receive a bribe, Tripi said.

So it wasnt as though there was no bribery recognition in the Bongiovanni case, Tripi said. They found Bongiovanni guilty of conspiracy.

But Bongiovannis conspiracy to defraud the United States conviction primarily revolved around Bongiovanni reportedly conspiring to protect Michael Masecchias marijuana trafficking, and that count did not specifically name Gerace.
A record number of senior officials have come under investigation in the anti-corruption crackdown. Despite these efforts, corruption continues to plague the Communist Party, particularly among its upper echelons read more

Secondary school students gather in front of a screen displaying an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, China, March 10, 2023. File Image/Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Communist Party leaders to strengthen self-discipline and closely monitor the actions of their family members and subordinates as part of an ongoing anti-corruption drive.

In a speech to the Politburo on Friday (December 27), Xi urged its 24 members to resolutely fight against all forms of misconduct and corruption, according to state news agency Xinhua. He stressed the need for party leaders to lead by example, engage in criticism and self-criticism, and adhere strictly to party rules.

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Xi also called for unwavering loyalty to the party and selfless dedication to its cause and the people.

Crackdown targets high-ranking officials

Since taking power over a decade ago, Xi has spearheaded an extensive anti-corruption campaign targeting both high-ranking tigers and lower-level flies.

In 2023, approximately 610,000 party officials were disciplined, including 49 officials at or above the vice minister or governor level, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The campaign has intensified this year, with a record number of senior officials under investigation. A recent tally by the South China Morning Post revealed that at least 56 cadres at the vice-ministerial level or higher are being investigated, with bribery cited as a major issue.

Last month, the defence ministry disclosed that an admiral who had served on the Central Military Commission, Chinas top military command body, was under investigation for serious violations of discipline.

Challenges persist despite crackdown

Despite these efforts, corruption continues to plague the Communist Party, particularly among its upper echelons. Critics argue that the campaign has largely been a political tool to eliminate Xis rivals rather than a comprehensive strategy to eradicate graft.

Structural reforms to address systemic corruption have yet to be implemented or even fully ideated leaving the root causes of graft largely unaddressed. While the crackdown has removed numerous officials, its long-term effectiveness remains uncertain.

With inputs from agencies
China remains Irans largest trading partner and a crucial buyer of its oil, reportedly circumventing international sanctions by importing through third countries read more

With less than a month before Donald Trump returns to the White House, China has pledged to bolster cooperation with Iran on mutual core interests, suggesting deepening ties as both nations prepare for the potential resumption of US sanctions pressure.

During talks in Beijing on Saturday (December 28), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi discussed enhancing bilateral relations, regional stability, and multilateral collaboration through platforms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Brics.

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The two sides should continue to support each other on issues of mutual core interests, steadily advance practical cooperation, and improve collaboration in the multilateral sphere, Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

Wang also highlighted the importance of closer ties within the Global South, adding, We will further strengthen Brics and better safeguard the common interests of the Global South.

Regional and global challenges on agenda

The talks addressed regional crises, including conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Both sides agreed on the urgency of restoring Palestinian rights, ending Gazas occupation, and providing humanitarian aid.

An immediate ceasefire, a full withdrawal of troops, and urgent humanitarian assistance are imperative, the Chinese foreign ministry said, emphasizing the need to enforce a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Wang also encouraged Iran to maintain communication with Saudi Arabia, referencing last years Beijing-brokered peace deal between the two regional rivals.

Chinas support critical to Iran

China remains Irans largest trading partner and a crucial buyer of its oil, reportedly circumventing international sanctions by importing through third countries. Beijing has also played a key role in integrating Iran into multilateral frameworks like Brics and the SCO.

The strategic partnership with China is a priority of Irans foreign policy, Araghchi said, bringing into focus Beijings importance in discussions on Irans nuclear program.

Trumps incoming administration is expected to renew its maximum pressure campaign against Iran. His cabinet picks, including Middle East adviser Massad Boulos and Israel ambassador Mike Huckabee, signal a more hardline stance.

Mounting pressure, growing coordination

China has repeatedly backed Iran on the international stage, particularly since the war in Gaza escalated. In September, Wang assured Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that China has always been a trustworthy partner of Iran.

Araghchi noted that Iran and China are preparing for anticipated challenges under the new US administration. China and Iran have consistently maintained close consultations on all regional and international matters, he said.

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The 10-page summary from former defence minister Kim Yong-hyuns prosecution indictment report, which was provided to the media, also says Yoon vowed on December 3 to declare martial law three times if necessary read more

Soldiers leave the National Assembly after South Korea's parliament passed a motion requiring the martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol to be lifted in Seoul, South Korea. File image/ Reuters

South Koreas suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol authorised the military to fire their weapons if needed to enter parliament during his failed bid to impose martial law, according to a prosecutors report seen by AFP on Saturday.

The 10-page summary from former defence minister Kim Yong-hyuns prosecution indictment report, which was provided to the media, also says Yoon vowed on December 3 to declare martial law three times if necessary.

Yoon, who was stripped of his duties by the National Assembly this month, is under investigation for his short-lived attempt to scrap civilian rule, which plunged the country into political turmoil and led to his impeachment.

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Yoons lawyer Yoon Kab-keun dismissed the prosecutors report, telling AFP it was a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense.

As lawmakers rushed to parliament on December 3 to vote down Yoons martial law declaration, heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter.

According to the prosecution indictment report, Yoon told the chief of the capital defence command, Lee Jin-woo, that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly.

Have you still not got in? What are you doing? Break down the door and drag them out, even if it means shooting, Yoon told Lee, according to the report.

Yoon also allegedly told the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, General Kwak Jong-keun, to quickly get inside the National Assembly since the quorum for the martial law declaration to be lifted had not been met.

So quickly get inside the National Assembly and bring out the people inside the chamber, and break down the doors with an axe if necessary and drag everyone out, the report quotes Yoon as saying at the time.

After lawmakers rushed inside parliament and voted 190-0 to nullify Yoons declaration in the early hours of December 4, the report says Yoon told Lee, Even if its lifted, I can declare martial law a second or third time, so just keep going.

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Ugly truth

The report also included screenshots of senior defence officials messages from the day of the martial law declaration.

It said there was evidence that Yoon had been discussing declaring martial law with senior military officials as early as March.

The declaration followed a budget tussle between Yoons party and the opposition.

Days later, Yoon in a speech apologised for the anxiety and inconvenience and promised there would not be a second declaration of martial law.

Ex-defence minister Kim was arrested over his role in the failed martial law bid.

Opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Sun-woo said in a statement on Saturday that the prosecution has laid bare the undeniable ugly truth about Yoon Suk Yeol, the treasonous ringleader, adding that he must be arrested immediately.

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South Koreas Constitutional Court held its first preliminary hearing on the validity of Yoons impeachment on Friday.

The court will also decide the fate of Yoons replacement, Han Duck-soo, who was impeached Friday over his refusal to complete Yoons impeachment process and bring him to justice.

Tens of thousands of Yoon supporters and opponents held rival mass rallies in central Seoul on Saturday.

The martial law was legal, and president Yoon did it because of the insurrectionary opposition Democratic Party, said 31-year-old Danny Ko, holding the slogan Legal martial law, Invalid impeachment!

The Democratic Party will impeach (acting president) Choi Sang-mok like Han, and the country will go mad.

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An anti-Yoon crowd was gathered nearby holding signs such as: A new leader for the new year and Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol, with many singing along to K-pop songs and John Lennons Imagine.

I felt so relieved when Han was impeached, he was also part of the insurrection Kwak Min-jeong, 25, told AFP.

Holding a glow stick, Kwak said she would keep protesting until democracy was achieved.

We are holding it to show our commitment, and unlike a candle, it will never go off, she said.
Musk, a naturalised US citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards. read more

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Friday vowed to go to war to defend the H-1B visa program for foreign tech workers amid a dispute between President-elect Donald Trumps longtime supporters and his most recently acquired backers from the tech industry.

In a post on social media platform X, Musk said The reason Im in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.

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I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend, he added.

The tech industry has consistently advocated for an increase in H-1B visas to attract highly skilled workers to the United States. However, during Donald Trumps first administration, the program faced restrictions in 2020, with claims that it allowed businesses to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor.

Earlier this week, Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and staunch Trump supporter, sparked controversy by criticising Trumps choice of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American venture capitalist, as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy. In a post, Loomer expressed concerns about Krishnans influence on immigration policies, referring to him as a third-world invader despite his status as a naturalised U.S. citizen.

Its alarming to see the number of career leftists who are now being appointed to serve in Trumps admin when they share views that are in direct opposition to Trumps America First agenda, Ms. Loomer wrote on X, the social media platform owned by Mr. Musk.

Musk, a naturalised US citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards.

Musks tweet was directed at Trumps supporters and immigration hardliners, who have increasingly pushed for the H-1B visa program to be scrapped amid a heated debate over immigration and the place of skilled immigrants and foreign workers brought into the country on work visas.

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Trump has so far remained silent on the issue. The Trump transition did not respond to a request for comment on Musks tweets and the H-1B visa debate.

In the past, Trump has expressed a willingness to provide more work visas to skilled workers. He has also promised to deport all immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, deploy tariffs to help create more jobs for American citizens and severely restrict immigration.

The issue highlights how tech leaders like Musk  who has taken an important role in the presidential transition, advising on key personnel and policy areas  are now drawing scrutiny from his base.

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The U.S. tech industry relies on the governments H-1B visa program to hire foreign skilled workers to help run its companies, a labor force that critics say undercuts wages for American citizens.

The altercation was set off earlier this week by far-right activists who criticized Trumps selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence, saying he would have influence on the Trump administrations immigration policies.

On Friday, Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump confidante, critiqued big tech oligarchs for supporting the H-1B program and cast immigration as a threat to Western civilization.

In response, Musk and many other tech billionaires drew a line between what they view as legal immigration and illegal immigration.

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Musk has spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars helping Trump get elected president in November. He has posted regularly this week about the lack of homegrown talent to fill all the needed positions within American tech companies.

With inputs from agencies.
The Met Office, the UKs national weather service, said fog patches could reduce visibility to as little as 100 meters (328 feet) in some areas read more

The Houses of Parliament are seen on a misty morning in London, in Britain. Reuters

Travellers flying to and from the UK faced significant disruptions Saturday (December 28) as thick fog and low visibility restricted air traffic on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Londons Gatwick Airport warned that flights could be delayed throughout the day and apologized for the inconvenience.

On Friday (December 27), poor weather caused delays of up to three hours, and at least 40 flights, mostly short-haul routes to Europe, were delayed Saturday morning.

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Heathrow Airport, one of Europes busiest hubs, also urged passengers to check with airlines for updates on potential delays.

Weather conditions and warnings

The Met Office, the UKs national weather service, said fog patches could reduce visibility to as little as 100 meters (328 feet) in some areas. Travellers were advised to allow extra time for journeys, and drivers were cautioned to take additional care.

Forecasters said conditions are expected to improve on Sunday (December 29).

The recent murky conditions are less likely to return in the last couple of days of the year but people should not hold out hope for much winter sunshine. It looks like it wont be as dank and horrible [early next week] but it will still be wet and windy across much of the country, The Guardian quoted Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick as saying.

Air traffic control restrictions

The UKs air traffic control organisation confirmed that restrictions would remain in place where visibility is low to ensure safety.

Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety," it said in a statement. Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimise disruption.

The Met Office has also advised motorists to go steady when they are driving in the fog.

The delays come during a peak travel period as passengers journey back from Christmas holidays and prepare for New Year celebrations.

With inputs from agencies
Gazas Health Ministry said that the Israeli troops stormed the hospital and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather. read more

Israeli army soldiers stand guard as Israeli Jewish settlers tour the old market in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on December 28, 2024. Image- AFP

Israels military said Saturday it had arrested over 240 terrorists and a raid on what it called a Hamas command centre in a north Gaza hospital. During the operation, the military detained the hospitals director, accusing him of being a Hamas operative.

The IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) completed a targeted operation against a Hamas command centre in the Kamal Adwan Hospital the forces apprehended over 240 terrorists in the area, the military said in a statement, adding that the hospital director, Hossam Abu Safiyeh, suspected of being a Hamas terrorist operative, had been detained for questioning.

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Israels nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and ground offensives has devastated Gazas health sector. The World Health Organization has said the raid on Kamal Adwan has put northern Gazas last major health facility out of service" after growing restrictions on access, adding that this horror must end and health care must be protected.

The Health Ministry said conditions for Kamal Adwan patients who were relocated to the damaged Indonesian Hospital nearby  also raided in the past  were extremely difficult.

The war has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, over half of them women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Since October, Israels offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the militants Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which they killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Some 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, and around a third are believed to be dead.

With inputs from agencies
South Koreas national intelligence service said that the North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces in Russias Kursk region had died after suffering severe injuries read more

As the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate, South Koreas National Intelligence agency said that the North Korean soldier captured by the Ukrainian forces near the Russian border died after being taken alive. Earlier on Friday, Seols spy agency confirmed Ukrainian reports that an injured North Korean soldier had been captured by the Ukrainian troops.

It marked the first capture of its kind since Pyongyang sent 11,000 troops to help Russia in the ongoing war. As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to bolster ties with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang is expected to send more troops to the Russian battlefield.

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Through real-time information sharing with an allied countrys intelligence agency, it has been confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured," the South Korean national intelligence service said in a statement hours after the solider was captured. The countrys main news outlet, Yonhap, later reported that the soldier had died from the injuries.

North Korea continues to face heavy losses

The photograph shared by the news agency showed the soldier looking gaunt and appeared to have been injured. The image was shared in Telegram by multiple Ukrainian military news outlets. The confirmation of the soldiers death came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the matter on Friday.

In a nightly video, the Ukrainian leader said that the Korean troops fighting in Russias Kursk region are suffering heavy losses and being left unprotected by Moscows forces. He mentioned that the Russian troops were doing everything they could to ensure that North Korean soldiers were not captured or taken prisoner by Kyiv.

He also hinted that some North Korean soldiers had been captured by the Ukrainian forces. However, they were so injured that they could not be saved, Zelenskyy said. On Thursday, Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reported that special forces had captured the soldier in the Kursk region, where Ukraine has seized and held some of the Russian territory.

The outlet did not specify when actually did the capture took place and there were no confirmation from the officials in Ukraine or North Korea. Militarnyi said that if it was confirmed, the soldier would be the first North Korean combatant to have been taken by Ukrainian forces.

It is pertinent to note that the North Korean troops were deployed in Russia months after Kim and Putin signed the infamous mutual defence pact. Under the agreement, the leaders committed to each country to come to the others aid if attacked.

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With inputs from agencies.
The United States on Friday said that it has seen early indications that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on December 25 may have been downed by the Russian air defence system as Moscow tries to distance itself from the incident read more

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, a part of Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Thursday. AP

The United States on Wednesday said that it has seen early indications that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on December 25 may have been downed by the Russian air defence. The proclamation was made by the White Houses national security advisor John Kirby on Friday. While hinting at the Russian involvement, Kirby declined to comment further on the matter.

According to The Washington Post, Kirby maintained that the indications that the United States assessed went beyond just looking at widely circulated photographs of the damaged plane. Meanwhile, Ukraines Presidential spokesperson Andriy Yermak said that Russia must be held responsible for the whole ordeal.

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The proclamation from Kirby came after Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday that a preliminary inquiry had blamed both physical and technical external interference, without going into details. However, several aviation experts and others in Azerbaijan believed that the aircrafts GPS was affected by electronic jamming and was then damaged by shrapnel from Russian air defence missile blasts, BBC reported.

Azerbaijan says plane hit by external interference over Russia

Amid brewing speculations, Azerbaijans transport minister said that the plane was subjected to external interference and was damaged inside out as it tried to land in Russias southern republic of Chechnya. All [the survivors] without exception stated they heard three blast sounds when the aircraft was above Grozny, said Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev.

The place was diverted across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, where it crashed with the loss of 38 lives. The transport minister maintained that the investigators would now examine what kind of weapon, or rather what kind of rocket was used for the crash. It is pertinent to note that the Azerbaijani government has so far avoided directly accusing Russia, possibly to avoid animosities with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia refuses to take the blame

Meanwhile, Russia has refused to comment on the matter but the head of Russias civil aviation agency said the situation in Grozny was very complicated at the time and a closed-skies protocol had been put in place. But overall, Russia is distancing itself from the incident.

An investigation into this aviation incident is underway and until the conclusions are made as a result of the investigation, we do not consider ourselves entitled to give any assessments, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Sources close to the government in Baku said that Azerbaijan is looking for an apology from Russia.

Four years ago, Baku apologised and offered compensation when a Russian Air Force Mi-24 helicopter was shot down at the end of the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Now the Azerbaijani side is also expecting Russia to take those steps, said political commentator Farhad Mammadov, BBC reported. Following the recent crash, the Kazakh authorities said that they are treating those injured in the incident and are working closely with Azerbaijan on the investigation.

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With inputs from agencies.
The ongoing conflict has exacerbated Sudans humanitarian crisis, with more than 24.6 million people  nearly half the population  suffering from acute food insecurity, according to the WFP read more

Sudanese refugees, who fled the violence in their country, wait to receive food supplies. File image/Reuters

Civilians in a besieged area south of Sudans capital received their first aid convoy this week since the war erupted 20 months ago, local volunteers said.

A total of 28 trucks, coordinated by Sudans emergency response room (ERR), delivered critical food and medical supplies to the Jebel Awliya area, just south of Khartoum.

The ERR is part of a volunteer network facilitating frontline aid nationwide.

The aid convoy

The convoy included 22 trucks from the UNs World Food Programme (WFP), one truck from Doctors Without Borders and Care, and five trucks loaded with medicine from the UN childrens agency, UNICEF.

The supplies aim to address the urgent health and nutrition needs of an estimated 200,000 children and families, according to UNICEF and local volunteers.

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Jebel Awliya is one of several regions in Sudan experiencing mass starvation, with warring factions cutting off access to vital resources.

Challenges in delivering aid

ERR volunteers negotiated for months amid threats and suspicions to secure the convoys passage. The process involved persistent talks with the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have controlled access to conflict zones since the war began in April 2023.

Access to the area has been essentially cut off due to the conflict dynamics, said Sheldon Yett, UNICEFs representative in Sudan. The trucks were detained on more than one occasion, and drivers faced significant risks.

Famine and starvation as weapons of war

The ongoing conflict has exacerbated Sudans humanitarian crisis, with more than 24.6 million people  nearly half the population  suffering from acute food insecurity, according to the WFP.

While famine conditions have been confirmed in five areas of Sudan, experts have been unable to declare an official famine in Khartoum due to restricted access and lack of reliable data.

The WFP warns that parts of Khartoum and neighboring Al-Jazira state may already be experiencing famine, while accusing both warring parties of weaponizing starvation against civilians.

Since the conflict began, tens of thousands have been killed, and over 12 million people have been displaced, making Sudan one of the worlds largest humanitarian crises.

With inputs from agencies
Despite increasing Chinese military drills near the island, Taiwan faces significant challenges in readiness. Government officials point to shortages in manpower, training, and modern weaponry read more

Chen Xi, a former fighter in Ukraines International Legion, has returned to Taiwan with a stark warning: the island is unprepared for a potential Chinese invasion.

The 32-year-old, who previously trained with the French Foreign Legion, said Taiwans military is hampered by outdated strategies and insufficient training. Years of peace, he argued, have lulled the nation into a false sense of security.

We need a wake-up call or some kind of incident to prepare us, as Ukraine faced in Donbas in 2014, POLITICO quoted Xi as sayin in a reference to Russias annexation of Crimea and the ensuing conflict in eastern Ukraine.

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Chinas threat looms large

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out forceful reunification. U.S. intelligence reports indicate Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed his military to be ready for an invasion by 2027.

Despite increasing Chinese military drills near the island, Taiwan faces significant challenges in readiness. Government officials point to shortages in manpower, training, and modern weaponry.

Since January 2022, almost parallel to the Ukraine war, we have lost 12,000 volunteer soldiers, said Alexander Huang, head of the opposition Kuomintang Partys (KMT) International Affairs Department. All the army services  the army, the navy  are short of readiness.

Lessons from Ukraine

Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has intensified discussions on military reform, drawing parallels between Taiwans threat from China and Ukraines fight against Russia.

Xi highlighted the pivotal role of drones in modern warfare, citing Ukraines experience. If a conflict does occur, drones will probably be part of the equation, so we should prepare, he said.

China appears to have taken note, producing over 1.26 million drones in 2023, a 32 per cent increase from the previous year.

Defence spending falls short

Taiwans defence budget for 2024 is set to rise to $19.1 billion, approximately 2.6 per cent of GDP. The government plans to further increase spending to nearly $20 billion next year, though this remains a fraction of Chinas military expenditure.

While Taiwan exceeds Natos 2 per cent of GDP defence spending benchmark, experts argue it needs to allocate more. The United States has urged Taiwan to spend at least 5 per cent, with some advocating for 10 per cent.

The only strategy is to hold ourselves long enough for the Americans to come in, Xi said, pointing to the need for better-equipped reserve forces. While Taiwan claims to have 2.5 million reservists, experts estimate only 100,000 are adequately prepared.

Aid to Ukraine and geopolitical challenges

Taiwan has contributed over 100 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, largely through European partners like Lithuania and Poland, to avoid angering China. Direct government-to-government contact with Kyiv remains off-limits.

Even though we want to support Ukraine, theres never been any direct government-to-government contact, said Francois Chihchung Wu, Taiwans deputy foreign minister.

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In a phone call, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Blinken that Ankara would not allow Kurdish YPG militia to take shelter in Syria, the ministry spokesperson said. read more

According to Turkeys Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkeys Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed cooperation with the new Syrian administration on Saturday to ensure a smooth completion of the transition period.

During the phone call, Fidan reiterated Ankaras stance against allowing the Kurdish YPG militia to seek refuge in Syria, a ministry spokesperson stated.

Meanwhile, Blinken emphasized the importance of supporting a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that prioritizes human rights and fosters an inclusive and representative government, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

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Blinken and Fidan also discussed preventing terrorism from endangering the security of Turkey and Syria, the statement said.
The bitter-in-fighting is taking place between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Donald Trumps hardline Make America Great Again (Maga) base. The animosities between the two wings emerged after Trump chose an Indian-born entrepreneur to be his adviser on artificial intelligence read more

Elon Musk speaks with US President-elect Donald Trump as they watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, US, on November 19, 2024. Reuters File

A unique civil war has broken out among the supporters of US President-elect Donald Trump over immigration issues. The bitter-in-fighting is taking place between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Donald Trumps hardline Make America Great Again (Maga) base. The animosities between the two wings emerged after Trump chose an Indian-born entrepreneur to be his adviser on artificial intelligence.

The row has pitted Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy against the Maga supporters, especially far-right political activist Laura Loomer and Matt Gaetz, the former Congress member and abortive nominee for attorney general. The clash is significant since immigration was the key issue in the 2024 US Presidential elections.

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Musk went on the offensive after Loomer attacked the choice of Sriram Krishnan, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, as the upcoming administrations AI adviser, calling his appointment deeply disturbing. Loomer was widely credited for her role in persuading Trump to propagate false rumours about Haitian immigrants eating pets in the state of Ohio.

The debate over visas takes centre stage

Loomer slammed Krishnan on social media for supporting the extension of visas and green cards for skilled workers. Loomer emphasised that Krishnans idea was in direct opposition to Trumps agenda over immigration. Her provocative remarks garnered criticism from Musk Trumps most influential supporter and himself an immigrant from South Africa.

There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley, Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns, on Christmas Day. It comes down to this: do you want America to WIN or do you want America to LOSE? If you force the worlds best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story, he wrote in a later post.

Musks stance over the matter was supported by Ramaswamy his partner in heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a lengthy post, the erstwhile Republican presidential hopeful and the son of immigrants from India  argued that the US was doomed to decline without high-skilled foreign workers and suggested American culture had become geared towards mediocrity.

The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over native Americans isnt because of an innate American IQ deficit, he wrote. A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long. That doesnt start in college, it starts YOUNG.

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A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers. Normalcy doesnt cut it in a hyper-competitive global market for technical talent. And if we pretend like it does, well have our asses handed to us by China," he added.

Both Musk and Ramaswamys remarks faced major backlash from Maga supporters who went on to present racist arguments. @VivekGRamaswamy knows that the Great Replacement is real, Loomer said in response to Ramaswamys post.

Its not racist against Indians to want the original MAGA policies I voted for. I voted for a reduction in H1B visas. Not an extension. The tech billionaires dont get to just walk inside Mar-a-Lago and stroke their massive chequebooks and rewrite our immigration policy so they can have unlimited slave labourers from India and China who never assimilate. You dont even know what MAGA immigration policy is," she added.

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Ramswamys assertion was also criticised by Brenden Dilley, a pro-Trump podcaster. I always love when these tech bros flat out tell you that they have zero understanding of American culture and then have the gall to tell you that YOU are the problem with America," he averred.

Amid the chaos, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, whose parents were also Indian immigrants, surprisingly supported the Maga arguments. There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers," she wrote.

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Where does Trump stand?

It is pertinent to note that during his first stint as the President, Trump restricted access to the H-1B visas, arguing they were open to abuse. Even during his 2024 presidential campaign, he pushed an aggressive anti-immigration rhetoric.

However, he maintained that he is open to the legal immigration of educated workers, saying he wanted to grant permanent residence status to foreign nationals who graduate from universities in the US. If you graduate or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country, he told the All In podcast last June.

Hence many believe that the issue of immigration highlights the ideological difference between Maga and new Trump supporters.

With inputs from agencies.
US President-elect Donald Trump submitted a brief to the countrys Supreme Court asking the apex body to block the law that calls for the banning or selling of the video-sharing app TikTok. Trump asked the court to delay the case so that he could address the matter when he assumes the Oval Office read more

As per the recently pased law, TikTok must be sold to a US-based company by the January deadline to avoid being removed from major app stores like Apple and Google. However, no buyer has stepped up to seal the deal, and time is running dangerously short. Image Credit: Reuters

In an unusual brief submitted to the US Supreme Court, President-elect Donald Trump requested that the apex body to block the law requiring the video-sharing app TikTok to be sold or shut down by January 19. Interestingly, the deadline for the app to be possibly banned falls before Trump assumes the Oval Office. In the brief, Trump asked the court to delay the case so that he could address the matter when he entered the White House.

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President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, the brief said, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office. According to The New York Times, the brief took no position on the legal question that the justices are set to hear. The court will hear the first set of arguments in the case next month.

The justices will be determining whether Congress violated the First Amendment by effectively banning TikTok. The brief submitted by Trumps team mentioned his expertise in the matter. President Trump alone possesses the consummate deal-making expertise, the electoral mandate and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the government  concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged, the brief said.

The filing mentioned that Trump is knowledgeable about social media in general and TikTok in particular. President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific and influential users of social media in history, the brief said. Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikToks importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech," it furthered.

TikTok moves court to prevent its ban

In its own briefing submitted on Friday, TikTok told the Supreme Court the controversial law violated the First Amendment enshrined in the American Constitution. TikTok argued that the banning of the app would stifle the speech of 170 million American users based on mere speculation about potential Chinese national security threats.

The government has banned an extraordinary amount of speech; demands deference to unsubstantiated predictions a future risk will materialize; and gets facts wrong when it bothers to provide them, the brief said. Congresss unprecedented attempt to single out petitioners and bar them from operating one of the nations most significant speech venues is profoundly unconstitutional, the app furthered.

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Meanwhile, US President Joe Bidens administration responded to the accusations by maintaining that the law passed with bipartisan congressional majorities, was grounded in the reality of a foreign adversary poised to gather users data and spread disinformation.

Bidens team argued that the law addresses the serious threats to national security posed by the Chinese governments control of TikTok, a platform that harvests sensitive data about tens of millions of Americans and would be a potent tool for covert influence operations by a foreign adversary.

Meanwhile, a separate brief filed on behalf of users of the service acknowledged that the United States was in the midst of an intense geopolitical competition with China. However, it argued that stripping millions of Americans of their First Amendment rights was not the right way to go about things.

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Nothing like the act here has ever been countenanced, the brief said, and its suppression of Americans speech flies in the face of our history, tradition and precedent. Now in an effort to dissolve the case by January 19, the Supreme Court will hear all the arguments at a special session which is scheduled to take place on January 10.

With inputs from agencies.
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Justice Department Issues Final Rule Addressing Threat Posed by Foreign Adversaries' Access to Americans' Sensitive Personal Data

Friday, December 27, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Final Rule Implements Executive Order to Prevent Access to Americans' Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and U.S. Government-Related Data by Russia, Iran, China and Other Countries of Concern

Note: View the fact sheet here.

WASHINGTON - Today, the Justice Department issued a comprehensive final rule carrying out Executive Order (E.O.) 14117 "Preventing Access to Americans' Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern." The E.O. charged the Justice Department with establishing and implementing a new regulatory program to address the urgent and extraordinary national security threat posed by the continuing efforts of countries of concern (and covered persons that they can leverage) to access and exploit Americans' bulk sensitive personal data and certain U.S. Government-related data. The Final Rule will take effect 90 days from the date of the Final Rule's publication, with certain affirmative due diligence, reporting, and auditing requirements taking effect 270 days after publication.

"This final rule is a crucial step forward in addressing the extraordinary national security threat posed of our adversaries exploiting Americans' most sensitive personal data," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "This powerful new national-security program is designed to ensure that Americans' personal data is no longer permitted to be sold to hostile foreign powers, whether through outright purchase or other means of commercial access."

The Final Rule implements the E.O. by promulgating generally applicable rules for certain categories of data transactions that pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. As described in the E.O., countries of concern and covered persons can use their access to this data to engage in malicious cyber-enabled activities and malign foreign influence activities, bolster their military capabilities, and track and build profiles on U.S. persons (including members of the military and U.S. Intelligence Community, as well as other Federal employees and contractors) for illicit purposes such as blackmail, coercion, and espionage, and to bolster their military capabilities. Countries of concern and covered persons can also exploit this data to collect information on activists, academics, journalists, dissidents, political opponents, or members of nongovernmental organizations or marginalized communities to intimidate them; curb political opposition; limit freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, or association; or enable other forms of suppression of civil liberties.

The Final Rule reflects the risk highlighted in the E.O. that the vulnerability of Americans' bulk sensitive data is exacerbated because countries of concern are increasingly using bulk sensitive personal data to develop and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and algorithms that, in turn, enable the use of large datasets in increasingly sophisticated and effective ways to the detriment of U.S. national security. Countries of concern can use AI in conjunction with multiple unrelated data sets, for example, to identify U.S. persons whose links to the federal government would be otherwise obscured in a single dataset and who can then be targeted for espionage or blackmail.

Among other things, the Final Rule identifies countries of concern and covered persons to whom the Final Rule applies, and designates classes of prohibited, restricted, and exempt transactions. The Final Rule establishes bulk thresholds for certain sensitive personal data, including human 'omic data, biometric identifiers, precise geolocation data, personal health data, personal financial data, and certain covered personal identifiers. The Final Rule also prescribes processes to obtain licenses authorizing otherwise prohibited or restricted transactions; protocols for the designation of covered persons; and provides advisory opinions, and recordkeeping, reporting, and other due diligence obligations for covered transactions.

The Final Rule is consistent with the United States' commitment to promoting an open, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet; protecting human rights online and offline; supporting a vibrant, global economy by promoting cross-border data flows that are required to enable international commerce and trade; and facilitating open investment. Notably, the Final Rule does not impose generalized data localization requirements regarding the physical or electronic storage of Americans' bulk sensitive personal data or U.S. Government-related data, nor does it require locating computing facilities within the United States to process such data. The Final Rule does not prohibit U.S. persons from conducting medical, scientific, or other research in countries of concern, or from partnering or collaborating with covered persons to share data to conduct researching, if that activity does not involve the exchange of payment or other consideration as part of a covered data transaction. The Final Rule also does not broadly prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in commercial transactions, including exchanging financial and other data as part of the sale of commercial goods and services with countries of concern or covered persons, or impose measures aimed at a broader decoupling of the substantial consumer, economic, scientific, and trade relationships that the United States has with other countries.

The Final Rule further exempts several classes of data transactions from the scope of its prohibitions and restrictions, including personal communications and certain financial services transactions, corporate group transactions, transactions authorized by Federal law and international agreements, investment agreements subject to a Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) action, telecommunication services, biological product and medical device authorizations, clinical investigations, and others.

The Final Rule's prohibitions and restrictions are consistent with other access restrictions on sensitive personal data that have been imposed in other contexts, including transactions reviewed by the CFIUS and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector (Team Telecom).

Lastly, under the Final Rule, parties engaging in vendor agreements, employment agreements, and investment agreements involving access by countries of concern or covered persons to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data or U.S. Government-related data would be restricted transactions that must comply with the separate security requirements that have been developed by the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in coordination with the Justice Department. These security requirements include organizational and system-level requirements (such as ensuring that basic organizational cybersecurity policies, practices, and controls are in place), and data-level requirements (such as data minimization and masking, encryption, and privacy-enhancing techniques). These critical requirements will be published separately by CISA through the Federal Register and on CISA's website.

In connection with the Final Rule, the Justice Department will publish compliance, enforcement, and other guidance, which will be located at www.justice.gov/nsd/data-security. The Department will also continue to engage with industry and other stakeholders to determine whether any wind-down licenses are appropriate as this program goes into effect. The Department also anticipates publishing information regarding the application process to seek an advisory opinion or a license for an otherwise prohibited or restricted transaction, as described generally in the Final Rule at Subpart H.

Topic: National Security

Component: National Security Division (NSD)

Press Release Number: 24-1644

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President and Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discuss recent damage to cables in Gulf of Finland and related follow-up measures

Finnish Government

Government Communications Department

27.12.2024

Press release

On Friday 27 December, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy received a briefing on the damage to cables in the Baltic Sea on Christmas Day.

The President and the Ministerial Committee noted that Finland considers it important to increase NATO's maritime presence in the Baltic Sea in order to secure underwater infrastructure. Finland will continue to be in close contact with its Allies and partners. Finland is working actively with the other coastal states around the Baltic Sea and in the EU and NATO to further crack down on the activities of the Russian shadow fleet.

The vessel under investigation, the Eagle S freighter registered to the Cook Islands, is currently detained in Finland's territorial waters. The Finnish authorities carrying out the investigations on board the vessel will provide more information on the investigations as they progress.

Despite the cuts to the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia and to several telecommunications cables, Finland's energy and telecommunications situation remains stable.

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Germany Federal Foreign Office

26.12.2024 - Press release

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock issued the following statement today (26 December) on the situation in Georgia:

Grandmothers braving the bitter cold, refusing to be intimidated by the truncheons wielded by the security forces. Young people soaked to the skin, facing water cannons with nothing but European flags as protection. Opposition leaders who are brutally beaten and dragged away. For weeks now, tens of thousands of Georgians have been demonstrating courageously both in the smallest of villages and the major cities for a European future for their country.

The majority of people in Georgia want their country to continue on its European path. Europe dwells in their hearts, the pro-European protests are their voice. However, the leaders of the ruling party Georgian Dream are responding with intimidation, violence and water cannons. Turning away from Europe, Georgian Dream has now put on ice - and thus effectively suspended - Georgia's EU accession process. Given the increasingly authoritarian policies of Georgian Dream, we should now debate a formal suspension of Georgia's accession process in the EU.

The move to grant Georgia candidate status in December 2023 was tied to clear reform pledges. The leaders of Georgian Dream were always aware of this. Yet, instead of progress we are seeing alarming setbacks: elections that are severely criticised by international observers, disproportionate violence against demonstrators, the so-called Transparency Law or the restriction of LGBTQI+ rights. Here, Georgian Dream is wasting the historic opportunity that the European Union is offering the country.

In recent weeks and months, the Georgian Dream party has gradually moved the country further and further away from the EU and is thus hugely endangering Georgia's decades-long partnership with Germany. As a result, we have reduced our cooperation with the authorities in the country and suspended support projects to the tune of more than 200 million euro. In parallel, we are discussing further steps with our EU partners ranging from ending visa-free travel for Georgian leaders to launching targeted sanctions.

The ball is now in the court of the Georgian Dream leaders. It is now up to them to do everything to end the major political crisis, to win back trust and give the people in Georgia real prospects for the future - a return to the road to EU accession but above all a bright future for all Georgians.
The Minister of Defence and the Commander of the Defence Forces agreed on a naval operation to protect Estlink 1

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Defence

27. December 2024 - 18:32

Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur and Commander of the Defence Forces Major General Andrus Merilo agreed that this morning the Estonian Navy will commence the protection of the Estlink 1 undersea cable with patrol ships to secure energy connections between Estonia and Finland.

Minister Pevkur emphasized that the state must respond decisively to incidents such as the sabotage of Estlink 2 and send a clear signal that attacks on critical infrastructure will be met with a response.

"Of course, the investigation must determine all the details regarding the damage to the Estlink 2 cable and communication cables, but our task is to immediately send a clear message that we are ready to defend the connections between Estonia and Finland, even with military means," said Pevkur.

Pevkur added that in the aftermath of the Estlink 2 damage, it is crucial to maintain the energy connection between Estonia and Finland and ensure the protection of critical infrastructure. "Therefore, I am grateful that both the Commander of the Defence Forces and the Navy understand the need to ensure the protection of the undersea cable and are ready to promptly commence the operation in the Gulf of Finland," noted the Minister of Defence.

"The task of the Defence Forces is to counter military attacks against the Republic of Estonia. The Defence Forces are also prepared to counter non-military attacks on our energy infrastructure at sea and to organize military cooperation to ensure maritime security. The Navy is ready for such tasks. We are also in contact with our Finnish colleagues and the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe to discuss the involvement of Allies in protecting our critical infrastructure. Our message is clear - we will defend ourselves and our connections," said Major General Andrus Merilo.

According to the Deputy Commander of the Navy, Captain Johan-Elias Seljamaa, the Navy is ready for the operation. "We dispatched a team early this morning and are starting patrol activities near Estlink 1. In addition, we are in active contact with the Finnish Navy and Coast Guard and are operating in coordination," said Seljamaa.

The Estonian Navy is deploying the vessel Raju to the Estlink 1 cable site.

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China consistently respects Panama's sovereignty over Canal, says FM in response to Trump's claim

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: Dec 27, 2024 10:37 PM

China will as always respect Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and recognize the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday, in response to a question about US president-elect Donald Trump's claim that there are Chinese soldiers stationed at the Panama Canal.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump claimed that Chinese soldiers are "operating the Panama Canal," the latest in a series of statements from the president-elect about the Canal following his December 22 threat to reassert US control over it, which the US handed over to Panama in 1999.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino refuted Trump's claim, saying it is "nonsense" and asserting that there is "absolutely no Chinese interference," according to the BBC. "There is not a single Chinese soldier in the canal," he told reporters in Panama City.

Mulino also rejected the possibility of reducing tolls for US ships or ceding control of the Canal, the BBC report said. "The Canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There's no possibility of opening any kind of conversation around this reality," he said.

Chinese FM spokesperson Mao said at the Friday press conference that Panama's President Mulino stressed that the Canal has no control, direct or indirect, from any power.

The claim that China has military personnel in Panama is entirely baseless, and fundamentally incorrect. Such remarks appear to be aimed at generating media attention and imposing pressure on Panama to make concessions regarding toll charges for US vessels, in order to secure special privileges and preferential pricing, Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Panama's position is unequivocal and issues of sovereignty are non-negotiable and cannot be overturned, said Lu, noting that any attempt to create instability in the canal area would severely disrupt global trade, including US domestic trade, as the US itself depends heavily on the Canal for maritime transport between its East and West coasts.

Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, said that in recent years, the US has been increasingly concerned about China's influence in Latin America, particularly in large infrastructure projects.

With the Belt and Road Initiative advancing, the US views China's growing presence in the Western Hemisphere as a threat to its regional interests, leading to increasing smear campaigns and attacks against China, said Wang.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Panama, their relationship has grown rapidly, marked by increased political trust, trade, and cultural exchanges. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has made notable progress in infrastructure projects in Panama and Latin America, which deserves recognition, Wang told the Global Times.

However, China has never interfered in the operation, pricing, or internal affairs of the Panama Canal, respecting Panama's sovereignty over this neutral international passage, said the expert.

In contrast to US concerns about China's strategic influence, China's cooperation with Panama and other Latin American countries is driven by mutual interests and local needs, fostering regional development and deeper people-to-people ties, Wang said.

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The era of fear of Russia and uncertainty must come to an end

Republic of Poland - The Chancellery of the Prime Minister

27.11.2024

Poland must join the Baltic States to build a joint line of defence against possible Russian aggression - this is one of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's objectives ahead of his meeting with the NB8 Group in Harpsund, Sweden. During the meeting, the politicians will talk about transatlantic relations, European security and support for Ukraine, as well as other issues. Poland's ambition is to restore competitiveness in Europe, including in terms of energy prices.

Joint security policy with the NB8 Group

Poland joined the NB8 summit as a special guest, joining Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia in Sweden. Prime Minister Donald Tusk outlined the key matters that the meeting would cover before departing for Stockholm.

Today's talks will cover a number of matters, in which Poland plays a key role - transatlantic relations, regional cooperation in the context of security and a common position concerning the war in Ukraine,

the Prime Minister announced.

Poland's participation in the NB8 summit is a crucial development in the context of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The factors that bring Poland and the NB8 Group closer are their shared views of the security situation and concern for critical infrastructure and strategic resources in the Baltic Sea.

Poland is looking for a way to bring together countries that have an unambiguous and similar outlook on these issues,

the Prime Minister stated.

We want to develop a line of defence with the Baltic States against possible Russian aggression. Poland is bolstering its own defences with Shield East and our partners are working on building a similar fortification system.

We want to merge these projects and build defences from Finland to our border with Ukraine,

the Prime Minister declared.

We already have shared experience in air policing. The Prime Minister intends to convince our partners to launch navy policing missions with the aim of securing the waters of the Baltic Sea.

Time for a revival of European ambitions

The most important political task for our continent today is to reawaken European ambitions.

Poland can and will play a key role in this process. There is no reason whatsoever for Europe as a whole - the European Union and the European member states of NATO - to feel inferior compared to our peers,

the Prime Minister stated before departing for Sweden.

Europe must become self-reliant in view of the changes in US policy.

The time is now to end the era of fear of Russia and uncertainty. Russia cannot hold a candle to United Europe in terms of technology, finances or economy,

the Prime Minister pointed out.

That is why it is so important that we develop a joint policy with other European countries. Russia is only a threat if Europe remains divided.

Restoring Europe's competitiveness

The revival of European ambition also concerns its economy.

The European economy needs to go back to being a powerhouse that is not afraid of any competition,

the Prime Minister pointed out.

The potential of our continent is enormous, yet still remains untapped.

We have to start with energy prices. Energy in Europe cannot be twice or three times as expensive as in the United States or China. This destroys our chances,

Donald Tusk noted.

During the Presidency, which begins on 1 January 2025, Poland wants to tackle the task of restoring Europe's competitiveness in this field.

Support for Ukraine must continue

During the talks with the Baltic and Nordic States, the Prime Minister once again reiterated that the matter of Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine at the table.

We all want peace - but above all, we need a just peace that respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine,

the Prime Minister noted.

The most effective way of securing Polish and European borders today is keeping up support for Ukraine.

This is something I will also talk about in Sweden today - we cannot just think that if the United States pulls out of Ukraine and stops aiding its war effort, then Europe should follow suit. In reality, we should do the exact opposite thing,

the Prime Minister pointed out.

This is not only an expression of solidarity with a country that has been the victim of Russian aggression, but also a matter of security of the entire continent.

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Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggests launching joint missions in the Baltic Sea

Republic of Poland - The Chancellery of the Prime Minister

27.11.2024

Prime Minister Donald Tusk was a special guest at the summit of the heads of government of the Nordic and Baltic countries, the so-called NB8, in Sweden. The leaders talked about transatlantic relations, security in the region and Russia's war against Ukraine. Poland's aim is to unite European countries and to ensure unity in support of Ukraine and its security. Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested launching joint navy policing missions in the Baltic Sea.

Summit of the Nordics, Baltic States and Poland

The Nordic states (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) and the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) form the so-called NB8 Group. Polish Prime Minister was invited to the NB8 summit at the Swedish residence of Harpsund as a special guest.

The new political landscape proves challenging for many European nations. This is particularly relevant in the context of the war in Ukraine and the possible scenario of Russia gaining the upper hand. Poland is ready to play a key role in bringing together countries that share the same goal - ensuring security.

Together with the Nordic and Baltic states, we face the same threat and offer the same solution. . . We have a common view on security, on the approach to Russia and Ukraine, and on NATO and transatlantic relations,

said the Prime Minister at the joint press conference of the NB8 Summit in Sweden.

The answer to geopolitical challenges is for Europe to show strength and determination.

We must show that we are prepared to do everything to prevent a situation in which we would be exposed to Russian aggression,

Donald Tusk explained.

Joint action between NATO and the European Union is key in this regard.

Aiding Ukraine could prevent a third world war

Prime Minister Donald Tusk is attempting to convince European leaders that the fate of Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine at the table. This applies to all future peace agreements and negotiations concerning the end of the war.

A safe Ukraine means a safer Poland, Sweden, Norway, Europe and the whole West. That is why we must not falter in our support for Ukraine. If Ukraine loses, we all lose,

the Polish Prime Minister declared.

Donald Tusk also warned against the illusory solution based on agreeing to Russian demands. Moscow wants to establish a so-called neutral Ukraine, pursuing its demilitarisation and takeover of Ukrainian territory. In Russia's understanding, such a solution would stabilise the situation in the region and prevent the threat of a third world war.

In reality, the result will be the exact opposite. Us giving up and ceasing our support for Ukraine will deepen the crisis and put us in even greater danger,

Donald Tusk explained.

Therefore, sanctions need to be imposed on Russia and Belarus, while profits from frozen Russian assets should be used to fund Ukraine. The intensified Belariusian hostilities on the Polish border, the activities of the so-called 'shadow fleet' and attempts to sow disinformation and destabilise Western societies are evident.

The Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU - the pillar of security

During the summit, the Polish Prime Minister outlined the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will begin on 1 January 2025.

Our priorities will include security, resilience and Ukraine. I know I can count on the support of everyone here to make these plans a reality,

the Prime Minister noted.

During the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland will appeal to all countries to support Ukraine militarily, financially and politically.

The Baltic Sea has been seeing rapid geopolitical shifts. Russia's war against Ukraine has changed the reality of the region, and of Europe as a whole.

The Nordic and Baltic states are our biggest partners and allies, especially when it comes to defence and security. . . We also share the same view of the situation regarding the necessary use of strategic resources in the Baltic Sea,

the Prime Minister noted.

That is why we need new and ambitious ways to respond to the emerging threats.

I have proposed launching a joint mission to patrol the waters of the Baltic Sea. The suggestion was met with interest. We are going to work on the details,

Donald Tusk stated.

As he explained, Poland plans to increase its investments in the Baltic Sea. This includes offshore wind power plants, which will be key to increasing energy security in the region.

Europe needs to focus on unity and defence

In the face of new challenges, Europe must be united as well as self-sufficient. It should also be ready to replace at least part of the support provided by the United States to Ukraine should the need arise.

We should forget about wishful thinking concerning the prospects for the next weeks and months. Europe and NATO need to rise to the challenge and be prepared to possibly replace the United States in some capacity. . . We should see this as an opportunity, rather than a threat. Only Europe can assume responsibility for ensuring its own security,

the Polish Prime Minister explained.

If we want to prevent the next stage of Russian aggression, we must be bold and think about our interests.

Let us compare our potential with that of Russia. There is no reason for us to be afraid and think about surrendering, or dropping support for Ukraine in this conflict. This is all in our heads,

the Prime Minister stated.

Europe must show Russia and the world at large that it is prepared to act as one, and be bolder when the time comes.



Joint statement after the summit of the leaders of the Nordic countries, the Baltic States and Poland.

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Hamas calls Israeli attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza a war crime

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Dec 27, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Hamas has condemned the Israeli military for setting fire to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza as a war crime.

In a statement on Friday, the movement accused the international community of indifference and accused the United States of complicity in the "genocidal crime" against Gaza.

Hamas emphasized that the Israeli attack on the hospital, which forced medical staff, patients, and displaced persons sheltering inside to flee under threat, was a war crime. The group also condemned Israel's intensified airstrikes near the hospital, claiming that the attack took place amid the failure of international bodies like the United Nations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Noting that several patients, wounded individuals, and medical staff from the hospital had been arrested by Israeli forces after the complete severing of communication with the hospital, Hamas held both Israel and the United States, which it accuses of supporting Israel's actions, responsible for the safety of those detained.

Hamas called on the international community, the United Nations, and influential nations to end their silence on these atrocities and take immediate action to halt the Israeli assault, prevent further genocidal actions against Palestinians, and hold Israel accountable for crimes against humanity.

9341**2050

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Yemen launches missile, drone attacks on Israeli targets

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Dec 27, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Yemen's armed forces have carried out a missile and two drone strikes targeting Israeli sites in a military operation, in response to Israel's aggressions in Gaza and Yemen.

Yahya Saree, spokesperson for Yemen's armed forces, stated that in support of Palestine and retaliation for Israeli crimes against Gaza's civilians, as well as Israeli aggression against Yemen, Yemen's military conducted a unique operation targeting the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a hypersonic ballistic missile, "Palestine 2."

The missile hit its target, causing several Israeli casualties and halting airport operations, he said.

Additionally, Saree announced that drone strikes targeted a critical Israeli asset in the Tel Aviv area, achieving their objectives.

In another operation, Yemen's forces launched several drones at the "Santa Ursula" ship in the Arabian Sea, responding to violations of the Yemeni ban on entering Palestinian ports.

Yemen's military confirmed that these operations would continue until Israel halts its attacks on Gaza.

9341**2050

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Israeli fresh airstrikes on Yemen kill 6, wound 40

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Dec 27, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Sanaa International Airport and the Hodeidah province have left at least six people dead and 40 others injured, according to Yemeni Ministry of Health.

The ministry reported that three individuals were killed in attacks on the airport, while another three died in the Hodeidah region.

Earlier reports from Yemen's Al Masirah TV channel had put the death toll at four, with 16 injured.

Yemen's Civil Aviation Authority condemned the strikes, which targeted the Sanaa International Airport's navigation equipment and control tower, causing significant damage to the facilities. The authority also stated that a United Nations aircraft was preparing for a scheduled flight at the time of the attack.

9341**2050

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Gitanas Nauseda spoke by telephone with the President of Georgia

President of the Republic of Lithuania

December 27, 2024

President Gitanas Nauseda spoke by telephone on Friday with President Salome Zourabichvili of Georgia.

The Lithuanian leader expressed concern about the political situation in Georgia and the possible escalation of tensions. According to Gitanas Nauseda, while the majority of the Georgian population supports EU membership, the current government is moving away from a democratic society. It is only natural that young people, who see their future tied to the European Union, oppose this direction, as evidenced by the ongoing demonstrations and protests.

During his conversation with the President of Georgia, Gitanas Nauseda reiterated Lithuania's strong support for the Georgian people's aspirations for the European integration. "The government's decision to completely suspend EU accession negotiations is a painful blow to the country's European integration ambitions, clearly going against the democratic values of the Georgian people and playing into Russia's hands," President Gitanas Nauseda stated during the telephone conversation.

According to the Lithuanian leader, the voice of the Georgian people reflects their rejection of these radical government decisions and signals that the elections were not fully free and fair. "Georgia risks repeating the Belarusian scenario," the Head of State pointed out. He emphasized that Lithuania strongly supports the European Parliament's call for new parliamentary elections in Georgia.



The President's Communication Group

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China again urges Philippines to withdraw U.S. missile system

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:12, December 27, 2024

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China once again urges the Philippines to withdraw the U.S. Typhon missile system at an early date, as the deployment of the system brings the risk of geopolitical confrontation and an arms race to the region, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the comments at a daily press briefing after Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro attempted to justify U.S. deployment of the Mid-Range Capability missile system in the country. In a statement quoted by the media, Teodoro said that any deployment and procurement of assets related to the Philippines' security and defense fall within its own sovereign prerogative and are not subject to any foreign veto.

In response, Mao said that China has repeatedly stated its firm opposition on the deployment of the system, adding that the Typhon missile system, with both nuclear and conventional capabilities, is a strategic and offensive weapon, rather than a defensive one.

The Philippines has cooperated with the United States in introducing the system, handing over its own security and national defense to others, bringing the risk of geopolitical confrontation and an arms race to the region, and posing a substantive threat to regional peace and security, Mao noted.

"Whose interests does this move serve, and who is the one to talk about independent diplomacy? This is nothing but a typical 'harm set, harm get' situation," said Mao.

The spokesperson said that the Philippines has made a clear commitment that it will not take sides among major countries, nor participate in any actions against China, and it has no intention to trigger regional tensions. With that being said, the Philippine side has repeatedly pandered to the deployment of military forces and provocation of confrontation in the region by forces outside the region, Mao added.

The Philippine side has publicly stated that the system was only used for one routine exercise and promised to withdraw it after the exercise ended in September this year, but then it backtracked, saying that the country wants to permanently deploy the missile system and is even prepared to procure it. "This is blatant dishonesty," said Mao.

Countries in the region can see clearly now who is constantly stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, who is cooperating with forces outside the region to flex military muscle, and who is committing illegal actions under the banner of international law, Mao noted.

The only correct way to safeguard national security is to adhere to strategic independence, good-neighborly friendship and peaceful development, Mao stressed. "We once again urge the Philippines to honor its previous commitments and withdraw the missile system at an early date, as required by regional countries, and stop going down the wrong path," she said.

"Certain individuals in the Philippines should correct their understanding of the issue, reflect on themselves, stop confounding right with wrong and blaming the innocent," said the spokesperson.

"We warn the Philippine side that China will never sit idly by while its security interests are jeopardized or threatened, and if the Philippines insists on its current course of action, it will end up shooting itself in the foot," Mao said.

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Panama reiterates sovereignty over canal amid Trump threat

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:02, December 27, 2024

PANAMA CITY, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday reiterated the country's sovereignty over the Panama Canal in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to take control of the canal.

"The Panama Canal belongs to Panama, to the Panamanians, after the struggle of generations that began on the very day the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed" for the construction of the interoceanic route in 1903, Mulino said in reply to a question put by Xinhua during his weekly press conference.

"There is no possibility of discussing anything that seeks to reconsider the legal-political reality of the Panama Canal... There is nothing to talk about. The Canal is Panamanian, period," he said.

Mulino recalled the moments that the Central American country "has suffered" in its relationship with the United States regarding the interoceanic canal.

"Several treaties were added to the 1903 one in terms of economic aid, economic payments that the old Canal Commission of Panama, which was a federal entity attached to the U.S. President, made to us," he said.

"It was a pittance of what we were paid as a country until 1999," said the Panamanian president.

The canal remained under the control of the United States until the Torrijos-Carter Treaties expired on Dec. 31, 1999, when the United States returned the complete administration of the canal to Panama.

Mulino made it clear that he will wait until the new U.S. government takes office on Jan. 20, 2025.

"At this moment, Mr. Trump is not president nor does he have any government. So I will wait until Jan. 20 to have a government in front of me with which I can talk about this and many issues that interest Panama on the bilateral agenda," he said.

Regarding the possibility of reducing tolls for U.S. ships in the future, Mulino said, "no, because in the canal the tolls are not made at the whim of the president or the administrator, there is an established process for setting tolls that is a public and open process."

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Hamas: Israel's raid on North Gaza's last hospital 'war crime'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 4:10 PM

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has condemned as a "war crime" the Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan hospital, the last remaining in north Gaza, and the massacres committed in its vicinity.

In a statement on Friday, Hamas said the Israeli raid is "a war crime added to a long series of crimes committed by the criminal enemy against our people."

Israeli forces raided the hospital, forcing its staff members, sick and injured patients, and displaced people to leave it, after conducting overnight strikes around the hospital which killed 53 people, including five staff members.

After the hospital was evacuated, the Health Ministry said a fire had erupted at the hospital and spread to the rest of the medical complex.

In a statement on Telegram, the ministry said the hospital is "suffering from a stifling siege, as the operating and surgery departments, laboratory, maintenance, ambulance units and warehouses have been completely burned."

The ministry said the Israeli army "has dealt a fatal blow to the remaining health system in northern Gaza" with its attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

Hamas said Israel and the US, "which is complicit in the brutal genocidal war in Gaza", are fully responsible for the lives of the patients and staff members who have been prevented from communicating, amid reports of abuse and detentions.

The movement also urged the international community and the United Nations to "break their silence on" and "take measures" to stop the genocidal war on Gaza, and work to hold "the rogue entity and its terrorist leaders" accountable for the crimes against humanity they committed against Palestinians.

'Israel seeks to empty north Gaza of its people'

The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said the raid is one of the last steps taken by Israel to "accomplish its mission of completely destroying the health system" in northern Gaza as part of its genocidal war against Palestinians.

The group warned that the Israeli military is "systematically and repeatedly" targeting the few medical teams that are still present in the north, as part of its scheme to completely destroy the health system there as it seeks to "empty it of its people."

Euro-Med described the repeated attacks on Gaza hospitals as "a disgrace to humanity", urging the international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization, to shoulder their responsibility and protect the hospitals and their staff and patients.

In response to the hospital raid, spokesperson for the UN's World Health Organization Margaret Harris expressed concern about the deteriorating health situation in Gaza.

"We are witnessing the targeting of civilians and the health system in Gaza," Harris told Al Jazeera, adding "What Gaza's hospitals are exposed to is horrific, and what we are witnessing represents a punishment for the population."

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime's bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 45,436 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 108,038 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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Settler fatally stabbed; five Israeli soldiers killed, injured near Jabalia

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 10:55 AM

An Israeli settler has been killed in an alleged stabbing attack in Herzliya in northern Tel Aviv, with the occupying regime's media reporting the apprehension of a Palestinian youth.

Local reports claimed on Friday that the assailant who stabbed and killed the Israeli settler, a woman in her 80s, in Herzliya was a 28-year-old Palestinian from the occupied West Bank.

The woman was stabbed multiple times and her death was declared upon arrival at the Tel Aviv hospital.

The Palestinian was shot on the scene and arrested by police, with reports falling short of providing any details on his condition.

The Israeli-occupied territories have been on high alert since the regime launched a genocidal war on Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

The brutal aggression has so far claimed the lives of more than 45,000 people and wounded upwards of 107,000 others, most of them women and children, in an incomplete toll as thousands of missing persons are still under the rubble.

The southern Gaza Strip has been almost razed to the ground and most its 2.3 million people have since been displaced, with humanitarian conditions being miserably in tatters.

Bombing attack kills Israeli forces in Jabalia

In another development on Friday, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, said one of its fighters had detonated himself with an explosive belt that targeted five soldiers in Tel al-Zaatar neighborhood of Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip.

"In a complex operation, one of the Qassam fighters managed to blow himself up with an explosive belt in a Zionist force of 5 soldiers, killing and wounding them," the brigades said in a statement.

"As soon as the rescue forces advanced to the scene, our fighters sniped two of them and showered them with a number of Zionist-made hand grenades in the Tal al-Zaatar area east of al-Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip."

Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, hours after airstrikes on a nearby building killed 53 people, including medical staff.

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UN chief: Israel strikes on Sana'a airport, Yemeni power plants 'alarming'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 10:12 AM

The UN Secretary-General has condemned the deadly Israeli airstrikes on Yemen that targeted critical civilian infrastructure, including Sana'a International Airport and power stations.

At least six people were killed and 40 others injured when Israel launched air raids on the airport in the capital, Sana'a, Red Sea ports, and power stations on Thursday.

"Israeli airstrikes today on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming," the UN chief's spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay said in a press briefing, expressing concerns about the risk of further regional escalation.

Tremblay said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "warns that airstrikes on Red Sea ports and Sana'a airport pose grave risks to humanitarian operations at a time when millions of people are in need of life-saving assistance."

The Israeli military said that in addition to striking the airport, it also hit "military infrastructure" at the ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Kanatib on Yemen's west coast. It also attacked the country's Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations.

A member of the UN Humanitarian Air Crew was injured in the attacks at the airport which occurred when a high-level UN delegation, led by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was there.

"As we were about to board our flight from Sana'a...the airport came under aerial bombardment," WHO head wrote.

Noting that the Israeli attacks damaged the air traffic control tower and the departure lounge, "just meters" from where Tedros and his team stood, the WHO chief said "We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave."

"My UN and WHO colleagues and I are safe," he added, offering condolences to families who lost loved ones in the strikes.

According to Yemen's civil aviation authority, the airport is planned to reopen on Friday.

Guterres emphasized that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected at all times, and called for respecting and protecting civilian infrastructure.

"Humanitarian relief personnel must not be targeted and must be respected and protected at all times," the statement read.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman for Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement, described the Israeli strikes as "a Zionist crime against all the Yemeni people."

He stressed that such attacks won't stop Yemen from conducting operations in support of the Palestinian people.

"If the Zionist enemy thinks that its crimes will stop Yemen from supporting Gaza, it is delusional, and Yemen will not abandon its religious and humanitarian principles, God willing."

Since the onset of Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Yemeni forces have carried out scores of operations in support of the war-hit Gazans, striking targets throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to targeting Israeli ships or vessels heading towards ports in the occupied territories.

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Israel launches three raids on Lebanon in fresh truce breach

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 8:24 AM

Israeli forces have staged a fresh round of aggression on eastern Lebanon in blatant violation of a truce agreement that went into effect on November 27 to end fire exchanges with Hezbollah.

Local media reported on Friday that the Israeli onslaught had targeted a number of locations in the Beqaa Valley region, close to the border with Syria.

The Arabic-language online newspaper Elnashra said the Israeli raid targeted the outskirts of Qusaya inside Lebanese territory with missiles, the echoes of which were heard in the villages of Beqaa Valley.

"Israeli warplanes carried out three raids targeting the outskirts of Qusaya in Zahle district," the paper noted.

This was not the Israeli strike on eastern Lebanon following the ceasefire. The regime's warplanes hit targets in the Baalbek region before dawn on Wednesday.

Israeli forces had a day earlier launched a deepened incursion into some areas of southern Lebanon, targeting Qantara, Adshit al-Qusayr, and Wadi al-Hujayr in the south.

Lebanon's army on Thursday condemned Israel's continuing "violation of the ceasefire agreement by attacking Lebanese sovereignty and destroying southern towns and villages."

The army said it had strengthened its deployment in the affected areas and was coordinating with UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, and the committee supervising the ceasefire agreement to monitor the situation.

Hundreds of Israeli violations have been reported since the ceasefire agreement took effect on November 27 to end nearly 70 days of Israel's onslaught on the country.

A committee made up of France, the United States, Lebanon, Israel and United Nations peacekeepers is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and ensuring violations are identified and dealt with.

The ceasefire stipulates that Israeli forces are to gradually withdraw from south of the Blue Line, a temporary line drawn after the withdrawal of Israel from the country's territory in 2000, while the Lebanese army is expected to deploy its troops in southern Lebanon within a maximum of 60 days.

The Israeli violations included conducting airstrikes, advancing troops, and executing mass demolitions of homes and buildings in the southern region even in areas previously inaccessible during ground operations against Hezbollah.

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Dec. 26: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 7:35 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid the West-backed Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians so far, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

The major operations by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Thursday, December 26, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on Dec. 26:

Engaged an Israeli infantry unit at close range in the southern part of the Zeitoun neighborhood, Gaza City.

Struck an Israeli Merkava tank with a Shawaaz bomb near Ali Mosque, south of the Zeitoun neighborhood, in Gaza City.

Attacked an Israeli infantry force of seven soldiers with an explosive device in Jabalia camp, northern Gaza Strip.

Targeted an Israeli military engineering unit with a 'TBG' shell while it attempted to demolish civilian houses west of Jabalia camp, northern Gaza Strip.

Fired a 'SAM 7' rocket at an Israeli Apache helicopter west of Jabalia camp, northern Gaza Strip.



Al-Quds Brigades' operations on Dec. 26:

In coordination with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, attacked an Israeli command and control center in Gaza's Netzarim corridor.

Successfully downed and seized control of an Israeli reconnaissance drone conducting surveillance in the central Gaza Strip.

Bombarded an artillery fortification at an Israeli command and control site located at the Jabalia Services Club, northern Gaza Strip.

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Israeli forces raid Kamal Adwan Hospital after killing 53 in airstrikes

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 7:03 AM

Israeli forces have raided Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza on Friday morning, hours after airstrikes on a nearby building killed 53 people, including medical staff.

The military had earlier forced dozens of sick and injured patient to leave Kamal Adwan Hospital.

According to reports, nearly 75 patients are in the courtyard of the facility, which has been under sustained attack for weeks.

Early Friday morning, Israeli forces intensified their operations around Kamal Adwan Hospital as tanks, supported by quadcopter machine guns, advanced deeper into the area.

Explosive devices, previously planted near the hospital, were detonated at the northern gate and the back entrance, causing significant damage and igniting fires in several nearby buildings, according to the report.

At approximately 7:15 a.m. (05:15 GMT), Israeli officers used loudspeakers to instruct the hospital director, along with the injured and patients, to evacuate the premises within 15 minutes.

The death toll from Thursday attacks against the premises and a nearby building has increased to 53 with hospital's director, Hussam Abu Safiyyah, saying that five staff members were among the casualties.

Early Friday morning, Israeli airstrikes targeted Gaza City and Rafah, killing at least nine Palestinians, including women and children.

Local sources reported that four individuals were killed when Israeli forces bombed a house belonging to the Abu Beid family in the Shujaiya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

In another attack in the Sedra area of Gaza City, a young girl was killed when her family's home was struck. In Rafah, a woman succumbed to injuries sustained during an airstrike on her home in the Nassr neighborhood, east of the city.

Additionally, three Palestinians were killed and several others injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a house belonging to the Harara family near the al-Istijaba Mosque in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood.

On Thursday, Israel bombed al-Awda hospital, leaving the medical director there and six members of staff injured, according to the director of field hospitals in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, Israel targeted a clearly marked press vehicle just outside the hospital, killing five Palestinian journalists.

The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack on the journalists' vehicle as a "war crime".



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'Hypersonic' Yemeni missile hits Tel Aviv after Israeli airstrikes

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 3:07 AM

Air raid sirens have sounded over a large part of the Israeli occupied territories following a missile attack from Yemen which targeted Tel Aviv early Friday and caused Ben Gurion airport to shut down.

Israel's emergency services reported that 18 settlers were injured in Tel Aviv while attempting to reach the safety of shelters.

Videos shared online showed Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system failing, as it attempted to intercept the incoming projectile.

The missile strike reportedly forced half of the occupied territories into lockdown, with Israeli outlets describing the incident as a failure of the regime's defensive measures.

In a statement, the Yemeni armed forces said they "carried out a specific military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport in the occupied area of Yaffa [Tel Aviv] using a hypersonic ballistic missile of Palestine2 type".

"The missile succeeded in reaching its target despite the enemy's censorship, and the operation resulted in casualties and the cessation of navigation at the airport," it said.

Yemeni forces also carried out an operation targeting "a vital target of the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa with a drone, and the operation achieved its goal successfully" it added.

"The UAV force also carried out a military operation targeting the ship (Santa Ursula) in the Arabian Sea east of Socotra Island with a number of drones, and the hit was direct."

The ship, it said, was targeted "owing to the violation of ban decision of entry to the ports of occupied Palestine [Israel] by the company that owns the ship".

It came hours after Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes on Yemen's capital Sana'a, and the port city of Hudaydah.

Israeli airstrikes hit Sana'a international airport and other locations in Yemen on Thursday.

Reports said the airport was struck by "more than six" attacks with raids also targeting the adjacent al-Dailami air base.

A series of strikes were also carried out against a power station in Yemen's strategic western port city of Hudaydah, the al-Masirah television channel reported.

"This aggression will only increase the determination and resolve of the great Yemeni people to continue supporting the Palestinian people, in fulfillment of their religious, moral and humanitarian duty," the Friday statement said.

Yemen's armed forces, it said, "possess the capabilities that enable them to expand the target bank in occupied Palestine to include more vital facilities belonging to the enemy, and their operations will not stop until the aggression on Gaza sops and the siege is lifted".

On Wednesday, a missile launched from Yemen triggered air raid sirens across central Israeli-occupied territories, sending millions of settlers looking for cover for the second night in a row.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the new operation involved a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile and struck an Israeli military target in Tel Aviv.

It was the fourth time in a week that fire from Yemen set off sirens in Israeli settlements.

On Saturday, 16 people were injured when a missile hit Tel Aviv after Israel's much-hyped air defense system failed to intercept it.

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine's struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched its devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, which has so far killed at least 45,361 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Ansarullah has been also targeting ships linked to Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom to force an end to the Tel Aviv regime's genocidal war on Gaza.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have said they will not stop their attacks until Israel's ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.





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China approves construction of mega-dam in Tibet

The project, expected to generate 3 times the power of the Three Gorges Dam, is sparking concerns.

By RFA Tibetan 2024.12.27 -- China is moving ahead with plans to build the world's largest hydropower dam on Tibet's longest river despite environmental, water security and displacement concerns raised by India, Bangladesh and Tibetan rights groups.

The Chinese government granted approval to build the Medog Hydropower Station on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, where it is expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually, three times the power of China's massive Three Gorges Dam, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The river originates in the glaciers of western Tibet and flows into India and Bangladesh, where it is known as the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna rivers, respectively.

China did not disclose details about when construction was likely to start and end, or the likely impact of the new dam project, including the number of people displaced or the ecological, environmental and cultural consequences of what Tibetans consider as one of their most sacred and biodiverse regions.

But experts and activists say the impact will be significant Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Nyingchi city and that China could use the dam to promote its interests. It will almost certainly affect water flow patterns and native flora and fauna, and it also raises concerns about water security as China may use the dam to control the flow of water downstream.

"Any dam on a river has huge ecological consequences downstream," India-based water conservation expert Vishwanath Srikantaiah told Radio Free Asia. "China may use it as a tool by withholding and not being transparent with data on dam operations."

"Lessons that India can take are from the dams on the Mekong River that China has built [in Laos] and which have impacted downstream nations particularly in years of drought, and how China has operated them broadly on principles of self-interest," Srikantaiah said.

Research has shown that China's 11 mega-dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong River have resulted in an increase in the frequency and severity of downstream drought over the past two decades. The dams have restricted or blocked water from reaching downstream countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, as well as disrupted biodiversity and eroded river banks.

Tibetan protests

China's dam projects have generated protests in the past.

Earlier this year, more than 1,000 Tibetans were arrested for protesting against China's planned construction of the Kamtok, or Gangtuo, Dam project on the upper reaches of the Drichu River, known as Jinsha in Chinese, expected to impact at least two villages and six monasteries in Dege county.

Beijing's investment to build the dam is expected to exceed 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion) Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Nyingchi city more than four times the total investment of 250 billion yuan (US$34.5 billion) for the Three Gorges Dam project.

The hydropower station will be built in Medog county (Motuo in Chinese) in Nyingtri (Nyingchi) prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region, bordering the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

"As far as hydropower projects in the Himalaya are concerned, there is already substantial evidence of their negative impacts," Manshi Asher, a climate activist and researcher based in North India, told Radio Free Asia.

"This project will undoubtedly alter the environmental flows of the river," Asher said. "The larger the dam, the greater the impact on the river flows."

It isn't clear how many people will have to move to make way for the dam and reservoir it will create.

The Three Gorges dam resulted in the displacement of around 1.4 million people, but the area around the Yarlung Tsangpo River where the Medog Hydropower Station is expected to be built is less populated than the area around the Yangtze River, where the Three Gorges dam was built.

Earthquake concerns

Another major concern is the Medog hydropower dam's location in a geologically unstable area prone to earthquakes and landslides, that could be exacerbated by the huge volume of water it would hold, said Srikantaiah.

According to a study by the advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet, China has built or plans to build at least 193 hydropower dams in Tibet since 2000, of which, almost 80% are large or mega-sized.

Of the 193 dams, over 60% are reportedly still in the proposal or preparation stages. But if completed, they could displace over 1.2 million people and destroy religious sites, the rights group said.

Dechen Palmo, climate researcher at the Dharamsala, India-based Tibet Policy Institute, noted that while the specific details of the dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river have not been disclosed, the project would likely result in the displacement of Tibetans and the destruction of ancient monasteries.

The new mega-dam also would pose environmental risks with significant impact on neighboring countries, including India, as has been the case with multiple dams that China has built on Tibet's rivers, he said.

Additional reporting by Tenzin Norzom and Dickey Kundol. Edited by Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan, and by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Azerbaijani Lawmaker Says 'Strong Possibility' Russia Shot Down Passenger Jet

By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service and RFE/RL's Kazakh Service December 27, 2024

An Azerbaijani lawmaker said there is a "very strong" possibility that the crash of a passenger jet earlier this week was caused by Russian air-defense systems on alert for Ukrainian drone attacks.

Speculation has mounted that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was headed from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya region, may have been hit by an air-defense missile before crossing the Caspian Sea and crashing near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 passengers and crew.

Lawmaker Hikmat Babaoghlu told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service in an interview on December 27 that such an explanation is most likely "closest to the truth."

"This is only a possibility, but a very strong one, and the observations and conclusions drawn so far support the idea that the plane being shot down is the closest to the truth," he said.

"In this specific case, the incident involves Azerbaijan's airliner being damaged within the territory of the Russian Federation, with the event causing the crash occurring there. Therefore, there is no doubt that responsibility falls on the Russian Federation. If these assumptions are correct, accountability also undoubtedly rests with Russia," he added.

Kazakh experts arrived on December 27 to examine the crash site and black box of the ill-fated passenger jet, as speculation -- and evidence -- mounted suggesting that a Russian air-defense missile may have inadvertently struck the craft.

Even as the probe intensifies, countries with victims aboard the plane -- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan -- continue to mourn their dead and treat the injured from the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft.

Since the crash, uncertainty has rocked the aviation industry throughout the Caucasus.

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight bound for the Russian spa town of Mineranlye Vody took off from Baku on December 27 but then abruptly headed back after receiving a flight information notice that Russian airspace it was due to fly through was closed.

Azerbaijan Airlines later said it is suspending flights to several Russian cities, including Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala.

Speculation has swirled around the tragedy, with some experts pointing to holes seen in the plane's tail section as a possible sign that it could have come under fire from Russian air-defense systems engaged in thwarting Ukrainian drone attacks.

White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that the United States has seen signs suggesting that the jet could have been hit by Russian air defense systems.

U.S. experts "have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," he said.

Kirby added that Washington has "offered our assistance...should they need it" to the ongoing investigation being conducted by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Evidence, yet to be corroborated by authorities, includes footage from inside the plane before the crash, images of the hole-pocked tail section after the crash, a survivor's comments, and accounts indicating there was a suspected drone attack around the time the plane apparently tried to land in Grozny.

Reuters quoted an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation as saying results indicated the plane was hit by a Pantsir-S air-defense system, a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and missile system designed by Russia.

It was not immediately clear where the black box would be examined. The process can be highly technical, and not all countries have the resources to undertake such work.

Gulag Aslanli, a leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Musavat party, told RFE/RL that an international commission was needed to investigate the incident.

"Russia cannot be allowed there," he said. "If the black box is going to be taken to Russia and examined there, I will look at its outcome with suspicion."

Officials said it typically takes about two weeks to fully assess a black box, although various conditions can alter that time frame.

Commenting on unconfirmed reports that the plane may have been shot down by a missile, Kazakh Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbaev said it was "not possible" to say what may have damaged the aircraft until the investigation is finished.

"Real experts are looking at all this, and they will make their conclusions. Neither Kazakhstan, Russia, nor Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in hiding information, so it will be brought to the public," Ashimbaev said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made a similar comment, reiterating Moscow's previous stance on the deadly incident.

"An investigation is under way, and until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so," Peskov told reporters on December 27.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Russian officials as saying the plane, commissioned in 2013, had passed a maintenance check in October and that the pilot had "vast experience" with more than 15,000 flying hours.

Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev also told reporters the plane had been fully serviced in October and that there was no sign of technical malfunction.

But he said it was too early to determine a cause: "The plane has been found with a black box. After detailed research, all aspects will be clear."

The airline suspended flights along the route of the crash pending completion of the investigation.

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office said that "all possible scenarios are being examined."

As the first seven survivors arrived back in the country on December 26, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning. Burials of four of those who lost their lives were conducted during the day, with additional funerals expected in the coming hours and days.

Officials in Baku said the wounded arrived on a special flight arranged by Azerbaijan's Emergency Affairs Ministry and that the injured, many with severe burn wounds, were accompanied by medical professionals.

Ayhan Solomon, Azerbaijan's chief consul in Aqtau, told reporters that 26 of those killed were Azerbaijani citizens.

He said 16 Azerbaijani citizens survived. "Of those, 10 to 12 are in good condition and others remain critically stable," he added.

Azerbaijan Airlines' supervisory board said on December 26 that the families of those killed will be compensated with 40,000 manats ($23,460), while those injured would receive 20,000 manats ($11,730).

Along with the 42 Azerbaijani citizens, those aboard Flight J2-8243 were listed as 16 Russian nationals, six from Kazakhstan, and three Kyrgyz citizens, officials said.

The survivors include nine Russian citizens, who were flown to Moscow on December 26 by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry. Three of the Russian survivors were in critical condition, according to Russian health authorities.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijani -plane-takes-off-for-russia-returns-amid- jitters-after-crash-/33254768.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Secretary Blinken's Call with DRC President Tshisekedi

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

December 27, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi today to discuss the eastern DRC crisis. He thanked President Tshisekedi for his commitment to the Luanda Process, led by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, and for his willingness to engage in talks on December 15, and reiterated the U.S. position that M23 and Rwandan Defense Forces must cease hostilities and withdraw from their positions in eastern DRC. The Secretary encouraged President Tshisekedi to move forward on plans to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda armed group. The Secretary welcomed President Tshisekedi's collaboration with former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta who has offered his good offices on mediation with M23.



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Adopting Resolution 2767 (2024), Security Council Endorses New African Union Support Mission in Somalia

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9828th Meeting (AM)

SC/15955

27 December 2024

The Security Council today endorsed the African Union Peace and Security Council's decision to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) with the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), marking a further step in transitioning national security responsibilities to Somalia's own forces.

Adopting resolution 2767 (2024) (to be issued as document S/RES/2767(2024)) by a vote of 14 in favour to none against, with 1 abstention (United States), the Council authorized African Union members to take all necessary measures for 12 months, starting 1 January 2025, including supporting the Federal Government of Somalia in degrading Al-Shabaab and affiliates linked to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Da'esh.

The Council also welcomed the progress made so far by Somalia in assuming progressively greater responsibility for its national security, including the Somali security forces taking over responsibilities from 7,000 drawn-down ATMIS forces since 2022. African Union member States were authorized to continue to deploy up to 12,626 uniformed personnel, including 1,040 police personnel, to AUSSOM until 30 June 2025 and to complete by this date the realignment of all African Union troops from ATMIS to AUSSOM.

The text contains a section dedicated to financing AUSSOM, including references to Council resolution 2719 (2023)  which establishes a framework for financing African Union peace support operations through UN assessed contributions to ensure predictable and sustainable financing for those missions.

The Council requested the Secretary-General to implement, within existing resources made available through the rightsizing of the UN Support Office in Somalia, the "hybrid" implementation of the 2719 framework to AUSSOM from 1 July 2025, combining UN assessed contributions with funds mobilized by the African Union and other partners. This application is contingent on the Council's confirmation by 15 May 2025 of sufficient progress on operationalizing the modalities of resolution 2719 (2023).





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USS Montana Arrives to New Homeport of Pearl Harbor

US Navy

27 December 2024

From Lt. j.g. Paul Fletcher, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII - The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Montana (SSN 794) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam following a change of homeport from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, December 23, 2024.

Montana's arrival marks the ninth Virginia-class fast-attack submarine home ported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and the submarine will be assigned to Submarine Squadron 1.

"We're all very excited to be here in Pearl Harbor and we appreciate the great welcome," said Cmdr. John Gilligan, commanding officer of USS Montana. "This crew did extraordinary work in Virginia to get to this significant milestone. It was an honor to go to sea with them. Now that we're here in the Pacific, we're ready and eager to get out there doing the work of the Navy."

Capt. Aaron Peterson, commander, Submarine Squadron 1 met the Montana pier side upon arrival to welcome the crew to their new home. "On behalf of the Pacific Submarine Force Ohana, I enthusiastically welcome the officers and crew of the good ship Montana, with the warmth, culture, and spirit unique to the state of Hawaii," said Peterson. "I look forward to getting Montana's crew trained, certified, and out to sea to defend our nation, and our allies and partners from aggression."

Before completing its homeport shift from the east coast, Montana completed a post-shakedown availability at Newport News Shipbuilding and was re-delivered to the Navy in November 2024. "Through a great effort by the crew, working with our industry partners, we've completed our availability and rejoined the Fleet. We're ready to execute any task we're called upon to complete throughout the Indo-Pacific," said Gilligan. "The crew has been looking forward to executing this change of homeport, reuniting with our families, and bringing the Montana community all together. We're thrilled to join the team here in Hawaii and stand ready to defend our nation."

Commissioned on Jun. 25, 2022 at Naval Station Norfolk, Montana is the second warship to be named after the state, following the armored cruiser USS Montana (ACR 13). The boat is more than 377 feet long and can displace nearly 7,800 tons. Montana has a crew of approximately 140 Sailors and is capable of supporting various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force provides strategic deterrence, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, precision land strike, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and early warning, and special warfare capabilities around the globe.

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75 Years of EURAFCENT and NATO: A Legacy of Unity and Strength

US Navy

27 December 2024

From Petty Officer 1st Class Haydn Smith

NAPLES, IT., December 27, 2024 -- From NATO's Foundation to Today's Challenges: Seventy-five years ago, on April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded, striving for peace and security through collective defense.

Emerging from the devastation of World War II, the alliance united 12 nations with the principle that an attack on one would be an attack on all. NATO's mission evolved beyond military deterrence, fostering political cohesion, economic stability, and a transatlantic partnership that has supported global security for decades.

In today's complex security environment, NATO's strength lies not only in its 32 member nations but in the infrastructure, personnel, and partnerships that support its operations. Among the critical enablers of NATO's collective defense are the naval installations and personnel under the purview of Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central (EURAFCENT).

Enabling a Strong Maritime Presence:

"Geographically and logistically, our region serves as the backbone for NATO's ability to project power and protect global stability," said Rear Adm. Brad Collins, commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central.

Region EURAFCENT's area of responsibility encompasses some of the most strategically significant installations in the world for NATO, including bases in Spain, Greece, Italy, and the AEGIS Ashore Missile Defense Systems in Poland and Romania. These locations enable the U.S. Navy and its NATO allies to maintain readiness, secure sea lanes, and counter emerging missile threats.

With the establishment of the new missile defense bases in Romania and Poland, NATO's defensive capabilities are more robust than ever, providing a shield against potential threats from adversarial forces seeking to destabilize the region.

These bases, part of NATO's Ballistic Missile Defense system, symbolize the alliance's readiness to defend any member from any threat. They are a tangible reminder of NATO's motto: "Not today, not ever." For anyone considering aggression against a NATO ally, the message is clearpeace will be protected, and any threat will be met with swift and decisive action.

In an address to EURAFCENT service members and civilians, Rear Adm. Collins emphasized the region's impact on global operations, highlighting the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group's historic deployment. The strike group launched 155 standard missiles and 135 Tomahawk land-attack missiles, taking down Houthi adversaries who were threatening peace in the area. These actions were critical in protecting vital waterways and maintaining stability in a region under tension.

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) was forward deployed for nine months, with few opportunities for port calls or the ability to replenish in port. Region EURAFCENT answered the call to support CVN 69's readiness and their continued operations. In Collin's address he goes on to say, "We saw this in the 30 replenishments-at-sea the Eisenhower strike group received. The supplies and logistic support received by the [Eisenhower] strike group, in order to sustain a forward deployed posture, was only made possible by you."

Supporting NATO's Strategic Goals:

As NATO faces new challengesranging from Russian adversarial actions in Eastern Europe to security threats in the Mediterraneanthe alliance states it has undertaken the largest reinforcement of its collective defense in a generation. This includes increasing forces along the eastern flank, deploying carrier strike groups to the Adriatic, Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas, and conducting joint exercises with allies and partners.

EURAFCENT's installations are essential to these efforts, enabling the rapid deployment of forces, sustaining carrier operations, and facilitating joint exercises that enhance interoperability among NATO members. These exercises not only prepare forces for crises but also send a clear message of deterrence: NATO's commitment to collective defense is unwavering.

Securing the Future:

As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, its ability to adapt and strengthen remains a cornerstone of its success. Region EURAFCENT's support is critical to the alliance's ability to counter threats and safeguard freedom from economic coercion, ensuring the free flow of trade and resources essential to global stability.

Rear Adm. Collins summed up the region's critical role: "We are living in an unprecedented time, rendering aid in the fight of major, global conflicts, and our region is at the heart of it. Our EURAFCENT warriors are the backbone, geographically and logistically, in pursuit of protecting and controlling the seas. We have done that."

From its inception to its current role as one of the world's most influential military alliances, NATO's strength lies in its unityand the unwavering support of shore side installations that ensure unity will endure for generations to come.



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Gaza ministry says Israeli forces raided hospital; IDF denies it

By VOA News December 27, 2024

Israeli forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital on Friday, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip, burning large sections and forcing dozens of patients and hundreds of others to leave, Gaza health officials said. The Israel Defense Forces denied entering or setting fire to the facility.

Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry said it had lost contact with staff inside the hospital in the northern city of Beit Lahiya.

"The occupation forces are inside the hospital now and they are burning it," Ministry Director Munir al-Bursh said in a statement.

The account could not be independently confirmed, The Associated Press said, because the Israeli military bars foreign journalists from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said Friday that it had launched the operation to target Hamas militants near the hospital and had ordered people to leave the hospital but denied its troops had entered the hospital.

"While IDF troops were not in the hospital, a small fire broke out in an empty building inside the hospital that is under control," Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, said Friday night. He said a preliminary investigation found "no connection" between military activity and the fire.

The military said in a statement the hospital had become "a key stronghold for terrorist organizations and continues to be used as a hideout for terrorist operatives." Hospital officials have denied that claim.

The AP said it does not have access to Kamal Adwan Hospital, but members of the Hamas police force have been seen at other hospitals, maintaining security and controlling access to parts of the facilities.

Since the war began between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, the Israeli military has frequently accused Hamas of using hospitals as command and control centers for attacks against its forces. Hamas has rejected those accusations.

Without providing details, the Israeli military said it had tried to mitigate harm to civilians and had "facilitated the secure evacuations of civilians, patients and medical personnel prior to the operation."

The hospital has been under intense pressure from Israeli forces for weeks. "The world must understand that our hospital is being targeted with the intent to kill and forcibly displace the people inside," Hussam Abu Safiyeh, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said in a statement Monday.

The hospital announced Thursday that five of its staff members, including a pediatrician, had been killed in an Israeli strike. The Israeli military said it was not aware of a strike at the hospital and that the report of the staff deaths would be examined.

The World Health Organization has characterized conditions at the hospital as "appalling" and said it was operating at a "minimum" level.

Hamas said Israeli forces had stormed the hospital Friday.

"The occupation army stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, forcing medical staff, patients, the wounded and displaced people to evacuate it," the militant group said in a statement.

Hamas also accused Israeli forces of isolating and detaining those evacuated. "Hamas holds the occupation fully responsible for the lives of patients, wounded and medical staff after they were cut off from communication, arrested and taken to an unknown location," the militant group added.

The war was triggered by Hamas' terror attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli data.

Israel's subsequent campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, according to health officials in the territory. An additional 108,000 people have been wounded, the Health Ministry said.

Hamas has been designated as a terror group by the United States, Britain and other Western countries.

The majority of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people has been displaced as they continue to face threats of famine. The enclave itself is in ruins.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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UN air crew member hurt in Yemen airport strike, WHO says

By VOA News December 27, 2024

The United Nations air crew member hurt in an Israeli air strike on Yemen's main international airport Thursday sustained serious injuries and is recovering in a hospital, a World Health Organization spokesperson said Friday.

Israel said it struck multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen, including Sana'a International Airport. Houthi media reported that at least six people were killed and 40 others injured.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was in the airport waiting to depart when the aerial bombardment took place. A member of his plane's crew was wounded and required surgery as a result of his injury, the WHO spokesperson said.

The injured man, who worked for the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service, seemed to be recovering well, the spokesperson added.

Tedros was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained U.N. staff and address the humanitarian situation. He will continue working in Yemen until his flight can leave, the WHO spokesperson said. That may be Friday, but no official decision has been made, the spokesperson said.

The U.N. secretary-general condemned Israel's attack on the Yemen airport and said escalations between Israel and Yemen were concerning.

"Israeli airstrikes today on Sana'a International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming," the U.N. chief's spokesperson said in a press briefing Thursday.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recent interview with Channel 14 that Israel was just beginning its offensive against the Houthis. "We are just getting started with them," he said.

Following Hamas' deadly October 7 cross-border attack and Israel's military response in Gaza, the Houthis began carrying out drone and missile attacks in what they say is a display of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

On Friday, Houthis claimed responsibility for a strike launched against Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

The Houthis also launched drones at Tel Aviv and a ship in the Arabian Sea, saying that "Israel aggression will only increase the determination and resolve of the great Yemeni people to continue supporting the Palestinian people."

Israel's military early Friday said "one missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing Israeli territory."

The French government condemned the Houthi attack.

The U.N. Security Council is set to meet Monday to discuss Houthi attacks against Israel, Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, said Wednesday.

Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Chad opposition, civil society vow to disrupt Sunday elections

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka December 27, 2024

Tensions continue to mount in Chad, with opposition and so-called civil society groups vowing to disrupt Sunday's local council, regional and parliamentary elections. The groups say the polls will be rigged to favor current President Mahamat Idriss Deby, and are visiting towns and villages warning people to stay home to avoid possible street violence.

Chadians in the country's capital, N'djamena, say uncertainty looms in the central African state ahead of elections slated to take place Sunday.

Twenty-three-year old Limana Abba, a student at the university of N'djamena, told VOA via a messaging app Friday that opponents of the elections have been visiting neighborhoods to warn people against voting.

He says he is not sure he and a majority of registered voters will be able to vote because opposition and civil society groups have increased threats to attack those who vote on Sunday.

In Chad, civil society groups are associations authorized to help with the country's governance, human rights and democratic process. It's not clear if the groups threatening violence Sunday qualify as civil society under that definition.

In any case, Limana has concerns about whether the military and police can protect voters, candidates and election officials, despite pledges from the government to do so.

Chadian officials told state TV this week that government troops and police have been deployed to safeguard civilians and their property, and to stop what the government calls the possible use of weapons by disgruntled civilians.

Ahead of the vote, political parties and aligned groups have been holding daily campaigns against the elections.

Soumaine Adoum, the spokesperson of Wakit Tama, a coalition of over a hundred groups, spoke to a press conference in N'djamena Thursday.

He said civilians do not trust Deby, who wants to continue his father, Idriss Deby Itno's roughly 30-year rule at all costs. He added all Chadians should stay at home on Sunday as a sign of protest against the armed conflicts, corruption, abuses of press freedom, suffocation of liberties and democracy, and illegal arrests and detention of opposition and civil society members that have characterized Deby's rule.

Soumaine said the Elections Management Body, ANGE, cannot claim the elections will be free, fair and credible when Deby is preparing to use government troops to stuff ballot boxes as he did during the central country's May 6 presidential election.

Deby and ANGE denied the presidential election was rigged, and ANGE has always claimed it organizes free, fair and transparent elections free of government intervention.

The elections management body is asking civilians to brave the threats and contribute to the country's development by taking part in Sunday's polls.

Scores of opposition and civil society members have been arrested ahead of the polls.

Government officials say police called in several dozen people for questioning this week because of complaints from Deby's ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement that their campaign teams were attacked and election materials destroyed.

Sunday's local, regional and parliamentary elections were organized to mark an end to Chad's three-year transition period after the death of longtime President Idriss Deby Itno in April 2021.

The legislative elections are aimed at restoring the 188-member National Assembly that was dissolved in April 2021 when the army took power.

Officials say government troops will vote Saturday, before the general voting, then be on alert to intervene in case of violence when civilians vote Sunday.

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Type 076 Sichuan (NATO "Yulan" class) LHA

China on 27 December 2024 launched its first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, atthe Shanghai Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard. This large vessel is the first of its kind in the world equipped with electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, allowing it to launch manned and unmanned combat aircraft in addition to helicopters similar to an aircraft carrier. Named after Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the independently-developed new vessel was put into the water at a launch and naming ceremony. It was given the hull number 51. After the ship is launched, equipment commissioning, mooring tests, and navigation tests will be carried out as planned.

If the many attack and reconnaissance drones at the Zhuhai Air Show can be launched on the 076 through electromagnetic catapults, then this amphibious assault ship will be transformed into the world's first drone aircraft carrier in the future , so that its strike range and strike effect will be significantly improved.

The Sichuan is a new generation of amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. It is key equipment to promote the transformation and development of the PLA Navy and enhance its far seas combat capability. It has a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, is equipped with a double island superstructure and a full longitudinal flight deck, and innovatively applies electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology. It can carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and amphibious equipment.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship is characterized by its large displacement, which is among the top in the world. This means the vessel can carry more weapons and equipment, has longer range and stronger combat capabilities. It is the world's first amphibious assault ship equipped with electromagnetic launching technology. This means it can not only carry helicopters, but also fighter aircraft like the J-15. Electromagnetic launching technology leads to higher launch efficiency and faster launch speed, so the Type 076 has outstanding capabilities in air superiority and land assault missions.

The vessel also has excellent amphibious assault capabilities, as it can carry an amphibious combat battalion to quickly reach the target area for landing operations. It has strong comprehensive combat capability, capable of conducting horizontal landing as well as airborne operations. The commissioning of the Type 076 large amphibious assault ship will significantly enhance the PLA Navy's comprehensive combat capability, particularly its abilities in far seas operations and multidimensional long-range landing operations. It will play a great role in safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights.

As of 2024, the PLA Navy has commissioned three Type 075 amphibious assault ships, the Hainan, the Guangxi and the Anhui. The first Type 075 was launched on September 25, 2019, and commissioned on April 23, 2021. Compared with China's first type of amphibious assault ship, the Type 075, the new Type 076 is larger and can carry more aircraft. It is expected to carry manned and unmanned aerial combat platforms, so it is almost a light aircraft carrier. The Type 076 amphibious assault ship is a culmination of all the elements, including the radars of destroyers and frigates, the electromagnetic catapult of the aircraft carrier Fujian, and the concept of the Type 075 amphibious assault ship.

Compared to a real aircraft carrier, a large amphibious assault ship with fixed-wing aircraft is still very different. The aircraft carrier flight deck is larger and has been strengthened to use steel cables, so that fixed-wing aircraft can take off and land efficiently and quickly, and the angled flight deck is an important feature of the aircraft carrier. Compared to amphibious assault ships, aircraft carriers need to sail faster to help aircraft take off and land, so it needs more horsepower main engines. General amphibious assault ships do not have such characteristics. Of course, amphibious assault ships have docks for loading combat vehicles and landing craft, aircraft carriers do not have.

With amphibious assault ships, especially the combat formations mainly composed of 076 and 075, landing method will focus on three-dimensional landing. In the past, tanks and other sea-crossing equipment were used to attack the beach. Now helicopters, drones, and carrier-based aircraft can take off from the deck at the same time to carry out high-precision strikes on targets. So from the perspective of landing methods, the change from two-dimensional to three-dimensional is an important change and an important turning point.

Form follows function. Technological innovation is a product of both demand pull and supply push. Military systems are a result of both requirements and capabilities. Sometimes the result is easy to understand. The German pocket battleships were evidently built for commerce-raiding - fast, lightly armored, with big guns - against a British enemy highly dependent on maritime commerce. Other times, the relationship is less clear. In the early 20th Century, a variety of innovative warship designs seemed like a good idea at the time, but were found wanting in the trial of combat.

Particularly in the 1990s, American missile defense programs were bedeviled by requirements churn which induced program churn. The threat perception driving the program changed faster than system capabilities could be reconfigured to meet the new threat. Phrases such as "paralysis by analysis" and "research forever!!" were used to describe this period. For a weapons platform such as a capital ship, with a life expectancy of three or four decades, designed capabilities must have the flexibility to respond to the evolution of performance requirements over time.

It goes without saying that any major vessel of the Chinese Navy must be measured against the Taiwan requirement as well as defense of Chinese claims in the South China Sea. With the panoply of other PLAN warships, it is much easier to describe how the Type 076 could be used than it is to describe how it would make a difference. Like China's Type 075 amphibious assault ship, the Type 076 could be deployed in island seizing operations in the South China Sea and the island of Taiwan. Some analysts note that it could also be used to safeguard China's overseas interests, as China now has many citizens, investments, projects and strategic assets in countries around the world.

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) approved the classified version of Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment [LOCE] in February 2017, and followed it with an unclassified version in September of that year. LOCE led to the concept for Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). EABO seek to further distribute lethality by providing land-based options for increasing the number of sensors and shooters beyond the upper limit imposed by the quantity of seagoing platforms available. The EABO concept espouses employing mobile, relatively low-cost capabilities in austere, temporary locations forward as integral elements of fleet/JFMCC operations. Expeditionary advanced base operations may be employed to position naval ISR assets, future coastal defense cruise missiles (CDCM), anti-air missiles (to counter cruise and ballistic missiles as well as aircraft), and forward arming and refueling points (FARPs) and other expedient expeditionary operating sites for aircraft such as the F-35, critical munitions reloading teams for ships and submarines, or to provide expeditionary basing for surface screening/scouting platforms, all of which serve to increase friendly sensor and shooter capacity while complicating adversary targeting.

They may control, or at least outpost, key maritime terrain to improve the security of sea lines of communications (SLOCs) and chokepoints or deny their use to the enemy, and exploit and enhance the natural barriers formed by island chains. Initially, China would seek to be able to control over the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. The three seas are all located within the "first island chain" of the Pacific Ocean, including the Philippines and the Ryukyu Islands. The goal of LOCE/EABO would be to seize a number of small islands in the first chain, creating a barrier or blockade preventing further PLAN movement into the broader Indo-Pacific. Indeed, the US Navy and Marines are exploring designs for small amphibious ships specialized for just such a mission. The variety of attack and assault capabilities of the Type 076 make it ideally suited to overwhelming such small American Marine garrisons on isolated islands.

The 076 amphibious assault ship combines the functions of an amphibious assault ship and an aircraft carrier. Not only does it have the dock of an amphibious assault ship, but it also has the catapult and arresting landing system of an aircraft carrier. Therefore, the 076 is an epoch-making warship. Not only can it have amphibious landing capabilities, but it also has the ability to compete for sea and air supremacy at sea. It can also perform maritime reconnaissance and surveillance, and large-scale maritime anti-submarine missions.

A "Lightning carrier" is a concept that involves US Navy amphibious assault ships carrying Marine Corps F-35B fighter jets. The goal is to project power as part of a more distributed force. America-class amphibious assault ships can carry up to 25 F-35Bs or AV-8Bs, or a combination of the two. Twelve F-35B Lightning II's embarked on USS America (LHA 6) November 19, 2016 in a Lightning Carrier Proof of Concept Demonstration. The demonstration was the first shipboard Marine Corps F-35B integration demonstration alongside other Marine Corps Air Combat Element assets. Reports of EMALS & UAV support requirements in the new PLAN Type 076 acquisition seems a lot more like a CVL or CVL(Q) than an LHD/LHA design. A well known military commentor says 076 is a true LHD using alternative way to solve the problem that the Chinese Navy does't have STOVL aircraft. The opinion on 076 is quite negative. While being a true amphibious assault ship, it is also in some way considered unnecessary.

However, apart from a devotion to slavish and compulsive imitation of all things Western, it is not evident why the PLAN might wish to acquire such a capability. True, there is something to be said for symmetrical capabilties in which each and every permutation of the US Navy has a counterpart "with Chinese characterisitics" so as to deny the Americans any claim to escalation agility. But US Marine Corps fixed-wing aviation capabilities reflect a certain element of irrationality and historical happenstance, and a stiff resistance to jointness". The USMC acquired fixed wing capabilities in the Pacific War, and has retained them since, though in practice the deployment of carrier-based USCM aviation has been largely indistinguishable from that of the US Navy. Over 75 years later, the US Marine's F-35B STVOL fighter remains something of a capability in search of a mission. The prospect of Midway-style dueling LHAs between USMC F-25B and PLAN UCAVs is not overly plausible, as surely more robust big-deck and shore-based aviation assets would be brought to bear.

The largest of all amphibious warfare ships, the LHA resembles a small aircraft carrier. Key differences between an LHA and the LHD class ships in the US Navy include an enlarged hangar deck, enhanced aviation maintenance facilities, increased aviation fuel capacity, additional aviation storerooms, and removal of the well deck. Amphibious warships are designed to be able to sail in harms way and provide a rapid buildup of combat power ashore in the face of opposition. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to also support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.

The previous "America" class amphibious assault ship of the United States was based on the "Wasp" class amphibious assault ship, but the dock and vehicle deck were cancelled. For this reason, the ship type was changed from LHD, i.e. "dock landing ship with helicopter carrier capability" to LHA, i.e. "helicopter and aviation landing ship". But if we look at the cross-section, we will find that although the dock and vehicle deck were cancelled, the hangar of the America class has not increased much, and the effect is limited.

In fact, it can only carry more than 20 aircraft. If it carries helicopters, it will have to carry fewer F-35Bs. If it wants to carry more F-35Bs to perform small aircraft carrier missions, it cannot carry more helicopters. On the contrary, it also loses the ability of amphibious assault ships to transport and deploy heavy vehicles.

So when it came to the third ship of the America class, the USS Bougainville, they added the dock back, but due to the structural design, the original vehicle deck had been moved to a workshop for aircraft maintenance related equipment, so they had to shorten the dock and raise the front half of the dock. As a result, although the ship had restored the dock, its ability to carry vehicles and cushion landing craft was lower than that of the Wasp class.

It can be seen that in order to adapt to the F-35B's deployment, the design of the US amphibious assault ship has been changed over and over again, which is quite troublesome. On the other hand, the Type 076 may not follow the American "take off your pants to fart" approach [as the Chinese would say], and directly have everything that should be in the ship. Moreover, the Type 076 also adopts a fully electric integrated transmission system design. The advantage of this design is that there is no need to set up a large shaft on the ship, thereby reducing the space occupied by the power system, which is very beneficial to the system layout of the entire ship. This is also one of the main reasons why the Type 076 can accommodate so many functions.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 27 December 2024 - Day 1038

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that so far, there have been 158 combat clashes. The hottest today remained the situation on the Pokrovsky and Kurakhiv directions, also the Russian enemy is active on the Lyman, Vremivs komu directions and the Kur ini.

For today, the Russian opponent caused 37 aviation strikes on the territory of Ukraine (zadiav, in particular, 43 kab), used to impress 808 kamikadze drones. Made more than 4,300 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian enemy twice attacked the vicinity of vovcans ka.

According to preliminary calculations, Ukrainian defenders have destroyed and wounded 72 Russian occupiers in this direction today, also destroyed a tank, two artillery systems, an anti-tank device, four units of automobile equipment, three means of communication and 29 BPLAs, in addition, significantly damaged an armored vehicle and nine cars.

In the Kupyans komu direction, Russian forces tried to advance to Ukrainian positions near Petropavlivka and Lozova. Four Russian attacks were repelled by the Defense Forces. The battle is currently brewing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian forces attacked 20 times in the areas of Pershotravnevogo, Novoegorivka, Nadia, Terniv, Torsky, Zarichny, Dibrova and in the Serebryans komu Forest. Ukrainian warriors repelled the Russian invaders' attacks.

In the Sivers komu direction, the Russian occupiers four times tried to advance in the area of Bilogorivka and in the direction of Viymka, received a cut-off.

In the kramators komu direction activity of the Russian occupants since the beginning of the day consisted of five combat clashes. Assault actions took place near the Time Yar, White Mountain and Stupok.

In the Torec komu direction, Ukrainian troops repelled ten Russian attacks near Torec k and sherbinivka. All attacks have been stopped.

Since the beginning of the day, Russia has tried 52 times to infiltrate Ukrainian defense in the Intercession Direction in the areas of Mirolyubivka, Promenya, Vozdvizhenka, Lisivka, Dachenka, Novoy Trud, Shevchenko, Novoyelizavetivka, Novovasilivka and Vovkovy. Received a hard cut from Ukrainian defenders.

According to preliminary information, today Ukrainian soldiers damaged 382 Russian invaders in this direction, 196 of them - irrevocably. Four cars, a combat armored vehicle, surveillance device "Murom-M", REB device, seven means of communication, Lancet BPLA and a motorcycle were destroyed.

In the kurakhivs komu direction Russian forces 18 times attacked Ukrainian positions. The greatest activity was shown in the areas of Petropavlivka, Slovyanka, Dachny and Kurakhovoye, where Ukrainian defenders repelled all attacks.

In the vremivs komu direction, Ukrainian troops stopped 17 Russian attacks near konstantinopol s ,kogo, spill, new mosquito and novodarivka.

In the Pridnipro direction, the Russian enemy does not abandon trying to knock out Ukrainian units from occupied positions, where during the day there were two unsuccessful attacks of positions of Ukrainian soldiers.

In the Kursk region Ukrainian defenders repelled 22 offensive actions of the Russian zagarbnikiv. Russian aviation struck 15 strikes by applying 18 controlled aviation bombs on their territory.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that from 21 to 27 December 2024, the Russian Armed Forces delivered one mass and 37 group strikes by precision weaponry and unmanned aerial vehicles, thus inflicting fire damage on energy facilities that ensured operation of Ukrainian defence industry enterprises, infrastructure of military airfields, ammunition depots, POL bases, workshops, storage areas, UAV launch sites, and UAV training centres. Temporary deployment areas of AFU units, nationalist formations, and foreign mercenaries were also hit.

Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to eliminate AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region. Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of six mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, three air assault brigades of the AFU, one marine brigade, and four territorial defence brigades. In Kharkov direction, Russian troops inflicted losses on units of one mechanised brigade, one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades.

Over the past week in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces, the AFU losses amounted to more than 2,450 troops, 11 tanks, including U.S.-made Abrams and German-made Leopard tanks, 13 infantry fighting vehilces, including German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicle, Swedish-made CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle, and five U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 13 armoured personnel carriers, including two U.S.-made M113 and one Stryker armoured personnel carriers as well as 44 other armoured fighting vehicles. 69 motor vehicles, 25 field artillery guns, and nine electronic warfare stations were eliminated.

As a result of active operations, units of the Zapad Group of Forces liberated Lozovaya, Zagryzovo (Kharkov region), and Ivanovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one airmobile brigade, one airborne brigade, and two territorial defence brigades.

Twenty-five counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,080 troops, three tanks, including one German-made Leopard tank, three armoured personnel carriers, including two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 38 motor vehicles, and 53 field artillery guns, including 24 Western-made guns. Eight electronic warfare stations and four ammunition depots were wiped out.

As a result of decisive actions, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Gigant and Ostrovskogo (Donetsk People's Republic).

Strikes were delivered at formations of four mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade, two assault brigades, two airmobile brigades of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades.

Over the past week, the AFU losses amounted to more than 1,970 troops, three armoured personnel carriers, including one UK-made Spartan and one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, three armoured fighting vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, 22 field artillery guns, including seven U.S.-made guns, as well as eight ammunition depots.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of the enemy's defences and liberated Krasnoye and Novy Trud (Donetsk People's Republic).

Losses were inflicted on units of seven mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, one assault brigade, one infantry brigade, two jaeger brigades of the AFU, two marine brigades, two territorial defence brigades, two national guard brigades, and one assault brigade of the National Police of Ukraine.

In addition, 76 counter-attacks of the enemy were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,815 troops, six tanks, including one German-made Leopard tank, six infantry fighting vehicles, seven armoured personnel carriers, including one M1117 and four M113 combat vehicles made in the USA, and 11 other armoured fighting vehicles, including five Western-made armoured fighting vehicles. 42 motor vehicles and 26 field artillery guns were eliminated.

As a result of active operations, units of the Vostok Group of Forces liberated Storozhevoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Russian units inflicted losses on formations of one motorised infantry brigade, three mechanised brigades of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade. Six counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled. The AFU losses amounted to up to 1,140 troops, 16 motor vehicles, 22 field artillery guns, including four self-propelled artillery systems and 155-mm howitzers manufactured by NATO countries.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and defeated manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade, one air assault brigade of the AFU, and three territorial defence brigades.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 455 troops, 22 motor vehicles, and 16 field artillery guns. Eight electronic warfare stations and three field ammunition depots were destroyed. Over the course of the past week, 51 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered in the line of contact.

Air defence units shot down four UK-made Storm Shadow air-based cruise missiles, one Neptune long-range guided missile, two French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, 31 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 496 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 650 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 38,648 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,057 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,504 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,043 field artillery guns and mortars, and 29,584 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.

In the course of offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on formations of one heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, one marine brigade, and four territorial defence brigades of the AFU close to Aleksandriya, Viktorovka, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Leonidovo, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Sverdlikovo, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Goncharovka, Guyevo, Kolmakov, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Mirny, Nikolayevka, Russkoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny as well as Basovka, Belovody, Zhuravka, and Kiyanitsa in Sumy region.

Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 600 troops, four tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, four armoured personnel carriers, 24 armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, seven artillery guns, including one 155-mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, and six mortars.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 44,570 troops, 259 tanks, 199 infantry fighting vehicles, 141 armoured personnel carriers, 1,345 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,211 motor vehicles, 332 artillery guns, 42 MLRS launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 13 anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport-loading vehicles, 82 EW stations, 13 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 28 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, seven armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.

The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.





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Training handover marks end of an era

27 December 2024

After training 16,000 personnel over 13 years, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group's (CASG) Land 121 team will hand over training responsibilities to the Army Logistic Training Centre and Land Combat College in January.

From 2011, the Land 121 introduction into service training team provided training on Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, Rheinmetall-MAN medium heavy trucks, Haulmark trailers and associated modules, and the Thales Hawkei.

Training was conducted for Army and RAAF personnel at North Bandiana and RAAF Base Amberley.

More than 200 ADF members were posted to conduct the training, supplemented by a CASG-contracted instructional workforce.

About 12,000 operators trained at Amberley, and about 4000 maintainers and recovery mechanics trained at North Bandiana.

Head Land Systems Major General Jason Blain said the introduction of the new vehicles represented an almost total fleet changeover.

"The new Rheinmetall-MAN trucks replaced the old Unimogs and Macks, while G-Wagon and Hawkei have replaced our old Land Rovers," Major General Blain said.

"The Hawkei represents an entirely new capability, replacing approximately one-third of the old Land Rover fleet, with a vehicle protecting occupants from blast, small arms fire and shell fragments."

Officer Commanding Land 121 Training Wing Major Nathan McCartney said many staff had been involved in the design, development and delivery of the training.

"The many members of the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Australian Public Service and our training industry partners who contributed to the delivery of this training should be proud of their achievements," he said.

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Hong Kong Government's Ongoing Campaign of Transnational Repression

US Department of State

Press Statement

Office of the Spokesperson

December 26, 2024

The United States condemns the Hong Kong government's issuance of new arrest warrants and bounties targeting six overseas democracy activists and the cancellation of passports for seven other activists, including some based in the United States. We reject the Hong Kong government's efforts to intimidate and silence individuals who choose to make the United States their home. The United States does not waver in its advocacy for those who are targeted simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

The extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security laws is a form of transnational repression that threatens U.S. sovereignty and the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world. These actions demonstrate Hong Kong authorities' disregard for international norms and for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

We call on the Hong Kong government to stop using its national security laws to silence dissent.

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China launches world's first electromagnetic catapult-equipped amphibious assault ship Type 076

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Published: Dec 27, 2024 10:12 AM

China on Friday launched its first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, a type of large vessel an expert said is the first of its kind in the world equipped with electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, allowing it to launch manned and unmanned combat aircraft in addition to helicopters similar to an aircraft carrier.

China launched its first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, in Shanghai on Friday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Named after Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the independently-developed new vessel was put into the water at a launch and naming ceremony. It was given the hull number 51.

The Sichuan is a new generation of amphibious assault ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. It is key equipment to promote the transformation and development of the PLA Navy and enhance its far seas combat capability, China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with PLA's news media center, reported on Friday.

It has a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, is equipped with a double island superstructure and a full longitudinal flight deck, and innovatively applies electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology. It can carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and amphibious equipment, according to China Bugle.

After the ship is launched, equipment commissioning, mooring tests, and navigation tests will be carried out as planned, China Bugle reported.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship is characterized by its large displacement, which is among the top in the world. This means the vessel can carry more weapons and equipment, has longer range and stronger combat capabilities, Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Friday.

It is the world's first amphibious assault ship equipped with electromagnetic launching technology. This means it can not only carry helicopters, but also fighter aircraft like the J-15, Zhang said. Electromagnetic launching technology leads to higher launch efficiency and faster launch speed, so the Type 076 has outstanding capabilities in air superiority and land assault missions, he said.

The vessel also has excellent amphibious assault capabilities, as it can carry an amphibious combat battalion to quickly reach the target area for landing operations. It has strong comprehensive combat capability, capable of conducting horizontal landing as well as airborne operations, Zhang said.

The commissioning of the Type 076 large amphibious assault ship will significantly enhance the PLA Navy's comprehensive combat capability, particularly its abilities in far seas operations and multidimensional long-range landing operations. It will play a great role in safeguarding national sovereignty and maritime rights, Zhang noted.

As of 2024, the PLA Navy has commissioned three Type 075 amphibious assault ships, the Hainan, the Guangxi and the Anhui. The first Type 075 was launched on September 25, 2019, and commissioned on April 23, 2021.

Another Chinese military expert, Song Zhongping, told the Global Times on Friday that compared with China's first type of amphibious assault ship, the Type 075, the new Type 076 is larger and can carry more aircraft. It is expected to carry manned and unmanned aerial combat platforms, so it is almost a light aircraft carrier, he said.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship is a culmination of all the elements, including the radars of destroyers and frigates, the electromagnetic catapult of the aircraft carrier Fujian, and the concept of the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, Song noted.

This type of ship is the first of its kind in the world, which shows that China's warship design capabilities are improving, making some impossible things possible, Song said.

Year of flattops

2024 marked a big year for China's flattops, a term used to describe warships with large flight decks such as aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. They are important strategic platforms for China as a major power to defend its national sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and development interests while contributing to peace and stability to the region and the world.

In addition to the launch of the first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, the PLA Navy's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is China's first warship to utilize the electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology, began the sea trials phase with its maiden voyage on May 1 of this year following its launch on June 17, 2022. It has reportedly conducted several more test voyages since then.

Song said he expects to see tests such as aircraft takeoff and landing as well as integration with other vessels in future sea trials of the Fujian.

The PLA's first and second aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, also had their highlight moments, when they carried out a dual aircraft carrier formation exercise for the first time in the South China Sea, Xinhua quoted the PLA Navy as saying on October 31.

The first dual-carrier exercise is just a beginning. In the future, it will not be just adding more aircraft carriers, as amphibious assault ships could also join the carrier group, Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times.

Song also believes that the PLA Navy's amphibious assault capabilities are expected to receive a significant boost with the Type 076, and the new vessel can join China's aircraft carrier groups, substantially enhancing China's far seas attack and control capabilities.

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China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project strategic decision for regional connectivity, prosperity: Xi

Global Times

Commencement a milestone in China-C.Asia cooperation, vivid display of BRI high-quality devt

By Li Xuanmin and Qi Xijia Published: Dec 27, 2024 11:48 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway is a strategic decision made by the three governments to promote regional connectivity, prosperity, and stability. Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the railway project.

Noting that the construction of the railway reflects the shared aspiration of the three countries to open up this strategic corridor, Xi said that the commencement ceremony marks the transition of the project from conception to implementation, taking a critical step toward the goal of completion and operation.

The commencement ceremony of the CKU railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan on Friday. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov was present at the event and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also sent a congratulatory message to the ceremony.

President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy and director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zheng Shanjie, attended the launch ceremony of the CKU railway project in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan.

The launch ceremony marks a significant progress in its preliminary phase and lays a solid foundation for the project's construction at an early date, China Railway said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Friday.

The commencement of the long-anticipated connectivity project, which has been under planning for more than 20 years, will mark a new milestone in China-Central Asia cooperation and is a vivid display of how high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) leads to mutually beneficial results based on the principle of equality and mutual benefits, according to analysts reached by the Global Times.

Once completed, the project could open a new Eurasian corridor connecting China, Central Asia, and even Europe. The new link not only carries strategic significance in boosting local trade, economic and industrial development, but also in facilitating the deeper integration of Central Asia as a whole and further elevating the region's influence on the global economy and supply chain, analysts said.

Based on the current progress, the project is scheduled to officially commence construction in July 2025, with a construction period of six years, the China Railway statement noted. The railway is a flagship BRI project promoted by the leaders of the three countries involved, and a strategic connectivity project between China and Central Asia, a spokesperson for China Railway was quoted as saying in the statement.

The CKU railway starts from Kashi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, passes through the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, continues westward through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and ends in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.

China will be responsible for the construction of the Chinese section, while Uzbekistan will be in charge of the upgrade and renovation of the Uzbek section. The CKU Railway Co, a joint venture established by companies authorized by the three governments, will be responsible for the financing, construction, and operation of the Kyrgyz section, according to China Railway.

According to the approved feasibility study report, the section in Kyrgyzstan will be a single-track railway operating with diesel locomotives with provisions for future electrification, with a designed speed of 120 kilometers an hour. It will have 20 stations, including Torugart station, Markmal transshipment station and Jalalabad station.

A decades-long dream realized

The project was first proposed in the 1990s, and China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on constructing the railway in 1997. Step by step, the project has moved from planning, discussion, and preliminary work to the launch ceremony.

Friday's launch marks the realization of a decades-old dream for Central Asia, which is largely made up of landlocked countries that want to be land-linked and become a strategic bridge between East and West, according to a Central Asia scholar.

Maryam Agharabi, a research coordinator at the China and Central Asia Studies Center in Kazakhstan, hailed the commencement as an "important, long-awaited and highly-anticipated development" from various perspectives. She told the Global Times that the project launch is a positive development not only for China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan - which will see direct and immediate economic benefits - but also for the rest of the Central Asian states and even beyond.

It is said that the railway is projected to handle 15 million tons of cargo annually, as reported by qalampir.uz, a local media outlet.

Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that the railway represents a significant opportunity for enhancing cooperation between Asia and Europe, as it will probably offer the shortest route for transporting goods from China to Europe and the Middle East via the China-Europe freight train.

In December, the 100,000th China-Europe freight train arrived in Duisburg, Germany, underscoring the booming trade and economic exchanges across the Eurasian continent, which are set to jump further with the stepped-up implementation of BRI cooperation.

Across Central Asia, there is more growth potential to be tapped and unleashed, as geographic constraints such as high mountains and long distances that have long weighed on the Central Asian economy are expected to be gradually lifted, analysts said.

Li Hongchang, a researcher at the Sustainable Transportation Innovation Center and a professor from Beijing Jiaotong University, told the Global Times that the three countries involved - China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan - each have their own comparative advantages in industries such as energy, minerals, processing, and markets. These advantages can create synergies with the CKU railway, playing a role in driving regional economic development.

According to Agharabi, the CKU railway project contributes to the cooperative approach within the Central Asian region, meaning that it not only helps diversify trade and transit by adding an extra route connecting Central Asian countries, but also demonstrates a commitment to the development of the region as a whole in the spirit of regional economic cooperation.

Regarding the benefits to China, Chinese analysts also noted that the construction of the CKU railway will undoubtedly inject vitality into the development of western China and the economy of Xinjiang, which borders a number of Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and further facilitates the region's opening-up.

High level of mutual trust

In the congratulatory letter on Friday, Xi emphasized the need for close collaboration among the relevant departments and enterprises of the three countries to ensure high standards and high-quality progress in the construction of the railway.

Xi said that efforts should be made to build the railway into a new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to better contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people's well-being in the region along the route and to inject new momentum into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

In July, during Xi's state visit to Kazakhstan, Xi and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev jointly attended an opening ceremony of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route via video link in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The route is another landmark BRI connectivity project in Central Asia that connects Asia and Europe.

Li said that Friday's launch is built on the high level of political trust and solid cooperation results between China and Central Asia, and riding on the momentum, the railway will further consolidate the mutual political trust, while also promoting more pragmatic cooperation between China and Central Asia on agendas such as regional security and political stability.

Those BRI projects that span a long timeline provide a vivid display of China's sincerity in collaborating with Central Asian nations, and the process itself exemplified how BRI spearheads cooperation based on the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, Zhang stressed.

"The railway is not a geopolitical tool [as hyped by some Western media outlets], but a project for regional collaborative development. Both being developing countries, China understands Central Asian nations' development needs and challenges. China provides help to partner countries within its capacity in terms of financing, technology and construction, and sincerely works with Central Asian partners for mutual development," Zhang added.

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China sanctions 7 US military companies and relevant executives over arms sales to Taiwan region

Global Times

Countermeasures serve as reminder of redline to bilateral ties: expert

By Liu Xin Published: Dec 27, 2024 09:08 PM Updated: Dec 28, 2024 12:47 AM

China's Foreign Ministry on Friday announced its decision to take countermeasures against seven US military companies and relevant senior executives over recent military assistance and arms sales to China's Taiwan region.

Recently, the US announced another substantial package of military assistance and arms sales to China's Taiwan region. Its "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025" includes multiple negative sections concerning China. These seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, interfere in China's internal affairs, and undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the Foreign Ministry's announcement.

Pursuant to Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 15 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, China hereby decides to take the countermeasures against seven companies: Insitu, Inc., Hudson Technologies Co., Saronic Technologies, Inc., Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm Inc. and Oceaneering International, Inc., and relevant senior executives, according to the statement.

Their movable and immovable properties, and other kinds of assets within China shall be frozen. All organizations and individuals within China shall be prohibited from engaging in transaction, cooperation and other activities with them, read the statement.

This decision will come into force from December 27, 2024, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday that seeking "Taiwan independence" is bound to fail. What the US has done to assist the "Taiwan independence" attempt by arming Taiwan will only backfire. Its relevant act containing negative articles on China is filled with Cold War zero-sum mentality and ideological bias.

Without factual basis, the US plays up the "China threat" narrative, trumpets for military support to Taiwan and finds pretext for increasing military expenditure and maintaining hegemony, which disrupts regional peace and stability, said Mao.

We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions in the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, immediately stop arming Taiwan in any form, view China's development and China-US relationship objectively and rationally, not to implement these negative articles concerning China and stop wrong words and deeds that harm China's interests. China will continue to take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests, said Mao.

China's countermeasures against US military-industrial companies and their executives express a firm stance - China strongly opposes any violation of the three China-US joint communiques through arms sales to Taiwan region and actions that undermine its national interests and threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, Li Zhenguang, deputy director at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, told the Global Times on Friday.

As the US prepares for the presidential transition, China's countermeasures also serve as a reminder of the redline on China-US relations to the US side and to American companies of their responsibilities in managing ties with Taiwan island, said Li, adding that the US side should avoid destabilizing the Taiwan Straits and refrain from actions that undermine China-US relations.

Recently, different departments and ministries in China respectively refuted the US' signing into law of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 and its content related to China's Taiwan region. For example, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday that Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs that will not tolerate any external interference.

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Chinese FM refutes US claim of 'transnational repression' of anti-HK activists

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Dec 27, 2024 04:18 PM

Responding to US claims that Hong Kong's bounties on some activists overseas constitute "transnational repression," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Friday that the so-called "pro-democracy activists" fled overseas to engage in activities to undermine China and disrupt Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). Their actions interfere with Hong Kong's development and stability, endanger national security, harm China's core interests, and challenge the foundation of "one country, two systems."

Mao emphasized that the Hong Kong police's law enforcement under the National Security Law is a legitimate move to uphold the rule of law and address public concerns, a necessary measure to defend China's national sovereignty and security, as well as a legitimate action to ensure the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. The extraterritorial application of the Law on Safeguarding National Security is in strict compliance with international law and the common practices of countries and regions across the world.

Mao added that the US misuses the concept of "national security" to impose illegal extraterritorial jurisdiction, and baselessly criticizes Hong Kong police's law enforcement, undermining the rule of law and revealing its own hypocrisy and double standards.

China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, Mao said, reiterating that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal matters.

She urged the US to respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law and to cease supporting anti-China and anti-Hong Kong personnel.

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Xiplomacy: Xi's letters add dynamism to China's global exchanges

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:22, December 27, 2024

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- "The reply from President Xi was the greatest surprise of the year to me," said Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Moshi is one of the 63 scholars from 50 African countries who received a reply from Chinese President Xi Jinping in late August ahead of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit. Prior to that, they wrote a joint letter to Xi, in which they extended their warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Letters have in recent years become a unique way for the Chinese leader to communicate with friends from all over the world and to promote exchanges between the Chinese and people of other countries.

In 2024, Xi has sent more than 30 replies and congratulatory letters to long-time friends across the Pacific, young admirers of Chinese culture, as well as events hosted by think tanks and media groups. Those messages have become a key venue to express China's readiness for cooperation and common development.

"TOMORROW WILL BE EVEN BETTER"

Among those who received Xi's letters this year are those in many parts of the world who have participated in and benefitted from Belt and Road cooperation.

On Jan. 17, Xi replied to a letter from representatives of Kenyan students and alumni at Beijing Jiaotong University, encouraging them to continue contributing to the friendship between China and Kenya and between China and Africa.

"Looking ahead, the magnificent picture of the Belt and Road Initiative and the grand blueprint of the China-Kenya comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership need more promising young people to realize," Xi wrote.

After reading the words, Vicky Wangechi Wangari and Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki, two of the writers of the letter to Xi, have become more hopeful about a better future.

Currently pursuing her PhD in China, Wangechi returns to Kenya every holiday to intern with Chinese construction companies in Kenya. She hopes to design smarter and more efficient railways and bridges for her country in the future.

Kariuki, who came to China twice to study railway management, worked on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, a flagship project of China-Kenya Belt and Road cooperation. He witnessed firsthand how this modern railway brought development and prosperity to his hometown.

"With the acceleration of China-Africa practical cooperation, I believe more projects will be implemented in Kenya, and my professional skills will certainly contribute to the common development of Kenya and China," he said.

Nenad Cvetanovic from Serbia is also among those who received Xi's encouragements. Cvetanovic is a veteran employee of the Smederevo Steel Plant in Serbia. He can still recall the moment when the Chinese leader told workers at the steelworks in a 2016 visit that the plant "will surely be revitalized."

The Smederevo Steel Plant, founded in 1913, experienced difficulties and was acquired by China's HeSteel Group in April 2016. Thanks to the joint efforts by the Chinese and Serbian management teams and the plant's workers, the steel plant has undergone a remarkable transformation since then.

This spring, upon hearing that Xi would visit Serbia again, 30 Serbian employees wrote a letter to him. "We want President Xi to see for himself that we have realized the vision he shared with us eight years ago," said Cvetanovic.

In his reply, Xi encouraged the steel plant's employees to "make new and greater contributions to the socio-economic development of Serbia and the consolidation of the China-Serbia friendship."

Back in 2016, Zlatan Bankovic, another veteran employee of the steel factory, used steel produced at the plant to make a commemorative plaque with the plant's silhouette engraved on it. The plaque was given to Xi as a gift during his visit.

This year, Bankovic crafted another plaque, this time featuring silhouettes of some newly built modern facilities. "The steel plant is changing rapidly, workers' lives are becoming happier, and everyone believes that tomorrow will be even better," he said.

GREATER GLOBAL SOUTH COOPERATION

To boost cooperation among Global South countries is another key message Xi's letters try to convey.

Ahead of his state visit to Brazil last month, Xi replied to letters from friendly personages from all walks of life in Brazil, encouraging them to continuously contribute to the China-Brazil friendship.

Enrique Teixeira, former deputy mayor of Campinas, Sao Paulo State, is among those who received the letter. He said Xi's reply is not only an encouragement to him but also a recognition of the enduring friendship between Brazil and China.

Teixeira said his parents visited China and were struck by its "rich culture and welcoming people." Back in the days when he was still serving as deputy mayor, Teixeira made several trips to China as well. He recalled visits to cities like Fuzhou and Shenzhen, where he witnessed firsthand the growing exchanges and collaboration between China and Brazil.

Cooperation between the two countries, both key players in the Global South, in fields like agriculture, technology, and infrastructure is not just a win for both nations but also an inspirational model for other developing countries, as well as part of a blueprint for South-South cooperation, which could inspire and accelerate progress across the Global South, he said.

During Xi's visit, China and Brazil announced an elevation of bilateral ties to a "community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet." The two sides also agreed to align the Belt and Road Initiative with Brazil's key development strategies with the aim to modernize Brazil's infrastructure and strengthen regional connectivity.

Also in November, the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the purpose of promoting the Global South's common interests and continuously boosting its voice and influence in global affairs.

In his congratulatory message to the event, Xi emphasized that in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries and the common issues of the times for Global South media and think tanks.

Mucio Aguiar, president of Pernambuco Press Association in Brazil, said that as Xi has advocated, on the path to jointly pursue modernization for the Global South, media outlets need to work together to amplify the voice of the Global South and contribute to achieving global peace and equitable development.

FUTURE LIES IN YOUTH

Fatma Bastaki, project manager of the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said they would bring 40 Emirati students to China next April for study tours. "The students can't wait to experience Chinese culture," she said.

This year, 40 students from the Hamdan Bin Zayed School and the Yas School, two demonstration schools of the "Hundred Schools Project," wrote letters in Chinese to Xi, expressing their love for Chinese culture and their yearning to be ambassadors of the UAE-China friendship.

"I have read each letter from you," Xi wrote in his reply. He said the students are welcome to visit China to see pandas and climb the Great Wall, and study at Chinese universities when they grow up. The Chinese president also encouraged more UAE teenagers to learn Chinese and know more about China, hoping that they and their Chinese counterparts can exchange with and learn from each other.

Teachers participating in the project said that Xi's encouragement boosted the students' enthusiasm to learn the Chinese language. More and more students are eager to join the project, with many now aspiring to study in China in the future, they added.

Lamont Repollet, president of Kean University in the United States, strongly agrees with Xi's emphasis on the power of the youth in advancing people-to-people friendship.

"Xi's call for universities in the United States and China to strengthen exchanges and provide students with opportunities to build cultural bridges resonated with me," he said.

Earlier this year, Repollet wrote a letter to Xi to expound on the situation and achievements of cooperative education at Wenzhou-Kean University. He said the faculties and students at Kean University were inspired to engage in more active exchanges with China.

Over the past years, Xi has repeatedly pointed out that the future of China-U.S. relations lies in the young people. When attending the APEC summit in San Francisco late last year, Xi announced the decision to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. During the past year, about 14,000 American youths have visited China for exchange and study.

Kean University encourages its students to "embrace opportunities in China," said Repollet. Immersing them in China's diverse and dynamic culture, expanding their personal and professional horizons, and nurturing cross-cultural ties are "essential to fostering bilateral friendship between China and the United States," he added.

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To promote world peace, stability, and common progress of humanity

People's Daily Online

By He Yin (People's Daily) 13:47, December 27, 2024

"The Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind carries forward the same spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Both are rooted in traditional Chinese values such as 'Be kind to your neighbor,' 'Seek amity through integrity,' and 'Promote harmony among all nations.'"

These are the remarks made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence on June 28. In his speech, Xi expounded on the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and their relevance for the times, charting the course forward for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

He also noted that all countries must shoulder their common responsibility for peace, and commit to a path of peaceful development, and work together to seek peace, safeguard peace, and enjoy peace.

Throughout the centuries, humanity has been dreaming of keeping war as far away as possible from mankind so that children across the world can grow up happily under the sunshine of peace. The baton of history is passed from generation to generation, and the cause of human progress moves forward from one era to another as humanity seek answers to the questions of the times.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence initiated seventy years ago provided a historic answer to the significant question of how to handle state-to-state relations. Seventy years later today, challenged by the historic question of "what kind of world to build and how to build it," Xi has answered the call of the times by proposing the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Both manifest China's firm resolve to follow the path of peaceful development.

The Chinese civilization, with a history of over 5,000 years, has always cherished peace. The pursuit of peace, amity and harmony is an integral part of the Chinese character which runs deep in the blood of the Chinese people.

According to British scholar Martin Jacques, the values of "pursuing the common good for all" and "promoting harmony among all nations" embodied in traditional Chinese culture reflect the profound inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, which have influenced China's policies and proposals.

China was long one of the most powerful countries in the world. Yet it never engaged in colonialism or aggression. Over the past 70-plus years since its founding, the People's Republic of China never provoked a war or occupied an inch of foreign land.

China stands against isolation and in favor of interaction, advocates coexistence and shared progress while opposing coercion, and advocates peace through harmony and rejects the law of the jungle. The intrinsic peacefulness of Chinese civilization determines that China will always work to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold international order.

China remains committed to the path of peaceful development and will always be a practitioner of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

This year, Xi proposed to build a common home of peace and tranquility at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, announced to jointly advance modernization underpinned by peace and security at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and promised to build a BRICS committed to peace, and called on all BRICS members to act as defenders of common security at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.

These important proposals represent China's commitment to practicing common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and China's determination to implement the Global Security Initiative, creating strong momentum for world peace and development.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Xi has set an example for the world by working for people's wellbeing, upholding social fairness and justice, and advocating for peace over war, cooperation over confrontation, and creation over destruction.

The intrinsic peacefulness of Chinese civilization determines that Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development. A modernized China will strengthen the force for world peace and development. The modernization China pursues is not for the country alone. The country will stay committed to peaceful development, the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with neighbors, and the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. It is ready to share more of the benefits of Chinese modernization with its neighbors.

China's peaceful development is always closely connected with that of the world. It remains committed to seeking common security through solidarity and cooperation, and working with all countries to build a beautiful world of lasting peace and universal security.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said China's peaceful development is a noble cause in the history of mankind and is conducive to the peace and progress of all humanity.

Drawing wisdom from the profound history of Chinese civilization, China is fulfilling its responsibility as a major country in the new era. It will never take the trodden path of colonial plundering, or the wrong path of seeking hegemony when one becomes strong. Instead, it will stay on the right path of peaceful development.

Moving forward, China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, making new contributions to promoting world peace and stability, as well as the common progress of humanity.

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Decision on Taking Countermeasures Against U.S. Military Companies and Senior Executives

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: December 27, 2024 15:00

(Issued on December 27, 2024 as Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China No.16, effective as of December 27, 2024)

Recently, the United States announced another substantial military assistance and arms sale to China's Taiwan region. Its "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025" includes multiple negative sections on China. These seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, interfere in China's internal affairs, and undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pursuant to Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 15 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, China hereby decides to take the following countermeasures against seven companies as listed in the attached List of Targets of Countermeasures, i.e., Insitu, Inc., Hudson Technologies Co., Saronic Technologies, Inc., Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm Inc. and Oceaneering International, Inc., and relevant senior executives:

Their movable and immovable properties, and other kinds of assets within China shall be frozen.

All organizations and individuals within China shall be prohibited from engaging in transaction, cooperation and other activities with them.

This decision shall come into force as of December 27, 2024.

Appendix: List of Targets of Countermeasures

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

December 27, 2024

Appendix

List of Targets of Countermeasures

1. Insitu, Inc.

2. Hudson Technologies Co.

3. Saronic Technologies, Inc.

4. Raytheon Canada

5. Raytheon Australia

6. Aerkomm Inc.

7. Oceaneering International, Inc.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on December 27, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

Updated: December 27, 2024 18:09

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Seyyed Abbas Araghchi will visit China from December 27 to 28 at the invitation of the Chinese side.

Xinhua News Agency: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a decision on its website on countermeasures against seven US defense corporations and related senior executives. Do you have any further comment?

Mao Ning: Recently, the US has, once again, provided China's Taiwan region with huge military aid and arms sales and its "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025" contains negative articles on China. Such acts seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, seriously interfere in China's internal affairs, and seriously undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In accordance with the provisions in the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, China decided to take countermeasures against seven US defense corporations and related senior executives.

Seeking "Taiwan independence" is bound to fail. What the US has done to assist the "Taiwan independence" attempt by arming Taiwan will only backfire. Its relevant act containing negative articles on China is filled with Cold War zero-sum mentality and ideological bias. Without factual basis, it plays up the "China threat" narrative, trumpets for military support to Taiwan and finds pretext for increasing military expenditure and maintaining hegemony, which disrupts regional peace and stability.

We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions in the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, immediately stop arming Taiwan in any form, view China's development and China-US relationship objectively and rationally, not to implement these negative articles concerning China and stop wrong words and deeds that harm China's interests. China will continue to take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.

AFP: Today, on Thursday, a spokesman for the US Department of State said that Hong Kong's announcement of bounties against six democracy activists based overseas was "transnational repression." Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment on this label?

Mao Ning: These so-called pro-democracy activists mentioned by the US have absconded overseas and long engaged in destabilizing activities to disrupt and undermine Hong Kong's development and social stability. What they did gravely undermines national security and Hong Kong's fundamental interests and has a serious impact on One Country, Two Systems which is a bottom line that must not be crossed. The Hong Kong police took law enforcement actions in accordance with the Law on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. These are just acts that uphold the rule of law and meet people's aspirations. They are also necessary acts to defend China's sovereignty and security and legitimate acts to uphold long-term stability, development and prosperity in Hong Kong.

The extraterritorial application of the Law on Safeguarding National Security is in strict compliance with international law and the common practices of countries and regions across the world. The US overstretches the concept of national security and arbitrarily imposes illicit long-arm jurisdiction on the one hand, and has made unjustified criticism over Hong Kong police's legitimate law enforcement activities on the other hand. This violates the spirit of the rule of law and fully exposes its hypocrisy and double standards. China deplores and firmly opposes this.

Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and there is no place for foreign interference. We call on the US to respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law and stop emboldening anti-China rioters.

PTI: Former Indian Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh has passed away in Delhi yesterday. How do you see his legacy, especially in relation to India-China relations?

Mao Ning: Mr. Singh is a senior statesman and renowned economist of India and has made positive contribution to the development of China-India relations. When he was prime minister, China and India announced the establishment of the strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity, and reached an agreement on the political parameters and guiding principles for the settlement of the boundary question. China expresses deep condolences over his passing and extends sincere sympathies to the Indian government and people and Mr. Singh's family.

PTI: Yesterday, China announced the approval of the world's largest dam at ecologically sensitive Himalaya region close to Indian LAC. The dam over Yarlung Zangpo River has raised a lot of concerns in the neighborhood, especially the enormity of itit is supposed to be the largest dam in the world. Has China taken concerns of the riparian states like India and Bangladesh about the likely effects they feel about this particular project?

Mao Ning: China has always been responsible for the development of cross-border rivers. China's hydropower development in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River aims to speed up developing clean energy, and respond to climate change and extreme hydrological disasters. The hydropower development there has been studied in an in-depth way for decades, and safeguard measures have been taken for the security of the project and ecological environment protection. The project will not negatively affect the lower reaches. China will continue to maintain communication with countries at the lower reaches through existing channels, and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and relief for the benefit of the people by the river.

Reuters: The Russian Ambassador told RIA news agency today that Chinese leader will visit Russia next year. Could we confirm this news? And we would like to know if the plans for Chinese leader's visit is made and when will that be.

Mao Ning: China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era. Our two sides maintain close interactions at various levels.

Kyodo News: After the talks between the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers on December 25, Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a readout that on historical issues, the Japanese side continues to uphold the position established in the "Murayama Statement," expresses deep introspection and offers a heartfelt apology. Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in today's press conference that what Chinese Foreign Ministry said was inaccurate. What he said at the foreign ministers' talks was that Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet stays committed to the statements of former prime ministers, including that by Murayama Tomiichi in 1995 and Shinzo Abe in 2015. The Japanese government lodged protests to China over the inaccuracy. What's your comment?

Mao Ning: Several Japanese leaders once made clear their attitude on historical issues. Among them, Japan's former Prime Minister Murayama Tomiichi issued an official statement on historical issues in 1995. He made a profound reflection on Japan's colonial rule and aggression and expressed apologies to the victim countries of the war. As I know, the Japanese side expressed their commitment to the above-mentioned position during the talks with the Chinese Foreign Minister. Having a right perception of and attitude towards its history of militarist aggression is an important prerequisite for Japan to win the trust of the international community, especially its Asian neighbors. Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. We hope that Japan will once again show its resolve to peace and development, and work with China to follow the spirit of facing history squarely and shaping a brighter future and push forward the sound and steady development of China-Japan relations.

CCTV: It's reported that according to a latest public opinion poll recently released by a Malaysian opinion research firm, Malaysians' favorability towards China has increased significantly. Many of them are positive on China's development. Seventy-seven percent of respondents express positive sentiments about China. Eighty-four percent believe Malaysia-China relations are improving. What's China's comment?

Mao Ning: We have taken notice of relevant reports. China and Malaysia are close neighbors across the sea. The two peoples enjoy time-honored traditional friendship. Good-neighborliness and friendship, mutual benefit, and solidarity and collaboration have been the underlying feature of bilateral relations. This year, the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Malaysia diplomatic relations, and the Year of China-Malaysia Friendship. We've written another new chapter in building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future.

Friendly ties between China and Malaysia is an epitome of the robust growth of relations between China and neighboring countries. In recent years, China and neighboring countries have enjoyed deepening friendship and mutual trust, increasingly entwined interests, and fruitful practical cooperation. This has injected stability and certainty to a complex world landscape, greatly contributed to the lasting peace and stability and fast economic growth in the region, and benefited people from regional countries, which receives wide support and recognition. China stands ready to continue acting on the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and work with neighboring countries to build an Asian home, advance the building of an Asian community with a shared future, and inject more positive energy into peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the wider world.

Reuters: There was another US State Department statement this morning, and this one is regarding the Chinese sanctions on Canadian institutions. The US called on China to "cease acts of transnational repression in relation to these sanctions on Canadian institutions and individuals over the Xinjiang and Tibet issues." How does the Foreign Ministry respond to this?

Mao Ning: In response to Canada's sanctions on Chinese personnel citing so-called human rights violations, China has taken countermeasures in accordance with the law. This is completely justified and legitimate. We call on relevant country to face up to its own problems and stop political manipulation in the name of human rights issues.

NHK: We have learned that a suspect has been indicted for the knife attack on a Japanese school bus in Suzhou in June this year, and another suspect was indicted for the case that happened in Shenzhen in September. What are the charges? Can you share more details, such as the motives of the suspects?

Mao Ning: As I have learned, regarding the case in Suzhou, Chinese procuratorial authorities filed a public prosecution on November 29. For more details of this case, I'd refer you to competent authorities.

On the other case, I have no updates to share at the moment.

Kyodo News: According to media reports, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Japan in February next year and have talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and the two sides are in consultations on the agenda. Can you confirm that? How do you view the current China-Japan relations?

Mao Ning: On Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Japan, I have no information to share. Let me say that the just concluded talks between the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers, both sides agreed to maintain exchanges and cooperation at all levels and through all channels. On the specific question you mentioned, I have no information to share.

China and Japan are close neighbors. Bilateral relations are at a critical juncture of improvement and development. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, in accordance with the principles and directions stipulated in the four political documents between China and Japan, the two countries should be cooperative partners rather than threats to each other and jointly advance the sound and steady development of China-Japan relations.

AFP: Incoming US President Donald Trump has threatened to take control of the Panama Canal claiming that China is involved in its operations and that there are Chinese soldiers there. Does the Foreign Ministry have comment on Trump's claims? And does China deny that it is interfering with operations and that it has soldiers at the canal?

Mao Ning: I answered relevant question several days ago, which you may refer to. Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino stressed that the Canal has no control, direct or indirect, from any power. China will as always respect Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and recognize the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway.

Reuters: Local labor authorities in Brazil said that Chinese workers found at a construction site of a factory owned by car maker BYD were victims of international human trafficking. BYD and contractor Jinjiang Group have agreed to assist and house these workers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached. Does the Ministry have any response to this?

Mao Ning: I noted the reports. We are in communication with the Brazilian side and learning what actually happened. Let me say that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the lawful rights and interests of workers and has all along asked our companies to abide by laws and regulations in their operation.

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Ringing in the new year in turbulent times: What lies ahead for foreign policy in 2025

Germany Federal Foreign Office

27.12.2024 - Article

Whether it be events in Ukraine, in the Middle East or in the Sudan - 2024 was a year spent in crisis mode. Many of these challenges extend into the new year. Read on to find out what else is on our agenda.

Whether it be more than 1000 days of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the acts of terror by Hamas and the war in Gaza, or our work to accelerate and digitise the visa process and focusing on our global partnerships - much of what demanded our attention in 2024 will remain with us next year. Other questions are gaining a new importance: How will the situation in Syria develop? What will the new US Administration's priorities be, and what will the implications be for our security and defence policy in Europe?

Our fellow staff members at Germany's 225 missions around the world are Germany's eyes, ears and voice abroad. Together with their colleagues in Berlin, they try and anticipate developments and develop strategies to meet the global challenges of tomorrow. That said, foreign and security policy is frequently shaped by the unexpected, and all too often much work goes into averting crises that then do not make it into the headlines. Below, we've listed some topics for you that may rise to the top of our agenda in 2025, or that remain important.

For as long as it takes: We are maintaining our support for Ukraine, in concert with our partners

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has brought immeasurable suffering to millions of people. This winter again, Russia's bombing campaigns are specifically targeting civilian infrastructure and thereby seeking to deny Ukrainians the basic necessities of daily life. This is why the German Government is giving top priority to providing concrete assistance to the Ukrainians in these fields. Since the outbreak of the war, the German Government has made available more than 37 billion euro in bilateral support for Ukraine; this aid includes the critical area of air defence, a substantial winter assistance programme, help for those who have fled Ukraine, humanitarian assistance, mine clearance operations and assistance with efforts to investigate war crimes.

We are convinced that, for there to be sustainable peace, Ukraine must be strong. For this, our support is crucial. At the same time, we have for a long time been making every effort, together with our partners, to bring about peace through a diplomatic agreement. President Zelensky already presented a Peace Formula in November 2022 that contains key elements for a lasting and just peace, based on international law. We are discussing various aspects of a peace agreement that include security guarantees for Ukraine in a number of international forums - including in Ukraine's own Peace Formula process, as well as in NATO, the G7, the EU and an expanded Weimar Triangle group that is referred to as the Berlin Format. The precise role that the various elements will ultimately play in a peace process will and must depend on what form Ukraine decides the process should take. We believe that peace cannot be reached without consulting the Ukrainians and the Europeans.

We will also intensively continue to pursue talks with the new US Administration. For Europeans and Americans, it is evident in Ukraine now how much depends on us taking a joint stand for freedom, international law and democracy. Germany will remain a close and reliable ally for the next US Administration, as well. That is what we are offering.

Israel and the Palestinian territories: Lasting peace only with a twostate solution

The terrorist attack by Hamas on 7 October brought unbelievable suffering to Israel and was a watershed moment for the entire Middle East region. The disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza, as well as the fate of the hostages, including German ones, who are still being held by Hamas, dominate the headlines. Next year, as well, Germany and the international community will need to engage in crisis diplomacy. Following the brutal attack on Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas and Israel's military action, the civilian population in Gaza, too, is suffering tremendously. Germany has provided a total of over 360 million euro in humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the dreadful and unimaginable suffering of the people in Gaza and to enable water, food and medicine to be delivered to them.

At the same time, we are seeking close dialogue with our Arab partners. Qatar and Egypt have proved to be indispensable mediators; Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are also playing a major role. Other countries, too, are ready to provide support. The key to peace is to be found on the ground. Only a negotiated twostate solution can enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in durable peace and security. We must not lose sight of this in 2025.

A turning point in Syria: The eightpoint plan aims to contribute to enduring stability

After over a decade of war, Syria now faces a crucial watershed. The fall of the Assad regime has for many Syrians rekindled hopes of peace and freedom. The people in the country hope they can now finally begin a new chapter. However, the situation remains fragile - the civil war has not only destroyed the country but has also left deep scars in Syrian society. At the end of 2024, a delegation of German Government officials visited Syria for the first time in many years, who have now seen the situation on the ground for themselves. Millions of people are displaced, the humanitarian situation remains extremely precarious and the danger of fresh violence is omnipresent.

At this time, it is crucial that Syria does not once again become an arena for international power struggles. In 2025, the focus will be on creating stability and a lasting peaceful order. The Federal Foreign Office has therefore drawn up an eightpoint plan to support this new beginning and to open up the prospect of a free and democratic future for the people of Syria.

The Sudan: Alleviating the people's suffering through humanitarian assistance

In a world marked by crisis and conflict, the importance of civilian crisis prevention work, stabilisation efforts and emergency humanitarian assistance is steadily increasing. There is a growing need around the world for humanitarian aid. At the same time, it is getting more and more difficult to supply people in need with the most essential necessities. Parties to conflicts block aid deliveries. Humanitarian aid workers get caught between the fronts and become targets. Some conflicts are in the public eye, whereas others receive hardly any media attention. One example is the Sudan, where the world's largest humanitarian disaster and displacement crisis is unfolding. More than half of the country's approximately 50 million people suffer from hunger and depend on assistance. Our colleagues will continue to do everything in their power in the coming year to ensure that the rules of international humanitarian law are observed and that people in need can be provided with essential supplies - whether it be in the Sudan, in the Middle East, in Ukraine or elsewhere in the world.

Digitalisation of the visa procedure: Bringing the visa process into the 21st century and fighting the shortage of skilled workers

Every year, the German economy is short 400,000 skilled workers. With its visa acceleration action plan, the Federal Foreign Office prioritised the processing of visas for skilled workers as early as 2022 in order to modernise Germany as a country of immigration. Comprehensive digitisation of the visa procedure is an important step in this direction: On 1 January 2025, the Consular Services Portal is being launched at all 167 of Germany's visa sections, thus enabling skilled workers to submit their visa applications online.

To keep Germany strong and attractive as a country that draws immigrants and is able to address its lack of skilled workers, we are removing red tape, shortening waiting periods and streamlining procedures - without lowering visa procedure-related security standards. The Federal Foreign Office will keep working on this project in 2025 and will further expand the digitalised visa procedure. The next group to be included will be applicants for student visas and for family reunification visas.

Altogether, our colleagues at missions abroad issued nearly 2 million visas last year. More than 1.4 million of these were Schengen visas, and more than 400,000 were national visas for permanent residence in Germany. Some 200,000 visas were issued for the purpose of employment. The Federal Foreign Office is thereby implementing the Skilled Immigration Act and going a long way towards meeting the needs of the labour market.

At your service, around the world: 225 missions abroad offer guidance and practical support

Around 65 million Germans travel each year, with some 78% of these trips taking them abroad. More than 14% of Germans' travel abroad is to Spain, with the next most popular destinations being Italy, Turkey and Croatia. The Mediterranean countries were the Germans' most-visited holiday destinations. The Federal Foreign Office has a closeknit global network of 225 missions abroad and 333 Honorary Consuls that is prepared to help Germans who need assistance and can give them guidance and practical support when problems arise. Every year, Germany's Embassies, Consulates General, Consulates and Honorary Consuls provide assistance to up to 70,000 Germans who need help while abroad. This ranges from simple advice on how to receive cash if their money has been lost or stolen and extends to issuing travel documents for their return journey; in some cases, medical evacuation flights will even be organised back to Germany.

The Federal Foreign Office also assists Germans who are in detention or in custody abroad. Some 1,400 Germans who are detained or in custody abroad receive support from consular officers. This consular support includes visits in prison, trying to obtain better detention conditions, monitoring trials and maintaining contact with family members.

Now that the COVID19 pandemic is over, the number of Germans travelling abroad is steadily rising again. In 2025, our missions abroad are ready to provide guidance and practical support to Germans while they travel.

Actively shaping foreign policy - in 2025, we will continue to act in concert with our partners

In 2025, we will keep working to shape a fair global order on the basis of international law and the UN Charter. Our policies are embedded in strong partnerships within the EU, NATO, the G7 and the G20. In 2025, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of our membership in NATO. And we will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, which was the predecessor to the present-day OSCE. Together with our partners, we are able to make a sizeable contribution: Germany is not only the world's third-largest economy, but also a world leader in research. It is the world's second-biggest humanitarian donor, a major supporter of the UN system and a driving force in international climate policy.

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Almost 65,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh since late 2023, govt says

Authorities plan to collect biometric data from the new refugee arrivals.

By Abdur Rahman and Mostafa Yousuf 2024.12.27 -- Nearly 65,000 Rohingya have crossed into southeastern Bangladesh since late last year amid unrest and violence in Rakhine, their home state in neighboring Myanmar, according to newly updated information from Bangladeshi officials.

The new arrivals, documented from November 2023 to December 2024, add to a huge population of Rohingya refugees, who have been sheltering at sprawling camps and settlements in Cox's Bazar district for at least seven years.

Bangladeshi authorities say they are set to collect biometric data from the newcomers, who number about 64,700 people, or some 17,480 families.

"The government has principally agreed to issue biometric identification for the newly arrived Rohingyas. It found the number to be around 60,000 after [a] head count," Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, commissioner of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) Office, told BenarNews on Thursday.

The Rohingya entered Bangladesh despite declarations from the previous government that it wouldn't allow any more Rohingya into the country and it had sealed the borders to them.

The previous government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, fell in August 2024 under pressure from a student-led uprising. A transitional government has been in charge of Bangladesh since then.

However, details have not yet been released about the biometric identification system, which is set to start next month.

Human rights advocates had earlier raised concerns that the biometric details of Rohingya refugees - which may include fingerprints, facial and iris scans, as well as personal data - would be shared with Myanmar's ruling junta without their consent or knowledge.

The biometric identification process would begin as soon as the government approves it, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or the UNHCR, which is involved in the activity.

"The Biometric Identification Exercise is not a registration, but will allow UNHCR to de-duplicate individuals who were counted more than once during the headcount, as well as exclude already-registered refugees who arrived in 2017 and who may have been counted," the U.N. agency said in a statement sent to BenarNews.

About 740,000 Rohingya fled from Rakhine following a bloody crackdown against members of their stateless Muslim minority group in August 2017. They joined other Rohingya who had settled in camps in and around Cox's Bazar, bringing the total number of refugees in southeastern Bangladesh at the time to just over 1 million.

In June 2021, Human Rights Watch accused UNHCR of "improperly" collecting and sharing personal information from the Rohingya refugees with the Bangladeshi government, which shared them with the Myanmar junta.

"The agency did not conduct a full data impact assessment, as its policies require, and in some cases failed to obtain refugees' informed consent to share their data with Myanmar, the country they had fled," HRW alleged.

In response, UNHCR said it had followed proper procedures in its biometric data collection system.

Rakhine's deteriorating situation

Bangladeshi authorities fear there may be a spike of Rohingya refugees fleeing from Rakhine as the situation in the Myanmar state continues to worsen.

"The recent influx was triggered [by the takeover] of Maungdaw township in Rakhine by the Arakan Army [AA]," the RRRC commissioner said.

There have also been incidents of Rohingya villages being razed, forcing residents to take shelter across the border, he also said.

This month, ethnic minority AA insurgents - which are fighting for self-determination in Rakhine state - said they had captured a major military base in the town of Ann.

The AA's capture of the base was the latest major setback for the Burmese junta, which seized power in a February 2021 coup.

Refugee Zahangir Alam told BenarNews that AA members were taking many young Rohingya captive.

"The Arakan Army's torture [of] Rohingya is more agonizing than that of Myanmar Army. I used to study at an educational institute there in Maungdaw and had to flee to save myself from their torture. My younger brother is still held hostage in the camp run by the Arakan Army," Zahangir said.

Refugees who earlier fled violence and persecution in Myanmar said they had been kidnapped and forced to fight in the country's ongoing civil war for both the junta and the AA.

With the help of a smuggler, also known as a "broker," Zahangir was able to flee to Bangladesh. He is currently staying at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar.

Bangladeshi authorities said smugglers had been helping Rohingya - in exchange for hefty fees - to cross the border areas between southeastern Bangladesh and northwestern Myanmar.

Some refugees claimed they had to pay smugglers bribes ranging from Tk 20,000 (U.S. $166) to Tk 25,000 ($200) to cross the border.

If the situation further deteriorates, there may be more Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh, foreign ministry official Ferdousi Shariar and foreign affairs adviser Md. Touhid Hossain said.

Amid the unrest in Myanmar, Bangladeshi authorities said they were closely watching the border areas at the town of Teknaf and Saint Martin's Island.

Benar is an RFA-affiliated online news outlet.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar forces raze villages near Mandalay after insurgents withdraw

The military has mobilized forces in a bid to re-capture areas lost to insurgents over the past year.

By RFA Burmese 2024.12.27 -- The Myanmar military has razed villages north of the city of Mandalay after insurgents who had been threatening to attack the country's second biggest city from the area withdrew, a research group and residents said, apparently aiming to ensure the area cannot be re-occupied.

Forces of the junta that seized power in 2021 have been on the back foot for most of this year, losing large amounts of territory to ethnic minority insurgents, while allied pro-democracy fighters have made unprecedented gains in central areas including the Mandalay region.

But the junta has since November mobilized forces for offensives in Mandalay as well as the central areas of Sagaing and Magway, helped by ceasefires that two main insurgent groups in Shan state struck after they came under pressure from neighboring China to make peace.

The research group Data for Myanmar said junta forces had razed eight villages in Madaya township, just 25 kilometers (15 miles) to the north of Mandalay city, and one in nearby Thabeikkyin township.

Residents said large deployments of troops were putting everything to the torch in the villages that have mostly been abandoned by their thousands of residents.

"Villages are being burned until everything is gone. Troops go to the villages one after another and burn everything," a resident of Madaya township told Radio Free Asia on Friday.

Residents were too frightened to think about going back, the resident said.

"No one can get close to check on their homes because the troops are still there," said the resident who declined to be identified in fear of reprisals.

The villages had been occupied by members of pro-democracy militias known as People's Defense Forces, or PDFs, that sprang up after the 2021 coup to fight to end military rule in collaboration with ethnic minority insurgents based in border regions.

PDFs have attacked the military relentlessly in central areas this year, taking over territory even on the approaches to Mandalay and the nearby garrison town of Pyin Oo Lwin, home to the military's Defense Forces Academy.

But the military has been pushing back in the dry season, which began in November and traditionally favors the army that can transport its heavy equipment and supplies to more remote regions on dried-out roads.

Data for Myanmar said in a report on Thursday that the eight villages destroyed in the west of Madaya township included Mway Ku Toet Seik, Mway Thit Taw Yone, Mway Pu Thein, Thu Htay Kone and Mway Sin Kone.

In Thabeikkyin township, troops torched hundreds of homes in Twin Nge village, the group said.

PDF fighters had abandoned all of their positions in the villages before the troops began the sweep, residents said.

RFA tried to contact the spokesman for the military in the Mandalay region, Thein Htay, to ask about the situation but he did not respond.

Data for Myanmar said in November that 105,314 houses had been burned down across the country since the 2021 coup.

The conflict is causing a humanitarian crisis, compounded by disastrous flooding this year.

The United Nations says about a third of Myanmar's population, or 18.6 million people, are in humanitarian need with children bearing the brunt of the crisis with 6 million of them in need as a result of displacement, food insecurity and malnutrition.

Edited by RFA Staff.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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South Korea's parliament impeaches acting President Han Duck-soo

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 2:36 PM

South Korean lawmakers have impeached the country's prime minister and acting president, Han Duck-soo, amid a deepening political crisis sparked by his predecessor's martial law decree.

The motion which required a simple majority in the 300-member National Assembly, was passed with all 192 votes cast in favor of the impeachment.

The results were announced amidst protests from the ruling party members who boycotted the vote.

Han took over the role after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by parliament following his failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3.

The latest move came after Han refused on Thursday to appoint three judges to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court, the body that will be deciding whether to reinstate or remove Yoon permanently from office.

There are currently three vacancies on the top court's nine-judge bench. The opposition Democratic Party had demanded Han to fill the positions immediately.

The opposition argued that Han had actively participated in Yoon's insurrection and violated his duty to uphold the law by avoiding investigations.

Opposition politicians also called for launching a special probe into Yoon's martial law declaration.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has now stepped in as the new acting president.

Choi said he would do everything in his power to restore stability and end the political turmoil gripping his country.

"Minimizing governmental turmoil is of utmost importance at this moment," Choi was quoted as saying in an address shortly after his appointment as acting leader. "The government will also dedicate all its efforts to overcoming this period of turmoil," he added.

Experts believe the political crisis will continue until a new presidential election is held.

Choi announced on Friday that the government has instructed the military to increase vigilance to prevent North Korea from misinterpreting the situation and initiating any actions.

He also told the foreign ministry to inform the allies such as US, Japan and other major partners that South Korea's foreign policies remain unchanged.

Political experts had warned previously that if the opposition pursues more investigations, the government could become paralyzed as decisions could not be made or carried out.

President Yoon's December 3 imposition of martial law was the first of its kind in more than four decades.

Yoon gave the military extraordinary powers in order to end the political deadlock within the capital, and stop what he dubbed "anti-state forces."

The martial law lasted only six hours before being revoked by the parliament.

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"Our sole purpose is the establishment of peace and stability in our region"



Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

25.12.2024

Addressing AK Party's parliamentary group meeting, President Erdogan said: "Our sole purpose is the establishment of peace and stability in every inch of our region, starting from Syria, in a strong manner. Syria's security and peace might be of secondary concern for others. We, on the other hand, cannot have such a luxury with a country with which we have a 910-kilometer-long border."

President and Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a speech at the party's parliamentary group meeting.

Commencing his speech by wishing Allah's mercy upon the 11 citizens, who lost their lives in an explosion that took place the previous day in the Karesi district of Balkesir, President Erdogan also wished a speedy recovery to the injured, and extended his condolences to and wished patience for their families and relatives.

Also drawing attention to the reports that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane has crashed this morning near the Kazakh city Aktau, President Erdogan extended his condolences on behalf of the Turkish nation to the two brotherly countries.

"SYRIA WAS DRAGGED INTO A CLIMATE OF GREAT CHAOS AND INSTABILITY"

Underscoring that due to a policy of massacre pursued for over 13 years, Turkiye's neighbor Syria was dragged into a climate of great chaos and instability, President Erdogan stated that cities, villages and historical artifacts, which are the best examples of the Islamic civilization, have been bombed, destroyed, and that Turkiye's 1 million brothers and sisters have been died a martyr's death during either the massacres of the regime or its supporters, or the attacks of such terrorist organizations as DAESH and PKK.

Stating that since the incidents in Syria erupted, they have embraced a policy that focusses on compassion and justice, and that their biggest supporters during this particular 13-year period has been the Turkish nation, which has protected and embraced Syrian refugees, President Erdogan said: "Our Syrian brothers and sisters, on the other hand, have sought to heal their wounds on one hand, and have worked to contribute to Turkiye and our economy on the other. We have achieved a mobilization of cooperation that will set an example for the entire world."

"A NEW PAGE HAS NOW BEEN TURNED FOR SYRIA"

Further stressing that with the collapse of the BAAS regime after a 61-year-long oppression and the escape of Assad from Syria and with Syrian revolutionists gaining control in Damascus, a new page has now been turned for this country, President Erdogan went on to say: "During the operation, Turkiye has made necessary interventions in order to prevent further bloodshed and in order for conflicts to not spread to other areas. That the 13-year-long insurgency has been crowned with victory in 12 days is an extraordinary success all by itself. And the credit for this success belongs to Allah firstly, and then to our Syrian brothers and sisters. The Syrian people has saved their country from the clutches of a gang of massacre. They have now taken a road during which they will decide their future on their own with all their ethnic, sectarian and religious segments."

"We are delighted to see the free Syrian flag next to our star-crescent flag in Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Homs, Daraa and Manbij. We get delighted and pleased whenever we look at Syrian oppressed people's eyes that are shining with hope after long years. We as their brothers and sisters as well as their neighbors are genuinely delighted to see the freedom sun rising over Syria after a 61-year-long BAAS darkness," President Erdogan added.

Stating that the total cost of the Assad oppression and war in Syria nears 500 billion dollars according to the United Nations reports, President Erdogan went on to say: "It is impossible for a war-torn Syria to overcome such a burden all by itself without the support of the international community. The Arab and Islamic world should spearhead the reconstruction of Syria, and set an example for other countries. Just as we have never left our Syrian brothers and sisters alone for 13 years, we will stand with them with all our capacity from now on as well."

"WE WILL SUPPORT SYRIA IN EVERY AREA THEY NEED"

Drawing attention to the visits of first MIT Director and then the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Damascus and the reopening of the Turkish Embassy there, President Erdogan noted that all relevant ministries, institutions, municipalities and nongovernmental organizations are in an intensive preparation, and continued as follows: "We will reopen our Consulate Generate in Aleppo soon. We see that the leader of the new administration, Mr. Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been managing this process pretty well, and receiving appreciation for his moderate and constructive messages. We will support Syria in every area they need, from energy, transportation, urbanization and education to healthcare, security and trade. We will contribute to the new administration for the recovery of Syria, strengthening of its institutional capacity and in order for the state to become capable of fulfilling its basic duties. We as Turkiye will preserve our uncompromising stance against the attacks against its territorial integrity. Those who seek to exploit this process will face us as well as the Syrian people. We are determined to crush terrorist organizations, DAESH and PKK in particular, which threaten the future of both countries."

"The separatist murderers will either lay down their arms or get buried in Syrian lands with their arms. We will eliminate the terrorist organization that seeks to build a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish brothers and sisters," President Erdogan stressed.

Underscoring that DAESH is a source of threat that has to be eliminated for not just Western countries, but also for Syria, Iraq and Turkiye, President Erdogan said: "The only NATO ally that has fought hand-to-hand against this savage group is Turkiye. Therefore, no one can lecture us on this issue, or draw a line to us over it. Our sole purpose is the establishment of peace and stability in every inch of our region, starting from Syria, in a strong manner. Syria's security and peace might be of secondary concern for others. We, on the other hand, cannot have such a luxury with a country with which we have a 910-kilometer-long border. The more quickly Syria stands up on its own feet and recovers, the more quickly the voluntary return of our homesick brothers and sisters will be."

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GCC ministers call for Syrian unity, condemn Israeli attacks

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:31, December 27, 2024

KUWAIT CITY, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Council on Thursday urged Syrian parties "to prioritize national interests" and reaffirmed support for Lebanon's sovereignty during its 46th extraordinary session in Kuwait.

In a statement released by the Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, who chaired the session, emphasized the GCC's unified stance on Syria's independence and sovereignty, rejecting foreign interference in Syrian affairs.

Al-Yahya urged all factions in Syria to resume the political process, engage in inclusive dialogue, and prioritize national unity to restore peace and stability.

"The Middle East region is facing rapidly growing challenges and crises, which demand enhanced joint efforts and cooperation. Achieving peace in Syria and Lebanon will have positive ripple effects on the security and stability of other Arab states," Al-Yahya said.

The council urged for a comprehensive national dialogue in Syria and endorsed measures to protect civilians, foster reconciliation, and restrict the possession of weapons.

They expressed their support for the UN Secretary General's initiative to establish a special mission aiding Syria's transition process.

The ministers strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on Syria, particularly Israel's occupation of the border zone, describing it as a "flagrant breach" of Syria's sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

They urged the international community to take action against such aggressions and ensure Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Syrian territories.

Regarding Lebanon, the council reaffirmed its support for the country's sovereignty and stability, emphasizing the necessity of implementing comprehensive political and economic reforms.

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Iran dismisses Arab League accusations, says wants stability in Syria

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 5:58 PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed the Arab League's accusations against Iran, naming several reasons why Tehran seeks "stability" in Syria.

Araghchi made the remarks in a post in Arabic on his X account on Friday in response to the latest statement issued by the Arab League which accuses Iran of meddling in Syria's affairs.

"Like you, we also desire stability, calm, and the prevention of chaos and disturbances in Syria for very clear reasons," he wrote while addressing the Arab League members, before listing nine reasons.

He cited preserving Syria's territorial integrity, security of all ethnic and religious groups, and sanctity of shrines and holy sites as well as limiting the possession of illegal weapons as among Iran's reasons.

Rejecting "any form of foreign intervention under any pretext", preventing Syria from becoming a "haven for terrorism", and ensuring Syria does not pose a threat to neighbors and region were the three other reasons named by the Iranian minister.

He noted that stability is needed in Syria to "prevent further adventurism and dangerous expansionist policies by Israel" and "finally to form an inclusive government" in the country.

Meanwhile, he warned against attempts to incite strife and divert public attention toward "unrealistic threats". The objectives of those inciting strife are "to legitimize the continued occupation of parts of Syrian territory, especially by Israel and the United States, justify foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, deprive certain segments of the Syrian population of participating in determining their own destiny, and to achieve their desires by blaming external factors for the country's problems."

"Going through the current turbulent period in the region requires rationality, participation, cooperation, and avoiding the stirring of conflicts and temporary interests," Araghchi stressed.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran agrees with other countries in the region on a peaceful and secure transition towards the formation of an inclusive government with the participation of all currents, ethnics and religions in Syria and is ready to help achieve the aforementioned goals," he said.

On Wednesday, tens of thousands took to the streets in the Syrian cities of Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Hama, and Qardaha but the country's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants, who rule the country, attacked them, leading to deadly confrontations.

It came after a video emerged of a fire inside a shrine in Aleppo, where militants - whom mainstream media has tried to depict as tolerant despite their history of close links with the most violent Takfiri groups such as Daesh and al-Qaeda - walked inside and killed its guards.

On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators protested in Christian areas of Damascus against the burning of a Christmas tree by militants near Syria's Hama.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham administration, which led the onslaught that toppled Assad earlier this month, has repeatedly claimed they would respect the beliefs and rights of all sects and religions in Syria.

The situation, however, remains very fluid and fragile, with a potential risk of further clashes as sectarian sentiments continue to boil over, amid the ongoing political instability and pressures on minority groups.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Thursday voiced concern over rising insecurity and violence in Syria, stressing "the necessity of preventing the spread of insecurity and violence against different segments of Syrian society, and ensuring the safety of all citizens".

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We want to establish 'peace' with Israel: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham official

Iran Press TV

Friday, 27 December 2024 4:55 PM

The new "governor" of the Syrian capital Damascus says the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group, which took over the Arab country earlier this month, is after establishing "peace" with the Israeli regime.

"Our problem is not with Israel," Maher Marwan told NPR in remarks that the American public broadcaster published on Thursday, adding that the militants "don't want to meddle in anything that will threaten Israel's security, and Tel Aviv's concern over new regime is 'natural.'"

He said that the militant group wanted to have cordial relations with the regime, and noted, "We have no fear toward Israel, and our problem is not with Israel. There exists a people who want coexistence. They want peace. They don't want disputes."

"And we don't want to meddle in anything that will threaten Israel's security or any other country's security," he said, signaling his recognition of the Israeli regime in those terms, and Tel Aviv's occupation of huge expanses of regional territories.

"We want peace, and we cannot be an opponent to Israel or an opponent to anyone."

He also claimed that the regime's initial apprehension after the fall of the former president Bashar al-Assad was "natural."

"Israel may have felt fear," he said. "So it advanced a little, bombed a little, etc," the official added, in an apparently considerable underestimation of the regime's markedly intensified ongoing attacks against the Arab country in the run-up and the aftermath of the militant takeover.

The Israeli regime alleges that the aggression that has targeted Syria's military and civilian infrastructures has been aimed at preventing the country's defensive means from falling into the "wrong hands and hostile elements."

The regime has also expanded its invasion of occupied Golan Heights in a move that has drawn international condemnation.

This is while Tel Aviv has claimed that it did not seek to interfere with the situation in the country and its seizure of a so-called buffer zone inside the mountainous territory was a "defensive measure."

Earlier this month, the head of the HTS, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, claimed that his group was "committed to the 1974 agreement [between the regime and Damascus that set up the buffer zone] and we are prepared to return the UN [monitors]."

"We do not want any conflict whether with Israel or anyone else and we will not let Syria be used as a launchpad for attacks. The Syrian people need a break, and the strikes must end and Israel has to pull back to its previous positions," he alleged in remarks to The Times.

The HTS is among the militant organizations that have taken on Syria since 2011 with massively deadly and devastating effects on the country's people.

The HTS stance on the Israeli invasion of Syria comes as numerous regional and international states and organizations have slammed the Israeli incursions, emphasizing preserving the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees return from Turkey

By VOA News December 27, 2024

Nearly 31,000 Syrians have returned home since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, Turkey's interior minister said Friday.

Turkey is home to nearly 3 million refugees who fled Syria after the start of the civil war in 2011. The recent fall of Assad's government has raised hope that Syrian refugees in Turkey and elsewhere may be able to return.

The return of Syrian refugees comes as Turkey says it will look to provide electricity to Syria and help enhance its power infrastructure, Turkey's energy minister was quoted as saying on Friday.

Assistance for Syria is coming from elsewhere, too.

Some 50 tons of European Union-funded medical supplies that were flown to Turkey through Dubai are expected to enter Syria on Dec. 31, a United Nations health official told Agence France-Presse on Friday.

"The supplies are still in Istanbul and going through the customs process," Mrinalini Santhanam of the World Health Organization's Gaziantep office in southern Turkey told AFP.

The goal is to support Syria's healthcare system, which was pummeled by years of war under Assad.

And Ukraine already has sent its first batch of food aid to Syria, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday. The Ukrainian leader said 500 tons of wheat flour were on their way to Syria.

Meanwhile, Iran's top diplomat warned Friday against "destructive interference" in Syria's future, he wrote in Chinese state media as he visited Beijing.

Iran "considers the decision-making about the future of Syria to be the sole responsibility of the people ... without destructive interference or foreign imposition," Abbas Araghchi wrote in a Chinese-language article in the People's Daily newspaper published on Friday.

Both China and Iran were supporters of the now-deposed Assad.

Some information in this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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Taiwan's tabletop simulation harms atmosphere of exchanges, shows secessionists' stubbornness and panic: mainland expert

Global Times

By Wang Qi Published: Dec 27, 2024 09:30 PM

With cross-Straits relations showing signs of thawing after recent exchange activities, Taiwan authorities' self-proclaimed "presidential office" held its first "tabletop simulation" designed to test the island's response in a scenario conflict with the Chinese mainland while stressing the "defense resilience" of Taiwan's society.

The latest exercise, according to mainland analysts, shows that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are trying to undermine the current cross-Straits exchange atmosphere by terrorizing Taiwan people with mainland "threats," while also showing that the DPP authorities feel the military pressure from the mainland, but are still unwilling to give up their stubborn secessionist path, even at the cost of Taiwan people's lives.

Taiwan-based media said more than a dozen departments of DPP authorities and civil groups participated in the three-hour simulation on Thursday, which was led by Taiwan island's deputy regional leader Hsiao Bi-khim and top security official Joseph Wu.

The exercise, according to Taiwan media, has simulated scenarios including mainland's "high-intensity grey-zone operation" as well as when Taiwan is "on the verge of conflict," and it's aimed at testing the "response readiness" of Taiwan authorities and civil society.

A DPP authorities' official claimed on Thursday that their goal is to train more than 50,000 volunteers across the island by next year capable of emergency response including first aid capacity, per Reuters.

Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Friday that the "defense resilience" is the essence of the simulation.

Emphasizing the building of "defense resilience" suggests that the DPP authorities are focusing on alleyway warfare, guerrilla warfare, and the concept of "turning every Taiwan resident into a soldier," Zheng said.

Meanwhile, through hyping up the threat from the mainland, the DPP authorities are also attempting to create fear across Taiwan society and further shape an "anti-mainland" atmosphere, especially at a time when cross-Straits interactions becomes more frequent, Zheng said.

The Chinese mainland has staged the "Joint Sword 2024A" and "Joint Sword 2024B" military drills around the island in May and October in response to Taiwan secessionists' provocation. Meanwhile, the mainland has also been active in promoting cross-Straits exchanges and integrated development by hosting and participating in major forums between the mainland and Taiwan.

Leading a delegation of Taiwan students, former Chinese Kuomintang Party leader Ma Ying-jeou visited the mainland for the second time in 2024. A mainland delegation featuring Olympics medalists visited Taiwan in November.

Zheng noted that in 2025, DPP authorities may organize more civil defense exercises and training at local levels. Yet it is, in essence, more of an "election-oriented political fraud." Given the huge gap of the military strength between the two sides of the Straits, once a military conflict begins, the DPP authorities will only have a dead end, Zhang said.

Some mainland analysts believe that behind the DPP authorities' confrontational posture with the mainland, even at the expense of Taiwan people's lives, was the secessionists' panic resulting from the mainland's continuous military pressure. Compared to the uncertainty of whether external forces will come to their aid when a military conflict starts, the huge gap in military power between the mainland and Taiwan is quite clear.

Taiwan secessionists are like patients who are terminally ill and dying, and no medicine can solve their problem, Zheng said. "The mainstream public opinion in Taiwan does not want war... Meanwhile, Taiwan's military forces are short of both strength and confidence to fight against the mainland."

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Former Taiwan presidential hopeful Ko Wen-je charged with corruption

The former Taipei mayor and rising political star, particularly among younger voters, could face jail if convicted.

By Alan Lu for RFA

2024.12.27

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Ko Wen-je, a former Taipei mayor and one-time presidential candidate, has been charged with bribery, profiteering, embezzlement and breach of trust and could face more than 28 years months in prison if convicted

Ko, who won support among younger voters in a presidential election this year with promises to upend Taiwan's political establishment, was indicted on Thursday and released on NT$30 million (US$1 million) bail on Friday after spending 113 days in detention.

Ko, chairman of the Taiwan People's Party, or TPP, has denied the charges.

"I still believe in myself. I'm not the type of person who would seek personal gain, engage in corruption, or break the law," he told reporters outside his home on Friday.

"That said, facing challenges like this makes me realize there are areas in my life I need to reflect on."

His party called the indictment a "politically motivated crackdown and judicial injustice."

Prosecutors allege Ko orchestrated financial benefits worth billions of New Taiwan dollars for private developers during his mayoral tenure, embezzled political donations, and accepted bribes totaling tens of millions.

"After committing these crimes, investigators found shredded notes in his office containing instructions for accomplices to leave the country and inquiries about internal financial records," the prosecutor's office said in a news release.

"This behavior demonstrates his attempts to evade responsibility and his poor attitude following the offenses, leading to the specific charges requested," it added.

Rise and fall

Ko, a physician, rose to fame in Taiwanese politics by winning two elections for the mayor of Taipei in 2014 and again in 2022.

In 2019, he founded the TPP, positioning it as an alternative to Taiwan's dominant political parties, the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, and the Kuomintang, or KMT.

In the 2024 presidential election, Ko and the TPP gained significant support among younger voters, presenting a fresh alternative to the establishment and posing a challenge to the dominance of the major parties.

Ko has, however, stirred controversy with what critics see as an ambiguous stance on cross-straight relations. The TPP had maintained a nuanced approach, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability while advocating for Taiwan's sovereignty.

Ko criticized the DPP and KMT over their China-related policies, calling the approach of the former overly confrontational and of the latter too conciliatory.

In 2015, Ko promoted a concept he called "one family on both sides of the Strait", speaking in favour of exchanges between Taiwan and China and fostering goodwill.

The ruling DPP, which takes a pro-sovereignty stance, accused Ko of "echoing" the Chinese Communist Party's unification rhetoric and "undermining" Taiwan's sovereignty.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese Civil War.

Edited by Taejun Kang.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/12/27

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan



1.Date

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Thursday to Friday, Dec. 26-27

2.PLA activities5 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 5 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern and southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.

Diagram of PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

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"The positive effects of our economic program will become even more visible in the period ahead"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

23.12.2024

Delivering remarks following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting, President Erdogan said: "In 2025, we will continue to implement our strategy of high-quality growth in Turkiye through investment, employment, production, export, and current account surplus. The positive effects of our economic program will become even more visible in many areas in the period ahead."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex.

"THE RESERVES OF OUR CENTRAL BANK ARE STEADILY INCREASING"

"I would like to give the good news in economy. The reserves of our Central Bank are steadily increasing. Our gross reserves increased to 163.5 billion dollars last week, reaching the highest level so far. The employment front is also performing quite well. Over the past year, employment has increased by one million, and unemployment rate has dropped to 8.8%. In 2025, we will continue to implement our strategy of high-quality growth in Turkiye through investment, employment, production, export, and current account surplus. The positive effects of our economic program will become even more visible in many areas in the period ahead", President Erdogan said.

"WE HAVE HAD A VERY BUSY AGENDA IN FOREIGN POLICY"

Drawing attention to the busy schedule in foreign policy since the last cabinet meeting, President Erdogan stated: "We have had a very busy agenda in foreign policy since the last cabinet meeting. We successfully held the 15th Ambassadors' Conference, during which critical issues were addressed, at the Presidential Complex."

President Erdogan continued his remarks as follows: "We came together with children from Gaza and Syria during the 'Face of the Brotherhood' event held on the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On December 11, we hosted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia in our country. We had a meeting of over seven hours with both leaders and their delegations. We have crossed yet another critical threshold in the Ankara Process, which we launched eight months ago to solve the problems between the two friendly countries. The East African region has long been associated with tensions, hunger, terrorist attacks, and imperialists' divide and rule policies. We know very well that these insidious scenarios are still at play. We believe that the historic step taken with the Ankara Declaration with contribute to the establishment of permanent peace, calm, and stability in the Horn of Africa."

Noting that the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year was celebrated on the occasion of the 100th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkiye and Hungary, President Erdogan said: "We held the closing ceremony of the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural with President Sulyok and Prime Minister Orban at Bestepe Nation's Convention and Culture Center on December 12."

"Our deep and close relations with the friendly and brotherly country Qatar are well known by all," President Erdogan stressed. "During the visit of my brother, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, to our country, we discussed a wide range of issues, particularly the recent developments in Syria. We will support Syria's efforts to heal its wounds and get back on its feet after a war of 13 years."

Touching upon the Lebanese Prime Minister's recent visit to Turkiye, President Erdogan said: "The visit to our country by Mr. Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon, which has been targeted by Israeli attacks, was extremely valuable to us. Mr. Mikati is endeavoring to shoulder a heavy burden during one of the most difficult periods for his country. I am fully confident that my brother Najib will lead his country to peace and calm through his wise and strong leadership. We, on our part, will not let down the trust placed in our country and myself, and stand by the Lebanese people with all our means in this process."

President Erdogan went onto say: "We also had a very productive meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. I expressed the need for a new vision that would strengthen Turkiye's full membership to the European Union. We will stay in close contact with the European Union on regional issues."

"THE SINCERE DIALOGUE DEVELOPING BETWEEN TURKIYE AND EGYPT HAS POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS IN MANY AREAS"

"We were in Cairo on December 19 to attend the 11th D-8 Summit at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt," President Erdogan said. "The D-8, whose establishment was led by the late Erbakan in 1997, firmly continues on its path with a population that surpasses one billion and is represented in three continents. The membership of the brotherly Azerbaijan has further strengthened the D-8. During the summit, we had meetings with the participating heads of state and government besides Egyptian President Mr. el-Sisi. Our Egyptian brothers and sisters have experienced significant difficulties in the Gazan crisis. They have always facilitated the delivery of our country's humanitarian aid to innocents in Gaza. The sincere dialogue developing between Turkiye and Egypt has positive implications in many areas, particularly in trade and diplomacy. We will continue to coordinate with the Egyptian authorities. I would like to thank President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for their successful organization of the D-8 Summit and warm hospitality. On behalf of my country and my nation, I once again greet the Egyptian people."

"A BRAND NEW ERA HAS BEGUN IN SYRIA"

Commenting on the latest developments in Syria, President Erdogan said: "With the fall of Damascus, the flight of Assad, and the overthrow of the 61-year Baath regime on December 8, a brand new era has begun in Syria. The new situation that emerged from the Syrian revolution has directed the world's attention to this place. As Syria's brother and neighbor, we are the country that best analyzes the new process."

President Erdogan added: "We are in close dialogue with Mr. Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the Syrian revolution. Upon our instructions, first our MIT Director visited him. Then, we swiftly opened our Embassy in Damascus. And yesterday, our Foreign Minister was in Damascus. He held very warm talks with the interim administration in Syria. Our visits will increasingly continue in the period ahead."

"A STABLE SYRIA IS A SOURCE OF STABILITY AND SECURITY FOR THE WHOLE REGION"

"We will provide any kind of support to ensure that the victory of the Syrian people, who won the war against the brutal regime, becomes permanent. With Allah's help, the most difficult times are now over. Blood of the martyrs and sufferings of the Syrian people have not been in vain. I am sure that our Syrian brothers and sisters, who terminated the 61-year-long Baathist darkness, will revive their country in unity and solidarity. I am of the opinion that Syria's neighbors understand the fact that a stable Syria is a source of stability and security for the whole region. As Syria achieves more peace, everyone in the region will feel safer. To this end, we should all stand in solidarity with the Syrian people in their efforts for reconstruction and capacity building. This is what the Syrian people expect from the Arab world and the Islamic world. We find the moderate messages given by the new government in this regard very valuable and meaningful," President Erdogan said.

Drawing attention to Israel's escalating attacks on Syria, President Erdogan said: "It is understood that behind Israel's increasing aggression is to overshadow the revolution in Syria and stifle the hopes of the Syrian people. Even if Israel acts opportunistically, sooner or later, it will withdraw from the lands it occupied. It will be forced to do so. As I have said already, the path followed by Netanyahu, who has the blood of 50 thousand innocent Gazans in his hands, is not a right path. Shedding more blood, taking more lives, and occupying more lands will only cause more insecurity and unease. The sooner they realize this, the better for them - if they have the wisdom of a statehood."

"THERE IS NO PLACE FOR TERRORIST GROUPS IN THE FUTURE OF SYRIA AND OUR REGION"

"I would like to underline that the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity and unitary structure under all circumstances is Turkiye's unchangeable line. We will definitely not take a step back from this. There is no place in the future of Syria and the region for terrorist groups, including DAESH and the PKK. The PKK and its extensions will either dissolve themselves or will ultimately be eliminated. We will definitely make sure that these herds of murderers - who oppress our Kurdish brothers and sisters, kidnap their children and send them to death, and deny the right to life and speech to anyone other than themselves - cease to become a source of threat to our region", President Erdogan said.

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North Korean soldier captured in Kursk dies from injuries: South's spy agency

Media reported earlier that Ukrainian forces had captured a wounded North Korean soldier.

By Taejun Kang for RFA

2024.12.26

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A North Korean soldier who was captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region has died from his wounds, South Korea's spy agency confirmed.

The National Intelligence Service, or NIS, said earlier on Friday that an injured North Korean soldier was captured alive in Kursk, following the release of a photo by Ukrainian media purportedly showing the soldier in custody.

"We confirmed through a friendly nation's intelligence organization that a North Korean solider, captured alive on Dec. 26, died a short while ago as [his] wounds worsened," said the NIS on Friday, without elaborating.

Up to 12,000 North Korean soldiers are reportedly in Russia to support its war efforts against Ukraine in Kursk. Ukraine reports over 3,000 casualties among them, while South Korea estimates at least 1,100 have been killed or wounded.

The NIS's confirmation came after Ukrainian media reported that Ukrainian forces had for the first time likely captured a North Korean prisoner of war helping Russian forces.

Ukraine's special operations troops took the soldier during operations in Kursk, the military-focused news outlet Militarnyi reported on Thursday, without specifying when he was captured.

Images of what appeared to be a wounded North Korean soldier in custody surfaced on Telegram, though details about the man's condition and status were not known. Radio Free Asia has not been able to independently confirm the photo.

Militarnyi said that if confirmed, it would mark the first capture by Ukraine of a North Korean soldier fighting for Russia.

In an October parliament hearing, the NIS said the South Korean government should have agents on the ground to communicate with North Korean soldiers in case they are captured or surrendered.

In response to a question about what would the government do if a North Korean soldier asked to defect to South Korea, the NIS said: "Under international and domestic law, South Korea must accept the request."

"There are some aspects that we must consider such as North Korea's influence ... we must respect the person's wishes and consider the request to defect," the agency added.

Neither President Vladimir Putin nor North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has confirmed the North's troop deployment to Russia but Ukraine has revealed evidence of North Korean involvement in the war, including a soldier's notebook detailing drone attack tactics and a handwritten note found on the body of a North Korean soldier in Kursk.

A video has also surfaced of captured Russian soldiers criticizing the poor discipline of North Korean troops, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of burning the faces of dead North Korean soldiers to keep their deployment secret.

Edited by RFA Staff.

Updated to include South Korean spy agency's confirmation of the death of the captured North Korean soldier.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content December not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Zelenskiy Says 'Several' Wounded North Korean Troops Have Died After Capture

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service December 27, 2024

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said "several" North Korean soldiers - badly wounded in fighting alongside Russian forces - have died after being captured by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield and he accused Moscow of having little regard for their survival.

Zelenskiy, echoing earlier remarks by U.S. officials, said soldiers sent to Russia by Pyongyang are suffering major losses in fighting in Russia's Kursk region.

The Ukrainian leader accused Moscow and North Korean "enforcers" of leaving the soldiers unprotected in battle and even executing fighters to prevent them from being captured alive.

He did not provide evidence to back up the claims and they could not independently be verified.

The North Korean military has suffered "many losses. A great deal. And we can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all," he said in a video address on December 27.

"Everything is arranged in a way that makes it impossible for us to capture the Koreans as prisoners - their own people are executing them. There are such cases. And the Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection."

He said Ukrainian soldiers had managed to take some prisoners. "But they were very seriously wounded and could not be saved."

The remarks came after South Korea's National Intelligence Service said that a North Korean fighter had died of wounds suffered before his capture by Ukrainian special operations troops in the Kursk region.

"We have confirmed through an allied intelligence agency that a North Korean soldier who was captured on the 26th died a little while ago due to serious injuries," the news release said.

On December 26, the Ukrainian news outlet Militarnyi said a soldier believed to be North Korean had been captured by Ukrainian Special Operations Forces in the Kursk region.

A photo of a captured soldier, who is believed to have been injured, also was previously shared on Telegram. The photo has not been independently verified.

Details about the soldier's condition and status are not known.

Last month Pyongyang ratified a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement with Russia, cementing a deal that paved the way for its soldiers to fight on Russian soil against Ukraine.

Western sources estimate that 12,000 North Korean troops are in the Kursk region, parts of which are occupied by Ukrainian forces amid ongoing pitched battles.

U.S. Response

White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on December 27 that North Korean forces are suffering heavy casualties on the front lines, adding that some 1,000 of their troops have been killed or wounded in the Kursk region over the past week.

"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said.

Kirby said also U.S. President Joe Biden would likely approve another package of military aid for Kyiv in the coming days as he bids to bolster Ukraine's forces before leaving office on January 20.

U.S. officials later told reporters that a new package of military assistance worth $1.25 billion is scheduled to be announced on December 30.

North Korean Losses

Zelenskiy on December 23 said more than 3,000 troops, or about a quarter of the North Korean special forces sent to Russia, had been killed or injured, though he couched his statement by saying the data was preliminary.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported on a lower figure, saying on December 19 that about 1,100 North Korean special forces have been killed or injured in Russia since entering the fray against Ukraine.

On December 15, Skhemy (Schemes), an investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, received photos from Ukrainian military sources purportedly showing the bodies of dead soldiers in Kursk, including what was said to be North Korean fighters.

RFE/RL has not been able to independently verify the claims. Russia has not commented on the report.

North Korean military support is coming at a critical time in the war. Russia is seeking to overpower an undermanned and under-resourced Ukrainian infantry and gain territory before its own manpower and resources become constrained.

Russia has lost more than 600,000 soldiers in the nearly three-year war, the Pentagon said in early October. It has burned through so much war material that it is struggling to replace its artillery and missile needs amid sweeping Western sanctions.

Now nearly two-thirds of the mortars and shells Russia launches at Ukraine come from North Korea, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian Army officer. And every third ballistic missile was made in North Korea, Ukrainian officials said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/seoul-reports-first- north-korean-soldier-captured-by-ukraine/33254613.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Defence Ministry reports on repelling AFU attempt to invade Russian territory in Kursk region (27 December 2024)

27.12.2024

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.

In the course of offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on formations of one heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, one marine brigade, and four territorial defence brigades of the AFU close to Aleksandriya, Viktorovka, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Leonidovo, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Sverdlikovo, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Goncharovka, Guyevo, Kolmakov, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Mirny, Nikolayevka, Russkoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny as well as Basovka, Belovody, Zhuravka, and Kiyanitsa in Sumy region.

Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 600 troops, four tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, four armoured personnel carriers, 24 armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, seven artillery guns, including one 155-mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, and six mortars.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 44,570 troops, 259 tanks, 199 infantry fighting vehicles, 141 armoured personnel carriers, 1,345 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,211 motor vehicles, 332 artillery guns, 42 MLRS launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 13 anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport-loading vehicles, 82 EW stations, 13 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 28 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, seven armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.

The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Spain strongly condemns latest Russian attacks on Ukraine

Spain - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

PRESS STATEMENT 079

27 Dec 2024

Spain strongly condemns the Russian attacks on Ukraine and its energy infrastructure on Christmas Day. These attacks seek to undermine the civilian population by causing a supply crisis in the middle of winter.

The protection of civilians and basic infrastructure is a priority of Spain's foreign policy.

-NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION-

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The President Met with Representatives of the Ukrainian Business Community

President of Ukraine

27 December 2024 - 22:41

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with representatives of the Council for Support of Entrepreneurship under Martial Law.

The event was attended by owners and executives of the largest Ukrainian companies operating in the pharmaceutical, logistics, agricultural, energy, telecommunications, service, financial and banking sectors, as well as defense industry enterprises.

The Head of State thanked the audience for preserving their companies and continuing to work in Ukraine.

"Of course, for us, preserving jobs is not just an abstract matter. It provides the opportunity to endure in this war. And once again, this is not for the sake of rhetoric, but because I understand that only motivated people can achieve peace in Ukraine," the President emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy particularly noted that the state is doing everything possible to strengthen air defense and achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

During the meeting, the parties discussed a number of concrete issues in various areas. In particular, they discussed the continued operation of the Made in Ukraine economic platform. The entrepreneurs acknowledged the positive impact of this initiative and suggested expanding it to the security and defense sector.

According to the Head of State, the issues raised and the suggestions voiced will be processed by the relevant state agencies.

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The Korean Nation Should Not Lose Its People in The Battles in Europe - Address By The President

President of Ukraine

27 December 2024 - 21:07

Dear Ukrainians!

Briefly about today.

I have just held a meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian business community - our Ukrainian companies, our regions. Different industries: defense, agriculture, pharmaceutics, banks. I am grateful to them all for operating in Ukraine and for Ukraine, and it is very important for us to maintain support for business, normal operation of Ukrainian enterprises, and our jobs in the state. We discussed concrete issues, which we will definitely solve. The economic foundation is the basis of both social life and our defense.

I held a meeting of the Staff today, with a separate report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi regarding the front. The Donetsk areas are the most intense, as well as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and the Kharkiv region. Details of the Kursk region's developments - the North Korean military is involved in the fighting. They have many losses. A great deal. And we can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all. Everything is arranged in a way that makes it impossible for us to capture the Koreans as prisoners - their own people are executing them, there are such cases. And the Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection. Today we received reports on several soldiers from North Korea, our warriors managed to capture them. But they were seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated. This is one of the manifestations of the madness dictatorships are capable of. The Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, particularly by Korea's neighbors, especially China. If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not escalate, it must exert appropriate pressure on Pyongyang.

There is an important decision of the United States today regarding our region - sanctions against Ivanishvili in Georgia. We have been calling for this. Ukraine has already applied its sanctions against this de facto ruler of Georgia personally and against his accomplices. We will not tolerate them surrendering Georgia to Russia's control. And it is crucial to preserve Georgia's true independence. I thank America for its support. And this should be supported at the level of the entire Europe - every country, all institutions: we need real sanctions and real pressure on this group of comrades in Tbilisi who like Moscow the most. Let them eventually end up in Moscow.

I had a good conversation today with the President of Argentina, Javier Milei. I noted Javier's results in economic reform - he has successes that others in the world can learn from. A very correct example of economic growth benefits everyone. I thanked Argentina for supporting Ukraine - Javier was at the Peace Summit we organized this year. There were a hundred states and international institutions; all parts of the world were represented. And this is exactly how we must continue to move forward - to involve all partners in putting pressure on Russia and bringing peace closer. We will increase our cooperation with Argentina - economic, political, and security.

And one more thing.

Today we introduced a new format in our work within the country - a meeting of representatives of national communities. This is about both respect and politics. Each community, through its voice and informal diplomacy, can help us all, our entire state, to join the European Union faster, to achieve results in Ukraine's EU accession negotiations sooner. And I am grateful to all those who provide this kind of assistance. This is a Ukrainian goal that we will achieve. For sure we will.

Glory to Ukraine!

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The President: National Communities Are Essential for Maintaining Internal Peace in Ukraine and Realizing Its Geopolitical Choice

President of Ukraine

27 December 2024 - 20:16

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with representatives of national communities and indigenous peoples of Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 17 national communities: Azerbaijani, Arab, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Armenian, Gagauz, Greek, Georgian, Jewish, German, Polish, Roma, Romanian, Meskhetian Turk, Hungarian, Croatian, Czech, and three indigenous peoples: Karaites, Krymchaks, and Crimean Tatars.

The Head of State congratulated those present on the religious holidays and the upcoming New Year, wished them peace, and informed them that he had signed a decree establishing the Day of Interethnic Harmony and Cultural Diversity in Ukraine. It will be celebrated annually on May 21.

"I want to thank you for your unity in defending our state, our shared independence - in war, on the front lines, where all of our peoples - all of Ukraine's communities - are represented. I am grateful for the internal peace in Ukraine, which defines our nation and helps us endure during these challenging times," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Apart from that, the President called on the national communities to promote the realization of Ukraine's security and geopolitical choice - membership in the EU and NATO.

"I am confident that Ukraine will become a member of the EU. We are moving fast enough; this has never happened before. Additionally, we urgently need reliable security guarantees, and for us, NATO is undoubtedly the choice," he emphasized.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine - Minister of Justice of Ukraine, reminded that in January, the first cluster of EU accession negotiations will open, covering also the agenda of this meeting.

"Therefore, together we are preparing an action plan to serve as a benchmark for initiating the negotiations," Olha Stefanishyna added.

According to her, most of the educational rights of national communities are already regulated by law.

Viktor Yelensky, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, noted that the Council of Public Associations of National Minorities (Communities), established after the adoption of the law on national minorities, has developed proposals for legislation and cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.

Alexander Khara, a representative of public associations of the Greek community in Ukraine, who chairs the Council, noted that ethnic minority organizations should be involved in the decision-making and implementation process at all levels. In particular, the Council suggests the creation of relevant positions or structural units in the Regional State Administrations.

Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, stressed the importance of implementing the law on indigenous peoples adopted in 2021. The President noted that the Government should, in particular, develop the status of the Mejlis as a representative body of the Crimean Tatar people.

Olena Arabadzhi, Head of the Board of the Union of Karaites of Ukraine, noted that Russian aggression deprived Karaites of their homes and the opportunity to visit their shrines in Crimea, severing their spiritual and family ties. She called it a real genocide of this small nation.

Following the meeting, the participants adopted a Joint Statement supporting the Victory Plan and the Internal Resilience Plan, as well as Ukraine's full membership in the EU and NATO. The statement also emphasizes the absolute unacceptability of any calls from outside Ukraine to accept the illegal occupation and annexation of its territories.

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North Korean troops experience mass casualties on Ukraine front lines, White House says

By VOA News December 27, 2024

North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or injured in the last week alone in Russia's Kursk region, the White House said Friday.

"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby characterized the North Korean troops' offensive as "massed, dismounted assaults."

The national security communications adviser also said President Joe Biden is likely to approve another security assistance package for Ukraine in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Slovakia on Friday confirmed its readiness to host peace talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is open to a Slovak proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February of 2022.

"We offer Slovak soil for such negotiations," Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said on Facebook.

Blanar also said any talks must take place with all parties participating, including Russia. Russian officials were not present for previous talks in June in Switzerland.

"We consider the statement of the Russian president as a positive signal to end this war, this bloodshed and this destruction as soon as possible," Blanar said.

The foreign minister said Slovakia, a European Union and NATO member, told Ukraine in October about its availability to host peace talks.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is one of just a few European leaders who have remained close with Moscow. He prompted an angry reaction from Ukraine when he met with Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22.

Fico also has halted all Slovakian military aid to Ukraine, and he has accused Ukraine of threatening Slovakia's supply of Russian gas.

Also on Friday, the Ukrainian air force said its air defense shot down 13 of 24 Russian drones launched in an overnight attack.

The air force said the other 11 Russian drones were "lost" without causing damage.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Friday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to discuss battlefield updates and U.S. support for Ukraine amid the war, the State Department said.

"The Secretary reiterated unwavering U.S. support for Ukrainians in defense of their freedom," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement Friday.

That comes as Russia's Defense Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of two eastern Ukrainian villages, according to the RIA state news agency.

The ministry identified the villages as Ivanivka in the Donetsk region and Zahryzove in the Kharkiv region.

VOA could not verify the Russian report.

Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ZETA) between February 27, 2024 and November 13, 2024, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important January 21, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Zeta securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Zeta class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31333 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 21, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Zeta used two-way contracts to artificially inflate financial results; (2) Zeta engaged in round trip transactions to artificially inflate financial results; (3) Zeta utilized predatory consent farms to collect user data; (4) these consent farms have driven almost the entirety of Zetas growth; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants positive statements about Zetas business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Zeta class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31333 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

case@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
Beijing, China, Dec. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As 2024 comes to an end, the accelerating evolution of profound global changes unseen in a century has become increasingly evident. From the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis to the Palestine-Israel conflict, from the sudden fall of Syrias Assad administration to the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, the intertwining characteristics of global changes and chaos have stood out more sharply, with issues of security disorder, developmental imbalances, and governance failures growing more prominent. Humanity once again stands at a crossroads.

In 2024, China's diplomacy, at a historic juncture, upheld principles while embracing innovation. Amid turbulent and shifting circumstances, it demonstrated composure and confidence, creating a favorable external environment for China's high-quality development and injecting valuable stability into an increasingly unsettled world.

Over the past year, head-of-state diplomacy has written a grand new chapter, guiding the trend of the times toward peace, development, and win-win cooperation. Significant breakthroughs have been achieved in building a community with a shared future for mankind, advancing the historical trend of shared destiny and mutual support across the globe. Chinese modernization has provided new opportunities for the world, fostering the global momentum toward modernization in all countries. Cooperation with developing countries has set a new benchmark, gathering the tide of solidarity and self-reliance in the Global South. Progress has been made in deepening a comprehensive diplomatic framework, strengthening the progressive trend of building a new type of international relations, according to Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

China, with a strong sense of responsibility, has strived to contribute much-needed stability, certainty and confidence to the world through its diplomatic efforts, highlighting Chinas unwavering pursuit of a new type of international relations and its commitment to building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

Guidance of head-of-state diplomacy

Over the past year, a remarkable new chapter has been written in head-of-state diplomacy, which has steered the trend of the times toward peace, development and win-win cooperation, Wang Yi said on December 17 at a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2024.

President Xi Jinping attended three home-ground diplomatic events  the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and four important overseas visits  to Europe, to Central Asia, for the BRICS Summit, and to Latin America, and attended several multilateral summits.

With the global vision, broad-mindedness and sense of common good for humanity befitting the leader of a major party and a major country, President Xi has had in-depth strategic communications with global leaders and dignitaries to broaden converging interests for all and promote greater unity and cooperation of the international community, said the foreign minister.

Head-of-state diplomacy is the highest level of diplomacy. It can achieve political effects that ordinary diplomacy cannot reach, Wang told the Global Times at a press briefing in Brazil in November. Under the leadership of President Xi and through head-of-state diplomacy, we will expand our voice and leverage our influence to ensure that the international community will be more united, develop further and better respond to current various challenges and risks, he said.

During these diplomatic events, new breakthroughs have been made in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In the course of 2024, China and Brazil have announced joint efforts to build a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, demonstrating their sense of responsibility as two emerging countries; China and Serbia have launched efforts to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the first of its kind in Chinas relations with European countries.

Globally, a growing number of countries have pitched in to build a community with a shared future. Chinese and African leaders have agreed to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, giving expression to the shared desire of the 2.8 billion Chinese and Africans to pursue common development in greater solidarity. China has also made efforts to build communities with a shared future with particular regions, including with Central Asia, ASEAN, countries in the Lancang-Mekong river basin, Arab states, and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. These efforts are opening up new vistas of harmonious coexistence between different civilizations.

New type of intl relations

In 2024, China stood for dialogue and partnership rather than confrontation and alliance, fostered major-country dynamics featuring overall stability and balanced development, and worked with its neighbors for an amicable and harmonious home in Asia. It has made new progress in pursuing all-round diplomacy, which has built up the trend toward a new type of international relations, Wang said at the symposium.

The China-Russia relationship, under the visionary guidance of the two leaders, has grown more mature and stable, demonstrated in a clearer way its independence and resilience, and set an example of friendly exchanges between major countries and neighbors. The three meetings between President Xi and President Putin this year further deepened the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership. The two countries maintained close communication and coordination on multilateral platforms, such as the UN, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and in regional affairs, fulfilling their responsibilities as major countries.

On China-US relations, President Xi met with President Biden and sent a congratulatory message to President-Elect Trump, providing strategic guidance for the growth of China-US relationship at this critical juncture.

He stressed that Chinas goal of a steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relationship remains unchanged; its commitment to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation as principles for handling China-US relations remains unchanged; its position of resolutely safeguarding Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged; and its desire to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American people remains unchanged.

According to Li Haidong, China maintained its consistent stance and demonstrated sincerity over China-US relations in 2024, which is extremely important to stabilizing the major power dynamics.

In May this year, President Xi paid a historic visit to Europe. The visit ushered the China-France diplomatic relationship, which has spanned 60 years, into a new 60-year cycle of further development, enhanced the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, and elevated the China-Hungary relationship to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era. President Xi also engaged in in-depth strategic communication with leaders of European countries such as Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy on bilateral and multilateral occasions, and encouraged the European side to take a long-term and strategic perspective, see China as a partner and strengthen dialogue and cooperation to the benefit of both sides and the world at large.

The China-EU relationship has maintained a stable track in 2024, despite challenges as a result of EV frictions and elections of the EU bodies, Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. China's attitude toward bilateral relations is rational and consistent. What we need to do is to make clear cooperation as the direction while not sidestepping problems, managing differences effectively in a way that both sides can accept, Cui said.

In the direction of neighboring diplomacy, China and the ASEAN reached substantial conclusion of negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), highlighting deepening market integration amid rise of protectionism; it acted with restraint on the South China Sea amid provocations while seeking expansion of security cooperation; China and India have overcome the border row, leading to the resumption of multiple communication mechanisms and a strong momentum of bilateral warming-up; China and Central Asia continue close cooperation, paving way to a successful second China-Central Asia Summit scheduled for 2025.

As a responsible major power, China, by properly managing its relations with Russia, the US, the EU, its neighboring countries and beyond, is making significant contributions to global security, said Jiang Feng, research fellow at the Shanghai International Studies University and president of the Shanghai Association of Regional and Country Studies.

Of Global South, for Global South

President Xi said that no matter how the international situation changes, China always bears the Global South in mind and is rooted in the Global South when addressing the BRICS Plus leaders' dialogue in October.

At the G20 Summit, Xi stressed that China will always be a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development. China will go hand in hand with fellow developing countries toward modernization, he said.

Starting December 1, China offers zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to all the least developed countries having diplomatic relations with China.

The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine crisis, established in September at the UN headquarters, had the second meeting on December 18 in New York with the participation of representatives from 17 Global South countries, including China, Brazil, Algeria, South Africa and Turkey.

The UN General Assembly on July 1 unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 140 countries on strengthening international cooperation in the capacity building of AI. It aims to bridge the digital divide, improve global AI governance, and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Through these efforts, China upholds economic globalization and shares its opportunities with the world, seeks to amplify the voice of the Global South at international stage, and unites the Global South in multilateral mechanisms, said Li Haidong.

There will be challenges in 2025 for the world, and China has the confidence and capability to handle its own affairs and continue to be a force for peace, unity, openness, justice and inclusiveness, Li said.

The overall direction of human development and progress has not changed, the trend of the world moving forward despite twists and turns has not changed, the willingness of all humanity to promote economic globalization and share development and prosperity has not changed, and the hope and determination of all humanity for peaceful development have also not changed, Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, said. We should recognize these positive aspirations and transform them into positive actions and strength.

This article first appeared in the Global Times:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202412/1325832.shtml

For more information, please contact:

Company: Global Times

Contact Person: Anna Li

Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn

Website: https://globaltimes.cn



City: Beijing

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of KISS PR or its partners. This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or professional advice. KISS PR makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
Vancouver, Dec. 27, 2024 - Cascade Copper Corp. (CSE: "CASC") ("Cascade" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for aggregate proceeds of up to CDN$500,000 (the "Offering") for its proposed 2025 exploration programs.

The Offering includes a Critical Minerals flow-through component (the "Flow-Through Component") of flow-through units (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.04 per FT Unit. Each FT Unit is comprised of one flow-through common share (each, an "FT Share") and one-half non-flow-through share purchase warrant. Each full warrant is exercisable for one non-flow-through common share (each, a "Share") at an exercise price of $0.07 for a term of 24 months after the closing. The non-flow-through component of the Offering (the "Non-Flow-Through Component") is comprised of units (the "NFT Units") at a price of $0.035 per NFT Unit. Each NFT Unit is comprised of one Share and one-half non-flow-through warrant, with each full warrant exercisable for one common share at an exercise price of $0.07 for a term of 24 months after the closing. Management of the Company reserves the right to amend the final allocation of the Flow-Through Component and the Non-Flow-Through Component under the Offering.

The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares, which will qualify as a "flow-through share" (as defined in subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)), will be used primarily to incur eligible Critical Mineral Canadian Exploration Expenses and will be used primarily to fund a drilling program at the Company's flagship Rogers Creek Copper Project in BC and the Centrefire Copper Project in Ontario. The gross proceeds from the sale of the NFT Units will be used for the Company's general expenses.

The Offering is scheduled to close in tranches, with the first tranche expected to close by late December and is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Offering is being made by way of private placement in Canada and such other jurisdictions as the Company may determine.

The Company intends to renounce the Qualifying Expenditures to subscribers of Flow-Through Units for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, and to incur the necessary Qualifying Expenditures on or before December 31, 2025, in accordance with regulatory requirements.

The Company may pay finder's fees and warrants on the Offering of up to 7% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised. The finder's fees shall be paid in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

The Existing Shareholder Exemption and Investment Dealer Exemption

The Offering will be made available to existing shareholders of the Company who, as of the close of business on December 26, 2024, held common shares of the Company (and who continue to hold such common shares as of the closing date), pursuant to the prospectus exemption set out in B.C. Instrument 45-534 -- Exemption From Prospectus Requirement for Certain Trades to Existing Security Holders and in similar instruments in other jurisdictions in Canada. The existing shareholder exemption limits a shareholder to a maximum investment of $15,000 in a 12-month period unless the shareholder has obtained advice regarding the suitability of the investment and, if the shareholder is resident in a jurisdiction of Canada, that advice has been obtained from a person that is registered as an investment dealer in the jurisdiction. If the Company receives subscriptions from investors relying on the existing shareholder exemption exceeding the maximum amount of the financing, the Company intends to adjust the subscriptions received on a pro-rata basis.

The Company has also made the Offering available to certain subscribers pursuant to B.C. Instrument 45-536 - Exemption Form Prospectus Requirement for Certain Distributions Through an Investment Dealer. In accordance with the requirements of the investment dealer exemption, the Company confirms that there is no material fact or material change about the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

The Offering is subject to all necessary regulatory approvals including acceptance from the Canadian Securities Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date under applicable Canadian securities laws, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada.

Closing of Previous Offering

The Company is also pleased to announce that that it has closed a previously announced non-brokered private placement of units (the "Units"), for aggregate gross proceeds of CDN$25,000 (CDN) (the "Previous Offering").The Previous Offering consisted of the issuance of an aggregate of 357,143 Critical Minerals Flow-Through units at a price of $0.07 per Unit which were comprised of one Flow-Through common share and one half common share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). Each full Warrant is exercisable into common shares at a price of $0.10 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the initial Tranche on October 10, 2024.

About Cascade Copper

The Company is an exploration stage natural resource company engaged in the evaluation, acquisition, and exploration of mineral resource properties with the intention, if warranted, of placing them into production. The Company is focused on exploration, development, and acquisition of quality exploration properties. More specifically, Cascade's objective is to conduct an exploration program on its flagship Rogers Creek Property located in the Coast Mountain Belt of British Columbia about 90 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, in the Southwest Mining Region. Cascade currently has five projects, including the Centrefire Copper Project, the Copper Plateau Copper-Moly Project, Fire Mountain Copper-Gold Project, the Bendor Gold Project, and the flagship Rogers Creek Copper-Gold Project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

CASCADE COPPER CORP.

Jeffrey S. Ackert, President and CEO

820-1130 West Pender St.

Vancouver, BC V6E 4A4

Telephone: 1 613 851 7699

E-Mail: info@cascadecopper.com

Web: www.cascadecopper.com

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Cascade Copper Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward looking statements."


Featured

Azerbaijan says plane hit by 'external interference' over Russia before crash

BBC International News Dec - 27 - 2024 , 19:34 4 minutes read

Azerbaijan's transport minister has said the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on 25 December was subjected to "external interference" and damaged inside and out, as it tried to land in Russia's southern republic of Chechnya.

"All [the survivors] without exception stated they heard three blast sounds when the aircraft was above Grozny," said Rashad Nabiyev.

The plane is thought to have come under fire from Russian air defence systems before being diverted across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, where it crashed with the loss of 38 lives.

The Kremlin has refused to comment, but the head of Russia's civil aviation agency said the situation in Grozny was "very complicated" at the time and a closed-skies protocol had been put in place.

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"Ukrainian combat drones were launching terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz," said Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsia, in a video statement posted on Russia's Tass news agency.

"Because of this a 'Carpet plan' was introduced in the area of Grozny airport, providing for the immediate departure of all aircraft from the specified area," he said. "In addition, there was dense fog in the area of Grozny airport."

Later on Friday White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the US had seen "early indications" that the plane may have been downed by Russian air defence, but declined to comment further.

The Washington Post reported Kirby had said the indications the US had seen went beyond the widely-circulated photos of the damaged plane.

Ukrainian presidential spokesman Andriy Yermak has said Russia must be held responsible.

Azerbajian Airlines said on Friday that a preliminary inquiry had blamed both "physical and technical external interference", without going into details.

However, aviation experts and others in Azerbaijan believe the plane's GPS systems were affected by electronic jamming and it was then damaged by shrapnel from Russian air-defence missile blasts.

The transport minister said investigators would now examine "what kind of weapon, or rather what kind of rocket was used."

The government in Baku has so far avoided directly accusing Russia, possibly to avoid antagonising President Vladimir Putin.

However, pro-government MP Rasim Musabekov was clear: "The plane was shot down over Russian territory, in the skies above Grozny. Denying this is impossible."

He told AFP news agency the plane had been damaged and the pilot had asked to make an emergency landing in Grozny. Instead of being directed to nearby airports, he said it was "sent far away" across the Caspian Sea without GPS.

Flight attendant Zulfuqar Asadov described the moments when the plane was hit by "some kind of external strike" over Chechnya.

"The impact of it caused panic inside. We tried to calm them down, to get them seated. At that moment, there was another strike, and my arm was injured."

Veteran Azerbaijani pilot Tahir Agaguliev told Azerbaijani media that shrapnel had damaged the hydraulics that controlled the plane: "The missile itself did not hit the plane; it was shrapnel from the missile that struck. The missile exploded about 10m (30ft) away, before reaching the plane."

The pilots of the Embraer 190 plane are credited with saving 29 of those on board by managing to land part of the plane, despite themselves being killed in the crash.

The Kremlin has refused to comment on the increasing number of reports that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was hit by Russian air defence.

"An investigation into this aviation incident is underway and until the conclusions are made as a result of the investigation, we do not consider ourselves entitled to give any assessments," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Azerbaijan is looking for a Russian apology, or at least an acknowledgement, that the plane was hit by its air defences in Grozny, according to figures close to the government in Baku.

Four years ago, Baku apologised an offered compensation when a Russian air force Mi-24 helicopter was shot down at the end of the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Now the Azerbaijani side is also expecting Russia to take those steps," said political commentator Farhad Mammadov.

Kazakh authorities have been treating the injured and working closely with Azerbaijan on the investigation.

Officials say the Brazilian plane manufacturer Embraer has sent two specialists to the crash site, 3km (1.9 miles) from Aktau airport in Kazakhstan, and three members of Brazil's aviation agency will arrive on Saturday.

Reports in Baku suggest both Russia and Kazakhstan have proposed having a committee from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - a regional organisation dominated by Russia - investigate the crash, but Azerbaijan has instead demanded an international inquiry.

Azerbaijan Airlines and several other airlines have suspended flights to some Russian cities in response to the crash.

In a social media post, the airline said this was "for security reasons". It had already halted flights to Grozny and Makhachkala in neighbouring Dagestan, but has now added the cities of Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara and Mineralnye Vody.

Israel's flagship airline, El Al, has meanwhile suspended all flights to Moscow, citing developments in Russian airspace, and UAE-based budget carrier Flydubai has halted flights to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody.
Featured

Survivors on Azerbaijani plane say they heard bangs before it went down

Reuters International News Dec - 28 - 2024 , 11:17 5 minutes read

Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan told Reuters that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.

Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.

"After the bang...I thought the plane was going to fall apart," Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, told Reuters from hospital.

He said he had begun to recite prayers and prepare for the end after hearing the bang.

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"It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way," he said. "It was as if it was drunk - not the same plane anymore."

Another passenger on the plane told Reuters that she also heard a loud bang.

"I was very scared," said Vafa Shabanova, adding that there was also a second bang.

She was then told by a flight attendant to move to the back of the plane.

Both passengers said there appeared to be a problem with the oxygen levels in the cabin after the bang.

Flight attendant Zulfugar Asadov said landing was denied in Grozny due to fog so the pilot circled at which point there were bangs outside the aircraft.

"The pilot had just lifted the plan up when I heard a bang from the left wing. There were three bangs," he said.

Something rammed into his left arm. The cabin lost pressure.

Beyond the horror of the crash, the first-person narratives from the passengers gives an insight into what may have caused the disaster.

Azerbaijan Airlines suspended a host of flights to Russian cities on Friday and said it considered the crash was caused by what it termed "physical and technical external interference". It did not detail what that interference was.

Four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan's investigation into the disaster told Reuters on Thursday that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot it down.

Russia has said it is important to wait for the official investigation to finish its work to understand what happened.

CRASH LANDING

The Embraer (EMBR3.SA), opens new tab passenger jet had flown from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia's southern Chechnya region, before veering off hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea.

Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, reacts during an interview with Reuters as he receives treatment at a hospital in Baku, Azerbaijan, December 27, 2024. REUTERS

"The captain said that he was advised to land the plane at sea, but he decided to set a course for Aktau and land it on the ground," attendant Asadov said.

"He warned that there would be a hard landing and asked us to be ready and prepare the passengers."

It crashed on the opposite shore of the Caspian after what Russia's aviation watchdog said was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

Footage shot by passengers on the plane before it crashed showed oxygen masks down and people wearing life vests. Later footage showed bloodied and bruised passengers climbing out of the plane.

After the turmoil of the crash landing, there was silence before the moaning of the injured began, Rakhimov said.

The crash has underscored the risks to civil aviation even when aircraft are flying hundreds of miles from a war zone, especially when a major drone war is underway.

Previous disasters include the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in 2020 by Irans Revolutionary Guards, killing all 176 people on board.

In 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian BUK missile system with the loss of 298 passengers and crew.

In 1983, the Soviet Union shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 after it veered off course and flew through prohibited airspace. In 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War, the U.S. warship the Vincennes shot down an Iran Air flight over the Gulf, killing all 290 people on board.

DRONE WAR

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane got into trouble near Grozny which is more than 850 km (530 miles) from the front lines in Ukraine, but still a repeated target for Ukrainian drones which have struck far behind Russian lines.

Russia uses advanced electronic jamming equipment to confuse Ukrainian drone location and communication systems and a large number of air defence systems to shoot down the drones.

Since Russia send thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, airlines have flown around Ukraine and Russia has closed major airports in southwestern Russia.

"We're in a conflict in that area, and that's not going to change," said Andrew Nicholson, CEO, Osprey Flight Solutions.

"The second you stick civilian aircraft in that same airspace, you massively increase the risk, particularly when a drone attack is ongoing and air defence activity is ongoing, as was the case in this scenario."

Russia's aviation watchdog said on Friday the plane had decided to reroute from its original destination in Chechnya amid dense fog and a local alert over Ukrainian drones.

Rosaviatsia said that the captain had been offered other airports at which to land, but had chosen Kazakhstan's Aktau. It said that it would provide comprehensive support to Kazakh and Azerbaijani investigations looking into the crash.

Asked about reports that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot down the aircraft, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday he had nothing to add and did not want to give any assessments until the official investigation made its conclusions.
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Nigeria denies colluding with France to destabilise Niger

BBC International News Dec - 27 - 2024 , 16:26 2 minutes read

Nigeria has denied accusations from Niger's military leader, Brig Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, of colluding with France to destabilise the junta-led nation.

In a Christmas Day interview, Gen Tchiani accused France of allying with militant groups in the Lake Chad region to undermine Niger's security, allegedly with Nigeria's knowledge.

"Nigerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move," Gen Tchiani was quoted as saying by AFP.

In response, Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, told BBC Hausa that the allegations were "baseless" and "false".

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Mr Ribadu said Nigeria would never "sabotage Niger or allow any disaster to befall it".

Nigeria's Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, said the allegations were unfounded and a "diversionary tactic aimed at covering his administration's failures".

"These claims exist solely in the realm of imagination. Nigeria has never engaged in any alliance, overt or covert, with France  or any other country  to destabilise Niger Republic," Idris said.

Idris also denied sabotaging Niger's pipeline and agriculture, which it was accused of.

Gen Tchiani's allegations have worsened diplomatic tensions with Nigeria, already strained since the 2023 military coup that ousted ex-president Mohamed Bazoum.

West Africa's regional bloc, Ecowas, led by Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, imposed economic sanctions on Niger and threatened military intervention if constitutional order was not restored.

Ecowas came to Nigeria's defence in a statement on Thursday refuting the claims.

"For years, Nigeria has supported peace and security of several countries not only in the West African subregion but also on the African continent," the regional bloc said in a statement shared on Thursday.

"Ecowas therefore refutes any suggestion that such a generous and magnanimous country would become a state sponsor of terrorism," it read.

Two weeks ago, Ecowas approved the withdrawal of three military-led countries, including Niger, after they refused to restore democratic rule.

Since the coup, Niger has urged France and other Western powers to withdraw their military bases and formed a security alliance with junta-led neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso.
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Election 2024: Lessons of leadership experience

Jude Hama Life Dec - 28 - 2024 , 08:20 9 minutes read

We have experienced expression of disaffection for bad governance through democratic means of National Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Through their ballots, the citizens have spoken very clearly and loudly, asking for change. It is Ghana that has emerged the big winner.

In fact, God spared us from experiencing the action of some adventurous people stepping up to give announcement regarding Ghanas Fourth Republic as follows; while we were going through National Crises:

The President is overthrown. The Vice President, the Cabinet, and all Government appointees are sacked.  Parliament is dissolved

 The Chief Justice and the Justices of the Superior Courts are dismissed, and

 The Constitution of the Fourth Republic is suspended. (For those of us old enough, that kind of announcement sounds familiar in the bad section of our political history) Ghana, our beloved country, would have descended into the gutter of democratic governance chaos and perhaps another crisis. But God forbid.

It is the great grace of God that Ghana, our beloved country, once again is free through democratic election process. And we shine as a beacon of democracy in Africa and the world.

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Ghanaian voters have sent out a strong signal and statement to present and future National Political Leaders: we detest and abhor governance abuses, when we vote and give you the opportunity to govern!

This seems to be a ballot revolution. A better option indeed.



Next, we bring up a few lessons of leadership experience from the 2024 Elections and the results. Firstly, that there is the sovereignty of God in national governance matters. The following Bible texts among others affirm this: God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you (Psalm 62:10-11 NLT).



Dont raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance. For no one on earth from east or west, or even from the wilderness should raise a defiant fist. It is God alone who judges; He decides who will rise and who will fall. (Psalm 75:5-7 NLT).



This has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone He chooses even to the lowliest of people. (Daniel 4:17 NLT).

The Message version of the Bible renders the second part of Daniel 4:17 as follows: That everyone living will know that the High God rules Human Kingdom, He arranges Kingdom affairs however He wishes, and makes leaders out of losers.



Such Bible texts should inform our attitudes when we get the opportunity for top leadership positions, including National Political Leadership. The Biblical Majestic God, who alone is Creator, has supreme and sovereign authority over what He has created. The Psalmist drives this point home when he says, The earth is the Lords, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him. (Psalm 24:1 NLT) That God has ultimate power and control over all nations and all its citizens requires our reverence for God and our humble attitude in all of life. Secondly, there is the lesson of the Power of Leadership example. In Public service, Daniel was a great example of a lifestyle of godliness with integrity into every area of personal life and serving the nation: Darius reorganised his kingdom. He appointed one hundred twenty governors to administer all the parts of his realm. Over them were three vice-regents, one of whom was Daniel. The governors reported to the vice-regents, who made sure that everything was in order for the king. But Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.

The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniels life that they could use against him, but they couldnt dig up anything.

He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. So they finally gave up and said, Were never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can scheme up something religious. (Daniel 6:1-5 the Message).



We must have sound leadership of good character and great competence, integrity and excellence to experience good outstanding governance. Our own Professor Stephen Adei Emeritus Professor and former Rector of GIMPA is documented for saying Leadership is cause, everything else is effect. This he says simply means that for better or worse, it is the point leader who determines the way the family, or company, or nation moves towards good success or failure.



The Power of leadership example is so essential that it is required for those who will serve as leaders in the Biblically Healthy Church: Set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12 ESV) This is a trustworthy saying: If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.

So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent.

He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devils trap.  (1 Timothy 3:1-4, 6-7 NLT).



The character and lifestyle of integrity is critical to the success of a leader. And godly virtues are essential for good governance.

Arrogance, pride, intransigence, and being greedy for money, are characteristics of bad leaders and bad governance. So also are nepotism, cronyism and haughty spirit.

Good character and discipline are essential for good leadership and good National governance. In fact, David P. Campbell has referred to the dark-side of leadership of Richard Fuld the CEO who presided over the disintegration, destruction, and bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, and bringing the Worlds financial system close to disaster; meanwhile in a 5-year period he was paid $300 million.



He remarks, Often the only difference between chaos and a smoothly running company (or Government) is leadership! Selecting, appointing or electing a good leader is extremely important! Yet as a consultant in authentic Christian Spirituality, Leadership and Missions, I relish in the interactional framework of leadership. It sees leadership as a function of three elements  the point leader; the followers; and the context (situation, environment, culture).

So leadership is a product of or something happening as a result of complex interactions between the leader, the followers and the situation (context, culture) of the company, church or country. Do we have strong institutional structures in the country? What is the culture of the church or company? (Culture is simply, the way we do things here).

In fact, it is said that in many situations, the culture of the company or church will eat up the vision of the point leader for breakfast; and makes it hard to see the vision realised. So perhaps we may have to say that for some of the woes of Ghana today, the citizens are culpable.

As Kobina Ansah, a Mirror Newspaper Columnist says, Our problem in this nation is a character problem. Our progress has been retarded for all these years not because we are not skilled enough; but because many of us dont have enough good character. We teach our children to cut corners by buying their way through life. Honesty is a rare commodity on the national market. Our desire for profits even makes many of us sell expired goods (including medication) to our fellow citizens. Some people repackage spoilt goods and still sell them to others because they have no sense of humanity. And that is where the problem is  a character problem. We need a national moral compass or moral code to follow. In fact, we need a moral revolution that will significantly shape the leaders (the government), the followers (the citizens) and the culture (the way we do things).

The President Elect, His Excellency John Mahama is right when in his acceptance speech he says the better future of Ghana will involve him and his team as well as the contributions of all citizens of the Nation! But how did we get to the deep levels of economic and other mess?

Why does decline happen even to those who appear invincible? asks Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. He writes on five stages of decline: 1. Decline kicks in when people become arrogant, regarding success virtually as an entitlement; and they lose sight of the underlying factors that would create sustained success.

2. Undisciplined pursuit of more  more scale, more projects, more borrowing.

3. Denial of risk and peril  explain away critical data.

4. Grasping for rescue. Undisciplined decisions and actions take their toll leading to visible decline or even crises.

5. Capitulate to irrelevance or collapse. Accumulated setbacks cause leaders to abandon all hope of building a great future (Ghana without Aid principle abandoned?) Yet companies and governments who are fully aware of and conscious of a road map to decline, can pause, and apply the brakes early and reverse the decline.

He adds, Often a company (government) decline is largely self-inflicted, and recovery largely within our own control Jim Collins remarks; Decline can be avoided; Decline can be detected; Decline can be reversed.

This is a leadership lesson we need to reflect on in our current crisis situation! Finally, there is the leadership lesson of the need for pastoral care and counselling for both the happy and the hurting after the 2024 Election.

For example, dont we need to pay immediate attention to giving relief that we can feel in our pockets; and food to eat, and clean water to drink? There are other leadership lessons for reflection including President-Elect His Excellency John Mahama managing the rare grace privilege of a second chance to serve as President; we want to live in peace and human dignity.

We guess you can work on your own list of leadership lessons and make life in Ghana better for all!

The writer is a Consultant in Authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and Former CEO of Scripture Union
Featured

Ghanas ADR progression: The missing role of chiefs

Kojo Kwarteng Life Dec - 27 - 2024 , 23:57 5 minutes read

On May 31, 2010, Ghana introduced one of the most forward-thinking pieces of legislation globally: the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 798). This Act aimed to facilitate dispute resolution through arbitration, mediation, and customary arbitration, establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre, and address related matters.

Act 798 replaced the Arbitration Act of 1961 (Act 38) and was largely modeled on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on International Arbitration (1985), amended in 2006.

The ADR Act, which emphasises party autonomy, empowers disputants to independently draft processes for resolving their conflicts in ways that best suit their contexts. It also recognizes the separability of arbitration agreements, treating arbitration clauses separately from the main contracts. According to Paul Kirgis, the ADR Act represents an ambitious effort to integrate traditional and modern legal systems, aiming to standardize commercial arbitration, mediation, and customary arbitration practices nationwide.

Since its enactment, Ghanas ADR Act has garnered both national and international praise. It has aligned the countrys arbitration law with global conventions, providing a legal framework to encourage dispute settlement through ADR. The Act has positioned Ghana as a leading example of judicial democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa, admired for offering an efficient, cost-effective, non-adversarial means of conflict resolution.

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Ghanas government, judiciary, legal professionals, and ADR practitioners all hold the ADR Act in high regard. The declaration of ADR Week from July 15-19 by the Chief Justice serves as a testament to the nations commitment to ADR awareness. This event is celebrated multiple times a year and is an opportunity to educate the public on the significance of ADR. However, the 2023 celebration faced challenges due to a strike led by organized labor, including the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG).

Numerous reviews by scholars, jurists, and practitioners have analysed the strengths and weaknesses of the ADR Act. These reviews highlight the Acts alignment with internationally recognized principles like the autonomy of arbitration agreements and its modern approach to customary arbitration. According to Frempong (2006), the ADR Act is essentially a recast of time-tested pre-colonial conflict resolution mechanisms, emphasising reconciliation over mere dispute settlement.

ADR in Africa

Other African countries have also developed ADR frameworks in recent years. Nigeria, for example, enacted the Arbitration and Mediation Act in 2023, updating its Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1988. South Africa has embraced ADR since the 1960s and became a signatory to the New York Convention in 1976. Egypt made significant strides in arbitration with its 1994 Arbitration Law, and Rwanda established the Kigali International Arbitration Centre in 2012 to promote ADR in the region.

However, some countries, like Togo, have not experienced the same level of ADR development. In Kenya, ADR methods such as mediation and arbitration are widely used, although arbitration processes can take between six months to three years.

Purpose of this article

This article does not intend to reiterate the existing critiques of the ADR Acts strengths and weaknesses. Instead, it seeks to highlight the crucial yet overlooked role of chiefs and traditional leaders in the development of ADR in Ghana. The exclusion of chiefs from the ADR Board is a significant gap that undermines the full potential of ADR in Ghana.

This piece aims to raise awareness about the role of the ADR Centre and encourage the inclusion of traditional leaders in the governance of ADR in the country.

Inauguration of the ADR Board

In July 2024, the President of Ghana inaugurated the Governing Council/Board of the ADR Centre, as mandated by Section 117 of the ADR Act. The Board consists of various representatives from professional bodies such as the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, the Ghana Bar Association, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants. However, notably absent from the Board are representatives from the chieftaincy institution or the National House of Chiefs.

The absence of traditional leaders on the Board is an omission that the writer believes may not have been intentional. Despite the Acts recognition of customary arbitration, it does not adequately reflect the historical role of chiefs in ADR practices.

The role of the ADR Board

The ADR Boards primary function, as outlined in Section 117(3), is to facilitate ADR practices. The Board is expected to manage the ADR Centre, which includes offering facilities for arbitration and mediation, maintaining a register of qualified arbitrators and mediators, and conducting educational outreach on ADR practices. The Centre is also tasked with promoting research and issuing publications on ADR.

However, the absence of chiefs or their representatives in the management of the ADR Centre seems to overlook their vital role in customary arbitration, a key element of Ghanas ADR landscape.

The contributions of chiefs to ADR

In Ghana, chiefs have long been central to conflict resolution, both pre- and post-colonial. Traditionally, chiefs and their councils acted as arbiters, resolving disputes within their communities. Even today, chiefs continue to play a pivotal role in maintaining social order and promoting peaceful dispute resolution.

Chiefs are the custodians of customary law and hold authority over customary arbitration, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act of 2008. The Constitution guarantees the role of chiefs in customary arbitration, asserting that traditional authorities have the power to resolve disputes with the consent of the parties involved. Yet, the ADR Act 2010 does not provide a direct platform for chiefs to contribute to the administration of ADR through the ADR Centre.

Recommendations

To better integrate traditional leaders into the ADR system and fully leverage their historical contributions, the following recommendations are made:

1. Amendment of the ADR Act 2010

The ADR Act should be amended to include representatives from the chieftaincy institution on the ADR Board. This would acknowledge the important role chiefs play in customary arbitration and ensure their continued involvement in ADR governance.

2. Promulgation of a Legislative Instrument

In addition to amending the Act, a subsidiary legislation should be passed to address existing gaps, such as the exclusion of negotiation as an ADR method and the lack of representation of traditional rulers on the ADR Board.

By bringing chiefs and traditional councils into the ADR governance framework, Ghana can further strengthen its ADR system and continue to serve as a model for dispute resolution in Africa.
Featured

STEM disciplines hold key to unlocking Ghana's economic potential

Benjamin Xornam Glover Education Dec - 28 - 2024 , 13:10 2 minutes read

The government has been urged to pursue policies that encourages specialisation in higher education, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

This, according to the President of Data Link Institute of Business and Technology, (DLIBT), Professor Stanley Saamoah Moffat is what will help Ghana sustain and create new jobs.

He said STEM disciplines held the key to unlocking Ghana's economic potential and provide solutions to challenges confronting the nation.

He was speaking at the 15th congregation of DLIBT in Tema on Friday, December 27, 2024.

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A total of 195 students including 52 Master Degree scholars, 142 undergraduates from the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems and Department of Business Administration as well as 27 professional students who were awarded with Advanced Diploma in Logistics and Transport were graduated.

Prof Moffat said despite the challenges facing private universities in Ghana, such as inadequate funding, infrastructure deficits, intense competition, significant strides had been made in the areas of enhancing academic programmes that aligns with market demands, particularly in technology and entrepreneurship, strengthened partnership with industry leaders and academic institutions to create new opportunities for students, introduction of innovative teaching methodologies that integrated technology and fostering critical thinking.

Reflecting on the theme for the occasion, "Bridging innovation and impact; educating the next generation of tech entrepreneurs," Prof. Moffat said the theme aligned perfectly with the aspirations of a progressive Ghana.

"In line with this year's theme, we have also prioritised initiatives that prepare our students to thrive as tech entrepreneurs. Through specialised programmes and hands-on learning experience, we are equipping them with the tools to innovate, solve problems and drive sustainable development, "he said.

He, therefore, advocated for policies that would encourage specialisation in higher education, particularly STEM disciplines to unlock Ghana's economic potential.

Innovation

The founder of DLIBT, Dr Ernest Ansah disclosed that the university has taken a bold step forward by integrating artificial intelligence with entrepreneurship in its academic and administrative framework.

This combination, he explained would help revolutionarise teaching and learning, allow faculty and students to foster creativity, problem solving and innovation that aligned with the needs of the 21st century.

He said the university would soon expand its academic opportunities by offering bachelor and master students an opportunity to earn certificates from renowned universities in Poland, Canada and Guyana stressing that the initiative would allow students to graduate with bith Ghanaian and international certificates thus significantly enhancing their global competitiveness.

Awards

A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Information Communication Technology, Monica Serwah Wiredu was awarded the overall best undergraduate while Evans Boamah Aboagye won the award for overall best student in the graduate school category.

Writer's email Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh
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ElectroChem denies confrontation with locals at Songor lagoon

Graphic.com.gh Dec - 27 - 2024 , 23:26 1 minute read

Electrochem Ghana Limited has denied allegations of a violent clash between its security personnel and members of the Ada community at the Songor Lagoon.

The company in a statement on Friday, December 27, 2024, responding to a video circulating online that allegedly depicts a confrontation at the lagoon on December 23, explained that the security personnel at ElectroChem encountered illegal miners at the lagoon, a site the company has invested in restoring after years of damage caused by unregulated mining.

It claimed the situation was resolved peacefully after a 30-minute engagement, with no violence reported.

The company said the commentary over the video was a misrepresentation of the incident, stating it does not accurately reflect what occurred.

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Since taking over management of the Songor Lagoon, ElectroChem has undertaken significant restoration efforts, it said.

The company has also introduced initiatives like the Outgrower Scheme and community salt pans to support local residents, providing them with free brine access for salt production.

While denying the allegations in the video, ElectroChem reiterated its commitment to working with Ada community leaders to address concerns and ensure resources are fairly distributed.

Watch the video of the incident below:
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NPP, NDC trade accusations over Dome Kwabenya rerun decision

Mohammed Ali Dec - 28 - 2024 , 16:10 2 minutes read

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have clashed over the Electoral Commissions (EC) decision to rerun voting at a Dome Kwabenya polling station following irregularities in the parliamentary collation process.

The EC announced a rerun at the Abokobi Womens Development Centre 2 polling station after discrepancies in the results were identified during collation. The rejected polling station, which has 669 registered voters, holds the potential to sway the election outcome, with the current margin between the leading candidates standing at 165 votes.

Mr Gary Nimako, the NPPs legal representative, raised concerns over the ECs handling of the collation process, particularly the delayed access to Form 1C, the collation sheet.

We were not given Form 1C, but our colleagues were. Today, we finally received a copy, and we are reviewing the results polling station by polling station. There are 370 polling stations, and this will take time, Nimako said on December 28, 2024, at the Dome Kwabenya collation centre.

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Mr Nimako also criticised the lack of communication from the EC, saying, The returning officer must explain why we were excluded at key stages of the process. The EC must ensure transparency and fairness.

He assured supporters that the NPP would rally voters in preparation for the rerun to secure victory for their candidate, Michael Oquaye Junior.

However, Dr Rashid Tanko Computer, representing the NDC, dismissed the rerun as unnecessary and accused the EC of mishandling the collation process.

He argued that removing results from the disputed polling station would not change the NDC candidate, Faustina Akurugus, lead.

When the EC declared Madam Akurugu the winner, she led by 1,154 votes. Removing 669 votes from one polling station still keeps her ahead. This is simple arithmetic, not complex mathematics, Tanko said.

He criticised the ECs reliance on electronic calculations, insisting that results should rely solely on pink sheets and collation forms.

The EC has stated that the rerun will take place before the inauguration of Parliament on January 7, 2025, to ensure a final resolution to the Dome Kwabenya parliamentary contest.
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President Akufo-Addo commissions Accra STEM academy

Mohammed Ali Dec - 28 - 2024 , 10:01 2 minutes read

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned the Accra STEM Academy, an institution dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, on Friday, December 27, 2024.

The facility is expected to provide students with skills in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.

The President also announced the development of 20 STEM centres and 10 model STEM Senior High Schools nationwide, aimed at offering practical education with modern equipment. These initiatives are part of efforts to align education with the demands of a technology-driven world.

The Accra STEM Academy is equipped with laboratories, classrooms, and research facilities designed to support hands-on learning. According to the government, the academy will serve as a hub for innovation, enabling students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges.

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President Akufo-Addo reiterated the importance of STEM education in addressing global trends and positioning Ghana for future advancements.

"The world around us is changing rapidly. Technology is at the heart of this transformation, driving progress in education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, industry, and every aspect of our lives. For Ghana to thrive in this modern era, we must equip our young people with the tools they need to succeed. STEM education is not a choice - it is a necessity," he said

He emphasised that equipping young people with critical skills in technology and science is essential for the nation's socioeconomic development.

Technology is at the heart of this transformation, driving progress in education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, industry, and every aspect of our lives, he noted

The STEM-focused schools and centres being developed across the country are expected to prioritise disciplines such as coding, data science, and renewable energy, creating opportunities for students to participate in emerging industries.
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Three killed in bus accident near Aggrey Memorial School in Cape Coast

Shirley Asiedu-Addo Dec - 27 - 2024 , 23:37 1 minute read

Three people died on Friday when a bus on which they were travelling from Takoradi to Accra fell on its side at the intersection close to the Aggrey Memorial School in Cape Coast.

The bus with registration number GW 6231-21, carrying about 53 passengers fell on its side trapping some of the passengers.

Twenty-three others who sustained various injuries are receiving medical care at the Cape Coast Teaching hospital while nine others were treated and discharged.

The Central Regional Public Relations Officer of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Abdul Wasiu Hudu explained that the accident happened at about 6.48 am on Friday, December 27, 2024

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He said with the collaborative efforts of officers from the GNFS, the police personnel and personnel from the ambulance services, most of the passengers were rescued and taken to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and the University of Cape Coast Hospital for medical care.

He said three of the passengers were unfortunately confirmed dead at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.
Xiaomi had a relatively uneventful 2024, but not in the negative sense. Most of what Xiaomi released this year was expected evolution of its previous-gen devices, but not necessarily boring. Maybe the only thing that shook up the scene was the release of its first-ever EV - the Xiaomi SU7. So, let's begin with this one.

Winner: Xiaomi SU7

If we just look at the stats, the Xiaomi SU7 is a hit. The company's brand-new factory is working overtime to meet the demand and was able to surpass its initial goal for 2024 by a large margin.

Subjectively speaking, Xiaomi did very well with its first car. We even had the chance to take it for a spin and are impressed by the build quality, features and ergonomics. It's as if Xiaomi has previous experience with building vehicles.

Losers: HyperOS and battery life

It feels like HyperOS is lagging behind the competition in some aspects. That's not to say Xiaomi's overlay is bad overall as it certainly has its strong aspects. Our experience with HyperOS is very smooth and reliable. However, the feature segregation between the Chinese ROM, the global one, and the Poco launcher is mind-boggling at this point.

A handful of features remain exclusive to the Chinese version of the OS. One example is the notification history. Another difference, but hard to wrap our heads around, is the missing double-tap-to-lock function, which can be found on Pocos but not on standard Xiaomis and Redmis. Go figure!

And our last complaint is about battery life. Judging by our tests, Xiaomi's phones have struggled to deliver competitive battery life across its entire range of phones, so it's easy to conclude that HyperOS is the main culprit.

We are probably the last ones to complain about AI, but HyperOS feels behind the curve when it comes to AI-powered features. We hope 2025 will be for the better.

Winner: Xiaomi 14 Ultra

Another year, another great flagship phone from Xiaomi. Despite the unimpressive battery life, the phone excels in pretty much every other aspect. And perhaps more importantly, it's one of the best cameraphones on the market.

We are particularly impressed by the video recording capabilities and the versatile camera setup with various focal lengths.

Loser: Poco lineup

Remember when people were eagerly waiting for the next Poco-branded flagship killer? Seemingly, those days are gone. The Poco lineup expanded and still has a couple of competitive models like the Poco X6 Pro and maybe even the Poco M6 Pro. Both devices are pretty good all-rounders in their respective classes, but we feel like most handsets under the Poco branding are just fillers.

Even the Poco F6 Pro this year didn't excite. Sure, you get a top-tier chipset at a relatively low price, but smartphones have never been about just chipsets, especially in 2024. The camera experience is lackluster, the battery life isn't great, and the display is just about what you'd expect from a phone in this price bracket. And at the end of the day, you are getting a mid-range phone with a flagship chipset at best. Xiaomi needs to work more on its Poco lineup to bring back its former glory.

Winners: Redmi and Xiaomi 14T series

As is usually the case, Xiaomi's Redmi lineup is one of the best sellers in 2024. One could argue that the lineup became a bit overcrowded and sometimes confusing, but it's just Xiaomi's way of appealing to the masses. There's a suitable Redmi phone for every user. The Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, the vanilla Redmi Note 13 5G and the Pro+ stand out the most with excellent value for money.

The Xiaomi 14T is another favorite lineup of ours. The new 14T and 14T Pro offer substantial upgrades over their predecessors without resorting to price increases. Although Xiaomi isn't advertising them as flagship killers, we believe they are as close as you can get to a flagship phone without breaking the bank. Moreover, the 14T and 14T Pro offer one of the best camera experiences in their respective price brackets.

Losers: Xiaomi Watch S4

The Xiaomi Watch S4 is a decent smartwatch for what it is. But it's behind the curve compared to proper smartwatches, not glorified fitness trackers. Sadly, the Watch S4 didn't bring any meaningful improvements over its predecessor.

Xiaomi's top-tier watches are still running on proprietary HyperOS instead of Wear OS, which deprives them of deeper Android integration and a handful of useful Play Store apps. Watch face selection isn't as rich either. The Mi Fitness companion app needs more work too.

Xiaomi released a handful of cool new products this year and we can't wait to see their successors in the next one. However, we wish they would focus more on the software side as it would benefit their devices across all lineups.
A trio of top Republican Party of Guam representatives has joined a group of other Pacific leaders to offer joint recommendations of federal policy and key appointments to President-elect Donald J. Trump ahead of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Jan 20, according to an announcement Friday.

Guam Del. James Moylan, 38th Guam Legislature Speaker-elect Sen. Frank Blas Jr. and Republican Party of Guam Chairman and senator-elect Shawn Gumataotao were recruited for the Pacific Transition 47 Committee that also includes American Samoa Congresswoman Amata C. Radewagen, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Congresswoman-elect Kimberlynn King-Hinds.

The committee was formed following a recommendation by incoming Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs James Braid, who is coordinating the process.

The purpose of this committee is for the three House members to join forces with senior political leaders in the American Pacific to offer joint recommendations to the incoming Trump-Vance Administration, the announcement said.

Braid said, There have only been a handful of GOP trifectas since World War II. The transition team is looking forward to working with you to advance President Trumps priorities on Capitol Hill during this historic opportunity to Make America Great Again. The transition welcomes the input of you and your team on personnel and policy.

According to the announcement, Radewagen stressed that job seekers should feel free to reach out to any committee member as well as submit a resume and letters of recommendation by email to PacificTransition47@gmail.com.

Committee members are not precluded from communicating directly with the Trump-Vance Transition to make policy and personnel recommendations, Radewagen said. But we expect that recommendations will be given greater weight if submitted by the committee, which consists of the most prominent senior Republican leaders in the American Pacific.

Gumataotao said the Guam group intends to submit recommendations for the positions of U.S. District Court of Guam/CNMI, U.S. attorney for Guam/CNMI, U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs assistant secretary or deputy assistant secretary.

We as a group discuss those potential appointments, and get resumes together, submit them and then work closely with them, Gumataotao said.

Separately, CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios and American Samoa Governor-elect Pulaalii Nikolao Pula on Thursday also announced they plan to join the Republican Party, according to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.

Coincidentally, Pula is the former head of the DOI Office of Insular Affairs.

Were taking this right now up until the (presidential inauguration) on the 20th ... but if some go beyond the 20th then well keep working until those positions are filled, Gumataotao said.

Committee meetings and deliberations will be conducted by videoconference and a social media chat group, but the members also expect to meet on the sidelines of the inauguration when they travel to Washington, D.C. next month, according to the announcement.

Rounding out the committee will be American Samoa territorial party chairman Taualapapa William Sword, and the CNMI Republican party chairman, pending election.
The arrest of seven Chinese nationals along Guams shores this month is linked to various instances of suspicious activity around U.S. missile launches, according to an assessment recently released by a U.S.-based think tank.

Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency this month announced that seven Chinese nationals were arrested for unlawfully entering Guam between the afternoon of Dec. 10 and the morning of Dec. 11.

Four of those nationals were found in the vicinity of a military installation, while two were in distress in waters off Haputo Beach and another was found at Tanguisson Beach, according to Customs. All of them arrived on the same vessel from Saipan.

The arrests all occurred in northern Guam near Andersen Air Force Base. The U.S. conducted its first Guam-based ballistic missile intercept off the coast of Andersen Air Force Base on Dec. 10, a Dec. 20 assessment issued by the Institute for the Study of War.

That launch was the first test of a series planned for the incoming 360-degree missile defense system for the island.

The December 10 infiltrations are the latest known instance of suspicious activity by PRC nationals near U.S. missile launch sites, the think tank assessment stated, adding that espionage against those facilities could provide China with valuable intelligence in the event of a U.S. conflict.

On Dec. 11, around the same time as the Guam arrests, the Department of Justice announced that Chinese national Zhou Yinpiao was arrested on federal charges for flying a modified drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and taking photos of the installation, the think tank noted.

Yinpiaos drone was detected over the base on Nov. 30, the same day the Space Force and SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket containing satellites for orbit. Images of the base were forwarded to an unnamed person using China-based messaging application WeChat, the think tank noted.

Frequent attempts by PRC nationals to gain access to U.S. military bases indicate the PRCs possible interest in gathering intelligence related to the United States missile launch capabilities, the think tank assessment stated.

Wall Street Journal reports also indicated that Chinese nationals had infiltrated U.S. military bases and other sensitive sites up to 100 times in recent years, the think tank added.

The Pacific Daily News on Friday did inquire with Andersen, Joint Region Marianas and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency as to whether any investigation into the possibility the arrested persons were conducting espionage. No response was received as of press time Friday.

The details provided in our press release is the extent of what we can disclose at this time, Guam Customs spokesperson Alana Chargualaf-Afaisen stated, when asked for more details about the Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 arrests.

The PDN inquired with Guam Customs and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations about which military installation the arrests were made outside of, which law enforcement agency took custody of the Chinese nationals, their identities, and any further investigations into the possibility they were conducting espionage.

Homeland did not respond as of Friday.

Chargualaf-Afaisen deferred any indictment-related questions to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

At this time, I am unable to confirm or deny any ongoing investigation, stated Carmela Rapadas, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office for Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands.

Public records

Rapadas referred to publicly available records regarding six different Chinese nationals accused of entering Guam from Saipan, Zhenhua Xu, Wei Meng, Qihua Zheng, Aimin Zhang, Hailong Zhu and Fuyan Yi, and a separate case for Hongmei Ding.

Zhang and her five other alleged co-conspirators were accused of using a motorboat to enter Guam on Aug. 17 in documents filed in the District Court of the Northern Marianas Islands.

A review of District Court of Guam records shows Zhang was arrested on Guam again on Dec. 11, and a writ was filed to remove her back to the CNMI.

Records show Ding was also arrested on Guam on Dec. 11, and removed to the CNMI. Ding had been eluding federal authorities since Dec. 21, 2023.

But a review of records in the Guam and Northern Marianas federal courts shows no new filings related to any other Chinese nationals arrested on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 on Guam.

Documents do not detail the circumstances surrounding the arrest of either Ding or Zhang, or whether they were part of the same group apprehended by Guam Customs.

Guam Customs has responded to 152 Chinese nationals trying to illegally enter the island since 2022, according to the agency.

In April, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and the office of Del. Jim Moylan said that infiltration of the island by Chinese nationals raised concerns over national security and espionage.

According to Moylans Chief of Staff Bobby Shringi, federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has identified a number of Chinese nationals on flagged on government watchlists.

The fate of those migrants was classified, according to Shringi.

In January, Guam Army National Guard security forces brought down a drone flying into the immediate airspace over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system battery in northern Guam.

The Marine Corps confirmed an investigation into the drone incident by Naval Criminal Investigative Service, but no details about any arrests or charges were provided as of October.




Haiti - Diplomacy : The United States shocked by the attack on the General Hospital





In a note dated December 26, 2024, the United States said thay are "shocked and saddened by the heinous attack on civilians during the re-opening of the State University Hospital. This large, public institution served Haitians from all walks of life, and now the gangs have deprived them of this essential service. We condemn this senseless act of violence and the criminals who ordered it. We mourn its many victims: journalists, police officers, healthcare workers, and patients.



The victims were at the hospital on Tuesday because they wanted to build a stronger, safer Haiti; instead their lives were taken by those who want to weaken it. This barbaric attack is an assault not just on them, but also on the very principle of respect for human life.



We condemn attacks against members of the press who play a big role in maintaining democracy. We also urge the international community to support Haiti through humanitarian and security assistance. It is only with the concerted support of all nations that the Haitian people will prevail in fending off the gangs and achieving long-term security."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : Sunrise Airways flights affected at Cap-Haitien airport





On Friday, December 27, 2024, the private Haitian company Sunrise Airways informed that the operating conditions at Cap-Haitien airport pose technical and logistical challenges that have affected the company's flights in recent days on the Cap-Haitien / Miami and Cap-Haitien / Les Cayes circuit.



Since the closure of Toussaint Louverture airport in Port-au-Prince on November 11, Sunrise Airways has had to transfer all of its operations to Cap-Haitien in order to maintain domestic and international connections.



On December 22 and 23, adverse weather conditions forced the company to cancel several flights. This bad weather had a direct impact on the logistics and fluidity of our operations, already complicated by a fuel shortage at Cap-Haitien airport.



Furthermore, the impossibility of operating flights at Cap-Haitien airport outside of sunrise and sunset times significantly limits our operational capacities.



We thank our passengers for their understanding and patience in the face of these circumstances beyond our control. Our teams are mobilizing all necessary resources to :



- Ensure the rapid resumption of cancelled flights;

- Provide optimal assistance to affected passengers;

- Adjust our operations to minimize the impact on their travel experience.



Sunrise Airways remains fully committed to providing you with quality service by adapting to current challenges.



We invite the public to visit our website www.sunriseairways.net for airport and flight updates. For any questions or assistance, please contact our customer service.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Taiwan : Workshop on the production of high-quality rice seeds





As part of joint efforts with Haitis Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR), the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) to Haiti recently held a workshop in Haitis South Department to teach local rice farmers key techniques to produce high-quality rice seeds, which are essential to Haitis national food security.



Haitis rice industry has seen a sharp decline in recent years due to insecurity and rising costs. As a result, rice growing areas have shrunk and yields have plummeted.



According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Haitis national rice-growing area is 52,000 hectares, below the five-year average of 59,000 hectares. Rice yield per hectare is now estimated at 1.82 metric tons, also below the five-year average of 2 metric tons per hectare.



TTM focused on stabilizing rice seed supplies and improving production in the South Department.



The workshop highlighted the importance of rice seed production and provided farmers with practical techniques and field demonstrations. Despite challenges such as an unstable supply chain and ongoing unrest, TTM hopes the initiative will enable farmers to improve rice production and strengthen food security.



This effort represents Taiwan and Haitis long-term commitment to sustainable agriculture, combining resources and knowledge to ensure Haitis food security and agricultural growth.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-43863-icihaiti-taiwan-celebration-of-a-2nd-abundant-rice-harvest.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43709-haiti-agriculture-taiwan-shares-knowledge-to-help-increase-rice-harvests-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43408-haiti-mechanization-taiwan-partners-with-haitian-farmers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43074-haiti-agriculture-signing-of-an-agreement-with-taiwan-to-improve-rice-production-in-the-country.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Employing immigrants has helped businesses grow. For example, staff attitudes have become more inclusive, said Sonja Antosalo , an expert at the Federation of Finnish Enterprises.

Seventeen percent of Finnish businesses have hired immigrants, a move credited with fostering tolerance and enhancing customer service. Among companies with ten or more employees, half have employed immigrants, while a third of those with 59 employees have done so, according to a Yrittajagallup survey.

The survey revealed that hiring immigrants improved businesses' ability to serve diverse customers, enhanced workplace atmosphere, fostered innovation among employees, and helped companies find the talent they need.

This shows that the role of immigrants in the workforce is under-discussed in Finland. Pitting Finnish and foreign workers against each other is counterproductive, said Harri Jaskari, Director at the Federation of Finnish Enterprises.

It's inspiring to see how positive the experiences have been across Finland and in various sectors. Companies of all kinds have embraced international talent, Jaskari added.

Young and middle-aged entrepreneurs were the most likely to have hired immigrants.

The most positive experiences were reported in Eastern and Northern Finland, where 75% of respondents expressed satisfaction with hiring immigrants. Geographically, most immigrant hires occurred in the Helsinki metropolitan area (22%), followed by Western Finland (18%) and Southern Finland (17%).

There is too much focus on metropolitan areas and high-skilled immigrants in discussions about immigration. This research shows a significant need for foreign workers in rural areas and low-skilled roles. For some rural businesses, foreign workers have been crucial for continued operations, Jaskari said.

By sector, industry employed the most immigrants (44%), followed by trade (18%), construction (17%), and other services (16%).

The survey identified language barriers, understanding workplace rules, and adapting to the work community as the most common challenges in hiring immigrants.

Language challenges are likely linked to difficulties in grasping workplace rules and integrating into the work community. It's important to ensure that instructions are clear and language barriers are addressed, Antosalo said.

The industrial sector reported the fewest challenges in hiring immigrants, while construction faced the most difficulties, with nearly half (46%) of businesses experiencing issues.

The survey, commissioned by Yrittajien Verianilla, included responses from 1,054 representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises between 713 November 2024. The results have a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points in either direction.

HT
Finnish psychologist Nina Lyytinen will travel to Lebanon twice a year to train local family centre workers and supervisors in mental health, workplace well-being, and psychological resilience.

A new development cooperation project funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs will begin in early 2025 to support mental health and resilience in Lebanons refugee camps. The initiative, named Azima, aims to bolster psychological well-being and crisis endurance among displaced populations in the region.

The project will also employ 12 local social workers for four years to carry out community-based mental health support across Lebanons camps.

"Palestinians have faced decades of challenges, but the need for psychological expertise is more critical now than ever. It is an honour to bring Finnish know-how to those who need it most," said Lyytinen.

The project is spearheaded by Finlands Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PSV), a peace organisation of volunteer psychologists. Project leader Anu Castaneda, a psychology docent, emphasised the urgency of action. "The situation for Palestinians is so dire that the world cannot just look away. Everyone can contribute to making a difference."

In Lebanon, the initiative partners with Beit Atfal Assumoud (BAS), a local organisation that has supported Palestinian communities since the 1976 Tal Al-Zaatar massacre. According to Castaneda, there is deep gratitude in Lebanon for Finlands recognition and support. "The people of Lebanon appreciate Finlands acknowledgment of their struggles and willingness to help. We are also deeply grateful to all donors in Finland who made this project possible."

The projects name, Azima, translates to "grit" or "endurance" in Arabic, reflecting the spirit of perseverance in the face of adversity.

The Azima project will run for four years, starting on 1 January 2025, with funding exceeding half a million euros from Finlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Finnish Embassy in Lebanon will provide safety assessments to guide project staffs travel and operations in the region.

Azima highlights Finland's commitment to sharing expertise and supporting vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas.

HT
U.S. Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. Photo by Reuters

Around $16 billion in remittances were sent to Vietnam this year, roughly the same as last year, according to the government.

The figure, which came from nearly 6 million Vietnamese residing in 130 countries and territories, contributed to many economic, scientific, educational and healthcare activities in Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said in an interview Thursday.

Last year the $16 billion remittances marked a new record for Vietnam after a period of slow growth due to the impact of Covid-19.

Son said that remittances were among the key factors contributing to the development of Vietnam this year, along with 421 foreign direct invested projects with a combined registered capital of $1.72 billion.

Vietnam will continue to refine its policies and legal framework to foster stronger connections between overseas Vietnamese and their homeland, he said.

Comprehensive and long-term measures will be implemented to support and develop the Vietnamese community abroad, he added.

Efforts are underway to simplify administrative procedures, making it easier for overseas Vietnamese to return to Vietnam to live, invest, and conduct business, he said.

The government is also leveraging information technology to enhance community connectivity and to nurture and develop overseas Vietnamese talent, he added.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed confidence that overseas Vietnamese communities will continue to maximize their potential, grow stronger, and strengthen ties with the homeland, contributing significantly to the country's development in the coming years.

Economic diplomacy continues to play a pivotal role in Vietnam's overall economic success. The countrys total trade turnover is projected to reach a record $800 billion this year.

Vietnam remains one of the world's leading recipients of foreign direct investment. Additionally, the first 11 months of 2024 saw over 15.8 million international tourists visiting Vietnam, marking a 44% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Starr Teel fills the hole in Little Rainbow Row dining options

When Starr Teel surveyed the dining landscape of Little Rainbow Row, he spotted the gap. Obvious, really. Its existed since the Honey & Salt crew pulled up stakes and took the mini-skillets with them.

We had everything in Flat Rock from a bakery to a barbecue joint to a lunch and dinner option, Starr explains. But no place to start the day with a great breakfast.

Starr being Starr  creative entrepreneur, smoke-master of beef and pork, tireless splitter of white oak logs  he defaulted to his baseline: a doer.

His unintentional soft opening of Hubbaloo, in the former Honey & Salt space behind the bright-green saloon like facade, came a week after Hurricane Helene ravaged the region. Its been Starrs experience to have an act of God intervene when he launches a new food venture. He opened Campfire Grill a week before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March of 2020.

Starr goes back to the roots of the historic village's food options in recent decades, as in, he planted them. He started and later sold Flat Rock Village Bakery. Hes well known for his iconic barbecue shack, Hubba Hubba Smokehouse, where locals and visitors alike enjoy his mastery of barbecue and traditional country sides.

The challenge when he envisioned Hubba Hubba's little sister, Hubbaloo, was to create a mix of the traditional and the new-ish. To serve a brunchie line of offerings in the cozy dining room Starr recruited executive chef Yasmin Mansukhani, who assembled a team to elevate the breakfast experience by focusing on fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

One of the things were most excited about is introducing breakfast tacos, Yasmin says. Drawing inspiration from a popular trend across the U.S., Hubbaloos breakfast tacos feature smoked meats from Hubba Hubba, giving them a savory Southern accent. Smoked brisket and pork options are wrapped in warm homemade tortillas, all topped with house-made salsas.

Breakfast tacos include potato, Hubba brisket and Hubba pulled pork and Neuskes bacon taco, while lunch tacos include smoked salmon, mushroom and pork, brisket and Mexican street corn and potato and street corn  $4 or $5 apiece. Theres the classic American breakfast, Hubba brisket eggs benedict and Hubba smoked salmon eggs benedict, plus pancakes and French toast. Savory bowls  roasted carrot yogurt, breakfast salad, grit or potato  range from $10 to $14.

Yasmin Mansukhani, the chef at Hubbaloo, serves up breakfast items. [BRUCE HOLLIDAY/Flat Rock Together]

With more than 25 years in the restaurant industry, Yasmin brings a wealth of training, experience and a passion for culinary excellence. Her journey to becoming the head chef at Hubbaloo started long before she joined Starrs team.

Born into a family of restaurateurs, Yasmin grew up watching her father run Indian restaurants in Japan and became immersed in the world of food from a very early age. At age 15 Yasmin moved to the United States where she finished high school. She lived in Germany for a time before receiving formal culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu in London, earning her Grand Diplome in both patisserie and cuisine.

In the intervening years, Yasmin has worked in a variety of culinary settings, from fine dining resorts to corporate kitchens. Two of her most notable stops include The Breakers in Palm Beach and collaborating with Whole Foods to open new stores and fine-tune their prepared foods departments. Most recently, she served as sous chef at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, where she honed her skills under the guidance of other talented chefs.

Veering into the summer camp industry is an inevitable consequence of any Starr Teel conversation. In fact, the only reason Hubbaloo opened in the fall rather than last spring was Starrs selfless rescue of a camp operator, one of many that he considers family. After traveling to the Blue Ridge Mountains in college to work as a summer camp counselor, he settled here and eventually began his long food journey.

We were going to open in May but when the dining hall burned at Camp Wayfarer plans changed, he says. When their dining hall burned, it just seemed like a no brainer because when you start bringing in these emergency kitchens it's numbingly expensive  just crazy. It was a natural opportunity for me to do something, but also for them to have successful season. They were able to open camp.

Starrs connections to the camp industry led him to a partnership with Annabelle Comisar Lyles, a talented baker who owns the renowned Michaels Muffins in Raleigh. And to Suzanne Vizethann, the chef and owner of Buttermilk Kitchen in Atlanta. Suzannes restaurant is well-known for serving award-winning Southern breakfast fare. A James Beard Foundation Womens Entrepreneurial Fellow in 2022, Suzanne has shared techniques and insights with Starr, particularly helping Hubbaloo perfect its biscuit recipe. Coffee is by Little River Roasters, which got its start in the basement of the Wrinkled Egg years ago.

If you walk through the whole menu, between Yasmin's relationships to certain products, and my relationships to certain people, in particular, there's a lot of relationship building, Starr says.

The Hubba franchise lives on, giving early risers from Flat Rock and beyond a reason to stop in, order a hot coffee and start the day with a great breakfast.

* * * * *

The Lightning borrowed liberally  with permission  from Bruce Hollidays feature on Hubbaloo in his Flat Rock Together blog.






A trial against officials convicted of corruption over Covid-19 repatriation flights in Hanoi on Dec. 27, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Danh Lam

The Hanoi People's Court on Friday jailed more than a dozen officials for up to 12 years for corruption over repatriation flights and quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, 54 officials and businesspeople were found guilty of receiving, offering or acting as go-between for bribes that totaled US$9.5 million.

They included four former senior officials at the ministries of foreign affairs, health and public security, who were handed life sentences.

At the height of the pandemic in early 2020 Vietnam had closed its borders to almost everyone bar returning citizens.

The defendants in the two cases were accused of giving or taking bribes to help people get seats on repatriation flights and receive medical quarantines.

At the time, returnees faced complicated entry procedures, expensive flights and quarantine costs.

Tran Tung, former deputy director of northern Thai Nguyen Province's Department of Foreign Affairs, was found guilty of taking around $300,000 in bribes and commission for organizing quarantine facilities.

He was given 12 years in jail for receiving bribes and abuse of power.

Tran Tung, former deputy director of Thai Nguyen Province's Department of Foreign Affairs, is escorted to court. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Du

Sixteen other transport ministry, provincial officials and travel company employees were sentenced to up to three and a half years in jail on charges including bribery and abuse of power.

Last year, a Hanoi mother told AFP how she had spent over $10,000 to get her teenage daughter back to Vietnam from a boarding school in Europe at the peak of the pandemic.

The graft allegations come as part of an anti-corruption drive that has uncovered a number of deals done during Vietnam's pandemic response.

According to the Public Security Ministry, in 2024, police put under their radar 825 cases with 1,676 people on corruption accusations, an increase of more than 16% compared to 2023.


Saturday December 28, 2024

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. Security Council on Friday gave the green light to a new African Union force in Somalia that is meant to take on the Islamist armed group al-Shabab, with the soldiers due to deploy in January.



The resolution was adopted by 14 of the council's 15 member states, while the United States abstained due to reservations about funding.





Somalia is one of the world's poorest countries, enduring decades of civil war, a bloody insurgency by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab and frequent climate disasters.Representatives from Somalia and its western neighbor Ethiopia were invited to participate in the council's meeting, although they were not allowed to vote."We emphasize that the current AUSSOM troops allocations are completed through bilateral agreements," said the Somali representative, adding 11,000 troops were currently pledged.On Monday, Egypt's foreign minister announced his country would take part in the new force.Tensions flared in the Horn of Africa after Ethiopia signed a maritime deal in January with the breakaway region of Somaliland, pushing Mogadishu closer to Addis Ababa's regional rival Cairo.This month, Turkey brokered a deal to end the nearly yearlong bitter dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia, although Ethiopian troops would not be involved in the new AU force.Burundi will not be taking part in the new force either, a Burundian military source told AFP on the condition of anonymity.The text adopted by the U.N. Security Council provides for the possibility of using a mechanism that it created last year, under which an African force deployed with the green light of the U.N. can be up to 75% financed by the U.N."In our view, the conditions have not been met for immediate transition to application of" that measure, U.S. representative Dorothy Shea said, justifying her country's abstention.
Vietnams birthrate in 2024 has fallen to an estimated 1.91 children per woman, the lowest in the country's history, marking a significant departure from the traditional belief that the Year of the Dragon, considered auspicious, would lead to a rise in births.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong revealed the figure at a population conference in Hanoi on Friday, noting that this is the third consecutive year the birthrate has remained below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.

The rate has been on a steady decline, dropping from 2.11 in 2021 to 2.01 in 2022, 1.96 in 2023, and now 1.91 in 2024.

Despite expectations for an increase in births during the Year of the Dragon, the record low reflects changing attitudes, with families moving away from traditional beliefs. It also highlights the ineffectiveness of current pro-natalist policies in reversing the downward trend.

Urban areas with higher socioeconomic development continue to experience the lowest birthrates, averaging 1.71.8 children per woman over the past two decades.

In 2024, the urban rate fell further to 1.67, while rural areas recorded a higher rate of 2.08. Regions with fewer economic opportunities, such as the northern midlands and mountains (2.34 children per woman) and the Central Highlands (2.24), reported significantly higher birthrates. In contrast, the southeast, which includes Ho Chi Minh City, recorded the countrys lowest rate at 1.48 children per woman.

Deputy Director of the ministry's Population Department Pham Vu Hoang warned that Vietnams population could begin to shrink after 2054 if the low fertility rate persists.

Projections indicate a potential annual population decline of 0.04% between 2054 and 2059 and 0.18% between 2064 and 2069, equating to an average loss of 200,000 people per year. By contrast, maintaining the replacement-level birthrate would allow for slight annual growth of 0.17%, adding approximately 200,000 people per year.

Experts warn that low fertility can have severe consequences, as demonstrated by Japan, the world's most rapidly aging society. An aging population leads to increased social, healthcare, and welfare costs, labor shortages, and reduced socioeconomic resources.

To address the issue, Vietnams population strategy aims to stabilize the birthrate at 2.1 children per woman and reach a target population of 104 million by 2030.

The Ministry of Healths draft Population Law proposes measures such as abolishing penalties for having a third child, encouraging women to marry before the age of 30 and have two children by age 35, and providing financial incentives to promote childbirth.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with 27 Ukrainian business representatives from various fields and regions. The head of state stressed the importance of maintaining support for business and enterprises during the war as the basis of social life and defense.

"It is very desirable for us to be in a strong position in one or another format of negotiations with one 'comrade' or another. We will still be in a normal position, but I would like us to be more confident. This confidence will influence the outcome of the end of the war," he said in a video posted on his Telegram channel Friday evening.

The head of state thanked the business representatives for preserving jobs for Ukrainians and working for Ukraine and for the sake of Ukraine.

"Of course, for us, preserving jobs is not just an abstract matter. It provides the opportunity to endure in this war. So, it is important for us that you are in the country, if there are unconditional difficulties that you have, if there are some things that you know that the state can solve quickly, and it depends on the political will of the authorities and the speed of certain institutions, I am ready to help as much as possible right now," he said.

According to the video, the meeting was attended, in particular, by Viktor Ivanchyk (Astarta), Andriy Zdesenko (Biosphere), Kostiantyn Yefymenko (Biopharma), Halyna Hereha (Epicenter), Dmytro Oliynyk (Federation of Employers of Ukraine), Artem Borodatiuk (Netpeak Group), Maksym Timchenko (DTEK), Kateryna Zahoriy (Darnitsa), Iryna Chechotkina (Rozetka), Viacheslav Klymov (Nova Posta), Serhiy Tigipko (TAS Group), and Yuriy Kosiuk (MHP).

Its participants also included Oleksandr Komarov (Kyivstar), Yulia Vysotska (League of Defense Companies, NGO Praktika), Emre Karaahmetoglu (ONUR Group), Iryna Terekh (Terekh.Group), Viacheslav Steshenko (KLO), Vasyl Rakhmailov (Jaguar), Vitaliy Nemilostivy (UkrInMash), Serhiy Polituchy (Factor), Oleksandr Kardakov (Octava Capital), Serhiy Sypko (Agrofusion), Hennadiy Butkevych (ATB, BGV Group), and Yuriy Atanasov (Centravis).

The meeting was attended by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, Deputy Head of the Office Viktor Mykyta, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyrydenko, and Presidential Advisor for Strategic Issues Oleksandr Kamyshin.

According to a press release on the president's website, the event was attended by owners and managers of the largest Ukrainian companies operating in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, logistics, agriculture, energy, telecommunications, services, financial and banking sectors, as well as enterprises of the defense industry.

Zelenskyy noted that the state is doing everything possible to strengthen air defense and bring a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

During the meeting, the participants discussed a number of specific issues related, in particular, to the continuation of the work of the Made in Ukraine economic platform. According to the head of state, the raised issues and the voiced proposals will be worked out by the relevant government agencies.

In November, presidential communications adviser Volodymyr Lytvyn said that a permanent format of communication between the head of state and business could be created, similar to the one that exists with journalists and that is being developed with representatives of civil society.

The previous meeting between Zelenskyy and business representatives was on February 15, 2024, and then business was represented by members of the Council for the Support of Entrepreneurship under Martial Law (Council of Seven), while a broader meeting with businesses, attended by about 30 business owners and managers, as well as representatives of business associations, was held at the end of June 2023.

This Friday's meeting was attended by four of the Council of Seven  Klymov, Yefymenko, Oliynyk, and Borodatiuk.
Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the leadership of China to warn North Korea against sending its troops to the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that the latter are suffering appalling losses.

"I held a meeting of the Staff [Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff Headquarters] today. [] Details of the Kursk region's developments  the North Korean military is involved in the fighting. They have many losses. A great deal. And we can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all," he said in a Friday video address.

According to the head of state, Ukrainian soldiers managed to capture several seriously wounded North Korean soldiers, but could not resuscitate them.

"Everything is arranged in a way that makes it impossible for us to capture the Koreans as prisoners  their own people are executing them, there are such cases. And the Russians send them into assaults with minimal protection. Today we received reports on several soldiers from North Korea, our warriors managed to capture them. But they were seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated," he said.

Zelenskyy described such cases as "manifestations of the madness dictatorships are capable of."

"The Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, particularly by Korea's neighbors, especially China. If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not escalate, it must exert appropriate pressure on Pyongyang," he said.
Ukraine's defense forces shot down 15 enemy drones over the past 24 hours and as of Saturday morning, the location of one simulator drone was lost, the Ukrainian Air Force has said, adding that an enterprise property and an apartment building were damaged in Mykolaiv as a result of the attack.

"As of 08:30, the electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and defense forces of Ukraine shot down 15 enemy drones in Mykolaiv region. The location of one simulator drone was lost," it said on the Telegram channel.

On the night of December 28 (from 23:00 on December 27), the enemy launched 16 Shahed kamikaze drones and drones of other types from Russia's Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

Downed drones damaged the property of a company and an apartment building in the city of Mykolaiv. No casualties were reported there.
Photo: https://dtek.com/media-center/news/ukraine-dtek-first-lng-shipment-us/

Ukraine has received the first batch of 100 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States via Greece, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said Saturday.

"This is not just a cargo  it is a strategic step. Despite Russia's attempts to destroy our energy system during the war, we have won another victory on the energy front," he said on the Telegram channel.

Yermak noted that this gas was received by DTEK at the Greek LNG terminal "showing a high level of international cooperation."

The agreement with the American company Venture Global is valid until 2026, which will provide "stability and confidence in the future for millions of Ukrainians."

"Ukraine is successfully integrating into the global energy market. We are grateful to our international partners for their support and trust. Together we free the world energy system from Russian blackmail," Yermak said.

As reported, the energy holding DTEK received the first shipment of LNG from the United States after the ship with it docked in Greece. The shipment of about 100 million cubic meters of gas or 1 Terawatt hours (TWh) of energy on board the Gaslog Savannah arrived at the Revitus LNG terminal on Friday morning. D.Trading, DTEK's European trading subsidiary, bought the entire cargo.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and expressed condolences to him and the people of Azerbaijan regarding the tragic crash of flight J2-8243 of Azerbaijan Airlines.

"We acknowledged the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft. The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation. Photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircraft's fuselage, including punctures and dents, which strongly point to a strike by an air defense missile," he said on the X social network Saturday.

Ukraine will support Azerbaijan in this situation with all necessary means and call on other countries to assist as well, the head of state said.

Additionally, the presidents have agreed to intensify bilateral contacts in the near future.

As reported, an Embraer airplane of Azerbaijan Airlines traveling from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau (Kazakhstan). According to the carrier, there were 67 people on board, including five crew members. As a result of the accident, 38 people were killed.

The Azerbaijani government claims that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of the Embraer plane. The missile was fired at the airliner during drone flights over Grozny, its fragments struck passengers and crew members, exploding near the airliner mid-flight. Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Kyrylo Budanov said the Embraer plane was shot down by a missile of the Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Azerbaijan's National Depository Center (NDC) has implemented a pioneering framework for virtual shareholder assemblies and electronic voting (E-vote), marking a significant advancement in the nation's governance infrastructure, NDC Board Chairman Aghahuseyn Khudaverdiyev said during a media briefing on the E-vote system of NDC today, Trend reports.

"As part of this service, notifications and materials related to the agenda of meetings are posted electronically on the NDCs 'Investor Portal'. Shareholders can familiarize themselves with the agenda and take advantage of electronic voting. The first organization to use this service was the International Bank of Azerbaijan (ABB).

In accordance with the agreement between the NDC and ABB, the notification for the extraordinary shareholders' meeting was posted on the shareholders' personal accounts in the 'Investor Portal'.

The new service allows meetings to be held remotely, delivering information to shareholders efficiently and timely, which is especially important for those who, for any reason, cannot attend the meeting in person. This solution minimizes the use of paper-based materials and strengthens the protection of shareholders' rights," he added.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The investment firm ABB-Invest executed its inaugural transaction within Turkiye's capital market on December 26, leveraging a direct correspondent linkage between the central depositories of Azerbaijan and Turkiye, Chairman of the Board of the National Depository Center of Azerbaijan Aghahuseyn Khudaverdiyev told Trend.

He made the announcement during a media briefing on the E-vote system of the National Depository Center of Azerbaijan.

The test operation supported by NDC allowed ABB-Invest to purchase 940 government bonds of Turkey in the amount of 100 Turkish liras ($2.8) each, with an annual rate of 36 percent and a circulation term of 2 years, he said.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The National Depository Center of Azerbaijan (NDC) is presently engaged in discussions with Kazakhstan to facilitate the establishment of a correspondent linkage between the respective depository institutions, Chairman of the Board of the National Depository Center of Azerbaijan Aghahuseyn Khudaverdiyev said at a media briefing on the E-vote system, Trend reports.

"Azerbaijan's NDC is negotiating with the Central Depository of Kazakhstan to establish mutual cooperation. In general, NDC has sent requests for cooperation to several countries. However, this issue depends on the mutual interest of the markets. In addition, NDC is currently actively cooperating with Georgia and Ukraine, he said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The construction of the Baku Judicial Complex for Grave Crimes will cost the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice 25.8 million manat ($15 million), Trend reports via the unified public procurement web-portal.

In this regard, the ministry has completed the preparatory work.

The ministry has assigned the construction work to the TVM Inshaat Limited Liability Company (LLC) and signed a contract with it.

The company was registered in 2016. The legal representative of the LLC, which has a charter capital of 10 manat ($5.9), is Musa Aghayev.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The National Depository Center of Azerbaijan (NDC) is presently engaged in discussions with Kazakhstan to facilitate the establishment of a correspondent linkage between the respective depository institutions, Chairman of the Board of the National Depository Center of Azerbaijan Aghahuseyn Khudaverdiyev said at a media briefing on the E-vote system, Trend reports.

 Azerbaijan's NDC is negotiating with the Central Depository of Kazakhstan to establish mutual cooperation. In general, NDC has sent requests for cooperation to several countries. However, this issue depends on the mutual interest of the markets. In addition, NDC is currently actively cooperating with Georgia and Ukraine, he said.
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US President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance.

"In light of the novelty and difficulty of this case, the court should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space to address these issues," Trump's legal team wrote, to give him "the opportunity to pursue a political resolution."

Trump was fiercely opposed to TikTok during his 2017-21 first term, and tried in vain to ban the video app on national security grounds.

The Republican voiced concerns -- echoed by political rivals -- that the Chinese government might tap into US TikTok users' data or manipulate what they see on the platform.

US officials had also voiced alarm over the popularity of the video-sharing app with young people, alleging that its parent company is subservient to Beijing and that the app is used to spread propaganda, claims denied by the company and the Chinese government.

Trump called for a US company to buy TikTok, with the government sharing in the sale price, and his successor Joe Biden went one stage further -- signing a law to ban the app for the same reasons.

Trump has now, however, reversed course.

At a press conference last week, Trump said he has "a warm spot" for TikTok and that his administration would take a look at the app and the potential ban.

Earlier this month, the president-elect met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Recently, Trump told Bloomberg he had changed his mind about the app: "Now (that) I'm thinking about it, I'm for TikTok, because you need competition."

"If you don't have TikTok, you have Facebook and Instagram -- and that's, you know, that's Zuckerberg."

Facebook, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and part of his Meta tech empire, was among the social media networks that banned Trump after attacks by his supporters on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The ban was driven by concerns that he would use the platform to promote more violence.

Those bans on major social media platforms were later lifted.

In the brief filed on Friday, Trump's lawyer made it clear the president-elect did not take a position on the legal merits of the current case.

"President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," John Sauer wrote in the amicus curiae -- or "friend of the court" -- brief.

"Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump's incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case."

A coalition of free speech groups -- including the American Civil Liberties Union -- also filed a separate brief to the Supreme Court opposing enforcement of the law, citing censorship concerns.

"Such a ban is unprecedented in our country and, if it goes into effect, will cause a far-reaching disruption in Americans' ability to engage with the content and audiences of their choice online," the rights groups' filing read, in part.

The US apex court agreed last week to hear TikTok's appeal against Biden's move to force its owner to divest from it or face a ban.

With oral arguments scheduled for January 10, the case would have to be heard at a breakneck speed.

TikTok argues that the law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates its First Amendment free speech rights.

AFP, among more than a dozen other fact-checking organizations, is paid by TikTok in several countries to verify videos that potentially contain false information.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The newest installment of the analytical video series "Dialogue with Tofig Abbasov" hit the airwaves on the expert platform Baku Network, showcasing the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, professor, world-famous conductor Yalchin Adigozalov, as the featured guest, Trend reports.

When discussing the happenings in the region, he highlighted their undeniable ripple effect on all and sundry.

"Politics affects everyone. Regardless of profession, occupation, or social status, it defines the life of the country, its people, and sometimes even entire generations.

We live in an era of global change. Our generation is truly unique, and we have a historic mission," he added. "Recently, we were in Rome, where a meeting was held with representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora. Cultural, artistic, music, poetry, and painting figures from around the world arrived. These are not just meetingsthey are our cultural weapon.

The Ministry of Culture and the Committee on Diaspora Affairs united Azerbaijanis living in Europe, who can influence public opinion. It is vital for us to attract as many friends and allies as possible to promote our country's fair position.

The opposing side is following a path that leads nowhere. Its a senseless waste of time. And time is the most valuable resource. We have already lost too many years," Adigozalov emphasized

The maestro eloquently painted a portrait of his homeland.

"Today, Azerbaijan is a country that has managed to solve one of the most important issues. We restored justice, and this has forever changed our mentality. During the years of Armenian occupation, many of us felt oppressed, with a sense of internal pain. But now, we hold our heads high, and this is the result of the colossal work of the head of state. I have always proudly represented Azerbaijani music, but now this feeling has taken on a new dimension," he mentioned.

Touching upon Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, the Peoples Artist of Azerbaijan expressed confidence that peace is possible.

"Ignoring each other and continuing to live in a conflict atmosphere is a dead end. Of course, there are revanchist sentiments in Armenia, but society must be prepared for peace. Without dialogue, there can be no future," he explained.

The professor's words danced with a vibrant glow as he celebrated the homecoming of Karabakh, a cherished jewel reclaimed from the shadows.

"When I first stepped onto Shusha land after 30 years, I was breathless. My great-grandfather is buried there, but I couldn't visit his grave for three decades. How many generations could have lost this connection to their homeland? We did everything to ensure that this did not happen," Adigozalov also said.

The maestro highlighted the value of this victory [in the Second Karabakh War] and the cost of its achievement.

"Our children solved this problem for us while we were still alive. We must always bow our heads in honor of their memory and their families. It is a great happiness to know that the next generation will live without war," he explained.

In conclusion, Adigozalov painted a picture of unwavering faith in the radiant dawn awaiting the region.

"Eventually, we shall reestablish our links. Our environment and territories are intended for success, camaraderie, and tranquility. There is simply no other way," he added.

Yalchin Adigezalov, born in 1959, is an Azerbaijani conductor and educator. Adigezalov is a professor at the State Music Academy of Azerbaijan, the Baku Music Academy, and the Azerbaijan State Conservatory.

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Bahia Principe Grand El Portillo Dominican Republic - Image Credit Hyatt

Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Grupo Pinero have completed a strategic joint venture, adding the Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts brand to Hyatts all-inclusive portfolio. This joint venture, based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, will manage Bahia Principe-branded properties and own the Bahia Principe brand.

The deal brings 22 resorts, comprising approximately 12,000 rooms, to Hyatt's Inclusive Collection. These include 21 resorts under the Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts brand located across the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Spain and the exclusive Cayo Levantado Resort in the Dominican Republic.

Grupo Pinero, the owner of the resorts managed by the joint venture, is committed to enhancing the quality of Bahia Principe hotels through renovation projects. With Hyatt's support, the firm plans to grow the brand further, particularly among travelers in the Americas and other key markets.

Bahia Principes CEO, Julio Perez, will lead the joint venture, with Grupo Pineros current Global CEO, Encarna Pinero, serving as Chairman of the Board. Izet Mahalbasic, Vice President of Hotel Finance for Hyatt, will join the joint venture as Chief Financial Officer.

The joint venture aims to drive sustainable growth and innovation within the all-inclusive space. The details regarding Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts' participation in the World of Hyatt loyalty program will be announced later.

This venture is part of Hyatt's ongoing strategy to expand its all-inclusive offerings. It began with creating the Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara brands in 2013 and continued with the acquisition of Apple Leisure Group in 2021.
Rotana Announces First Five-Star Hotel in Somalia - Image Credit Rotana Hotels

In collaboration with Riverside Holding, Rotana is constructing the first luxury hotel in Somalia, the Mogadishu Rotana. The five-star hotel is slated for completion in 2026 and will comprise 321 keys, including 261 guest rooms and 60 hotel apartments. The hotel's facilities will encompass fitness and spa centers, a variety of dining options, event venues, and retail spaces.

The hotel's design achieves a unique blend of modern sophistication with local cultural elements, aiming to be a symbol of Mogadishu's revival. Situated near Aden Adde International Airport, the hotel forms part of a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the capital city. Other planned developments include a convention center, hospital, shopping mall, residential properties, a business park, and a school.

Aleph Hospitality will manage the Mogadishu Rotana's day-to-day operations. The Dubai-based company, the largest independent hospitality management company in the Middle East and Africa, brings its extensive hotel management experience and regional knowledge to the project.

Philip Barnes, CEO of Rotana, expressed his pride in the project and stated that they aim to establish the hotel as a center for international business, tourism, and cultural exchange. Barnes emphasized Rotanas commitment to transforming Somalia's hospitality industry and contributing to the countrys revitalization efforts.

Similarly, Jibril Hassan Mohamed, Chairman of Riverside Holding, expressed optimism about collaborating with Rotana, stating that it represents a significant advancement in Somalia's hospitality sector. He expressed confidence that the project will set a new regional standard and contribute to Mogadishu's economic and cultural renaissance.

Bani Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality, expressed excitement about managing their first hotel in Somalia and looks forward to working with Riverside Holdings and Rotana.

The Mogadishu Rotana will be the 118th property in Rotanas portfolio, which also includes an upcoming 140-key sustainable hotel apartment in Dakar, Senegal, and other luxury hotel projects in Accra, Cotonou, Cairo, and Luxor. Rotana manages 81 hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey, serving over six million guests annually.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Conakry - Image Credit Radisson Hotel Group

Radisson Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Blu Hotel in Conakry, Guinea. Located in the Kipe district, the beachfront hotel offers modern elegance with scenic ocean views and aims to provide a unique experience for business and leisure travelers.

The hotel is conveniently located near the city's main attractions, including cultural landmarks, business centers, and pristine beaches, allowing it to cater to local and international guests. It offers 282 rooms, suites, and apartments, all designed with a contemporary feel and featuring city and ocean views. Each room has high-end amenities like fast and free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and private balconies, all designed to provide a comfortable and hassle-free stay.

Tim Cordon, COO of Radisson Hotel Group for the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia Pacific, expressed pride in the hotel's opening. He highlighted it as a significant step in expanding the group's presence in West Africa and reflecting their commitment to offering premium hospitality in key African destinations.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Conakry, boasts four dining venues. The all-day restaurant, Larder, serves an international and local menu, and Fire Lake, the grill house, offers a selection of fresh seafood and premium cuts. Le Parisien, the on-site coffee shop, provides a relaxing atmosphere, and The Pool Bar offers cocktails with views of the infinity pool and the ocean.

For business needs, the hotel offers over 1,300 square meters of flexible event space, including a grand ballroom and high-tech meeting rooms. This makes it an ideal venue for conferences, corporate events, and social gatherings.

Marco G. Rabbia, General Manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, expressed excitement about welcoming guests to the property, promising exceptional service and unforgettable experiences.

Guests looking for relaxation can enjoy the hotel's wellness facilities, which include an outdoor infinity pool, a tranquil spa, and a fully-equipped gym. The hotel promises a holistic retreat for all visitors, offering rejuvenating massages, a steam room, and yoga spaces.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Conakry, aims to become the go-to destination for memorable events in the capital, from weddings to corporate conferences.
Hoffmann Bird Club members participating in the November waterfowl survey. Club members will be counting birds for the annual Christmas Bird Count. PreviousNext

Counting Birds Now a Christmas Tradition



The bird counts are important in collecting data for ornithologists and conservationists. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A team of birders will be heading out across North County on Saturday to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count. The count has become a tradition for many over the last 125 years while providing valuable environmental insights for researchers, conservation biologists, wildlife agencies, and others. Participating in this wildlife census allows people to observe and interact with birds in their local environments directly and can inspire a deeper connection to nature, instilling a desire to protect it, said Tom Tyning, former Hoffmann Bird Club president and longtime Christmas Bird Count participant. Bird watching is the most popular leisure time activity in the United States, said David Schaller, North County count compiler and a leader of Saturday's team. "It's a way to be outside. It's a way to connect with nature. It's good exercise. It's good mentally  you're trying to look at a bird and figure out what kind of bird it is," he said. "For some participants in our group, it's a family tradition that is as important to them as other Christmas traditions." This one-day activity is far more than that for many. It introduces new participants to a wealth of knowledge in environmental and natural science and can transform into a lifelong hobby because of its vast number of topics, Tyning said. The data collected by Christmas Bird Count participants has evolved over the past century to provide information on bird population, migration, and the impact of factors such as climate change, he said. The count occurs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 every season and has become one of the only two large pools of information informing ornithologists and conservation biologists, according to the National Audubon. These national events are free and open to all skill levels. For the Christmas Bird Count, the National Audubon Society, which oversees the count, has established strict protocols that participants must follow to mitigate mistakes such as double counting. The Hoffmann Bird Club participates in the Christmas Bird Count. The count was spread across three days in the Berkshires, with Central Berkshire on Dec. 14, North Berkshire on Dec. 28 and South Berkshire on New Year's Day. There may be room to participate in the South Berkshire count; more information here

Another information pool is the Great Backyard Bird Count, which occurs from Feb. 14 through 17 and anyone can spend at least 15 minutes counting for the Great Backyard Bird Count at anytime over the four days. More information on how to participate here.

When combined with other surveys, such as the Breeding Bird Survey, the counts can demonstrate how the continent's bird populations have changed over the past hundred years.

The long-term perspective is vital for conservationists as it informs strategies to protect birds and their habitat and helps identify environmental issues.

Bird watching and the Christmas Bird Count cultivate an opportunity for people to interact with others they otherwise wouldn't because it is accessible to everyone from all social and economic circles, Schaller said.

For the Christmas Bird Count, the National Audubon Society defines a specific 15-mile diameter circle that cannot overlap with other count areas and is divided into sectors.

Each sector has an assigned leader, and participants within that sector are required to record every individual bird they observe carefully.



The Christmas count looks for species and numbers to determine changes in bird populations and migration. Some 3 billion birds are estimated to have disappeared since 1970 based on the annual survey. Novice birders are paired with more experienced birders to help identify birds correctly.

Participants are required to record not only the number of birds they see but also the time and distance over which they make the observations.

After the count, the data collected by all the teams is compiled and reviewed by the count coordinators. Then, it is sent to the compiler, who identifies any potential discrepancies or outliers that may indicate double counting or other errors.

If there are any questionable sightings, the compiler will ask for more evidence before accepting the report.

"The data from this citizen science project is being used by scientists. For example, [scientists] have said since 1970 three billion birds have disappeared," Schaller said.

"So [the data] goes into scientific papers and recommendations for public policy. So, it's a rigorous procedure to count these birds. It's not an informal thing. It's not a social event. It's an actual survey of the birds."

In 1900, conservation was in its beginning stages, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations, the Audubon website states.

Frank Chapman, an ornithologist and early member of the society, proposed an alternative Christmas tradition, the Christmas Bird Count, in which participants would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.

It was a twist on the Christmas "side hunt" tradition where people would go out and shoot as many birds as possible, Tyning said.

"Some of those birds were eaten, some were taken to museums, and others were just left out there, and Chapman really thought that was a little bit brutal," he said.

"He also took a walk around Central Park and counted 46 species of birds. All of them were parts of birds or whole birds on people's hats and the millinery trade was a really big, big deal in the mid- to late 1800s, and it continued into the early 1900s."

Thanks to the work of Chapman and 27 dedicated birders, some 25 bird counts were held Christmas Day 1900.

By 2023, the tradition had grown to more 80,000 participants and is now the longest-running bird survey in the world.

In the early 20th century and before, it was also common practice for ornithologists and scientists to shoot and collect bird specimens for study and identification.

These specimens provided valuable data and physical evidence that could not be obtained through simple observation alone.

Technology advancements have improved binoculars and spotting scopes, allowing participants to accurately identify and count birds, lessening the need for killing the birds, Tyning said.

More recently, incorporating digital tools and online platforms has made it easier to coordinate the count, submit data, and share information, he explained.
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MONTREAL, 27 December 2024  The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has extended its profound condolences to the families and loved ones of those who perished or were injured in the tragic accident of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 on 25 December 2024.





Pursuant to Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), ICAO is calling upon Member States to extend their full cooperation in support of a comprehensive and independent investigation.





These international civil aviation standards call for an independent investigation, with all affected States to be invited. The investigators are mandated to identify all relevant information on the accident, and to report on the facts and any potential safety or security related factors that may have caused, or contributed to, this tragedy. They are also encouraged to recommend relevant safety improvements resulting from their findings.





It is in the interest of aviation in safety and security that ICAO has readied itself to support this investigation, assigning an ICAO expert to be deployed onsite as an observer to the international investigation team.





The organization is calling on all concerned States and service providers to protect all relevant information and records as part of their full cooperation with the investigation process. The States entitled to participate are the State of the operator, the State of registry of the aircraft, the State of its design and manufacturer (aircraft and engines), as well as States having suffered fatalities or serious injuries to their citizens.





The investigation, as prescribed by Annex 13, shall be conducted with the sole objective of preventing future accidents and incidents, through the collection and analysis of safety data and information. Annex 13 calls for a preliminary report to be produced within 30 days of the accident, with a final report to follow within 12 months.





ICAOs supporting role will help to ensure a thorough investigation that examines all potential contributing factors to this accident so that tragedies of this kind can be prevented.





Resources for editors





About ICAO

A specialized agency of the United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) leads the international alignment of technical standards and strategies, facilitating the safe, secure, and sustainable development of its 193 member states' aviation sectors and air services.





About the Chicago Convention and Accident Investigations

Investigations into the causes of accidents involving international air services are governed by Annex 13  Accident and Incident Investigation to the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation Organization. The sole objective of an Annex 13 investigation is to prevent accidents and incidents and generate safety data and information to aid with the prevention of future and similar accidents or incidents. Annex 13 investigations do not concern themselves in any way with the apportioning of blame or liability. The standards and recommended practices contained in Annex 13 can be consulted in ICAOs e-Library: https://elibrary.icao.int/product/475561





General Contact

icaohq@icao.int





Media Contact

media.relations@icao.int


BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. President of Ethiopia Taye Atske-Selassie has sent a letter of condolences to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in connection with the death of people as a result of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on December 25, Trend reports.

"Excellency,

It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we heard about the tragic plane crash and loss of lives.

On behalf of the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and that of myself, I express my most sincere condolences to your Excellency and through you, to the people and government of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I extend my heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims and their bereaved families; and wish for the full and speedy recovery to those injured in this tragic accident.

While Ethiopia stands in solidarity with the people and government of Azerbaijan during this difficult time, please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration," the letter reads.
Thursday 26 December 2024, 20:36 - Last updated: 28 December, 14:46

It hasn't been a mundane year for Chiara Ferragni. The italian influencer began the 2024 with the aftermath of the 'Pandoro gate', continued with her separation from his ex husband Fedez. Now, shes found love again with entrepreneur Giovanni Tronchetti Provera.

Chiara Ferragni Faces Online Backlash for Sharing Private Family Details

Chiara Ferragni says goodbye to 2024

Chiara Ferragni wanted to remember a tough video with a reel published on Instagram, which brings together some of her most significant moments, both good and bad: Goodbye 2024 writes the influencer, 'thank you for all the lessons and for making me who I am today.'

In the video, there is a voiceover that, over some images of Ferragni, says in English: 'I don't hate you, 2024, but you have been a difficult year. Full of challenges, changes, and lessons. You have shown me that life can change in the blink of an eye, and you have taught me to trust myself more. But above all, you have made me understand that my health, whether physical, emotional, or mental, is what truly matters. There are still things I cannot understand, but I believe that with time, I will understand the reasons and purposes of everything that has happened.' Among the images selected for the reel, there are several where Chiara Ferragni shows herself in tears, probably corresponding to the difficult period experienced between the 'Pandoro gate' and the separation from Fedez. However, in other clips, the influencer appears cheerful, often traveling with her dearest loved ones, testifying to a year that, despite the adversities, also managed to give her many beautiful moments.
Friday 27 December 2024, 12:31 - Last updated: 2 January, 17:05

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been arrested in Tehran, Iran. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Cecilia Sala was in Iran and was detained on December 19 by the police authorities of the capital. She is currently held in Evin prison, in the north of the capital.

Trump Urges Israel to Strike Iran's Nuclear Sites

Who is Cecilia Sala, the journalist arrested in Tehran?

Cecilia Sala is one of the best known and most respected Italian journalists on the international scene, known for her commitment to conflict zones and her ability to tell human stories in extreme contexts. Born in 1995 in Rome, she embarked on a career that led her to document some of the most complex international conflicts and political contexts of recent years. In recent years, her experience in the field and her ability to tell human stories even in the most extreme contexts have made her a reference voice in investigative journalism, especially abroad.

Her journalism career began when, as a young woman, she moved to Milan to study economics at Bocconi University. However, she left her studies six exams short of graduation to pursue her passion for journalism and storytelling. In 2015, she joined the Vice editorial team, earning recognition for her bold and engaging reporting style. By 2018, after contributing to prestigious outlets such as Vanity Fair, LEspresso, and Rai, she began collaborating with Michele Santoro on the Servizio Pubblico program on LA7, where she officially became a professional journalist.

What's happening?

Almost two weeks have passed since Cecilia Sala's detention in Evin prison, and the Tehran government has formalized the charges against her. The accusation is not clear, she violated the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This official act, when viewed in a diplomatic context, is interpreted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a positive sign. It suggests a willingness to open negotiations for her release, though these negotiations remain complex, as the condition for bringing the reporter back to Italy involves sending Iranian drone engineer Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, arrested at Malpensa airport on December 16 under a U.S. warrant, back to Tehran.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The petition of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan on the extradition of Georgian citizen Aghajanov Ulpat in accordance with the requirements of the European Convention on Extradition has been satisfied by the Lodz District Court of Poland, Trend reports via the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan.

According to the information, in connection with reasonable suspicions that Aghajanov committed premeditated murder as a member of a group of persons by prior conspiracy, it was ordered to prosecute him as a defendant, and since he was evading the investigation, he was declared internationally wanted.

He was arrested in October 2024 in Kutno, Poland.

Following the decision on extradition becoming effective, his rendition to Azerbaijan will be ensured.
Olivia Hussey, who played the role of a teenage Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 movie 'Romeo and Juliet', died at the age of 73. Her family confirmed the news, stating, Olivia was an extraordinary person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of everyone who knew her they said in a statement posted on Instagram. The death occurred following a serious illness.

Marisa Paredes, Iconic Spanish Actress and Almodovar's Muse, Passes Away at 78

"Olivia was an extraordinary person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of everyone who knew her. She lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality. She leaves behind a loving family - her children, Alex, Max, and India, her husband David Glen Eisley, and grandson Greyson - and a legacy of love that will remain forever in our hearts. As we mourn this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia's lasting impact on our lives. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask you to maintain privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul."

Olivia Hussey was born in Buenos Aires and she was 15 when, with her co-star Leonard Whiting, she starred in the Oscar-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy. Last year, the two actors filed a lawsuit against the studio accusing it of child abuse for a controversial nude scene in which they both appeared, being minors at the time. The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge. Hussey, who received a Golden Globe as 'New Star of the Year' for her portrayal of Juliet, later starred in the 1974 slasher film 'Black Christmas' and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile'. She is survived by her husband David Eisley, their three children, and a grandson.

The Lawsuit for Zeffirelli's Film

Olivia Hussey, along with Leonard Whiting who was the Romeo in that film, sued Paramount Pictures in 2023 for an unauthorized nude scene. According to the citation, Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, heavily insisted they shoot the scene, otherwise the film would "fail", even though they were originally supposed to perform wearing flesh-colored underwear. The film's producers are accused "of filming scenes of minors nude or semi-nude without their consent, in violation of the laws"

The Nude Scene

At the time, in 1968, the film achieved enormous global success, grossing almost 40 million dollars in the United States alone, but was already embroiled in controversy at its release due to the nude scene between the two protagonists and their minor age. In the United States, the film received an A rating, for adults, while in Italy Zeffirelli had to obtain a special permit from the censorship to release it in theaters. The protagonist herself was prohibited from viewing due to the scene she performed, and the actress commented on how it was possible that she could not see something that "I see in the mirror every day".

Her career

Hussey worked again with the great Italian director playing the role of Mary in the international miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" broadcast by dozens of televisions in 1977, with a colossal cast including six Oscar-winning actors (Anne Bancroft, Ernest Borgnine, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Quinn, Rod Steiger, and Peter Ustinov), while six other actors were nominated. Hussey played the role of Jesus's mother, portrayed by English actor Robert Powell, who achieved consecration with the general public. The actress was again an angelic face as the protagonist of the TV mini-series "Mother Teresa" (2003), directed by Fabrizio Costa, which narrates the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. Olivia Hussey was memorable in the role of Jess Bradford, terrified in her sorority house, in "Black Christmas" (1974) directed by Bob Clark, a cult film considered one of the masterpieces of the horror genre and the forerunner of the slasher subgenre. She was also the sullen Rosalie Otterbourne, the daughter of Angela Lansbury's character (Salome Otterbourne) in "Death on the Nile" (1978), based on the eponymous detective novel by Agatha Christie and directed by John Guillermin.
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Numerous celebrities have offered their support to Blake Lively after she filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, who is accused of sexual harassment and causing severe emotional distress.

The lawsuit states there was a meeting attended by individuals including Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni and their lawyers to address The Age of Adeline stars claims.

Lively had a number of requirements for her to work on the film that  according to the lawsuit cited by the outlet  included no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldonis alleged previous pornography addiction, no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crews genitalia, no more inquiries about Blakes weight, and no further mention of Blakes dead father.

The New York Times has also published alleged text messages from Baldoni, who has since been dropped by his agency, suggesting that he had orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively.

Baldonis lawyer Bryan Freedman has said It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to fix her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film.

Earier this month, Baldoni announced he is suing Lively and Reynolds for allegedly attempting to destroy his reputation and career.

In the wake of the revelations against Baldoni, Lively has received an outpouring of support from various famous faces.

Colleen Hoover

The author of It Ends With Us has supported Lively amid the claims against Baldoni. In a post to her Instagram stories, Hoover wrote: @blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met.

Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt.

open image in gallery Colleen Hoover on Instagram ( Colleen Hoover/Instagram )

Robyn Lively

Blake Livelys sister Robyn has responded to the sexual harassment lawsuit that the Gossip Girl actor filed against Baldoni.

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FINALLY justice for my sister @BlakeLively, the older Lively wrote on her Instagram Stories, highlighting specific sentences and phrases from the New York Times article. She then encouraged her followers to read the article in a follow-up post as she linked the article and wrote Blake Lively with a heart drawn around the name.

America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel  Blake Livelys longtime friends and co-stars on Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants released a joint statement on social media in support of the It Ends With Us actor.

The joint statement of support from the cast of the 2005 coming-of-age comedy-drama was posted on Instagram and stated that the actors stand with Lively in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation.

As Blakes friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation, the statement read.

Throughout the filming of It Ends With Us, we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice. Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding.

We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment. We are inspired by our sisters courage to stand up for herself and others.

The statement ended with a call to look up the full complaint and was signed by Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel.

Gwyneth Paltrow

In a subtle show of support for Lively, Paltrow shared an image of the stars Blake Brown haircare line on her Instagram stories, adding: Just added to my Christmas wish list.

The Sliding Doors actor punctuated the endorsement with a queen emoji.

open image in gallery Gwyneth Paltrow on Instagram ( Gwyneth Paltrow/ Instagram )

Amy Schumer

The Trainwreck actor gave a short seal of approval to Lively after the news broke. The 43-year-old simply wrote on her Instagram stories: I believe Blake.

Deadline notes that Schumers support for Lively is significant as she has previously mocked the actor on her Inside Amy Schumer sketch show and said that the two are not close friends.

Paul Feig

Feig, who directed Lively in the 2018 comedy A Simple Favor and its upcoming sequel, voiced his support for the star on X/Twitter.

The 62-year-old wrote: Ive now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is shes one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people Ive ever worked with. She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think its awful she was put through this.

Shawn Levy

The Canadian director, who worked with Lively on Deadpool and Wolverine, shared a link to the New York Times story on Instagram, adding that he was Proud to call Blake Lively a friend.

open image in gallery Shawn Levy on Instagram ( Shawn Levy/ Instagram )

Alex Saks

Saks worked as a producer on It Ends With Us. She also shared her support for Lively by posting a link to the New York Times article on Instagram.

Jenny Slate

The comedian and actor played the sister of Baldonis character in It Ends With Us. In a statement to Today, the 42-year-old said: As Blake Livelys cast mate and friend, I voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.

Blake is a leader, loyal friend and a trusted source of emotional support for me and so many who know and love her.

What has been revealed about the attack on Blake is terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening. I commend my friend, I admire her bravery, and I stand by her side.

open image in gallery Ferrera, Paltrow, and Hoover have all shared their support for the star ( Getty )

Amber Heard

Amber Heard has said that misinformation spread online is as horrifying as it is destructive in response to the revelation that It Ends With Us director and star Justin Baldoni hired the same PR crisis manager that Heards ex-husband Johnny Depp used during their high-profile defamation trial in 2022.

In a statement to NBC News, Heard said: Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on. I saw this firsthand and up close. Its as horrifying as it is destructive.

open image in gallery Amber Heard has offered her support to Lively after Baldoni hired Depps PR crisis manager ( Getty Images )

Brandon Sklenar

Lively and Baldonis It Ends With Us co-star has defended Lively before, after she was called tone-deaf for her promotional interviews for the movie. Following the publication of the lawsuit, he urged his followers to go and read the document.

Sklenar, who plays the teenage love interest of Livelys character in the adaptation of Hoovers novel, shared a photo of Livelys lawsuit as well as a link to the 80-page document.

He captioned the Instagram post: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD READ THIS, and added a red heart emoji while also tagging Lively.

open image in gallery Sklenar has shown his support for his co-star Lively ( Getty Images )

Bart Johnson

Livelys brother-in-law and High School Musical star Johnson went public with a candid and scathing statement in support of Lively.

He attacked Baldoni in a post on X/Twitter on 23 December, as he wrote: Hes a fraud. He puts on the costume of a hero, man bun and all. Used all of the trendy catchphrases & buzz words for his podcasts.

None of its genuine. Its all theatre. And everyone fell for it. For years. Rewatch his videos with a more critical eye and watch him compliment and praise himself with faux humility and self deprecation. What a performance.

Michele Marrone

The Italian actor and model, who stars alongside Lively in the forthcoming A Simple Favor sequel, shared his support in a December Instagram video, saying: Its usually not my thing to make those kinds of videos, but I think its time to stand up for a person I really love and this person is Blake Lively.

open image in gallery Michele Morrone shared his support of Lively in an Instagram video ( Getty Images )

I personally met Blake during A Simple Favor 2. We shot this incredible film together and I felt something was wrong, and I felt the pain, Marrone continued, adding that he was really tired of reading cruel and bad comments about Lively.

Blake, I love you so much, he concluded. Keep it up and were going to see each other very soon. Love you.

Kaitlin Olson

In an Instagram reel featuring the bombshell NYT article, Hacks actor Kaitlin Olson, whos also the wife of Reynoldss Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McelHenney, wrote: @blakelively is a kind, lovely, honest and generous person (and an incredible mom) FYI.
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Kieran Culkin has recalled how his co-stars and managers reacted to a stupid prank he pulled while appearing in a play when he was 17.

The Succession star first rose to fame as a child star alongside his older brother, Macaulay, in Home Alone and its sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

By the time he was a teenager, Culkin was well acquainted with life on a set but was also prone to creating mischief.

One memorable example was the press night of an off-Broadway production of the James Lapine play The Moment When, which he appeared in with Mark Ruffalo and the late Phyllis Newman.

Culkin apparently decided to spike a bag of prop spliffs with real marijuana, without telling his castmates, and later watched as Ruffalo took huge draws on what he believed to be a fake joint before passing it to his co-star.

By the interval, the entire cast was high.

Im like, I thought this was a good prank. Im stupid. Oh my God, Im so sorry. But actually, they loved it, Culkin recalled of the incident in an interview with The Guardian.

open image in gallery Mark Ruffalo made light of Culkins prank ( Getty Images for Critics Choice )

Mark says, I havent smoked pot in 10 years; the second halfs going to be so much fun. There was this other actor who had never smoked pot in her life. She goes, Is this what being high is? This is lovely. And then Phyllis Newman comes in and goes, I havent smoked pot since the 1960s. Thank you, darling.

Culkin provoked a different response from the stage manager, however. He said she came stomping in and demanded he hand over the joint, telling him: Ruin your life on your own time.

The actor  who is generating Oscar buzz thanks to his latest role in Jesse Eisenbergs film, A Real Pain  revealed that years later he scared actor Colin Hanks by joking about pulling the same stunt while they were appearing in a production of This Is Our Youth in London.

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Hes like, Are you f***ing kidding me? If you ever do something like that, I swear to God, Im going to punch you in the face.

open image in gallery Kieran Culkin said he knew better after getting up to mischief as a teenager ( Getty Images )

However, Hanks  the son of Tom Hanks and his first wife, Samantha Lewes  apparently became more amenable to the idea towards the end of the plays run, but became so nervous he was unable to roll the real joint.

I was young, Culkin explained of his antics. Im 42 now. I know better. Im not going to try to get anyone high on stage.

Last year, the actor shared how he had tried to get out of starring opposite Eisenberg in A Real Pain,which follows two formerly close cousins who embark on a Holocaust tour after their grandmother dies.

I was finding every reason to not do it, Culkin told Interview magazine. I was like, Ill watch his first film, maybe its going to be terrible. I watched it, and I was like, S***. Its really good.

Well, let me re-read the script, Im going to find holes in it. Maybe I was in a good mood when I said yes to it. I reread it and it was so wonderful.

Culkin added: When I finished it, I went to my wife and I was like, Im sorry, honey. F***, I have to go do this movie. Its just too good.

He explained that his reluctance was due to his determination not to be away from his family for longer than a few days at a time  A Real Pain was shot in Poland, while he and his wife own a home in New York.

Meanwhile, Eisenberg has said he had to throw out his playbook while directing Culkin, who is known for only learning his lines moments before shooting a scene and refusing to block scenes.

open image in gallery Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain ( AP )

I had spent months blocking out the scenes with Polish actors, Eisenberg said. Halfway through day one we had to change our plan. And it was completely to the advantage of the movie because Kieran is such a live wire.

Hes such a spontaneous actor and hes so brilliantly funny. To kind of hem him in with my pre-planned shot list would have killed the spontaneity and the energy of the movie.

A Real Pain is scheduled for release on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV on 31 December.
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Olivia Hussey, who mesmerised audiences as the female lead in Franco Zeffirellis 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has died aged 73.

The news was shared from her official Instagram account in a statement that said the Argentina-born star died at home, surrounded by her loved ones.

Hussey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and underwent a double mastectomy. The illness returned in 2017 and she underwent treatment to remove a small tumour growing between her heart and lungs.

Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her, her familys statement said.

It continued: Olivia lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals.

Hussey, who grew up in London, was just 15 when she was discovered by Zeffirelli while performing opposite Vanessa Redgrave in a stage production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

The director had been searching for someone young enough to play a convincing Juliet, in what he hoped would become the defining film adaptation of Shakespeares play.

Hussey was cast opposite 16-year-old British actor Leonard Whiting as Romeo in the Oscar-nominated film, which also earnt her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year.

open image in gallery Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting at the London premiere of Romeo and Juliet, 1968 ( Getty Images )

Decades later, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount Pictures, alleging that Zeffirelli  who died in 2019  had duped them into appearing in nude scenes despite being told they would not be required to.

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The lawsuit said the two plaintiffs continued to suffer physical and mental pain, along with extreme and severe mental anguish and emotional distress, due to their experiences on set.

A judge dismissed the case, in which the pair sought damages of more than $500m (417m), last year, finding the scene in question was not sufficiently sexually suggestive.

open image in gallery Zeffirelli with Hussey and Whiting on the set of Romeo and Juliet ( Alamy )

Hussey worked with Zeffirelli once more in 1977 for Jesus of Nazareth, in which she starred as the Virgin Mary.

She received recognition as a scream queen thanks to her roles in early slasher film Black Christmas and the TV movie Psycho IV: The Beginning, starring as Norman Batess mother in the latter.

Later on in her career, she found consistent work as a voice actor in video games for the Star Wars, Batman and Superman franchises.

Her final film credit saw her career come full circle in the 2015 film Social Suicide, a modern take on Romeo and Juliet, in which she was reunited onscreen for the first time with Whiting. Her real-life daughter, India Eisley, played her daughter, Julia.

open image in gallery Whiting and Hussey pictured together in 2019 ( 2018 Invision )

Hussey published a memoir, The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet, in 2018.

In an interview with Fox News to promote the book, she said she had found the attention over the film very overwhelming... even when we were shooting, we had reporters waiting for an interview during our lunch and tea breaks.

I couldnt really spend my teenage years like other teenagers, she continued. Everyone would come up to us for a photo, an autograph. But it was the experience of a lifetime, really.

She remained lifelong friends with Whiting, whom she briefly dated, and said they would communicate at least once every 10 days.

Olivia, we have shared so much since we were two sweet innocent children clinging onto each other for dear life, as every photo of us attests to, he wrote in the comments section of the Instagram post announcing her death.

You have never been frightened of fighting to fix everything wrong in this world. Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever. Leonard.

Hussey is survived by David Glen Eisley, her husband of 35 years, her children, Alex, Max and India, and her grandson, Greyson.
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It is strange the way that certain television genres gravitate to particular times of the year. High fantasy in the scorching summer, murder mysteries in the Christmas gloom, and, now, complex historical injustices to kick off the new year. Following in the footsteps of Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which galvanised the public discourse in January last year, comes Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, a new Sky Atlantic five-part dramatisation of the fallout from the worst terror attack in the history of the United Kingdom.

December 1988: a young, ebullient PhD candidate, Flora Swire (Rosanna Adams) boards a plane for New York. She is travelling to spend Christmas with her American boyfriend, but a bomb explodes over the Scottish town of Lockerbie and Flora, along with the other 258 occupants of the aircraft and 11 people on the ground, are killed. The scale of this disaster is unmatched, a local reporter, Murray Guthrie (Sam Troughton), declares amid the fiery wreckage littering the streets. At their home in the village of Finstall, near Birmingham, GP Jim Swire (Colin Firth) and his wife Jane (Catherine McCormack) slowly realise that the breaking news  of a plane crash in the Southern Uplands  concerns the flight that Flora, their daughter, was on.

The death of his eldest child sends Swire on a quest for truth. Not justice, which is fleeting and fickle, but an understanding of how and why his daughter died. Swires campaign  which stretches across the Thatcher, Major and Blair governments  will turn him into a minor celebrity. Stunts, including carrying a marzipan bomb on a transatlantic flight and going off-piste to visit Colonel Gaddafi in Tripoli, will bring him to the attention of the public and the authorities. But, at its heart, this is the story of a man trying to come to terms with a trauma he cannot fully understand. All the geopolitics, all the diplomacy, all the espionage  what matters to Swire is finally achieving some resolution. It is a journey that will take him on a strange trajectory, from bereaved father to political campaigner.

The first episode of Lockerbie: A Search for Truth depicts the night of the crash, from both the perspective of passengers in the air and the Scottish natives on the ground. It is a sequence rendered unflinchingly, almost reminiscent of the frenetic violence that raised the curtain on the first season of The Last of Us. Wheres my house gone? a little boy weeps. Wheres my mum and dad? And then the series  directed by Otto Bathurst and Jim Loach  pauses. A scene showing the bodies  hundreds of them  laid in columns in Lockerbies ice rink, as Swire paces in long shot, sets the tone for the show. Distressing yet resolute.

At the core of this is Colin Firth, who presents Dr Swire as a man of quiet integrity engaged in an almost fanatical pursuit of understanding. You failed to keep your passengers safe, he rails at a Thatcher-era minister. You failed in your duty. The supporting cast (including reliable British faces, like Mark Bonnar, and Iranian actor Ardalan Esmaili, who convincingly inhabits the convicted bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi) orbit this stellar performance. But from the moment Swire realises his daughter has died  a gut punch that many viewers will find hard to watch  to the bitter end of his fight, this is Firths show.

This puts a lot of pressure on the figure of Swire, who became controversial within the Pan Am Flight 103 families movement for his tactics, not to mention his support of Megrahis claims of innocence. This is, after all, not a simple story. There is no shadowy organisation  like the Post Office, say  definitively pulling the strings, no villainous mastermind  like Paula Vennells  to hold to account. Sky has deployed the rather hammy subtitle A Search for Truth in apparent deference to Swires book, which bore the slogan A Fathers Search for Justice, but the Lockerbie story is one devoid, ultimately, of either truth or justice. This telling favours Swires perspective on Megrahi  so different from the findings of the Scottish court that convicted him  and takes a line that many will disagree with. Truth, in the end, rarely comes with certainty.

Jim Swire became obsessed with the case ( Graeme Hunter Pictures )

But the story must be told. Not just from the morbidly voyeuristic perspective that so often governs our fascination with acts of violence, but from the slow, forensic unwinding of an obscured truth. Lockerbie: A Search for Truth contends that international diplomacy was privileged over families being allowed to truly grieve. And while absolute truth might prove elusive, even a partial understanding sheds light on the conspiracy of systems that leave emotional wounds untended.
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China appears to have tested novel sixth-generation stealth military aircraft as videos of the warplanes went viral on social media.

Mysterious tailless aircraft were seen flying over Chengdu city in southwest Sichuan province, though the defence ministry is yet to confirm the speculation.

Both jets are tailless, meaning they do not have vertical stabilisers to help maintain control. Such aircraft are typically kept stable by computers that interpret the pilot's control inputs and make it impossible to detect.

The test flight coincided with the birth anniversary of Mao Zedong, founder of the Peoples Republic of China. The aircraft designs are separate from airframers Chengdu and Shenyang and may be among the most sophisticated manned fighters in the world.

The larger of the two designs is roughly diamond-shaped, with three air intakes for its engines, two alongside the fuselage and one on top  an extremely unusual configuration. The smaller one has a more conventional layout, but no tail.

Both have the lack of 90-degree angles typical of stealth shaping for reduced radar detection. It really looks like a leaf, Defence Times, a website based in Chengdu, wrote on Weibo.

The new Chinese aircraft are not the first modern tailless designs. The Northrop Grumman B-2 and B-21 stealth bombers are both flying wings, and several uncrewed aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 and China's CH-7, lack tails.

The Chinese military flaunts its new technology at the end of the Western calendar year in late December or January.

In May 2024, the military said its J-20 stealth fighter jet, also known as the Mighty Dragon, can easily reach supercruise. Beijing has reportedly deployed as many as 250 of the stealth aircraft, first introduced into service in 2017, but its capabilities are not publicly known.

At the November Zhuhai air show, China revealed the twin-engine J-35 stealth fighter jet.

As China continues to modernise its military, the designs "show the willingness of China's aviation industry to experiment and innovate", said Euan Graham, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

"Whatever the merits or demerits, it appears to be a highly original design," he told Reuters. "They deserve kudos for that, and should shake off any lingering complacency that the U.S. and its allies always set the pace."

The US defence department said it was "aware of the reports" but did not have an additional comment beyond what was included in its annual report on the Chinese military this month.

China on Friday also launched a new amphibious assault ship which is designed to strengthen the navy's combat ability in distant seas.

The Sichuan, the first ship of the 076 type, is China's largest yet, displacing 40,000 tonnes and equipped with an electromagnetic catapult which will allow fighter jets to launch directly off its deck, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The ship is designed to launch ground troops in landing crafts and provide them air support. It is also equipped with the "arrestor technology" that allows fighter jets to land on its deck.

China's first amphibious assault ships, the type 075, launched in 2019.

Chinese military expert Song Zhongping compared the Sichuan to a "light aircraft carrier", according to state media Global Times.
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Indonesia has received a request from France to transfer the ailing French death row inmate Serge Atlaoui imprisoned since 2004, officials said on Saturday.

The 61-year-old French national has been held in Indonesia on drug charges as the authorities accused him of being a chemist.

We have received a formal letter requesting the transfer of Serge Atlaoui on 19 December 2024. The letter was sent on behalf of the French minister of justice, senior Indonesian law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told Agence France-Presse.

The request would be discussed in early January after the holidays, the minister said.

Atlaoui, who had spent almost 20 years in Indonesian prison, won a last-minute reprieve in 2015 and was excluded from being executed by a 13-member firing squad.

Earlier this month, he made a last-ditch plea to be returned home, Indonesian authorities said at a time the new administration of president Prabowo Subianto planned to give pardon to 44,000 inmates nationwide.

The father of four, who turned 61 last week and is reportedly suffering from cancer, wrote to the Indonesian government requesting to serve the rest of his sentence in his home country, according to Mr Mahendra.

Atlaoui was arrested in 2005 for involvement in a factory manufacturing the psychedelic drug MDMA, sometimes called ecstasy, on the outskirts of Jakarta. His lawyers say he was employed as a welder at the factory and did not understand what the chemicals on the premises were used for.

We are forwarding a personal request from Serge Atlaoui to the Indonesian government which of course should be responded to by the French government, because this concerns the transfer of a prisoner, Mahendra told a joint news conference with French Ambassador Fabien Penone after a meeting last week.

In the case of Atlaoui, Mr Mahendra said it was in the initial stages and will take some time because there has been no official request from the French government.

French ambassador Penone said that Mahendra has briefed him about the case and that he is working with the Indonesian government.

Atlaoui, from Metz, has maintained his innocence during his 19 years of incarceration, claiming that he was installing machinery in what he thought was an acrylics plant. Police accused him of being a chemist at the site. He was initially sentenced to life, but the Supreme Court in 2007 increased the sentence to death on appeal.

His case has drawn attention in France, which vigorously opposes the death penalty in all places and under all circumstances.
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The government has blocked 128 prisoners trapped under cruel indefinite jail terms from moving to open conditions in the past 12 months, The Independent can reveal.

Figures obtained in response to a parliamentary question show that the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has refused to allow scores of inmates serving abolished imprisonment for public protection (IPP) jail terms to progress to an open prison, despite the Parole Board recommending their transfer.

Politicians and campaigners have hit out at the scandalous number of prisoners being stopped from moving to a lower category prison where they may be eligible for day release, warning it reinforces the sense that IPP is the sentence of no hope.

More than 2,600 are languishing under the torture sentences with no release date, 12 years after the indefinite terms were abolished amid human rights concerns.

These include shocking injustices highlighted by The Independent such as James Lawrence, who is still in prison 18 years after he was handed an eight-month jail term; Thomas White, who set himself alight in his cell after serving 12 years for stealing a phone; and Abdullahi Suleman, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery.

At least 90 IPP prisoners have taken their own lives as they lose hope of ever being freed.

open image in gallery Shocking injustices facing IPP prisoners Thomas White, James Lawrence, Abdullahi Suleman and Yusuf Ali have been highlighted by The Independent ( Handout )

The government has come under fire for refusing to resentence IPP inmates, with prisons minister James Timpson last month telling the House of Lords it was right that release decisions are made by the independent Parole Board.

Instead, he said IPP inmates must focus on progressing towards being approved for release by the Parole Board despite more than 700 having served at least 10 years longer than their minimum term.

However, in answer to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Kim Johnson, justice minister Sir Nicholas Dakin said that the secretary of state was free to accept or reject the Parole Boards recommendations to move someone to an open prison.

And figures reveal that the government has refused to follow Parole Board recommendations to progress IPP prisoners in 61 per cent of cases in the past year.

In the first four months of 2024, under the previous Tory government, every single IPP prisoner recommended for progression was denied a move to open prison.

The numbers allowed to transfer have increased since the Labour government was elected in July, although 45 per cent were still blocked from transferring in the last six months of 2024.

The figures come as a former justice secretary called for thousands of prisoners to be moved to open prisons to tackle overcrowding and help prepare inmates for release.

David Gauke, who has been commissioned by the government to lead a review of sentencing policy, believes the move would save money and help reduce reoffending.

open image in gallery Prisons minister Lord Timpson said it was right that release decisions are made by the independent Parole Board, as the government refused to resentence IPPs ( (Houses of Parliament) )

Urging ministers to look to Spain, where one in four prisoners are allowed to leave prison walls during the day, he told The Times: We dont make as much use of open prisons as we might do.

Lord Woodley, who has tabled a private members bill for IPP prisoners to be resentenced, said the figures of those blocked from moving to open prisons were scandalous.

Without wishing to sound cynical, some might say the government seem happy to hide behind the Parole Board when it suits them, but to ignore their advice when it doesnt, he said.

Reformed IPP prisoner Marc Conway, who was one of the heroes of the Fishmongers Hall terror attack, said the shocking figures only serve to reinforce the feeling that IPP is the sentence of no hope.

It is concerning that people have done everything that the Parole Board has asked, and they have said they are in a good position to move to open conditions, then the government stepped in to override it, he said.

Rulings like this actually reinforce that IPP is the sentence of no hope. It will enforce their feeling that no one cares about them.

Its the people at the top who have got the power. When you feel like you are fighting a whole establishment rather than an individual process you start to feel dehumanised. You start to feel like you are not worthy. These are all factors as to why people attempt suicide and self-harm.

Last year Nicholas Bidar, 36, became the first IPP prisoner to have his parole hearing held in public. He described himself as a political prisoner after he was recommended for transfer to open conditions in 2021, but this was blocked by Dominic Raab, the home secretary. He remains in maximum security HMP Long Lartin.

open image in gallery Nicholas Bidar was the first IPP prisoner to have his parole hearing held in public ( Supplied/PA )

A family member said the refusal to move him, despite the panel of parole board experts advising he was ready, was devastating.

His words to us afterwards were literally, I dont want to wake up, I dont want to be here, they told The Independent.

He said, I am not coming home, Im going to die here. Thats how he has felt since that happened.

Bernadette Emerson, co-founder of IPP Committee in Action, has been fighting for her husband Abdullahi Suleman, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for a laptop robbery.

She said the figures show why IPPs feel like they have no chance whatsoever.

They are trapping IPPs either way, she said. Without resentencing going ahead, whats going to happen for IPPs if the government is doing these blocks all the time?

They need to drastically improve the situation for IPPs and give them the chance to progress to release and be given their life back.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: It is right that IPP sentences were abolished. We recently terminated the lifetime licences of more than 1,700 rehabilitated offenders, and are improving the rehabilitation and mental health support for those still in prison.

The Lord Chancellor considers the recommendations from the independent Parole Board as to whether to place IPP prisoners in the open estate and public safety is at the heart of any decision.
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Airline passengers hoping to jet off ahead of the New Year were hit by severe delays, as thick fog caused chaos at the UKs busiest airports.

Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester, the UKs three busiest airports, were forced to cancel a number of flights on Friday, with almost all scheduled departures severely delayed due to the troubling weather.

Almost every flight from Manchester airport was delayed throughout the day, with the majority being held back by over two hours.

Several to destinations such as Guernsey, Dublin, Munich and Hurghada were also delayed by over four hours.

A similar story was seen at both Gatwick and Heathrow, with passengers describing chaotic scenes as they waited to see if they would be taking off at all.

The countrys main air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats said that temporary air traffic restrictions were put in place at several airports due to widespread fog to maintain safety.

open image in gallery London Gatwick hopes the government will give them the green light to use its Northern Runway as a second permanent runway ( Getty Images )

A spokesperson said: We continue to monitor the situation and have a Met Office expert embedded within our operation to ensure we have the latest available information. Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimise disruption.

The UKs biggest budget airline, easyJet, said it experienced disruption to its flying programme due to low visibility. A spokesperson said: While this is outside of our control, we are doing all we can to minimise the impact of the delays.

One man caught up in the chaos was John Mitchell, 47, who was desperate to get back to Aberdeen after finding out his father died on Friday morning.

Mr Mitchell, who had been in London visiting friends, booked a last-minute easyJet flight from Gatwick airport on Friday which was delayed for more than three hours due to the fog.

He said he was absolutely devastated and hoped his flight which has been delayed till 10.53pm would actually take off on Friday.

open image in gallery John who has been in London visiting friends, booked a last minute Easyjet flight from Gatwick airport on Friday ( PA )

I was actually supposed to be in London till Sunday, but Ive had a family bereavement. My dad passed away this morning, Mr Mitchell told the PA news agency.

The flight I booked is for 7.35pm but is now estimated to leave at 10.53pm  nearly three-and-a-half hours late. Im worried because Aberdeen airport has got restrictions for late flights.

Im absolutely devastated.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said: Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.

Some flights may be delayed throughout the day. London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience. Passengers should contact their airline for further information.

As the evening went on, an increasing number of flights were cancelled from Gatwick, Manchester and Heathrow. It was expected that more cancellations could come as flying curfews came into affect later in the evening.

Passengers trying to leave the airport were met with more frustration as they described huge queues and no communication as they tried to collect their luggage.

One man trying to leave Gatwick wrote on social media: @British_Airways an absolute disgrace tonight at @Gatwick_Airport Cancelled flight, then left passengers stranded in departures with no way to leave airport and collect luggage. No communication, nobody on the counters. Complete shambles.

Earlier in the day, passengers in Manchester vented their frustrations on social media, with one writing on X that they were facing a several hour delay but there was no space in airport lounges.
There is no escaping that 2024 looked very much like the royals annus horribilis: 12 months that recast monarchy in a new and fragile light. Cancer encroached on sacred ground, trolls banged on palace doors, and Prince Andrew plumbed fresh depths of disrepute, a feat previously thought impossible. Privilege gave our family firm no place to hide; beware the ides of March, by which time both the King and his daughter-in-law were already en route to reinventing royalty.

Self-protection and public pressure led to the unprecedented (partial) sharing of private health information, with a naive photoshopped family snap giving way to cleverly curated films. The Princess of Wales found her voice; informing the public of her cancer diagnosis, and later admitting the journey was complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.

However, less than 12 months later, the princess has ended this hardest of years on a reputational high.

Indeed, what started as an annus horribilis for the Windsors has become something more complex; devastating health blows for certain family members have intersected with our most venerable institution of state and recast royal players. Any cancer diagnosis is a bitter blow. For Kate, in mid-life with three young children, the shock of the C word and the gruelling treatment it necessitated led to her being reframed in the public consciousness.

The mob braying where is Kate? stepped into line, sympathy gave way to respect, and then joy: the princess glowed at the Trooping of the Colour parade and was joyful in festive red at the years-end Together at Christmas carol concert. Hallelujah!

Kate has not walked alone. Naysayers who doubted Williams mettle have been forced to rethink. The Prince of Wales is royaltys new rock, a reincarnation of his late grandmother, the steadfast anchor who changed it up with designer stubble when his wife was out of action, a womans man who unambiguously declared 2024 more than brutal, in fact the toughest year of his life.

The nation fell in love with Dianas firstborn all over again. We had forgotten how tall he is, and how comfortable he is in his own skin. So comfy even Trump couldnt bring himself to manhandle the future king on his pop-over to Paris. (Macron who? The French president was the small one). Without doubt, the rebirth of the Waleses as the countrys number one couple has moved our monarchy into a new space. These days they appear to be a double act, even when apart.

open image in gallery In a video released by the couple, William and Kate are shown together in the outdoors ( PA )

But every royal success story casts a shadow. And for once I am not talking about the Sussexes (who are often apart, according to transatlantic gossip. Except on their Christmas  ahem  Holiday card). Rather it is our monarch whos feeling the squeeze. There is no doubting the Kings great affection for his stoic, dignified daughter-in-law, but beyond the platitudes and dewy-eyed respect is an inescapable sadness.

This was the man who waited 73 long years for the big gig only to be hobbled within 18 months of getting it. To compound the problem even when he successfully postponed his treatment and travelled halfway across the world to wow the tepid commonwealth, there was his wifes health to consider. Older than him at 77, Queen Camilla has not been in the best of health since she returned from Australia: a chest infection, pneumonia, post-viral fatigue. A salient reminder that long-haul travel, a gruelling schedule and old age dont necessarily mix. A problem compounded by the late Queen and Philips ability to make OAP monarchy look easy.

open image in gallery Andrew continues to loom over the royal family with his habit of courting all the wrong people ( PA )

All the while, wonder-boy William has been mopping up after his father. The Earthshot Prize in South Africa, Homelessness on ITV, Paris for the president-elect and wise words about his wonderful wife. While he got the set pieces, only one head shouldered the sovereigns burden. The full-fat menu of kingship sits with Charles, and that includes an invidious side-serving of Prince Andrew, a lump of gristle that wont go away.

All that secrecy and someone was always going to come unstuck. It is remarkable that we spent much of the year exclaiming at how open Charles and Kate had been for uttering the word cancer when the operational reality of monarchy remains a great big mystery. Transparency, there is virtually none. And the labyrinthine royal maze regrettably still includes Andrew. Despite his proven lack of judgement (see his initial refusal to denounce the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the small matter of a 12m legal settlement just months before the late Queens platinum jubilee), in his capacity as both a prince and a duke, Andrew continues to woo all the wrong friends. As for influence, apparently that was left to the Chinese government.

open image in gallery Kates fortitude has been a sight to behold ( AP )

The businessman and alleged spy in question, Yang Tenbo, was eventually named. He is believed to be associated with the United Front Work Department, a secretive arm of the Chinese state. This same man also sat at the top of [the Princes] tree. A tree that apparently many, many people would like to be on.

It beggars belief. Or does it? Since his fall from grace in 2019, Andrew has been cut off from the royal gravy train. These days, the disgraced duke even has to mend his own gigantic roof (yes, he remains in the Royal Lodge). Andrew needs lots of money, and despite coming unstuck during the Epstein furore, he still enjoys levels of protection from public scrutiny the rest of us can only dream of. Decades on, Andrews time as a trade envoy cannot be investigated because as a royal he is granted special protection. (Access to his files is prohibited until 2065). Nor will a freedom of information (FOI) request yield results: royals are exempt from the FOI Act. Even non-working princes play by different rules. Apparently, their privacy matters more than the public interest.

open image in gallery The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been making a go of life outside the royal circle ( Archewell Foundation )

Despite (or perhaps because of) all the secrecy, Andrews murky legacy has remained at the top of the Kings in-tray, both pre and post-cancer. It certainly puts Williams cold war with sibling Harry into perspective. The latters efforts at earning money may be loose-lipped and a little self-involved but at least the Sussexes are trying to go their own way. and realising, as many mock their efforts, that it is not that easy. And yet, despite the gravity of Andrews most recent predicament, the Kings solution  to mothball his younger brother, who didnt Christmas at Sandringham this year  is far too little, too late.

If only Charles could see that this sorry saga is much bigger than Andrew; the matter goes to the heart of the royal family and its future success. Above all else, the health challenges of 2024 have underlined the value of our constitutional monarchy: their special place in our national story, the position they hold apart from politics, their humanity engaging worldwide audiences and winning the respect of even the toughest political players.

open image in gallery Shining bright: William, Kate and their children at the Together at Christmas carol service ( Getty )

William insists he wants to provide compassionate leadership amid a dangerous new dawn of showy nationalism. To help him perform that onerous task, it is vital the King leans in. He may never be the star turn his late mother was, or that his son is fast becoming, but Charles could make a name for himself as a monarch who oversees much-needed root-and-branch reform.

Increased transparency about royal financing and vested interests, and fewer exemptions from scrutiny, would place the royal family on a similar footing to other public institutions. In the long term, a more open-book monarchy would increase trust, while protecting against the perils of outside nefarious forces. And it would protect the royals from themselves. No amount of future-proofing can guarantee against cancer, but progressive reforms initiated by the King would help preserve the Windsor magic and sparkle for the next generation. To quote from the Princess of Waless summer video: Out of darkness can come light, so let that light shine bright.

Tessa Dunlop is the author of Elizabeth and Philip, the story of young love, marriage and monarchy, Headline Press, 2022
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. This year, a primary focus of our nation's policy in the region was the establishment of relations and the advancement of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, grounded in the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, leveraging the historical opportunities for the creation of stable and enduring peace in the region, the report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports.

Additionally, it was observed that, in alignment with the objectives established at the highest level, pertinent communications were maintained at the foreign ministry level to negotiate a bilateral agreement, which will serve as the legal foundation for interstate relations, and substantial advancements were made regarding the normalization agenda.

In the foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as in previous years, special attention was paid to relations with neighboring states. In 2024, high-level and top-level visits to Turkiye, Russia, Georgia, and Iran took place. Holding meetings within the framework of existing bilateral and other cooperation formats during the year was an indicator that our country attaches special importance to regional cooperation.

To combat existing challenges, as well as to strengthen security, stability, and economic cooperation, a trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey and the Prime Minister of Pakistan was held in Astana on July 3, the 9th trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Georgia was held in Baku on March 15, and a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the 3+3 regional cooperation platform was held in Istanbul on October 18, the report reads.

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A former minister whose family left Myanmar for Britain has added his voice to growing calls for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is imprisoned by the dictatorship there.

Paul Scully said her role as the figurehead for the campaign for democracy in the country was both why she remains in prison and why we should keep pushing for her release.

His comments come after three former UK foreign secretaries called for the 80-year-old to be freed, warning she was being held on trumped-up charges and deserved another chance to lead her country.

Placed under house arrest for 15 years between 1989 and 2010 before she was finally released, her fight for democracy made her a global figure. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

But she has become a deeply divisive and controversial figure after she refused to speak out against her countrys extreme violence and ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

Her fall from grace is explored in a new Independent TV documentary, Cancelled: The rise and fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, which explores her life and the plight of Myanmar.

Watch: Cancelled: The rise and fall of Aung San Suu Kyi Documentary on Independent TV

open image in gallery Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, November 2010 ( Getty )

Mr Scully, the Conservative member of parliament for Sutton and Cheam from 2015 to 2024 who also served as Theresa Mays trade envoy to Myanmar, said Ms Suu Kyis time as the countrys de facto prime minister would forever be marred by her dismissal of the Rohingya people and her complicity in their repression.

The military now rule with impunity campaigning for her release is the right thing to do and an important step back to opening up the country which has strategic importance given its proximity to China.

Mr Scullys told The Independent his grandfather had been in charge of the workers who scuttled the docks in Rangoon, as it was then known, during the Second World War to prevent the Japanese coming in.

His father moved to the UK in the 1950s after seeing the direction in which the country was going, he said, followed by many other members of the family in the decades that followed.

His aunt had a family friend sent to the notorious Insein prison in the capital on trumped-up charges, he said, and it is a place which can, as it did for him, turn your mad, turn you insane. It totally broke him and he was never the same man again.

Ms Suu Kyi has been held in prison since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, a move that plunged the country into armed conflict, with a number of rebel groups now fighting the Myanmar military.

open image in gallery Paul Scully witnessed violence against Rohingya in Myanmar ( PA )

The next year she was convicted of offences ranging from treason and corruption to violations of telecommunications law, charges she denies. As a result, she faces being kept in detention for the rest of her life.

Although details of her imprisonment have been conflicting, it is thought she has been kept in a cell in a prison in Naypyidaw, north of Yangon, formerly Rangoon.

What life is like in Myanmar today

Ms Suu Kyi, who studied at Oxford University, married British lecturer Michael Aris and raised her sons Alexander and Kim in the UK before going back to Myanmar in 1988.

Following elections in 2015, the military junta allowed Ms Suu Kyi to become the de-facto head of government but only if they kept the key ministries of home affairs, defence and border control, alongside the military budget.

Two years later, in 2017, the military junta cracked down on dissent in Rakhine State among the Muslim Rohingya community.

Mr Scully said he saw first-hand the violence suffered by the Rohingya.

I was actually on the other side of the border with Bangladesh, when the Rohingya were coming across the border, he explained. There were about 10,000 people came across in the week that I was there. I saw Suu Kyi on television, saying theres nothing to see here. And then 20 minutes later, I was right on the water looking at a column of smoke where another village had been burned.

I saw some horrible things. I saw a man with the back of his head smashed in by a machete and I met a woman whose son had been castrated and beheaded by militia groups.

He had earlier met Ms Suu Kyi when she was preparing to become de facto prime minister.

I noticed then that the stubbornness that had made her an amazing campaigner, was also a weakness. Because she expected so much out of her MPs, in their daily and weekly lives that they were never going to be able to meet that bar that she was setting, he said.

But despite all of that ultimately she wants a truly democratic Burma, he added.

He said he hoped that Myanmars future would see a democratically elected government that can, as it is called the Land of Smiles, let those smiles come out. It is a lovely place and people need to know about it.

In April a spokesperson for the military junta claimed that Ms Suu Kyi had been moved to house arrest, although no details were given.

Her younger son, Kim Aris, said that no one outside of military personnel has seen her for a long time, and that a number of underlying health issues have been only seen to by military doctors.
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Sir Keir Starmer has thrown down the gauntlet to Britains top watchdogs and regulators  including those covering the energy sector  demanding they come up with ideas to boost investment to kickstart economic growth.

The prime minister, alongside chancellor Rachel Reeves and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, has written to more than 10 regulators ordering them to submit a range of pro-growth initiatives to Downing Street by the middle of January.

The letter, sent on Christmas Eve to watchdogs covering energy (Ofgem), water (Ofwat), financial services (FCA) and competition (CMA), was unambiguous in directing regulators to prioritise growth and investment, according to one recipient. But critics accused the PM of chasing a regulatory race to the bottom and called for Sir Keir to pursue closer ties with Europe to boost growth instead.

open image in gallery Keir Starmer was accused of chasing a regulatory race to the bottom ( PA Wire )

Communications regulator Ofcom, the Environment Agency and healthcare regulators also received the letter, Sky News reported.

The letter comes as part of a bid by Sir Keir, who has made economic growth his number one mission, to get Britains flatlining economy moving.

Shortly after taking power, the PM promised a bonfire of red tape to rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment. Sir Keir also promised to order regulators to prioritise growth in their decision-making, laying the groundwork for the Christmas Eve edict.

It follows a pre-Christmas blow for the PM and Ms Reeves, as official figures showed that there was no economic growth in Labours first three months in power.

With the economy on the verge of entering a recession, Ms Reeves said the figures were only fuelling our fire to deliver for working people. And she said the task facing the government was huge after 15 years of Tory neglect.

The Conservatives said the economy was growing before the general election, and Sir Keir would be better turning back the clock to when they were in charge. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said: It says all you need to know about Keir Starmers government when hes having to beg his own government to create growth after Labours damaging Budget and job-destroying employment bill.

"If he wants the fastest growth in the G7, hed have more luck turning the clock back to before the general election when the UK was growing under the Conservatives.

Critics hit out at the focus on deregulation to boost growth, calling instead for the government to urgently rebuild ties with the EU.

open image in gallery Rachel Reeves suffered a blow as official figures showed there was zero growth in the first three months of the Labour government ( PA Wire )

Sir Keir has launched a reset of post-Brexit relations with Brussels since taking office but has yet to formally agree closer trading ties.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of campaign group Best for Britain, which campaigns for a better UK-EU relationship, said: Achieving economic growth is vital if the prime minister is to deliver on his promises to the country but the answer is not a regulatory race to the bottom.

Businesses need regulatory certainty to invest and the real barriers to growth that must be removed are those created by the Brexit deal which have artificially increased prices for consumers.

The government can do both by committing to a policy of beneficial regulatory alignment with our largest market.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Daisy Cooper backed calls for Sir Keir to repair Britains relations with Europe to boost growth but also hit out at Ms Reevess damaging Budget measures.

She told The Independent: After years of economic vandalism under the Conservative Party, the new government has a mountain to climb.

If ministers are truly looking to reverse the stagnation we saw under the last Conservative government, the best place to start is reversing the damaging national insurance hike, reforming business rates and fixing our broken relationship with Europe.

Labour peer Prem Sikka warned against the initiative, saying it risked consumer protections. Lord Sikka told The Independent: It is a race to the bottom at the expense of consumer rights. It opens the doors for predatory practices and will make people despair.

Reform UK deputy leader Andrew Tice said Sir Keir was getting desperate six months after the general election and called the letter a desperate ploy.

Mr Tice told The Independent: His Budget has backfired, pushing Britain to the verge of a recession. This is nothing more than a desperate ploy to save his own skin without doing the right thing  which is reversing his damaging Budget.

Reform UK are clear, we would save tens of billions by scrapping the job-destroying net zero that is causing the cost of living crisis, slash foreign aid, cull the civil service and so be able to incentivise work and small businesses with lower taxes to get the economy firing again.

The letter from Sir Keir, Ms Reeves and Mr Reynolds said that improving regulation in the UK  ensuring that it enables growth and does not unduly hold back investment  is an essential part of this governments growth mission.

It added: This is a shared endeavour in which we all have a stake, and therefore we would like your support in delivering it.

The trio reiterated that every department and every regulator should prioritise growth, vowing that ministers would support them in doing so. They demanded concrete proposals from each of the regulators setting out how your organisation can go further to prioritise growth and facilitate investment.

The government declined to comment on the letter but a spokesperson said: Our Plan for Change will drive economic growth right across the country, putting more money in peoples pockets.

Regulating for growth instead of just risk is essential to that mission, ensuring that regulation does not unnecessarily hold back investment and good jobs in the UK.
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Its been well publicised that 2024 was a big year for elections, with billions of people in at least 60 countries going to the polls.

The year started with votes in the worlds largest country, India, and is ending in the wake of an annulled election in Romania over accusations of Russian interference.

As a data correspondent, I spent most of this year covering what were arguably the two most influential polls: the UK general election in July, and the US presidential election in November.

From an outside glance, the two electoral events had little in common; not least because Sir Keir Starmer and President-elect Donald Trump are far apart in most aspects of their character.

In the UK, Labour won by a landslide; a majority of 156 seats, and a 10 per cent majority in national vote share. In the US, Trump dominated the electoral college, but in the end won just a 1.6 per cent national majority over Kamala Harris.

In both cases, the incumbent government was voted out, in no uncertain terms.

Indeed, these elections shared some key similarities which may point to trends in the future of global politics, particularly in the digital age.

The toolmaker and the Apprentice

Before comparing the common characteristics of the UK and US elections, we must acknowledge that the choice of leaders is what largely sets them apart.

This summer, Brits ushered in a moderate left-wing government led by a man who, for all his undeniable achievements, was suggested to be too boring to be Prime Minister.

The picture across the pond is almost a total opposite. Trump was elected to a second term - a right-wing candidate who is credited with pushing Republicans further right, and whose actions over the years can be described as many things but not boring.

open image in gallery Trump was the host of the US version of business reality show The Apprentice (2004) ( AP )

Their backgrounds are also a point of difference. Sir Keir proudly waved his working-class roots as the son of a toolmaker, who diligently climbed the legal ladder and reached the head of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Famously, Trump received a small loan of a million dollars from his own mogul father, which the president-elect developed into a business career spanning from a real estate empire, to hosting The Apprentice, and the short-lived Trump University.

Both individuals, of distinct backgrounds and skills, were chosen by their electorate to be leaders. One embodies the rule of law, while the other rejects (or indeed, bulldozes) the institutional rulebook.

To some degree at least, both reflect the values of their electorate.

The political right and third-parties

On both sides of the pond, this years elections represented some degree of a win for the right. In the US, Republicans swept the Executive, Congress and Senate. In the UK, the Conservatives fall from grace made way for a new right.

Men have typically been considered a key support base for Trump, but this year, this extended to the younger generation too.

Nearly half of men under aged 18-30 voted for Trump, according to AP VoteCast; up from a third in 2020.

open image in gallery Donald Trump appeared on several podcasts popular with young men on the campaign trail, including Impaulsive with Logan Paul in July. ( Impaulsive/X )

Yet for some time, Trump was not the only option available to more Conservative voters. Until mid-July, Robert F Kennedy Jr. was performing unprecedentedly well in the polls, hovering between 9 and 10 per cent of the vote.

When Kamala Harris entered the race, his polling popularity split in half, but RFK Jr was still maintaining a healthy 5 per cent of vote intention. With the election considered to be on a knifes edge, this percentage could have made the difference for either major candidate.

His supporters were made up of both traditionally liberal and conservative voters, who may have been united by a frustration with the status quo. But ultimately, RFK Jr endorsed Trump, aligning himself with the political right - and possibly securing himself a position as Health Secretary.

Meanwhile in the UK, left-wing Labour won by a landslide, with a crippling historic defeat for the Tories at just 121 seats in Parliament.

But all was not lost for the political right. Nigel Farages right-wing party Reform UK also broke through the fray by winning five seats, above most expectations.

open image in gallery Reform has surpassed 100,000 members and snatched up former Conservative MPs in its ranks in mere months. ( EPA )

Overall, men also swung farther to Reform (by +15 per cent) than women (+11 per cent); with wins among all male age groups, from men under 24 (9 per cent) to over 55s+ (20 per cent), according to the Ipsos exit poll.

More pressingly, Reform won 14.3 per cent of the national vote share; just a few points behind the Tories (23.8 per cent).

Whether this momentum can be sustained into the next election remains to be seen. This could, however, set the stage for a new form of the UKs political right, which has been dominated by the Conservatives for over a century.

Both Labour and Democrats lost minority voters

Labour in the UK and the Democrats in the US waged very different campaigns; and namely, Sir Keirs party won the election, while Ms Harris lost.

Yet both major left-wing parties lost support from one of their key demographics: minority voters.

In the UK, the Independent revealed that Labour lost nearly a third of its existing support from Black and Asian voters compared to the 2019 election.

The ethnic minority Labour vote dropped from 64 per cent to 46 per cent; despite Labours overall success.

In fact, +13 per cent more ethnic minority voters chose Independent candidates this year, compared to a boost of just + 2 per cent among white voters.

Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, pointed to a weak stance on the war in Gaza and Labours internal race rows as a reason for this disillusionment.

It should concern Labour that they have not only lost votes from Asian communities, but they have lost seats [to Independents], he told the Independent.

open image in gallery Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion with Latino community leaders at Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida, on October 22, 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

In the United States, Democrats lost favour with the core Latino voter group, leading to a nearly even split between Harris-Trump support.

NBCs exit polls showed that Harris won 53 per cent of the Latino vote to Trumps 45 per cent; a far cry from Bidens 33-point lead among Latinos in 2020.

Though the extent of concerns about a substantial shift to the right among Black voters appeared to be overblown, 1 in 5 Black men did vote for Trump (an increase of 2 per cent from 2020, and up 7 per cent from 2016).

This specifically represented a growing divide between Black women (7 per cent of whom voted for Trump) and Black men; with some commentators arguing that a shift to the right among Black men was inevitable, due to culturally conservative and economically liberal traits.

open image in gallery A volunteer asks voters to cast an uncommitted ballot in Dearborn, Michigan, over President Bidens backing of Israel. February 2024 ( (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images) )

Gaza also played a part in the US election. The Uncommitted campaign urged voters to withhold their votes from the Democrats, as an act of protest against Bidens approach to the war in Gaza.

While it is impossible to say how many non-votes were decided for this reason, there is one place it certainly made a difference.

Dearborn, Michigan was considered a Democratic stronghold with a 55 per cent Arab population. This year, Trump won the city by 2,500 votes; the first time a Republican has won since 2000.

Harris lost a third of the Dearborn vote from Joe Biden in 2020 (down to 36 per cent from 69 per cent), while third-party candidate Jill Stein took 15 per cent of the vote in the city.

In both the UK and US, then, Labour and Democrats lost favour with minority voters, for a variety of reasons. Both parties had relied on non-white voters as reliable supporters; but this may not be an easy win in future elections.
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The leader of the UKs unions has issued a stark warning to Keir Starmer that his party must deliver in 2025.

Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, said that continuing with the same broken status quo is not an option and that ordinary people had to start to feel better off in their wallets.

In an interview with The Independent, he said the one word he would use to sum up the troubled first six months of Sir Keirs time in Downing Street would be potential.

Since entering No 10, the Labour leader has come under fire for a series of unpopular policies including the tractor tax and stripping winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners. He recently unveiled a new Plan for Change as the party seeks to learn the lessons of the US election that delivered Donald Trumps victory  to focus on how well off people feel they are rather than broader economic measures like GDP.

In his new years message, the leader of the UK trade union movement says working people desperately need tangible change.

open image in gallery Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC has said Labour needs to deliver in 2025 ( PA Archive )

Repairing and rebuilding Britain after 14 years of Tory chaos and decline is a massive challenge for the government, he said. But 2025 has to be a year of delivery - continuing with the same broken status quo is not an option.

As recent elections in the US and across the globe have shown, securing economic growth is not enough on its own. Families want to feel better off and to see material improvements in their day-to-day lives.

Making work pay, creating good jobs and improving public services would give people hope  at a time when the far-right is using the politics of grievance to divide our communities, he added.

He backed deputy prime minister Angela Rayners Make Work Pay plans to upgrade workers rights, which the governments own analysis says could cost businesses up to 5bn a year to implement.

Under the plans, workers would have new rights from the first day of employment including sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal, while exploitative zero-hour contracts would be banned.

Mr Nowak said: Working households up and down this country are hurting and we cannot afford to ignore it. The government has a historic opportunity  and an electoral mandate  to make work pay.

Delivering the Employment Rights Bill in full will boost living standards for millions and create a happier, healthier and more productive workforce. We must not get distracted or diverted from this task.

open image in gallery The prime minister has been criticised on for a number of his policies since coming to power ( PA Wire )

He also hit out at critics, saying naysayers opposing this legislation are invariably the same voices who opposed the introduction of the minimum wage  they were wrong then and they are wrong now.

He also warned ministers they could not fix our public services unless we deal with the recruitment and retention crisis that has pushed them to breaking point.

That means dealing with issues like pay, he said, which was brutally squeezed by the Tories for over a decade.

While Sir Keir has faced widespread criticism for his first six months in power, Mr Nowak sees some positives.

I thought they hit the ground running, he said. Things like the National Wealth Fund was really important, resolving the industrial disputes in rail and health was really important, delivering on the recommendations of the Pay Review bodies was really important... there were really positive things done.

They had a really difficult summer, obviously, with the riots that followed what happened in Southport. But I actually think the prime minister handled that as well as anybody could have handled that sort of situation.

Obviously, no government gets everything right and they are dealing with a very toxic legacy. Of course, the polls have swung against them but I still think this is why 2025 becomes so important. Because this is the year to prove to people that all those plans actually are going to make a real difference to them and their families.
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Seventy-four assaults take place every day in jails across England and Wales, new figures laying bare the lack of order in the prison estate have shown.

With prisons stretched to maximum capacity and staff struggling to cope, there were 26,912 assault incidents in English and Welsh prisons in 2023.

Of these, 3,205 were deemed to be serious assaults, an average of eight every day, the figures showed.

open image in gallery Wandsworth prison in south London saw by far the most assaults last year ( PA Archive )

Almost 10,000 of the assaults were inflicted on staff, with 825 of these being classed as serious. The figures, revealed in House of Commons Library research, showed a significant increase in assaults compared with previous years.

In 2022, there were 21,015 total assaults, meaning there was a 28 per cent jump year on year.

The research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, also revealed the countrys most violent prisons.

The beleaguered HMP Wandsworth, where former soldier Daniel Khalife escaped from last year, and where former prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu was filmed having sex with an inmate, saw by far the most assaults of any prison, recording 1,044 total assaults. More than half of these, 571, were on staff.

open image in gallery HMP Wandsworth has been under intense scrutiny since the escape last year of Daniel Khalife ( AP )

HMP Berwyn in Wales has the next highest assaults with 783 and then Thameside with 667.

The Independent has repeatedly highlighted the crisis facing prisons due to the combination of staff shortages and overcrowding.

Earlier this year, this paper reported that the number of prison officers trained to deal with riots as part of so-called Tornado squads has plummeted by a third, with experts warning the decline would lead to more violence and disorder in prisons.

The Independent also revealed an exodus of the most experienced prison officers, leading to fears jails were vulnerable to increased violence and even being overrun by gangs.

Since coming to power, Labour has released thousands of inmates early in a bid to free up space and restore order to the prison estate. Prisons minister James Timpson said Britain faced the total breakdown of law and order without the scheme, with the system teetering on the edge of disaster after being run at 99 per cent capacity for months.

The Liberal Democrats used the fresh research to repeat calls for an urgent plan to recruit and retain more prison officers, and tackle the criminal courts backlog to reduce the number of people on remand.

open image in gallery Lib Dem justice spokesman Josh Babarinde said the Tories left Britains prisons in crisis ( Aaron Chown/PA Wire )

Lib Dem justice spokesman Josh Babarinde said: The Conservatives have left our prisons in utter chaos.

With this staggering number of assaults and rates of reoffending through the roof, the Conservatives have left a system that is failing prison staff, failing victims, and failing our communities.

Their neglect of our justice system is unforgivable, and their former ministers should hang their heads in shame for this shambolic legacy.

This is a crisis that needs to be gripped by the new government with the utmost urgency. It is no wonder that hard-working prison officers are leaving in their droves when many drive to work fearing they may leave in the back of an ambulance.

The new government must come forward with an urgent plan to make our prisons safer. They must recruit and retain more prison officers, tackle the criminal courts backlog, and invest properly in rehabilitation to reduce reoffending.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The new government inherited prisons on the point of collapse with no choice but to introduce an emergency early release scheme.

To keep the public safe, we excluded serious violent and sexual offenders as well as a series of offences linked to domestic abuse. Offenders left prison under strict licence conditions, subject to recall if they are broken.

We must now ensure no government inherits a situation like this. That means building new prisons and conducting a sentencing review to ensure we never run out of space again.
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Sir Keir Starmer has suffered a new blow in the row over his tractor tax after the leader of the UKs unions backed family farms.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak threw down the gauntlet to the Labour leader to prove the case for the controversial change to inheritance tax.

In a surprise intervention, Mr Nowak revealed his fears about chancellor Rachel Reevesstax raid, raising concerns about the consequences for hardworking families across Britain.

Im worried about the impact of that on small farmers, he told The Independent. I know that for some small employers, national insurance contributions will also be a worry next year, particularly for those companies operating on small profit margins.

open image in gallery A Countryside Alliance placard protesting against the Labour governments policy ( Reuters )

Anyone would be worried, he continued, when asked about the fears of family farmers, who have taken aim at the government with a series of protests in recent months.

You wouldnt want the policy to impact on small family farms, because that was never the intention. The onus will be on the government to demonstrate that this doesnt have the impact that some fear it will have.

Responding to his warning, Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, himself a farmer, said Mr Nowak was correct to be worried about the hugely damaging impact of Labours tax increases on family farms.

I represent constituents whose farms have been in their families for generations but will now have no option but to sell up, he told The Independent. This is disastrous for them and their families and local businesses they support; disastrous for farming, because they are at the heart of animal-friendly welfare; and disastrous for the country, because small farms have some of the most important biodiversity.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, head of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, told The Independent that Mr Nowaks concerns are echoed across the farming sector.

As each week passes, more and more experts are issuing warnings about this hated policy, and as we enter 2025, Rachel Reeves and her Treasury team must put ego aside, accept they have got this one wrong, and work with the rural sector to find a way forward in a way that does not throw family farms under the bus, he added.

And the president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), Tom Bradshaw, added: Mr Nowak is right to be concerned about the impact of the family farm tax, and we welcome his comments.

open image in gallery Paul Nowak said the onus was on the government to make the case for the controversial tax ( PA Archive )

Union boss Mr Nowak indicated he had less sympathy for those who had bought farmland in an attempt to avoid inheritance tax. Earlier this month, the prime minister admitted to MPs that the changes were not, as previously claimed by ministers, intended to stop avoidance by the super-wealthy, but were simply to raise revenue.

Campaigners argue that the tax, due to be introduced in 2026, will have a much broader impact on the rural economy. The NFU estimates that between 2,000 and 2,500 farms will be affected every year, which would mean as many as 70,000 in a 30-year period.

Mr Nowak added that while ministers, who dispute the figures, argue that the tax changes will have very little impact on small farms, they will want to test that out and make sure that that isnt the case.

Overall, though, he said he thought the Budget was the right thing to do for the economy, because we do desperately need that investment in our public services and we all benefit from it, including those farmers and including those firms.

His comments on the tax come after a new wave of protests was announced this week, targeting Labour MPs in rural areas. Demonstrations including tractor rallies are expected to take place on 25 January in communities away from the Westminster bubble, with roadside banners also being put up along main roads to catch MPs eyes as they travel over the Christmas period.

The fresh protests suggest that anger over the tax is not going away, and the intervention of a senior union figure like Mr Nowak indicates that concerns over the policy are broad.

Under the changes, farms valued at 1m or more will be subject to 20 per cent inheritance tax. The Treasury claims that with tax allowances taken into consideration, only farms worth 3m will be affected, amounting to just 28 per cent of family farms. But figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs appear to suggest that as many as 66 per cent could be hit.

A government spokesperson said: Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast  we have committed 5bn to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production, and we are developing a 25-year farming roadmap, focusing on how to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.

Our reform to agricultural and business property relief will impact around 500 estates a year. For these estates, inheritance tax will be at half the rate paid by others, with 10 years to pay the liability back interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on.
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Syrias embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services Saturday, a day after two relatives of deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports.

Also on Saturday, Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians  including former officers in the Syrian army under Assad  to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon, a war monitor and Lebanese officials said.

The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular work was suspended until further notice at the order of the Syrian foreign ministry. The announcement did not give a reason for the suspension.

Two Lebanese security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the suspension was ordered because the passports belonging to Assads relatives  the wife and daughter of one of his cousins  were believed to have been forged at the embassy.

Assads uncle, Rifaat Assad  who has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity  had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that 70 Syrians, including former army officers, were handed over by a Lebanese security delegation to the security forces of the new Syrian government, led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report.

Regional countries have been quick to establish ties with Syrias new rulers. Delegations of Libyan and Bahraini officials arrived in Damascus on Saturday on official visits.

HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has largely succeeded in calming fears within and outside of Syria that his group would unleash collective punishment against communities that supported Assads rule or attempt to impose strict Islamic law on the countrys religious minorities.

However, in recent days, sporadic clashes have broken out between the HTS-led security forces and pro-Assad armed groups. The countrys new security forces have launched a series of raids targeting officials affiliated with Assad and have set up checkpoints in areas with significant populations of the Alawite religious minority to which the former president belongs to search for weapons.

There have also been ongoing tensions and clashes in northeastern Syria between Kurdish-led forces and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds have viewed the new order in Damascus, which appears to have strengthened Turkeys hand in Syria, with anxiety.

Ankara sees the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces  a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group  as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization.

The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss the latest developments in Syria.

Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government, the statement said, adding that they also discussed the shared goal of preventing terrorism from endangering the security of Turkey and Syria.

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters convened by Kurdish womens groups participated in a demonstration in the northeastern city of Hasaka to demand womens rights in the new Syria.

Perishan Ramadan, a participant from Hasaka, said the new government is worse than Bashar and that its leaders are Islamist extremists who dont accept any role for women.

While the countrys new leaders have not attempted to impose Islamic dress or other conventions, it remains to be seen what role women will have in the new order and whether they will hold political or government positions.

"Women must be present in the new constitution for Syria, said Rihan Loqo, spokeswoman for the Kongra Star womens organization. "... Womens rights should not be ignored.

___

Associated Press writers Hogir Abdo in Hasaka, Syria, and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report.
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The Costco board has rejected a request from shareholders to drop its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The shareholders urged the board to get rid of its illegal discrimination program.

The Costco board replied to a number of shareholders, recommending a vote against a proposal to report on the risks of maintaining DEI efforts, Newsweek reported.

The shareholders had put forward a suggestion that employees of the company could be victims of "illegal discrimination because they are white, Asian, male or straight. They argued that it could lead to tens of billions of dollars in legal expenses defending against lawsuits.

Our Board has considered this proposal and believes that our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary, said a statement issued by the board.. Our success at Costco Wholesale has been built on service to our critical stakeholders: employees, members and suppliers. Our efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion follow our code of ethics.

The board added that it wants to make sure all of its more than 300,000 employees "feel valued and respected, and that by having a diverse workforce, Costco can have more insight and creativity when it comes to what the company offers at stores.

The board went on to note that customers will be able to see themselves reflected in the people in our warehouses with whom they interact.

Having diversity in our supplier base, including attention to small businesses, is beneficial for many of the same reasons diversity benefits our Company, the board stated. We believe that it fosters creativity and innovation in the merchandise and services that we offer our members.

The shareholders argued that the Supreme Court ruling in the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard found that Harvards use of race when choosing who to admit to the school violated the 14th Amendment.

The shareholder proposal also noted that a Starbucks manager had won a lawsuit worth $25.6 million after claiming that she was fired because she was white.

Shoppers reach for items on display in a Costco warehouse Nov. 19, 2024, in Lone Tree, Colo. Its board has rejected a proposal from some shareholders to remove DEI policies ( AP )

Its clear that DEI holds litigation, reputational and financial risks to the Company, and therefore financial risks to shareholders, the proposal stated. And yet Costco still has such a program, though it was apprehensive enough to recognize this as it recently and quietly rebranded its DEI program to People and Communities.

The board noted that it regularly evaluates the procedures the firm uses to comply with the law including evolving Supreme Court decisions."

We believe that our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are legally appropriate, and nothing in the proposal demonstrates otherwise, the board added. Our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is not, however, only for the sake of improved financial performance but to enhance our culture and the well-being of people whose lives we influence.

The annual shareholder meeting is set to be streamed live on January 23 at 5 p.m. E.T. Part of the meeting will be devoted to a vote on the proposal if properly presented at the meeting. Only those who have been shareholders since before November 15 will be allowed to vote.
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A man has been arrested in Maryland after authorites said he caused disruptions at two Christmas Eve masses, pouring whiskey into the holy water and pelting worshippers with tangerines.

Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, was arrested and charged with multiple offenses following the sacrilegious rampage on Tuesday, officials reported.

According to the St. Marys County Sheriffs Office, Von Goetz entered Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue during a Mass shortly after 5 p.m.

He approached the altar and dropped an onion in the aisle, disturbing the peace of those attending, the sheriffs office said.

A parishioner followed Von Goetz as he exited the church to ensure he was leaving the premises. However, as soon as they were outside, Von Goetz turned around and allegedly assaulted the citizen by throwing tangerines at them.

open image in gallery Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz was arrested and charged with charges including assault and disruption following two separate incidents on Christmas Eve ( St. Marys County Sheriffs Office )

Later that night, during Midnight Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Leonardtown, Von Goetz disrupted another service by pouring whiskey into the holy water and threatening to harm parishioners, according to law enforcement authorities.

As church attendees escorted him from the building, he allegedly attempted unsuccessfully to strike several individuals with a whiskey bottle.

Parishioners detained Von Goetz until deputies arrived; he was then transported to MedStar St. Marys Hospital for medical evaluation.

On Thursday police announced that Von Goetz had been charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and threat of mass violence.

He was also charged with defacing religious property, religious crime against a group, and obstructing a religious exercise.

Von Goetz is currently being held at the St. Marys County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, pending an appearance before a District Court Commissioner, the sheriffs office said.
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A Colorado man is facing possible bias-motivated charges for allegedly attacking a television news reporter after demanding to know whether he was a citizen, saying "This is Trump's America now," according to court documents.

Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, was arrested Dec. 18 in Grand Junction, Colorado, after police say he followed KKCO/KJCT reporter Ja'Ronn Alex's vehicle for around 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Delta area. Alex told police that he believed he had been followed and attacked because he is Pacific Islander.

After arriving in Grand Junction, Egan, who was driving a taxi, pulled up next to Alex at a stoplight and, according to an arrest affidavit, said something to the effect of: "Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trump's America now! I'm a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!"

open image in gallery Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, allegedly shouted something to the effect of This is Trumps America now before attacking the reporter, according to an arrest affidavit ( Mesa County Sheriff Office )

Alex, who had been out reporting, then drove back to his news station in the city. After he got out of his vehicle, Egan chased Alex as he ran toward the station's door and demanded to see his identification, according to the document laying out police's evidence in the case. Egan then tackled Alex, put him in a headlock and "began to strangle him," the affidavit said. Coworkers who ran out to help and witnesses told police that Alex appeared to be losing his ability to breathe during the attack, which was partially captured on surveillance video, according to the document.

According to the station's website, Alex is a native of Detroit. KKCO/KJCT reported that he was driving a news vehicle at the time.

Egan was arrested on suspicion of bias-motivated crimes, second degree assault and harassment. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday to learn whether prosecutors have filed formal charges against him.

Egan's lawyer, Ruth Swift, was out of the office Friday and did not return a telephone message seeking comment.

KKCO/KJCT vice president and general manager Stacey Stewart said the station could not comment beyond what it has reported on the attack.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Azerbaijan's diplomatic contacts have intensified amid aggravation of the situation in the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan's report for 2024 said, Trend reports.

According to the report, the country participated in several high-level events related to the Israel-Palestine conflict, presenting its position on the matter.

The report highlighted Azerbaijan's call for the restoration of peace and stability in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Azerbaijan expressed its support for Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of resolving issues in line with the will of the Syrian people and through political dialogue within the country. Azerbaijan also reiterated its readiness to contribute to overcoming the humanitarian challenges faced by the Syrian people.

Over the course of the year, Azerbaijan signed 204 documents with forty countries on both bilateral and multilateral levels. Political consultations were held with the foreign ministries of twenty-five countries, and a memorandum of understanding was signed to establish a political consultation mechanism among several countries' foreign ministries.
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A 93-year-old former Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for raping a teenage boy has died, Louisiana authorities and his lawyer confirmed Friday.

Less than two weeks after being sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, Lawrence Hecker died of natural causes at 3 a.m. Thursday at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, according to Ken Pastorick, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections communications director.

Hecker had pleaded guilty to charges including first-degree rape and aggravated kidnapping shortly before jury selection for his long-delayed trial had been scheduled to begin earlier this month, with other victims prepared to testify against him.

The survivor of the assault to which Hecker pleaded guilty had said that Hecker raped him after offering to instruct him in wrestling moves ahead of tryouts for a school team in the mid-1970s.

open image in gallery Lawrence Heckers conviction occurred amid a wave of sexual abuse allegations against the Catholic church in New Orleans, ( Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

"The only prayer I can come up with I hope he spends eternity in hell after God's judgment of him," the survivor said in a written statement provided by his attorney, Richard Trahant.

"Now after his death I feel vindicated and free," he said.

The Associated Press does not identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted.

Hecker's trial had been delayed for months partly because of questions around his mental competency. Hecker had suffered from dementia, his lawyer Bobby Hjortsberg said.

Hecker had been ordained as an archdiocesan priest in 1958 and remained in this position even after facing an undisputed complaint of child molestation in the late 1980s, according to court records. Hecker left the ministry in 2002.

Hecker's conviction occurred amid a wave of sexual abuse allegations against the Catholic church in New Orleans, many resurfacing from decades ago. The fallout has left the Archdiocese of New Orleans embroiled in bankruptcy negotiations.
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The man accused of lighting a woman on fire on a New York City subway and fanning the flames as she burned to death has been indicted on state charges, while authorities are yet to publicly identify the victim.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was hit with murder and arson charges on Friday in a Brooklyn court, though he waived his right to a court appearance and remains in custody until his arraignment next month.

Authorities allege Zapeta  who federal immigration officials say is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally  calmly approached the woman aboard a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn on Sunday morning and set her clothing ablaze.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Sunday described the case as one of the most depraved crimes one person could possibly commit against another human being.

Heres the latest:

What do we know about the suspect?

Zapeta was taken into custody on Sunday December 22, hours after police disseminated images of a suspect in the womans death.

Police said three high schoolers called 911 after recognizing the person in the image, and officers found him on another subway train in the same gray hoodie, wool hat, paint-splattered pants and tan boots.

Zapeta told investigators that he had drunk a lot of liquor and did not know what had happened. However, he did later identify himself in photos and surveillance video showing the attack.

open image in gallery Sebastian Zapeta, 33, was arrested after being identified by members of the public following the harrowing incident on December 22 ( via REUTERS )

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Jeff Carter said Zapeta is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally after he had been previously deported to Guatemala in 2018. It is unclear when and where he reentered the U.S., Carter said.

He was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court on Tuesday, appearing before a judge while wearing a white jumpsuit. He did not speak.

Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg, during Tuesdays court hearing, alleged Zapeta lit the womans clothing on fire and then fanned the flames using a shirt.

Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta claimed he didnt know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images of the attack.

A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a service center for Samaritan Daytop Village, which provides housing and substance abuse support. The organization did not respond to a request for comment.

On Friday December 27, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that Zapeta had been indicted on charges incuding first degree murder, second degree murder and arson. Gonzalez said that state charges had been brought to ensure that the maximum penalty could be sought for the heinous crime.

open image in gallery Zapeta was indicted on state charges including murder and arson on Friday, though waived his right to appear in court ( AP )

Zapeta waived his right to appear at the hearing, and will be held at New Yorks Rikers Island complex until his arraignment on January 7. At this time the full indictment will be unsealed.

What do we know about the victim?

The victim had not been publicly identified as of Tuesday. An NYPD spokesperson said earlier in the day that an identification was still pending at this time. Police have described her only as a woman.

Tisch said at a press conference on Sunday that the victim was in a seated position at the end of the train car when she was set on fire.

Joseph Gulotta, the departments chief of transit, added that police dont believe the suspect and the victim knew each other, and that they did not interact before or during the incident.

On Friday, Gonzalez said a lot of work was going into identifying the victim, but she was still unkown. It's a priority for me, for my office [and] for the police department to identify this woman so we can notify her family of what had happened to her, he said.

A vigil for the woman was held by community leaders at the Stillwell Avenue Train Station F Line in Coney Island on Thursday.

Civil rights Leader Reverend Kevin McCall said: Were calling on the police commissioner, the governor, and the mayor. The slogan in this city is, if you see something, say something. But no one said nothing. No one did nothing.

They just watched this young lady burn on fire alive. Homeless lives matter. She was burnt up so bad that police couldnt even identify who she is.

open image in gallery A vigil for the unideintified woman took place at the Stillwell Avenue Train Station F Line in Coney Island on Thursday ( FNTV )

What kind of police presence is there on the subway?

Police patrol the New York City subways, and there is a vast network of cameras in stations and in all subway cars.

But the sheer size of the subway system  472 stations with multiple entry points and millions of riders each day  makes policing it logistically difficult.

On Sunday, officers were at the station but were patrolling a different platform. They responded after seeing and smelling smoke coming from the fire.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year directed members of the states National Guard to assist with random bag checks at certain stations.

Is crime up on the subways?

Violent incidents on the subway and in stations often put people on edge, partly because many New Yorkers take the train multiple times a day and often have their own experiences with uncomfortable interactions in the system.

Broadly, crime is down in the city transit system this year compared to the same period in 2023. Data compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority shows a 6% decline in what the agency calls major felonies between January and November of this year and 2023.

At the same time, murders in the transit system are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five in the same time frame last year.

High-profile incidents on the train often attract national attention and further unnerve passengers. Daniel Penny, a military veteran who placed an agitated subway rider, was acquitted of homicide this month.

When you have these incidents, it overshadows the success and it plays on the psyche of New Yorkers, said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a Monday interview on PIX 11, noting that many high-profile incidents in the transit system involve people with mental health issues.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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An elderly man with dementia who went missing in Malibu, California, was found thanks to thermal imaging technology attached to a drone.

The 78-year-old left his residence at approximately 4:30 p.m. on December 23 to retrieve the mail but failed to return, prompting a missing persons call.

Deputies from the Lost Hills Station responded to the call as temperatures dropped below 50F.

open image in gallery The elderly man sustained only minor injuries after suffering a fall, and was transported to hospital for medical evaluation ( Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office )

Officers swiftly initiated a search and rescue operation, broadcasting a description of the missing man over the radio and entering his information into the National Crime Information Centermissing persons database.

According to the department, deputies also deployed several FAA certified Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drones equipped with infrared capabilities to scour the area.

At approximately 8:50 p.m., a UAS located the missing person lying in a field of thick brush about a quarter mile away from his residence.

open image in gallery Malibu Search and Rescue and the LA County sheriffs office shared photos of the operation on X, including the grainy gray screen with a red image of the man lying in the brush ( Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department )

Upon arriving on scene, the rescuers observed the missing man suffering from a cold related illness, confused and unable to walk, the department said in an online post. He was evaluated, wrapped in a blanket, and placed in a rescue basket.

The man had only sustained minor injuries from a fall and was transported to a local hospital for treatment and further evaluation.

Malibu Search and Rescue shared photos of the operation on X, including the grainy gray screen with a red image of the man lying in the brush.

A miracle just in time for the holidays, the department captioned the photo.
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Two Canadian Cabinet ministers met with President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for commerce secretary at Mar-a-Lago on Friday as Canada tries to avoid sweeping tariffs when Trump takes office.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trumps nominee for commerce secretary, as well as North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trumps pick to lead the Interior Department.

Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian products if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States  even though far fewer of each cross into the U.S. from Canada than from Mexico, which Trump has also threatened.

Minister LeBlanc and Minister Joly had a positive, productive meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum, as a follow-up to the dinner between the Prime Minister and President Trump last month, said Jean-Sebastien Comeau, a spokesman for LeBlanc.

Comeau said both ministers outlined the measures in Canada's billion-dollar plan to increase security at the border and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives.

Comeau said Lutnick and Burgum agreed to relay the information to Trump.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Further discussions are expected in the coming weeks. Joly will also have dinner with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday.

Trump has been trolling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media in recent weeks by calling him the Governor of the 51st state.

Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs are vastly different at the U.S.s two land borders. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.

Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S.  where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually  is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia.

On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time.

Trump has also made an issue of the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, erroneously calling it a subsidy.

Canadas ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, has said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year. But she noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. are energy exports and said there is a deficit when oil prices are high.

About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Alberta alone sends 4.3 million barrel s of oil per day to the U.S which tends to consume about 20 million barrels a day.

Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states.

Trudeau has told Trump that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.
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As tensions flare between Elon Musk and Trumps MAGA allies, President-elect Donald Trump posted what appeared to be a personal message to Musk on Truth Social, claiming that fellow billionaire Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago.

In an early morning post on Friday, Trump suggested the Microsoft co-founder had asked to come to Mar-a-Lago. The 78-year-old Republican encouraged him to visit.

Where are you? When are you coming to the Center of the Universe, Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Years Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! Trump wrote. He signed it DJT.

Its not immediately clear whether Gates would visit Trump at his Florida estate. The Independent has reached out to a representative for Gates for comment.

Gates, whose net worth Forbes estimated to be more than $104 billion, reportedly first met with Trump in December 2016 after he clinched his first presidential election. He congratulated Trump after he won again in November.

open image in gallery Businessman Bill Gates exits through the lobby at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City in December 13, 2016 ( REUTERS )

Trump has met with a handful of billionaires in recent weeks at Mar-a-Lago, including Amazon founderJeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!! Trump boasted on Truth Social after dining with Bezos.

The X mentioned in the post appears to be a reference to the Space X founders son, X  A-Xii, whom Musk calls X for short, CNN reported.

The strange public note comes as Musk, Trumps best buddy, has been clashing online with other close Trump allies over the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers.

open image in gallery President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix ( AP )

Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who together will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency office, have defended the tech industrys need to bring in foreign workers while Laura Loomer and others have criticized it.

On Thursday, the feud escalated to a new level when Loomer accused Musk of removing her blue checkmark on X, the social media platform he owns, because I dared to question his support for H1B visas, the replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants, and I questioned his relationship with China, she wrote in a post.

She continued: Donald Trump promised to remove the H1B visa program and I support his policy. Now, as one of Trumps biggest supporters, Im having my free speech silenced by a tech billionaire for simply questioning the tech oligarchy.
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At least three family members died in Brazil after consuming a homemade cake at a family gathering and three other members were hospitalised, police officials said.

The victims  Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43, and Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58,  suffered a cardiac arrest after eating the traditional Brazilian Christmas cake Bolo de Natal as they gathered for holiday celebrations in Torres on Monday, local reports said.

The third victim Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjos, 65, was also reported dead a day earlier on Christmas Eve. The hospital Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes de Torres said the cause of her death was shock after poisoning.

Three more members of the family, including a 10-year-old boy and Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos who made the cake with her sister and hosted the gathering, are also hospitalised, officials said. Ms Zeli was the first person to be rushed to the hospital after she ate two slices of the cake.

Blood tests conducted on the family members, including one killed and two surviving members, revealed traces of arsenic, a toxic heavy metal, reported Brazilian television channel Globo.

The chain of deaths has sparked concerns among the civil police who are now investigating the death of the baker, Ms Zelis late husband as well, who died in September under similar circumstances of food poisoning.

Police officials are requesting exhuming his body now to launch an investigation into his death, the report added.

They added that several food products procured from Ms Zelis home were expired, including a medicine bottle that contained a white liquid.

A bottle was found, a medicine, which should have had capsules inside it and there were no capsules  there was a white liquid and this white liquid will also be examined, the police said.

Police said they have not found any history of inheritance disputes or falling-out among the family members before the gathering this Christmas.

A friend of the family said the native cake was key to the family celebrations. It was a traditional family cake, a king cake, which they always, always, always, made, the friend told Globo news.
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An Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police, Italys foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

Cecilia Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was detained on Dec. 19, the ministry said, adding that it was working with Iranian authorities "to clarify the legal situation of Sala and to verify the conditions of her detention.

Sala is a reporter for Italian daily Il Foglio, which said she is being held in Tehrans Evin prison. Il Foglio said Sala was in Iran with a regular visa to report on a country she knows and loves.

The newspapers editor, Claudio Cerasa, wrote on Friday that journalism is not a crime, asking to bring Cecilia Sala home.

Sala had been allowed to make two phone calls to her relatives, the foreign ministry said. Italian Ambassador Paola Amadei visited Sala in prison Friday, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the journalist was in good health condition."

Iran has not acknowledged detaining Sala. However, it can take weeks before authorities announce such arrests.

Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.

In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.

Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for some 100 days before being released.

Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for over 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S.

Both cases involved Iran making false espionage accusations in closed-door hearings.

___

Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report
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An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuelas attorney general said Friday.

In a statement published on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the officer, Nahuel Gallo, of being part of a group of people who tried to commit destabilizing and terrorist acts (in Venezuela) with the support of international far-right groups.

In a press conference on Friday, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich described the charges as another lie by Venezuelas government, and said that Gallo should be returned to Argentina immediately.

The case has ramped up tensions between Venezuelas socialist government and the right-wing administration of Argentine President Javier Milei, whose embassy in Caracas is currently sheltering five high-profile opposition activists and is surrounded by Venezuelan security forces.

Gallo, a corporal in Argentinas Gendarmeria security force, was detained by Venezuelan officials on Dec. 8 after he showed up at an immigration office along Venezuelas border with Colombia and sought permission to enter the country.

Gallos relatives said that he had traveled to Venezuela to visit his wife, who is Venezuelan and was in the country to spend some time with her mother. They have published an invitation letter that was sent to Gallo, and said he was on vacation at the time of his arrest.

Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Argentina in August after Milei and several other Latin American leaders refused to recognize the reelection in July of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Argentinas diplomats were expelled, but the five opposition activists, who had sought refuge at the ambassadors residence to avoid arrest, remained in the building after they were denied safe passage out of Venezuela.

The activists, who have been holed up in the embassy since March, recently said that Venezuelan security forces have cut off electricity and water to the residence in a bid to pressure them to leave the building.

Venezuela officials have denied those accusations, and said that the activists used the Argentine embassy to plan terrorist acts.

The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal said earlier this week that 19 foreigners are currently being held in Venezuela as political prisoners.

In September, two Spanish citizens who were on vacation in the south of Venezuela were arrested and accused of being part of a plot to overthrow President Maduro. They were arrested just days after Spains parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election.
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At least 15 men who were found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisele Pelicot have launched appeals against their convictions and will be given a second trial.

Some 51 men, including her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and handed jail sentences of between three and 20 years after a well publicised trial lasting for three and a half months.

Pelicot, who was given a prison sentence of 20 years, spent almost 10 years tracking down strangers he invited inside the family home to rape his wife while she was heavily drugged with sleeping pills.

The 72-year-old was found guilty of rape, while his 50 co-defendants were also found guilty of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.

open image in gallery Some of the 51 defendants convicted of offences following the three-and-a-half month trial in Avignon - at least 15 have now launched appeals against convictions ( Reuters )

Days after the sentencing, it was reported that two defendants had lodged appeals - now it has emerged that at least 15 have initiated appeals, according to a report by the Guardian.

The men have until midnight on Monday to launch an appeal against their convictions.

Charly Arbo, a 30-year-old vineyard worker, is one of the men reported to be launching an appeal.

open image in gallery Gisele chose to relinquish her anonymity and shine a light on the trial in a bid to make shame swap sides from the victim to the rapist ( AFP/Getty )

Arbo went to Pelicots home on six occasions and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was also accused of raping her on the night of her 66th birthday. Video evidence showed him talking about drugging and raping his own mother with Dominique Pelicot, The Guardian reports.

Redouan El Farihi, 55, an ex-hospital anaesthesia nurse, has also appealed against his conviction after being sentenced to eight years, the media outlet reports. He is said to have denied rape and claimed Pelicot had tricked him and said he did not realise Gisele had been drugged even though she was unconscious and unmoving in footage.

Gisele, who has been applauded around the world for her bravery, chose to relinquish her anonymity and shine a light on the trial in a bid to make "shame swap sides" from the victim to the rapist.

Last week, after it emerged some defendants had appealed, Stephane Babonneau, one of Giseles lawyers, told France Inter radio: In any case, she has no fear of it [another trial, that is what she told us.

Pelicot, her husband of 50 years, captured footage of the rapes as well as keeping thorough records, which were used as evidence in the trial. He documented more than 20,000 videos of the crimes perpetrated at their home.
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Russian president Vladimir Putin has apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over a plane crash in Russian airspace that left dozens dead  but he stopped short of acknowledging Moscows possible responsibility for the incident despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

His comments have led to the UK government demanding an independent investigation into the incident.

Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed in the crash while 29 survived.

The plane was flying from Azerbaijans capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while making an attempt to land.

The US has suggested Russia could be responsible for the downing of the plane, while sources in Azerbaijan claimed Russian air defence missiles hit the plane. Ukraine has also said the evidence strongly points to Russias culpability.

open image in gallery Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the permanent members of the Security Council from the Kremlin ( Alexander Kazakov/Kremlin Pool/Shutterstock )

An official Kremlin statement issued on Saturday said air defence systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner repeatedly attempted to land there, but did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane.

Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, the statement said.

The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said relevant services from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site.

According to a readout of the call provided by Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyevs press office, the leader told Mr Putin that the plane was subject to external physical and technical interference, although he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defences.

open image in gallery The wreckage of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan ( Reuters )

Mr Aliyev noted the plane had multiple holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained injuries due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight.

But the UK government has called for an independent probe into the incident. A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died.

President Putins statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states.

A US official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements on Friday blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who claimed Russian air defence systems were responding to a Ukrainian attack.

Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Russias civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia later cited unspecified early evidence showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he had also expressed condolences to Mr Aliyev in a phone call, while suggesting the blame for the crash lay with Russia.

open image in gallery Flowers and portraits are placed at the Consulate of Azerbaijan in St Petersburg, Russia ( AP )

Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation, he said. Photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircrafts fuselage, including punctures and dents, which strongly point to a strike by an air defence missile.

Meanwhile, Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that a Russian citizen had established contact with an officer from Ukraines GUR military intelligence agency through the Telegram messaging platform.

On the instructions of the Ukrainian intelligence officer, the Russian citizen had then retrieved a bomb from a hiding place in Moscow, the FSB said. The bomb, equivalent to 1.5kg of TNT and packed with ball bearings, was concealed in a portable music speaker, the FSB said.

The FSB did not name the officer or the blogger who was the target of the plot.

It comes less than a fortnight after Ukrainian security sources claimed responsibility for the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, chief of Russias nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, in Moscow outside his apartment building.

He was killed by a bomb attached to a nearby electric scooter that detonated while the lieutenant and his assistant were walking to their car. Kyiv had accused Kirillov of promoting the use of banned chemical weapons, something Moscow denies.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Positive results have been achieved in the field of delimitation and demarcation of Azerbaijan's borders with Armenia during 2024, the report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports.

According to the agreement reached by the commissions of Azerbaijan and Armenia dealing with border delimitation headed by the deputy prime ministers of the two countries, delimitation and demarcation of the section of the state border up to 13 kilometers long was carried out with ensuring the return of Baganis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli and Gizilgajili villages occupied by Armenia under the sovereign control of Azerbaijan.

The above agreement was the first result of Armenia's return of the occupied territories through bilateral negotiations and the establishment of delimitation and demarcation of part of the official state border between the two states.

In addition, another significant progress in the delimitation of the border was the harmonization of the provisions of the relevant commissions on both sides, which is important in terms of advancing the process by regulating the joint work of the commissions in the next stage, the ministry's report reads.

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Israels army has detained the director of one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian medical officials have said.

Gaza's health ministry said on Saturday that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested by Israeli forces after troops stormed the hospital, forcing many staff and patients outside.

Israels army has not commented on the fate of Dr Abu Safiya. On Friday, it denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital.

It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan Hospital but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that.

Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighbourhoods.

The ministry said a strike on the hospital earlier this week killed five medical personnel.

Israels nearly 15-month campaign of bombardment and offensives has devastated Gazas health sector. The war has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians  more than half of them women and children  and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the health ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and militants.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel in which they killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, with a third believed to be dead.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the raid on Kamal Adwan has put northern Gaza's last major health facility out of service after growing restrictions on access, adding: This horror must end and healthcare must be protected.

Dr Abu Safiya was detained on Friday along with dozens of other staff from the hospital and taken to an interrogation centre, the ministry said.

MedGlobal, the humanitarian organisation where Dr Abu Safiya worked, said it was gravely concerned for the chief medic. It said the incident follows the detention in October of five of its staff, calling it an alarming and egregious pattern of targeting medical personnel and spaces.

Since October, Israels offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and levelled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located.

On Saturday, Israel continued attacks across Gaza. An overnight strike killed at least nine people in Maghazi, including women and children, according to witnesses.

The Gaza health ministry said 48 people had been killed in the past 24 hours by Israeli fire.

Israel said its troops have also begun operating in the northern city of Beit Hanoun, following intelligence that fighters and Hamas infrastructure are in the area.

Strikes also continued into Israel. Early on Saturday, air raid sirens once again woke Israelis. The military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthis.

Associated Press
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US soldiers have launched high-tech interceptor missiles from inside Israel for the first time since the system was deployed earlier this year.

Footage on social media showed what security sources later confirmed as the firing of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery missile to intercept a Houthi attack from Yemen early on Friday.

After the missile is fired, an American soldier can be heard saying: Eighteen years Ive been waiting for this.

The Israeli military confirmed only that an interception had taken place, but security sources told news site Walla that THAAD had been responsible.

The Pentagon announced it would be deploying its THAAD battery to Israel, along with roughly 100 soldiers, to operate it in an effort to bolster Israel's air defence system amid fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

The announcement followed a call between president Joe Biden and Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel's retaliation against Iran's 1 October attack when it rained nearly 200 missiles on Israel.

open image in gallery A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system is displayed ( AP )

Despite Israel housing some of the best air defences in the world, its anti-missile systems failed to deter drone attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have killed dozens in the north of the country since last October. A Hezbollah airstrike on an Israeli army base on Sunday killed at least four Israeli soldiers and injured dozens in one of the deadliest strikes in a year, underscoring the potential need for greater protection.

Mr Biden said the US was sending THAAD to "defend Israel" from further airstrikes, without providing information on when the system would be moved. US officials said it would take a number of days for the system to be moved from the continental US to Israel and for American soldiers to arrive.

Israels military in the past acknowledged that its expensive multilayer air defences, which included the celebrated Iron Dome, can be overwhelmed if a large number of projectiles are fired simultaneously.

The THAAD is a critical part of the US militarys layered air defence systems, which usually require about 100 soldiers to operate.

The system would be operated by American troops in a departure from Israeli military policy, Bloomberg reported.

open image in gallery US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Blis ( U.S. Air Force )

The system, made by Americas biggest arms maker Lockheed Martin, is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate-range missiles at high altitudes.

A THAAD battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers with eight interceptor missiles on each launcher and a powerful radar. Reloading each launcher takes about 30 minutes, according to reports.

The system is equipped to communicate with a range of US missile defences, including Aegis systems and Patriot missile defence systems.

THAAD doesn't carry explosive warheads and instead destroys targets using kinetic energy with the help of its accurate radar system.

The battery's radar operates in two ways. The radar is configured to track targets at ranges up to 3,000km and in its terminal mode it is aimed upward to acquire targets during their descent, CCN reported.

open image in gallery Protesters previously marched toward the US embassy against deploying the THAAD in Seoul, South Korea ( AP )

The US Army currently has seven THAAD batteries, which are deployed in conflict zones as part of its defensive strategy, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.

THAAD would add as a further deterrent to an attack and not act alone in defence of Israel, said Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst.

When it is put in place, it will actually add a layer to the existing Israeli air and missile defences, he added.

The Pentagon said a THAAD was deployed to southern Israel for drills in 2019, the last and only time it was known to be there.

Everybody wants US Army air defence forces, Army chief of staff General Randy George said on Monday at the Association of the US Armys annual conference. This is our most deployed formation," he said.

Israel has been escalating its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border after a year of exchanges of fire. Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hamass ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

US army leaders on Monday said the deployment of THAAD will add to already difficult strains on the armys air defence forces and potential delays in modernising its missile defence systems.

The air defence artillery community is the most stressed. They have the highest optempo really of any part of the army, US Army secretary Christine Wormuth said, using a phrase that means the pace of operations.

Were just constantly trying to be as disciplined as we can, and give Defence Secretary (Lloyd) Austin the information he needs to accurately assess the strain on the force when hes considering future operational deployments, she was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

Deployment of THAAD adds to what has been growing tensions within the US defence department about what weapons Washington can afford to send to Ukraine, Israel or elsewhere and the resulting risks to Americas military readiness and its ability to protect the nation.

We need to be able to bring these units home to be able to go through that modernization process, Ms Wormuth said.

So were trying to lay that out for Secretary Austin so that he can weigh those risks  essentially current versus future risks  as he makes recommendations to the president about whether to send the Patriot here or there.
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Royal Caribbean has reportedly cancelled cruise ships stops at a Mexican port following a travel advisory not to go to the city.

The US State Department recently revised advice for popular cruise destinations in Mexico, including a level 4 do not travel warning for Manzanillo on Colimas Pacific Coast due to crime and kidnapping.

State-specific advice for Colima says: Violent crime and gang activity are widespread. Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed bystanders.

Travel for US government employees is limited to only the tourist and port areas of Manzanillo, with employees travelling to Manzanillo from Guadalajara instructed to use Federal Toll Road 54D during daylight hours.

Miami-based cruise line Royal Caribbean has pulled out of port calls to Manzanillo, but Carnivals Princess Cruises still features the city on itineraries departing in February and September 2025.

Although Royal Caribbean no longer has any listed sailings to the Mexican port, its website says: Manzanillo might not be the first place on Mexicos Pacific Coast you think to visit, but its golden beaches, lively fishing harbour and emerald rainforest will leave memories that will last a lifetime.

The State Department uses a four-level travel advisory system to guide tourists, with level 4 warnings, also in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, the most severe.

A level 3 advisory to reconsider travel has been issued for Mexicos Puerto Chiapas region as criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the Chiapas state.

The Independent has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

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Volodymyr Zelensky has urged China to put pressure on North Korea if it is sincere in its statements that the war should not expand.

In an address on Friday, 27 December, the Ukrainian president said North Korean troops deployed in Russia's Kursk region are "suffering many losses."

"They are doing everything to make it impossible for us to capture Koreans - they are being killed by their own people... And the Russians send them to the frontlines so that they have minimal defence," he added.
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Ive been pretending to be a man that Im not my entire life, says Justin Baldoni in his viral Ted Talk from 2017. Youd be forgiven for thinking the quote was more current, in light of recent headlines.

By now, youll be familiar with the lawsuit filed against the 40-year-old actor by Blake Lively, who has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment months after rumours of an on-set feud between the pair circulated online  claims which his lawyer has denied, calling them false and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt.

The document states that midway through filming It Ends With Us  an adaptation of Colleen Hoovers bestselling book of the same name  a meeting took place to address what Lively calls a hostile work environment, in which she listed a series of requirements for her to continue working on the film. These included no showing nude videos or images of women to Lively, as well as no more discussions about the Gossip Girl stars personal experiences with sex. No further mentions of cast and crews genitalia, as well as no more inquiries about her weight.

The lawsuit also alleges that Baldoni inserted improvised gratuitous sexual content and/or scenes involving nudity into the film (including for an underage character) in highly unsettling ways.

There are many more allegations listed in the lawsuit, which also claims that fan backlash against Lively in the lead-up to the film and after its release was part of a carefully orchestrated effort by Baldonis PR team to destroy her reputation.

Baldoni has built an entire brand around being an ally to women.

It began on social media, where Baldoni regularly spoke about feminism, but was cemented by the aforementioned Ted Talk  in which the actor performed a mea culpa on behalf of masculinity. I believe that as men, its time we start to see past our privilege and recognise that we are not just part of the problem, he said. Fellas, we are the problem.

This is rhetoric Baldoni has continued to espouse ad nauseam ever since, including during the press run for It Ends with Us. I really wanted an audience to feel how it feels to be gaslit, to feel what it was like to question if everything they saw was a lie and if everything they felt wasnt true because that is the reality for so many women, he said of the film on the podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, in an episode that Day has since removed in light of Livelys claims.

If Baldoni is guilty of what Lively has accused him of, those words would take on a whole new meaning: that his talk of allyship was nothing more than empty virtue signalling  like greenwashing, only pink.

At this stage, we do not know. But what I do know is that all this stings given that women need male allies now more than ever.

In addition to the casual misogyny and sexual harassment women face every day, as demonstrated by the recent allegations against Gregg Wallace, violence against women and girls is also on the rise  so much so that it has been dubbed a national emergency by UN Women.

But its not just here in the UK that its a problem  from the brutal death of Miss Switzerland finalist Kristina Joksimovic to the killing of Olympic long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei and the recent rape convictions of Gisele Pelicots former husband Dominique and 51 others.

Personally, Id like to see more men talking about these things instead of spouting empty words about male privilege on a podcast. Because women do need men to speak up and fight alongside them.

But their actions need to match their words. If they dont, well, all were left with is a bunch of men pretending to be people they arent.
Scheme launched by Dublin City University Business School and BWG Foods is fully subscribed for its first year

A new professional educational programme has been launched to help identify entrepreneurs and leaders in Irelands retail sector and to help local businesses be more innovative when faced with global competition.

The NextGen Entrepreneurs initiative was launched by Irish retailer BWG Foods in partnership with Dublin City University (DCU) Business School.

The scheme aims to tap into the nearly 300,000 people in the country who are employed in the retail sector. The programme features modules focused on enterprising leadership, retail management, financial management, marketing, technology transformation and customer experience.

Owned by Spar Group, BWG is a retail and wholesale food company that works in partnership with more than 1,000 independent retailers in Ireland including Spar, Mace and Londis.

Much of Irelands great entrepreneurial talent is currently being absorbed into larger international corporates, with most young workers not recognising the opportunities that exist across retail leadership, said Peter Donohoe, chief people officer at BWG.

Family businesses represent approximately 64pc of all firms in Ireland, contributing to nearly 50pc of Irelands GDP. In a statement, BWG noted that a significant proportion of people working in retail were employed in family businesses, predominantly independently owned grocery stores.

This years programme is fully subscribed with 30 entrepreneurs. When launching it, the company said that the incoming Government must offer additional supports to independent, family-owned businesses to ensure the sector remains competitive into the future.

The programme sought candidates who focused on innovation and higher risk compared with the existing retail sector, recognising the need for independent business owners to become more proactive when competing with global corporates.
Decision by then taoiseach to visit German Legation led to government being swamped with angry letters

Eamon de Valeras condolences over Adolf Hitlers death sparked outrage as government was inundated with angry letters

Secret files revealed the Government was swamped by letters of outrage, many from Irish people living overseas, over the decision by Taoiseach Eamon de Valera to visit the German Legation in Dublin to express condolences on the death of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in May 1945.

The documents have been released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive.

Irish officials also carefully catalogued the reaction across the world media to the Taoiseachs action.

Mr de Valera called to see the German minister to Ireland, Dr Eduard Hempel, on May 2, 1945, after he had heard of the death of Adolf Hitler.

Surrounded by units of the Red Army in the ruins of Berlin, Hitler had taken poison and shot himself on April 30 to prevent being captured alive by the Soviets. His partner, Eva Braun, also took her own life as did several other high-ranking Nazi officials and their families, including propaganda chief Dr Josef Goebbels who died along with his wife Magda and their six children.

The files detailed, in particular, how stunned Irish-Americans were at the decision to express condolences over the death of Hitler.

Irelands Washington mission was swamped with queries as to whether the story was true  with others slating the Taoiseach and Ireland for such a move.

One Massachusetts congressman, Henry Shattuck, called for action to be taken against Ireland.

Mr Shattuck, who endowed the chair of Celtic Studies at Harvard University, urged that Ireland should not be allowed to join the United Nations because of what the Taoiseach had done.

Many of the Irish-Americans who contacted the Irish mission were furious because they had friends or relatives serving with US forces fighting the Nazis in Europe.

I respectfully ask you to close the Irish Legation. It is a standing insult to all of us. You stink, you are swine, Donegal-born James OCallaghan wrote.

Detroit Gaelic League secretary Jack OLoan pleaded for accurate information given the fall-out from the move.

Please give us full facts concerning De Valeras actions on the death of Adolf Hitler. Local controversy makes immediate answer imperative, he said.

Irish-American lawyer Frank Hogan said what the Taoiseach had done was incredibly stupid.

Every man and woman of Irish blood regrets the stupid action of prime minister (sic) Eamon de Valera of Eire, he wrote. Eire had enough of the Sassenach (Saxon) brutality for 700 years of occupation in the Emerald Isle, but you cannot blame all the Irish in the world for the stupidity of one man.

Edgar Twamley, from Illinois, said Ireland would pay a long-term cost for the mis-step of its leader.

A more stupid thing for Eire is hard to imagine, he said.

Another Irish-American, Margaret Mary Turner, said everyone with Irish connections was condemning what De Valera had dared to do.

We, my people, the Healys, Sullivans and Moynihans and my husbands folks, the Burneses, would have denounced him (De Valera) with their last breath for daring to call on the German Legation in Ireland and express his sympathy on Hitlers death, she wrote.

Such was the outpouring of condemnation that Irish officials in the US briefed Dublin that they were desperately trying to conduct damage control.

In many cases, legation officials tried to correct inaccurate claims about what had happened  and even claims that Ireland had allowed two days of mourning for Hitler or had flown flags at half mast.

Irish Legation official Sean Nunan said many callers were angry and abusive.

I had three other telephone calls today, two of the people were very abusive and on the lines of those reported yesterday, he noted. They all claimed to have had relatives killed in this present war.

Ireland desperately tried to defuse the controversy by sending pro-forma responses to anyone who contacted, explaining that the visit was merely in accordance with diplomatic protocols.

The legation pointed out that Nazi representatives had attended President Franklin Roosevelts inauguration in January 1941 even after Germany had overrun the Low Countries and France.
Confidential government briefing notes queried whether Irish citizens such as veteran Fine Gael TD Oliver J Flanagan had an entitlement to refer to themselves as Sir after the receipt of a papal honour.

The revelation follows the release of secret government documents  part of the State Papers  by the National Archive.

One file revealed the government was monitoring papal and foreign honours as well as titles bestowed on Irish citizens.

Under the Constitution, certain honours require government approval before they can be accepted.

One file revealed Mr Flanagan had decided to style himself Sir Oliver after he received the Knighthood of St Gregory in 1978.

The people who appreciate the full title of the honour are calling me Sir and it would be wrong of me not to accept the title. The first ones to use it were my constituents, he said in an interview at the time.

However, his public stance prompted a confidential inquiry within government as such papal honours were not, until then, equated with royal honours such as those bestowed in the UK.

Oliver J Flanagan. Photo: Independent Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection

State Papers: 1994

Such honours carry an honorific title such as Sir or Lord and require government approval before acceptance by Irish citizens. However, it had been the view that papal honours did not carry an honorific title and therefore did not require government approval.

I was under the impression that papal decorations and honours were not regarded as coming under the scope of Article 40-2:20 of the Constitution, one civil servant noted on December 13, 1978.

They advised the matter be checked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and, if it came under that section of the Constitution, the issue should then be taken up with Mr Flanagan.

Mr Flanagan, who briefly served as defence minister from 1976 to 1977, became famous for his comment that there was no sex in Ireland before television.

A social conservative, he served as a Dail deputy for Laois-Offaly from 1943 to 1987.

His son, Charlie Flanagan, was also a TD and served as justice minister from 2017 to 2020.

The file also noted that the government granted the Earl of Rosse, who was an Irish citizen, the right to accept one of the highest honours bestowed by the British monarchy, Knight Commander of the British empire.

A Department of the Taoiseach file dated November 20, 1973 noted government approval of the honour.

Michael Parsons was the 6th Earl of Rosse and was influential in Ireland and the UK.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Azerbaijan launched diplomatic missions in Bangkok (the Kingdom of Thailand) and Muscat (the Sultanate of Oman) in 2024, while its embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran resumed operations on July 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijans report for 2024 said, Trend reports.

"As a result, the total number of Azerbaijans diplomatic missions abroad has reached ninety-two, including sixty-nine embassies, six permanent missions, nine consulates general, seven embassy offices, and one representative office. The Republic of Vanuatu has requested the establishment of a consulate general in Baku, while the Cook Islands has expressed interest in establishing diplomatic relations.

As in previous years, Azerbaijan has continued to contribute to global peace, security, and sustainable development, actively participating in multilateral cooperation within international organizations in 2024," the report said.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs was confidentially advised that the late Northern chief judge Mr Justice Robert Lowry disliked Jews and Catholics.

The revelation came in confidential documents released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive.

Confidential discussions were outlined between Department of Foreign Affairs officials and senior legal practitioners in the North about future judicial appointments.

Department of Foreign Affairs official Daithi O Ceallaigh met leading Northern solicitor Paddy McGrory in 1985 for a detailed briefing about the judiciary there.

Mr McGrory, who died in 1994, was a Catholic and one of the leading solicitors in Belfast.

He told the Irish diplomat that Ronald Ronnie Appleton was a leading contender to be appointed to the Northern bench.

Mr Appleton had played a key role in the successful prosecution of senior INLA official Dominic McGlinchey.

Stock image

State Papers: 1994

He was highly regarded within legal circles in Northern Ireland and had received praise for his strategy in the McGlinchey prosecution which included the idea of using an affidavit sworn by the INLA official in Dublin as part of the Northern Ireland case.

[He is] a strong contender, Mr McGrory told Mr O Ceallaigh.

Mr O Ceallaigh, in his briefing note to his superiors, said the McGlinchey case was very important to the Northern judiciary, British government and unionist parties.

The McGlinchey trial had important political consequences for unionists and [Mr Justice] Lowry tried to ensure a conviction. Appleton is therefore, as it were, owed one, he noted.

However, Mr McGrory warned there were several matters that might mitigate against Mr Appletons appointment.

He is a Jew and Lowry is reputed to dislike Jews as much as he dislikes Catholics

Firstly, he said Mr Appleton was making loud noises about the fee he got for the McGlinchey case not reflecting his work and the scale of his achievement in devising a successful prosecution strategy.

It was suggested this may not sit well with some in authority.

Mr McGrory said the second issue which counted against Mr Appleton was his religion.

He is a Jew and [Mr Justice] Lowry is reputed to dislike Jews as much as he dislikes Catholics, he said.

Mr Justice Lowry, who was the son of the former attorney general in the North, died in 1999.

Mr Appleton became the chief prosecutor for the Crown in the North.

Among the high profile cases he prosecuted were the Shankill butchers and loyalist Michael Stone.
Revelations about the British double agent within the IRA, codenamed Stakeknife, left the entire republican movement convulsed and traumatised, confidential files have revealed.

The files were released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive.

Stakeknife was widely reported to have been Freddie Scappaticci, who headed the IRAs feared internal security unit, nicknamed the Nutting Squad.

Scappaticci died on April 11, 2023, at the age of 77, having suffered a series of strokes.

He had fled Northern Ireland after it was claimed he was the British agent called Stakeknife.

Scappaticci had lived in witness protection since he left Northern Ireland.

A BBC investigative documentary revealed he is believed to have been involved in at least 17 murders.

The interim Kenova Report found that in 20 years as a British agent, more lives were lost than saved through the work of Stakeknife.

General John Wilsey, who commanded the British forces in Northern Ireland from 1983 to 1990, described Stakeknife as the golden egg of all military intelligence operatives.

The files revealed the entire republican movement was shocked in 2003 by the revelation that the British government had an agent placed so highly within the IRA  and that they effectively ran the IRAs own security unit.

That year, both Irish and British officials discussed precisely how widespread the damage was from the Stakeknife revelations.

Officials at a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) in London discussed the fallout in May 2003.

A steering note, written by an official at the governments Anglo-Irish Division on May 19, 2003, details the topics likely to be discussed.

Earlier that month, the British government passed the necessary legislation to allow for the postponement of the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland.

The secretary of state has discretion to set a date for elections prior to November 15, the file noted.

The document added that, since a previous meeting at Farmleigh in Dublin on May 6 of that year, the political landscape had been overtaken by the Stakeknife revelations and allegations.

These have convulsed the republican movement already traumatised by the failure of its statements and clarifications to meet the standard of clarity required by both governments and the British decision to postpone elections, it said.

Bertie Ahern, the taoiseach at the time, indicated the previous week that the Stakeknife controversy would be raised at this meeting.

One document stated that the postponement of the election in Northern Ireland had left the political process without focus or direction.

It added that Sinn Feins leadership had, for the moment, exhausted its capacity to propel the wider movement in the right direction.

The Stakeknife affair has further damaged the Sinn Fein leadership in the eyes of the wider movement, generating all kinds of internal conspiracy theories about who was protecting who and whether this IRA mole was ruthlessly used to eliminate the key opponents of the peace process within republicanism.

The document also stated: The outworking of this affair has potentially very negative implications for the stability of the Sinn Fein leadership. The two governments need to get a firm grip on the situation and not allow matters to drift.

Another internal document from May 20, 2003, notes the allegations about Stakeknife suggest complicity in murder by loyalists was matched by complicity in murder by republicans.

It also references Thomas Oliver, a 43-year-old farmer who was tortured and murdered by the Provisional IRA in 1991.

The allegations include references to murder in our jurisdiction; it is being suggested that Mr Tom Oliver met his death because of events surrounding the agent codenamed Stakeknife, it noted. This raises the fundamental question of how the Irish government responds to allegations concerning alleged British security force activity in this jurisdiction.

The document later adds that the Stakeknife revelations left the republican leadership paralysed and damaged.
A shadowy republican group issued a threat in 1999 to poison British water supplies with a commonly available weedkiller. Both British and Irish officials suspected it was a ruse by loyalist groups to smear republican paramilitaries.

The revelation came in secret documents released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive.

Documents revealed that the sinister threat was taken very seriously by the British authorities. After they consulted with various experts, they were stunned to be told that such a contamination threat was technically possible.

Secret papers confirmed that the threat to British water supplies was issued by a group calling itself the Republican Revenge Group (RRG).

It was unclear who precisely was involved in the RRG or if it had the means to carry out the threatened attacks. RRG had issued the threat via letters which were posted to the British embassy and to the Papal Nunciature in Dublin.

The letters were posted in June 1999 and threatened to proceed with the contamination of selected water supplies if London did not indicate its intention to withdraw from Northern Ireland.

In the letter, the group outlined that it planned to introduce weedkiller into selected water schemes across the UK, potentially causing thousands of people to get sick or even die.

RRG even went so far as to explain how it intended to contaminate the water supply systems.

The group said it would take a commonly available weedkiller and attach it to fire hydrants.

This would, by force of water pressure, introduce it into the water distribution system. Without a prior warning, it was feared the chemical would be introduced into the drinking water systems for tens of thousands of homes before the alarm could be raised.

RRG warned Britain it faced a new improvised chemical weapon.

However, both British and Irish officials noted that the letters consistently used the phrase HMG for her majestys government.

British embassy officials in Dublin  the secret documents revealed  felt that no republican group would ever use such a phrase given their disdain for British royalty and empire.

One official suspected the letter could form part of a dirty tricks campaign by loyalists to damage their republican rivals particularly through the international media coverage of such a drinking water scare.

The letter was, another official noted, both cohesive and literate.

It was also found to have technical knowledge about how a water supply could be targeted.

The threat was taken seriously and British officials were shocked to be told such a water poisoning was technically feasible.

To avoid widespread panic and to prevent the so-called RRG group from gaining a profile, the British government arranged a special media briefing.

Those called to the meeting included The Irish Independent, The Irish Times and RTE.

Publications were asked not to report on the story given the threat of public panic and the concern that, ultimately, the story might well prove to be a hoax.

British officials promised to keep the media informed on developments and if any further correspondence indicated that the threat was real.

Gardai had been briefed on the matter and, after a co-operative investigation with British police, identified a potential suspect for the threatening letters.

The man was from Scotland and had served as a soldier.

He was then living in Dublin and was viewed as living in a fantasy world at times.

While the man was investigated, no prosecution was ever mounted.
Irish design elements and comfy rooms make this conveniently located aparthotel a nifty option for business or leisure stays

You might know Irish company Staycity for its proliferation of short-stay aparthotels in Dublin  or perhaps the names familiar because its been a sponsor emblazoned on Dublin GAA jerseys since 2023. What you may not know is that, outside of Ireland, the company operates a slightly fancier sister brand called Wilde (yes, named for Oscar). Its aparthotels are more design-led, and there are currently seven Wilde Aparthotels  in Berlin, Edinburgh, Manchester, and four in London  with an eighth due to open in Cambridge next year.
Pope Francis delivers his Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech from the main balcony of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Photo: Reuters

It is an interesting time for Pope Francis to have ushered in a Holy Year, also known as a jubilee, for the global Catholic Church  a time for peace, forgiveness and pardon.

With the sad reality of Bethlehem closed for Christmas for the second year running and our news feeds dominated by images of the brutal reality of life in war-torn Gaza and Ukraine, it is a time for everyone to use whatever influence they have to promote and protect peace.

This starts in our homes and extends to our schools, workplaces and communities. Will 2025 be the year peace finally has a chance?

Stephen OHara, Carrowmore, Sligo

With EU at odds on threat from Russia, lets be clear on how fragile freedom is

EU member states disagree on the implications of Russian threats and the extent of their willingness to respond with boots on the ground in addition to material contributions (With Trump on way and no end to war, EU is in a defence muddle, Irish Independent, December 26).

Peace is earned through sacrifice. As Ronald Reagan said: Freedom is a fragile thing, and its never more than one generation away from extinction.

It is not ours by way of inheritance  it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.

Giles Brennand, Kinsale, Co Cork

As an American, I can only apologise for my countrys horrific support of Israel

As a citizen of the US, a country that is greatly aiding and abetting the abject slaughter of the men, women and children of Palestine, I applaud the people of Ireland for condemning Israel, perpetrator of the ongoing massacres in Gaza and the West Bank.

I also apologise, profoundly, to the people of Ireland, Palestine and the entire world for my countrys appalling support of Israels campaign of ethnic cleansing. I can only hope the US will some day come to its senses and cease its aggressive support of Israels ghastly behaviour in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.

In the meantime, please know that I and millions of my countrymen applaud the principled stand taken by our good friends in Ireland.

Lawrence Reichard, Belfast, Maine, US

Only one obvious reason for Netanyahu to dodge ceremony at Auschwitz

Karl Martin states that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unable to attend the Auschwitz commemoration ceremony as he is too busy, among other things, fighting three wars on separate fronts. (Letters, December 26).

I would suggest Mr Netanyahus generals are quite capable of fighting the wars  of Israels own making  without his interference.

The more probably explanation to my mind is that on arrival in Poland, Mr Netanyahu would be arrested and sent for trial at the International Criminal Court, which has found sufficient grounds to charge him with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

David Murphy, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14

Verona Murphy is lucky to win Ceann Comhairle role after transfer-friendly vote

The role of the Ceann Comhairle is the only role that has been filled in our new Dail.

If a political party wins an election, the role is usually given to a senior person who has been loyal and has served the party with distinction, but when there is a hung parliament, it is usually an Independent who fills the post.

Verona Murphy is lucky. She is only in her second term and has won one of Irelands most coveted jobs.

The position comes with many perks, including automatic election to the next Dail.

The result of the last election reflects a tight outcome. It will be remembered as the election where there was little between the major parties and how important it is to be transfer-friendly as transfers were the key to a lot of wins.

Thomas Garvey, Claremorris, Co Mayo

London exhibition struck chord with my experience of difficult emigrant life

Martina Devlins article on emigrant life and living conditions (The lodging room in a London museum that leaves many Irish visitors in tears, Irish Independent, December 27) brought back many memories.

At 16, I lived in a bedsit and worked on a building site in Birmingham. The hardship of that life kept me focused on my studies, which ultimately led to a career as a teacher.

Like many Irish emigrants, I worked hard to make something of myself, and those early struggles shaped my path.

The Rooms Through Time exhibition in London resonated deeply with me, reminding me of the sacrifices made by emigrants and the resilience they showed.

It is humbling to see our history recognised in this way, particularly as I later married a woman whose parents were themselves emigrants to London in the 1950s.

Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh

Make a point of signing up for Veganuary and make a big change for the better

It has been a turbulent and difficult year, but 2025 presents an opportunity for the change you wish to see in the world and to embrace a kinder, healthier and greener future by choosing vegan meals.

While many New Year resolutions are forgotten by February, those who start their vegan journey today will end 2025 having spared 200 animals from the abattoir and having lowered their own risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimers. They will also have reduced their climate-impacting emissions by up to 75pc.

There is a reason the month of January has been rebranded globally as Veganuary. A fresh year is the perfect time to align our values with our actions while trying exciting new foods.

Petas free vegan starter kit (peta.org.uk) is packed with hints and recipes to help you get started.

Jennifer White, All Saints Street, London

Christmas may be over, but the next is only ever just around the corner

With the last of the turkey duly demolished, and the in-laws gone home, I was just saying to my wife this morning: Sure, you wont feel it until Christmas.

Ed Toal, Galway
A Cork County Councillor has expressed concerns about plans to introduce a 100 charge per death notice on the RIP.ie website.

The online funeral information service was bought by the Irish Times Group for an undisclosed fee earlier this year and has become one of Ireland's most popular websites with 3.3 million users last month.

Funeral directors across Ireland who upload family announcements have been informed of a 100 charge on all notices with effect from Wednesday, January 1.

Previously, death notices had been free of charge with undertakers paying optional fees for extra advertising on the site.

On Monday, December 16, RIP.ie confirmed that it will introduce the new fee for funeral directors to list death notices on the site from January 2025.

The website said the fee will be introduced for the development and enhancement of the service it offers.

Investing in our service will ensure that RIP.ie remains a trusted resource for bereaved families across Ireland and for the hundreds of thousands of people who post messages of condolence to bereaved families on the site every week, a statement by the platform read.

The site confirmed that it will not charge users to access the site.

Having engaged with funeral directors and others involved in the sector, we believe the new fee structure offers fair and good value for money. We have no plans to introduce a charge to users.

RIP.ie remains committed to offering an excellent service and a secure platform where bereaved families can be supported in commemorating their loved ones, the platform added.

Independent councillor Finbarr Harrington raised the issue at a recent Full Council meeting. I want to raise one point. RIP.ie are proposing to put a 100 charge on all the date notices on their website from January 1.

Cllr Harrington said the proposed charge is a bit excessive. I think it is another charge on bereaved families who will end up paying more. I think it is a bit much. RIP.ie was bought by the Irish Times Group earlier this year. We are aware that it needs funding to keep going, but I think 100 is a bit excessive.
MILLSTREET businessman and owner of the Green Glens Arena in the town Noel C. Duggan has confirmed he has offered the centre to the state to house up to 300 refugees from Ukraine for free in order, as he said, to give something back.

Speaking to The Corkman this week, Noel C. said the arena was currently being used for a farm machinery show but as soon as that was over on Thursday, work would begin on getting the facility ready to accommodate up to 300 Ukrainian refugees, including families and couples.

Noel C said the decision to offer the arena for free for the use of the Ukrainian refugees was taken because of his good fortune over the years.

We have done well over the years and weve been well supported, he said.

I want to give something back, he added.

He said the arena would be carpeted, split into for want of a better word, cubicles and furnished to ensure the Ukrainians fleeing their war torn homeland and arriving in Ireland would be comfortably accommodated.

They wont be put in stables, he said.

The intention is that the Green Glens Arena and other venues such as the National Show Centre located in Swords, Co. Dublin, will be used as interim accommodation centres as more permanent accommodation is sourced for families and couples .

The Green Glens Arena has been the venue for many major events and shows over the years, most notably the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993.

In a way whats happening now brings it all back to the days of the Eurovision, said Noel C.

When that was put in our way, it succeeded in making Millstreet a destination when before it had been a place off the main road to everywhere, he remarked.

Noel, who will be 90 on his next birthday, believes that, while Ireland is emerging from the Covid pandemic, the country and the world could be facing a difficult period ahead.

I think there are several uears of hardship before us probably unlike anything our generation or any generation before us will have experienced or have come through.

I think the world has gone mad and that Ireland is floating away with the change, he said.

He added, however, that towns like Millstreet and communities like Sliabh Luachra and Duhallow remained rooted .

According to the latest estimates by Cork County Council, the County could take anything from 8,000 to 13,000 Ukrainian refugees from an estimated 200,000 likely to come to Ireland.
In July, one of the most interesting stories of the year involved a UK-based private investigator working in Kerry. A man named Aaron Bond working for a private investigation company claimed his busiest job in Kerry was catching cheating spouses. He also spoke of being hired for a host of other jobs from missing persons to recouping money owed to people. See the full story below:

The contact says he is sitting outside a restaurant in Bangkok on surveillance when he takes my call. He apologises for the background sound as there is a monsoon and heavy rain crashes on the rooftop.

He moves to a quieter spot and suddenly the conversation feels highly classified and international. He is an ex-military man-turned-private investigator who goes by the name of Aaron Bond.

A few days prior to the call, I requested an interview through the Bond-Rees Detective Agency in the UK, who advertise a service in Kerry. The response is quick and I am given Mr Bonds number.

He is polite and openly answers questions in a Welsh accent.

Im told that Bond-Rees carries out, on average, two cases a week in Kerry. These range from cheating partner investigations, finding missing loved ones, insurance fraud, and tracking down people who take off with a persons money.

The company does surveillance work for private corporations  a service that is most popular in the banking district of London. Bond-Rees even carries out background checks on people prior to marriages with Saudi princes.

The firms most recent Kerry case involves locating a cowboy builder who allegedly took off with 10,000 in clients money. For a fee, Bond-Rees tracked the builder down to a rural part of the county and served him papers.

Despite the infinite ways in which social media opens up avenues of contact in todays world, espionage and spying is not something one associates with day-to-day life in Kerry, at least not from the perspective of paid professionals.

There is a natural sense of apprehension when talking to an individual who makes a living from operating undercover around the world. My first thought turns to whether or not he has done a background check on me prior to our conversation. The answer is mostly likely no, but it doesnt stop suspicion from having its moment in your head.

I would hazard a guess that few people feel inclined to contemplate the prospect of being followed, least of all by professionals hired by someone known to you.

The Bond-Rees website does not shy away from what it offers and the full service is listed in a one-minute instructional video given by a bald gentleman with a posh London accent. The firm is surprisingly active on the PR front, too, having featured in past articles in The Telegraph, New York Post and Daily Mail.

So, what exactly is the most popular request from clients in Kerry? If you happen to be in the teaching profession you might want to take note. Mr Bond explains that its within this sector that infidelity is highest based on his investigations.

The cheating there [Kerry] is absolutely massive. Cheating partners account for 99pc of the work we do there with clients. This is most prevalent with cheating among work colleagues. We caught around three or four during their lunch break cheating. Its mostly teachers. They tend to pop off to hotels at lunchtime. Its very common there, he said.

Listening to Mr Bond talk about clients is slightly disturbing when one imagines that behind the word could be a desperate and emotionally insecure person willing to pay substantial sums of money to find out something they already know to be true.

In the area where you are [Tralee], we get calls from people who feel their partners are cheating and they want to find out what is going on; what are they doing at the weekend? That would account for 99pc of work there. Sometimes I will take more money out of Tralee than I would out of central London.

Despite the fee involved in sourcing information, Mr Bond says it never gets easy having to tell someone their partner is cheating. Once all the evidence has been collated, the client is informed in a clear and transparent way to avoid confusion. They are first told verbally, and then via text and email so they understand fully what the situation is.

Ive made those calls and it can be a heart-wrenching call to make, he said. Ive been in the military for 12 years and seen a lot of bad stuff in Iraq in 2005 and 06. None of that would compare to picking up the phone and telling someone that their partner is having an affair. Even though we get paid, it doesnt make it easy.

Being an ex-soldier in the British Army, Mr Bond explains that when he left the army he tried a normal job but lasted only four months. The normal civilian life was something that I just couldnt grasp. I live more of a lifestyle than a job. Its 24/7, the phone doesnt stop. We are constantly looking for people to work with us, he said.

Bond-Rees employs roughly 25 investigators who work part-time and full-time. Among personnel are retired counter-terrorism officials, ex-MI5 agents, police officers and military.

There are 15 people from Ireland working with the company. Occasionally, depending on the need, a layperson may be trained for a specific task.

Private investigative firms are heavily regulated in Ireland. They must abide by GDPR and Data Protection Acts.

Due to GDPR laws there are strict guidelines on the use of surveillance equipment, including CCTV cameras and audio-recording devices.

Breaking and entering, hacking computer systems, and accessing confidential information without authorisation is also prohibited in Ireland. In some cases, a judges authorisation is required to source information on a person.

Mr Bond said the most high-profile case he worked on was in the UK involving a cult. He was asked to return a girl to her family by her dying mother.

The client was a lady in her 60s who had cancer and was near the end of life. It was one of the most hard-hitting cases I was on. She knew she was heading for death and one of her last wishes was to get her daughter out of this cult. We sent one of our specialists, an ex-government person. We got her out and seeing the mothers face was very touching, he said.

While confidentiality is an essential part of the service, being able to asses a persons mental stability is equally important. Mr Bond said the company will not take on clients who they feel are mentally vulnerable.

Ive seen cases that have turned bad because they first hire people who are not qualified. We wont pick up someone elses mess. We also wont take on someone who we feel is mentally not right as its not worth the money, he explained.

Even though Im doing this job for 12 years, you still need omnipresence. That is the only way you can operate, you cant stay in one place. It can be dangerous if you dont know what you are doing. You can get nasty cases.

"Not a lot of people know about what we do, especially in parts of Ireland where it is quieter. They think it is a made-up, fictitious job. But its kept me and a hell of a lot of others in work for the past 12 years, Aaron said.
A Sligo man who was before Sligo Circuit Court charged with 13 counts of theft from his friends bank account, where he stole a total of 8,160 was told by Judge Keenan Johnson he must immediately repay 50 a week to the victim.
A teenager who joined in meting out a form of rough justice to someone he believed had sexually assaulted a girl appeared before Wexford Circuit Court.

The defendant was 15 years of age when he and three of his peers set upon their victim on the banks of the River Slaney in Enniscorthy.

The accused  too young to have his name published  pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on a date in 2022. The court heard how, around that time, rumours were swirling around Enniscorthy after a girl complained that a male had put his hand up her skirt.

She invited this male to meet her for a talk near the Country Walk, where her alleged molester found himself at the mercy of four youths.

Two of the four, though not the accused, were wearing balaclavas as he was knocked into the river and repeatedly hit. During the course of the attack he was held under the water and he also received an eye injury when his head knocked off a beam under a bridge.

The beating stopped after fishermen who happened to be in the area intervened.

Garda Cristian Dorneanu confirmed that the defendants three accomplices were dealt with through the juvenile diversion scheme.

However, the fourth member of the team was not eligible for the scheme and he was prosecuted through the courts for assault. His mother was in court to hear Judge James McCourt describe what happened as a row among a bunch of unruly teenagers.

An order requiring the young man to carry out 20 hours of community service was handed down.

The judge felt it would not serve the interests of society to put him behind bars.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Work to reveal the crimes committed by Armenia in Azerbaijani territories that were kept under occupation for almost 30 years and to define the country's international legal responsibility for these acts has been continued throughout 2024, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

According to the ministry, on January 12 of this year, the first procedural meeting in the interstate arbitration filed by Azerbaijan against Armenia under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) took place at the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The ministry also said that on November 19, the Government of Azerbaijan sent its Statement of Claim against Armenia to the Permanent Court of Arbitration. This document lists all the ways that Armenia has violated Azerbaijan's sovereign rights over its energy resources, as required by the ECT and basic international law.

"Azerbaijan is seeking redress for Armenias violations of Azerbaijans sovereign rights over its energy resources, including Armenias unlawful exploitation and impairment of renewable resources in the liberated territories," the ministry said.

Besides, according to the ministry, on April 12, a procedural meeting was held at the Permanent Court of Arbitration within the framework of the interstate arbitration filed by Azerbaijan against Armenia under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

"In this arbitration claim, Azerbaijan demands that Armenia must be held accountable and pay financial compensation for the damage caused to Azerbaijans environment and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity," added the ministry.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel

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Vitamin C: How a Polish mans leg break led to him developing vitamin supplements from his new Wicklow home

From dreams of Australia to making vitamin supplements in Bray: Ryszard and Aleksandra Porebski's products now supply health food shops across Ireland and beyond

Aleksandra and Ryszard Porebski with one of their products. Photo: Leigh Anderson

David Medcalf Wicklow People Sat 28 Dec 2024 at 07:00

If things had gone to plan, then Ryszard Porebski (57) and his wife Aleksandra (47) would not be living in Bray. The Polish couples original intention was to emigrate to Australia and start a new life Down Under. Ireland was intended as no more than stopover where he could learn English in preparation for the big move.
Pete Wicks and Maura Higgins at the BAFTA Television Awards 2024 (Photo by Ricky Vigil/GC Images)

Maura Higgins and Pete Wicks have sparked rumours that they spent Christmas together in Ireland.

The former Love Island star, who is fresh from her stint in the Im A Celebrity jungle, and the podcaster were photographed on Monday as they loaded suitcases into car.

The couple could be seen grinning at each other as they prepared to set off on what appeared to be a romantic festive getaway.

On Christmas Day, Maura shared a photo from her seat on a plane headed for Ireland before she checked into Glasson Lakehouse in Co Westmeath.

The Longford lady also posted some photos inside one of the hotels lavish Lakeview Suites, which can be rented out over Christmas for around 600 per night.

Maura stayed in Glasson Lakehouse over Christmas

The extravagant room overlooking Lough Ree boasts a copper bath, a private balcony, a flat screen TV, and its own fireplace.

The pair also posted photos of their drinks inside a cosy pub.

Maura opted for a glass of red wine while Pete chose a pint of Guinness, with the Irishwoman sharing a photo that showed the pub decked out with Christmas stockings, fairy lights, and garlands.

Maura also shared some photos with her family as she declared it was her last day with them.

It comes after she revealed that she was seeing someone before making her way Down Under for Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Maura shared photos from inside a cosy pub this week

During her time on the show, Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse asked the reality star if she was single, to which she replied: I am, but I was seeing someone before I came in but Im not in a relationship.

Reverend Richard Coles then asked: Was it exclusive? Or if Ive put you on the spot, sorry!

And Maura paused before admitting: I dont know.

Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough questioned: Is it someone we would know? which caused Maura to smile and say: Yeah...

Richard then added: Well thats great, go Maura!

Maura also revealed that she missed her mystery man during her stint in the jungle but told her fellow campmates that shes never been in love despite her extensive dating history.

The 34-year-old, who celebrated her birthday on the show last month, has previously been in relationships with her Love Island co-stars Curtis Pritchard and Chris Taylor, Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice, and recently called things off with Hollywood stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton.
I thought it was going to fall apart  survivors tell of loud bangs before deadly plane crash in Kazakhstan

Russia denies its air defences shot down passenger jet, killing at least 38

Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, receives treatment at a hospital in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Reuters

Gleb Stolyarov and Nailia Bagirova Sat 28 Dec 2024 at 03:30







Two passengers and one crew member on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan said they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.
Another volley has been fired in the ongoing MAGA civil war thats been playing out online between hardcore America First acolytes and Donald Trump-backing Silicon Valley oligarchs over an immigrant worker visa programme  and now Elon Musk is being accused of personally punishing his critics.

Laura Loomer and other far-right activists who have railed against the X owner and his Doge co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy for supporting H-1B visas and criticising US work culture, allege that Mr Musk removed their X verification badges and ability to monetise their accounts in an act of retribution.
Reunion OTT release date Netflix: The 2024 American comedy-mystery film centered around a high school reunion is set for its OTT release. Reunion will be available to stream on Netflix starting January 1, 2025.

Plot

The film takes place after a 20-year high school reunion, where a once-popular but obnoxious student is murdered, and his former classmates must figure out who is responsible.

Set at the home of successful hedge fund manager Mathew Danbury, the reunion brings together a group of former classmates: local police officer Evan West, his best friend Ray Hammond, journalist Jasmine Park, eccentric Vivian Chase, aspiring Congresswoman Amanda Tanner, ex-popular girl Meagan Cooper, and their former teacher, Mr. Theodore Buckley.

As the night progresses, tensions rise. Evan and Jasmine begin to connect, while Ray's advances toward Meagan spark a heated argument.

The evening takes a darker turn when Mathew is found murdered, leaving the group trapped in a snowbound mansion.

Now, the former classmates must work together to uncover the killer among them before it's too late.

Cast and crew

Directed by Chris Nelson, Reunion boasts a star-studded cast featuring Lil Rel Howery, Billy Magnussen, Jillian Bell, Jamie Chung, Michael Hitchcock, Nina Dobrev, and Chace Crawford.

The film is written by Willie Block and Jake Emanuel.

Reviews

Critics have commended the film for its compelling storyline and impressive performances from the cast.

On Rotten Tomatoes, reviewers have praised its mix of suspense and humour.

The movie provides a unique spin on the comedy-mystery genre, making it enjoyable for fans of ensemble-driven stories.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
When is Masik Shivratri in 2024: Masik Shivratri, celebrated every month on the 14th day of the lunar calendar, is deeply spiritually significant for Lord Shiva's followers. In 2024, this monthly event will continue to inspire reverence and dedication. Masik Shivratri is a time to celebrate Lord Shiva, seek his blessings, and ponder on the importance of self-control and inner tranquility. This page delves into the history and meaning of this sacred occasion, as well as the important rituals and traditions that make it unique. Whether you're a long-time spectator or new to the practice, here's all you need to know about Masik Shivratri in 2024.

When is Masik Shivratri in 2024?

Credit: Freepik

The Masik Shivaratri, performed on the Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi tithi of each month of the Hindu calendar, is a prominent vrat observed by Lord Shiva followers. The vrat is viewed with great reverence, and it is thought that observing it with strict discipline and sincerity will absolve all sins. The forthcoming Masik Shivaratri vrat of the Pausa month takes place on December 29, 2024.

Date Start Time End Time 29th December, 2024 03:32 AM, Dec 29 04:01 AM, Dec 30

What is Masik Shivratri ?

Shivaratri vrat is one of Hinduism's most important and renowned fasts, and it honors Lord Shiva. Shivaratri vrat is classified into four types: Nitya Shivaratri, Masik Shivaratri, Magha Shivaratri, and Maha Shivaratri. Masik Shivaratri is celebrated on the Chaturdashi, or fourteenth day, of each month according to the traditional Hindu calendar. The event has great religious significance since it represents the union of Shiva and Shakti, with Shiva symbolizing Purusha (awareness) and Parvati representing Prakriti (nature). Observing Masik Shivaratri is thought to have spiritual advantages, such as improved well-being and future success. It is also stated that by praying and performing penance on this day, even the most difficult tasks can be completed.

Significance of Masik Shivratri

Credit: Freepik

Masik Shivratri means "Monthly Night of Shiva." It is a tiny replica of the main Maha Shivratri festival, which takes place every year. The night is considered the most powerful time to seek Lord Shiva's blessings since it represents the merger of Shiva and Shakti, as well as cosmic energy and balance. One of the most striking characteristics of Masik Shivratri is that it takes place on a moonless night, known as Amavasya. The absence of the moon indicates a period for self-reflection and the release of negative emotions, allowing believers to purify their minds and spirits.

Fasting rules of Masik Shivratri

Pre-Fasting Preparations Types of Fasts Worship Rituals During the Fast Devotees get up early, bathe, and dress in spotless attire.

They make a Sankalp (promise) to observe the fast faithfully. Nirjala fast: believers abstain from food and water throughout the day and night. Phalahar fast: Eats only fruits, milk, and non-grain foods. Lord Shiva receives offerings of bilva (bael) leaves, milk, honey, and water.

Chanting the mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya' is an essential aspect of the process.

Lighting a diya and meditating in front of a Shiva Lingam are typical.

Breaking The Fast

Rituals of Masik Shivaratri 2024

Perform the 'Abhishek' of Lord Shiva or the Lingam with Gangajal, milk, curd, ghee, honey, vermillion, turmeric, rose water, and 'Bel' leaves.

Apply sandalwood paste, sprinkle vermillion, and present flowers to the deities' idols.

Recite Aarti, or chants in honor of Shiva, while blowing a conch and ringing bells.

Start the day with a ceremonial bath and prepare the Puja altar early in the morning.

Serve homemade prasad on the altar.

Hold the Puja ideally at midnight, with devotees fasting all day and breaking it the next morning.

Hold a night vigil (Jagran) with Bhajans and Kirtans to foster a pleasant environment.

Shivratri Puja is regarded as particularly auspicious on Tuesdays.

In addition to Lord Shiva, worship Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Parvati, with the Pradosh Kaal Puja being especially noteworthy.

Night rituals and worship of Lord Shiva

Credit: Freepik





Four Prahar Puja Abhishekam Rituals The night is divided into four halves, with Shiva Puja performed throughout each Prahar.

Special hymns and Shiva strotras, such as the Shiva Chalisa, are chanted. The Shiva Lingam is bathed in milk, water, curd, honey, and ghee during the Abhishekam.

Each offering is symbolic: milk for purity, honey for sweetness, and water for spiritual purification.

Meditation & Chanting

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Laura Loomer, the pro-Trump influencer who has caused what many see as a civil war within the MAGA movement by targeting Indian-origin CEOs and tech workers on H1B visas, has found herself in an awkward position after she sought donations through an app built by two Indian-origin brothers.

CREDIT: AP

'I am banned, please support me'

"Im banned on Cash App, Venmo, and PayPal because these people want to strangle me and have been subjecting me to their caste system for YEARS," she said while urging supporters to donate to her through Buy Me a Coffee.

Big tech hates me. Im

Banned on Cash app, Venmo and PayPal because these people want to strangle me and have been subjecting me to their caste system for YEARS. I was one of their first victims and Im not going to let them victimize all of you either.



You can support my work https://t.co/qqe8dw65uK  Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 27, 2024

Buy Me a Coffee was co-founded by Indian-immigrants

But what she didn't know was that Buy Me a Coffee was co-founded by two London-based Indian-origin brothers - Jijo Sunny and Joseph Sunny. Buy Me a Coffee is an online platform that allows creators to accept one-time donations to support their work.

Many on social media soon pointed out the irony in Loomer seeking donations to spread hate on Indian immigrants through a platform built by immigrants from India.

CREDIT: AP

Jijo Sunny, one of the founders of Buy Me a Coffee, had a cheeky response to the entire episode.

How Loomer caused a rift within MAGA

Loomer, who claims to have worked with the Trump campaign, has unleashed quite a storm among MAGA supporters, with her posts disparaging Indian-origin immigrants who work in the US tech industry.

She started by attacking Sriram Krishnan, Trumps newly appointed Senior AI Advisor.

CREDIT: REUTERS

However, this soon blew up into a full-blown hate campaign against Indian-origin CEOs and tech workers in the country. Trump's right-hand man Elon Musk, who himself is an immigrant, and Vivek Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, soon jumped into the debate arguing why the US needs more foreign-born skilled tech workers.

Loomer, who refused to back down on her claims, has since doubled down and accused Musk of mocking and censoring her account.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has doubled down on his support for the immigration of high-skilled workers to the US even as he faces backlash from many Donald Trump supporters over the contentious topic. In his latest post on X, Musk reminded Americans that Nikola Tesla, considered one of the greatest engineers of all time, was an immigrant.

'We named Tesla after Nikola Tesla'

"We named Tesla after Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest engineers ever. He was a penniless immigrant whose inventions led to American dominance in electricity generation and usage," Musk wrote on X while sharing an AI-generated image of Tesla.

We named @Tesla after Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest engineers ever.



He was a penniless immigrant whose inventions led to American dominance in electricity generation and usage. pic.twitter.com/1K1IdSUjM0  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 27, 2024

Musk was not involved in naming of Tesla

It should be noted that Musk was not involved in naming the EV maker founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Musk joined Tesla Motors only in 2004. The current CEO of Tesla got to call himself a co-founder as part of the settlement of a lawsuit between him, Eberhard, and Tarpenning.

Nikola Tesla's inventions changed the world

Musk further shared a Gork AI-generated response on how Nikola Tesla's inventions changed the world.

Debate over immigrant CEOs in US

South African-born Musk has been in the eye of the storm after endorsing a controversial social media post suggesting Americans were too retarded to be hired for skilled jobs.

Musk waded into the debate after supporting Indian-origin Sriram Krishnan, who was picked by Trump as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy.

Musk defended the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers on H1B visas, saying that there was a shortage of excellent engineering talent in the US.

"There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley," Musk wrote on X.

There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 25, 2024

What Vivek Ramaswamy said

Musk also got the support of Vivek Ramaswamy, who was born in the US to Indian-origin parents.

"The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over native Americans isnt because of an innate American IQ deficit," he wrote on X.

The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over native Americans isnt because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if  Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024

The online debate has since grown into racial attacks on India-origin top executives in the US.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Christmas in jail? For Sean Diddy Combs, that was a reality he never thought hed faceuntil now. The iconic music mogul, whos been at the harsh Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation, reportedly broke down when it hit him hed miss yet another important occasion.

Diddy celebrating Christmas in jail was a nightmare for him

The 55-year-old rapper, known for his larger-than-life persona and impressive resilience, was allegedly overcome by despair when his repeated bail requests were denied. Reports from insiders suggest Diddy pleaded with prison guards, desperate to be taken to the hospital for observation, a request that was swiftly denied. Spending the holidays behind bars was a nightmare for him, a source revealed to MailOnline.

Diddy remained strong

However, Diddys legal team quickly pushed back on claims of a meltdown, insisting their client remained strong and focused on his defense. According to sources close to the Mirror UK, Diddy has been meditating to cope with the stress of his incarceration, and he managed to pull himself together with some deep breathing exercises.

It took him a few hours of deep breathing and focusing to get out of the bad space he was in, the insider noted.

Is Diddys mental health on toss?

Despite the denials, Diddys thin and greyer appearance at a recent court date sparked speculation about his mental and physical state. Elizabeth Millner of the Law and Crime Network highlighted how noticeably gaunt and worn he looked after months in detention. Yet, Diddys legal team continues to push for a speedy trial, arguing that he is innocent of all allegations.

Diddys next trial date

His team has made repeated calls for evidence to be reviewed ahead of his trial scheduled for May 5, 2025, while Diddy himself has requested an earlier trial date, specifically asking for an April or May 2025 trial. However, Judge Arun Subramanian has shot down Diddys bail attempts, labeling him a risk to public safety. Despite multiple failed attempts, Diddy has seemingly accepted his fate, with his legal team signaling he will remain behind bars until his trial.

Diddy denies all the allegations

In a statement, his lawyers reaffirmed his innocence: Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.

Despite reports of his breakdown and struggles, Diddys fight for justice and his resilience seem undeterred. Whether hell be able to reclaim his freedom remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Christmas in jail was a nightmare he never expected to endure.
AHellenic Coast Guard officer sustained a head injury during ahigh-speed chase with a migrant smuggling boat off the coast ofLesvos early Friday.

Theincident occurred south of Mytilini, the island's capital, when aCoast Guard patrol boat attempted to intercept a speedboat

offloadingmigrants.

Thespeedboat pilot engaged in risky maneuvers to evade capture,resulting in a collision with the patrol boat and injuring theofficer. Authorities apprehended two Turkish nationals, aged 25 and31, onboard the speedboat before it could reach Turkish waters.

Thirtymigrants, who identified themselves as being from Yemen, Afghanistan,Iraq, and Palestine, were later detained onshore.

Theentire group was transferred to a reception center on Lesvos.

Thisincident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Greek authoritiesin combating migrant smuggling in the Aegean Sea.

Thesmugglers' reckless actions, which endangered both the migrants andthe Coast Guard officers, underscore the dangers involved in theseoperations.

   iefimerida.gr
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Armenia's accelerating militarization is the most significant barrier to the completion of the normalization process between the two countries, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its 2024 report, Trend reports.

The ministry stated that, despite progress in bilateral negotiations, Armenia's ongoing revanchist tendencies and rapid militarizationwith direct support from foreign powerscontinue to hinder efforts to resolve territorial disputes with Azerbaijan. The lack of political will from Armenia to amend its constitution and other legal frameworks, which still contain territorial claims against Azerbaijan, remains a major obstacle.

Armenia's position on maintaining outdated OSCE institutions related to the former Minsk process, which have lost relevance and functionality in the current situation. This stance casts doubt on Armenia's commitment to the normalization agenda with Azerbaijan.

Additionally, Armenia's rapid militarization with external support, combined with a year-long baseless and defamatory campaign against Azerbaijan on various international platforms, has posed significant obstacles to the logical conclusion of the negotiation process. It also emphasizes that this campaign, particularly the attacks related to COP29 in Baku, was largely neutralized due to Azerbaijan's systematic, consistent, and targeted efforts, ensuring the continuation of the normalization process within the framework of Azerbaijan's proposed agenda, the report said.
TheGreek Health Ministry is taking decisive action to address criticalshortages in key medical specialties by offering a 40,000incentive to new doctors who choose to train in General/FamilyMedicine or Internal Medicine.

Thisinitiative aims to attract young physicians to these underservedfields, where Greece lags significantly behind the European average.

Doctorswho begin

their training in 2025 at hospitals with vacancies and nowaiting lists will be eligible for the financial incentive.

"Thisinitiative addresses pressing staffing gaps in hospitals nationwide,"the ministry stated, emphasizing its commitment to enhancing thequality of healthcare services across Greece.

Theincentive will be disbursed in two installments: two-thirds at thestart of training and the remaining third upon completion.

Tofurther strengthen primary healthcare, General/Family Medicinetrainees will be required to serve as personal doctors at HealthCenters during their fifth year of specialization.

HealthMinister Adonis Georgiadis highlighted the urgency of addressing thephysician shortage, particularly in Internal Medicine, a criticalissue facing healthcare systems across Europe.

Henoted that recent policy changes have already encouraged many doctorsto return to the National Health System (NHS).

DeputyHealth Minister Eirini Agapidaki emphasized the government'sdedication to supporting young doctors and building a sustainablehealthcare system.

"Thisdemonstrates our dedication to creating a robust NHS capable ofmeeting the needs of all citizens," she stated.

Thisinitiative marks a significant step towards strengthening Greece'shealthcare workforce and ensuring equitable access to essentialmedical services for all.

   iefimerida.gr
The financial incentives provided months ago to Greeks who wish to relocate to northern Evros is a pilot program for all rural regions Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview to the newspaper 'Ta Choriatika' in Proti, near Serres, on Saturday.

"Our job is to take care of problems of all Greek

citizens and take particular care of the most isolated regions of our homeland," Mitsotakis told journalist Fotini Gallou.

The prime minister also reiterated the further strengthening of the primary sector and of small-scale tourism as issues in rural Greece. Speaking of renewable energy sources, he said that their use will reduce energy prices, but "the first ones to benefit should be the municipalities that welcome them."

Mitsotakis and Gallou spoke of how younger people could be encouraged to relocate to villages, and of what the benefits would be. One of the benefits, he said, was that smaller schools allowed more time between a teacher and a student, thsu improving the standard of education, adding also the help of digital education. "A child that may live in a remote village could have the same technological foundation as a child living in Athens or Thessaloniki. Technology is a bridge that breaks up isolation, and that is why I believe that gradually but steadily there will be more people who will be able to work from a distance and to think of the alternative of the village," the PM said.

Responding to the question of young people founding innovative businesses in villages, and how they would be taxed, Mitsotakis said that the government had changed the lower tax rates to include people who live in villages with up to 1,500 residents (from 500).

"It is for this reason, let's say, we are prioritizing the plans to support young farmers. I have instructed the Ministry of Agricultural Development to see to it that we can include as many young farmers as possible, because the farmers in regional Greece support the villages. We must have a realistic sense of what the economic activities are that are linked to the villages, and surely the primary sector plays a very important role," he noted.

   iefimerida.gr


The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Friday, expressed concern over the high rate of flight delays and cancellations in the country.

According to the Acting Director-General of NCAA, Chris Najomo, a total of 190 domestic flights were cancelled between September and October 2024, while 5,225 flights were delayed.

Najomo revealed that in September 2024, out of 5,291 flights operated, 2,434 were delayed, while 79 were cancelled.

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In October 2024, out of 5,513 flights operated, 2,791 were delayed, while 111 flights were cancelled.

The NCAA boss made this known during a stakeholders meeting with the theme Finding Lasting Solutions to Flight Disruptions.

READ ALSO: NCAA Sanctions Five Airlines For Flight Disruptions, Violating Regulations

The meeting was attended by airline operators, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, and representatives of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

Najomo stated that he has been receiving calls from the Presidency, the National Assembly, and the Ministry concerning the flight disruptions.

The Senate President called me asking what we are doing about these disruptions. A lot has happened in the last one week, he said.

The NCAA boss further advised airlines to handle delays professionally, saying poor management of delays is the issue with the operators.

He also warned passengers against destroying airlines property and beating up their employees over delays, saying unruly behavior would not be tolerated.
Five thousand people, including 540 widows, have received free welfare support from Paul Enenche, the senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, and his wife, Mrs. Becky Enenche, in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to a statement shared with PUNCH Online on Saturday, the churchs Welfare Department coordinated the programme, which took place on Friday.

During the event, Enenche emphasized that creating meaning in life is more important than merely earning a living, and making an impact holds greater value than generating income.

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He said, In Jesus, you see God and man, perfect divinity. He said by the death of Christ is the demonstration of unconditional love (John 3;16, Romans 5;5-8). Someone should be able to learn that today, as our lives were bad, yet He sent His only begotten son to die for us.

Also speaking, a member of the welfare department of the church, Osinachi Egboga, said, Our father, Dr Paul Enenche, and his amiable wife, our mother, Dr Mrs Becky Enenche, are both totally committed to the welfare of the people. This is like a heartbeat for them, and they have done this over the years.

READ MORE: Lawyer Alleges Burna Boy Using Influence To Prolong Speed Darlingtons Detention Despite Court Order

Josephine Ogazi, the Coordinator of the Women of Destiny Group, stated, Since 2011, he has been ministering to widows every Christmas and not only that, he also helps them with school fees and empowerment.

Augustina Nwazue, a beneficiary, expressed her gratitude for the gesture and praised God for what they received.

She said, I am very, very happy, look at how everybody is carrying their gifts up and down in this season, as they have blessed us. May God bless them tremendously as well, and all the widows are praying for them always.

Another beneficiary, Gift Ele Abah, said, We appreciate our daddy and mummy because every time they care for us, they have not let us down.

Food and other necessities for daily life were distributed to the beneficiaries.
Nigerian entrepreneur Linus Williams, popularly known as Blord, has criticised media personality VeryDarkMan after N160 million mysteriously disappeared from his NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization) account.

In an Instagram update on Friday, VDM revealed that hackers had compromised the website set up for the NGO, leading to the unauthorized withdrawal of the funds.

He shared that a suspect had been apprehended and that efforts were underway to recover the stolen money.

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VDM stated he was travelling to Jos, Plateau State, to recover the funds.

To prevent further breaches, the activist temporarily deactivated the NGOs website and assured supporters that updates would be provided as the investigation unfolds.

The Martins Vincent Otse Initiative, which the activist launched in October, aims to empower underserved communities by funding education and improving public schools. Within hours of its debut, the initiative raised over 35 million in donations. Shortly after, renowned music producer Michael Collins Ajereh, widely known as Don Jazzy, contributed 100 million to support the cause.

READ MORE: One Arrested As NGO Website, Bank Account Hacked; 160m Missing  VeryDarkMan Alleges

However, the announcement of the missing funds has drawn scepticism and criticism, with some members of the public questioning VDMs account of events and suggesting foul play.

Amid the controversy, Blord, who has had previous disagreements with VDM, took to his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday to denounce the activist.

Blord wrote, Fear the Loyalty Of A Poor Man !! For a thief will always remain a thief @Coolverydarkma na better thief , he learnt from his mother

The situation has raised questions about the security of the NGOs operations and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the funds, as the investigation continues.

SEE POST:


Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has raised an alarm over a plot to malign the airline, describing it as becoming dangerous and scary.

Onyema made this statement on Friday during a stakeholders meeting focused on finding lasting solutions to flight disruptions in the industry.

According to Onyema, Air Peace has been under severe attacks since it launched its London operation in February 2024.

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These attacks, he claims, are being initiated from Nigeria and involve false accusations of delays and cancellations of flights.

Onyema also mentioned that false videos and narratives are being spread on social media to denigrate the airline.

READ ALSO: Operation Challenges: NCAA To Sanction Airlines Failing To Comply With Ticket Refunds To Customers Within 14 Days

The target of these people is to diminish the success achieved by this administration, especially the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

The aviation industry under President Bola Tinubu has improved, the ease of doing business has improved, and its excellent, but some people want to rubbish the successes of this administration by these fake videos and narratives, Onyema said.

Onyema called on security agencies to investigate these attacks, stating that they are relentless and doing everything to malign the airline.

He expressed concern that the plot to defame Air Peace is not only targeting the airline but also the successes of the current administration.
The Anti-Cultism Squad of the Nigeria Police Force, Cross River Command, has apprehended two suspected drug dealers on Old Market Road in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area.

Gyogon Grimah, the State Police Commissioner, told reporters on Friday that the arrest was successful due to reliable intelligence and the squads rapid raid of the area.

Grimah stated that Bassey Bassey, 21, and Christopher Okoi, 23, were arrested following the raid.

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He stated that an on-the-spot search was carried out, during which substances believed to be hard drugs were discovered in the suspects possession.

READ MORE: Police Arrest Mastermind, Accomplice Behind Kano Youth Clashes

He said, other items recovered include one laptop, three Android phones, two power banks, one scale, one MP3 player and a cash sum of N1.3 million.

The CP stated that the suspects confessed to the crime and that an extensive investigation was underway to identify the sources of supply.

He added that the suspects would be charged immediately after the investigation is completed.


The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that the death of 10 civilians in Sokoto State was caused by secondary explosions, not direct military airstrikes.

This explanation comes after the Sokoto State government reported that two military fighter jets mistakenly dropped bombs on Gidan Bisa village, Silame Local Government Area, killing at least 10 civilians on Christmas Day.

Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, on Friday, addressed journalists in Abuja, stating that troops conducted a coordinated joint operation on December 25 to destroy Lakurawa terrorist groups in their hideouts.

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Intelligence gathering, he said, confirmed terrorist presence in the area before the operation.

READ ALSO: Atiku Slams Nigeria Millitary Over Killing Of Innocent Citizens In Sokoto

Buba explained, Now, I spoke about secondary explosions. Because one of the targets was a logistic base of the terrorists in the community.

When I talk of a logistics base, Im talking of armed caches and poles that were kept there. So, naturally, when the munition hits, there will be a secondary explosion arising from that which will generate other things flying in the air which was what led to the death of about 10 persons that was reported.

He emphasized that the 10 civilians were not hit directly by the air strikes, but rather by the secondary explosions. The actual targets, the Lakurawa terrorist groups, were burned beyond recognition.

Buba also addressed concerns about the use of drones by terrorists, describing them as toys that are not military-grade.

He assured that measures are being taken to prevent future attacks.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has tasked President Bola Tinubus government to compensate families of those who lost their loved ones in the stampedes that occurred in different parts of the country.

Falana said that the Nigeria Police should be held responsible for the stampedes that led to the loss of lives in Oyo, Anambra State and Abuja.

Speaking on Friday at a public lecture to mark one year demise of former governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, in Akure, the legal practitioner accused Nigeria police of sheer incompetence.

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He noted that the stampedes that occurred during the distribution of food items and other palliatives in the country were a national tragedy.

He emphasised that the security agents are saddled with the rights under the constitution to protect the citizens of the country at all public gatherings.

Falana said: The blame should also go to the Nigeria Police Force because of their sheer incompetence to protect those who lost their lives in those stampedes.

The blame should also go to the Nigeria Police Force because of their sheer incompetence to protect those who lost their lives in those stampedes.

READ MORE: Govt Failures Responsible For Avoidable Stampede Deaths  Kukah

If there is any noise that disturbed the neighbours, the police would come. If a few people gathered on the street in a tumultuous manner, the police would come.

Under Section 83, subsection 4 of the Police Establishment Act, 2020, if there is a rally, public meeting, or state rally, the police shall provide adequate security for the people.

It was failure that led to the loss of lives in those stampedes. In traditional political meetings and protests, the law states that the police shall provide security so that hoodlums would not break into protests and cause mayhem.

It is the management of protest and public meetings in our country that is the problem in our country. I therefore suggest that because we operate a capitalist system, somebody must bear responsibility for any damage.

The federal government must pay compensation to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampedes because of the failure and negligence of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has appealed to Nigeria government to release the organisers of the Ibadan childrens Christmas party, where 35 lives were lost.

Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that former Ooni Ifes wife, Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, and popular broadcaster, Oriyomi Hazmat, were arrested over the unfortunate incident which happened on Ibadan, on the 18th of December, 2024.

Speaking with PUNCH on Saturday, Ayodele said that the organisers acted with good intentions, aiming to support the government by providing relief to the less privileged.

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He faulted some religion leaders claiming that the event was used for ritual purpose.

Ayodele said: Oriyomi Hamzat and Naomi have not done anything wrong; they didnt engage in any ritual as claimed by some pastors.

READ MORE: Stampede Killings: FG Must Compensate Affected Families  Falana

Those pastors are the devil incarnates who have never contributed anything meaningful to humanity. These organisers cannot be blamed.

The government cannot do it alone. The organisers were only helping by reaching out to the downtrodden.

They acted with pure hearts, and the government should temper justice with mercy and release them.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The investigation into the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, who is accused of terrorism, financing terrorism, committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, and other offenses against the Republic of Azerbaijan and its people, has been completed, Trend reports via the joint report of the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The case has been forwarded to the Baku Military Court for trial.

According to the report, Ruben Vardanyan, a former citizen of the Russian Federation and currently a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, is the founder and head of Russias Troika Dialog company, a member of the board of directors of KAMAZ OJSC in Russia, and an independent director of the Volga-Dnepr Group, among other positions. On September 25, 2023, Vardanyan was placed on the wanted list by Azerbaijan on charges under Articles 214-1, 279.3, and 318.1 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. He was arrested on September 27, 2023, and transferred to the investigation. On the same day, charges were brought against him.

Based on the reliable evidence gathered, Ruben Vardanyan has been found guilty of creating and organizing illegal armed groups and formations in the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic," established in the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia. He faces charges under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including: Article 100 (planning, preparing, unleashing, or waging an aggressive war); Article 107 (deportation or forced displacement of populations); Article 109 (persecution); Article 112 (unlawful deprivation of liberty in violation of international law); Article 113 (use of torture); Article 114 (mercenarism); Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war); Article 116 (breaching international humanitarian law during armed conflicts); Article 214 (terrorism); Article 214-1 (financing terrorism); Article 218 (organization of a criminal community); Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and explosive devices); Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security); Article 278 (violent seizure or retention of power and the forcible alteration of the states constitutional order); Article 279 (creation of unauthorized armed groups); as well as other related offenses under the Criminal Code.

The investigation ensured Vardanyan's right to defense, his right to use a language he understands, and other procedural rights. Vardanyan was provided with lawyers of his choice, and the motions filed by him and his defense were considered in accordance with the requirements of criminal procedural law. All materials related to the case, including physical evidence, documents, expert conclusions, and other evidence, were shared with Vardanyan and other participants in the criminal process.

The indictment was approved by the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan on December 28, 2024, and sent to the Baku Military Court for further proceedings.
Some yet to be identified gunmen, have killed a Catholic priest in Anambra State, from Nnewi Catholic Diocese, Rev Fr Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo.

It was gathered that Father Tobias was shot dead on Thursday by the gunmen along Onitsha-Owerri Expressway.

This was contained in a statement by Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu, the Chancellor of the Nnewi Diocese.

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Rev. Raphael described Fr. Tobias as a devoted priest and pharmacist.

The statement reads: Where sorrow increases, divine consolation increases all the more.

The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi announces, with sorrow but with stronger faith, that our dear Rev. Fr. Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo died yesterday, 26th December 2024.

READ MORE: One Suspect Arrested, As Police Foil Kidnap Attempt In Anambra

He was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Ihiala, along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway around 7 pm and 8 pm.

Till yesterday, Fr. Tobias, a pharmacist and native of Ekwulumili in Nnewi South Local Government Area, was manager of the respective Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala.

We solicit your prayers and Holy Masses for his eternal joy. May Fr. Tobias rejoice in Paradise forever, Amen. May God console the bereaved. Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.
Northern leaders, including members of the National Assembly, the League of Northern Democrats, and the Northern Elders Forum, have expressed strong disapproval of President Bola Tinubus declaration on tax reform bills.

During his maiden media chat, Tinubu acknowledged that the bills might not be widely accepted, but maintained that there will be no reversal on the controversial bills.

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The President emphasized that the tax reform bills were necessary to eliminate colonial-based assumptions in the nations tax environment.

Senator Mohammed Onawo, representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District, speaking with Punch, stated that the President must allow National Assembly members to perform their duties without undue interference.

If the President, who was once a legislator, is passing judgment on bills that are before the National Assembly, it is unfortunate, Onawo said.

READ ALSO: Reverse Tax Reforms Or North Will Fight, Show You Our True Colours  Gov Mohammed Threatens Tinubu

Senator Ibrahim Gobir, who represented Sokoto East in the 9th Assembly, accused Tinubu of playing politics of tribalism with the tax reform bills.

Gobir criticized the proposed allocation of value-added tax revenue, saying, You cannot be the President of only the Yoruba; he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Elders Forum also expressed concerns, stating that Tinubus declaration undermines the principle of democracy.

The spokesman for the Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, cautioned Tinubu against causing a crisis between the executive and legislative arms of government.

The Northern Democrats also advised the President against rigidity on issues affecting the general welfare of citizens.

Umar Sani, speaking on behalf of the group, said, We know that the country requires tax reform. But there are areas we want the government to review, like the inheritance tax, which is against religion, and some other incidentals.
The potential demolition of this late 19th century mansion at 334 Chester Ave., in Moorestown, New Jersey galvanized community efforts to protect other endangered houses in the township. Read more

A Moorestown mansion that was at risk of demolition eight months ago will be preserved as a private residence.

Designed in the 1880s by the architects of Philadelphias original Reading Terminal, the seven-bedroom, four-bathroom house at 334 Chester Ave. was most recently a funeral home and has been vacant for several years.

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It sold for $725,000 on Dec. 6 to Rachel and Chris White, who live in Audubon. The couple are the parents of two young children and plan to make 334 Chester their new home.

Much of the credit for [preservation] belongs to the community of Moorestown, Rachel White said, adding: We want to bring this house back to what its supposed to be.

White also credited the nonprofit Saving Historic Moorestown and its founder and president, Julie Maravich.

The organization raises private money to underwrite grants to buyers of qualified properties. In exchange, the new owner accepts an easement that protects the exterior of the property from major alterations or demolition. Maravich said negotiations with the Whites are underway.

The easement on 334 Chester is a first for Saving Historic Moorestown, she said. Weve got several endangered houses in town and 334 Chester has sort of been our poster child to raise awareness.

 READ MORE: Moorestown is debating how to preserve historic buildings while an owner seeks to demolish two Victorian-era homes

Historic district proposal very much alive

Maravich said the townships effort to adopt a historic preservation ordinance and establish a downtown historic district was stalled by pressure from some in the business community.

But outgoing Moorestown Mayor Nicole Gillespie said she expects the planning board to take up the measure as early as next month.

 READ MORE: Moorestown is trying again to establish a historic preservation district

The house at 334 Chester was sort of the spark that lit the fire for us to really get historic preservation established, she said, adding that some elements of the existing master plan related to historic preservation must be updated to align with elements of the proposal.

The mayor also said the ordinance will not cover every building in the downtown area. Nor will it prohibit minor cosmetic changes or dictate paint colors on those structures classified as contributing to the district.

And all of the buildings within the district  not just those deemed as contributing to its historic nature  will be eligible for a 5% abatement in property tax increases associated with exterior improvements made to their properties, said the mayor.

Said Lenny Wagner, the longtime Moorestown Historical Society president: The more that buildings like [334 Chester] become at risk of being demolished, the more support there is in the community.

He cited two adjoining Victorian homes for sale on West Main Street downtown, as well as a Revolutionary War-era structure on the eastern edge of the township, as potentially vulnerable.

Motivated by the potential demolition of the two Main Street houses to make way for a proposed apartment complex, resident Ryan Kastner created a Change.org petition July 22. It has so far attracted more than 1,600 supporters.

Kastner, who is 37 and works in tech sales, grew up in Moorestown and moved back to raise his own family there.

I would like Moorestown to keep the character and the fabric our historic buildings represent, he said.
As the head of the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center, Allison Denman must constantly fight for resources and awareness among health systems of the importance of giving patients access to this type of exam by trained providers. Read more

Many patients come to Allison Denman after the worst experience of their lives. As the clinical director and forensic nurse manager of the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center, Denman runs the only dedicated resource for conducting adult rape exams in the city.

During her three years at the not-for-profit center, she has launched a training program for sexual assault nurse examiners (sometimes known as SANEs), which has trained more than 100 nurses in the last two years to help address a severe shortage of such expertise in the health-care system. The need is great, considering that someone is sexually assaulted in the U.S. every 68 seconds.

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Students learn how to perform an exam on a patient who has experienced sexual assault, using real people pretending to be patients. They must know how to provide medical care for injuries, administer medicine to prevent sexually transmitted infections (which only works within 72 hours of the assault), and collect evidence for police if the person decides to pursue charges (which mostly needs to happen within five days). And all of this care requires sensitive, thoughtful, and specific training to avoid retraumatizing the patient.

The center on East Hunting Park Avenue near Front Street is staffed around the clock seven days a week, and provides free sexual assault exams to more than 300 patients, both female and male, per year.

We have patients who come to us from miles and miles away, out in the suburbs especially, and theyre saying, There wasnt anywhere else for me to go, or The wait was going to be really, really long, and I couldnt wait that long. I have kids, I have a job, Denman said.

To Denman, caring for people who have experienced trauma, and providing that care in an empathetic and sensitive way, is not what makes the job hard. Instead, its watching the vast majority of rape cases go unprosecuted in Pennsylvania and the constant struggle to get resources and to make health systems aware of the importance of giving patients access to this type of exam by trained providers.

Since she joined the Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center  also known as PSARC  Denman has tried to raise the flag about the desperate, urgent need for support for, if not PSARC, then something to protect the right of access for this type of medical care for patients.

The need for more resources

Denman came to this work after witnessing violence in her family growing up. To this day, she wonders how her life would have been easier if she had access to adults who could listen to and validate what she had experienced.

At 18, she became an emergency medical technician (EMT). Denman met crime victims and realized how few had access to a specially trained person who help them heal from and cope with what had happened.

After a sexual assault, patients often undergo an exam, sometimes known as a rape kit, to collect DNA and any other evidence if the survivor chooses to press charges.

Even if they dont press charges, crime victims often need medical care for their injuries, and medications to prevent pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The exams can be intrusive, both physically and emotionally, as a provider examines patients internally and asks questions about their health and sexual history.

Examiners need specialized training to perform trauma-informed care so that they arent accidentally mishandling patients in a way that is permitting further harm to happen, Denman said.

The need for such care far exceeds the number of nurses specially taught to perform sexual assault exams. According to the International Association of Forensic Nurses, only 17% to 20% of U.S. hospitals have a nurse on staff with such training.

PSARC, which was established in 2011, has contracted with Philadelphia hospitals to administer rape kits to hospital patients if there is no SANE on staff, but does not have such an arrangement with hospitals outside the city limits. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has a website showing hospitals with dedicated SANE programs, which lists Jefferson Abington Hospital and Doylestown Health as the only such facilities in Montgomery and Bucks counties. But such services are more widely available. Hospitals in Bucks, for example, offer SANE exams through a local crime victim services agency, NOVA, its leaders said.

Denman said she has instructed students from many places on how to conduct a sexual assault exam, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and Massachusetts.

Even if hospitals offer SANE exams, some patients may choose to get a free exam at PSARC, she said, as two-thirds of U.S. women who used private insurance to cover a rape kit after sexual assault end up paying out-of-pocket expenses, which average more than $300.

Heavy work

The sexual assault training takes two days, during which students learn how to perform a pelvic exam.

Scripted scenarios offer tutorials in trauma-informed language choices. They learn how to avoid dehumanizing instructions, such as asking patients to place their feet in foot rests, not stirrups.

Denman insists that the patient models are a diverse group, representing different ages, body types, and stories of sexual assault. Using live patients makes training much more effective, she said, because they can give active feedback to students about discomfort or what would make them feel better.

People arent just learning how to do a pelvic exam with speculum insertion on a bottle or on a piece of paper. Theyre practicing that on a real vagina, she said.

Denman spends much of the rest of her time fighting for funding. At the moment, her only funding comes from the state, which is nowhere near the amount of money needed to take care of patients, she said. The state gives up to $1,000 per patient PSARC treats, which doesnt cover the total cost of operating the clinic, and Denman relies on Drexel University  of which PSARC is part  to make up the rest. We dont get any funding from the city, she said.

Denmans self-care

It can be thankless, exhausting, and gutting work. To prevent burnout, Denman does belly dancing, and sees a therapist once a week.

My therapist, Ill brag about her like somebody brags about their hairstylist, she said. Shes fabulous.

Denman also leans on her network of other forensic nurses, who understand the burden  and the value  of the heavy work they all do.

But she worries what will happen if funding gets even worse.

What happens when none of us exist anymore? she said.

Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify the availability of SANE services outside of Philadelphia.
Nelly Jimenez-Arevalo, executive director and CEO of ACLAMO, stands in front of new playground equipment for preschool children. Read more

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The youngest boys fled the flames without shoes, without jackets, without anything, as a fire raced swiftly through a block of rowhouses on West Lafayette Street in Norristown.

It was cold outside, and scary. Their home was gone. Everything was lost.

Griselda Castillo, a housekeeper, got the call at work and left immediately, joining her family on the street, watching the flames shoot from the windows as firefighters worked to contain the blaze in the growing darkness.

She saw all the houses were burning, and she also saw all their belongings that they took all the time and effort to get were gone in a second, said Beatriz Gasiba, senior director of programs at ACLAMO (Accion Comunal Latinoamericana de Montgomery County), a nonprofit organization in Norristown, Pottstown, and Lansdale that assists the growing Latino community in Pennsylvanias third most populous county.

It was the night before Thanksgiving. And if there is one thing to be thankful for, it is that none of the 39 people  mostly Latinos  affected by the fire were hurt. Not Castillo, her husband, or their three children, aged 14, 7, and 5. But all of them lost their homes.

Many of them, that night, got help from ACLAMO, in partnership with the Red Cross and other organizations.

A week later, Castillo talked about her experiences at one of ACLAMOs two Norristown buildings as Nelly Jimenez-Arevalo, ACLAMOs executive director, bustled around, filling shopping bags with food, socks, and shirts.

They dont have anything, only the clothes they were wearing, Castillo said, with Gasiba serving as interpreter. Thank God, they were not hurt, but we need to start from zero again.

Get Jimenez-Arevalo talking and shell never stop, because the list of programs ACLAMO offers is long.

We have focused on helping meet the community needs, and thats what we are going to be doing, regardless of the political situation, she said.

If they are hungry, we are going to feed them. If they need housing, well help facilitate that transaction. If there is a violation of human rights, well partner with attorneys and other advocacy groups to advocate for family and children, she said. Thats our promise to our community, and thats what we are going to keep doing.

Eighty children attend preschool in one building, a former church. Senior citizens meet twice a week to eat, socialize, and forestall the isolation that can be particularly prevalent among the elderly in immigrant communities. There are leadership development programs for youth, digital navigation courses, and employment assistance.

Community health coordinators train volunteer promotoras de salud (health promoters) who spread knowledge about healthy living. They reach out in Spanish to Latinos who face a myriad of particular health challenges. Social workers help with many individual problems, from unemployment to housing to helping folks obtain health insurance for themselves and their children. If theres a need, ACLAMO tries to meet it, offering food, clothing, and most importantly, a sense of community.

Earlier this month, ACLAMO held a workshop on immigration rights, distributing cards on how to respond if immigration agents show up at home or work. County officials call ACLAMO for help in eviction proceedings and domestic violence cases.

On the night before Thanksgiving, it was the fire chief who called Jimenez-Arevalo at home. Everyone has her cell phone number. By that time, the American Red Cross and fire department had assembled the residents two blocks away at a nearby fire station.

Your people are here, and we need you, Jimenez-Arevalo said the chief told her. Im on my way, she responded, calling other staff members to help. She also phoned the Mexican and Guatemalan Consulates, which sent representatives.

We have been working with the Red Cross to help with translation and case management, Jimenez-Arevalo said. We are helping connect them to resources.

The Red Cross urged those displaced by the fire to spend the night at a temporary shelter set up in a nearby elementary school, but Jimenez-Arevalo said people were frightened by the idea. I said, I will go with you. She settled them in at the shelter. Castillos family stayed with her mother  five of them are now crowded into one room.

We couldnt have provided as much care without them, Sean Snyder, Red Cross disaster action team responder, said.

These days, for example, ACLAMO is working with Castillos family to help them find housing. Its a challenge, Gasiba said, but if housing is found, it wont be a challenge for ACLAMO to round up the necessary furniture and household items.

ACLAMO helped translate because most of them dont speak English, Castillo said. They are helping us find a place to live.

Many years ago, ACLAMO also helped Esterbina Alvarez get a home  a twin rancher in Norristown where she raised her family and where she still lives today, nearly 30 years later.

Alvarez, who grew up in Puerto Rico, came to Norristown in 1987 with her husband and two children. I found ACLAMO. I needed help. I didnt know anybody. I needed help with my bills, she said.

By 1992, she and her husband had separated, and Alvarez was working two jobs to make ends meet. ACLAMOs then-executive director and founder Adamino Ortiz urged her to enter a housing lottery that would help first-time home buyers.

I never thought Id be able to buy a house because I was low-income, she said. But I had my hopes up.

More than 900 people entered the lottery, she said, and only about 125 won assistance. Alvarez was among the lucky and moved into her home in 1995.

All these years later, Alvarez is still a regular at ACLAMO. They keep the seniors from being bored. They dont want to sit in the house and die and do nothing. They want to have fun.

As for fun, Alvarez was among about 50 people attending ACLAMOs holiday party earlier this month for seniors, adults, and anyone who wanted to show up.

Staffers decorated the party room, the former church sanctuary, with balloons and a giant snow scene. Gift boxes of popcorn awaited the bingo winners, and gaily wrapped laundry baskets of food would go to winners of the raffle. Staffers served giant trays of conchas  Mexican sweet bread  and hot chocolate.

In addition to games and Zumba, the gathering included a talk on how to use CareerLink, the states employment service, to find work. Tables from organizations, including HealthPartners insurance, the Montgomery County prothonotarys office, and the county health department, as well as the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County, a nonprofit, lined the perimeter, offering assistance on the spot.

This is a wonderful organization, Alvarez said. They help with low-income people  the young people and the seniors. They help people who dont speak the language.

Sitting nearby, Mercedes Duarte, of Norristown, agreed. When she first came here from California 24 years ago, she turned to ACLAMO for help getting health insurance for her daughter, then 4.

She also joined a womens group because I was feeling alone, kind of sad and depressed, Duarte said.

Over the years, her husband has built up his business, Mercys Bakery in Norristown, known for its tamales de rajas con queso. Duarte has her own bakery business  high-end custom cakes, like a towering one based on Harry Potter.

There are a lot of necessities in our community, Duarte said. People dont know where to go for help. ACLAMO helps you to live better, not just the economics part  but to be socially better, to feel better.

Jane M. Von Bergen spent more than 25 years as a reporter and editor at The Inquirer. janevonbtheater@gmail.com

This article is part of a series about Philly Gives  a community fund to support nonprofits through end-of-year giving. To learn more about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

About ACLAMO

Mission: To provide educational programs, social services, and access to health and wellness programs to Latinos and other community members to empower them to fully achieve their life potential.

People served: 21,274

Annual spending: $8.03 million in fiscal year 2022-23

Point of pride: Serving a resilient community and working with a group of people who are passionate about serving others. Raised $7 million to create a new community center by buying and renovating the former Calvary Baptist Church in Norristown.

You can help: Volunteers tutor young people, maintain buildings, distribute food from the food pantry, translate, advocate, and collect and organize food and clothing donations. aclamo.org/join-us/volunteer

Support: phillygives.org/philly-gives/

Connect: 512 W. Marshall St., Norristown, PA 19401, or online at aclamo.org

What your ACLAMO donation can do

$10 provides one hot, nutritious meal for an older adult at the bilingual senior center

$25 provides a weeks worth of fresh produce for a family from the Safe Haven Food Pantry

$30 provides a box of diapers for a new mom in the First Bonds-Mommy and Me program, ensuring her babys basic needs are met

$50 supplies a child with school supplies for the year through the Education Innovation Center

$75 offers bilingual and bicultural application assistance for one family, helping them access critical programs

$150 funds a month of tutoring and enrichment activities for a student in the mentoring program

$400 provides transportation for 40 children/youth to attend a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) experience outside their neighborhood

$800 supports one child to attend six weeks of ACLAMOs STEAM summer program
Sesame Streets Sunny Days may not be as bright if Elon Musk makes good on his proposal to eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual funding that is allocated to PBS and NPR stations  home to Elmo and the gang and popular programs like All Things Considered and Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley.

Musk is in a unique position to recommend defunding public media, a goal that Republicans, including one Pennsylvania congressman, have been aching to achieve. After he brought clout and millions of dollars in surrogacy to campaign for President-elect Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, Trump appointed Musk to colead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency with Vivek Ramaswamy. Given Musks standing as the richest man in the world, his influence in Trumps circle and in the government could pose a greater threat to public media than previous GOP attempts.

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National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service are preparing for the effects of funding cuts. After the 2024 election, the leaders at NPRs biggest member stations circulated a report that stated it would be unwise to assume that events will play out as they have in the past in regard to federal funding, the New York Times reported, as PBS was made aware of the situation by political consultants in early December. Station directors in certain states have started lobbying legislators.

WHYY is the Philadelphia regions PBS/NPR member station, serving 2.9 million households in the Philadelphia area, Delaware, and South Jersey  one of the countrys top 10 markets, as of March, according to the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. Fresh Air, one of the most well-known NPR programs, is owned and produced by WHYY. Its unclear how WHYY will be affected by potential cuts or if the station is bracing for any impact. New Jersey also has its own public media network  NJ PBS  which is composed of various outlets, including WNJN.

In a statement to The Inquirer, Gary Bramnick, senior director of marketing communications at WHYY, emphasized the importance of public media for educational content, cultural programming, and news regardless of a consumers income or location.

Supporting diverse audiences, voices and perspectives, Public Media is an invaluable asset to our society, offering a unique blend of services that enrich our lives, supports an engaged civic populace and ultimately strengthens our democracy, he said Friday. Investing in public media is an investment in a more informed, engaged, and equitable society.

A spokesperson for PBS echoed Bramnicks sentiments in a statement Friday and said PBS is grateful to have bipartisan support in Congress.

Weve earned this support from decades of work in local communities: providing all Americans with content they trust; curating a broad range of stories and programs that help citizens understand our past and shape our future; and helping children and families open up worlds of possibilities through educational programming, the spokesperson said. PBS stations also ensure that emergency alerts are able to reach everyone who needs to hear them.

Representatives for NPR did not immediately return a request for comment.

This is not the first time public media has had to prepare its pushback. Republicans have called for slashing federal funding for public media for decades, their main qualm being a perceived liberal bias, the Times reported. In 2020, Trump recommended cutting federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes taxpayer dollars to NPR and other public media outlets, to $0 by 2023.

And this year, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.) and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.) introduced the No Propaganda Act to do the same. A spokesperson for Perry, who represents the Harrisburg area, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musks proposal.

CPB cannot be allowed to keep using your hard-earned tax dollars to push a biased and political agenda that goes against whats best for Americans, Perry said in a statement in April.

Bramnick said the CPB has played a vital role in ensuring a well-informed, diverse, and democratic society.

Trumps recommendation four years ago proved unsuccessful and Perrys bill has been in a House subcommittee since April. And NPR and PBS stations could use several factors to their advantage, including their support of emergency alert systems. The CPB is also funded two years in advance, perhaps making it more difficult for the GOP to take congressional action.

But Musks political influence  which recently caused lawmakers to kill and redraft a bipartisan spending deal amid government shutdown negotiations  could provide a potential glimmer of hope for Republicans and present new challenges for public media.

The billionaire has never been shy of expressing his disdain for various media sources, often baselessly suggesting his social media platform, X, as a more trustworthy source for news than accredited news outlets. On Sunday, he said: Legacy media must die.

During the 2024 election, Musk often used X to promote misinformation about the integrity of voting in Pennsylvania as well as his pro-Trump rhetoric. Combined with his unwavering loyalty to the president-elect and the creation of America PAC and the Pennsylvania town halls and petitions it sponsored, some Republicans say Musks influence helped Trump clinch victory in the battleground state.

Now, Musk has been rewarded with greater authority and access. And it could help Republicans move closer to achieving a longtime goal.
When John Logie Baird invented the first television in 1925, he could never have imagined that, 99 years later, 2 billion sets would be beaming content around the globe, and FXs The Bear would be once again miscategorised as a comedy so it could win a suite of Emmy Awards this September.

What this tells us is that TV has come a long way since then (its invention, not September) but still our methods of surveying the cream of its crop have stagnated, beset by award shows incapable of truly connecting with viewers.

For that reason, it is left to me to pick up the slack. And so, I return with another outing for the undisputed Gold Standard in TV appreciation, The Second Annual Seamie Awards.

Outstanding Achievement In Me Forgetting Everything That Had Happened In The Last Series

A returning category to start us off, and an easy win for House Of The Dragon season two, whose last series might as well have been a dream I had.

This is a quality enhanced by the fact that so many of the shows characters  like Daemon, Aemon and Aegon, to name just three members of the Targaryen clan - sound like separate anagrams of one insurance company.

The show has a slower pace than its parent property Game Of Thrones, although its still filled with enough cliffhangers and drama that I rushed to every episode.

It all seemed quite memorable at the time but, while running the risk of spoiling next years ballot, if you asked me to give you even the faintest precis of what those events were, Id simply run away.

Best Ongoing Show That Everyone Started Talking About As If Theyd Been Watching It For Years

An easy win here for BBCs Industry, a show about horrible people who do impenetrable work in blandly dressed offices.

Industry was certainly spoken of before now, even if every single still from the series looked like something youd get if you put sad office worker bad meeting stock photo into a google image search.

Upon the emergence of its third series, however, Industrymania appeared to arise from nowhere, as if Id returned to school after a single sick day to find everyone in my class but me was now proficient in skateboarding.

Innumerable memes, posts and breathless think pieces delivered their verdict on each episode as if we had, all of us, spent the past three years hanging on every word of these stock traders? Wealth managers?

It doesnt matter, despite its awful human characters and the inscrutable work they do, Industry is a toothy, compelling drama that deserves the hype, however late its been in arriving.

Best Show I Am Too Old To Watch But This Is My Life Now And Actually It Kind-Of Rips

There are very few televisual benefits to having small children.

Were I to write an unedited list of the worst childrens shows Ive been made to watch all year, this edition of the Examiner would need to be 19,000 pages long and delivered to your house via forklift truck.

Happily, there are some kids shows that are actually, genuinely quite good and none are better than Bluey.

The Australian dog cartoon, broadcast on the BBC, is not merely the best kids show on TV, but quite possibly the best show on TV full stop and this years extra-long special episode The Sign may be its finest work yet.

Best Unintended Real-World Consequence Of A Very Good TV Series

Philistines might stump for Succession here, namely the revelations that its fictional prognostications on the legacy of the Murdoch dynasty may actually have come to fruition, amid claims from Lachlan Murdoch that his brother James leaked stories from their family to the shows producers.

But, inarguably, the gong this year must go to The Terror, AMCs superlative mini-series about the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845, which resulted in the death or disappearance of every single sailor searching for the North West Passage from Canada to the East.

The show, starring Ciaran Hinds and Jared Harris, has developed a rabidly cultish fandom  this author among them  one of whom, Fabienne Tetteroo, was inspired to track down DNA evidence of Captain James Fitzjames, and managed to identify his remains after 176 years.

Who says fans dont contribute anything?

Best Ah Shite, Theyve Cancelled It Already

The continuing instability of television has created a glut of cancelled projects in 2024, notably on streaming platforms experiencing the turbulence of divided attentions, dwindling profits, and the still rippling knock-on effects of last years actors and writers strikes.

Throw toxic fandom debates into the mix and you get the sort of perfect storm that called time on the decidedly imperfect, but still pretty good, Star Wars spinoff The Acolyte on Disney+.

Netflixs decision to mash the panic button on Greek myth fantasy KAOS also stood out.

Despite receiving generally favourable reviews, and looking like it cost the GDP of a small nation - with star turns from Jeff Goldblum and Billie Piper, no less  it was cancelled just three weeks after it was launched to massive fanfare.

The tone and execution of the show were a bit arch, in the manner of being invited to a local theatre Shakespeare production thats been modernised so everyones vaping on hoverboards, but cancelling such a big bet so soon seems as sadist as anything Hades could offer.

Even Netflix was outdone by HBOs badly named service Max, which put the kyebosh on at least twelve projects, including much-loved queer pirate caper Our Flag Means Death.

But it is 2023 Seamie Award Winner Scavengers' Reign that takes top honours here, by virtue of the fact it was cancelled by HBO, before being picked up by Netflix, where it garnered wider audiences and even greater critical acclaim, and a low enough viewership that a second series now seems unlikely.

To cancel the best sci-fi show on television once in a calendar year is unfortunate. Twice just seems careless.
Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree to grant one-time financial assistance to private national television and radio broadcasters in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

Under the decree, the Azerbaijani Audiovisual Council has been allocated 2.5 million manat ($1.4 million) from the Presidents reserve fund, which is included in the state budget for 2024. The allocated funds will provide additional support to private national broadcasters operating in Azerbaijan to facilitate their broadcasting through telecommunications satellites and other means.

The Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan is responsible for ensuring the funding as specified in the decree.
Researchers in the Alto Mayo region of north-west Peru have discovered 27 species that are new to science, including a rare amphibious mouse, a tree-climbing salamander and an unusual blob-headed fish. The 38-day survey recorded more than 2,000 species of wildlife and plants.

The findings are surprising given the regions high human population density, with pressures including deforestation and agriculture.

The expedition was thrilling to be part of, said Dr Trond Larsen, senior director of biodiversity and ecosystem science at Conservation Internationals Moore Centre for Science, who led the survey.

The Alto Mayo landscape supports 280,000 people in cities, towns and communities.

With a long history of land-use change and environmental degradation, I was very surprised to find such high overall species richness, including so many new, rare and threatened species, many of which may be found nowhere else.

The new species include four mammals: a spiny mouse, a short-tailed fruit bat, a dwarf squirrel and the semi-aquatic mouse.

Discovering a new species of amphibious mouse was shocking and exciting, Larsen said.

It belongs to a group of carnivorous, semi-aquatic rodents, for which the majority of species are exceedingly rare and difficult to collect, giving them an almost mythical status among mammal experts.

"We only found this amphibious mouse in a single unique patch of swamp forest thats threatened by encroaching agriculture, and it may not live anywhere else.

The dwarf squirrel is about 14cm long and fast-moving, making it extremely difficult to spot in the dense rainforest.

Larsen was particularly satisfied to find a new arboreal salamander with stubby little legs and mottled chestnut-brown colouration, climbing at chest height in a small patch of white sand forest. But the most intriguing find was the blob-headed fish, which looks similar to related catfish species but with a truly bizarre speckled blob-like extension on the end of its head, Larsen said.

A new species of blob-headed fish. The function of their unusual structure remains a mystery. Picture: Robinson Olivera.

The function of this blob remains a complete mystery.

If I had to speculate, I might guess it could have something to do with sensory organs in the head, or it may assist with buoyancy control, provide fat reserves or aid in its foraging strategy.

Seven other new types of fish were also documented, along with a new species of narrow-mouthed frog, 10 new butterflies and two new dung beetles. Another 48 species that were found may also be new to science, with analysis under way to confirm.

The expedition also documented 49 threatened species from the IUCNs red list , including two critically endangered monkeys (the Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey and San Martin titi monkey ), two endangered birds (the speckle-chested piculet and long-whiskered owlet ) and an endangered harlequin frog.

The survey was conducted in June and July 2022, using camera traps, bioacoustics sensors and environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from rivers and other water sources. The team of 13 scientists included Peruvian scientists from Global Earth, as well as seven technical assistants with extensive traditional knowledge from Feriaam (the Indigenous Regional Federation of the Alto Mayo Awajun Communities).

Of the 2,046 total species recorded, at least 34 appear to live only in the Alto Mayo landscape or the San Martin region it falls in.

While the species have never been described by science (the process of assigning a species and name), some were already known to Indigenous communities. As Awajun people, we have a great deal of knowledge about our territory, said Yulisa Tuwi, who assisted with the research on reptiles and amphibians.

We know the value of our plants, how they cure us, how they feed us and we know paths within the forest that have led us to meet different animals.

Although we dont know scientific names, weve developed a classification of these species  I believe the discoveries are for the scientific world, not so much for us, as these species are known under other names or for their usefulness or behaviour in nature.

Researchers hope the survey will bolster conservation efforts, including plans to create a network of local protected areas.
The father of the late US president, John F Kennedy, told President Eamon de Valera that one of the happiest moments in his sons life was the warm reception he received from the Irish people during a State visit to Ireland in 1963.

A former ambassador to the UK, Joe Kennedy wrote to the Irish president to express his familys profound gratitude for the decision to name an arboretum in Wexford in honour of his son  who was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, just a few weeks after his return from Ireland.

Joe Kennedys private letter, part of newly-released State papers from the National Archives, showed how Mr Kennedy said the John F Kennedy Memorial Park in Wexford  near the Kennedy ancestral home in Dunganstown, Co Wexford  would forever serve as a symbol of the US presidents deep love for Ireland.

US president John F Kennedy's motorcade makes its way through a sea of well-wishers in Cork in June 1963. In his letter to Eamon de Valera, JFK's father, Joe Kennedy, also highlighted the participation of Irish Army cadets at his funeral. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive

Joe Kennedy, who lost four of his children in tragic circumstances, wrote movingly about the importance of Irish heritage to his late son.

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From president Kennedys early boyhood in our Irish neighbourhood in Boston to that solemn day in November when the Irish Guards paid final respects at his graveside, his Irish heritage was central to his life, his father wrote.

He added: One of the happiest and most memorable events in our sons life was his visit to Ireland in 1963. He was deeply moved by the warm welcome from the citizens of Co Wexford, the home of his forefathers.

The files show letters of thanks were also sent to President de Valera by the US presidents widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, and his brother, senator Edward Kennedy.

The late presidents wife expressed how much the Irish memorial meant to her and her children, and described the decision to establish the park in Wexford as profoundly emotional for his grieving family.

A guard of honour was provided by the Irish Army's 37th cadet class at the grave of John F Kennedy during his funeral at Arlington Cemetery in Virgina. Picture: US Army

It will be a memorial that will forever touch our hearts, alive as he will always be for us in his beloved Ireland, she told Mr de Valera.

He was Irish and of nothing was he more proud.

Senator Kennedy claimed the late US president himself would have been deeply moved and honoured by this tribute by the Irish people whom he loved so dearly.

The John F Kennedy Park and Arboretum is now one of the top tourist attractions in the South East, seeing almost 120,000 visitors in 2023.
The head of the Northern Ireland Probation Service accused senior officials of intentionally bolstering the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) and its leader, Billy Wright, during his imprisonment in 1997.

Declassified documents released by the National Archives show the head of the probation service in Northern Ireland, Briege Gadd, alleged that elements within the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the Northern Ireland Office were manipulative and malign and promoting a right-wing and unionist agenda".

Ms Gadd claimed such actions were being done deliberately to help establish and nurture the LVF".

The paramilitary group had splintered from the Ulster Volunteer Force after Wright, who was known as King Rat, rejected the UVFs ceasefire in 1994. Under Wrights leadership, the LVF became one of the most notorious loyalist groups for the sectarian murder of Catholics.

Ms Gadds comments arose from the controversial decision to allocate Wright and other LVF prisoners their own wing in the Maze Prison which officially recognised the LVF as a distinct paramilitary group.

Files show Irish officials had expressed outrage at the decision to officially recognise the LVF as a paramilitary group, claiming the move would bolster Wrights self-importance and serve as a rallying point for dissident loyalists.

They believed the decision would also weaken the authority of the relatively moderate and peace-oriented Combined Loyalist Military Command leadership within the Maze".

Other documents show Brendan McAllister of the Mediation Network, who met Wright in prison during the summer of 1997, described him as articulate, intelligent, and charismatic. He noted Wrights ability to inspire loyalty among followers through personal magnetism rather than fear, creating a disciplined cadre with a dangerous capacity for sectarian violence.

Mr McAllister painted a sobering picture of the LVF as a movement driven by a mix of religious fundamentalism, territorial identity, and a belief in upholding a unionist integrity they perceived as abandoned by mainstream loyalism.

After LVF prisoners set fire to their wing in July 1997, they were subjected to a strict regime. Held in solitary confinement, they were guarded by prison officers who communicated only through hand signals to avoid identification.

Files show Wright was angered by the introduction of such measures and told Mr McAllister that he believed they were a deliberate attempt to humiliate him.

However, the British authorities defended their actions, citing threats to Wrights life. Wright was assassinated by Irish National Liberation Army prisoners who smuggled a gun into the Maze in December 1997.
The Ombudsman has warned that Ireland will look back in the future at how it treated young people with disabilities stuck in nursing homes and know it was wrong.

Ger Deering has demanded the new programme for Government include improved funding for the HSE to re-locate those young people.

He said he is deeply unhappy with the funding allocated in Budget 2025, warning a huge amount of work may now have to stop.

Some 1,242 people with disabilities including people recovering from strokes aged under 65 were living in nursing homes as of May. This is due to lack of suitable alternatives in many cases.

This funding is needed to continue work arising from the Wasted Lives report in 2021, Mr Deering said.

In fact a huge amount of that work has been done, he said. "To now find that (the HSE) dont have a budget to actually move the people - to take the next step  is simply unacceptable in my view.

"What Im learning now is that the budget for next year will be fully committed by the end of quarter one which is March.

He had hoped two funding streams  for relocations and improving their lives in nursing homes  would be expanded in Budget 2025.

However he now understands there really isnt any funding available for improvements and only limited funding for re-locations.

We strongly believe that the funding should be put in place and the programmes should be fully supported to support as many people as possible, he said.

Ireland has already seen inquiries into institutional living, he pointed out.

Im afraid this fits into the category of something we are going to look back at and know that what was done was wrong, he said.

I think so. And especially now that the money should be available and we should be able to have these people living in more appropriate settings.

A spokeswoman for the HSE nationally said 98 people are expected to have re-located by the end of December since 2021.

A further 154 people were given supports to improve their quality of life in nursing homes.

The U65 programme will aim to maximise the number of new transitions possible, within the available funding, she said.

A rehabilitation and re-location project in Cork between the HSE and Headway Ireland is one Mr Deering would like to see supported.

Its a great project down there, he said.

Deirdre Carr, HSE project officer disabilities said: It is taking around two years to get the person out of a nursing home.

Housing availability is a key issue, she added: Very few would move back to what was their home prior to being in the nursing home.

Lorraine Egan, HSE general manager disabilities said a multi-annual funding system is needed.

The quickest and easiest thing for (the HSE) to do would be to get private providers and put people into them, she said.

What we are doing here is looking at each individual and providing them with an individual service. That takes a lot longer than one size fits all, it is always going to take longer.
Sinn Fein is to give up it's Dail time in the new year to progress the Occupied Territories Bill as quickly as possible, Mary Lou McDonald has confirmed.

The Sinn Fein leader has called on a new government to urgently pass the historic bill and deal with the issue of sanctions against Israel as "time is not on the side of the Palestinian people".

In a wide-ranging podcast interview with the Irish Examiner, Ms McDonald has opened up about an extremely challenging year during which her "resilience got tested to the extremes", both politically and personally.

She speaks of striking a balance between family life and Leinster House, her children's future in politics, the "arrogance" of Micheal Martin in refusing to speak to her on government formation, and the party's hopes ahead of the presidential election in 2025.

Turning to Israel's ongoing bombardment of the Palestinian strip over the past 14 months, which has since extended to attacks on Yemen, southern Lebanon, and Syria, Ms McDonald said Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to act with impunity.

"It's indescribable what has happened on the ground in Gaza, but also on the West Bank.

"We all know this story did not start on October 7, last year.

This is decades in the making, and for decades the international community has looked the other way.

She said Sinn Fein is now willing to provide as much of its speaking time as is required to pass the Occupied Territories Bill which would ban trade between Ireland and Israels illegal settlements in the West Bank, making the import of goods or services originating from these lands a criminal offence.

"The Irish people have always been on the right side of this question, but Irish governments haven't been.

"Irish governments have dragged their feet too, so it is a very good day when we have a commonality of purpose on this question.

"We have the recognition of the Palestinian State, it took time, but it's now done. We now have the question of sanctions and the question of the Occupied Territories Bill," said Ms McDonald.

"A commitment has been made by the outgoing government that this legislation will be passed. That needs to happen, it needs to happen very quickly."

So we propose that when the Dail returns, we will be looking for immediate passage of the occupied territories legislation, and we are more than happy to use whatever time we have to make that a reality."

Following the historic advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice last July, the outgoing Government sought updated legal advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning on the bill.

The fresh advice has now cleared the way for the bill's passage, but it will require amendments.

There are now concerns that the bill may be amended to such an extent that it loses its meaning.
Well 2024 was a political rollercoaster which brought us local and European polls as well as a general election, an unsuccessful referendum, the resignation of a taoiseach, and the arrival of a new energy within Fine Gael.

There were departures of multiple long-serving TDs, turmoil in the Middle East, a new president in the US and, of course, more controversy at RTE.

Heres a quick review of the political year that was.

January

Migrants found in Rosslare: A group of migrants, including two children, were found in a refrigerated trailer on board a lorry which arrived at Rosslare Europort.

Nine men, three women, and two girls were assessed by medical personnel.

However, days later, many of the group had left their emergency accommodation. Meanwhile, anti-immigration protestors continued to target buildings and sites that had been earmarked for asylum accommodation.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin called for an assessment of security for accommodation centres. This was echoed by then taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said property owners, as well as gardai, have a responsibility to offer security.

Mr Varadkar said there will be no tolerance for damage to property or stopping people from doing the work that theyre paid to do.

EU genocide case: Lawyers in The Hague said Israel had shown chilling and incontrovertible intent to commit genocide in Gaza, with full knowledge of how many civilians it is killing.

It said evidence of genocide was present in the number of civilians killed by Israel and also in statements made by its political and military leaders, including Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

February

Childrens hospital cost spirals again: The bill for the National Childrens Hospital jumped to over 2bn, yet the Government still could not say for sure when it will begin treating sick patients.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was given Cabinet approval for an extra 512m, bringing the final bill to 2.24bn.

However, then taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitted that there would be years of disputes with contractor BAM about payments  even when the hospital is fully open.

In the months that followed, further delays were announced and a sharply-worded letter was written by Mr Donnelly.

RTE tit-for-tat: Media Minister Catherine Martin was accused of effectively a summary dismissal of the chairwoman of the RTE board, Siun Ni Raghallaigh, live on TV.

During a Prime Time interview, the minister failed to express full confidence in Ms Ni Raghallaigh  which prompted her resignation.

It came as a row also broke out between Ms Martin and RTE over whether she was informed about a controversial exit package for a former senior executive.

Ms Martin sided with her former top civil servant in a tit-for-tat exchange while the RTE board firmly backed its former chairwoman, Ms Ni Raghallaigh.

Privately, a number of senior Cabinet ministers were highly critical of Ms Martins handling of the entire debacle.

Her reputation has gone up in flames, a Cabinet source said.

March

Referendums: The Government came in for criticism after two referendums centred around women and carers were rejected by Irish voters.

The family amendment proposed extending the meaning of family beyond one defined by marriage and to include those based on durable relationships.

It was defeated with more than 67% voting against.

The care amendment proposed deleting references to a womans roles and duties in the home, and replacing it with a new article that acknowledges family carers.

Some 73.9% voted no.

The Irish electorate's response to the two proposed referendums as depicted by 'Irish Examiner' cartoonist Harry Burton in March.

Taoiseach steps down: In a move that took Leinster House by surprise, Leo Varadkar confirmed that he would be standing down as leader of the country.

In an at-times emotional speech, Mr Varadkar said he had done some soul searching and that the time had come for him to step aside.

Just days before, Mr Varadkar had returned from Washington where he had taken part in the annual St Patricks Day Washington events.

His departure paved the way for the election of Simon Harris as new party leader and Taoiseach, which took place the following month.

Donaldson resigns: Jeffrey Donaldson quit as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party after being charged with historic sex offences.

Amid a media scrum, the 61-year-old politician later appeared in court in Newry, Co Down, having been arrested and charged by police.

Gavin Robinson, who was appointed interim party leader, described the development as devastating, with the revelations causing tremendous shock not just for myself personally or my colleagues within the DUP but for the community right across Northern Ireland.

April

Coveney steps aside: As newly appointed Fine Gael leader Simon Harris began to assemble his Cabinet, long-serving Cork South-Central TD and former tanaiste Simon Coveney announced he would be stepping aside as a minister to allow the new Taoiseach space to create a fresh opportunity for the party in Government.

After 13 years in Cabinet, he said it was the right time to go. However, he stated he would be remaining on as a TD.

Mr Coveney later announced that he would not be running in the general election.

Harris becomes Taoiseach: Addressing the Dail for the first time as Taoiseach, Simon Harris promised to bring an energetic and laser-focused approach to housing, health, and security.

Mr Harriss wife Caoimhe, his two young children, and other family members watched on as he was voted in as Taoiseach by 88 votes to 69, thereby becoming the youngest Taoiseach in the history of the State.

Mr Harris retained many of Mr Varadkars senior Cabinet ministers, with Helen McEntee, Paschal Donohoe, and Heather Humphreys all staying in their positions. Limerick TD Patrick ODonovan was one of two new TDs appointed to Cabinet, taking over the role of higher education minister.

Tanaiste visits the Rafah border: Arriving at the Rafah border with Gaza, Tanaiste Micheal Martin described the denial of basic necessities and life-saving aid into Gaza as inhumanity on a grand scale.

He met with aid workers who brought him on a tour of warehouses along the border storing items denied entry by Israel, which included everything from CT scanners and oxygen masks to incubators for babies, crutches for those who have lost limbs, and ambulance stretchers.

Mr Martin stressed Irelands unwavering support for those providing aid to 1.7m Palestinians, adding that we cannot lose sight of the urgency of addressing the current crisis in Gaza.

May

Migrant crisis: Taoiseach Simon Harris ordered the removal of more than 160 migrant tents that had been set along Dublins Grand Canal.

As the Government scrambled to accommodate around 300 people attending the International Protection Office each week, officials were asked to

reassess State-owned sites previously ruled out for asylum accommodation.

The number of tents had been steadily increasing since the first tents were pitched along Mount St Bridge, and these camps were then replaced by steel fencing which remained along the canal for the summer.

President speaks out on antisemitism: President Michael D Higgins denounced as irresponsible claims made by the Israeli ambassador about the level of antisemitism in Ireland.

The President told the Irish Examiner that encouraging fear among the Jewish community in Ireland is deeply irresponsible, adding that it is simply a PR exercise by an administration that is guilty of breaching international law in Gaza.

The Irish people are not antisemitic, quite the opposite.

June

EU and local elections: Fianna Fail retained the title of largest party in local government after it won a total of 248 council seats in the local elections, slightly higher than Fine Gael  which returned 245 local representatives. Sinn Fein gained seats to bring its numbers at local level to 102, but this was lower than the party had hoped.

The European Parliament elections, held on the same day, saw Fine Gael and Fianna Fail each claim four seats out of the 14 that were up for grabs.

Clare Daly and Mick Wallace lost their EU seats along with Green Party MEP Grace OSullivan. However, there were breakthroughs for Labours Aodhan O Riordain, Independent candidate

Michael McNamara, and former RTE journalist

Ciaran Mullooly.

Ryan bows out: Eamon Ryan announced he was stepping down as the leader of the Green Party.

Having been first elected to the Dail in 2002, Mr Ryan said he could no longer work the long hours being a public representative involves as he has parenting commitments at home which I also want to serve.

Mr Ryan, who remained on as minister for transport, environment, climate, and communications until Novembers elections, hit out at the divisive politics which had poisoned the well in Irish discourse.

July

Von der Leyen re-elected and McGrath nominated: Four Fianna Fail MEPs voted against the reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president, citing her support of Israel as a determining factor.

In total, 401 MEPs voted in favour of Ms von der Leyen, 284 against, and 22 cast blank or invalid votes.

Fine Gael MEPs were the only Irish representatives to say that they had voted in favour of Ms von der Leyen.

Ireland nominated former finance minister Michael McGrath as its EU commissioner.

The Harris-Starmer reset: The Taoiseach travelled to Chequers, where he met new British prime minister Keir Starmer to begin a reset of Anglo-Irish relations.

Mr Harris said the invitation was a strong signal of the friendship between the two countries, which he hoped would be renewed and strengthened after years of difficulty over Brexit.

Mr Starmer said the fact that the Taoiseach was the first world leader he received after his election was symbolic of the importance of the relationship.

August

Irish far right forges neo-Nazi link: It was reported that the home addresses of TDs and ministers were deliberately being published by agitators on frequently used websites to make it easier for protests and intimidation.

In total, the home or street addresses of nearly 20 TDs could be found with simple searches. Many constituency offices, which have not been advertised publicly, are also included.

It was also revealed that Irish anti-immigration agitators collaborated with groups now deemed international terrorist organisations, along with prominent neo-Nazis, in transnational movements that may be funnelling increasing money to Irelands far right.

The world must be ashamed: Simon Harris said the world must be ashamed after the milestone of 40,000 people killed in Gaza was passed 10 months into Israels attack on the enclave.

At the time, international aid organisations said women and children accounted for around 72% of the death toll.

September

Harris visits Ukraine: Taoiseach Simon Harris vowed in Kyiv that Ireland would never allow the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine to be normalised or forgotten by the rest of the world.

The hypersonic missiles and drone attacks killed seven people close to the time that the Taoiseach was passing through the city.

In September, cartoonist Harry Burton recruited Isaac Newton for his take on Ireland's Apple tax windfall and the country's housing crisis.

Bike shed: The cost of a 336,000 bike shed at Leinster House was described as a profound embarrassment by Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail, who was forced to address the controversy as TDs arrived back for the first day of the new Dail term.

The shelter, holding 18 bikes, cost 322,282 for construction and installation, according to the breakdown of costs from the OPW.

A further 2,952 was spent on archaeological services, while 10,816 was paid out for quantity surveying services and contract administration services.

Mr O Fearghail said the bike sheds cost was indefensible.

Farmers poll: Still enjoying the Harris hop after a summer of touring fairs, agricultural shows, sporting events, and music festivals, Simon Harriss party provided most popular among rural voters in an 'Irish Examiner' poll.

Fine Gael was at 27% support among farmers and those living in rural Ireland, with Fianna Fail, behind on 22%, and Sinn Fein support dropping to just 18%.

Independents, a group which had been gaining momentum, were on 20%.

October

Bonanza budget and phone pouches: Budget 2025 contained a 10.5bn election giveaway of one-off payments before Christmas, cuts to taxes, and additional spending, which are all targeted at putting money back in peoples pockets.

The Taoiseach said the Government had used a massive surplus to help people make ends meet, but had also set aside funds to make sure this generation of children never

experiences the austerity that many of us lived through.

However, within days, there was uproar over 9m which had been set aside for mobile phone pouches in schools.

Sinn Fein in turmoil: Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald was forced to address the Dail to explain four separate controversies that had beset the party.

It included the resignation of long-standing TD Brian Stanley, who said the party had subjected him to a kangaroo court after a complaint was made against him.

In a statement, Mr Stanley said he had recently been brought in front of a party inquiry and, due to its outcomes, was announcing his resignation from Sinn Fein with immediate effect.

November

General election finally called: After months of denials and full-termism, Taoiseach Simon Harris finally called a general election for November 29.

'Gladiator II' inspired Harry Burton's metaphor for when coalition partners turn into rivals in the heat of a general election campaign.

OLeary stirs up teachers: Fine Gael was thrown into controversy just days into the election campaign after controversial comments about teachers by Ryanair CEO Michael OLeary.

Mr OLeary said he would not employ a lot of teachers to go out and get things done, which prompted laughter and jeering among those attending the event to launch minister Peter Burkes election campaign.

Hutch runs: Gerard the Monk Hutch announced he would be running in the election in Dublin South Central, a move which gained significant media attention.

However, it was at the RDS count centre where the media frenzy went into overdrive when Mr Hutch briefly arrived as the votes were being counted, before fleeing on foot just 30 minutes later.

In the end, he lost out to Labours Marie Sherlock who took the fourth and final seat in the constituency.

Election baby: After announcing her pregnancy in June, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns gave birth to her daughter on election day.

Shes here. Were completely in love with her, Ms Cairns announced on social media alongside a picture of her with her baby.

December

The coalition dance begins: Fianna Fail were retuned as the largest party winning 48 Dail seats. Sinn Fein won 39 seats and Fine Gael took 38 seats.

The Lanigans Ball of parties stepping in and out of meetings began just days after the election, with left-wing leaders meeting to discuss the option of a left-wing bloc  which never materalised.

Labour was split on whether it should go into a coalition with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, while Independents from the regional group met with both the Taoiseach and Tanaiste.
So this is Twixmas  the name given to the days between the festive season and the new year  between the madness of what has just been and the uncertainty of whats to come.

Its not my favourite time, nor, from what I can gather, is it many others front-runner. Its a state of suspended activity, or even a feeling of mental displacement.

Its like a fog that makes us question our whereabouts  a time of reflection, including memories we would prefer to forget.

No doubt there will have been happier moments on a personal level  God knows, we needed them. On a grand scale though, 2024 has been a sad year for humanity. Of that theres no getting away from.

Humanity comes from the Latin humanitas, meaning human nature, while also incorporating kindness into that nature, or more specifically the kind feelings humans have for each other. Its a constantly shifting inaccurate measurement of what it means to be both humane and benevolent, and, most importantly, compassionate.

A work colleague of mine  a mother of nine-year-old twin girls  asked me last week how she was meant to explain to her daughters why a doctor is the main suspect in the recent car-ramming attack through the stalls of Magdeburgs busy Christmas market, in which five people died, including a nine-year-old boy, while hundreds were injured.

Her daughters had watched the news coverage on television.

I thought doctors were good people, one of her girls said to her. She had to reassure her most doctors are good people. Invariably, the emphasis here is on the word most.

Susan Sontag, the American writer and human rights activist who died on this day in 2004, once said: 10% of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10% is merciful, no matter what, and the remaining 80% can be moved in either direction.

If 2024 has proved one thing, its that brutality is challenging humanity. The biggest danger facing us is the very real probability that a sizeable portion of the 80% that can be moved in either direction is at risk of becoming dehumanised to the shock and awe of what is happening around us.

Donald Trump: As a parent, how do you explain that the next US president is a convicted criminal who was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud six months before he was elected by 77 million Americans? Picture: AP/Julia Nikhinson

So, what if we could see the world through the eyes of a nine-year-old as we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new? And how is it even possible to answer their questions in relation to truths we cant fathom ourselves?

At this age, children are still largely concrete thinkers. They are starting to show they know right from wrong, and that they understand the moral value of rules.

Being liked and seeking approval is becoming more important, and the ability to think in abstract ways is becoming evident.

Nine year olds are cleverer than we perhaps give them credit for. As their cognitive skills develop, their personal beliefs take root. Its worth remembering here that most young children believe in God. So imagine how 2024 must have impacted the mind of such a child.

Donald Trump

As a parent, how do you explain that the next US president is a convicted criminal who was found guilty of 34 counts of fraud six months before he was elected by 77 million Americans?

How do you explain why so many young women voted for a man who has been identified by at least 25 women who have gone on record to accuse him of predatory and inappropriate behaviour towards them, ranging from groping to rape?

Why is he targeting the poor and the elderly, and the most vulnerable, and those who cant afford to pay for healthcare?

How do you explain why a 26-year-old man who is the chief suspect in the shooting dead of a healthcare company boss in New York, who was himself the father of two children, has become a social media folk hero?

Theres no point even trying to answer this question until you have explained the endemic online culture of prejudice and hate.

Why are 343 million people in 74 countries around the world on the verge of starvation when we can go to the supermarket every week and buy food and treats? Why doesnt God provide food and water for all the people who are dying from famine?

Why have more than 3,000 children under the age of five been killed by bombs and bullets in Gaza over the past 14 months? Picture: AP /Abdel Kareem Hana

Why have more than 3,000 children under the age of five been killed by bombs and bullets in Gaza over the past 14 months? And why is this territory ranked as the deadliest place in the world for children if the Baby Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was born barely 50 miles away? And if God is Jesuss father, then why doesnt he stop Israels army from killing the innocent children and their parents?

Why did an opthalmologist who treated eye diseases and helped people to see again go back to his home country of Syria to become an evil dictator who tortured thousands of innocent men and women? Why would a man who is able to restore sight imprison his own people in underground darkness?

Mass shootings

Why do people in America own guns, and why have there been 488 mass shooting cases there in 2024 alone?

Politicans vow the most recent will be the last. But it doesnt work like that. Can it ever make sense to a nine-year-old why a teenager would casually stroll into their school armed with an automatic rifle, which they then use to murder their teachers and friends?

I was first introduced to existentialism when I was 16, during French class in school, and to the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre, his partner Simone de Beauvoir, and later to the German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses on the question of what it means to be human. Hell is other people, is perhaps my favourite Sartre quote.

We are up to our necks in an existential crisis right now, and have been for years. Sartre believed being with other people makes us deeply uncomfortable because it reminds us that our existence depends on how they perceive us, or how we want to be perceived by them.

Youll know if someone you know is experiencing an existential crisis. Theyll say things like Im rethinking my entire life, or Eventually were all going to die, and everything weve ever done in our lives that we think is important will be forgotten forever, or Whats the point? No one gives a damn about what I think? Actually your children do.

An existential crisis happens when mental pages that once mapped the plot of the story of your life suddenly fall out or go missing. Theres a hole in the script of humanity. Its when trying to make sense of life proves impossible. Meaning becomes meaningless.

If we were to step back far enough and take a look at the journey we are on, each of us would see that our lives are composed of a string of existential riddles. These riddles are answered not by words or conversations, but by life choices, decisions, and behaviours which can lead us down the wrong roads  as we have seen above: Mans inhumanity to man.

We might think we have years of understanding, but when an existential crisis strikes, our ability to cope with the reality can be as difficult as it is for the nine-year-old who expects her mother or father to have all the answers. Truth is, no matter what age we are, theres no sense in trying to make sense of barbarity.

As a new year's resolution, perhaps we should concentrate more on cultivating the humanity in our own lives, rather than becoming hardened to other people's cruelty in an effort to avoid the hard questions.

Happy New Year.
Time Magazine has, again, chosen Donald Trump as its person of the year. I get it. His presidential comeback was momentous. And the magazine does explain it picked the individual who, for better or [take note] for worse, did most to shape the world and the headlines over the past 12 months.

I would have chosen Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old French woman who turned her own unimaginable suffering into a powerful plea to shape a better world.

I hold out hope, though, that she will make next years cover because, by then, we will be able to see that her extraordinary actions have added new impetus to a movement already underway.

By waiving her anonymity to call out one of the worst sex offenders in modern French history  her own husband  she did much more than expose the pervasiveness of rape culture. She gave us a rousing catchphrase, Shame must change sides, and sharpened our collective determination to use it.

In the year ahead, let us hope that the momentum for change so evident at the mass rape trial in Avignon will coalesce into a global movement on the scale of #MeToo.

In a sense, #ShameMustChangeSides is more empowering because as well as telling the victims of gender-based violence they are not alone, it also sends the loud, booming message that any shame they may feel does not belong to them.

Lavinia Kerwick speaking at a Dublin Rape Crisis Centre event in 2018. In 1993, she did something seismic by speaking publicly about her rapist. Since then, tens if not hundreds of Irish women have stood on the courtroom steps to put the blame, and the shame, back where it belongs  on the rapist. Picture: Rolling News

That shame belongs firmly on the shoulders of the perpetrators, if only they would bear it. And theres the rub. What was clear during the trial of Gisele Pelicots ex-husband Dominique and the 50 other men he invited into the couples home to assault and rape his then wife, was their blank refusal to accept any blame, not to mention shame, for their actions.

Just 12 of the men admitted guilt, while many others said they thought Dominique Pelicots consent was enough.

It is staggering, too, to see just how eager seemingly ordinary men were to answer Pelicots online call for accomplices to attack his heavily sedated wife. The French press dubbed them Monsieur tout-le-monde, or Mr Everyman.

Some 50 faced trial, but police say an estimated 70 men, aged between 26 and 74, were involved. Among them, a prison guard, a construction worker, a firefighter, a nurse, and a journalist. Two in three had families of their own; a statistic that has prompted a widespread discussion about the normalisation of sexual violence. One of the most uncomfortable questions in the post-trial ether is this: How many men would rape a woman (or indeed anyone) if they thought they could get away with it?

I prefer to focus on the positive; the socio-cultural earthquake that has followed in the trials wake. The fault lines echoed globally as women rallied around Gisele Pelicot to support and thank her for speaking up for Ms Everywoman.

French trailblazers in 1974

Her valiant stand builds on an important French legal precedent which, coincidentally, was established by another woman named Gisele.

In the 1970s, activist lawyer Gisele Halimi helped to rewrite Frances definition of rape when she represented Anne Tonglet and Araceli Castellano, two Belgian women who also waived their right to anonymity. The women, a couple at the time, had been backpacking near Marseille in the summer of 1974 when they were assaulted and raped by three men, Serge Petrilli, Guy Roger, and Albert Mouglalis.

They filed a complaint but they were, they said, discredited and humiliated by everyone in authority, including the police, the medical profession, and the prosecutor who took their statement.

Gisele Halimi took on their case and, in doing so, also took on French attitudes to sexual violence and the outdated legal system which considered rape as assault and battery.

After four years, she succeeded in having the case upgraded to the Cours dAssises, a criminal court for serious crimes, and the men were sentenced to between four and six years in prison.

That trial might have rewritten Frances definition of rape but, half a century later, the Pelicot case shows that much still needs to be done.

Questions over sentencing

Dominique Pelicot received the maximum 20-year sentence for his crimes, but the other men got terms from three to 15 years. Some were handed down suspended sentences.

The case has prompted much discussion about attitudes to sexual violence and how those attitudes have inveigled their way into the legal system to blunt the full force of the law. That discussion is welcome and overdue.

The most significant outcome of the case, however, is that Gisele Pelicot has rewritten the script on shame.

Her insistence that shame must change sides has ignited a movement not only in France but elsewhere.

Lavinia Kerwick's seismic actions

It is one that began here in 1993 when Lavina Kerwick did something seismic by speaking publicly about her rapist. Since then, tens if not hundreds of Irish women have stood on the courtroom steps to put the blame, and the shame, back where it belongs  on the rapist.

One of the most recent examples of that kind of indescribable courage came earlier this month when Lisa OMeara waived her anonymity to urge other victims to seek help.

After her former partner, Barry Murphy of Shamrock House, Grogan, Ballycumber, Co Offaly, was jailed for 14-and-a-half years for rape and coercive control, she had a message for other women in abusive relationships:

Just leave. It doesnt get better.

Many others have also transmuted the horror of their suffering into a message of hope to others.

There are too many to name here  a positive sign of change, perhaps  but I salute every single one of them.

Thanks to them, shame really is changing sides, but we must ensure the momentum continues.

Just this month there was another example of indescribable courage when Lisa OMeara waived her anonymity to urge other victims to seek help. Her ex-partner was jailed for 14.5 years for rape and coercive control. Picture: Irish Photo Desk

One way of doing that is showing that women all around the world are now breaking the silence that allowed shame to germinate for so long.

In 2023, for example, rape survivor Fatoumata Barry testified on live TV in the high-profile trial of Moussa Dadis Camara, former president of Guinea, and his military commanders for killing 157 pro-democracy supporters and raping more than 100 women.

In July of this year, he and six other leaders were found guilty of crimes against humanity, carried out during a peaceful democracy rally in a stadium in the countrys capital, Conakry, 15 years before.

Be a 'Big Mouth': Speak out, loud and clear

Now, Nomi Dave, a former lawyer who studies how rape survivors and their allies speak out about sexual violence, and filmmaker Bremen Donovan are working on a documentary, Big Mouth, about womens testimony against sexual violence in the West African country.

Big Mouth. What a wonderful name. It encapsulates within it the idea that those who speak out are loudmouths breaking the rules, but also the deep cultural shift that allows them to do so. It is only in continuing to speak out, loud and clear, that shame will finally change sides.
ITS that time of year to look back on what happened, who was up, who was down and  for those with a weakness for the written word  what exactly you read in 2024.

This column has three books which merit a mention. One concerns the politics of today, another of yesterday, and the third reverses even further back into the mists of time for a delightful feat of the imagination.

A whole slew of books have been written in recent years attempting to understand what has happened to American politics and, by extension, the country itself. As with much that happens in the US, there is a warning that what is happening there now can be expected on this side of the Atlantic in the near future. One of the most perceptive and even-handed works to look at the polarisation stateside is Frank Brunis The Age Of Grievance.

In it, the New York Times columnist ascribes much of the polarisation to the persistent grasping for grievance of one sort or another. If you are not happy, if life is not working out as you planned, if you see your neighbour living as you would prefer to, you have a grievance.

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Bruni suggests that the fuel of grievance pumps through society, touching every political party, sex, race, or socio-economic class.

They feel cheated. They feel disrespected. Theyre peeved unless theyre outright furious, he writes.

And whats the point in being furious unless you have somebody to direct your fury at? Of course, some grievance is justified. However, Bruni documents a world in which grievance is a default position based not on circumstances or facts. The aggrieved on all sides have lost  or lost interest in  the ability to see beyond their slights to a common good in which they dont get all that they want.

Grown-ups are supposed to be able to compromise like that. But ours is an era of mass immaturity.

The book is littered with cogent and sometimes bitterly ironic examples. One involved the shooting of six people, including three children, at a Christian school in Nashville in 2023.

The shooter, it turned out, was transgender. Thereafter, prominent news organisations gave more coverage to the difficulties faced by transgender people in Nashville rather than the fall-out from the tragedy for those afflicted.

In one panel discussion on the shootings on MSNBC, the screen showed a banner headline: Transgender Americans Under Siege. The grievance felt by transgender people, some of which is entirely justified, superceded consideration for the loss of life and the dreadful fallout for that community.

What the left sees in the right and what the right sees in the left are almost the same, Bruni writes.

A bullying force intent on imposing its out-of-touch, out-of-whack values on unbelievers and on crushing them if they persist in their heresy.

We have seen echoes of this here.

The identity politics propagated by the illiberal or authoritarian strand of the left is obsessed with grievance harboured by minorities, or perceived victims, to the point where reason for the grievance trumps any actual discrimination or injustice. Then we have the far-right, which has pushed its perceived and fraudulent grievance about asylum seekers crowding into an island that cant cope.

As with much in this area, the echoes in this country are faint. However, in a world fuelled by social media  which makes its money on grievance  there is every chance that things will get worse. As with American politics, a whole sackful of books are being published these days looking back at aspects of the violence that dominated the North of this island for 30 years.

One of the best is Four Shots In The Night by Henry Hemming, an author who comes to the subject of the North new and without any baggage.

In it, Hemming traces how Martin McGuinness in particular  but also Gerry Adams  were spotted early on as men who might be able to move the provisional movement from killing to politics. Thereafter, these two figures were to a large extent protected by the British, Hemming writes. They werent agents, as some have speculated, but senior elements in the security services wanted to see them kept in place as they were the best bet for the Provos ending their campaign.

What this in effect means, in McGuinness case, is that he was sending young men and women out to kill and die for a united Ireland which he knew was unattainable, while the British did what they could to ensure he stayed alive and in a position of power.

Four Shots hones in on McGuinnesss role in the killing of Frank Hegarty. Hegarty was recruited as a British agent in 1980 and, six years later, was whisked out of Derry when it became apparent his cover was blown.

While he was away, McGuinness repeatedly visited Hegartys mother Rose and assured her that her son would be left alone if he returned. He did return and a few weeks later met by appointment senior IRA figures.

His body was found on the other side of the border, his eyes taped, gunshot wounds to his head. Subsequently, MI5 shut down a criminal investigation into McGuinness for the murder as the police honed in on him. The IRA leader had to be protected.

Four Shots in the Night is chilling and brings home the reality that, for the upper echelons of both the British security services and the Provos, all those at the frontline were pawns to be moved around, their lives expendable, in order to bring the masters to a point of winning the chess game.

A lighter, yet somehow darker, world is evoked in one of the novels of the year, Kevin Barrys The Heart In Winter.

Its set in Butte, Montana, in the 1890s, yet is inherently Irish in its pitch and tone. The main protagonist is Irishman Tom Rourke, who sings the immigrant song of chasing dreams through a haze of mind altering drugs  including alcohol.

Its also a love story amidst the chaotic West, but is told with Barrys usual calling cards of dark humour and wild narrative. Above all, its the writing that lifts it up, confirming the author as one of the best to emerge from this island in recent decades.

Did I say three books? There is a fourth that must be noted and that is Arthur Mathewss Walled In By Hate  Kevin OHiggins, His Friends and Enemies. It wears its considerable research lightly and gives a fresh perspective on a man whom history has not always treated kindly. Most definitely worth a read. The business of 2025 begins in a few days. A few deep breaths and off we go again. Happy New Year.
An Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police, Italys foreign ministry said on Friday.

Cecilia Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was detained on December 19, the ministry said, adding that it was working with Iranian authorities to clarify the legal situation of Sala and to verify the conditions of her detention.

Ms Sala is a reporter for Italian daily Il Foglio, which said she is being held in Tehrans Evin prison. Il Foglio said Ms Sala was in Iran with a regular visa to report on a country she knows and loves.

The newspapers editor, Claudio Cerasa, wrote on Friday that journalism is not a crime and bring Cecilia Sala home.

Ms Sala had been allowed to make two phone calls to her relatives, the foreign ministry said. Italian ambassador Paola Amadei visited Ms Sala in prison on Friday, and foreign minister Antonio Tajani said the journalist was in good health condition.

Iran has not acknowledged detaining Ms Sala. However, it can take weeks before authorities announce such arrests.

Since the 1979 US Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.

In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in US custody and for 4.7 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.

Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for some 100 days before being released.

Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for more than 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the US.

Both cases involved Iran making false espionage accusations in closed-door hearings.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. A delegation led by the chief of the International Military Cooperation Department of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Defense visited the Republic of Serbia to hold negotiations on military cooperation, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

"During the visit, the delegation was received by the acting assistant minister for the defense policy sector of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Bandic. Subsequently, a bilateral meeting was held between representatives of the International Military Cooperation Departments of both countries.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the current state of military cooperation and its progress, as well as a detailed exchange of views on topics of mutual interest. In this regard, satisfaction was expressed with the implementation of the activities envisaged in the military cooperation plan for 2024.

As part of the visit program, the delegation toured the Peacekeeping Operations Center of the Republic of Serbia, where they were briefed on the center's activities and operations.

At the conclusion of the official activities, the "Military Cooperation Plan for 2025" between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Serbia was signed," the ministry said.
Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied and demoralised by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk, a region some want to hold at all costs while others question the value of having gone in at all.

Battles are so intense that some Ukrainian commanders cannot evacuate the dead. Communication lags and poorly timed tactics have cost lives, and troops have little way to counter-attack.

Since being caught unaware by the lightning Ukrainian incursion, Russia has amassed more than 50,000 troops in the region, including some from its ally North Korea.

Precise numbers are hard to obtain, but Moscows counter-attack has killed and injured thousands and the overstretched Ukrainians have lost more than 40% of the 380 square miles of Kursk they seized in August.

Its full-scale invasion three years ago left Russia holding a fifth of Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted he hopes controlling Kursk will help force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war.

Russian soldiers target Ukrainian armed forces in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region of Russia (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service/AP)

But five Ukrainian and Western officials in Kyiv who spoke on condition of anonymity said they fear gambling on Kursk will weaken the whole 621-mile front line, and Ukraine is losing precious ground in the east.

We have, as they say, hit a hornets nest. We have stirred up another hot spot, said Stepan Lutsiv, a major in the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade.

Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said Ukraine launched the operation because officials thought Russia was about to launch a new attack on north-east Ukraine.

It began on August 5 with an order to leave Ukraines Sumy region for what they thought would be a nine-day raid to stun the enemy. It became an occupation that Ukrainians welcomed as their smaller country gained leverage and embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Gathering his men, one company commander told them: Were making history; the whole world will know about us because this hasnt been done since World War Two.

Privately, he was less certain.

It seemed crazy, he said. I didnt understand why.

A damaged statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin stands in a square in Sudzha, Kursk region(PA)

Shocked by success achieved largely because the Russians were caught by surprise, the Ukrainians were ordered to advance beyond the original mission to the town of Korenevo, 16 miles into Russia. That was one of the first places where Russian troops counter-attacked.

By early November the Russians began regaining territory rapidly. Once in awe of what they accomplished, Ukrainian troops opinions are shifting as they come to terms with losses. The company commander said half of his troops are dead or wounded.

One platoon commander said higher ups have repeatedly turned down his requests to change his units defensive position because he knows his men cannot hold the line.

Those people who stand until the end are ending up MIA, he said.

He said he also knows of at least 20 Ukrainian soldiers whose bodies had been abandoned over the last four months because the battles were too intense to evacuate them without more casualties.

A destroyed Russian tank sits on a roadside near the town of Sudzha, in the Kursk region of Russia (AP)

American longer-range weapons have slowed the Russian advance and North Korean soldiers who joined the fighting last month are easy targets for drones and artillery because they lack combat discipline and often move in large groups in the open, Ukrainian troops said.

On Monday, Mr Zelensky said 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed and injured. But they appear to be learning from their mistakes, soldiers added, by becoming more adept at camouflaging near forested lines.

One clash took place last week near Vorontsovo tract, a forested area between the settlements of Kremenne and Vorontsovo.

Until last week, the area was under Ukraines control. This week part of it has been lost to Russian forces and Ukrainian troops fear they will reach a crucial logistics route.

Eyeing frontline losses in the eastern region known as the Donbas  where Russia is closing on a crucial supply hub  some soldiers are more vocal about whether Kursk has been worth it.

All the military can think about now is that Donbas has simply been sold, the platoon commander said. At what price?
Over the past few years, rumors about Apple developing its own search engine have intensified, especially amid its ongoing antitrust scrutiny over its deal with Google. However, an Apple executive is now clarifying the situation. Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, stated it is incorrect for people, reports, and the public to assume the company is working on a new search engine.

Google has faced criticism for monopolistic practices, which helped solidify its dominance as the leading search engine by forming lucrative partnerships with major companies. The U.S. Department of Justice has argued that these practices stifled competition.

Apple Responds to Search Engine Speculation

In a court filing dated Dec. 23, Cue addressed the speculation head-on, emphasizing that Apple is not developing a search engine. Cue stated it is "wrong" to assume the company is working on such a project. The executive explained that the rumors likely stemmed from assumptions made in the antitrust case, particularly regarding Apple's "Information Services Agreement" with Google. This agreement reportedly generates between $8 billion and $12 billion annually for Apple, representing a 36% share of Google's ad revenue derived from searches conducted via Safari.

Plaintiffs in the case had suggested that Apple might create a competing search engine if its agreement with Google were terminated. Cue refuted this claim, asserting that Apple's current focus is on other areas of innovation and growth, rather than redirecting resources toward developing a new search platform.

Revenue Sharing with Other Search Engines

Cue further clarified that Apple's agreements extend beyond Google, noting that other search engines, including Microsoft Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia, also participate in revenue-sharing arrangements when users set them as defaults on Apple devices. These deals, Cue argued, demonstrate Apple's neutrality in allowing users to choose their preferred search provider.

Impact of AI and Market Dynamics

Cue highlighted additional reasons for Apple's decision not to pursue a search engine, including the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the search landscape. He characterized the sector as "risky" and said Apple is prioritizing its investments and workforce in areas better aligned with its long-term objectives.

DOJ vs. Google: Antitrust Case and Implications

The DOJ's antitrust case against Google is one of the most significant in recent years, targeting the company's monopolistic practices in securing default search engine status on major platforms. Google's arrangements with device manufacturers and browsers, including Apple, have been accused of stifling competition and cementing its dominance in the market.

Apple's partnership with Google has been particularly lucrative, as the Mountain View-based tech giant's search engine remains the default on iPhones and other Apple devices. However, the legal spotlight has brought renewed attention to the dynamics of this collaboration, prompting Apple to address misconceptions about its intentions.

The DOJ's case against Google concluded earlier this year, with the court ruling that the company engaged in monopolistic practices. While the specific remedies are still under deliberation, Apple's public clarification aims to quell persistent speculation about its potential entry into the search engine market. Cue's statements reaffirm the company's commitment to its existing partnerships and strategic priorities.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree amending the "Rules for the Storage, Placement, and Management of Currency Funds of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan" (SOFAZ), originally approved by the President's decree on June 19, 2001, Trend reports.

The new decree outlines significant changes regarding SOFAZ's investment portfolio. The portfolio, divided according to the fund's investment policy, may now include various assets, such as:

- money market instruments with an investment-grade credit rating (from Standard & Poor's, Fitch, or Moody's) and deposits in central (national) banks;

- debt obligations with an investment-grade credit rating;

- stocks;

- real estate, including infrastructure;

- equity interests in alternative investment funds;

- gold bars (gold) meeting the standards set by the London Bullion Market Association;

- debt instruments with non-investment-grade ratings or money market instruments, provided that the total value of the investment portfolio does not exceed five percent, including up to one percent rated at least "B-" (Standard & Poor's, Fitch) or "B3" (Moody's), with the remaining portion rated at least "BB-" (Standard & Poor's, Fitch) or "Ba3" (Moody's).
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Sitara Ayaz, the Secretary General of the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC), has sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev following the tragic loss of lives in the plane crash involving the aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

"Your Excellency,

On behalf of the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC), I wish to extend our deepest condolences to you, the government, and the people of Azerbaijan during this incredibly difficult time following the tragic crash of Azerbaijan Airlines near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25th, 2024.

The loss of so many precious lives is a profound and heart-wrenching tragedy. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the victims, and we can only imagine the immense sorrow they are enduring. We also hold the survivors in our thoughts, wishing them a swift and full recovery.

I am confident that the people of Azerbaijan will draw strength from each other as they cope with this heartbreaking loss. Please know that you and the people of Azerbaijan are in our thoughts, and we stand in solidarity with you in this moment of mourning," the letter reads.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic has sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in connection with the tragic loss of life in the plane crash involving the aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

"Dear Mr. President,

I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, which claimed the lives of many passengers.

On behalf of the citizens of Montenegro and in my own name, I extend the most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and I convey my wishes for a swift recovery to those who were injured.

Our thoughts, solidarity and deepest sympathy are with you, the friendly people of Azerbaijan and all those affected by this tragic event in these moments of profound grief," the letter reads.
A flight operated by Azerbaijan Airlines that crashed yesterday in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 individuals, was reportedly downed by a Russian air defense system, according to four sources in Azerbaijan familiar with the investigation, as reported by Reuters.

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 went down near Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from a region in Russia where air defense systems have been deployed to counter Ukrainian drone strikes in recent months.

The Embraer passenger jet had strayed hundreds of miles from its planned route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russias southern Chechnya region.

It crashed on the opposite side of the Caspian Sea following what Russias aviation watchdog indicated might have been an emergency potentially resulting from a bird strike.

The closest Russian airport along the planes flight path was closed that morning.

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One source familiar with the Azerbaijani investigation indicated to Reuters that preliminary findings suggested the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, and its communications were disrupted by electronic warfare systems while approaching Grozny.

The source commented: No one is asserting that this was intentional. However, considering the established facts, Baku anticipates the Russian side to acknowledge responsibility for downing the Azerbaijani aircraft.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of #AzerbaijanAirlines flight #J28243. We extend our wishes for a swift recovery to those injured in the crash and call for a thorough investigation.

 NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah (@NATOpress) December 26, 2024

Three additional sources confirmed the preliminary conclusion reached by the Azerbaijani investigation. The Russian Defence Ministry has not provided a response to requests for comment.

A US official informed Reuters that early indications point to the possibility that a Russian anti-aircraft system may have hit the plane. The official, who requested anonymity, added that if these indications are accurate, they would highlight Russian recklessness in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev stated he could neither confirm nor deny the hypothesis that Russian air defenses may have downed the plane.

Regarding the potential for Russian air defenses targeting the aircraft, the Kazakh transport prosecutor for the area where the plane crashed mentioned that the investigation has not yet reached a definitive conclusion.

Russia has warned against building hypotheses regarding the crash of the Azerbaijani plane, which was set to land in Russia.

It would be premature to draw any hypotheses before the investigation concludes, Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked during a press briefing.

Videos shared on social media and verified by Reuters depicted apparent shrapnel damage to the wreckage of the planes tail section.

Aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions informed airlines in an alert that footage of the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the airspace in southwest Russia suggest that the airliner could have been struck by anti-aircraft fire.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev stated that the cause of the crash remains unknown and must be thoroughly investigated.

The Dagestan and Chechnya regions of Russia have seen Ukrainian weaponized military drones targeting them this month, with Russian air defenses being activated in response, according to Osprey.

Earlier that day, the Russian defense ministry reported downing 59 Ukrainian drones across various regions, as stated.

Some drones were reportedly intercepted in closed airspace over areas adjacent to Ukraine, including over the Sea of Azov.

Flight operations were temporarily suspended at Kazan Airport in Russia due to this activity.

Furthermore, publicly available ADS-B flight tracking data indicated that the aircraft experienced GPS jamming throughout its flight over southwest Russia, as per the alert.

In Brussels, NATO has called for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243, NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah expressed on X.

We wish those injured in the crash a speedy recovery and demand a full investigation.

Kazakhstans senate chairman stated earlier that the cause of the plane crash remains unknown.
The Houthi movement in Yemen announced that they launched missiles and drones towards Israel, following Israeli airstrikes on Sanaas international airport and other locations in Houthi-controlled zones.

These strikes took place as the head of the UNs World Health Organization mentioned that he and his team were preparing to depart from Yemens capital, which is under Houthi control.

Shortly after, the Houthis claimed to have targeted Ben Gurion airport with a missile and sent drones towards Tel Aviv, as well as targeting a ship in the Arabian Sea.

No further information was available at that time.

The Israeli military did not promptly respond to inquiries regarding whether they were aware of WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesuss presence in the area during the strikes.

This attack by Israel occurred just a day after the Houthis reported launching a missile and two drones towards the country.

Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to the rebels, stating that Israel would continue until the job is done.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was implemented in late November, the Houthis have intensified their attacks against Israel.

According to Al-Masirah TV, the Houthis reported that the Israeli airstrikes resulted in six fatalities, following earlier claims that two individuals lost their lives at the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital, and another at the port of Ras Issa.

These strikes on the airport, military sites, and power facilities in Houthi territories represent the second instance of Israeli operations in Yemen since December 19, in response to missile fire from the rebels targeting Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his warnings to the rebels, emphasizing that Israel would continue until the job is done.

We are determined to sever this branch of terrorism linked to the Iranian axis of evil, he stated in a video message.

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UN official refutes Israeli statement that Yemen airport was a military target.

The leading UN figure for humanitarian assistance in Yemen has rejected claims that Sanaa airport served military purposes, having narrowly avoided an Israeli bombing raid.

Israel maintained that it targeted military infrastructure during the strikes, alleging that Houthi facilities were used for smuggling Iranian arms and welcoming high-ranking Iranian officials.

Julien Harneis, the UN humanitarian coordinator, stated that the airport is a civilian site utilized by the United Nations.

It is a hub for the International Committee of the Red Cross and serves civilian flights  that is its primary function, he explained.

All parties involved in the conflict are obliged to refrain from attacking civilian targets, he emphasized.

The onus is on them, not on us. We dont need to demonstrate our civilian status.

A soldier stands near the damaged air traffic control tower at Sanaa Airport, Yemen.

Mr. Harneis recounted how he, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and 18 other UN personnel were caught in the assaults, which coincided with the landing of a packed passenger plane.

One UN staff member sustained serious injuries due to the airstrikes, which devastated the air traffic control facility, he reported.

The team was swiftly moved into armored vehicles for safety.

There was one airstrike about 300 meters to our south and another about 300 meters to our north, he detailed.

What was most alarming was that the airstrikes occurred as a civilian airliner from Yemenia Air, filled with hundreds of Yemenis, was preparing to land, he added.

In fact, that Yemenia Air flight was landing and taxiing when the air traffic control tower was destroyed.

The Israeli attack came without any warning of impending airstrikes, he noted.

He asserted that the airport is crucial for maintaining humanitarian aid efforts in Yemen.

If that airport becomes inoperable, it will paralyze humanitarian efforts, he stated.

The UN has described Yemen as facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with 24.1 million individuals requiring humanitarian assistance and protection.

Public services such as healthcare, water, sanitation, and education have collapsed due to years of conflict.

The Houthis have gained control over substantial portions of Yemen since capturing Sanaa and ousting the internationally recognized government in September 2014.

Israels airstrikes coincide with an increase in long-range attacks by the Houthis against Israel following a ceasefire with another Iranian-backed group, Lebanons Hezbollah.

Just a week prior, on December 21, Israels military and emergency response teams reported that a projectile fired from Yemen injured 16 individuals in Tel Aviv, Israels commercial hub.

A large number of drone and missile strikes on cargo vessels have led to retaliatory strikes against Houthi positions by US and occasionally British forces.
The Israeli military announced that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early this morning, just one day after fresh air strikes targeted the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.

Sirens were activated in areas of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea as the Israeli military reported that a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory.

Yesterday, a new air strike hit Sanaa, which Houthi rebels attributed to US-British aggression, although it remains uncertain who was responsible.

No statements have been made by Israel, the United States, or Britain regarding the incidents.

Since the onset of war in Gaza in October of last year, the Houthisasserting solidarity with the Palestinianshave launched a series of missiles and drones towards Israel.

Their attacks have intensified since the ceasefire in November between Israel and another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon.

Israel has also conducted strikes in Yemen, including targeting Sanaas international airport on Thursday, coinciding with the head of the World Health Organizations scheduled departure.

Additionally, the Houthis have attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which has prompted retaliatory strikes from the United States and occasionally Britain.

Latest Middle East stories

Earlier yesterday, prior to the strike on Sanaa, tens of thousands gathered to protest and show solidarity with Palestinians.

The strike on Sanaas international airport on Thursday resulted in shattered windows and left the control tower in ruins.

A witness reported to AFP that the raids also targeted the nearby Al-Dailami air base, which uses the same runway as the airport.

The attack has resulted in four fatalities so far and around 20 injuries among staff, airport personnel, and passengers, mentioned Houthi Deputy Transport Minister Yahya al-Sayani.

This incident occurred while Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the UNs World Health Organization, was preparing to depart and resulted in one UN crew member being injured.

Dr. Tedros was in Yemen to negotiate the release of UN personnel held for months by the Houthis and to evaluate the humanitarian situation. He later confirmed via social media that he and his team had safely arrived in Jordan.

He reported that the injured member of the UNs Humanitarian Air Service underwent successful surgery and is currently in stable condition.

Thousands gathered in Sanaa to protest against Israel

An Israeli statement indicated that its targets included military infrastructure at the airport and power plants in both Sanaa and Hodeidaa primary entry point for humanitarian aidas well as various facilities at several ports.

The statement claimed that the Houthis utilize these locations to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and to facilitate the entry of senior Iranian officials.

Conversely, UN humanitarian coordinator Julien Harneis emphasized that the airport is a civilian location used by the UN, and the strikes occurred while a packed civilian airliner from Yemenia Air, carrying hundreds of Yemenis, was approaching for landing.

Although the aircraft was able to land safely the situation could have been far, far worse, remarked Mr. Harneis.

In his latest warning to the Houthis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israels strikes would continue until the job is done.

We are committed to eliminating this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil, he asserted in a video message.

Despite the damage inflicted, flights at Sanaa airport have resumed operations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalation of hostilities, asserting that bombing transportation infrastructure jeopardizes humanitarian efforts in Yemen, where 80% of the populace relies on aid.

The United Nations has labeled Yemen the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with 24.1 million individuals in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection.

After the attack on Sanaa airport, the Houthis announced that they launched a missile at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and sent drones toward the city and a vessel in the Arabian Sea.

On the same day, the Israeli military reported that a missile fired from Yemen was intercepted.

A Houthi statement released on Friday claimed that Israeli aggression will only strengthen the determination and resolve of the great Yemeni people to continue supporting the Palestinian people.
The ongoing legacy of Northern Irelands Troubles continues to loom large, evoking strong emotions and anger.

Families of many conflict victims enthusiastically welcomed Labours victory in the recent UK general election, as the party vowed to repeal the highly contentious legislation implemented by the former Conservative government to address legacy issues.

This legislation garnered a rare consensus, uniting all major political parties, victims and survivors organizations in Northern Ireland, along with the Irish Government, against it.

Hilary Benn was quick to articulate his stance on the matter.

Afterward, the new representative at Hillsborough Castle informed the media of his intention to collaborate with the Irish Government on a refreshed approach to legacy.

Hilary Benn alongside Micheal Martin and Helen McEntee at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference

The Irish Government has initiated an inter-state case against the UK under the European Convention of Human Rights to legally contest the Northern Ireland Legacy Act.

The British government is eager to resolve this case as part of efforts to mend relations with Ireland, which have been strained under successive Conservative administrations.

Those advocating for victims and survivors of the Troubles were encouraged by the swift engagement with the issue and many cautiously expressed optimism that Labour would fulfill their promise and entirely annul the legislation.

However, unease was triggered when Mr. Benn repeatedly indicated in the early days of his term that a crucial component of the legislation, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), might be kept in place.

Campaigners, including Amnesty International, asserted that retaining the ICRIR would constitute a violation of Labours election manifesto commitment to repeal the Act.

The individuals associated with the commission significantly influence perceptions of it.

Betrayal

The leader of the commission, Declan Morgan, a former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, previously received considerable acclaim from victims groups for his attempts to expedite inquests into killings during the Troubles.

Many considered his choice to chair the Commission a betrayal, while Mr. Morgan and the UK government contend that this represents their best opportunity to uncover the truth.

In the ICRIRs mission statement on its website, Mr. Morgan expressed his belief that the Commission is positioned to provide answers that people have been waiting for far too long.

Declan Morgans appointment as chair of the ICRIR was perceived by some as a betrayal.

Peter Sheridan, the Commissioner for Investigations, poses additional concerns for some.

The former CEO of Co-operation Ireland and ex-Assistant Chief Constable of the PSNI was the highest-ranking Catholic officer within the force prior to his retirement, having joined the RUC in the 1970s.

During his time as Assistant Chief Constable, he was responsible for drafting a Memorandum of Understanding relating to informers and agents in cooperation with the British security service MI5.

While he is broadly respected across the political spectrum, many relatives of Troubles victims are apprehensive about his law enforcement background and question his ability to serve as a truly impartial arbitrator when investigating alleged misconduct by the British state.

Peter Sheridan was the highest-ranking Catholic officer in the PSNI, having joined the RUC in the 1970s.

Following his appointment, Mr. Sheridan asserted his impartiality, stating he would carry out his new role without fear or favour.

He added, There is nothing I desire more than to ensure people receive the information and closure they need, utilizing the full extent of the powers and tools that the Commission will employ in this work, so we can all progress together.

Mr. Benn has persisted in championing the Commission, yet victims groups continue to stand firmly against it.

Major setback

The Northern Secretarys agenda faced a significant setback just before Christmas when a judge in the High Court in Belfast mandated the British government to conduct a public inquiry into the murder of GAA official Sean Brown, who was kidnapped and killed by loyalist gunmen in May 1997.

Mr. Benn had earlier declined a request from a coroner, who was overseeing an inquest into Mr. Browns murder, to initiate a public inquiry, with the PSNI asserting they would not obstruct it.

In a letter to the attorneys representing the family, Mr. Benn stated he had determined that an inquiry is not the best way to proceed.

Additionally, he asserted that he believed the ICRIR could fulfill the governments human rights obligations in this case.

Sean Brown was abducted and murdered by loyalists in May 1997.

However, in the recent High Court decision, Mr. Justice Michael Humphreys indicated that no viable alternative to a public inquiry has been presented and concluded that there can be only one lawful answer: a public inquiry must be convened.

After the ruling, Mr. Browns widow, 88-year-old Bridie, who has campaigned for a public inquiry for over 25 years, labeled it a good day.

The ruling reportedly took Mr. Benn and his team at the Northern Ireland Office by surprise.

The Northern Secretary is widely respected across the political landscape, and it is commonly acknowledged that he is well-versed in his responsibilities.

Those who have met with him to discuss legacy issues, even those who disagree with aspects of his approach, do not dispute his depth of knowledge.

There is an emerging understanding that many within the victims community may never accept the ICRIR in its current form as a viable way forward, suggesting that reform is essential.

Bridie Brown with a photograph of her husband Sean, who was killed in 1997 by loyalists.

His primary focus is legacy, remarked an official who has observed him closely.

He has made it clear that resolving this issue is his primary goal because he recognizes the pain it has caused and is determined to find a solution.

He has said he will heed the voices of those who lost loved ones, and he has been attentive to their concerns.

The pressing question is: will reform suffice?

It appears unlikely that many critics of the ICRIR will be satisfied with minimal changes to its scope and authority.

Many have explicitly indicated they desire a complete overhaul, advocating for the dissolution of both the Commission and the entire Legacy Act.

Political legacy

The Northern Secretarys handling of the Commission in the upcoming months will likely determine whether he can achieve his stated objective of addressing the legacy issue.

An approach that is embraced by victims groups and their advocates could significantly shift the political atmosphere and garner the necessary buy-in for meaningful progress.

Conversely, a strategy that fails to garner such support could leave the Northern Secretary in a position akin to that of his Conservative predecessors: facing resistance from all principal political parties, as well as from victims and survivor groups.

This would also affect the Irish Governments inter-state legal action.

Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tanaiste Micheal Martin have consistently reiterated that legacy approaches should prioritize victims, and they are unlikely to agree to withdraw legal proceedings as long as those victims oppose the UKs stance.

Northern Secretary Hilary Benn pictured conversing with Tanaiste Micheal Martin earlier this year.

A lawyer representing Bridie Brown recently urged Mr. Benn and the British government to do what they deemed the right thing and promptly convene a public inquiry.

The Northern Ireland Office has stated it will carefully review the courts ruling before making any decisions.

An appeal and subsequent court proceedings would only further frustrate victims advocacy groups.

They seem to expect us all to pass away, hoping this will dissipate, remarked a relative of a Troubles victim shortly after the Sean Brown ruling.

Thats simply cruel.

Mr. Benn might yet be celebrated as the individual who resolves one of the most contentious and sensitive matters on Northern Irelands political agenda.

However, it is equally plausible that he may soon find himself compared unfavorably to some of his less popular Conservative predecessors regarding efforts to address this issue.

His own political legacy is also at stake.
The South Korean parliament has voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo.

Prime Minister Han has been serving as acting president since President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on December 14 for his brief imposition of martial law on December 3, which led to the suspension of his presidential powers.

Following Mr. Hans impeachment, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is next in line to assume the role of acting president, as dictated by South Korean law.

Out of the 300-member parliament, approximately 192 lawmakers voted in favor of Mr. Hans impeachment.

The South Korean parliament voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo

The parliament supported three nominations yesterday; however, Mr. Han indicated that he would not formally appoint them without bipartisan agreement on the selections.

There has been contention between the ruling and opposition parties, along with some constitutional experts, about whether a simple majority or a two-thirds majority is required to impeach the acting president.

Nonetheless, parliament speaker Woo Won-shik from the Democratic Party stated that only a simple majority was necessary to impeach Mr. Han.

Before the parliamentary session, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung accused Mr. Han of acting for insurrection.

The only way to normalize the country is to rapidly eliminate all insurrection forces, Mr. Lee declared in a passionate speech, asserting that the party was acting on the publics demand to eradicate those who jeopardize the nations stability.

Public opinion polls conducted after Mr. Yoons martial law attempt indicated overwhelming support for his removal.

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The South Korean won fell to a new low of 1,486.7 per dollar, marking its weakest level since March 2009, as analysts noted that political uncertainty has created a negative sentiment that appears difficult to reverse.

The vote on Mr. Hans future coincided with the Constitutional Courts first hearing regarding whether to overturn his impeachment and reinstate Mr. Yoon or remove him from office permanently. The court has 180 days to make its decision.

During a preparatory hearing, Justice Cheong Hyung-sik stated that the court would act swiftly due to the cases seriousness, denying a request from Mr. Yoons lawyers for a delay in the proceedings to prepare better.

The hearing concluded in under an hour, with the next session scheduled for January 3.

This hearing comes after weeks of defiance from Mr. Yoon, who has ignored the courts requests to submit documents and has been summoned by investigators in a separate criminal case related to his martial law declaration.

Worst political crisis in decades

The aftermath of the December 3 martial law declaration has plunged the country into its most severe political crisis since 1987, when widespread protests compelled the ruling military generals to accept a constitutional amendment that established direct, popular voting for the presidency.

Mr. Yoon shocked the nation and the world with his late-night announcement on December 3, declaring martial law to resolve the political impasse and eliminate anti-state forces.

The military deployed special forces to the National Assembly, the Election Commission, and the office of a liberal YouTube commentator.

Additionally, orders were issued prohibiting parliamentary and political party activities, along with calls for government control over the media.

However, within hours, 190 lawmakers defied the militarys presence and voted against Mr. Yoons order. About six hours after his initial announcement, the martial law order was rescinded.

Mr. Yoon and senior officials from his administration are also facing criminal investigations for insurrection.
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  Egypt is perfect for solar power, even though the country has not implemented much of it yet. The Egyptians had installed 1.8 gigawatts of solar by the beginning of this year, most of it at the Benban Solar Park some 400 miles south of Cairo in the Aswan Governorate.

But the potential is vast. In mid-December, Egypt just inaugurated another big solar facility, with a nameplate capacity of 500 megawatts (0.5 gigawatts). The new installation was built in just 18 months, and is intended to deal with increasing electricity outages, what Americans call brown-outs, which are driven in part by increased use of air conditioning in the ever more torrid summers.

This problem is widespread  burning gas to produce energy causes rising temperatures, which people deal with by using more air conditioning, which burns more gas, and so on. Turkey faces the same problem, but has dealt with it much more aggressively, achieving nearly 19 gigawatts of solar to power the extra air conditioning.

In addition, Egypt Today reports that someone has finally figured out that the relatively educated and relatively inexpensive Egyptian labor force is well placed to manufacture solar panels in-country, which would much reduce their price  not only for Egypt but for other markets like Africa.

Swedens Sunshine Pro is partnering with Egyptian institutions to establish a solar panel manufacturing facility. Egypt has something like 33 million workers. About 28% work in industry, and 74% of adults are literate.



Amon-Ra, Digital, Midjourney, 2024

Egypt Today writes that the project entails establishing the Arab-Swedish Energy Factory (ASEF), an automated facility for producing solar panels with an annual capacity of 1 GW. The project aims to strengthen domestic manufacturing potential, minimize reliance on imports, draw international investments, and enhance the private sectors contribution to sustainable progress.

I have explained in the past why Egypt is so suited for solar power. The brown stretches in the map below are pure desert where there just is nothing at all except occasionally lizards and scorpions. No one will be inconvenienced by solar farms in those tens of thousands of square miles. Egypt is 387,050 sq mi., or about 1 million sq. km., and only 3 percent of it is suitable to farming.



h/t Wikimedia

Most people live along the Nile on a north-south axis, so the electrical wiring is pretty straightforward, though they need new grid connections and some high density wires. This is what the population density looks like:



h/t Wikimedia.

The countrys grid currently produces on the order of 60 gigawatts and most of it is fossil gas. Egypt is the worlds 20th largest producer of natural gas, but it also imports about 8% of what it uses  from Israel, to the tune of almost $1 billion a year. Replacing the imported fossil gas with solar should be a high priority, since it would save money and contribute to national security.

Egypt has adopted new green energy goals, saying that it wants 42% of its grid to be renewable energy by 2030, and 60% by 2040. These targets are woefully inadequate  all countries need to be at 100% green energy by 2050 if we are to avoid a chaotic and challenging climate.

It is bizarre that Egypt has so little solar power as yet. It is currently in the same ballpark for installed solar capacity as Morocco, which has an economy only about a third as large as Egypts. Subsidized and imported natural gas are way more expensive to the government than solar, even accounting for the latters start-up coasts. But, it seems that this dismal record is likely to improve over the next decade, despite governmental foot-dragging.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev following the tragic loss of life in the plane crash involving the aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

"Dear Mr. President,

I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic crash of Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which resulted in numerous casualties and many injured.

In this moment of grief, I convey through you, on behalf of the Portuguese people and of my own, heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the families of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery to those affected by this accident.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the expression of my highest consideration and personal esteem," the letter reads.
( Middle East Monitor )  Another baby in Gaza has died from the severe cold today, becoming the fourth infant fatality linked to freezing temperatures in just 72 hours, amid Israels ongoing military onslaught against the enclave.

The baby succumbed to the harsh weather as a result of the dire living conditions in Gaza, where destroyed homes and infrastructure leave residents exposed to harsh weather, local health authorities confirmed.

According to Gazas Health Ministry, the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 2023 has left thousands of families without adequate shelter, food, or medical care, contributing to worsening health crises. Over 45,436 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 108,038 injured since October 2023, officials said.

It comes after a three-week-old baby girl died in a tent encampment in Al-Mawasi in the southern city of Khan Yunis on Wednesday, Dr Munir Al-Bursh, the director general of Gazas Health Ministry, said on his X account.

Sela Mahmoud Al-Fasih froze to death from the extreme cold, he explained.



Frozen Angel, Digital, Dream / Dreamland v3 / IbisPaint, 2024

Moreover, Dr Ahmed Al-Farra of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis reported two additional deaths on Tuesday.

A three-day-old baby and another baby, less than a month old, both died after a severe temperature drop, he said.

The suffering has become particularly extreme in Khan Yunis, where many Palestinians displaced by over 14 months of indiscriminate attacks have sought refuge in makeshift camps.

The tents do not protect from the cold, and it gets very cold at night, with no way to keep warm, Al-Farra explained. Newborns face heightened risks as malnutrition among mothers reduces the quality of milk they can provide.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deepen as Israels strikes continue unabated, displacing over 90 per cent of the population, many repeatedly. Despite appeals from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and warnings from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) about preventing genocide, the assaults persist.

Via Middle East Monitor
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Saturday, December 28, 2024  Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja is facing growing pressure to resign due to the rising number of abductions in the country.

Speaking yesterday, Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino demanded Kanja's immediate resignation over the rise in abduction cases.

This comes even as Kanja issued a statement denying police involvement in the increasing abduction cases across the country.

Reacting to Kanja's statement, the outspoken Embakasi East lawmaker called the IG incompetent.

"The Inspector General of Police should resign for being incompetent. Ruto must stop abducting the Youth of this Nation.

"Kenyans, if you stopped the finance Bill then you can stop abductions. Abductors are criminals and must be treated as such," Babu said.

Babu incited Kenyans to treat abductors as gangsters, given the IG has distanced the police officers from the incidents.

"Ukiona mtu anakuwa abducted. Tumia anything around you to stop it.

"Now that the IG of police Douglas Kanja has distanced himself from the abductors, we will deal with them like gangsters. Kenyans are going to crush those criminals," he added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, December 28, 2024 - Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Rutos administration of being behind the abductions of young Kenyans critical of his government.

Speaking during a press briefing from his Mathira home on Friday, Gachagua noted the abductions are part of a disturbing pattern that cannot be ignored.

He called on President William Ruto to break his silence on the ongoing abductions, claiming that the security forces are either complicit or unable to address the growing crisis.

President Ruto must take full responsibility and immediately address these egregious violations, he said.

To remain silent or inactive is to suggest that these actions [are being] carried out with his knowledge and consent. It is impossible to ignore that the only link among the victims is their criticism of the president and his administration.

Likewise, he demanded the resignation of security chiefs, including Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin, and National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Noordin Haji, whom he accused of neglecting their duties.

He faulted Kanja and Amin for publicly asserting that they were unaware of the abductions.

The former Deputy Presidents remarks come amid a growing outcry over the abduction of individuals who have publicly criticized the government.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The President of Romania Klaus Werner Iohannis has sent a letter of condolences to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev following the tragic loss of life in the plane crash involving the aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

"Mr. President,

Following the tragic crash of the airplane traveling on the Baku-Groznyi route on December 25, resulting in numerous victims, I extend to you and all the bereaved families my condolences and thoughts of sympathy and solidarity on behalf of Romania and Romanian citizens.

At the same time, we wish all those injured a fast and easy recovery.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration," the letter reads.




Saturday, December 28, 2024 - Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has broken his silence on the increased abductions in the country with a hard-hitting statement targeting President William Ruto.

Speaking at a press conference at his home in Mathira, Gachagua claimed that the abductions of prominent social media personalities were Ruto's way of silencing his critics.

He faulted the National Intelligence Service for being misused to abduct Kenyans after the police denied any involvement in the kidnappings.

"Inspector General of the national police service insists he is not aware of the abductions, which begs the question,' how can the police still be in denial when there are witnesses, video evidence and countless grieving families coming forward?" Gachagua posed.

The former DP further claimed that he questioned the competency of the NIS while still in office, but his concerns were dismissed as acts of an insubordinate public servant.

"When I raised concerns about the dysfunctionality of the National Intelligence Service, I was accused of being insubordinate.

"However, the events of recent months have regrettably validated my position," stated Gachagua.

Gachagua, who was impeached from the office of the Deputy President, ended his statement by calling on the President to take responsibility and address the alleged abductions.

In the latest wave of social media outrage, Kenyans were up in arms online over the alleged disappearance of a popular cartoonist, who was abducted by unknown persons on December 24 as he was leaving his office.

The Kenyan DAILY POST


Saturday, December 28, 2024 - A section of Kikuyu community elders has joined other Kenyans in condemning the rising cases of abductions in the country, amid growing calls for government accountability.

The elders made their call while gathered at the foot of Mt. Kenya on Friday for an annual prayer session, amid the countrys struggle with a wave of abductions and other significant challenges

The ceremony was led by Samuel Kamitha, Director of the Gikuyu and Mumbi Cultural Museum, a non-State institute.

During the event, the leaders expressed concerns over the recent abductions, which have reportedly reached a total of twenty-nine cases.

Kamitha reflected on the nations ongoing challenges, including political instability, social unrest, and shocking events that have deeply impacted Kenyans.

This year has brought many shocking events for our country. We have come here to pray for Kenya and seek divine intervention, Kamitha said, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, December 24, 2024 - Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned those violating the Cyber Crimes Act, stating that they will be held accountable and face legal consequences.

The remarks come in the wake of rising concerns over a series of abductions linked to individuals critical of President William Rutos administration.

In his first public statement following the troubling incidents, Murkomen said the government would not tolerate any violations of the law, particularly those related to the dissemination of harmful or false information.

Those who commit crimes, like violating the Cyber Crimes Act, will be brought to justice and taken to court, he declared on Friday.

Murkomen criticized parents and religious leaders, accusing them of condoning and even glorifying unacceptable behaviors, particularly the spread of manipulated AI-generated images portraying senior state officials negatively.

The CS noted that the images have raised concerns over the growing misuse of technology in Kenya.

He urged society, including parents and the church, to take responsibility for instilling proper moral values in the younger generation, emphasizing the importance of guiding children away from such harmful behavior.

The statement follows increased public anxiety over the safety of individuals who have voiced opposition to the government, with some reportedly abducted under mysterious circumstances.

Earlier, President Ruto broke his silence on the string of abductions, sharing sentiments similar to Murkomens.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, December 28, 2024 - Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has criticized the government of President William Ruto over the spate of abductions of the youth that have got Kenyans talking.

In a statement, the ODM MP threatened to champion fresh demonstrations against Ruto and his administration over the atrocities being meted out to innocent Kenyans with divergent views.

The next frontier of protest might be against rampant abductions. We should not keep silent and do nothing when doing something could save a life! Amisi stated.

Amisis comments come amid growing concerns about the forced abductions of youth critical of President William Ruto.

Police have since addressed the issue, stating that they are not involved in the incidents

Led by Police IG Douglas Kanja, the law enforcement officers noted that no police station in the country is holding the reported abductees.

He also clarified that the police are only mandated to arrest criminal offenders, not abduct them.

Additionally, the Police IG appealed to the public to refrain from accusing the police service, warning that such allegations could harm its reputation.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, December 28, 2024 - President William Ruto has weighed in on the ongoing abductions with a concise statement targeting parents.

Speaking in Homa Bay yesterday, Ruto shifted the focus to parents while addressing the elephant in the room

While he did not mention a specific case of abduction, Ruto urged parents to monitor and protect their children.

"These children are a blessing," Ruto said. "I want to urge parents to protect their children."

The President further reiterated his government's commitment to curb abductions, adding, "As a government, we will do our part and the issue of abductions will end in the country so the youth can live in harmony and the youth can become people of integrity and respect to move the country forward."

AUC chair hopeful Raila Odinga, who also graced the event, weighed in on the contentious abduction issue by directly urging the President to end the vice.

"We want all our youth to be safe. I have told my friend William Ruto that the issue of youth being abducted, detained, and tortured needs to end and anyone involved jailed," Raila said.

Meanwhile, leaders have also weighed in on the abductions with varying takes, with Ruto's economic advisor Moses Kuria calling for Kenyans to sign a two-in-one petition.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, December 28, 2024 - Democratic Action Party Kenya (DAP-K) Leader Eugene Wamalwa has condemned the ongoing wave of abductions in the country and called for immediate accountability from the police.

In a statement shared via his X, Wamalwa raised concerns about citizens' safety and law enforcement's role in addressing the worrying trend.

He challenged the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to reveal the perpetrators behind the abductions.

The opposition leader questioned the commitment of the police force to ensuring public safety, drawing attention to the contradiction in their ability to deploy 1,000 officers to combat gang violence in Haiti while failing to address similar issues at home.

Denying police involvement in ongoing abductions is not enough, Wamalwa stated.

IG of police should tell us who is abducting Kenyans if its not the police and what hes doing to end these abductions. If you can send 1,000 officers to Haiti to stop gangs from abducting and killing Haitians, why cant you do the same at home?

Wamalwas comments come after the disappearance of Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, and Bernard Kavuli, three individuals who were abducted after sharing AI-generated images criticizing President William Ruto.

Responding to the allegations, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja denied any involvement by the police in the abductions.

Kanja emphasized that the mandate of the National Police Service is to arrest offenders, not abduct individuals.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, December 28, 2024 - New details have emerged about how state agents have been abducting Kenyans critical of President William Rutos administration

Over the past six months, dozens of Kenyans have been abducted, with the police and government denying any involvement.

With many Kenyans still accusing the government of involvement in the abduction scheme, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has identified the location of the building where abducted Kenyans are being detained

According to France-based whistleblower Nelson Amenya, the house where Kenyans critical of the government are being detained is located along Redhill Road, and he has even provided the coordinates of the so-called 'shameful detention center'

Among those still detained are Bill Mwangi, Rony Kiplagat, alias Kibet the Bull, his brother, and other third-liberation heroes.

OSINT: Can someone verify this info I received that Kibet and other abductees may be in this NIS safe house along Peponi Road with underground cells.

" I see its close to Redhill Road where Bob Njage was found.

"Here are the coordinates: 11407S 364714E, Amenya wrote on X

Here are photos of the house according to Google.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Following the initial phone conversation between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia, another phone call took place on December 28, 2024, between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Trend reports.

During the conversation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed condolences to the families of the victims and to the Azerbaijani people following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane, which was en route from Baku to Grozny on December 25.

In turn, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov expressed his hopes for the souls of the deceased to rest in peace and for a swift recovery for the injured. He noted that initial inspections of the aircraft, which revealed numerous holes in the fuselage, along with testimonies from both flight attendants and passengers, suggest the crash may have been caused by both technical and physical interference.

Bayramov further stressed Azerbaijans expectation for a timely conclusion to the investigation, which includes input from international experts, and for a comprehensive, transparent disclosure of the findings.

He also underscored the importance of conducting the investigation with full openness, ensuring the public receives regular updates on its progress.
January 2025 sees the launch of the Farmer-focussed Biodiversity and agricultural knowledge Network (FarmBioNet) Project.

The project, led by Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, is funded by the European Union under the 93.5 billion Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation.

FarmBioNet aims to identify biodiversity-friendly farming practices and help farmers to provide habitats that will offer food, safety and shelter for biodiversity on their farms.



It will establish Farming and Biodiversity National Networks, consisting of farmers, foresters, researchers, NGOs, advisors, and other relevant Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) actors.

FarmBioNet will use these national networks to gather and disseminate knowledge and information.

The networks will use biodiversity-friendly case-study areas to promote exchange of traditional and evidence-based actions that benefit farm biodiversity, through a co-creation and cross-fertilisation process.

The project will conduct a cost-benefit analysis, showing how biodiversity can benefit sustainable food production.

It will also develop practical decision-making tools to promote biodiversity with farmers, foresters and policy makers.

The three-year FarmBioNet project will enable all farmers to understand how biodiversity-friendly their farm is, and what simple, low-cost actions they can take to work towards improving their whole farm for biodiversity without negatively impacting on productivity.

Every farm has scope to significantly improve biodiversity before it starts to cost anything. Farmers and scientists working together can identify where this slack lies and target measures to take advantage of it. Its such an easy win, said Andrew Bergin, Farming for Nature Ambassador and Executive Committee member.

This project will use a multi-actor approach to come up with solutions to protect biodiversity, said Project Coordinator and Research Officer in Teagasc, Dr Saorla Kavanagh.



 I believe that by working together we can generate practical and measurable actions that will help our biodiversity and farmers.

In taking action to protect biodiversity, we start a chain reaction that has positive benefits for the general health of the environment, as well as our own wellbeing and that of future generations.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic has sent a letter of condolences to Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov in connection with the deaths of people as a result of the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on December 25, Trend reports via Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers.

It is with deep sadness that I received the tragic news of the deaths of passengers and crew members of the plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines flying from Baku to Grozny on December 25.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences to you, the families of the victims, and all the people affected by this tragedy. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured, the letter reads.

To note, the passenger plane Embraer 190 belonging to AZAL, which was on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport on December 25.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of a passenger airplane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of these, 15 were citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been established.

Both pilots of the crew, as well as the stewardess, were lost; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were transported to Azerbaijan.

Black box of the plane has already been found, and procedures are being carried out to analyze it in accordance with international aviation conventions. At the moment, the investigation into the causes of the crash is underway. Final conclusions will be made after completion of all necessary research and data analysis.

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Weather Alert

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI AND FAR WEST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS... * AFFECTED AREA...In Illinois, Fire Weather Zone 095. In Missouri, Fire Weather Zones 018, 019, 026, 027, 034, 035, 041, 042, 047, 048, 049 and 050. * TIMING...From noon to 5 PM CDT today. * WINDS...South 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 23 percent. * IMPACTS...These conditions are conducive for the rapid spread and growth of uncontrolled wildfires. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels can contribute to extreme fire behavior. &&

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 1 AM CDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...South winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central, southwest, and west central Illinois and central, east central, northeast, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From noon today to 1 AM CDT 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. &&
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The causative factors leading to the involuntary descent of the aircraft operating on the Dubai-Moscow route in Baku have been disclosed, Trend reports via Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

In the evening of December 28, the plane flying Dubai-Moscow flight made an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

The reason for the forced landing was inappropriate behavior of one of the passengers, the information notes.

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Montenegrin Justice Minister Bojan Bozovic has ordered the extradition of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, also wanted by Korea, to the United States, the ministry said Friday.

A Korean national, Kwon is the former CEO of Korea-based Terraform Labs, the company behind the TerraUSD, a "stablecoin" designed to maintain a constant $1 price, which collapsed in May 2022, roiling cryptocurrency markets.

He was arrested in March 2023 while attempting to leave Montenegro.

After the Supreme Court determined that all legal conditions were fulfilled to extradite Kwon, the Justice Ministry concluded that most legal criteria favoured the U.S. request so Bozovic signed a decree to send him to the United States and denied such a request from Korea, the ministry said in a statement.

Kwon has denied wrongdoing. He also faces related U.S. criminal charges.

His lawyers said that Bozovic had declined to deliver his decision on their request, thus violating their client's basic human rights, the right to defence and legal remedy, the Pobjeda newspaper reported.

Kwon and his company Terraform Labs were sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in February 2023 over the TerraUSD and Luna cryptocurrencies, which authorities have said caused about $40 billion of losses in crypto markets.

A stablecoin is a digital asset that aims to keep a stable price. Usually pegged to a currency, they are intended to be less volatile than other cryptocurrencies.

The SEC said Terraform and Kwon deceived investors about the stability of TerraUSD and how a popular Korean mobile payment app used the Terraform blockchain to settle transactions. (Reuters)
Ukraine's military disclosed Saturday the diary of a North Korean soldier killed in action in Russia's western front-line region of Kursk.

Ukraine's special operations forces said the diary belonged to Jeong Kyeong-hong, equivalent to a private under South Korea's military ranking system.

"The crime I committed cannot be forgiven but my fatherland gave me a new opportunity in life," Jeong wrote in an entry, noting he betrayed the North's ruling party after being given the opportunity to be promoted to platoon sergeant major.

"If we win here and return to the fatherland, I will make a petition to the mother party," he added, without elaborating on what the petition will be.

The diary suggests North Korea likely sent convicts among the troops it deployed to Russia to fight against Ukraine, with a possible promise to grant them a pardon upon their return.

"In this operation, I will run at the front of the line and follow the orders of comrade commander-in-chief unconditionally and thoroughly even if I have to give up my life," Jeong wrote. (Yonhap)
South Korea and Japan are seeking to hold a meeting of their foreign ministers early next year, diplomatic sources said Saturday, amid concerns about the impact on diplomacy amid political turmoil triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid.

Separately, Japan is also said to pursue a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers with South Korea and China in early February as part of its preparation for a three-way summit of their leaders.

South Korea and Japan are in talks to hold a meeting between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, in Seoul in mid-January, according to the sources.

The meeting, if finalized, is expected to be an occasion to reaffirm the two nations' commitment to bolstering cooperation even under the active presidency crisis in South Korea.

They are also expected to discuss ways to prepare for events to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year, and highlight the importance of trilateral cooperation involving the United States to jointly respond to North Korean threats, the sources said.

A political crisis in South Korea is feared to deepen after the opposition-led National Assembly on Friday impeached acting President Han Duck-soo less than two weeks after Yoon was impeached over his short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month.

It marked the first time in Korean history that an acting president has been impeached, raising concerns that unprecedented political turmoil could hurt diplomatic activity and rattle financial markets.

Japan's Mainichi Shimbun, meanwhile, reported Friday that Tokyo has kicked off a consultation with Seoul and Beijing to hold trilateral talks among their top diplomats in Japan in early February.

Tokyo initially wanted to host a summit of the leaders of the three nations in the spring of 2025, but South Korea's political situation is making it hard to predict the timing, the newspaper said.

In October, senior diplomats of the three nations agreed to hold talks of leaders as well as foreign ministers at "the earliest possible and mutually convenient time." (Yonhap)
Prosecutors have seized former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's mobile phone to try to access phone calls he held during President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law, legal sources said Saturday.

Kim was indicted Friday on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection amid allegations he proposed declaring martial law to Yoon and ordered military officials to send troops to seal off the National Assembly, Dec. 3.

The prosecution's special investigation headquarters handling the martial law case seized the phone on Thursday with a court-issued warrant and notified Kim's side to attend a forensic survey of the phone scheduled for next Monday, according to the sources.

Prosecutors earlier secured the phone when Kim voluntarily appeared for questioning, Dec. 8, but Kim's side protested against what they said was the illegal collection of evidence.

Instead of returning the phone, prosecutors filed for a warrant and succeeded in securing the phone again.

Kim's lawyer, however, submitted an appeal with a court Friday to overturn the seizure. (Yonhap)
The United States is ready to work with South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok and "strongly" supports the "ironclad" alliance with the Asian country, a State Department spokesperson said Friday, after the National Assembly voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo.

The spokesperson made the remarks after Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi took over following Han's impeachment less than two weeks after Han took over for President Yoon Suk Yeol who was impeached for his botched imposition of martial law.

"As the Secretary said, the most important thing is that the Republic of Korea has demonstrated its democratic resilience, and we strongly support the Korean people throughout this process," the spokesperson said via email in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.

"We've seen it follow, peacefully, a process laid out in its constitution, and we're ready to work with Acting President Choi and the ROK government," the official added. ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

The spokesperson reiterated America's commitment to the bilateral alliance.

"We strongly support the ironclad alliance that joins our two countries together and that's done so much over the last few years," the spokesperson said. "In recent years, that Alliance has made enormous strides, and the United States looks forward to partnering with the ROK on achieving further progress."

Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesperson, issued a similar statement.

"We reiterate our support for the Republic of Korea, its citizens and democratic processes, and the rule of law. Our commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance is ironclad," Nguyen told Yonhap News Agency via email.

Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 over his short-lived martial law imposition. He will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate or unseat him from office.

The impeachment motion against Han was introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party after he refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court that will adjudicate Yoon's impeachment trial. (Yonhap)
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) denounced on Saturday the opposition-led impeachment of Acting President Han Duck-soo as an attempt to bring down the government, saying that his impeachment should be nullified.

The opposition-lead National Assembly voted Friday to impeach Han less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his botched Dec. 3 imposition of martial law.

Han was suspended from duties, with Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok assuming office as acting president.voting The impeachment motion against Han was introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) after he refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court that will adjudicate Yoon's impeachment trial.

"The impeachment of Han should be nullified as it did not meet what is required for an impeachment of an acting president as well as the quorum for approval," Rep. Seo Ji-young, a spokesperson at the PPP, said.

"We are strongly denouncing the DPK's attempt to break down the government," she said.

Denouncing National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik for proceeding with the impeachment vote with a simple majority, Seo said that his decision opened the way for incapacitating the administration and amounted to abuse of legislative powers.

The PPP said that Friday's vote was invalid as Woo announced the vote for impeachment was a simple majority in the 300-member National Assembly, not a two-thirds majority.

A simple majority applies to Cabinet members while the two-thirds are required for impeachment of the president.

Friday's vote marked the first time in Korean history that an acting president has been impeached by parliament.

Acting President Choi said Friday the government will do its best to focus on stabilizing state affairs amid concerns that a deepening political turmoil could hurt the country's diplomatic activity and rattle financial markets. (Yonhap)
Tens of thousands of people gathered in downtown Seoul, Saturday, to rally for or against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol in the wake of his short-lived imposition of martial law.

Police estimated 35,000 people took part in anti-Yoon rallies near Gyeongbok Palace as of 5:10 p.m., though organizers put the number at over 500,000.

K-pop music blared through loudspeakers as protesters dressed in thick winter gear waved light sticks and chanted, "Immediately arrest Yoon Suk Yeol."

Some called on the Constitutional Court to remove him from office while others demanded the dissolution of Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP).

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, was reported to have visited the site.

Just 1 kilometer away, near Gwanghwamun Station, Yoon's supporters held their own rally.

"Impeachment is invalid," read a sign held up by a protester. "Arrest Lee Jae-myung," another read.

PPP Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun made an appearance and addressed the supporters from a stage.

"We failed to stop the impeachment motion against our own party's president. I apologize to our honorable patriot citizens," he said before bowing on his knees.

Police said around 35,000 people were gathered at the rally as of 5:10 p.m., while organizers claimed the number was close to 3 million. (Yonhap)
Suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol authorized the military to fire their weapons if needed to enter the National Assembly during his failed bid to impose martial law, according to a prosecutors' report seen by AFP, Saturday.

The 10-page summary from former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's prosecution indictment report, which was provided to the media, also says Yoon vowed, December 3, to declare martial law three times if necessary.

Yoon, who was stripped of his duties by the Assembly this month, is under investigation for his short-lived attempt to scrap civilian rule, which plunged the country into political turmoil and led to his impeachment.

Yoon's lawyer Yoon Kab-keun dismissed the prosecutors' report, telling AFP it was "a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense."

As lawmakers rushed to parliament December 3 to vote down Yoon's martial law declaration, heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter.

According to the prosecution indictment report, Yoon told the chief of the capital defense command, Lee Jin-woo, that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly.

"Have you still not got in? What are you doing? Break down the door and drag them out, even if it means shooting," Yoon told Lee, according to the report.

Yoon also allegedly told the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, General Kwak Jong-keun, to "quickly get inside" the National Assembly since the quorum for the martial law declaration to be lifted had not been met.

"So quickly get inside the National Assembly and bring out the people inside the chamber, and break down the doors with an axe if necessary and drag everyone out," the report quotes Yoon as saying at the time.

After lawmakers rushed inside the Assembly and voted 190-0 to nullify Yoon's declaration in the early hours of December 4, the report says Yoon told Lee, "Even if it's lifted, I can declare martial law a second or third time, so just keep going."

'Ugly truth'

The report also included screenshots of senior defense officials' messages from the day of the martial law declaration.

It said there was evidence that Yoon had been discussing declaring martial law with senior military officials as early as March.

The declaration followed a budget tussle between Yoon's party and the opposition.

Days later, Yoon in a speech apologized for the "anxiety and inconvenience" and promised there would not be a second declaration of martial law.

Ex-Defense Minister Kim was arrested over his role in the failed martial law bid.

Opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Sun-woo said in a statement Saturday that "the prosecution has laid bare the undeniable ugly truth about Yoon Suk Yeol, the treasonous ringleader," adding that he must be "arrested immediately."

South Korea's Constitutional Court held its first preliminary hearing on the validity of Yoon's impeachment, Friday.

The court will also decide the fate of Yoon's replacement, Han Duck-soo, who was impeached Friday over his "refusal" to complete Yoon's impeachment process and bring him to justice.

Tens of thousands of Yoon supporters and opponents held rival mass rallies in central Seoul, Saturday.

"The martial law was legal, and President Yoon did it because of the insurrectionary opposition Democratic Party," said 31-year-old Danny Ko, holding the slogan "Legal martial law, Invalid impeachment!"

"The Democratic Party will impeach (acting president) Choi Sang-mok like Han, and the country will go mad."

An anti-Yoon crowd was gathered nearby holding signs such as: "A new leader for the new year" and "Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol", with many singing along to K-pop songs and John Lennon's "Imagine."

"I felt so relieved when Han was impeached, he was also part of the insurrection" Kwak Min-jeong, 25, told AFP.

Holding a glow stick, Kwak said she would keep protesting until "democracy was achieved."

"We are holding it to show our commitment, and unlike a candle, it will never go off," she said. (AFP)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The Russian airline Azimuth has canceled flights to Azerbaijan due to the revocation of permission by the country's aviation authorities, Trend reports via the airline's office.

Flights from Mineralnye Vody to Baku and Ganja, as well as from Sochi to Baku, were cancelled.

On December 25, an Embraer 190 plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed just 3 kilometers from Aktau Airport.

The Embraer 190 was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members.

In the aftermath of the crash, 27 people were hospitalized. Among them, 15 are citizens of Azerbaijan, eight are from Russia, and three are from Kyrgyzstan. The identity of one individual remains unknown.

Of those hospitalized, 11 are being treated in intensive care, 13 in the trauma ward, two in the neurosurgery ward, and one in the surgical ward. They are under the care of experienced doctors from Kazakhstan, as well as specialists sent from Azerbaijan and Russia. All patients have received prompt and specialized medical and psychological support.

The crash claimed the lives of both pilots and a flight attendant. Two other crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were transported to Azerbaijan.

The black box of the plane has already been found, and procedures for its analysis are being carried out per the international aviation conventions. An investigation into the causes of the disaster is currently underway. Final conclusions will be made after completion of all necessary research and data analysis.

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Thousands of people gathered outside ruling party Rep. Park Soo-young's office Saturday to demand President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster over his brief imposition of martial law.

The rally began around 11 a.m. when around 30 people headed to Park's office in the southeastern city of Busan to demand he state his position on Yoon's "insurrection."

Park, who heads the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) Busan chapter, was having a weekly meeting at his office with civil petitioners.

Police were called to the scene as the number of protesters grew rapidly, leading to a standoff between the sides starting around noon and lasting until shortly after 8 p.m.

Organizers of the rally estimated the number of people gathered at around 5,000, while Park's office put the number at around 1,700.

The standoff ended with a meeting between leaders of the rally and Park.

"Actions using physical force and violence to put pressure on and threaten parliamentary activities must stop immediately," Park Soo-min, a PPP spokesperson, said in a statement. "We will demand accountability from the forces that used the citizens of Busan for political purposes." (Yonhap)
Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, has died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73.

Hussey died on Friday, peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones, a statement posted to her Instagram account said.

Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," which also starred Vanessa Redgrave.

Romeo and Juliet won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time.

Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film.

They alleged that they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge.

The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late.

Hussey was born on April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child.

She also starred as Mary, mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series Jesus of Nazareth," and in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christies Death on the Nile.

She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson. (AP)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in TikTok's legal case on Friday, urging the justices to temporarily halt a law requiring the popular app to be banned by January 19 unless it is sold to a non-Chinese buyer.

Earlier the same day, TikTok, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, filed a brief with America's highest court reiterating its position that the law was unconstitutional and should be overturned.

Trump "takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," according to the submission. "Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case."

This would permit the "incoming administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case," it added.

Trump surprised many when, earlier this year, he began questioning the legislation that led to the ban that TikTok is racing against the clock to suspend, even if temporarily. In his first term as president, he signed an executive order to ban TikTok, an action later rejected by a lower federal court.

Although the president-elect has yet to post on his personal TikTok account since winning the U.S. election last month, he turned to the video app during his campaign to engage young Americans. Nearly 30 percent of TikTok's 170 million U.S.-based users are between 25 and 34 years old.

"I am gonna save TikTok," Trump promised in a June post that got more than 8 million likes. Currently, the president-elect has more than 14 million followers on the platform.

Trump's brief, Friday, noted that he officially returns to the White House a day after the law banning TikTok takes effect.

He called it "unfortunate timing" that "interferes" with the president-elect's "ability to manage the United States' foreign policy and to pursue a resolution to both protect national security and save a social-media platform that provides a popular vehicle for 170 million Americans to exercise their core First Amendment rights."

The filing further stated that Trump "has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions" and that "he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means."

It asserted Trump "alone possesses the consummate deal-making expertise, the electoral mandate and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national-security concerns."

The incoming president had stepped up his support for TikTok before Friday's move.

Last week, he suggested he might offer the app a lifeline.

"We did go on TikTok and we had a great response with billions of views," Trump said at an event in Phoenix, Arizona, praising the app's role in boosting his popularity among young American voters. "They brought me a chart ... and as I looked at it, I said, maybe we got to keep this sucker around for a little while," he added.

As president, Trump could grant TikTok an additional 90 days to find a new buyer and could request the Justice Department to pause enforcement of the ban.

Earlier this month, Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi at Mar-a-Lago, his private resort in Florida.

Just hours before, Trump signalled his willingness to block the TikTok ban, saying at a press conference: "We'll take a look at TikTok. I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok. TikTok had an impact, so we're taking a look at it."

Read the full story at SCMP.
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Despite T.O.P's infamous criminal record for marijuana use, Korean critics felt that the idol was inequipped in his role as Squid Game 2's latest villain, Thanos.

The Netflix giant's showrunner and director Hwang Dong Hyuk had previously defended his casting of the idol, assuring fans that the Big Bang member was befitting for the role.

Korean media outlets, however, slammed the actor for his "unbearable" acting and asserted that the idol had been miscast and contributed little to the show's latest season.

"After watching the second season of Squid Game, T.O.P's screen time feels excessively abundant, to the point of being unbearable," said MBC's Kim Kyung Hee.

"Thanos' being a character who uses drugs overlaps with T.O.P's real-life controversies amplifies the unpleasantness of watching him portray such a character."

"His acting isn't particularly impressive either. Instead, it feels awkward and unsettling. Was it truly necessary to cast someone with a criminal record for such a role? The character's rap-heavy lines are also hard to understand. And, frankly, just watching him walk into a scene feels unappealing."

The critic continued to add that the director should've opted for a "talented rookie" and that it was a missed opportunity to nurture the growth of a rising superstar.

"They might have gained global recognition through this role, and viewers would likely have felt less disappointed. Additionally, director Hwang Dong Hyuk would have been praised for his eye for discovering new talent," Kim said.

"It's unclear what T.O.P stands to gain from appearing in this project. His prior conviction for marijuana use has been brought back into the spotlight, his acting is receiving criticism, and his character isn't one that garners sympathy."

JoyNews agreed with Kim's sentiments, questioning Hwang's judgment in casting the actor in the critical role.

"Director Hwang said, 'I believe viewers will understand that this decision was not an easy one and that T.O.P himself must have found it challenging to take on this role.' However, after watching Squid Game Season 2, viewers are left questioning instead of understanding: Why did Hwang feel the need to cast T.O.P, and what exactly was the courage the idol supposedly showed?" the outlet asked.

"Although the production team claimed to have thoroughly vetted the casting, the result is a character that feels hollow due to a lack of acting skills, ultimately disrupting the immersion of the show.

"Why are viewers being expected to understand or empathize with the difficulty T.O.P faced in taking on this project? Did the creators genuinely believe that by saying, 'We vetted him,' and 'We deemed him suitable,' the viewers would simply nod in agreement and move on?

"Or did they assume that because the Squid Game series targets a global audience, the disappointment from Korean viewers could be ignored? These are new questions that viewers now feel compelled to ask Director Hwang Dong Hyuk."
Frederick McGLINN,

Portlaoise, Laois/

Killiney, Dublin

Frederick Joseph (Derrick) McGlinn (Killiney, Co. Dublin and formerly of Portlaoise) died on 27 December, peacefully at home surrounded by his family. (late of RTE).

Dearly beloved husband and best friend of Anne, much loved and adored father of Greg, Eric and Dianne.

Sadly missed by his loving wife, sons, daughter, son-in-law Stephen, daughters-in-law Noeleen and Ursula, grandchildren Stone, Leah, Anthea, Adam, Saoirse, Sadhbh and Shauna, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, friends and neighbours. May he rest in peace.

Family flowers only please. Donations to the Blackrock Hospice. To make a donation click on this link https://www.olh.ie

Reposing at his home on Monday from 5.30pm, with a gathering of family and friends for 7.30pm (All welcome). Removal on Tuesday to the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Churchview Road, Killiney arriving for 10am Requiem Mass, followed thereafter by burial in Portlaoise Cemetery, arriving approx 12.30pm.

To view the Funeral Mass live click on this link https://churchservices.tv/johnstownourlady

For those who are unable to attend the funeral but would like to offer their condolences, do so on the notices section by clicking on this link www.patrickodonovanandsonfunerals.ie or on the condolence section.
From humble beginnings to real estate mogul, Ramesh Gowani's journey is a testament to resilience, vision, and commitment to creating a lasting legacy.

VMPL

New Delhi [India], December 28: If you are from Mumbai then you cannot not know what Kamla Mills is and if you are travelling to Mumbai you definitely want to visit Kamla Mills as it is the hottest dining destination. From an old dilapidated mill to becoming a real estate dream land.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Woman Prisoners to Get Hair Removal Cream, Shampoo to Enhance Personal Hygiene and Overall Living Conditions.

Meet the man who transformed Lower Parel one brick at a time, Ramesh Gowani. A name synonymous with success in Indian real estate, is as grounded as he is accomplished.

This man doesn't believe in blowing his own trumpet because his work is doing that for him.

Also Read | Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants: Maharashtra ATS Arrests Over Dozen Bangladeshi Nationals for Illegal Stay.

With a background rooted in privilege and opportunity, many assume life would have been nothing but bed of roses for him. But it was anything but that. After loosing his father at an early age Gowani chose to honour his family's legacy and elevate it to new heights. Starting his journey in real estate in 1978 with the iconic La Papilo project in Mumbai, Gowani's vision and determination laid the foundation for his meteoric rise.

Just not Lower Parel but his real estate company is changing the face of Mumbai and beyond.

Over the decades, Gowani's customer base has included some of the most influential names in India, from Bollywood celebrities to business tycoons and politicians. His ventures are not just limited to real estate; in the early 1990s, he ventured into fashion with the launch of his bespoke clothing brand, Gabbana. This brand catered to elite clientele, including figures like former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Tatas, the Birlas, and the Bachchans, offering custom-made luxury that defined a new standard in fashion.

Following the success of Gabbana, Gowani diversified into travel and tourism with the establishment of CR Travels, which connected India with global tourism boards and strengthened international partnerships.

Clearly whatever he touches turns to gold.

Despite his extraordinary success, Ramesh Gowani remains deeply grounded. His commitment to social welfare is evident through his numerous philanthropic endeavors. From supporting educational initiatives to community welfare projects, Gowani has always prioritized giving back to society.

Colleagues and employees describe him as a leader who is approachable, compassionate, and deeply invested in the well-being of those around him. "He treats everyone with respect, regardless of their position. That's what makes him not just a great businessman but a great human being," says one of his senior managers.

Ramesh Gowani's journey from his first real estate project to becoming a tycoon who has shaped Mumbai's skyline is a story of grit, vision, and humility. His life is a reminder that true success is not just about wealth but about staying connected to one's values, empowering others, and leaving a legacy that benefits future generations.

As Gowani looks ahead, his focus remains on creating inclusive, sustainable urban spaces while continuing to inspire countless entrepreneurs to turn their dreams into reality.

Although he is a man who could effortlessly acquire entire luxury brands, Ramesh Gowani is usually found dressed in simple pant-shirts or traditional kurta-pajamas. His humble and unpretentious nature highlights his strong connection to his roots and the values that have shaped his journey.

Despite facing adversities and being the target of conspiracies, Ramesh Gowani's unwavering resolve and integrity have always shone through. With an unyielding focus on progress and a steadfast commitment to his vision, he continues to move forward with his head held high, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has found 41 drug samples tested in the central drug laboratories in November as 'not of standard quality' (NSQ), official sources said.

Besides, 70 drug samples tested by the state drugs testing laboratories have also been identified as NSQ in November, they said.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Female Tourist Killed As Boulder Hits Mini Bus on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban.

Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters.

"The failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the government laboratory and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market," an official said.

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Two drug samples were identified as spurious drugs in November. Out of the two samples, one was picked by Bihar Drugs Control Authority and the other by CDSCO, Ghaziabad, the sources said.

The drugs were made by unauthorised and unknown manufacturers, using brand names of other companies.

Action to identify NSQ and spurious medicines is taken regularly in collaboration with the state regulators to ensure such drugs are identified and removed from the market, the sources said.

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New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) A court here has acquitted three men in a 2018 attempt to murder and criminal intimidation case, saying the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove the charges against them.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Pahuja was hearing the case against the three accused. The FIR in the case was registered at Malviya Nagar police station under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act.

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According to the prosecution, the accused fired in the air in front of the victim's house and threatened him on May 14, 2018.

In an order dated December 16, the court said the victim and the complainant (victim's relative) were the star witnesses of the prosecution's case but they turned hostile and denied having identified the accused.

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"Even during their cross-examination, the prosecution witnesses failed to identify the accused persons as the perpetrators of the crime and also denied all the suggestions put to them with respect to attributing the role of the accused persons in the present case," it said.

The court also said that there was no evidence to establish the charges under the Arms Act.

"This court is of the view that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case due to lack of any cogent evidence lead on the record. Accordingly, accused persons namely Manoj Hathori, Nikhil and Rakesh alias Raka are hereby acquitted of all the charges levelled against them," the judge said.

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New Delhi [India], December 28 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to former Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) to appear before the agency on January 7 in a money laundering case over alleged financial irregularities linked to the Formula-E race held in Hyderabad in February 2023, official sources said.

The move comes days after the ED registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against KTR and others in the case.

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ED filed the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) after the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KTR and others in the Formula-E funding case.

Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma recently approved the registration of a case against KTR regarding the matter. The FIR lists KTR as the primary accused, with senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy named as the second and third accused, respectively.

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On December 20, the Telangana High Court directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau officials not to arrest KTR till December 30 in the case.

On December 19, Telangana ACB registered a case against BRS working president and MLA Rama Rao over alleged payments, some of it in foreign currency without approvals, to conduct a Formula-E race in Hyderabad during the previous regime.

The case was filed under applicable sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with provisions of the IPC related to criminal breach of trust and conspiracy. (ANI)

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Haryana, December 28: The Directorate of School Education, Haryana, has announced a winter break for students in all private and government schools from January 1 to January 15, 2025. As per the official notice, all the schools in the state will be closed from January 1, 2025, to January 15, 2025. The schools will be reopened as usual from January 16, 2025. Winter Vacation for J-K Colleges from Dec 27.

However, students may be required to attend school for practical exams as per the schedule prescribed for board classes (10th and 12th) according to the CBSE and ICSE board norms. The Haryana Chief Minister's Office, in a post on X, confirmed the winter holidays for all private and government schools in the state.

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Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 28 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday that the state government is planning to establish a potato processing plant in Una district, with an investment of approximately Rs 20 crore.

The plant will have a minimum processing capacity of 500 kg per hour and will primarily focus on producing potato flakes. The agricultural department has been directed to formulate a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard.

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He said that agriculture accounts for 14 percent of Himachal Pradesh's Gross State Domestic Product, with potatoes being a key crop, an official release said.

Potatoes contribute around 20 percent of the state's total vegetable cultivation, yielding approximately 2,38,317 metric tonnes from 16,960 hectares.

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The establishment of the potato processing plant will help ensure better remunerative prices for potato farmers and boost the local economy by creating employment opportunities both in the factory and the agricultural sector, he said.

By processing potatoes into value-added products like flakes, the plant will help stabilize the potato market and reduce the vulnerability of farmers to price fluctuations in the fresh potato market. Potato flakes are made by cooking, mashing, and drying the potatoes to create flat, dehydrated chunks, which are then packaged for sale.

The Chief Minister said that the potato processing industry is a highly industrialized, technologically advanced, and market-driven sector.

He said that Una district, with its production of approximately 54,200 metric tonnes of potatoes from 3,400 hectares across both seasons (Autumn and Spring), is well-positioned to support such a plant. Additionally, the neighbouring state of Punjab also produces a significant quantity of potatoes, ensuring a steady supply of raw material for the processing industry.

He said that one of the key advantages of potato cultivation in Himachal Pradesh is the ability to harvest potatoes during the Rabi season, which typically occurs in March. However, due to market conditions, farmers often face distress sales during this period. The proposed processing unit will offer farmers an opportunity to sell their potatoes at better prices, thereby preventing price fluctuations and ensuring a year-round demand for potatoes.

Sukhu stated that Himachal Pradesh's climatic conditions are ideal for producing high-quality, disease-free seed potatoes, which are highly valued across India. He also said that the demand for processed potato products, such as flakes, is rapidly growing in India, driven by changing consumer preferences and the expanding processing industry.

The development of the potato processing sector in Himachal Pradesh will not only support local farmers but also contribute to the overall growth of the state's agriculture economy, the release said. (ANI)

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Imphal/ Churachandpur, Dec 28 (PTI) A massive search was started in Manipur's Imphal East district on Saturday evening for the armed men who were involved in the recent incidents of shooting at Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi, police said.

Combined teams of police, Army, CRPF and BSF were conducting the search in Yaingangpokpi and the surrounding hill areas, they said.

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"The operations will continue till the area is clear of armed miscreants," they said in a statement.

However, a team of security forces was stopped near Saibol village by tribal women and asked to go back. They had to return from there, officials said.

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Meanwhile, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from near Muallum village in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district, officials said.

Among the items seized were an INSAS rifle with a magazine, a 9 mm country-made pistol with a magazine, and a single-barrel rifle with a magazine, they said.

The recovered items were handed over to the Singhat police station for further legal procedures, they added.

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New Delhi [India], December 28 (ANI): Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and his daughter Daman Singh on Saturday paid their last respects to him at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in the national capital.

Several politicians including Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also paid last respects to Singh.

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Meanwhile, the preparations for the funeral march are underway at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in honour of Dr Manmohan Singh. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed today.

Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their last respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, said that she had come with her husband to pay tribute to Manmohan Singh who she credits for making India famous globally.

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Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory earlier, ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to avoid certain roads and use public transport to help ease congestion.

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X.

"I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter.

Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial.

The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today at 11:45 PM, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy.

After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Baku inhabitants are paying homage to Aleksandr Kalyaninov, the brave navigator of the AZAL vessel that met its fate near the shores of Aktauc Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

People place wreaths and flowers in front of the house where Aleksandr lived.

To note, an Embraer 190 passenger plane belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport on December 25.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been established.

Both pilots of the crew as well as the flight attendant were killed; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were delivered to Azerbaijan.

Black box of the plane has already been found, and procedures are being carried out to analyze it in accordance with international aviation conventions. At the moment, an investigation into the causes of the crash is underway. Final conclusions will be made after all the necessary research and data analysis is completed.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
New Delhi [India], December 28 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday searched multiple locations in the Giridih district of Jharkhand in a CPI (Maoist) related case, the agency said in a statement.

Houses and other premises of suspects and over-ground workers (OGWs) were extensively searched by NIA teams, which seized several mobile phones and SIM cards etc. The seized items are under examination.

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The case emanated from the arrest of Krishna Hansda, a Naxal cadre of the proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist). Handa, a Regional Committee Member of CPI (Maoist), was arrested from Lucio forest area of Dumri PS in January 2023.

During the investigation, NIA, which took over the case in June 2023, unearthed the links of several suspects and OGWs believed to be involved in supplying logistics and electronic items to CPI (Maoist) in the Parasnath area of district Giridih. Today's searches were part of NIA's investigations against these suspects and OGWs.

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The probe in the case is continuing, the NIA added.

Earlier, NIA searched multiple locations in five states in connection with a case relating to attempts at revival of the banned CPI (Maoist) terrorist organisation in the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) region.

According to the NIA, extensive searches were conducted on December 20 at the premises of suspects at 2 locations in Patiala and Sri Muktsar Sahib districts of Punjab, 4 locations in Manesar and Gurgaon districts of Haryana, 2 locations in New Delhi, and 1 location each in Patna district of Bihar and Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.

The suspects whose premises were searched were believed to be involved in propagating the ideology of CPI (Maoist) and the revival of its NRB wing through various frontal organisations, the NIA said. (ANI)

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Bhubaneswar, Dec 28 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday directed agriculture officials to ensure that all farmers affected by the unseasonal rains get financial assistance and asked them to submit an assessment report by December 30.

After receiving the report, the assistance money would be directly credited into the bank accounts of the farmers, he said in a statement.

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Chairing a high-level meeting to review the situation, Majhi said farmers of the state have sustained losses due to unseasonal rains since December 20.

He appealed to farmers to submit to the government the details of their crop damage by December 29.

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"It was informed in the meeting that 1.26 lakh farmers have so far informed about the losses and damage of their crop under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana. The CM appealed to all farmers, both insured and non-insured, to inform about the loss and damage to their crops through the 'Krishi Rakhatha' portal or by calling 14447 by tomorrow," an official said.

Majhi also directed officials to conduct a massive awareness program so that all the insured farmers can file claims with the insurance companies about the loss and damage to their crops within the stipulated time frame.

Among those present in the meeting were Deputy CM KV Singh Deo who holds the Agriculture portfolio, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Food Supplies Minister KC Patra and Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja.

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Chandigarh, Dec 28 (PTI) Farmers, on a warpath against the Centre, on Saturday called for a "Kisan Mahapanchayat" at the Khanauri protest site on January 4.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had earlier given a call for a Punjab bandh on December 30.

Also Read | Rajasthan Government-Led by CM Bhajan Lal Sharma Dissolves 9 Districts Created by Congress Govt; Ashok Gehlot Criticises Move.

The steps come amid the Supreme Court coming down heavily on the Punjab government for not shifting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for over a month, to a hospital.

SKM (Non-political) leader Kaka Singh Kotra, said the 70-year-old has been on an indefinite hunger strike, which entered its 33rd day on Saturday.

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"On January 4 at Khanauri, we will hold a big Kisan Mahapanchayat in which farmers from various states will participate," Kotra told reporters at Khanauri protest site.

On Saturday, while it admonished the Punjab government, the Supreme Court also indicated the possibility that Dallewal may have not been allowed to be taken to a hospital by other farmer leaders.

Responding to it, Dallewal, in a video message, said, "I am sitting on a fast. Who gave this report in the Supreme Court and who spread this misconception that I have been kept hostage, where did such a thing come from?

He added, "Seven lakh farmers of this country have committed suicide due to debt. To save farmers is necessary, therefore, I am sitting here, I am not under anyone's pressure."

In his message, Dallewal also said he had written a letter to the Supreme Court, requesting it to direct the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of the minimum support price on crops.

"We thought, maybe the Supreme Court would give direction to the Centre," he said, adding, he was happy that the court intervened.

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said Dallewal may also speak at the Mahapanchayat.

Dallewal had earlier said he would not break his fast till the government agreed to the farmers' demands.

On Saturday, in an unprecedented hearing, a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia gave the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade Dallewal to shift to a hospital, giving it the liberty to seek logistical support from the Centre, if the situation warrants.

Expressing helplessness, the Punjab government said it is facing huge resistance from the protesting farmers who have encircled Dallewal and are preventing him from being taken to a hospital.

The court also termed the conduct of some farmer leaders accompanying Dallewal surprising and questionable.

Meanwhile, a high-level team of Punjab government officials again called on Dallewal requesting him to accept medical treatment even if he wishes to continue with his fast.

Dallewal has so far refused medical treatment and the state government has formed a team of doctors to monitor his health round-the-clock.

The team which also comprises Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu told Dallewal that he could choose a place and he would only be given the required medical support.

The farmers have been on a protest with several demands, one of them being a legal guarantee for a minimum support price.

Farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

A "jatha (group)" of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel of Haryana.

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Jaipur, December 28: A Cabinet meeting was held on Saturday at the Chief Minister's office under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, to make important decisions for employee welfare, the benefit of youth, ensuring good governance, and overall development of the state, an official release said. Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel briefed the media about the decisions taken in the meeting.

The Cabinet has decided to redefine the districts and divisions created by the previous government, after which Rajasthan will now have a total of 7 divisions and 41 districts, according to the release. Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma Interacts With Children, Other Passengers Onboard Train to Jodhpur To Attend PM Narendra Modis Address (Watch Video).

Minister Patel stated that the previous government, in its last year, decided to create 17 new districts and 3 new divisions. In this context, the Revenue Department issued a notification on August 5, 2023, for the creation of these districts and divisions.

Three new districts were announced just one day before the 2023 Assembly elections' model code of conduct was implemented, and their notification could not be issued. Minister Patel explained that the previous government had created new districts and divisions purely for political gain. Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma Announces Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign in State From September 17.

The creation of new districts did not take into account important factors such as financial resources, administrative needs, law and order, or cultural harmony. The previous government did not create the necessary offices or buildings for the new districts, nor did it provide budgets and other necessary resources.

He further mentioned that, to review the previous government's imprudent decision, the state government formed a Cabinet sub-committee and a high-level expert committee headed by retired IAS officer Dr Lalit K Panwar.

The expert committee submitted its report and recommendations on the reorganization of newly created districts and divisions. After considering these recommendations, the Cabinet decided not to retain 9 new districts--Anupgarh, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore, and Shahpura--along with the 3 newly created divisions--Banswara, Pali, and Sikar.

Additionally, the three districts announced just before the election code of conduct--Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchaman City--will also be cancelled. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot criticised the decision saying it showed confusion in the mind of the state leadership.

"The state government took 1 year to take this decision. From this, it can be guessed how much confusion was in their minds regarding this work... Rajasthan is the largest state in the country... If three divisions were created, then they were created after some thought...In many ways, small districts are beneficial for the public. Gujarat is a state with less population than us (Rajasthan) but still, there are 33 districts there... We took this decision for good governance," he said.

Rajasthan will have a total of 7 divisions and 41 districts. For the 8 newly retained districts--Phalodi, Balotara, Kotputli-Bahrood, Khairthal-Tijara, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, and Salumber--the state government will provide all necessary financial resources and other amenities to establish the administrative framework.

According to the state government, this will ensure that the common people in these districts will truly benefit from the formation of these districts. He also mentioned that the Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and Gram Panchayats will also be reorganized.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara, in the media briefing, announced the Cabinet's approval for various amendments, including the extension of the CET score validity to 3 years instead of 1 year, providing a third promotion opportunity for livestock assistants, and changing the designations within the technical cadre under the Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Subordinate Service Rules, 1977.

Impact of Penalty under Minimum Assured Career Progression (MACP) Scheme Removed Minister Godara further stated that the Cabinet approved the removal of the penalty effect under the Minimum Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme for employees who have been penalized under the Rajasthan Civil Services (CCS) Rules, 1958. Previously, employees who were penalized could only avail financial promotion after a year of regular service, but this will now be waived.

Minister Godara also highlighted that the validity of the CET score under the Rajasthan Subordinate and Clerk Service (Common Eligibility Test) Rules, 2022, has been increased to 3 years instead of 1 year. As per the release, this will ease the financial and administrative burden on the boards and give candidates relief, as the number of applicants had been growing each year.

Minister Godara confirmed that a third promotion opportunity would be provided to livestock assistants, and designations would be changed. The new designations include Livestock Inspector for the Livestock Assistant, Livestock Extension Officer for the Veterinary Assistant, and Senior Livestock Extension Officer for the Assistant Information Officer. This will improve the dignity and work efficiency of these employees.

The state Cabinet also approved renaming the Government College in Churu, Siddhmukh, to "Shreemati Shakuntala Devi Government College, Siddhmukh" in honour of a donor and to encourage other philanthropists.

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Jaipur, December 28: The BJP government of Rajasthan has decided to dissolve nine districts formed by the previous Congress dispensation, saying they were neither "practical" nor in "public interest". Three new divisions were also dissolved in a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday. The state will now only have seven divisions and 41 districts, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Law Minister Jogaram Patel said.

In another decision taken in the cabinet meeting, CET scores would be valid for three years in Rajasthan, instead of one year. The state Congress leadership has condemned the decision and said that it will move court if needed. The previous Ashok Gehlot government had formed 17 new districts and three new divisions. It had also issued a notification for three new districts, which is also being cancelled by the Bhajan Lal Sharma government. Rajasthan BJP Government Lifts 52-Year-Old Ban on Govt Employees Taking Part in RSS Activities.

Minister Jogaram Patel said that decisions were taken on the basis of a report by a cabinet sub-committee and an expert committee set up for the purpose. He said, "The committee found that these newly formed districts are not practical, these districts are not in the public interest. These districts are putting an unnecessary burden on the Rajasthan government. These districts have no utility at all." Patel said that the Congress government formed the new districts and divisions solely for political gains.

Availability of financial resources, administrative requirements, law and order, cultural harmony etc. was not taken into consideration, he said. The minister said the previous government neither created necessary posts in the offices for the new districts nor constructed office buildings. He said that the government has decided to retain Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Phalodi and Salumbhar from among the districts created by the Congress.

The cabinet has decided not to retain nine newly created districts -- Anupgarh, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore and Shahpura. Banswara, Pali and Sikar divisions were dissolved by the state cabinet. It has also decided to cancel three new districts -- Malpura, Sujangarh and Kuchaman City, which were announced just before the elections. Patel said that the government has taken the decision after considering all aspects of administration. Rajasthan Minister Patel Defends Cabinet Decision to Annul New Districts.

Condemning the BJP government's decision, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, "The decision of the BJP government to cancel nine out of the new districts created by our government is an example of indiscretion and mere political vengeance." Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully also slammed the decision. "We strongly condemn this decision and the Congress party and the common people of Rajasthan will protest against this decision. There are winter holidays in the court. Such a decision was taken hastily so that no one could go to the court and could not even file a PIL. If required, we will also approach the court," Dotasra told reporters at a press conference.

Jully said that the Congress will start a mass movement to get the government to revert the decision. "We will raise voices against the decision in the assembly. From the road to the assembly, we will not let BJP sit in peace. This decision is anti-people. They have killed the rights of the people." Patel said that other important decisions regarding the development of the state were also taken at the meeting at Chief Minister's Office. There was no discussion, he said, on cancelling the Police Sub Inspector (SI) recruitment exam in the cabinet meeting.

The minister added that the cabinet has decided to reorganise the panchayat, panchayat samitis and district councils in the state. Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara said in a press conference that Schedule-1 of Rule 14 of Rajasthan Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2017, were amended to make the validity of Common Eligibility Test scores valid for three years in Rajasthan.

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Poonch/Jammu, Dec 28 (PTI) Six people stranded amid heavy snowfall on the Mughal Road in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir were rescued by police, officials said on Saturday.

On Friday night, two vehicles going from Shopian to Surankote got stuck in the snow at Chattapani, leaving their occupants stranded in challenging weather conditions, police said.

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They said a police team rushed to the spot and successfully evacuated all of them to safety in a swift rescue operation.

Police advised commuters to exercise caution and stay informed about weather conditions when travelling in snow-prone and high-altitude areas.

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New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday welcomed Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's order for a probe into data collection under the "guise" of the "Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana" and said AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal would be responsible if any women registered for the scheme fell victim to cybercrime.

Saxena has ordered an inquiry against private persons allegedly gathering personal details of women in the name of the scheme, his office said on Saturday.

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Earlier in the day, Kejriwal called the probe order a "sham" and said the monthly payment of Rs 2,100 under the scheme was a poll promise.

He also claimed that the BJP was panicking, fearing defeat in the assembly polls, and was trying to stop registrations for the scheme.

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Kejriwal recently announced that Rs 2,100 would be provided to all adult women every month if his party returned to power for a third consecutive term after the assembly elections, due in February.

Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP's Delhi chief, said in a press conference that Kejriwal must clarify if the Delhi Cabinet had passed a proposal to provide Rs 2,100 every month under the scheme.

"If any cybercrime occurs against the women of Delhi, the sole responsibility will rest with Kejriwal, who has committed the crime of collecting personal data of women in the name of the 'Mahila Samman Yojana'," he charged.

AAP volunteers are registering women under the scheme. Kejriwal said the women were fully supportive of the scheme and more than 22 lakh had registered themselves so far.

"Kejriwal has been feeding lies to the people of Delhi for the past 10 years and has failed to fulfil any of his promises," Sachdeva charged and pointed to the AAP supremo's "unfulfilled promise" of providing Rs 1,000 a month to the women in Punjab that he had announced before the 2022 assembly polls in the state.

Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of using women's issues only for electoral gains and called on him to learn from BJP-led states about quietly and effectively implementing programmes to support them.

He highlighted initiatives such as the Mahatari Shakti Rin Yojana in Chhattisgarh, Ladli Laxmi Yojana in Madhya Pradesh, Lado Lakshmi Yojana in Haryana, and Ladli Behna Yojana in Maharashtra.

BJP's South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri also welcomed the probe order and said AAP's politics of "lies, deception and fraud" should stop.

If the AAP government had no ill intentions, it would have officially registered the women, instead of deploying party volunteers, he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said the inquiry order had exposed AAP's "fraud".

Terming the announcement of a monthly honorarium of Rs 2,100 a "pre-election gimmick", Gupta welcomed Saxena's decision to investigate the matter and described it as a necessary step to protect the public from "false promises and deceit".

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dakar (Senegal), Dec 28 (AP) An airstrike targeting an armed group in northwestern Nigeria mistakenly killed at least 10 civilians, the West African nation's military said Friday.

The villagers were killed on Christmas Day when the air force targeted a logistics base of the Lakurawa insurgent group in the Silame area of Sokoto state, Edward Buba, Nigerian defense spokesperson, told journalists at a press conference.

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On Thursday, the Sokoto state government said the air force mistakenly shelled the villagers in the early hours of Wednesday in an attempt to dislodge the insurgents from the area.

However, on Friday, Buba said only that the Lakurawa insurgents were directly hit by munitions and that the civilians died from secondary explosions.

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The Lakurawa insurgent group began infiltrating Africa's most populous country following a wave of coups that disrupted Nigeria's relations with neighbouring Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, hurting their ability to cooperate on transnational threats.

Initially gaining local support by helping communities defend themselves against armed cattle rustlers, the group later sought to impose strict Islamic laws across border communities of the French-speaking countries.

Airstrikes on civilians happen frequently in the country. Last year, at least 85 civilians were killed when an army drone attack erroneously targeted a religious gathering in northwest Nigeria.

Since 2017, some 400 civilians have been killed by such accidental strikes by the military, according to the Lagos-based SBM Intelligence security firm.

Before the Lakurawa insurgents, Nigeria had been battling Boko Haram in the northeastern part of the country. Boko Haram launched an insurgency in 2009 to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, in the region.

The group has since splintered into different factions, together accounting for the deaths of at least 35,000 people and the displacement of more than 2 million, as well as a humanitarian crisis with millions of people in dire need of foreign aid. (AP)

(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 28 (ANI): Indian Army contingent comprising more than 300 personnel departed for Nepal today to participate in India-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran, set to be held in Saljhandi from December 29-January 13.

During the exercise, the soldiers of two nations will be able to share best practices, enhance interoperability and foster a stronger bond in conduct of joint operations.

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In a post on X, Additional Directorate General of Public Information stated, "#Indian Army contingent comprising over 300 personnel departed today for the joint military Exercise #SuryaKiran, between #India and #Nepal. The exercise will be held at Saljhandi, #Nepal from 29 December 2024 to 13 January 2025. The exercise will provide a platform for soldiers from both the nations to share best practices, enhance interoperability and foster a stronger bond in conduct of joint operations."

Exercise Surya Kiran showcases the strong bonds of friendship, trust and common cultural linkages that exist between India and Nepal. It also gives a platform for a productive and fruitful engagement between the armies of India and Nepal.

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The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare, counter-terrorism operations in mountains and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief under United Nations Charter, according to the statement released by the Indian Army on Thursday.

In a post on X, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), stated, "The 18th edition of Exercise #SuryaKiran, a joint military exercise between #India and #Nepal, is scheduled to be held at Saljhandi, Nepal from 29 December 2024 to 13 January 2025. The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare, counter terrorism operations in mountains and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief under #UnitedNations Charter."

"Exercise #SuryaKiran signifies the strong bonds of friendship, trust and common cultural linkages that exist between India and Nepal. It also provides a platform for a productive and fruitful engagement between #IndianArmy & #NepaliArmy, showcasing the unwavering commitment of both the nations towards a broader defence cooperation," it added.

Earlier this month, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel, was on a three-day visit to India from December 11 to 14.

A press statement by the Ministry of Defence noted that the visit featured key engagements between senior leaders and officials from both sides, further reinforcing the foundation for enhanced bilateral military cooperation, exchanges, and collaboration in strategic and defence-related areas.

During his visit, General Ashok Raj Sigdel held a series of productive discussions with his Indian counterpart, General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army. The talks focused on expanding and deepening cooperation between the two armies, yielding several key outcomes that are set to further strengthen the bond between the two nations.

Highlights of the visit included several high-level engagements aimed at bolstering bilateral defence cooperation and strategic alignment between India and Nepal. General Sigdel was conferred with the Honorary Generalship of the Indian Army. He also served as the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the visit resulted in agreements to enhance the operational and technological capabilities of the Nepali Army, including the scope of joint exercises. As part of the defence cooperation, General Upendra Dwivedi announced the transfer of a target practice drone and medical equipment for Field Hospitals to the Nepali Army. General Sigdel also visited key Indian defence industries, including Tata Aerospace & Defence Ltd (TASL) and Bharat Forge in Pune. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
San Francisco, Dec 28 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met Congressman Michael Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for National Security Advisor, during which they had a wide-ranging conversation on the bilateral partnership between India and the US as well as current global issues.

Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the US from Dec 24-29. This was the first highest-level in-person meeting between the Indian government and the incoming Trump administration.

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Delighted to meet Waltz this evening, Jaishankar posted on X on Friday.

Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him, he said.

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Waltz, 50, would replace Jake Sullivan as the National Security Advisor on January 20, when Trump would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

Waltz is no stranger to India-US relationship. A three-term Congressman from the sixth Congressional District of Florida, Waltz is Republican Co-Chair of Congressional India Caucus, which is the largest country-specific Caucus in the US House of Representatives.

Waltz also co-led a Congressional delegation to India in August last year and attended the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. He has been the sponsor of several India-friendly legislations in the House of Representatives. On November 12, Trump announced that Waltz would be his National Security Advisor.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar said he "concluded a very useful two-day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC".

"Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated," he posted on X.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 28. Medical professionals from Kazakhstan are set to engage in a collaborative consultation with their counterparts in Azerbaijan concerning the logistical and procedural aspects of the evacuation of two patients who sustained injuries in the recent aviation incident in Aktau, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health stated, Trend reports.

"Currently, six patients remain under treatment at the Mangistau Regional Multidisciplinary Hospital, four of them in the intensive care unit and two in the trauma department. Their condition has not worsened; one patient has been taken off vasopressors, and one injured patient has had his tonic dosage reduced from three to one.

Discussions are also underway with health authorities in the Kyrgyz Republic regarding the transportation of three injured individuals. Two of them are stable for transport, while one remains in critical condition and on a ventilator.

On the evacuation of two patients to Azerbaijan, a consultation will be held with doctors to assess their readiness for transportation," the Ministry reported.

On December 25, a passenger plane, an Embraer 190, belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been determined.

Both pilots of the crew as well as a stewardess were dead; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were taken to Azerbaijan.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
West Palm Beach (US), Dec 28 (AP) After a nearly weeklong search, Athena found her way home to her Florida family in time for Christmas Eve and even rang the doorbell.

Athena, a 4-year-old German Shepherd and Husky mix, escaped her home in Green Cove Springs, Florida, on Dec 15, prompting a search among the community and nearby towns for her. Her owner, Brooke Comer, said her family left for church that day and got a message from her neighbour with a picture of Athena outside the house.

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Comer panicked. Her family rushed home to find her collar in the crate and no visible opening Athena could have gotten out from. How she escaped remains a mystery.

The next week's events continued to be an unbelievable story for Comer, where neighbours and community members from nearby towns would contact her from her missing dog ads and send any footage or photos where they may have spotted Athena. Based on all the alerts Comer got, it looked like Athena made a nearly 20-mile roundtrip while she was missing.

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At every alert, Comer and her family would go to the spot within minutes and search for Athena  to no avail.

She was the hide-and-seek all time grand champion, Comer said. With every sighting my heart jumped, and it honestly was excitement and then your heart's crushed because we were always one step behind.

The entire search was a terrifying and scary experience for Comer, who was worried about where her already skittish dog could have gone or could have encountered. That was until 2:30 am Christmas Eve, when she got a Ring video notification from her doorbell and her other dog began barking.

I was kind of like in a daze, and the dog was barking, and as soon as I heard that ring, I looked at my phone and you could see in the video it was Athena and she was jumping at the door, ringing the doorbell, Comer said.

As soon as Comer opened the door, Athena bolted inside and went to go lick her son's face, who was on the couch half-asleep. After that, she immediately grabbed her ball to play and shortly went to her cage to go back to sleep.

Comer said the experience gave so much hope because of the neighbours and the large community looking for Athena for the past week. The next plan was to get Athena a full exam, flea and tick treatments and a microchip. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gilgit [PoGB], December 28 (ANI): The Skardu Municipal Library in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), a vital resource for residents and students, has been facing significant operational challenges due to an ongoing power outage, as per Pamir Times.

For several days, the library has been without electricity, leaving the facility in darkness and making it difficult for visitors to access its resources, as per Pamir Times.

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In addition to the power outage, the lack of a functional heating system has further exacerbated the situation, particularly during the cold winter months. With temperatures dropping, the absence of warmth has made the library uncomfortable for those relying on it for studying, research, and recreational reading, as reported by Pamir Times.

Local students have expressed their frustration, "Electricity is the most crucial issue, and frankly, it seems the authorities prioritize shops and markets, which have dedicated power lines. Meanwhile, the library, an educational place where students come to study, has no electricity. The air conditioners were functional for a while, but they've been out of service for some time, and there is no heating system."

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Another student added, "We are all sitting here out of our own willpower and determination for study, enduring all weather conditions."

Library visitors are urgently calling for immediate action from local authorities to restore electricity, install a reliable heating system, and repair the inverter air conditioners to create a comfortable and functional environment for all users, Pamir Times reported.

One more student said, "We ask the authorities to address our concerns. Many of us come here to prepare for exams, and from 9am to 5pm, we face the same problems. The primary issue is electricity. There should be electricity 24 hours a day, with a dedicated power line for the library. The second issue is internet access."

"In today's digital era, many students rely on the internet for their studies, using platforms like YouTube and other online resources to learn from world-class teachers. The third issue is water. The drinking water situation is also problematic, as the plumbing system is unreliable year-round." He added.

As per Pamir Times, education in Pakistan-occupied areas faces numerous serious challenges that hinder its development. There is insufficient investment in the education sector, resulting in shortages of schools, teachers, and essential resources.

The ongoing issues in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan highlight broader concerns about infrastructure and basic services, shedding light on the region's enduring challenges since its disputed occupation by Pakistan. Persistent problems such as frequent power outages, inadequate educational facilities, and high unemployment rates have contributed to growing frustration and discontent among the local population. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai/Jalna, December 28: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 16 Bangladeshi nationals, including six women, for entering India illegally and staying without valid documents. The arrests were made during a special drive initiated by the ATS, officials said. "Accordingly, action was taken in the last 24 hours with the help of police in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Solapur. We arrested seven men and six women," an official said. Illegal Immigration Racket Busted in Delhi: 11 Arrested for Facilitating Bangladeshi Nationals by Producing Counterfeit Aadhaar Cards and Voter IDs via Fake Websites.

They have been booked in three cases under the Foreigners Act and other relevant laws. "These Bangladeshi nationals had managed to get Indian documents like Aadhaar cards using forged documents," he said. A joint squad of ATS and police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals from Jalna district on Friday night, an official said on Saturday. Crackdown on Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants: 190 Illegal Immigrants Arrested in West Bengals Nadia in 1 Year; 52 in Last 45 Days.

The accused were working at crusher machines in Bhokardan taluka. They were arrested from Anva and Kumbhari villages in a joint operation by ATS and local police. Preliminary investigation shows that the trio forged their identity papers to work illegally in India. They had been staying illegally for the last two years, the police official said. A case has been registered under various sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Foreigners Act.
New Delhi, December 28: Social media influencers have kicked off a fierce debate over OpenAIs new o3 reasoning model, with some of them raising concerns about its high cost and the potential for overhyping its artificial general intelligence (AGI) capabilities.

Several of them also expressed awe at its impressive performance across various benchmarks, including exceeding human performance on coding and scientific reasoning tasks, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Influencers are particularly captivated by o3s ability to perform complex tasks autonomously, potentially exceeding human capabilities in nearly every cognitive domain, and its demonstration of a private chain of thought approach, allowing for more reliable answers, said Shreyasee Majumder, social media analyst at GlobalData. OpenAI Breaks Silence on Suchir Balajis Death, Issues Statement.

However, there is significant debate surrounding the models cost-effectiveness and its potential for generalizability across different problem domains. Some influencers highlight the massive compute required for o3, pointing out that while it may be a significant step forward, its real-world applicability is still limited due to its high cost.

Additionally, some influencers challenge the claims of achieving AGI, arguing that while o3 demonstrates impressive capabilities, it is not yet capable of true general intelligence and lacks robustness across all problem types, said Majumder. According to Elvis S, Cofounder and CEO at DAIR.AI, the hype around o3 is out of control. Its not AGI, its not the singularity, and you definitely dont have to change your worldview. In fact, the public doesnt even have access to the models so how can anyone claim any of the above. I appreciate how the OpenAI researchers presented o3, said Elvis. ChatGPT, API and Sora Face Major Downtime, OpenAI Says Services Now Recovering.

Aaron Levie, CEO at Box, added that OpenAIs o3 model appears to be better at reasoning than any other model out there. It costs way more to operate, but thats irrelevant. What is expensive today is cheap tomorrow. Quality is all that matters because you know that costs will always drop, he mentioned. Chamath Palihapitiya, CEO at Social Capital, said the AI model sets new performance records across multiple benchmarks, achieving 96.7 per cent on the American Invitational Mathematics Exam, 87.7 per cent on graduate-level science questions, and a Codeforces rating above the 99th percentile.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2024 10:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
A talk with Jimmy Stewart, legendary nice guy, is a lot about hard work and something about how Hollywood works.

The actor, a double Academy Award winner, doesnt seem to be able to give up on a lifelong habit, the one that gets him up each morning and gets him to work, and then makes him stick with it until somethings been accomplished, something figuratively at least is in the can. Then back the next day for more work, even at age 83 and after 78 films in almost 60 years.

Correction, make it 79 movies.

Stewarts latest is a surprise for a lot of Hollywood watchers. In the actors long career hes touched and played all of the bases: politician, banker, cowboy, friend to a mythical rabbit. Last time his face appeared in a film was in the 1978 The Magic of Lassie.

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But there up on the screen Friday in the credits for Steven Spielbergs latest, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, is the name James Stewart, the voice of Sheriff Wylie Burp.

Bingo! No. 79.

Work is a habit he treasures and wishes others would capture in their pursuits of Hollywood fame and fortune. Hes out of his Beverly Hills home and at his business managers office at 9 a.m. when hes in town, and thats most of the time. His colleagues--agents, advisers--have been with him for years, many for more than 30. He busies himself with letters, requests for personal appearances, submitted scripts, personal and business business.

New generations have discovered him as his films have gone into videocassettes, so now he finds himself frequently answering letters that start: My father and mother have talked about you. . . .

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And there are still the many public ceremonies, the honorary degrees, the classroom requests. He was once offered three honorary degrees if he could show up at the same time at three different places.

Busy is a well-worn habit.

In the days of the big studios as a contract player you went to work every day. You got there at 8 oclock and you left at 6:30. Whether you were working on a picture or not you had something to do. A screen test, a lesson, a gym workout. At other times you would go to the openings of pictures and introduce them to the audience the first night they played.

You had big parts in little pictures and little parts in big pictures. You were working all the time. You were learning your craft by working at it. Someone would come to you and say, Heres a script. You will play the role of George. Go down to wardrobe and get fitted for what youre going to wear. Shooting starts Tuesday.

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One morning I had a scene with Jean Harlow at Metro and in the afternoon I was loaned out for a scene with Margaret Sullavan at Universal.

Now, so many of the actors sit at home and either their agents tell them, Ill let you know when something comes or they keep getting scripts and reading them and saying, No, this isnt right for me.

Friday--a sort of Jimmy Stewart retrospective type of day--will find the actor typically busy. An American Tail opens in the morning and in the evening--one of those night things--an awards ceremony, this time as the first Hollywood star to receive the Governors Award for the Arts. Nine Californians will be honored by Gov. Pete Wilson and the California Arts Council for their contributions to the arts, from composer John Adams to writer Wallace Stegner to actress and community cultural leader Carmen Zapata.

The money raised from the evenings to-do goes to a little-known group that does what Stewart keeps saying todays young artists need more of--work, training, educational guidance and more work. Its called the California State Summer School for the Arts. It may not be the solution to the endangered status of most school arts programs, but its a healing move in the right direction.

On a small scale it does what the big studios once did. It single-mindedly and intensively trains people with potential in acting, music, dance, film, writing and the visual arts. The program is only five years old. Each year it accepts 400 youngsters from grades 8 through 12 from public and private schools and in four weeks gives them intensive exposure to their future fields.

Boot camp for the mind.

Basic training for talent.

Each summer a different college is chosen as the schools site. Next summer it will be CalArts in Valencia. Forty-five faculty members provide a virtual 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio. While the summer school is partially funded by the state and private sources, theres always the matter of tuition, $1,100 in this case, which includes room, board and plenty of work. Officials of the school estimate that half of the enrolling students receive 30% to 100% scholarship support.

Thus, such fund-raising ceremonies as Fridays awards program, a major source of revenue to help train young artists, if just for a summer.

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Proper training of young actors is one of the things thats been missing since the loss of the big studios. You learned your craft by working at it, not talking about it.

That learned craft caused producer-director Steven Spielberg to zero in on the tallish actor at a party. He asked Stewart to join him in his next An American Tail, this time as a voice actor. This was not exactly new to Stewart; he had done voice-overs most recently for a soup commercial and earlier for his friend Leonard Firestone and his tire company.

He would do the sheriff role, he said, with one condition: Spielberg had to be in the studio directing him.

Bingo!

It took 10 days and it was done at Hollywoods Interlock Studio. The picture itself was made at the Amblimation studios in London. Stewart and the other voices, those of Amy Irving, Dom DeLuise, John Cleese and Jon Lovitz, were recorded as many as 10 times each session at different speeds and with different phrasings. Spielberg chose the acceptable take and the animators then had to match the action to the voice.

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West becomes Stewarts first Western since his cameo appearance in The Shootist in 1976. He says he owes a lot to Westerns and the Frank Capra picture Its a Wonderful Life. They gave new direction to his career at a time Hollywood itself was changing.

Hard to believe, but following his return from the Air Force in World War II Stewart was not picked up by MGM. Capra cast him for the lead in a movie that eventually did weak box-office business. Audiences after the war wanted comedy, not problems. Thats Capras theory about Wonderful Life via Stewart. It took time for the movie to find its audiences while Stewart himself was trying to find work.

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He and a few other actors (his friend Henry Fonda was one), on the advice of their agents led by Lew Wasserman, began to negotiate acting roles on a percentage basis rather than for a flat salary. It would be the beginning of the end for Stewarts treasured studio system and for contract players, a move that led to todays million-dollar acting deals. In the vernacular of Hollywoods new moguls, percentage of gross, not salary, became the medium of exchange.

For Stewart, the $1-million payday never arrived. Scripts keep arriving, though, from writers and agents hopeful of his return to acting. Hes rejected them. In most cases they call for him to play the role of a grouchy grandfather.

Stewart may be a grandfather four times, but grouchiness he rejects. Thats no way to do business, not even in a Hollywood that has changed so much.

Its been a wonderful experience for me, making movies. Ive had the feeling for a long time that I was in something that was important to the public. Not only as a means for entertainment but as a medium for the audience to learn important things about life by watching these stories. Ive heard this from a lot of people regarding Its a Wonderful Life. Parents write and say they have been trying to talk to their kids, but they ignore them. Yet the movie gets messages across to them. Its this type of thing that has been a wonderful experience for me.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 29. The Center for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries (Creative Center), established by the Ministry of Culture, was inaugurated on December 28 with the participation of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Trend reports.

Minister of Culture Adil Karimli provided an overview of the facilities at the Center, highlighting its mission to support young talents, enhance their professional skills, and foster the realization of creative potential.

The Center aims to implement cultural and creative industry projects, support the establishment and growth of new entrepreneurial ventures and startups, facilitate the creation and export of local creative products and services, and attract talented youth from various regions.

The Creative Center is running several successful initiatives, including three incubation programs focused on Music, Gametech, and Cultech, resulting in 20 startups and over 50 active residents.

Adil Karimli noted that since 2023, the Ministry has been organizing the "Creative Talks" project. This initiative promotes the development of skills in culture and creativity in both the capital and the regions, serving as an educational platform aimed at supporting the formation of creative entities.

The Center also organizes masterclasses and training sessions on the use of artificial intelligence in animation, music and film industries, design, and creative fields under the "Ai4Art" project. Over 200 young individuals participate in these educational programs.

The Center encompasses the "Creative Market" marketplace platform and the "Creative Edu.az" educational center, providing additional support and resources for creative development.

The Center is equipped with advanced technology to support diverse creative endeavors, including studios for photo and video production, sound recording, animation, dance, and more.

The Creative Center collaborates with both local entities and international organizations as its partners.

The establishment of the Center for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries was approved by an order of the President of Azerbaijan on July 22, 2022. Founded by the Ministry of Culture in 2024, it is part of the Action Plan for the 2022-2026 Social and Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
A going away party resulted in a court appearance for an apprentice electrician in Laois.

Adam Brennan (27) of Redhills, Ballyroan, Abbeyleix admitted drunk driving at New Road, Portlaoise on July 6 last.

Garda Inspector Joe Culliton said the defendant was "observed driving erratically at 1.30am on the date in question. He said he was cooperative with arresting gardai and had no previous convictions.

Solicitor Philip Meagher said his client was a fourth year apprentice electrician who had returned from Sweden for the court case.

On the date in question there was a family and friends occasion to mark his going away, he explained.

He said the defendant was supposed to return home with a family member but as they had already left he drove himself. He said he was extremely embarrassed and ashamed over the incident.

Mr Meagher said his client had asked him to assure the sitting of Portlaoise District Court that it would never happen again.

Judge Andrew Cody fined the man 250 and disqualified him from driving for three years.
October saw Laois' political landscape in disarray following the shock resignation of former Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley.

A Sinn Fein report into a complaint made against Deputy Stanley came to the opinion that his conduct constituted "sexual harassment".

The alleged incident occurred in Dublin on 11 October last year.

Brian Stanley has consistently stated that the party's complaints procedure was 'seriously flawed' and had described it as a 'kangaroo court'.

Deputy Stanley resigned from Sinn Fein five days after being presented with these draft findings and he has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the complaint was politically motivated.

Budget 2025 was announced on Tuesday, October 1. Free public transport was announced for children aged five to eight years of age, along with a 'Universal Companion Pass' for all over 70.

Children aged eight and under will now travel for free child fares on buses, trains, the DART and the luas under new Budget 2025 expansions. The reduced fares on young adult and student leap cards continue to apply to the end of 2025.

RTE's 'At Your Service' paid a visit to Errill for the first ever wedding in the 13 series long production.

Pat Bowe, a dairy farmer, and his Latvian partner, Iveta Melgaile, have opened a beach resort in the heart of landlocked Laois.

A 'born again Christian' caught driving a dangerously defective BMW at 227 kph in a 100km zone in Laois gave a garda the middle finger before speeding from the scene.

The defendant had denied dangerous driving and driving without insurance at Ballytarsna, Borris-in-Ossory, Laois on May 28, 2019.

Judge Cody said he was proud of the road traffic police in Laois, the only county in Ireland not to have a road traffic fatality this year, he cautiously noted.

He jailed the man for six months, imposed another six month sentence which was suspended for two years, disqualified him from driving for 15 years and fined him a total of 7,500.

The Ben and Jake Trust has formally handed over their community funded house near Mountmellick to the Muiriosa Foundation on September 30.

The Ben & Jake House will now serve others with disabilities, as a lasting legacy of their tragically short lives.

The handover marks the last charitable act following what was an incredible six years of community effort to build the house for Ben and Jake Connolly and their family to enjoy the best quality of life possible.

From the site to materials, to labour, trades and fitting it out with hoists and furniture, it was funded by some 365,000 raised from countless charity events in Mountmellick, Portarlington and beyond.

October saw the news break that single storey modular homes in Rathdowney which each ended up costing 345,100 to deliver were built for 145,000.

Deputy Brian Stanley pointed out that the average price of a three bedroom house in Rathdowney was 263,000 as he posted a breakdown of the costs of the 42 units in Rathdowney on his twitter feed.

The 45 square metre single storey units were constructed to house Ukranians who had been displaced by the war with Russia.

In total, 14,493,000 was spent delivering the 42 units in Rathdowney but the majority of the money was not spent on the actual buildings.

The Laois Dog Warden has issued a notice ordering the closure of a dog breeding operation in the Rosenallis where 100 dogs were found in recent days.

On arrival at the location on Saturday, October 25, about 100 dogs were found to be present. These included some six breeding females.

The dogs were not found to be in poor health or in bad living conditions but some pups and a small number of adult dogs were removed for their welfare. The Dog Warden was accompanied by a vet and other agencies during the operation.

The written notice outlined the grounds that the operation poses a serious and immediate threat to public health or animal welfare.
Iarnrod Eireann is reminding customers of rail service arrangements over the Christmas New Year holiday period. In addition to schedule changes, and late night DART and commuter trains on New Years Eve, customers are reminded of the full track renewal of the line between Connolly and Pearse from 26th December 2024 to 5th January inclusive. This will result in the line being closed between Connolly and Grand Canal Dock for the duration, with limited exceptions between Pearse and Grand Canal Dock for late night New Years trains, and daytime on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd January. Customers are also reminded that pre-booking is strongly advised on Intercity services, particularly at busiest times. Full schedule information throughout the period is available at www.irishrail.ie, and customers are advised to check their times before travelling on Intercity, DART and Commuter, as there are schedule alterations throughout this time on each day. Customers are advised to note in particular the following: Track renewal Connolly to Grand Canal Dock, 26th December to 5th January inclusive  DART and Rosslare services affected Iarnrod Eireann is to undertake a full track renewal of the countrys busiest section of rail line, the loop line between Dublins Connolly and Pearse Stations, over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. The works on the line, which sees just under 100,000 train movements annually, will take place from 26th December 2024 to 5th January 2025 inclusive, during the Christmas / New Year holiday season which sees the lowest number of passengers throughout the year. The track works will be the first renewal of the line in 20 years, when similar works took place over Christmas 2004 / New Year 2005. As a result, the line will be closed between Connolly and Grand Canal Dock throughout this time, with limited exceptions between Pearse and Grand Canal Dock. Line closed between Connolly and Grand Canal Dock

DART services will operate between Howth/Malahide and Connolly Station, and between Grand Canal Dock and Bray/Greystones.

A limited shuttle bus service will operate between Connolly and Grand Canal Dock in both directions, and Dublin Bus will accept rail tickets for southside customers travelling to/from city centre

Intercity services between Dublin Connolly and Rosslare Europort will involve bus transfers between Connolly and Bray

All Northern / Maynooth Commuter services will operate to/from Dublin Connolly only. Exceptions to the above will be: New Years Eve from 23:00hrs onwards: Line will be closed from Connolly to Pearse only , to facilitate those travelling home from city centre to southside locations on late night trains after Dublins NYE Festival events.

, to facilitate those travelling home from city centre to southside locations on late night trains after Dublins NYE Festival events. Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd January from 06:00hrs to 18:00hrs inclusive: Line will be closed from Connolly to Pearse only, to facilitate those early returning commuters travelling between southside and city centre. Southside DART services will operate between Pearse and Bray/Greystones. Throughout the works, Connolly Station will be fully operational with the exception of platform 7, and Grand Canal Dock Station will be fully operational. The works will see 2.1 kms of track, across both lines, fully relayed from south end of platform 6/7 in Connolly Station through to Pearse Station. Newer construction methodology, the use of synthetic sleepers, and technical improvements will give a design life of 40 years to this section of line, doubling the life of the previous relaying from 2004/5. The works will also allow a full inspection of Loop Line Bridge assets. Other services, to 5th January 2025. Saturday 28th December 2024 Normal Saturday InterCity service but with cancellations and alterations on certain routes.

Revised Saturday service on DART and Commuter routes, including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above).

Normal Saturday service on Cork Commuter and Portlaoise Commuter routes. Sunday 29th December 2024 Normal Sunday InterCity service but with cancellations and alterations on certain routes.

Revised Sunday service on DART and Commuter routes, including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above).

Normal Sunday service on Cork Commuter and Portlaoise Commuter route. Monday 30th December 2024 Revised and reduced InterCity services, check times before travel.

Revised Saturday service on DART and Commuter routes, including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above).

Saturday service on Cork Commuter routes.

Revised service on Portlaoise Commuter route, check times before travel.

No service on Phoenix Park Tunnel (Grand Canal Dock/Hazelhatch to Newbridge) route. New Years Eve Tuesday 31st December 2024 Weekday InterCity service but with cancellations and alterations on certain routes, with last services between 18:00hrs and 20:30hrs approx.

Revised Saturday service on DART and Commuter routes until 19:25hrs to 21:00 hrs approx., including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above).

No service on Phoenix Park Tunnel (Grand Canal Dock/Hazelhatch to Newbridge) route.

Cork Commuter will operate a normal Saturday service until 21:00 hrs approx.

Additional late-night services will operate after Dublin New Years Eve events - please note for southside DART, these services will depart from Pearse Station. All other routes will depart from Connolly Station. Tara Street Station will not be open: o 01:35 and 02:35 from Dublin Connolly serving all stations to Howth o 01:30 and 02:30 from Dublin Pearse servi ng all stations to Greystones o 01:50 and 02:55 from Dublin Connolly , serving all stations from Howth Junction to Dundalk o 01:25 and 03:00 from Dublin Connolly ser ving all stations to Maynooth o 00:50 and 02:50 from Dublin Connolly ser ving Drumcondra, and all stations from ParkWest to Kildare

New Years Day Wednesday 1st January 2025 Revised and reduced InterCity services, check times before travel.

Revised Sunday service on DART and Commuter routes, including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above).

Sunday service on Cork Commuter and Portlaoise Commuter route.

No service on Phoenix Park Tunnel (Grand Canal Dock/Hazelhatch to Newbridge) route. Thursday 2nd January 2025 and Friday 3rd January 2025 Normal weekday service on InterCity services (except for bus transfers for Rosslare services for Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure  see above) and Portlaoise commuter services.

Revised Saturday service with additional peak time services will operate on DART and Dublin Connolly Commuter routes, with the following alterations: o Docklands Station will be closed . o Northside DART services will operate between Dublin Connolly and Howth/Malahide only. o Southside DART services will operate between Dublin Pearse and Bray/Greystones only until 18:00 approx., after which services will operate between Grand Canal Dock and Bray/Greystones only.

Northern Commuter services will operate between Dundalk/Drogheda and Dublin Connolly only.

Maynooth Commuter services will operate between Maynooth and Dublin Connolly only.

M3 Parkway Commuter services will operate between M3 Parkway and Clonsilla only. Customers can connect with Maynooth Commuter services for travel to/from Dublin Connolly.

Reduced service on Phoenix Park Tunnel (Grand Canal Dock/Hazelhatch and Newbridge). Services will operate to/from Dublin Connolly only. Customers are advised to please check times before travel. Saturday 4th January 2025 Normal Saturday InterCity service on all routes, except Dublin/Rosslare arrangements due to Connolly to Grand Canal Dock works (see above).

Revised Saturday service on DART and Dublin Commuter routes including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above).

Normal Saturday service on Cork Commuter and Portlaoise Commuter route. Sunday 5th January 2025 Normal Sunday InterCity service on all routes, except Dublin/Rosslare arrangements due to Connolly to Grand Canal Dock works (see above).

Normal Sunday service on Cork Commuter routes.

Normal Sunday service on Portlaoise Commuter route.

Revised Sunday service on DART and Dublin Commuter routes including Connolly to Grand Canal Dock closure (see above). Monday 6th January 2025 Normal service on all routes. REMEMBER: Please check the exact times for your journey before travelling on all routes for all dates at www.irishrail.ie
An exceptional, lifelong contribution to the Irish co-operative and agrifood sector by Dr. Sean Brady has been recognised with the co-operative industrys highest national honour - The Plunkett Award for Co-operative Endeavour, named after Sir Horace Plunkett, founder of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society.

Dr Brady, who lives with his wife Kay and family in Sallins, Co. Kildare, was reared on a family farm in Arva, Co. Cavan. He is a distinguished and respected figure in Ireland's agri-food industry, recognised for his extensive leadership for decades across numerous agricultural enterprises, strategic business initiatives and national policy programmes supporting the growth, success and economic contribution of Irish agriculture.

He received the award at a special presentation ceremony held in The Plunkett House in Dublin, together with his wife Kay and family.

Among his most notable achievements, Dr. Brady chaired the expert committee responsible for developing "Food Harvest 2020," the 10-year strategic vision for the growth of Ireland's agri-food and fisheries sectors. He subsequently chaired the Dairy Expansion Activation Group to deliver on the ambitions of Food Harvest 2020.

Dr Brady earned a Ph.D. in Food Science from University College Cork and a Diploma in Applied Finance from the Irish Management Institute. He also completed the Timoney Institute Advanced Leadership Programme.

He began his career at Killeshandra Co-op, and was instrumental in the 1990 merger process with Lough Egish to form Lakeland Dairies, where he then served as General Manager, Dairy Division.

He went on to hold several key industry executive roles including Managing Director of Greencore Malt for eight years, and Irish Sugar for five years, within Greencore Group plc. He also served as CEO during key transformative periods for the Irish Dairy Board (now Ornua), Aurivo Co-op , LacPatrick Dairies and Greyhound Racing Ireland, providing key strategic direction in each role.

Dr Brady is currently chair of the Department of Agricultures Bovine TB Strategy Implementation Group. He is a non-executive Board director of Ornua since 2020 (nominated by Lakeland Dairies), Chair of the Dairy Processing Technology Centre, a Council member of the Irish Management Institute and Chair of the Audit Committee of Kilkenny County Council.

For over a decade to 2023 he served as Chair of the Golden Jubilee Trust, the charitable trust which funds co-operative initiatives, research and innovation for the benefit of rural communities, society and the economy.

Dr. Bradys initial nomination for the Plunkett Award came from the Board of the Trust.

Pictured at the presentation ceremony are TJ Flanagan, CEO (left) and Edward Carr, President of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) with Dr. Sean Brady, The Plunkett Award recipient and Kay Brady, Dr Brady's wife who received flowers as part of the ceremony. Photo: Fennell Photography

He is currently Chair of the Board of Management of Dominican College Newbridge, and has also previously served as a Director of Animal Health Ireland, the Irish National Stud and Life Credit Union.

Edward Carr, President of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) said: "Sean embodies the essence of visionary leadership in Irelands agri-food sector. His exceptional ability to combine innovation with the values of co-operative enterprise has helped to drive success for multiple organisations and has also left an indelible mark on our global reputation for food excellence.

As a dynamic leader with a deep well of expertise, Sean is both a forward-thinker and a steadfast advocate for collaboration, ensuring that the initiatives he steers leave a legacy of resilience and growth. He matches these qualities with a deeply engaging personality, enthusiasm for other peoples success, and an ability to bring people with him, even in difficult times. Whether championing sustainability through Food Harvest 2020 or guiding leading organisations in our agri-food sector, his energy, insight and tireless commitment make him a truly iconic figure in our industry.

We are therefore deeply pleased to celebrate Dr. Sean Bradys transformative lifelong achievements and contribution, and we wish him and his wife Kay continuing success and happiness in the future.

Plunkett award recipient, Dr. Sean Brady said: I am deeply honoured to receive the Plunkett Award. The co-operative agri-food industry in Ireland holds a unique and vital place in our nations heart and economy. It is a sector defined by its resilience, innovation, and commitment to quality - values that reflect the very character of our people. I have been privileged to witness and contribute to its growth and transformation over the decades, and I am immensely proud of what we have all achieved together. I am deeply grateful to the many individuals and organisations I have had the privilege to work alongside. I accept this award not just as recognition of past achievements but as a call to action and a reminder that there is still work to do. Together, we must continue to innovate, collaborate, and advocate for a sustainable, prosperous future for our agri-food industry.
A vigil has taken place at the spot where a husband and wife were killed in a hit-and-run incident in west Dublin.

A man is still being questioned by gardai about the incident in Blanchardstown Road North at about 5.45pm on Thursday.

The couple have been named locally as Anthony Hogg, 40, and his wife Georgina Hogg Moore, 39.

Mrs Hogg Moore was pronounced dead at the scene and Mr Hogg was seriously injured and died in hospital.

People left floral tributes at the scene of the collision throughout Friday, and 24 hours after the crash a group of more than 50 people, some holding balloons, held a vigil.

Four pedestrians were involved in the crash but no other injuries were reported.

The road was closed for a time but has since reopened.

Gardai said their investigation is continuing.

A spokesman said: Investigating gardai arrested a man, aged in his 40s, in connection with this incident yesterday evening, Thursday December 26 2024.

He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in Dublin.

A technical examination of the scene has been completed by Garda forensic collision investigators and the road has now reopened.

Gardai continue to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

Any road users who were near Blanchardstown Road North between 5pm and 6pm on Thursday and have camera footage are asked to make this available to gardai.
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Canadian Western Bank Announces the Mailing and Filing of Letters of Transmittal in Connection with the Acquisition of Canadian Western Bank by National Bank





/Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or for dissemination in the United States/

EDMONTON, AB, Dec. 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Canadian Western Bank (TSX: CWB) ("CWB") today announced that it has mailed letters of transmittal (each, a "Letter of Transmittal") for use by registered holders of CWB common shares ("Registered CWB Shareholders") in connection with the previously announced proposed acquisition (the "Transaction") of CWB by National Bank of Canada ("National Bank"). CWB has also made a copy of the form of Letter of Transmittal available on its website at https://www.cwb.com/investor-relations and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

The Letter of Transmittal outlines the necessary documentation and information required to be sent to the depositary for the Transaction, Computershare Investor Services Inc., by a Registered CWB Shareholder in order to receive the common shares of National Bank to which they are entitled in exchange for their CWB common shares pursuant to the terms of the Transaction.

The Letter of Transmittal is for use by Registered CWB Shareholders only. Beneficial shareholders that do not have their common shares of CWB registered in their name (rather, such shares are registered in the name of a broker or other intermediary) should contact their broker or other intermediary for instructions and assistance regarding receipt of any shares of National Bank to which they are entitled upon completion of the Transaction.

About CWB

CWB is the only full-service bank in Canada with a strategic focus to meet the unique financial needs of businesses and their owners. CWB provides its nationwide clients with full-service business and personal banking, specialized financing, comprehensive wealth management offerings, and trust services. Clients choose CWB for a differentiated level of service through specialized expertise, customized solutions, and faster response times relative to the competition. CWB people take the time to understand its clients and their business, and work as a united team to provide holistic solutions and advice.

As a public company on the TSX, CWB trades under the symbols "CWB" (common shares), "CWB.PR.B" (Series 5 preferred shares) and "CWB.PR.D" (Series 9 preferred shares). CWB is firmly committed to the responsible creation of value for all its stakeholders and its approach to sustainability will support its continued success. Learn more at www.cwb.com.

SOURCE Canadian Western Bank

27 december 2024 at 17:05

News published onand distributed by:
SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Franklin Resources, INC. - BEN





NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Franklin Resources, INC. ("Franklin" or the "Company") (NYSE:?BEN). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected]?or 646-581-9980, ext.?7980.

The investigation concerns whether Franklin and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On August 21, 2024, Franklin subsidiary Western Asset Management Company issued a press release announcing that co-Chief Investment Officer Ken Leech "is on a leave of absence, effective immediately" after "receiv[ing] a Wells Notice from the Staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission". That same day, Bloomberg reported that "[f]ederal prosecutors in New York are investigating whether a Western Asset Management executive allocated winning trades to favored accounts, as part of a criminal probe into a practice known as 'cherry-picking.'"

On this news, Franklin's stock price fell $2.84 per share, or 12.56%, to close at $19.78 per share on August 21, 2024.

Then, on November 25, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a press release entitled "SEC Charges Ken Leech, Former Co-Chief Investment Officer of Western Asset Management Co., with Fraud." The press release stated that Leech had been charged with fraud "for engaging in a multi-year scheme to allocate favorable trades to certain portfolios, while allocating unfavorable trades to other portfolios, a practice known as cherry-picking."

On this news, Franklin's stock price fell $0.51 per share, or 2.24%, to close at $22.21 per share on November 26, 2024.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Danielle Peyton

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

646-581-9980 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

27 december 2024 at 17:45

News published onand distributed by:
Q-Gold Announces Closing of Oversubscribed Final Tranche of Flow-Through and Non-Flow Through Financing





NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

(All figures in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated)

TORONTO, Dec. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Q-Gold Resources Ltd (TSXV: QGR, OTC: QGLDF, FRA: QX9G) ("Q-Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed a final tranche of previously announced non-brokered flow-through and non-flow through private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of C$357,999.88 (the "Final Tranche"). Under the Final Tranche, the Company issued (a) 1,925,000 flow-through units at $0.16 per unit (the "FT Units"), each FT Unit consisting of one flow-through common share (the "FT Shares") and one-half of a warrant, each whole warrant exercisable at $0.20 per share for 24 months (the "FT Warrants") and (b) 357,142 non-flow through units at $0.14 per unit (the "Non-FT Units"), each Non-FT Unit consisting of one non-flow-through common shares (the "Non-FT Shares") and one-half of a warrant, each whole warrant exercisable at $0.20 per shares for 24 months (the "Non-FT Warrants"). The Company received gross proceeds of $861,046.16 under the oversubscribed Offering across all tranches.

The proceeds from the Final Tranche from the FT Units, being $308,000, will be used for exploration and development of the Company's mineral property interests in the Mine Centre region, and the proceed from the Non-FT Units, being $49,999.88, will be used for general working capital purposes. The gross proceeds from the issuance of all FT Units will be used to incur Canadian Exploration Expenses ("CEE"), and will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" under the Income Tax Act (Canada), which will be renounced to the purchasers of FT Units with an effective date no later than December 31, 2024 in an aggregate amount no less than the proceeds raised from the issue of the FT Units.

In connection with the Final Tranche, the Company paid finder's fees of $39,000 and issued 150,000 finder's warrants (each, a "Finder's Warrant"). Each Finder's Warrant is exercisable at $0.16 into one Non-FT Share until December 27, 2026.

About Q-Gold Resources Ltd.

Q-Gold Resources (TSXV: QGR, OTC: QGLDF, FRA: QX9G) is a publicly traded Canada-based mineral exploration company targeting high-grade gold and silver discoveries in multiple jurisdictions. Q-Gold is currently exploring for gold at the past-producing Foley Gold Mine in Mine Centre, Ontario.

For further information, contact:

Dr. Andreas Rompel

Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

Cautionary Notes

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding the Offering, closing of the Final Tranche, the Company's work plans, the Company's exploration plans and budgets for the Foley Gold Mine and the Company's beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. In particular, the Company cautions that the completion of the proposed acquisitions cannot be predicted with certainty, and that there can be no assurance at this time that the proposed acquisitions will be completed in the manner noted above or at all. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, as well as other factors beyond the Company's control. The Company does not undertake to update any forward looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States 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.

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.

27 december 2024 at 18:00

News published onand distributed by:
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 29. The bodies of those who lost their lives in the plane crash will be returned to their families today, Adalat Hasanov, Director of the Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy Association under the Ministry of Health, told journalists, Trend reports.

He made the remark to the press at Heydar Aliyev International Airport after the remains of the crew members and 21 passengers killed in the crash near Aktau were brought to Baku.

"The remains of our compatriots who tragically lost their lives in the aviation accident near Aktau, Kazakhstan, have now been brought back home. From here, the bodies will be transported in specially designated vehicles to our associations branches.

Three locations have been allocated for this process: the Pathological Anatomy Bureau on Sharifzade Street, the Sabunchu District branch, and the Nasimi District branch. The deceased will undergo examination at the morgues, forensic medical analyses will be conducted, and the reports will be submitted to the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor Generals Office. Once this is completed, the bodies will be transported to their final resting places. The remains will be handed over to families later today," Hasanov stated.
UNCOVERING the exciting, treacherous and complex story of the Peter Robinson settler families, has been a labour of love for Ballyhoura Development and follows on from the group's successful involvement in The Gathering and the Historic Graves initiatives.

2025, will be a celebration of 200 years of Irish Canadian connections, bringing people and places together to share experiences and build diaspora connections.

In commemoration of this momentous occasion, Ballyhoura Development CLG, in collaboration with the Peter Robinson settlers descendants, has devised a week-long event highlighting interactive Community Visits, a Theatrical Interpretation of the settler journey, a Remembrance Ceremony at the point of departure, Cobh, a Live Concert and Conference on history, genealogy and legacy culminating in a Commemorative Event at Griston Bog, Ballylanders.

In 1823, and 1825, over 2,000 Irish people from the Ballyhoura area and across Munster, set sail from Cobh to the Ottowa and Ontario regions of Canada, as part of the Peter Robinson Assisted Emigration Programme.

For the past decade, Ballyhoura Development has collaborated with communities across north Cork, east Limerick, and Canada to trace and track the hundreds of local families who left the Ballyhoura area full of hope and expectation of a better life and followed their stories through building connections with descendants worldwide. The Peter Robinson Assisted Emigration scheme marked a significant chapter in both Irish and Canadian history.

READ MORE: Works to commence in January after tender awarded for Adare Bypass

Amanda Slattery, Development Manager, Ballyhoura Development, reflects: Rediscovering the story of the Peter Robinson settlers has been a profound journey of connection and learning. This project has brought people together, not just to remember the past, but to strengthen the ties between communities in Ireland and Canada today. 2025 is a significant event welcoming hundreds of descendants back to the Ballyhoura Region and connecting with their ancestors communities.

Breda Keane Shortt of the Queenstown Experience says: We are thrilled to collaborate with Ballyhoura Development on this initiative and further demonstrate the emigration story of Ireland and Canada and its significance to Cobh.

Marie Healy from Failte Ireland says: Peter Robinson Settlers Homecoming 2025 encourages the spread of tourism across the region by highlighting areas... where international visitors can truly connect with their ancestry.

With over a decade of dedicated research and documentation, Ballyhoura Development has collaborated with genealogists, historians, and descendants of the settlers to connect communities worldwide. Working with the Historic Graves project, an initiative focused on recording and preserving historic graveyards in Ireland has enabled local communities to document graveyards connected to the settlers.
THE FINAL countdown is underway for three Limerick students for the Junk Kouture World Final.

Ameliia Karashtefan, Viktoriia Romanchenko and Natalie Quinn Sheehan of Colaiste Nano Nagle are among 60 teams from Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, the USA, and the UAE who will present couture designs made entirely from recycled materials.

The Junk Kouture World Final will be hosted at The Helix in the heart of the Dublin City University Campus on March 3 and 4.

The project by the Limerick trio is entitled Im Your Venus and is made from old tents, floor insulation and bottle caps.

The Colaiste Nano Nagle group are one of just 10 from across Ireland to reach the Junk Kouture World Final. Their place was confirmed last October.

Junk Kouture is open to 12 to 19-year-olds and challenges young people to design, upcycle, and create high end Kouture from recycled junk.

READ MORE: Twelve ways to enjoy Limerick Greenway this Christmas

This years event marks 15 years of Junk Kouture in Ireland, celebrating its impact in fostering sustainable, creative talent.

After debuting its first World Final in Abu Dhabi and impressing audiences in Monaco with its second, Dublin now has the honour of hosting the third World Final, showcasing Irelands pivotal role in promoting youth creativity and circular innovation.

Finalists will present breathtaking couture designs made entirely from recycled materials. From mussel shells to window blinds, expect jaw-dropping innovation and craftsmanship as these young designers compete for the coveted World Designer of the Year title.

Junk Kouture has been a transformative force for young people, empowering them to reimagine waste as a resource and igniting a passion for sustainability and innovation.

Tickets for the March 3 and 4 Junk Kouture World Final at Dublin's The Helix are available online at www.helix.ie

Organisers have warned: Dont miss your chance to witness the future of fashion and sustainability - tickets are expected to sell quickly!
While direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands lucked out when quick commerce became a lucrative sales channel in 2024, industry executives say they may reduce their dependence on instant delivery platforms in 2025.

Brands like Wellbeing Nutrition and Arata are looking to diversify their distribution channels through their own websites and offline stores to shield themselves from over-exposure to quick commerce.

The question is not whether the quick commerce sheen will fade. It most certainly will not. But brands cannot cling on to these platforms because it is ultimately just another marketplace, which means high commission rates and lots of competition," an early-stage consumer sector-focused venture capital investor told Mint, on the condition of anonymity.

Also read | CCI not to intervene in quick commerce market

Quick-commerce platforms charge commissions ranging from 5% to 30%, depending on the category, much like e-commerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart, limiting the brand's earnings. Sales through websites let brands control pricing and bag higher margins.

Moreover, brands also need to spend money to advertise on these platforms to maintain a competitive advantage, further straining margins.

That said, moving away from quick commerce wont be easy.

Indias D2C brands had a fruitful time in 2024, with the growing popularity of quick commerce and renewed seed funding interest from early-stage venture capital investors.

New-age D2C brands have already pocketed over $400 million from investors so far in 2024, showed data sourced from market research firm Tracxn.

Quick-commerce boom

Quick-commerce platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart offer consumers an easy and convenient way to shop for groceries and other daily essentials, making them the fastest-growing sales channel for many consumer brands.

MyMuse, a Mumbai-based sexual wellness startup founded in 2021, saw demand for its massagers grow tenfold on Blinkit in 2024 year over year, Anushka Gupta, co-founder of the brand, told Mint.

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL)-backed health supplements brand Wellbeing Nutrition now earns as much as 10.5 crore a month from quick commerce, with marketplaces (including Amazon and Flipkart) accounting for 41% of all sales, said its founder Avnish Chhabria.

Beauty-and-personal-care firm Honasa Consumer, parent to Mamaearth, Aqualogica, BBlunt, among others, witnessed quick commerce emerge as its fastest-growing sales channel, which grew nearly 4-5 times faster than other online commerce channels, co-founder and chief executive Varun Alagh said during the FY24 financial results announcement.

Also read | Myntra joins the quick commerce race with 30-minute fashion delivery

Quick-commerce channels gained immense momentum in 2024 thanks to heightened interest from consumers and private investors. Mumbai-based Zepto bagged more than $1 billion in capital in six months alone, while Zomato and Swiggy bulked up their cash reserves during the year to keep up with rising competition.

In fact, quick commerce contributed approximately 8% to overall e-commerce growth in 2024s festive season sales, up from 5% in 2023, according to Kushal Bhatnagar, associate partner at Redseer Strategy Consultants.

Initially focused on grocery deliveries, quick commerce has expanded into beauty and small electronics, driven by consumers increasing demand for fast, on-demand delivery.

Nevertheless, theres only so much a channel can offer D2C brands.

Brands may cut dependence

Distribution channels change as the business matures. When we started, we started only with a D2C website because we wanted to be close to the consumer. Later, we expanded to e-commerce, and then this wave of quick commerce came by. Maybe once quick-commerce plateaus in the next, say, 5-10 years, maybe the next wave could be offline retail," Dhruv Madhok, co-founder of haircare brand Arata, told Mint.

Arata recently received a $4 million investment from Unilever Ventures and Loreals corporate venture capital fund Bold, aiming to strengthen its distribution and research functions.

Most brands are aware of the limitations of quick-commerce marketplaces and are making efforts to cut dependence.

Aratas Madhok said he sees the business generating about 200-250 crore comfortably on the back of its website, e-commerce marketplaces and quick-commerce channels in the foreseeable future. It will also consider expanding into offline retail in the future if it sees the need, he added.

Moreover, the current price wars targeted at building brand loyalty are expected to level out over time, making it easier for brands to join platforms like Zepto and Blinkit.

Mint reported in October how consumer brands are jazzing up their pitches to get listed. Quick-commerce platforms get at least half a dozen new enquiries every day, according to a category manager working with one of them, tightening the competition for limited shelf space in the rapidly growing sector. In April, Swiggy said the volume of products it stores had grown four times over 12 months.

Consumers and brands will evolve. We will not make discretionary moves based on a platform. Holistically, prices have to stabilize. Brands can't get on this progressive ad war right now because it's the last one standing for the number of orders they turn. Even brands are getting a lot smarter. Today, everyone is just fighting to get the user," Wellbeing Nutritions Chhabria added.
Beauty baroness Shahnaz Husain, who turned 80 last month, was one of Indias OG influencers long before the term was coined. As the pioneer of organic green beauty in the country, she brought with her great business acumen, unabashed in-your-face marketing chutzpah, and a prescient sense of future trends. In her, the India of the 1970s and 80s found its combination of Anita Roddick and Coco Chanel.

Such was the power of her marketing that thousands of young women wanted a totemic vial of cream vial from Shahnaz Husain, her eponymous brand. Naming it after herself, as though she were already a celebrity, was a mark of her self worth.

Starting in 1971, she invited Indian women to enter the hallowed portals of haute couture and international cosmetics with a promise of exotic transformation. Everyone flocked to her, including Hollywood stars, British royalty, and even Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The nation was mesmerised by her personality, which she was smart enough to encash and promote, as well as her differently packaged salves and creams.

Silver spoon

Husain was born into a powerful and illustrious Deccani family. Indira Gandhi was a family friend and Motilal Nehru stayed at her grandfather Samiullah Begs home when he visited Hyderabad. Her father Nasir Ullah Beg was chief justice of Allahabad High Court and her uncle Mirza Hameedullah Beg was chief justice of the Supreme Court.

But young Shahnaz had different plans for herself. Supremely confident and with a nod and wave to feminism, she thought nothing of setting up a business after getting married and becoming a mother at 16.

At 27 she launched her business with a tiny clinic in Delhi, set up with 35,000 borrowed from her father. By then she had done cosmetology courses at leading institutions such as Helena Rubestein, Lancome and Schwarzkopf. But rather than flying back with Western vials and philtres, she merged 5,000-year-old Ayurvedic formulations with western packaging and labelling. She also linked the brands marketing to her own carefully crafted persona.

Also read | Fortune and fraud: The spectacular life and death of biscuit king Rajan Pillai

Her first breakthrough was a saffron-based skin brightener that became a sensation among London socialites. Soon, Harrods came calling, making her the first Indian to secure counter space in the legendary store. It was followed by counters at Selfridges and Galeries Lafayette among a retinue of others.

Princess Diana was reportedly fond of her gold facial kit while Martha Stewart featured her on her show. Bollywood royalty of an earlier era would not dream of getting married without a Shahnaz bridal glow treatment. In Tokyo, women lined up to buy her hair oils while in Dubai her under-eye cream sold out within hours of restocking.

Marketing genius

If her products are rooted in ancient wisdom, her marketing is pure showbiz. On occasion she has said that a brand is like theatre  you must give people something to remember. And remember they do. She became turbo marketing maven in a monarchs splendiferous robes presiding over a miniature palace set in Barbie doll colours and plastic flowers. Her choreographed public appearances and piles of publicity material made her a regular beauty advisor on TV programmes. Naturally this brought in more business.

Before Gwyneth Paltrow's clean beauty became a buzzword, Shahnaz Husains products sat sandwiched between La Prairie and La Mer. Her plastic vials, emblazoned with her heavily kohled eyes and a shock of black hair, contained ayurveda-inspired potions that were as much about the seller. With theatrical flair, she pirouetted to fame using the Sha prefix as a crown for beauty. Anyone can sell beauty products," she once said. I sell ancient wisdom in modern jars."

Also read: Cowasjee Readymoneys pioneering path from profit to purpose

As clean beauty and wellness appear to merge, Husain seems more prescient than ever. She didnt just build a beauty brand but created a blueprint for how Indian heritage could be marketed to modern consumers.

Over the years, she has emerged as a supplier of herbal cosmetic products to Indian women thirsting for affordable beauty care, with 380 patented formulations. In one sense, her closest Western parallel might be Estee Lauder, who built her empire from scratch. But Husain brought in a new element to her business by opening a school for girls from poor families who could neither hear nor speak, training them and giving them jobs in her own salons. While she has been cagey about her financial figures, some estimates put her peak revenues at about $375 million.

In later years, many challenged the efficacy of her creams, and glossier entrants backed by multibillion dollar Western corporations slowly edged her out of the top spot. But with her daughter Nelofar Currimbhoy taking over the reins in international marketing after the suicide of her rapper son Sameer, the brand still holds sway among the faithful.

A new generation of beauty entrepreneurs has emerged in her wake, but very few have her flair and showmanship as well as her shrewd business skills.

Also read: How top bureaucrat GV Ramakrishna turned bullfighter to clean up India's stock
A new report released this week showed job creation had slowed in the informal sector in 2023-24. Meanwhile, the Indian stock market this month is seeing the second-worst December performance in a decade and the GST councils decision to tax popcorn differently has kicked up a storm.

Informal worry

Indias informal sector added fewer new jobs in 2023-24, with 10.97 million jobs being generated in this period as against 11.74 million in 2022-23, showed the governments Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, released this week. The latest survey was conducted during October 2023 and September 2024. This is even as the informal sector saw more enterprises being added during this period at 8.4 million versus 5.3 million in the previous fiscal, the findings showed.

Dull December

The Indian stock market is experiencing a subdued holiday season with a 1.7% decline this month, marking the second-worst December performance in a decade after the 3.6% drop in 2022, Mint analysis showed. This could be the fifth negative December in the last 10 years, in contrast with the 7.8% gain in 2023. Experts attribute this to profit-booking, a shift towards initial public offerings (IPOs), and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) outflows due to a stronger dollar. Experts warn of potential market volatility ahead, especially the implications of Trump's policies.

Also Read: Santa skips D-Street during second-quietest December in a decade

GST tangle

18%: That is the GST rate caramelised popcorn will attract, as decided at the 55th GST council meeting on 21 December, chaired by FM Nirmala Sitharaman. On the other hand, GST will be 5% for salty/spiced unpackaged popcorn and 12% will be levied on packaged versions. Prominent economists criticised the move saying three different tax slabs for a single item pushes the tax system into greater complexity. Similar issues have risen with items such roti. Different rates also exist for packaged roti and parathas and curd and yoghurt, with the former in both cases attracting 5% and the latter taxed at 18%.

Mega merger

Honda Motor Company and Nissan Motor Corporation are reportedly in talks to merge operations in mid-2025. This move, which could also include Mitsubishi Motors, aims to counter the rise of Chinese automakers and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. The merged entity would become the third-largest auto group globally, with a market cap exceeding $50 billion, with annual sales topping 8 million vehicles. There is scepticism around the success of the merger with past attempts by other automakers like Daimler-Chrysler and Renault-Nissan having fallen flat.

Export reset

India is revising its six-year-old Agricultural Export Policy (AEP) to adapt to evolving market demands and diversify its export basket, Mint reported. The review aims to enhance the competitiveness of Indian agricultural products, ensure global standards compliance, and promote value-added products. The focus will shift towards processed food and organic products, targeting new markets. Under AEP, the government targeted doubling agricultural exports to $60 billion by 2022, but current exports stand at $48.8 billion in FY24. This was attributed to export restrictions on rice and wheat.

Deal weaver

1,000 crore: That is the amount Weaver Services, an affordable housing finance company founded by ex-HDFC employees, is seeking to raise from Premji Invest and Paragon Partners, Mint reported. This funding will partially finance the 267 crore acquisition of Capital India Home Loans, acquired by Weaver in October. Weaver previously signed a funding agreement for 800 crore from Gaja Capital and Lok Capital, and is awaiting regulatory approval. The affordable housing finance sector has witnessed growing investor interest this year due to its perceived lower risk.

Raining funds

India's housing finance sector saw a tenfold jump in primary fundraising in 2024, Mint reported. Funding surged to $826.8 million across nine rounds in 2024, according to data from Tracxn. Rising housing demand and the ability of lenders to manage costs attracted investors seeking less risky assets. Major players like Prosus, Norwest Venture Partners, and Elevation Capital invested in companies like Vastu Housing Finance and Vridhi Finserv Home Finance. There were big buyouts as well, with Warburg Pincus acquiring Shriram Housing Finance and EQT acquiring Indostar Home Finance.

Chart of the week: Weak cover

The forest cover in Indian metro cities has grown just 0.4% between 2021 and 2023, as per the India State of Forest report released earlier this week. Three out of six cities  Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad  saw a dip in their forest cover. Overall, forest cover remains high in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Follow our data stories on theIn Charts" andPlain Facts" pages on the Mint website.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 29. The bodies of Azerbaijani citizens who died in the plane crash near Aktau will be examined, Adalat Hasanov, Director of the Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy Association under the Ministry of Health, told journalists, Trend reports.

He made the remark to the press at Heydar Aliyev International Airport after the remains of the crew members and 21 passengers killed in the crash near Aktau were brought to Baku.

"The bodies of the deceased will be transported in specially designated vehicles to the associations branches. Three branches have been allocated for this process: the Pathological Anatomy Bureau on Sharifzade Street, the Sabunchu District branch, and the Nasimi District branch. The deceased will be examined in the morgues, forensic medical analysis will be conducted, and the findings will be submitted to the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor Generals Office," he said.

On December 28, the remains of three crew members (pilots Igor Kshnyakin, Alexander Kalyaninov, and flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva) and 21 passengers who died in the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to Grozny, near Aktau, were brought to Baku.
If theres one fashion trend thats here to stay, it is that of fashion collaborationswhen two brands, usually one larger than the other, come together to create a limited-edition product or a capsule collection. The idea isnt new and can be traced back to when legendary designer Elsa Schiaparelli teamed up with surrealist artist Salvador Dali in the 1930s, creating pieces like the Lobster Dress, but the constant fusion of often different aesthetics pushes the boundaries of fashion. Like the iconic 2004 Karl Lagerfeld x H&M collaboration that popularised the collab trend.

Among the first Indian designers to partner with an international brand was Manish Arora, who worked with Reebok in 2004. The result was a perfect marriage of high fashion and high-performance athletic wear, ensuring the international fashion industry took note of Aroras exuberance. These partnerships offer an edge they cant get with their mainstay lines," says celebrity stylist, costume designer and creative director Anaita Shroff Adajania. Collaborations allow them to experiment, to loosen up, to have a little fun with their design language. And thats what makes them so vibrant and appealing."

As international luxury brands look to connect more with the Indian consumer, who is continuing to spend despite the current global downturn, collaborations have become more important than ever. This year alone, weve seen Anita Dongre collaborate with toymaker Mattel for a Barbie doll, Rahul Mishra partner with Italian luxury brand Tods, and Anamika Khanna create a capsule collection with H&M. The fact that these collection are limited editions make them more appealing, says Shroff Adajania. The shorter shelf life adds to their charm, offering a sense of exclusivity."

Collaborations appeal to all age groups across India, if they have a cultural text.

As Aria Parikh, head (special projects), at multi-brand store Ensemble, says, collaborations with Indian designers allow international brands to tap into not just the purchasing power but also the emotional connection of Indian consumers. Its not just about Indiaits about the shared cultural heritage of the entire subcontinent. Brands like H&M and Barbie have successfully localised their products, making them resonate deeply with consumers. Collaborations with legends like Anita Dongre and Anamika Khanna offer access to cult followings, while brands like Bulgari and Louis Vuitton, with their limited collections, create products that feel made for us, sparking an emotional response."

Also read: The truth behind the global love for desi design

And such partnerships help Indians shine, adds Masoom Minawala Mehta, a content creator, investor and entrepreneur. If international brands put cultural appreciation first, then these collaborations really have a memorable impact on the fashion landscape, even if the product available is a limited edition."

These collaborations, however, cant make up for the mass cultural appropriation that India has experienced over the years. While cultural appreciation is important, they are just a small step in correcting historical wrongs than offering genuine cultural exchange.

These collaborations can be a win-win, believes Divyak DSouza, stylist, costume designer and creative director. They allow a broader audience to access the brands products, widening their market," he says. For local talent, its a significant evolutionthey gain exposure and benefit from the marketing strength and budgets that major brands bring."

That said, DSouza adds, as a stylist, I always scrutinise the quality and finish of these products. Im often skeptical about whether the collaboration is a genuine meeting of minds or just a cash grab."

Beyond fashion, such collaborations also allow a cultural exchange".

The Sutr Santati: Then Now Next, which took place earlier this place in Delhi, for instance, displayed 75 different textiles from across India. The show later travelled to Melbourne.

This was a collaboration between my exhibition and the Indian diaspora in Australia, allowing them to reconnect with their culture while introducing Australians to Indias craft heritage," says Lavina Baldota, a textile curator and revivalist.

Till now, luxury brands have mainly collaborated with well known fashion designers like Rahul Mishra or Anita Dongre.

Going forward, they would do well by seeking unexpected collaborators. Collaboration efforts must feel natural but also have that A-ha! moment," says Srimoyi Bhattacharya, founder of luxury consultancy Peepul Advisory. The most fun collaborations are unexpected cross-pollinations, especially between art and fashion, that challenge a brands notions and appeal to a clients psyche. Hermes collaborated with architect Rooshad Shroff and more recently with art director Aradhana Seththis helped refine the brands visual identity locally. The Louis Vuitton capsule by iconic artist Yayoi Kusama was both incredible and unexpected."

View Full Image From Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama collaboration

While the world saw some great collaborations in 2024, there is still room for that defining marriage of Indian and international creative talent.

Also read: The biggest fashion trend of 2024: Designers broadcasting house codes

Industry experts on partnerships they would like to see in 2025

GAUTAM KALRA

STYLIST & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Adidas x Rajesh Pratap Singh. It would seamlessly blend Adidas performance technology with Singhs design sensibilities, which range from minimalist to futuristic.

SRIMOYI BHATTACHARYA

FOUNDER, PEEPUL ADVISORY

A heritage Indian textile brand and a sustainability pioneer like Stella McCartney. It would showcase Indias textile heritage and promote eco-friendly fashion practices.

DIVYAK DSOUZA

COSTUME DESIGNER & STYLIST

We create exquisitely crafted fine jewellery, and India has a rich culture of buying it from local creators. Many international jewellers dont always translate well for Indian occasions like weddings. Theres a gap that needs to be filled.

LAVINA BALDOTA

TEXTILE CURATOR & REVIVALIST

A French clothing brand like Pierre-Louis Mascia, which is inspired by prints, with handcrafted Indian prints instead of digital prints.

ARIA PARIKH

HEAD (SPECIAL PROJECTS) ENSEMBLE

The Met Museum honouring global fashions relationship with India. Indias contributionwhether through fabrics, textiles, drapery, or embroideryis so deeply woven into fashion that its time we truly recognise it.

MASOOM MINAWALA MEHTA

CONTENT CREATOR, INVESTOR & ENTREPRENEUR

A partnership between a global brand like Chanel and Raw Mango, where traditional weaving techniques are given a fresh twist.

Dress Sense is a monthly column on the clothes we wear every day.

Sujata Assomull is a journalist, author and mindful fashion advocate.
Wasim Barelvi is perhaps the greatest living Urdu poet. And when it comes to his poetry, my favourite couplet of his is:

Har shaks daudta hai yahan bheed ki taraf,

Phir ye bhi chahta hai usse raasta mille.

This basically means:

Every individual wants to run with the herd,

And then wants a right of way as well.

(I am not a professional translator, so the beauty of the original is bound to be lost in translation.)

Like all great poetry, the couplet summarizes what is perhaps a universal trait injust a few words. The beauty of the couplet is in its brevityin what it does not tell usin the question it does not answer: why do people like to run with the herd?

Dear reader, think of it in visual terms. Lets say there is a herd of people approaching where you are standing. What will happen if you decide to go in the opposite direction? Well, if the number of people is huge, you are likely to be crushed by the sheer force of their movement. The point being, physically or otherwise, its just easier to go with the herd.

Why am I talking about this today? The 75th anniversary edition of The Intelligent InvestorThe Definitive Book On Value Investing by Benjamin Graham was published a few weeks back. The book has an updated commentary by Jason Zweig, an investing columnist who works for The Wall Street Journal.

So, what is value investing? In simple terms, it involves buying the shares of a company that isnt being properly valued by the stock market and holding it until the market starts valuing it properly. As Graham writes: This value is often determined chiefly by expected future earnings Even a mere lack of interest or enthusiasm may impel a price decline to absurdly low levels. Thus we have what appear to be two major sources of undervaluation: (1) currently disappointing results and (2) protracted neglect or unpopularity."

Given these reasons, a companys share price may not adequately reflect its prospects and/or current earnings. At the same time, the share price could have been driven down way too much in comparison to the company's current troubles. This difference between the current market price and the price that could have been achieved if the prospects were taken into account properly is huge. This creates an opportunity for substantial profit and is the dynamic at the heart of value investing.

The trouble is it is not as easy as it sounds.

Value investing involves going against the herd and investing in a stock that others are largely ignoring and avoiding. It involves shutting out all the noise in the stock market at that point in time. Market professionals are always out there selling something because thats how they make a living. And that something is usually not a value investing opportunity. The rise of social media and finfluencers has made this even more difficult than it used to be. Value investing involves perhaps even looking stupid as an investor for a whilemaybe a few months or even a few years. During this period, other stocks that are not really value stocks may keep gaining. This may even lead to a situation where the investors start questioning their investing decisions. A value investor would not know when the situation is likely to turn in their favour because the direction of a companys share price in the future cannot be predicted precisely. Indeed, for a value stock to start reflecting its right price, the herd of stock market investors that have been giving it a miss needs to start buying it. Investors are playing probabilities here and that is a difficult thing to do. As Zahaan Bharmal writes in The Art of PhysicsEight Elegant Ideas to Make Sense of Everything: Anyone who says they know for sure what is coming almost certainly does not Probability can be assessed, but should not be taken as absolute. There is simply no way to know exactly what markets will do next, or what reaction will be to whatever they do." In order to identify investment opportunities, one needs to have a thorough understanding of different businesseseverything from their earnings prospects to how they fit into the overall economysomething that requires focused mental activity, which everyone cant do, busy as they are with the vicissitudes of their everyday lives. Little knowledge can be a dangerous thing when it comes to value investing. As Graham writes: A creditable, if unspectacular, result can be achieved by the lay investor with a minimum of effort and capability; but to improve this easily attainable standard requires much application and more than a trace of wisdom. If you merely try to bring just a little extra knowledge and cleverness to bear upon your investment program, instead of realizing a little better than normal results, you may well find that you have done worse."

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All these reasons and more make value investing difficult to execute. To put it simply, going against the herdthe stories, propositions and theories that the finfluencers, experts, fund managers and everyone in the business of making money by investing other peoples money (OPM) are selling at a given point of timeisnt easy.

Which is why Warren Buffett, the premier value investor of the last few decades, said this in 2013: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund." This is referred to as the 90/10 investment strategy, and is one of the ways of mediocre investing that can sustain itself for decades at end.

But it sounds so boring. There is no thrill in it. It doesnt get the adrenaline going. It doesnt leave investors with anything to talk and brag about when they meet others like them. In Mumbai terms, if you follow the 90/10 investment strategy, there isnt much you are likely to have to say when someone asks you KLH, or kya lagta hai?

Plus, the OPM industry thrives on maintaining a constant buzz about investing. The key to their revenue lies in encouraging investors to stay perpetually activefrequently buying and selling stocks, regularly shifting asset allocations, and engaging in continuous portfolio adjustments. In essence, constant activity drives the OPM investment model.

(This leads me to a slightly different point. We live in an era where investors have turned those in the OPM business into mini-gods. But they forget to ask this: Did the OPM managers turn rich by making good investing calls? Or did they turn rich by getting investors to invest in their funds? These are two very different things. Also, whats the track record of OPM managers across different phases of the market? Do they only do well when the market is doing well? Or have they done well in lean periods as well? Are they able to protect capital when markets are falling? Of course, this is not to say there are no successful OPM managers out there. Not at all. There are. But most of them arent. They are glib and confident talkers who are primarily in the business of selling. They are not in the investing business.)



A mediocre investment approach like the 90/10 strategy doesnt really find much fandom amongst retail investors. It is more fun for them to chase performance. To constantly keep tinkering with investments. To constantly keep following what the OPM wallahs are saying.

An investment strategy as simple as 90/10, as easy as it sounds, is mentally difficult to adhere to over long periods. Ditto for asset allocation strategies where one may have a greater amount of money invested in fixed deposits, gold, etc., and a lesser proportion in stocks. Anyone who did not chase performance in the last few years has lost out. At least as of now.

When it comes to investing in stocks, its not the best businesses, the most well-run businesses, or the most profitable businesses that always give good returns over a period of time. Sometimes riffraff tends to do well. And avoiding that riffraff can come at a cost, at least for some time. The trouble is that no one knows how long that time will last. Which is why its just easier to go with the herd: Feel good when everyone else is. And feel bad when everyone else is.

In recent years, concentrated bets in what one may term riffraff stocks have delivered remarkable returns, making value investors who refrained from heavily investing in specific sectors or themes appear to have missed out on substantial potential gains.

But does that mean they were foolish in their investing approach? Not at all.

Diversification of investment is about preparing for a range of possibilities, prioritizing the return of capital over the return on capital. The absence of negative outcomes doesnt invalidate diversificationits a safeguard. If adverse scenarios had unfolded, diversified investors would have been better positioned.

In his book Graham calls such investors defensive investors. The defensive investor will place his chief emphasis on the avoidance of serious mistakes or losses. His second aim will be freedom from effort, annoyance and the need for making frequent decisions."

However, this prudent approach often goes unappreciated in times of soaring stock prices. We are in an era where companies with stagnant sales have seen their stock prices surge, and firms with little chance of profitability ride the waves of social media buzz to command sky-high valuations. As long as this trend persists, diversification, value investing and defensive investors may seem outdateduntil the tide inevitably turns.

Its all about playing probabilities and being ready for different situations that can possibly pan out because no one really knows for sure. Those who say they know for sure are usually pretending, if not lying, or lying without knowing so.

In the end, it is worth remembering what Buffett said in 2013:

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But as the old cliche attributed to the British economist John Maynard Keynes goes: In the long run we are all dead."
When prime minister Narasimha Rao handpicked Dr Manmohan Singh as finance minister in 1991, it was an audacious gamble. Here was a technocratsoft-spoken, unassuming and seemingly ill-suited to the cut-throat world of politics. But Raos instincts were correct. Facing a near-catastrophic balance-of-payments crisis, Singh unlocked India with reforms, dismantled decades-old red tape, and gave wings to the nations entrepreneurial spirit. His economic liberalization laid the foundation for modern India, his diplomacy expanded its global influence, and his integrity inspired trust in public life.

His 1991 Budget speech is now the stuff of legend: No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come." These words, delivered in his trademark monotone, masked the monumental shift they heralded. Dr. Singhs reforms opened India to global markets, attracting investments, boosting industries, and laying the groundwork for the IT revolution. Millions were lifted out of poverty, and Indias GDP growth began its ascent to global prominence.

Also read | Manmohan Singh, the leader who liberalized India

An economist of rare brilliance, a statesman of unshakable integrity, and a man of quiet yet unyielding resolve, Dr Singh leaves behind a legacy that defies the noisy rhetoric of politics. His life storyone of humble beginnings, transformative achievements and steadfast principlesmirrors the aspirations of a modern, self-assured India.

Coalition government

When Dr Singh became Indias prime minister in 2004, leading a coalition government, sceptics predicted he would be a figurehead. But his tenure proved otherwise. The India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, often cited as his crowning diplomatic achievement, showcased his ability to pursue bold, strategic decisions even when facing immense political resistance. The deal not only ended Indias nuclear isolation but also cemented its place on the global stage. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) was set up during his tenure as were many important pieces of legislation like the Right to Information Act.

Yet, Singh remained an unlikely hero. Despite his intellectual heft and historic achievements, he shunned theatrics. There were no grandstanding press conferences or fiery parliamentary speeches. A reluctant politician, as he liked to call himself, he navigated his roles with the same precision and patience that defined his scholarly pursuits. A journalist once quipped, Dr. Singhs idea of making a scene is adjusting his turban mid-sentence."

Also read | Manmohan Singh: The archetypical insider who guided India towards its economic potential

The long list of his achievements was interlaced with a fair share of criticism as well. His second term as prime minister was marred by corruption scandals involving coalition partners, prompting opposition leaders to derisively call him a silent spectator." Yet, in the face of these attacks, Singh maintained his characteristic composure, offering a memorable retort in Parliament: History will be kinder to me than the contemporary media."

A world apart

And history, indeed, is kinder. His understated charisma and incorruptibility set him apart in an era of polarizing rhetoric and personality-driven politics. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Singh wielded power with humility, valuing consensus over confrontation. In an age when shouting matches dominate public discourse, his quiet dignity serves as a reminder of a different kind of leadership.

I recall my first meeting with Dr Singh as Reserve Bank of India governor when he had come home for lunch at the invitation of my father. He was in his typical light blue turban, something that we picture instantly when we think of him. I then had the good fortune of meeting him several times in his various avatars as finance minister and prime minister. The couple of things that stood out was that he was a gentleman, very erudite, spoke quite softly and was amazingly thoughtful, and very loyal to the Gandhi family.

Also read | P. Chidambaram on Manmohan Singh: One journey ends, another continues

Most politicians have volumes of witty anecdotes that characterize their career. That is rare for Dr Singh, not because he lacked a sense of humour, but because he rarely sought the spotlight. One oft-recounted tale involves a journalist asking him about his perceived timidity in public. Singh, with a twinkle in his eye, replied, Yes, I am a politician who speaks less. But when I do, I try to make it count." His dry wit, understated yet incisive, often caught people off guard.

Theres also the story of how, during a state banquet, an international dignitary complimented him on his wifes culinary skills. Dr. Singh smiled and replied, I only wish she could teach me to cook up political consensus as easily."

Personal life

At home, Singh was a devoted husband to Gursharan Kaur and a doting father. His private life was marked by simplicity and discipline. A vegetarian teetotaller, he was known to begin his day with early morning walks and conclude it with classical Indian music.

As we mourn his passing, we celebrate a life that bridged the worlds of academia and politics, tradition and modernity, and humility and greatness. Dr Singh may no longer be with us, but his legacy endures in every Indian startup, every IT park, and every global partnership that carries the promise of a brighter future.

Dr Singhs life is a testament to the power of quiet convictionthe powerful sound of silence. In a world increasingly dominated by bluster, he stood out as a leader who spoke sparingly but acted decisively. In a final tribute to this remarkable man, let us remember his favourite words, borrowed from poet Guru Nanak: Nanak naam chardi kala, tere bhane sarbat da bhala. (With the name of Nanak, let there be prosperity for all)." It is a sentiment that defined his vision and, indeed, his life.

Harsh Goenka is chairman, RPG Enterprises.
For the past year and a half, senior Treasury officials have met with their Chinese counterparts almost once every other month. Whether an incoming Trump team will keep such channels of dialogue going is now up in the air.

President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump both advocate a tough stance on China, but have substantially different strategies on how to interact with Beijing.

Before Trump took office in early 2017, the two governments had over 90 official channels of communication. He and his team had little patience for such formalized communication, seeing them as a way for Chinas leaders to suck the U.S. into endless discussions that yielded little meaningful change in policies seen as harmful to American workers and businesses. By the end of Trumps first term, such channels had dwindled to virtually zero.

The Biden administration, in an effort to reset relations strained by the countries geopolitical rivalry and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, has re-established dialogue with Xi Jinpings government in recent years, with some two dozen high-level channels covering topics from economic and financial matters to security and climate change.

Jay Shambaugh, Treasurys undersecretary for international affairs who has held seven rounds of economic talks with Beijing, said such dialogues have enabled Washington to press Beijing on issues of deep concern to the U.S., such as Chinas industrial overcapacity, even as the administration this year has raised tariffs on Chinese steel, electric vehicles and other products that have flooded world markets.

Just because were talking doesnt mean we dont continue to take defensive actions," Shambaugh said in an interview.

A number of foreign-policy analysts in both the U.S. and China dont expect the coming Trump administration to keep the meetings the Biden team established going. Its hard to imagine the continuation of the present near-strategic and economic dialogue," Ian Bremmer, founder and president of political-risk consulting firm Eurasia, wrote in a recent note to clients.

In a statement, Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for Trumps transition team, said China is crippling our manufacturing industry" and listed a number of other Chinese actions seen as hurting U.S. interests. She said, The American people elected President Trump to stand up to China, enforce tariffs on Chinese goods, and make America strong again. He will deliver."

Beijing sees dialogue as always in its interest and prefers the predictability offered by a recurring mechanism.

Last year, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her counterpart, Chinas Vice Premier He Lifeng, who has a direct line to Xi, announced two channels for economic and financial dialogue, with topics including macroeconomic policies in both countries, Chinas economic support of Russia, and joint anti-money-laundering efforts aimed at reducing human and drug trafficking.

In recent months, Treasury officials have used the dialogue to build on Yellens warnings during her April visit to China that output by Chinas enormous manufacturing machine has gotten too large for the world to absorb.

Beijing has ramped up manufacturing capacity even as domestic demand plummets, sending its excess overseas and prompting many of Chinas trading partners to raise tariffs and other trade barriers to fend off cheap Chinese goods.

Shambaugh said his team has used the talks to explain to senior Chinese officials the large spillover as a result of your policies." He said Treasury officials have argued that it is in Chinas own interest to reduce excess capacity and to boost demand at home.

We dont think theyre moving far enough," Shambaugh said, while noting that Beijing recently listed consumption as an economic priority.

Shambaugh said the Treasury team has also used dialogue to express significant concerns over Chinese firms support of Russia.

The U.S. this year has been drafting sanctions that threaten to cut some Chinese banks off from the global financial systemthreats officials hope will stop Beijings commercial support of Russias military production.

View Full Image A worker checking a production line of high-end threads in a Chinese factory. China has ramped up manufacturing capacity even as domestic demand plummets. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Our Chinese counterparts recognize that processing of financial transactions would be an area of very serious sanctions risks for their financial institutions," Shambaugh said. We still have lots of concerns and weve continued to use the channel for dialogue to push on that."

He said he is hopeful the incoming administration will continue this form of contact to make progress on defending U.S. firms and workers from Chinese policies that we think have spillover to the U.S."

Brent Neiman, the senior Treasury official who leads the departments financial dialogue with Beijing, said the channel has enabled experts from several agencies, including the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., to conduct deep dives" on issues such as how to protect global financial stability if an important bank were to get into trouble in either country.

Ahead of Trumps return to the White House, Chinese officials have repeatedly tried and failed to get access to Trumps inner circle.

With virtually no backchanneling between Beijing and the Trump team, the Chinese leadership is trying to figure out whether Trump 2.0 intends to use tariffs as a way to negotiate a trade deal with Beijing, or to move the U.S. economy further away from Chinas.

Beijing has little experience with or appetite for thinking outside the box when it comes to interacting with Washington. Chinese officials like to stick to established protocol to minimize political risks for the leadership.

While Trump recently broke with precedent by inviting Xi to his inauguration next month, for instance, the Chinese leader isnt planning to attend even though some observers say his acceptance of the invitation could help ease bilateral tensions.

One person familiar with the matter said people from the Trump team have indicated to the Chinese side that they would like to interact directly with Xis top aidesparticularly Cai Qi, the leaders chief of staffas opposed to going through the formal diplomatic channels. Such a proposition is a sharp departure from established ways of interacting, and one Beijing isnt ready to accept.

Dont they know how China works?" the person said.

Write to Lingling Wei at Lingling.Wei@wsj.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a 105 million euro sovereign loan to Serbia to finance the construction of a cutting-edge solar-thermal power plant in Novi Sad, Trend reports.

The project, part of Serbias broader efforts to decarbonize its energy sector, will be co-financed by a 21 million euro investment grant and 3 million euro in technical assistance from the EU and other donors through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

The plant, operated by Novosadska Toplana Novi Sad, will feature advanced technologies, including 38,600 m of solar collectors, a 17 MW heat pump, and a 60 MW electric boiler. This facility is expected to produce over 118,000 MWh of renewable heat annually, reducing natural gas consumption by 29% and cutting CO2 emissions by 17,350 tons per year.

This project is groundbreaking, not only for Serbia but internationally, said Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Head for the Western Balkans. It supports cleaner, more affordable energy and enhances Serbias electricity grid stability while improving air quality.

The initiative aligns with Novi Sads Green City Action Plan, a framework for tackling environmental challenges and promoting sustainable investments. Serbias First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Sinisa Mali, emphasized the nations commitment to clean energy: Responsible investment in renewable energy is key to our future. This project is a milestone in Serbias journey toward decarbonization and energy efficiency.

Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka edovic Handanovic highlighted the innovative aspects of the plant: By integrating solar collectors, a heat pump utilizing the Danubes energy, and an electric boiler, this project sets a benchmark for other cities in Serbia to follow.

The EBRDs support for Serbia underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable economic development. With this loan, the Banks investments in Serbia in 2024 have exceeded 800 million euros, reinforcing its role as a pivotal partner in the countrys green transition.
A woman who defrauded another person by telling them she would cast a spell to bring good fortune was fined 250 at Longford District Court.

Zaneta Adamajtys (38) with a charge sheet address of 4A Oliver Plunkett House, Oliver Plunkett Road, Letterkenny, Donegal, which was changed to Altevan House, Portnoo Donegal at the court sitting, was facing two charges.

The charges against Ms Adamajtys were that on November 21, 2023 at Homesavers, the N4Axis Centre, Battery Road, Longford she stole detergent and perfumes to the value of 50 contrary to section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The second was that on the same date at Main Street, Ballymahon, she dishonestly by deception induced Alcia Stasiowska to give her 140 to read her fortune.

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In outlining the evidence against the defendant Sergeant Mark Mahon said Ms Adamajtys took perfume and detergent from Homesavers in Longford town and passed all points of purchase without paying.

Sgt Mahon said none of the items were recovered.

Outlining details of the second offence Sgt Mahon said it happened in Ballymahon.

The defendant told the injured party she could cast a spell to bring good fortune and induced her to pay 140.

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The court heard Ms Adamajtys had eight previous convictions for theft.

Earlier this year the defendant was given a suspended sentence following a spate of thefts in Donegal at Letterkenny District Court.

Solicitor Fiona Baxter said her client is originally from Poland and has been living in Ireland for 15 years.

Ms Baxter said the defendant has a largely unblemished record until recently.

The mother of four became homeless when her landlord put the house she was renting up for sale.

Ms Adamajtys has had a number of mental health issues and suffers from anxiety, but is now getting medical treatment.

The defendant had 200 in court to pay to the injured parties. Ms Baxter said: She wants to apologise and give an undertaking she will never come back before court.

Taking the facts of the case into consideration Judge Owens imposed a fine of 250.
Three men charged in connection with an incident of violent disorder widely shared on social media will return before Longford District Court early in the New Year.



David Joyce (29) of 5 Palace Crescent Ardnacassa, John Keenan (31) of 37 Palace Crescent, Longford and Martin Keenan (34) 81 Ard Na Cassa Avenue Longford were before Judge Bernadette Owens in respect of the charges.



The DPP has yet to decide how to proceed with charges against the defendants, who are alleged to be involved in a violent incident that took place on a busy morning outside a school.



Two defendants, John Keenan and David Joyce, were previously denied bail following applications at Longford District Court, while Martin Keenan has not made a bail application.

READ NEXT: PICTURES | Lovely Christmas concert and carol service at Longford's St Mel's College



Sergeant Mark Mahon told the judge the investigation team has made progress on the matter, but the file has not yet been forwarded to the DPP.



John Keenan, who appeared by videolink, was charged with violent disorder production of an article and assault.



Mr Joyce's solicitor, Fiona Baxter, said her client has been in custody since October and asked the judge to consider making the next appearance 'peremptory', meaning if the State has not progressed the matter it will be struck out.



Judge Bernadette Owens said that it was not at that stage yet, but did mark 'time passing'.

READ NEXT: Tribute: Legendary Longford shop owner John Joe Pettit had all the time in the world for his customers



When asked if he consented to have the matter adjourned to January 14 next Mr Joyce replied: I'm going nowhere.



David Joyce, who also appeared via videolink, is charged with production of an article, a shovel, while committing violent disorder and assault at Deanscurragh, Longford at 9:30am on Thursday, October 10, 2024.



Mr Joyce also consented to have the matter adjourned to January 14, but expressed the wish to have the matter moved forward on that date.



Martin Keenan, who is charged with the production of an article, a shovel, while committing violent disorder and assault in respect of the incident on October 10 also appeared via videolink.



Remanding Mr Keenan in custody to return before the judge on January 14 next for DPP direction, Judge Owens said she expected progress on that date.

Time passing was marked on the charges against all three defendants.
The Arab League Hall in Cairo, Egypt.

The League of Arab States, based in Cairo and comprising 22 nations, issued a pointed rebuke of Irans ambitions in Syria on December 26, stating, The Arab League rejects the recent Iranian statements aimed at inciting strife among the Syrian people. This declaration underscores a broader shift: the Islamic Republic is steadily losing its foothold in a region where it has invested heavilyfinancially and militarilyfor decades.

Syria: From ally to adversary

The Arab Leagues statement aligns with the position of Syrias new leadership under Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammad al Jolani, now known as Ahmad al Sharaa. Jolani previously accused Iran of fostering sectarianism and exacerbating corruption in Syria. On December 24, Syrias new foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al Shibani, urged Tehran to respect Syrias sovereignty and cease inciting discord, warning, We hold them accountable for the repercussions of the latest remarks.

Recent escalations, reportedly initiated by pro-Assad militias, have provided Damascuss new authorities an opportunity to challenge Iranian influence. In the aftermath of the clashes, key figures associated with the Assad regime were detained for resisting disarmament. Among them was Fakhri Darwish, head of the Aleppo office of the Tehran-backed Al Quds Brigade militia.

Shifting dynamics in Iraq

This trend extends to Iraq, where Iran is also encountering resistance. On December 23, a leader of the Iran-backed al Nujaba militia, designated as a terrorist group by the US, disclosed to Lebanons Al Akhbar that factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) had agreed to halt attacks on Israel and would remain silent regarding Syria. This arrangement, brokered with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudanianother figure with ties to Tehransignals a recalibration of Irans regional strategy in light of Assads fall.

In another setback for Tehran, Sudani reshuffled his cabinet to reduce Iranian influence in Iraqs security apparatus. For instance, Abdul Karim Abd Fadhil, an appointee with close ties to Iranian intelligence, was replaced as head of the Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) on December 19. His successor, Hamid al Shatri, met with Syrias new leadership on December 26, suggesting that Sudani is prioritizing closer ties with Damascus while distancing his administration from Iranian control.

Potential fallout in Yemen

Despite these setbacks, Iran has not abandoned its regional ambitions. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have vowed to reclaim lost influence in Syria while also pursuing new methods of smuggling arms into Lebanon. However, Irans diminishing leverage has left its proxies vulnerable, with the Houthis in Yemen potentially next in line for their adversaries attention.

While the Tehran-backed Houthi group continues to threaten attacks against Israel and the US, it faces mounting pressure. On December 26, Israeli strikes targeted Houthi-controlled airports and ports used as logistical hubs. The following day, a US-manufactured Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system intercepted a Houthi missile following US strikes on December 21.

Irans attempts to retaliate have largely faltered. Israeli forces have neutralized Iranian missile stockpiles and air defense systems in response to Tehrans missile attacks. The regimes lack of response to Israeli strikes has even drawn criticism domestically, with a senior official admitting that Irans military is being ridiculed for its inaction.

With Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad deposed, Hezbollah weakened, and Iraqi militias deterred, the Houthis may soon find themselves the primary target of an intensified Israeli campaign. Irans regional strategy appears increasingly fragmented, with its ambitions meeting escalating resistance across the Arab world.

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.
Photo: Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control State Service under the Ministry of Economy the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. A total of 72,406 certificates of origin have been issued in Azerbaijan for the period from January through November 2024, Trend reports via State Service for Antimonopoly Regulation and Consumer Market Control under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan of Azerbaijan.

According to the information, this figure signifies an increase of 10.3 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2023.

To note, the certificate of origin is a document issued by the authorized body of the exporting country and confirming the country of origin of goods.
In a public safety milestone, Boston slashed its 2024 homicide rate to 24 killings, positioning itself as one of the safest major cities in the nation, according to officials.

There were 37 homicides in the city in 2023, 40 each in 2022 and 2021 and 56 in 2020, Boston Police Department statistics showed.

In the entire time that Ive been a police officer  the city has never been safer, period, when it comes to crime and particularly violent crime, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said during a Friday afternoon press conference at Boston Police Headquarters.

Cox added the 24 homicides in 2024 appears to be the lowest since 1957, and is by far the lowest  since the data began tracking reliably in 2007.

In addition to the 33% decline in homicides citywide since 2023, gunfire incidents have decreased by 14%. Violent crime overall dropped by 2%, said Cox. And arrests have been made in over 50% of homicide cases, he said.

This is about saving lives, and that is maybe the most important investment of all, Mayor Michelle Wu said during the press conference.

And while not all crime rates dropped as significantly  such as aggravated assaults and shoplifting, each of which respectively rose by 3% and 30% over the year  the officials emphasized collaboration.

Today is not a victory lap, but a report out and a reflection of the type of results we see when we all understand communities collective responsibility, she said.

The officials attributed the advancements in public safety to partnerships across leadership, including the citys police recruitment and retention, community-coordinated efforts with city and local organizations and improved communication within departments on crime statistics.

Boston crime reduction efforts

Wu outlined several public safety efforts in the city since April 2022, when Boston conducted a national, expert-led violence reduction workshop with city department officials, the district attorneys office and multiple community partners.

The workshop lasted several days as a dedicated focus to bring everyone in the violence prevention space together, Wu said. At its conclusion, a goal was set to drive down homicide rates by 20% over the next three years.

We, of course, met that goal within the next year and have surpassed it again year after year, Wu said.

There has been a now regular focus of looking at crime data, Wu said, through weekly incident review meetings led by Issac Yablo, senior mayoral advisor for Community Safety. This has been paramount in bringing down crime rates, Wu said.

We all come together and talk about what happened, how we can do better, and how our intervention strategy should be shaped and crafted based on what happened, Yablo said during the press conference.

We dont go into any solution-based conversation without the most up-to-date understanding of what the problems are, where they lie and who is most likely to be impacted, he said.

The mayor and Yablo gave examples of work the community has done to support that goal. This included clarity across city departments and within its community partnerships, especially in safety programs for young people and adjustments to the police academy.

More than 10,000 young people in the city held a paid summer job this year after a guarantee of jobs for all Boston Public School students, Wu said. She mentioned expanded programs geared toward youth like the return of weekly safety meetings and community-based activities at multiple times of the day.

Wu also noted the Boston Police Academy and how its had the largest academy classes that Boston has seen over the last several years in a row. The mayor said it was a sign of the investments made toward improved officer wellness, negotiated contracts and the city creating a lifestyle that is sustainable for officers.

Murder Triangle a stereotype

The Boston officials rejected the notion that homicides are concentrated in the so-called murder triangle, or a select few city neighborhoods that are said to have higher crime rates, calling it a stereotype.

The term murder triangle for the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park and the South End was coined earlier this month by the Rev. Kevin Peterson during an interview with Boston 25.

Peterson is a Boston activist and founder of the New Democracy Coalition, a nonprofit focused on civic life and democracy through public participation and engagement.

As the murder rate goes down, we still find a disproportionate amount of murders located in what we call the murder triangle, Peterson told the outlet on Dec. 6.

Ive lived in two of those areas, Cox said during the press conference, and Ive never called it that.

That being said, traditionally  areas where [theres] probably the most poverty or underlying issues, you probably have some correlation with some of the violence, Cox continued.

But, I think its pretty remarkable  [that] the number of homicides weve had in the city up to this point is so tremendously lower than any other time, he said.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (center) and Boston's Senior Advisor for Community Safety Issac Yablo (center right) at a press conference on the city's homicide rates on Dec. 27, 2024. Photo by Irene RotondoIrene Rotondo

Peterson did not cite data on the specific homicide rates for the neighborhoods he described but told Boston 25 he hopes to see the murder rate plummet in the triangle just as it has in more affluent, white neighborhoods.

And while Boston officials gave crime statistics for the city as a whole on Friday, rather than neighborhood-by-neighborhood numbers, they were quick to strike down assigning a name like murder triangle to that part of the city.

Residents dont refer to it as the murder triangle, nor should they  Dorchester, Roxbury [and] Mattapan produce much more positive than they do negative, Yablo said.

Wu shared similar sentiments and asked the media to help push back against stereotypes that diminish the scale and effort of residents  making their neighborhoods livable and beautiful and safe and welcoming.

We know that breaking these cycles of violence and trauma and poverty is really important, and that takes all of us, but it also takes all of us recognizing the full scale of good that is happening, Wu said.

Challenges and looking ahead

While the low crime rate statistics are an achievement for Boston, the issue of how to sustain the low homicide rates will continue to be a challenge  especially in the summer months, when violence tends to spike.

In January, well start all over again trying to get to zero, said Cox. But with the recent statistics, he was confident in his police department continuing to work hard and in the ability of the citys current leadership to continue being as efficient as possible, he said.

And while Yablo said planning starts now for crimes in the summer months, Wu noted there is no blanket approach to everything. Each homicide case requires a different type of strategy in cases anywhere from gang-related activity, to young people being involved or for domestic violence, Wu said.

Having specific strategies and knowing within that number what the driving causes are, even in specific case-by-case situations, is really important to trying to continue dragging [the homicide rate] down further, Wu said.

The mayor called the move to reduce homicide rates in the city an all-hands-on-deck effort and the most important investment to stop the systemic cycle of violence.

When we do well at keeping violent crime down, we do well at everything else, Wu said.
A new mother and her two newborn babies were all taken off life support Friday night after fighting for their lives in the hospital the past two weeks.

Ciara Sullivan, of Rutland, the wife of Rutland firefighter Patrick Sullivan, and their almost-2-week-old twin babies were taken off life support, according to the husbands Facebook post.

Tonight has been horrible. James Michael and Elizabeth Joanne passed quietly and peacefully with their mother, Ciara Joanne, Sullivan posted Saturday morning. I cant explain the total and utter devastation, anger, rage and loss I feel that this unnecessary tragedy has brought me.

Sullivan added that he felt truly blessed by the amount of outpouring support he has received, including from the Rutland Fire Department.

The chief [Seth Knipe] of the department regrets to announce the sudden passing of firefighter Patrick Sullivans wife, Ciara, age 30, along with their 11-day-old twins, James and Elizabeth, the Rutland Fire Department posted Saturday morning. Ciara was a dedicated public servant, having previously worked as a 911 dispatcher and currently serving as an emergency management specialist for FEMA.

Sullivan was hospitalized on Dec. 16 after suffering a medical emergency, according to Rutland Regional Emergency Communication, which has posted updates on its Facebook page about the Sullivan family the past two weeks.

The Sullivans were eagerly anticipating the arrival of their twins and the joy of becoming first-time parents, one of the posts read.

Sullivan was taken to the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she was intubated, according to a fundraiser collecting money to support the family. Her twins were delivered prematurely through an emergency C-section and were on ventilators.

Patrick Sullivan spoke with Boston 25 News from the hospital Thursday night, saying that after two weeks, the prognosis is not good.

Sullivan has served Rutland as a dispatch supervisor and firefighter/EMT for more than 13 years, according to a Rutland Regional Emergency Communication Facebook post.

A fundraiser, organized by the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Foundation, raised more than $74,000 as of Saturday morning, far surpassing its initial $5,000 goal.

A photo of Rutland firefighter Patrick Sullivan and his wife, Ciara, is displayed on a table during a vigil held Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 at the Rutland Town Common in support of the family.Photo courtesy Rutland Regional Emergency Communication Center

People gathered in Rutland for a vigil at the town common Thursday night to support Patrick and his family.

A few hours after the vigil Thursday night, the Rutland Fire Department updated the community via Facebook with devastating news.

Our hearts are shattered as we share the heartbreaking news that Ciara and babies will be taken off life support Friday, the fire department wrote in the post. Please keep Pat and the entire family in your prayers during this unimaginably difficult time ... PAT, BUDDY, WE LOVE YOU AND WE STAND WITH YOU.

People can donate to the familys fundraiser here.
After a lengthy ankle injury, Caedan Wallace might be ready to return on Saturday.

The Patriots activated the rookie tackle off injured reserve on Friday afternoon. Wallace had been sidelined since suffering the injury way back in Week 4 at San Francisco, but with Demontrey Jacobs struggling at right tackle, theres a chance he could wind up in the starting lineup against the Chargers. Placed on injured reserve Oct. 4, Wallace missed 10 weeks of practice before getting back out there earlier this month.

Really excited, Wallace said of returning to the practice field. Its been a long journey. Glad I can come back and get back after it again. I definitely wanted to come back and I was optimistic I could come back but I knew I had to put in a lot of work. I really focused on my treatment and my recovery these past few weeks and Im ready to go.

The offensive line could have a different look beyond just right tackle, as the Patriots downgraded starting center Ben Brown to out on Friday. Hes in the concussion protocol and could be replaced by either Cole Strange or Lecitus Smith. Strange was added to the active roster last weekend, but only played a few snaps on special teams against the Bills.

Wallace wasnt the only roster move on Friday, as the Patriots also placed electric punt returner Marcus Jones on injured reserve. His season is over. New England elevated veteran wideout Alex Erickson from the practice squad to take his place for a second straight week, as well as linebacker Monty Rice.
SPRINGFIELD  Massachusetts ranks among the top 10 states for wrongful convictions, with inmates serving an average of 25 years behind bars before being exonerated, according to data.

The Bay State ranks ninth for wrongful convictions, according to statistics highlighted by the Omega Law Group of Beverly Hills, California, and based on data collected by the National Registry of Exonerations, a scholarly group.
Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 11th Edition of their annual conference, Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, under the patronage of The President of Tanzania, and in partnership with the Government of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

The conference was officially inaugurated by H.E. Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, The President of the United Republic of Tanzania together with Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, along with First Ladies of 15 Countries, who joined as the Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers.

H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi

H.E. Dr. DEBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde

H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic

H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo

H.E. Madam ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, The First Lady of the Gabonese Republic

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia

H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana

H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO, The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya

H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia

H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi

H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives

H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRAO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique

H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe

H.E Mrs. MARIAM MWINYI, The First Lady of Zanzibar

H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe

Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, 

I am very proud to conduct Merck Foundation Africa First Ladies Initiatives MFFLI, together with our Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of 15 African and Asian Countries, who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother. I extend a special welcome to the new members joining our platform. Together we discussed the impact of our programs and the 2025 strategy to build healthcare capacity and raise awareness on a wide range of sensitive and critical social issues like Breaking Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage & FGM, Stopping GBV, Women Empowerment, and important health issues like Diabetes and Hypertension Awareness.

I was delighted to hear from the First Ladies of Africa about their experiences and the impactful stories from their respective countries. Their achievements are an important part of celebrating our success, Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees emphasized.

The President of United Republic of Tanzania, H.E Dr. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN emphasized

I am delighted to host this prestigious conference in Tanzania. It is a great honor to inaugurate the conference alongside the First Ladies of Africa and Asia. I deeply appreciate the programs of Merck Foundation that are building healthcare capacity, breaking infertility stigma, and supporting girl education.

Merck Foundation has provided more than 2080 scholarships to young doctors from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.

Merck Foundations partnership with the First Ladies has been crucial in achieving this milestone of transforming the patient care landscape and leading Africa and Asia toward a better, healthier, and stronger future, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized.

During the Inauguration Session of the Luminary, the First Ladies delivered their keynote speeches to share the impact of their partnership journey with Merck Foundation.

H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi expressed,

I am very happy with the remarkable achievements we have accomplished together through our enduring partnership with the Merck Foundation. They have been on the forefront to provide training to our local doctors and have provided 55 scholarships to our young Burundian doctors in many critical and underserved specialties. I am pleased to share that one of the graduates of the Merck Foundation Diabetes Master course has established Burundis First Diabetes center that I visited myself. Moreover, last year, we inaugurated Burundis first public IVF center, and Merck Foundation provided training for our Fertility Specialists, Embryologists, and Technicians, making them Burundis first local experts in fertility care. These are great achievements and tangible outcomes of our partnership. Moreover, we have also provided scholarships to 40 talented underprivileged girls, enabling them to continue their education until they graduate. This is a very important initiative to empower our girls through education.

H.E. Dr. DEBORA KATISA CARVALHO, The First Lady of the Republic of Cabo Verde shared,

I take great pride in my role as the Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother campaign to empower infertile women through access to information, education, change of mindset. I am committed to supporting girls education as I believe it is a fundamental pillar for womens empowerment. Hence, as a part of Educating Linda program, we have sponsored the education of 40 top-performing girls in secondary school until they graduate. Our partnership that started in 2023 has been remarkable so far, however, I look forward to achieving even more in the coming years.

H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic expressed,

I deeply value our partnership with Merck Foundation that began in 2015. It has been a journey of shared vision and commitment towards advancing healthcare capacity, breaking infertility stigma, empowering infertile and childless women, and supporting girl education. We started with Merck Foundation More than a Mothers important project Empowering Berna, where we established small businesses for infertile women and trained them to run their businesses so they can have income, become independent and have a purposeful life. It was the first time that we thought about infertile women in our country. Also, through Education Linda program, we are providing scholarships to 40 underprivileged schoolgirls to their education till they graduate. Moreover, we have provided several scholarships to our doctors for Oncology and Diabetes.

H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo stated,

I deeply appreciate Merck Foundations commitment to advancing healthcare capacity to enhance access to quality and equitable healthcare for our nations people. Together we have provided 95 scholarships to our young local doctors in the fields of Fertility, Diabetes and Oncology. Additionally, we are sponsoring the education of 40 underprivileged but best performing girls, enabling them to continue their education till they graduate as a part of Educating Linda Program. I regard this highly as educated girls contribute to a skilled workforce that drives the countrys economic growth.

H.E. Madam ZITA OLIGUI NGUEMA, The First Lady of the Gabonese Republic stated,

I am very honored to be a part of this prestigious platform. Merck Foundation CEO gave me a detailed summary of their programs to build healthcare capacity, empower girls in education, and break the infertility stigma. At present, Merck Foundation has provided three scholarships to our doctors for Oncology and Diabetes Care. I am excited to scale up this program and initiate all other programs in my country very soon.

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia expressed,

My partnership with Merck Foundation started in 2017, and we have achieved significant milestones together. We have provided 84 scholarships to young Gambian doctors in many critical and underserved specialties. This is a significant number given our countrys small size, population, and limited number of healthcare providers. We are also working on various initiatives to raise awareness about critical social and health issues. Together we are also supporting the education of 40 Gambian schoolgirls until they graduate. I believe that education is a fundamental right for every girl, hence, I value and appreciate the Educating Linda program.

H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana stated,

I am very proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided 189 scholarships in medical specialties, which are all very critical to us, for our local doctors who will be the future healthcare experts of our country. This is a significant achievement for us, and we take great pride in it. As the Ambassador of More Than a Mother, I truly support and appreciate this historic campaign that aims to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, education, change of mindset and raise awareness about various social and health issues. I am also happy to share that through Merck Foundation Awards, we have celebrated more than 100 winners till now and hope to continue celebrating many more winners. Moreover, we are supporting the education of 20 deserving Ghanaian schoolgirls to cover their educational expense until they graduate.

H.E. Mrs. RACHEL RUTO, The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya shared,

As a new member of this platform, I am very impressed with all the achievements and programs to build healthcare capacity, break the infertility stigma and raise awareness on sensitive social and health issues. Until today, Merck Foundation has provided 210 scholarships to our local Kenyan doctors in 40 underserved medical specialties like Oncology, Diabetes, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Cardiology and Endocrinology, Fertility, Embryology, Dermatology, Neonatal Medicine and more. I sincerely thank and appreciate Merck Foundation, and look forward to creating a lasting, positive change together across our beautiful continent.

H.E. Mrs. KARTUMU YARTA BOAKAI, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia emphasized,

As a new member of this distinguished platform, I look forward to working closely with Merck Foundation and I am very proud to be appointed as the Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother campaign, to empower infertile women through access to information, education, change of mindset, and support Girl Education. Till today, 47 scholarships have been provided to our doctors from different provinces across Liberia in specialties like Fertility, Embryology, Sexual and Reproductive Care, Oncology, Diabetes and more. I am also pleased to share that our Minister of Health is one of Merck Foundation Alumni therefore, we are confident of the success of these programs to realize the best impact in transforming our patient care landscape in Liberia. I am also pleased to share about  Educating Linda  program, through which we are providing scholarships to 20 deserving but underprivileged schoolgirls until they graduate.

H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi expressed,

Our journey with Merck Foundation began in 2020, and I am proud to say that our partnership has continued to grow stronger each year. Together, we have embarked on several initiatives aimed at transforming the lives of people in Malawi and beyond. As part of Merck Foundation Educating Linda program, we have sponsored the education of 60 best-performing girls in their secondary schools till they graduate. I am very happy with this program as its a big milestone for our young Malawian girls. Moreover, we have provided more than 48 scholarships of one year diploma and two-year master degree to young Malawian doctors in critical medical specialties.

H.E. Mrs. SAJIDHA MOHAMED, The First Lady of the Republic of Maldives stated, 

I am thoroughly impressed with the efficient and impactful programs of Merck Foundation. Hearing from my fellow First Ladies about the milestones they have achieved in their respective countries, in partnership with the Merck Foundation, is truly inspiring. It only motivates me to initiate these programs in my own country very soon. We have already shared a list of doctors with the Merck Foundation CEO, and we will soon be enrolling our doctors in the fertility training programs, as a starting point. We also plan to enrol our doctors in other specialties, further underscoring our partnership with the Merck Foundation to enhance healthcare capacity in the Maldives.

H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRAO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique shared,

I am proud to share that through our partnership with Merck Foundation, we are strengthening healthcare capacity in my country. We have so far provided 16 scholarships to our Mozambican medical graduates, of which 14 scholarships have been provided for the Diabetes Master course, especially developed in the Portuguese language. These scholarships are very critical for us since in Mozambique as per the available data, there are more than 86% cases of undiagnosed diabetes. Moreover, as a part of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother campaign, we organized Online Health Media Training for our journalists to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence our society to raise awareness on a wide range of social and health issues. The training session benefitted many of our journalists.

H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe shared,

I am excited to share that we have initiated Merck Foundation scholarship program in my country, by successfully providing several scholarships for our local experts in Oncology and Diabetes Care. Moreover, we have started implementing the community awareness programs, that are crucial for breaking the stigma surrounding infertility and tackling other critical social and health issues, such as supporting girls education, ending child marriage and FGM, combating gender-based violence, and raising awareness about diabetes and hypertension. We will continue scaling up these programs.

H.E. Amai Dr. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe expressed,

We have a long-standing partnership with Merck Foundation since 2019, and we have been able to provide 122 scholarships to young Zimbabwean doctors in many critical and underserved specialties including Fertility & Embryology, Oncology, Diabetes, Preventive Cardiovascular, Endocrinology, Sexual & Reproductive Care, Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, and Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Neonatal Care, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Emergency Pediatric, Orthopedic Trauma and more. This is for the first time in Zimbabwe that we work on such an impactful program, it is history in the making. Additionally, through Educating Linda program to support girl education, we have provided scholarships to 40 schoolgirls to complete their education by covering their tuition fees, till they graduate.

H.E. Mrs. MARIAM MWINYI, The First Lady of Zanzibar shared,
TuranBank has signed a credit agreement with the ECO Trade and Development Bank to expand the financing of international trade transactions. This strategic initiative aims to support international trade and broaden the financial opportunities for entrepreneurs across all regions of Azerbaijan.

The funds raised will enable TuranBank to enhance import-export operations primarily between ETDB member countries and others, and provide support for its clients' trade transactions.

The bank is confident that this agreement will further stimulate import-export activities in Azerbaijan by offering competitive financial tools and contributing to the overall economic development of the country Orkhan Garayev stated.

This agreement with ECO Trade and Development Bank is the fourth of its kind. In previous years, TuranBank has also secured financial resources from this institution to finance small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and trade activities.

The ECO Trade and Development Bank, of which Azerbaijan is a member, supports sustainable economic development and regional integration by meeting the financial needs of various sectors in the region's countries.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 28. A comprehensive and objective investigation of the plane crash near Aktau must be ensured, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a meeting on the crash today, Trend reports via the presidential administration's statement.

"The head of state instructed the Government Commission to provide all necessary medical and psychological assistance to the foreign citizens affected, as well as to pay special attention to the families of the deceased citizens of Kazakhstan. The Government Commission and the General Prosecutor's Office, in cooperation with other authorized bodies, have been tasked with ensuring a thorough and impartial investigation into the plane crash," the statement said.

In addition, Tokayev emphasized that emergency services acted in a coordinated and timely manner at the time of the disaster.

"We managed to prevent much more serious consequences from the crash and save many lives. The rescue operations were conducted at high levels. Comprehensive information about the incident was promptly communicated to the public. Our citizens immediately extended a helping hand to the victims, showing solidarity, genuine compassion, and organization. People stood in line to donate blood," said the president.

The tragedy occurred on December 25, when an Embraer 190 plane operated by AZAL, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed just 3 kilometers from Aktau Airport.

The Embraer 190 was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members.

In the aftermath of the crash, 27 people were hospitalized. Among them, 15 are citizens of Azerbaijan, eight are from Russia, and three are from Kyrgyzstan. The identity of one individual remains unknown.

Of those hospitalized, 11 are being treated in intensive care, 13 in the trauma ward, two in the neurosurgery ward, and one in the surgical ward. They are under the care of experienced doctors from Kazakhstan, as well as specialists sent from Azerbaijan and Russia. All patients have received prompt and specialized medical and psychological support.

The crash claimed the lives of both pilots and a flight attendant. Two other crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were transported to Azerbaijan.

The black box of the plane has already been found, and procedures for its analysis are being carried out per the international aviation conventions. An investigation into the causes of the disaster is currently underway. Final conclusions will be made after completion of all necessary research and data analysis.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Delhi High Court urges DMC to improve patient access to doctors' qualifications, following complaints of inaccessible or incorrect information in hospitals.



Delhi High Court takes action to ensure hospitals disclose doctors' qualifications after patient complaints. #patientrights #delhihighcourt #medindia 

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Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) to make a report on patients' access to doctors' medical qualifications and suggest appropriate measures to improve them.The court stated that it is important for a patient who is approached by a doctor or who approaches a doctor for medical treatment to access their qualification to confirm that they practice medicine.Many patients dont find the medical qualifications of a doctor as hospitals do not provide the registration number of their doctors either on their website or in the hospital.Patients have complained to DMC that the hospitals refuse or provide wrong information about the doctors qualifications. A public interest petition was filed in the Delhi High Court last year to verify the medical qualifications and educational certificates of all doctors practicing in Delhi.The petition requested that it should be mandatory for the doctors to display their registration number, photo identity card, and certificates of their qualifications. It also had a formal declaration for doctors to practice a particular specialty.Nearly 70,000 doctors are registered with DMC. However, the registration number alone can not validate them because two doctors can have the same registration number.There are two categories in the Verification of Docotrs Registration on the DMC website. They are Fresh Registration and Re-Registration. The same number can different doctors in the two categories.Since hospitals and nursing homes do not provide the registration numbers, it is difficult for the patients to search with the doctors name. In the Search Your Doctor link on the website, a search with a doctors name provides a list of doctors with similar names making it difficult for the patient to access the data.Himanshu Singhal, father of a two-and-a-half-year-old child who died due to medical negligence was a part of the petition. He mentioned in the petition that he requested the DMC in January 2021 to provide the qualification details of the treating doctor. But the council asked him to provide detailed particulars of the doctor like his fathers name, his address, and specialty.When he requested again in March 2021, the DMC provided him with the details of another doctor with the same name. Singhal was asked to apply again to the DMC for more information. He kept applying till March 2023 but his request was closed in April 2023 as the identities provided by Singhal could not be ascertained.However, the DMC was able to provide the information of the doctor within two weeks after Singhals public interest litigation (PIL) to the Delhi High Court.Source-Medindia
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 28. Representatives of the Brazilian Center for Investigation and Prevention of Air Accidents (CENIPA) have arrived in Kazakhstan to investigate the AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) plane crash in Aktau, Trend reports via the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.

"On December 28, the authorized investigators from CENIPA arrived in the city of Aktau. A meeting was held at the headquarters of the investigation commission, where joint tasks at the site of the aviation incident were outlined," the ministry said.

To note, CENIPA is the authorized body for investigating accidents in civil aviation.

The tragedy occurred on December 25, when an Embraer 190 plane operated by AZAL, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed just 3 kilometers from Aktau Airport.

The Embraer 190 was carrying 67 people, including 62 passengers and five crew members.

In the aftermath of the crash, 27 people were hospitalized. Among them, 15 are citizens of Azerbaijan, eight are from Russia, and three are from Kyrgyzstan. The identity of one individual remains unknown.

Of those hospitalized, 11 are being treated in intensive care, 13 in the trauma ward, two in the neurosurgery ward, and one in the surgical ward. They are under the care of experienced doctors from Kazakhstan, as well as specialists sent from Azerbaijan and Russia. All patients have received prompt and specialized medical and psychological support.

The crash claimed the lives of both pilots and a flight attendant. Two other crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were transported to Azerbaijan.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  Israel's army detained the director of one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza as overnight strikes in the enclave killed nine people including children, Palestinian medical officials said, while sirens rang out across Israel.

Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested by Israeli forces. The announcement comes a day after Israeli troops stormed the hospital, forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, according to the ministry.

Israels army didnt respond to questions about Dr. Abu Safiya. On Friday, it denied claims it had entered or set fire to the complex and said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital.

It repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan Hospital but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that.

Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods. The ministry said a strike on the hospital earlier this week killed five medical personnel.

Israels nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives has devastated Gazas health sector. The war has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, more than half women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Dr. Abu Safiya was detained Friday along with dozens of other staff from the hospital and taken to an interrogation center, the ministry said.

On Friday, MedGlobal, the humanitarian organization where Dr. Abu Safiya worked, said he was a lead physician for the group and was gravely concerned about him. The group said the incident follows the October detention of five other of its staff, calling it an alarming and egregious pattern of targeting medical personnel and spaces."

Since October, Israels offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the militants' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which they killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead.

On Saturday, Israel continued attacks across Gaza. An overnight strike killed at least nine people in Maghazi, including women and children, according to an Associated Press reporter who saw the bodies and staff at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital where they were taken.

Israel said its troops had also begun operating in the northern city of Beit Hanoun, following intelligence that fighters and Hamas infrastructure were in the area.

Strikes also continued into Israel. Early Saturday morning, air raid sirens once again awoke Israelis and the military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Israeli warplanes bombed key infrastructure in Yemen again on Thursday. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and say they won't stop until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.

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Mednick reported from Jerusalem.

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Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
The deadly crash this week of an Azerbaijani passenger jet  with Russian air defenses as the suspected culprit  brings into focus a little-noticed aspect of the war in Ukraine: a battle zone that extends deep into Russia.

Ukraine for months has been using domestically tooled drones to strike Russian targets hundreds of miles from the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine, often taking aim at fuel depots and military airfields.

The Kremlin tends to play down these attacks, and has a history of offering unconvincing explanations for massive explosions that sometimes result.

On Friday, Russian authorities acknowledged that Ukrainian drones were targeting Grozny, provincial capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, as an Azerbaijani commercial airliner with 67 people aboard was attempting to land there on Wednesday.

Russia said nothing about whether its own air defenses were engaged at the time, but aviation experts have said it is likely that a Russian surface-to-air projectile, possibly from a Pantsir missile system, sprayed the civilian plane with shrapnel, wrecking crucial flight systems.

The flight, which had originated in Azerbaijans capital, Baku, crashed in Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea from Chechnya. Thirty-eight people died, while 29 survived with injuries, Azerbaijani officials said.

Azerbaijan, unlike several other ex-Soviet republics, has friendly ties with Moscow. Although it stopped short of blaming Russia outright, it has demanded an explanation. Russia repeated on Friday that a full investigation was necessary before it would comment on what caused the crash.

Here is some background on the fatal plane downing and its repercussions in the region and beyond:

What backs up the theory that Russia was responsible?

On Friday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that early indications would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems. But he refused to say more, pointing to the ongoing investigation.

Russia initially claimed the crash was caused by a collision with a flock of birds, with bad weather playing a role in diverting the flight. But suspicions quickly emerged, with pro-government media in Azerbaijan quoting officials as saying a Russian missile was believed responsible. On Friday, an Azerbaijani government minister, Rashad Nabiyev, said publicly for the first time that preliminary indications were that the planes downing resulted from external impact from a weapon.

Survivor testimony, expert analysis and cellphone footage taken by passengers as the plane was in the final erratic moments of flight suggest that the aircraft was struck as it was descending in heavy fog. Experts said the Embraer 190s tail section was peppered with holes that appeared to have been made from the outside, most likely by an air defense system.

Azerbaijan Airlines blamed the crash on unspecified physical and technical interference.

If Russia was responsible, will the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin be held accountable?

Thats unclear. Russia never accepted responsibility for the downing in 2014 of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was hit by a Russian surface-to-air missile over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed separatists. All 298 people aboard were killed. In 2022, a Dutch court convicted in absentia two Russians and a Ukrainian supporter of Russia for their roles.

Azerbaijan cooperates with Russia in many matters, including military affairs. Its investigators are taking part in the crash probe and have made clear they want answers.

Why was Ukraine hitting targets in Chechnya?

Ukraine, slowly but inexorably losing territory in the fight against invading Russian forces, has countered with drone attacks across a large area of Russia, including Moscow, the Kursk and Belgorod regions, and as far away as Kazan, in the Tatarstan region, more than 600 miles from the front lines inside Ukraine.

Almost as distant is the North Caucasus, where Chechnya is located, which has also been targeted previously by Ukraine. Troops under the command of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov were embroiled in the war from the earliest days of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, with its forces implicated in many atrocities against Ukrainian civilians.

Russia, which said Friday that an attack on the Grozny area by Ukrainian drones was underway at the time the plane was stricken, did not acknowledge any successful Ukrainian strikes. But there are a number of national guard and other military bases in the area. Ukraine does not customarily acknowledge its drone attacks inside Russia, but it said Russia was responsible for the planes downing.

Will foreign airlines curtail flights into Russia?

That is already happening, and marks a deepening of Russian isolation since the outbreak of the war. The Israeli airline El Al said it would suspend flights to Moscow in the wake of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines, operator of the doomed flight, said it was halting flights to Grozny and nine other Russian cities. Kazakhstans flagship airline, Qazaq Air, suspended service on a major route, to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

What has the Biden administration said in the past about Ukrainian strikes inside Russia?

President Joe Biden, now in his final weeks in office, recently allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper into Russia, a go-ahead that President-elect Donald Trump has termed stupid and may rescind.

Such strikes, though, are separate from Ukraines drone offensive, which is one of relatively few means readily available to Ukraine for keeping Moscow off balance. Russian missiles have been pummeling Ukrainian cities, including a massive attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and other cities on Christmas Day.

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2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
During their final practice before heading out west to Santa Clara, the Detroit Lions announced a pair of roster moves.

After placing him on waivers on Thursday, the Lions re-signed linebacker Kwon Alexander to their practice squad. In an additional move, they signed defensive back Morice Norris to the active roster from the practice squad.

RELATED: Lions waive Pro Bowl linebacker ahead of Week 17 matchup with 49ers

According to ESPNs Adam Schefter, there was an expectation that Alexander would return to the Lions if he cleared waivers. The former Pro Bowler was a healthy scratch from the Lions lineup this past Sunday against the Chicago Bears. In the previous two games against the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, respectively, Alexander tallied four tackles.

Norris, who had a strong showing in training camp, signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State. Playing for the Bulldogs last year, Norris tallied 59 total tackles, 10 pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.
MIDLAND, MI  Serving his country was once priority No. 1 for Steve Billmeier, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

Now, hes a small business owner with a goal of preventing soldier and veteran suicide by providing a safe space and a person to count on.

Earlier this month, Billmeier opened Sergeant Scoops and Baked Goods, a new shop offering ice cream and homemade baked goods inside the Midland Mall, 6800 Eastman Ave. And in January, he plans to offer baking classes to veterans in his Self Sustaining Veterans Outreach Program.

Billmeier said he was once in a dark headspace suffering with depression and anxiety, like many who retire from service. A combat veteran, Billmeier served in Iraq and Afghanistan during three overseas tours over 15 years.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Billmeier used his GI Bill benefits to attend culinary school. While a student, he was spending time making pasta dishes with his sister and brother-in-law, who were both still serving in the military, and loved it.

I took that and I was like, I think I can do this  teach veterans how to cook, Billmeier said.

However, that high-pressure culinary environment reminded him of his time in the service, so he pivoted to attend pastry school instead. Billmeier said he enjoyed the steady pace and decided he could teach what he learned there to others like him.

To prevent veteran suicide by learning a new skill or just having someone physically there to talk to, Billmeier said. I think its important to be able to talk to someone thats lived your life.

Sergeant Scoops and Baked Goods currently offers 16 flavors of Great Lakes Ice Cream, including a dairy-free and a gluten-free option.

Billmeier makes the cookies and other baked goods with organic butter, cage-free eggs and, of course, love, he said.

Some of the baked goods on his menu, like the chocolate chunk cookie, will be staples, but Billmeier aims to switch up the other flavors and offer new things like a tres leches cake.

Billmeiers wife, Beccah Billmeier, is the Midland Malls facilities manager. She said she is thrilled that her husband has started this business venture.

Its been a lot of fun seeing what he can do to help veterans, and it also helps him, Beccah Billmeier said. Hes a bit more cheery and smiley and comes home with all these stories about who he got to talk to.

Steve Billmeier said classes are expected to begin in January.

Sergeant Scoops and Baked Goods is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Monday.

Theres also a punch card program for frequent visitors; collect 12 punches for a free cookie to enjoy or share with a veteran, Billmeier said.

Follow their Sergeant Scoops and Baked Goods on Facebook to learn more and to see whats next to help veterans.

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.

Would you like MLive to feature your favorite restaurant in Michigans Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Kaytie Boomer at kboomer@mlive.com.
Big Lots will no longer be closing all remaining stores after agreeing to a sale this week.

The national retailer announced Friday, Dec. 27 it struck a deal that will save hundreds of stores, thousands of jobs and keep the brand alive.

Under the agreement, Big Lots will transfer assets to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, LLC, including stores, distribution centers and intellectual properties to other retailers including Variety Wholesalers, Inc. Variety Wholesalers, another national retailer, plans to acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores and up to two distribution centers, operating them under the Big Lots brand.

This sale agreement and transfer present the strongest opportunity to preserve jobs, maximize value for the estate and ensure continuity of the Big Lots brand. We are grateful to our associates nationwide for their grit and resilience throughout this process, said Bruce Thorn, Big Lots president and CEO.

Related: Big Lots announces going out of business sale at all stores as plan to sell company fails

The news comes after Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September due to declining sales, a challenging retail landscape and a continued pullback in consumer spending by our core customers, particularly in high ticket discretionary items. The company then announced last week plans to close its remaining 900 stores after a sale to Nexus Capital Management fell through.

Facing bankruptcy, Big Lots already closed 300 stores across the country, including 11 in Michigan. There are currently 30 Big Lots stores still operating in Michigan.

Related: Big Lots to close 11 stores in Michigan, nearly 300 in U.S. Is your local store on the list?

Its unclear still which stores will be saved, but the sale agreement will keep hundreds of stores from shuttering.

We are pleased to reach this strategic agreement with Big Lots and partner with Variety Wholesalers to achieve a path forward that allows Big Lots to continue to serve customers with extreme bargains and an outstanding shopping experience, said Rick Edwards, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners Head of North America Retail.

The sale is pending approval from the Bankruptcy Court and other closing conditions.
DETROIT - Three Michigan members of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation, one of the largest gangs in the country, will spend decades in prison after being convicted of federal charges.

The three traveling Vice Lords in Detroit were sentenced in federal court this week after a jury convicted them of RICO conspiracy, murder, drug trafficking and weapons charges in April, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn Ison announced Thursday, Dec. 26.

Terry Douglas, 44 of Detroit, who holds the title Chief and was the Michigan leader of the Traveling Vice Lords, and Schuyler Belew, 31 of Detroit, the Universal Elite and Detroit leader for the Traveling Vice Lords, were both sentenced to 60 years in prison. Devun Baskerville, 34 of Detroit, who had the title Chief Enforcer was sentenced to 70 years in prison.

During the trial, the jury heard testimony about a brazen shooting that took place in broad daylight at a Detroit park, a news release said.

Baskerville, acting on orders from Douglas and Belew, murdered a suspected police informant and attempted to murder his pregnant girlfriend, according to the feds. He shot into her vehicle several times as she tried to get away. Her two young children, who were also in the vehicle, were not harmed and the woman survived after being shot.

The sentences handed down in this case should send a clear message to violent offenders who terrorize our neighborhoods: we wont stop until you are brought to justice, Ison said in a statement. It is my sincere hope that these sentences bring some closure to the victims family.

The evidence also showed these gang members worked together to further the Almighty Vice Lord Nation through racketeering acts like murder, narcotics trafficking and witness intimidation. The trial also proved the Vice Lords are a vast criminal enterprise that has committed crimes across the country, a news release said.

The gang has different branches, each with their own leadership that reports to Chicago.

This case was a complete reckoning of this gang and should serve as a wake-up call for gang members across Michigan. These three defendants represent the worst of the worst in our community. Greed bought them a one-way ticket straight into federal prison, said Special Agent in Charge James Deir.

A jury also convicted Lawson Carter of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. Carter is set to be sentenced on April 28, 2025.
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI - A grandfather and his grandson were rescued from a lake Thursday, Dec. 26 after falling through thin ice.

The Oakland County Sheriffs Office says the two were drilling a hole to go ice fishing on Lake George when the ice gave way and the grandfather, 66 from Livonia, fell into the water. The boy, 15 from Pennsylvania, called 911 and tried to help his grandfather. But the ice broke and he fell into the water too.

A bystander then grabbed a kayak and paddled out to help the pair, according to a news release.

The bystander was able to get the grandson out of the water but could not pull the grandfather out because the ice kept breaking. He did keep the grandfathers head above water until rescue teams arrived.

Addison Township firefighters then pulled the grandfather onto safer ice and performed CPR.

The man was then transported to the hospital in critical condition. The grandson was treated and released.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard credits the bystander and rescue teams for rescuing the man and his grandson.

The temperatures have such a large degree of fluctuation that we encourage the public to stay off the ice, he said in a statement. There is no ice that could be considered safe at this time. The quick actions of the neighbor and rescuers prevented what would have surely been an unspeakable tragedy for this family.

Police say neither the grandson nor the grandfather were wearing life jackets.

The Oakland County Sheriffs Office Search and Rescue Team, the Lapeer County Sheriffs Office Dive Team and the Clinton County Sheriffs Office all responded to the water rescue.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 28. Kazakhstanis have donated 800 liters of blood for the victims of the plane crash close to Aktau over the past two days, the statement of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health said, Trend reports.

To provide first aid to the victims within 10 minutes after the crash of the ship, 22 ambulance brigades of the Mangistau region and 6 brigades of the Disaster Medicine Center were already on the spot.

Thanks to timely hospitalization of the injured in hospitals of Aktau city, qualified triage, and provision of full therapeutic and diagnostic assistance in the first critical hours, it was possible to save the lives of 29 people.

It is also important that ordinary people, our compatriots from different regions, did not remain indifferent and immediately responded to the disaster.

For two days in blood centers throughout the country, more than 1.5 thousand people donated 800 liters of blood. In Aktau alone, 490 people came to donor points; in Astana, more than 600 people donated blood; in Shymkent - 125, Aktobe - 109, Zhetysu - 49, Karaganda - 40, East Kazakhstan region - 34, the statement reads.

To note, an Embraer 190 passenger plane belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport on December 25.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been established.

Both pilots of the crew as well as the flight attendant were killed; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were delivered to Azerbaijan.
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI  Marveling over a former shop owners massive collection of miniature Christmas village collectibles is a family-friendly tradition in Dexter. The opportunity allowed for people to tour Samuel William Dexters home and enjoy the holiday decorated rooms.

Milt Campbell, who co-founded Huron Camera, used to set up his large collection in the windows of his downtown photography shop for the holidays.

The impressive display is now a tradition at the Dexter Area Historical Society and Museums Gordon Hall, at 411 Cedars Lane, off Island Lake Road. Gordon Hall is the historic mansion of Dexters founder Judge Samuel Dexter.

The historical society on Friday, Dec. 27, wrapped up three December holiday open houses for people to enjoy Gordon Hall all decked out for the holiday in a theme of Woodland Fantasy.

A christmas village in one of the original parlors during the Christmas village collection holiday event at Gordon Hall in Dexter on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. The Christmas village buildings were donated to the Dexter Historical Society after the passing of Milt Campbell, who made the miniatures.Atlas Restaurant

Campbell, who died in 2020 at age 84, donated his collection of Department 56 brand villages to the historical society.

Jan Lyons and several volunteers put together the Christmas Villages, Vice President of the Dexter Historical Society Beverly Hill said. There are many phases with crews decorating outside starting September, she said.

There is an opportunity for guests to participate in a scavenger hunt during the event.

We have tours for kids, just to involve them and gives them something to find and its fun for them, Hill said.

A scavenger hunt sheet during the Christmas village collection holiday event at Gordon Hall in Dexter on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Guests could use the sheets to hunt in each Christmas village around the house.Atlas Restaurant

He proudly displayed his Christmas Village in the front windows of the Dexter location, which brought joy to locals and travelers from afar for several years, his obituary states.

Huron Camera closed after more than 40 years in December 2014, MLive/The Ann Arbor News reported at the time. The shop at 8060 Main St., now occupied by home decor shop 3bird, sold new and used cameras, lenses, dark-room chemicals, offered photo development services. Campbell co-founded the shop in 1970 and later transferred the ownership to John Kingsley.

Judge Dexter built Gordon Hall between 1841 and 1843, according to the historical society. After his wifes death in 1899, it was sold and rented. Dexters granddaughter Katherine Dexter McCormick purchased it in 1938 and, in 1950, gave it to the University of Michigan, which divided it into apartments for faculty and staff. The historical society took ownership in 2006.

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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- The jade and the shamrock found each other by accident.

Timothy Connors, a judge in the Washtenaw County Trial Court, had reused the dirt from a dead purple shamrock plant he brought into his courtroom to grow a cutting of jade. Soon after, he discovered the purple shamrocks, indicative of his Irish background, had resprouted next to the jade.

They kept growing. And growing. And growing.

Connors would offer cuttings to lawyers, litigants, jurors and students who visited his court, scattering them among the people of Washtenaw County.

Now, the two plants stand in the trial court lobby, where anyone can grow their own symbolic piece of community and peacemaking. The plant is in the upper lobby as Connors permanent mark on the court as he prepares to step down from the bench.

The jade represents good luck and resiliency, while the shamrock represents new growth. The pair are common companion plants because of the way they support each other, Connors said.

(Id) like to be remembered by this, and that energy, Connors said.

Connors, 70, has served as a state court judge since 1991 and currently presides over the circuit courts civil and domestic divisions, as well as the neglect and abuse docket for the juvenile court. He has also served as Judge Pro Tem for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

He was ineligible to run for his seat again due to his age.

Teresa Killeen, a judicial attorney and Connors colleague for nearly 20 years, will care for the plant, she said. Although she currently works in Judge Julia Owdziejs office, she said she shares Connors focus on restorative justice.

She has seen cases turn into verbal mudslinging and said she feels for those involved.

That just takes a toll on your soul to sit there and listen to yourself characterized in those kinds of ways, she said. I prefer that people sit down and work out a solution.

Those who felt the same way were often offered cuttings by Connors, she said. Now, those interested in a cutting can stop by her office on the second floor to get a pot and some soil.

It has started as something he has gifted people, she said. And it is now becoming something that people choose for themselves.

The Washtenaw County Trial Court is at 101 E. Huron St. in Ann Arbor.

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24 1 / 24 39th Grand Hanukkah Celebration

FLINT TWP., MI -- During the 39th Grand Hanukkah Celebration, Flints Jewish community and supporters gathered at Shea Automotive to celebrate the lighting of a 22-foot menorah hosted by Chabad of Eastern Michigan.

Despite the cold and setting sun, supporters, Jewish or not, supported the menorahs lighting on Thursday, Dec. 26.

Though some supporters were not Jewish, the Jewish community welcomed them and appreciated their support during the event.

They [supporters] love the Jewish people, they love the Jewish nation, they love the Land of Israel, and theyre here to show support, and we appreciate it very, very much, said Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten.

Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten expressed the universality of Hanukkahs message, which is the importance of and significance of religious freedom, which they try to emphasize during this time.

Were very fortunate to live in this country, where we have religious freedom. This country nurtures religious freedom and perpetuates religious freedom, and thats the most beautiful part of this country, added Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton and Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten lit the first three candles on the menorah while a crowd watched them from the ground.

Those of all ages enjoyed the lighting of the menorah and also enjoyed hot drinks and traditional Hannukah foods during the ceremony.

After the lighting of the menorah, Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten led the crowd in singing songs.

Hanukkah started on the evening of Dec. 25 and will continue for eight days until Thursday, Jan. 2, at sundown.

The holiday represents eight days, eight candles, and each one represents different people from all over the world... We light after sunset every night to remind us that we got to be that light that spreads, that light that spreads to someone elses day, to someone thats having a hard day, said Abraham Weingarten, 24.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Lively Dominican music plays as a tiny house lined with bright pink stripes sits above the food counter as reminder of where things began.

Rincon Criollo, located at 1523 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW in Grand Rapids, is a casual restaurant sharing family heritage with flavorful, traditional Caribbean plates and empanadas that have become a staple for clientele.

Chef Gilma DeLaCruz learned to cook in her mothers home in the Dominican Republic and continues sharing her familys heritage with flavors from the Caribbean islands.

It was always in my heart to cook, DeLaCruz said. I used to cook all the time at home  creating different Dominican dishes and baking desserts."

Dining at Rincon Criollo Restaurant in Grand Rapids on Thursday, December 12, 2024.Isaac Ritchey | iritchey@mlive.com

DeLaCruz, who started her professional career in the medical field before attending culinary school, has taken over operation of her mothers restaurant with help from her husband. The couple still operates their El Caribe food truck in warmer months.

The restaurant is an avenue for sharing Caribbean culture with vibrant colors and ethnic decor. For those who cant afford to travel, it provides an authentic experience.

Its been a lovely journey, DeLaCruz said. If you dont have passion for what you do, whats the point?

Stewed beef and potatoes with Puerto Rican rice, which costs $13, at Rincon Criollo Restaurant in Grand Rapids on Thursday, December 12, 2024.Isaac Ritchey | iritchey@mlive.com

Popular menu items include a stewed meat and potato dish with Puerto Rican rice, stuffed potatoes and empanadas.

The stewed beef and potatoes with Puerto Rican rice costs $13. More unique lunch and dinner stewed meat options include oxtail and goat.

The empanada bar, which cost $3.25 individually, serves different protein options like chicken, cheese, ground beef, beef cheese jalapeno and chicken cheese jalapeno.

The stuffed potatoes are a small bite option. The mashed potato croquettes comes stuffed with ground beef and costs $3 each.

Cuban sandwiches, steak tripletas and Jibaritos, a crunchy sandwich built between fried plantains, are also offered.

Rincon Criollo Restaurant in Grand Rapids on Thursday, December 12, 2024.Isaac Ritchey | iritchey@mlive.c

The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday except for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Its closed on Sunday.

For more information, visit the restaurants Facebook page here or call 616-241-5591.

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo Public Schools is planning to build a new building to replace El Sol Elementary School.

The district is eyeing a property on Kalamazoos Eastside neighborhood. But in turn, it would leave the current location in Kalamazoos Vine neighborhood.

District officials say theyll decide next steps based on whats best for students.

Residents in the Vine feel the school district is leaving them in the lurch.

Theres a lot of folks who have felt like this was not done in good faith, Steve Walsh, president of the Vine Neighborhood Association said.

Walsh said he understands why the school needs to move and supports more space for students. But he doesnt want to be left with empty pavement where the school currently stands.

To not have a school is a really powerful blow, Walsh said. So were reeling and trying to figure out what we can do next.

An open space

El Sol Elementary School, 604 W. Vine St., opened in its current building in 2008. Students at El Sol must learn in Spanish and English as part of an immersion program that starts in Kindergarten.

The program started at Lincoln Elementary School, but as it garnered more interest, expanded into the building on Vine Street.

The reason it ended up in Vine was because Vine was available, said KPS Trustee Patti Sholler-Barber.

The building once housed Vine Elementary School. But that school closed in 1983 due to declining enrollment, according to a presentation at a Dec. 19 school board meeting.

When the school closed, many families with younger kids moved out of the neighborhood, Walsh said.

That sort of exit makes a huge impact, Walsh said.

Now, theres a misconception the neighborhood is primarily younger, college-aged students, Walsh said. But there are still parents and families, many of whom have to send their children to other neighborhood schools.

Challenges

At 39,954 square feet, El Sol is the smallest elementary school in the district. The school enrolls 368 students and theres more on a waiting list, according to KPS.

Only 27 of those students live in the Vine neighborhood. More than 200 elementary-aged students live in the Vine neighborhood but are bussed to other schools.

Walsh said the Vine community tried to work with KPS to enroll more Vine students at El Sol, but the district wasnt receptive.

We were never really given an opportunity, Walsh said. I think we would have filled it with fine kids, but I dont think KPS would have liked that.

The size is an ongoing challenge for the school, said Karen Jackson, director of facilities management for KPS, at the Dec. 19 board meeting.

The classrooms range from 500 to 1,000 square feet depending on the grade. In newer buildings, classrooms are usually 1,200 square feet.

A diagram of El Sol Elementary School and the Community Education Center at 604 W Vine St.Kalamazoo Public Schools

The building was constructed in 1924, according to the district. Theres no elevator to transport students with disabilities to the buildings second and third floors.

Theres also limited space for bus drop off, so students have to exit and enter on Vine Street, competing with regular traffic.

Planning for the new school was started assuming El Sol would stay in Vine. But the space, 6.15 acres including the next door Community Education Center at Chenery Auditorium, would be too small for the 75,000-square-foot building the district wants.

Were forcing to make it fit on this property and its not in the students best interest, Jackson said.

A proposed diagram for a new El Sol Elementary School at 604 W Vine St.Kalamazoo Public Schools

So the district turned their sights to a 12-acre property it owns on Baker Drive.

The 1400 Baker Drive property has enough space for a 75,000-square-foot building and other amenities like a track, amphitheater or outdoor learning lab.

The bigger building would also allow the program to offer more spots to students and potentially expand to middle school immersion, said El Sol Principal Natalie Wilson.

Though the final decision hasnt been made, Walsh said the move feels like a done deal. Walsh said the community is in favor of a bigger, better El Sol, even if that means the school leaves Vine  but it still wants a school in the neighborhood.

The question remaining on the table is, what obligation, if any, does KPS have to one of the core neighborhoods? Walsh said.

Walsh said the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC), a math and science program for students in Kalamazoo County, could move into the El Sol building when the elementary moves. KAMSC is currently held in the Community Education Center.

Walsh is also open to the building being sold to a developer to build more housing.

Jackson said the district can work with the neighborhood association to replace the El Sol building with green space or a parking lot.

Please dont leave us with a parking lot, Walsh said. Please dont pave over this 100-year-old building.

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VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI - Two people were arrested Friday, Dec. 27 after police say they broke into multiple storage units in Bloomingdale Township.

The Van Buren County Sheriffs Office responded around 10:15 a.m. to a reported burglary of storage units that occurred four hours earlier.

The investigation determined a 2005 Jeep Wrangler had been stolen along with a significant amount of other personal property, a news release said.

While checking the surrounding areas, deputies found the Jeep at a residence on the 13000 block of of 49th Street in Columbia Township.

Police say a man, 32 from Kalamazoo, was inside the Jeep and then fled from deputies.

Deputies chased the vehicle through Columbia and Bangor townships for about 20 minutes until the Jeep got stuck in a field.

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office says deputies chased a man driving a stolen Jeep for about 20 minutes. (Photo provided by the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office)Photo provided by the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office

The man then ran away and tried hiding in a barn on the property, according to police. He was arrested and police say deputies also found meth in the mans possession.

Deputies then returned to 49th Street where they executed a search warrant for the stolen property.

During a search, police found property from the storage units in addition to a camper trailer that had been reported stolen out of Kalamazoo.

After conducting interviews, deputies established probable cause to arrest a 45-year-old man for his alleged role in the burglary.

The Van Buren County Prosecutors Office is also reviewing charges for additional people who were at the 49th Street residence.
The woman and man had brought along gigantic googly eyes, industrial adhesive and fang-shaped pieces of foam.

They were wearing borrowed hard hats and safety vests, hoping the ridiculous work they were about to undertake would look like official business.

They shot some video.

And, on a Sunday afternoon this past July, they turned a Lansing railroad overpass into a celebrity: Big Penny, the truck-munching bridge.

What was really amazing was that, less than 12 hours after we installed the eyes and teeth, a truck hit the side where we had installed them, said one of the two in an email. Theyve kept their identities secret, but operate a Facebook page called Stupid - Lansing, in which Stupid stands for The Society for Totally Useless Pranks and Immature Dumbassery.

The joke, they said, kind of took off from there.

In a city with more compelling distractions, the joke might have run its course. In one with more punctilious bureaucrats, the googly eyes and fangs might have come down.

But not in Lansing.

Penny is as close to becoming a folk hero as a piece of infrastructure is likely to be. Shes become the model for Halloween costumes, Christmas ornaments and store displays; the namesake of a cocktail; a darling of the local media.

She was added to Google Maps as a cultural landmark. In August, the citys official Facebook account wished her happy birthday.

Along the way, shes acquired a sign bearing the number of trucks that have run aground under her 12-foot-high span: 26 this year alone.

Because of all the construction on (Interstate) 496, the collisions increased exponentially throughout the summer, and I think it was when there was three in one day that it just caught, captured the imagination of Lansing, said Jason Lantrip, a member of the band Deer and Elk, which recorded a song about the truck-eating bridge inspired by the trucker rock of the 1970s.

I dont know why it felt like a victory or something, he added, because clearly somebody was losing in this matter.

Decades of destruction

Penny has been the scourge of semis, RVs and other tall vehicles for decades.

The bridge was completed in the summer of 1928 by the Grand Truck Western Railroad, spanning Pennsylvania Avenue (thus the name Big Penny) about a mile and a half from the state Capitol.

It received a set of flashing lights in 1964 because of the many tractor-trailers that had run into the bottom of its span, which then stood just 11-feet-three-inches.

In the fall of 1987, a high school guidance counselor named Jerry Gerow wrote to a columnist at the Lansing State Journal to suggest that the city was overlooking a natural tourist attraction.

As in Homers Odyssey, where ships were lured to their destruction off the Cyclades Islands, we have the same thing for trucks, he wrote, we have our Truck-Eating Bridge. With all our early warning devices  lights, bells, lowering the road level  it still feasts on bones of unsuspecting trucks.

Presciently, he suggested painting the bridge to look like a giant mouth, getting an accurate count of the trucks it had eaten and checking to see if we have a national record for truck-eating bridges.

A sign tallying the number of trucks that have crashed into Big Penny, a Canadian National Railway bridge in Lansing, Mich.Matthew Miller

Hungrier

Penny got hungrier this year.

Or, to put it differently, the highways surrounding Lansing have been diverted, slowed and sometimes outright shut down by construction projects.

Dozens of truck drivers looking for a faster route have unwittingly ended up between Pennys jaws.

Unfortunately, I think theres a lot of businesses that are hiring younger, less experienced drivers and theyre following GPSes that arent truck GPSes, said P.J. Daly, the general manager of P.J.s Towing in Lansing, who estimates that his company has towed as many as 30 trucks from Penny over the years.

Theyre using their phones and, with that lack of knowledge, its put people in bad spots.

The average semi trailer stands 13-feet-six-inches high, a foot and a half higher than the underpass.

A lot of themit peels the whole roof right off the trailer, Daly said.

A semi trailer damaged by striking Big Penny, a Canadian National Railway bridge in Lansing, Mich.Courtesy of P.J.'s Towing

MLive reached out to half a dozen companies whose truck have struck this bridge this year. None wanted to speak on the record.

Canadian National Railway, which now owns the bridge, didnt respond to a request to discuss its appetites.

Nor did Andy Kilpatrick, the city of Lansings public service director, though he has told other media outlets that the bridge is regularly inspected and structurally sound, despite the repeated collisions.

The joke

Craig Terrill would have done Pennys makeover differently.

It needs a gum line, he said. It needs like some tartar. It needs to drip. Those eyeballs need some like red veins in them. It needs to be more of a hellmouth because its almost nicer than the roads around it.

But he appreciates the joke. Hes part of Lansing Facts, which runs parody social media accounts that have had a profound influence on the way the states capital jokes about itself.

It is, among other things, the reason Gov. Gretchen Whitmer referred to herself earlier this year as a proud Lanstronaut.

Weve been kind of in the first row of when Lansing decides to embrace something weird, Terrill said.

In the case of Big Penny, he chalks it up partly to the uptick in crashes, partly to Lansings DIY punk rock ethos.

You dont have the endless wealth of amenities that youre going to find in Detroit and its suburbs, he said. You have to make your own fun. I dont think thats a bad thing.

A Big Penny Christmas ornament sold to support the Lansing Makers Network. The ornament depicts a Lansing railroad bridge that was struck by dozens of trucks in 2024 alone.Matthew Miller

It would, of course, be bad if a railroad line was destroyed by repeated collisions, he said, but the fact that it keeps happening, its almost absurdist.

In one sense, the teeth and the scoreboard and the riffs on Pennys appetite are a sort of warning.

All of us in our hearts are saying, For Gods sakes, look out for the bridge, Lantrip said. You know. Check your height.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 28. Kazakhstan has enlisted 17 international experts to investigate the recent plane crash involving an AZAL aircraft near Aktau, Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and head of the government commission for the crash investigation Kanat Bozumbayev told local media, Trend reports.

"Six experts are from Azerbaijan, two from Embraer, three from Brazils CENIPA, three from the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), and two from the Russian Federation. Additionally, an expert from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will arrive soon," said the deputy Prime Minister.

On December 25, a passenger plane, an Embraer 190, belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been determined.

Both pilots of the crew as well as a stewardess were dead; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were taken to Azerbaijan.

Black box of the plane has already been found and procedures are being carried out to analyze it under international aviation conventions. At the moment, an investigation into the causes of the crash is underway. Final conclusions will be made after all necessary investigations and data analysis are completed.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 28. Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a phone conversation with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trend reports, referring to the press service of President Tokayev.

According to the service, the leaders exchanged condolences over the tragic loss of life in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft near the city of Aktau.

"The two leaders discussed the ongoing efforts to determine the circumstances of the plane crash. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that the Government Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan continues the investigation with the involvement of specialists from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Brazil.

The presidents highlighted the importance of ensuring a comprehensive and transparent investigation as part of the ongoing investigative activities," the Kazakh presidents office reported.

On December 25, an Embraer 190 passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed about 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.

There were 67 people on board (62 passengers and 5 crew members). Two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 injured passengers and the bodies of four victims were returned to Azerbaijan.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, December 28. The airplane is ready for transportation of a Kyrgyz citizen injured in a plane crash near Aktau, the spokesperson for the President of Kyrgyzstan Askat Alagozov said, citing the words of Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev during a report to the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov on the progress of the airplane crash near Aktau, Trend reports.

The plane is ready for the transportation of Kyrgyz citizen Rinat Asanov, who suffered in the plane crash in Aktau. However, his current condition remains serious, and transportation may be dangerous. As soon as doctors give permission, he will be transported to his home country. Therefore, he is currently getting medical assistance and undergoing treatment in a local hospital, he said.

According to the spokesperson, the condition of two other Kyrgyz citizens is assessed as satisfactory, and their discharge from the hospital is scheduled for Monday.

On December 25, a passenger plane, an Embraer 190, belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been determined.

Both pilots of the crew, as well as a stewardess, were dead; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were taken to Azerbaijan.
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, December 28. Over 50 percent of the construction work on the Rogun Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) in Tajikistan has been completed, President Emomali Rahmon stated during his address to the country's parliament, Trend reports.

Rahmon emphasized that more than 9 billion somoni ($823.8 million) from the state budget had been allocated for the construction of the Rogun HPP over the past two years. He also instructed to expedite the projects completion.

The president further announced that by 2027, Tajikistan would achieve full energy independence. This goal will be made possible by the combined capacity of the Rogun HPP and other hydroelectric plants.

The Rogun HPP, located on the Vakhsh River, is planned to consist of six units, each with a capacity of 600 MW. Two units are already operational, with a third set to begin operation by 2025. Once completed, the plant will generate over 17 billion kWh of electricity annually, significantly boosting Tajikistan's energy supply.

Upon full operation, the Rogun HPP will provide electricity to nearly 10 million people in Tajikistan, helping to alleviate regular winter electricity shortages. Additionally, about 70 percent of the electricity generated will be exported at affordable rates to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 28. Turkmenistan Airlines has canceled flights to Moscow, Trend reports.

Dear passengers! We inform you that Turkmenistan Airlines informs that regular flights on the route Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat in the period from December 30, 2024, through January 31, 2025, have been canceled, the statement of the airlines reads.

Earlier, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) also canceled flights to ten destinations in Russia.

On December 25, a passenger plane, an Embraer 190, belonging to AZAL, flying on the Baku-Grozny route, crashed 3 kilometers from Aktau airport.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the plane.

Following the crash of the passenger plane, 27 people were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 - the Russian Federation, and 3 - the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not yet been determined.

Both pilots of the crew, as well as a stewardess, were dead; two crew members survived.

On December 26, 14 victims and the bodies of four dead were taken to Azerbaijan.
Bhupen in Goa  An intrepid ode to Indias first openly gay artist by Gulammohammed Sheikh

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'Batenge to katenge' to 'Constitution under siege': Political slogans that made headlines in 2024

Siddharth Chakravorty

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Arishaa Izaj

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By Laman Ismayilova



Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli and the Chairman of the Culture Committee of the Azerbaijani Parliament Polad Bulbuloglu have hold a meeting with the members of the Public Council under the Ministry.

During the meeting, Adil Karimli expressed his gratitude to the Public Council for its active participation in the broader discussions on issues related to the cultural sector and the organization of public hearings.

The minister emphasized the importance of working together with the Public Council in the development of the culture sector.

Valuing the significance of the meeting, Polad Bulbuloglu stated that the work of the Public Council serves to study society's attitudes toward issues related to culture.

In his speech, the chairman of the Public Council, academician Nizami Jafarov, noted that close cooperation with the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry further strengthens its activities and drives innovation and reforms.

The deputy chairmen of the Public Council, Akbar Goshali and Vugar Gadirov, as well as council member Xanoglan Ahmadov shared their thoughts on the discussed issues.
Smriti Mishra

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'When baba passed away, Congress didn't even bother to call CWC': Pranab Mukherjee's daughter slams party leadership

Aishwarya Dabhade

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BSNL seeks Finance Ministry approval for second VRS to cut workforce by 35%: Report

Aishwarya Dabhade

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Shubhi Mishra

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Watch: For the first time, Israel deploys US-made THAAD system to intercept Houthi missile

Arishaa Izaj

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Mega prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine on the cards for New Year?

Chhabi Kala

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Russian comedian and showman Maxim Galkin, who has supported the Ukrainian people since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and left Russia, wished his followers a Merry Christmas. In particular, the celebrity addressed Ukrainians.

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"Christ is born! I congratulate you all on the brightest holiday! Peace, health, love, and goodness!" Galkin wrote in a nightingale on his Instagram page.

The showman has repeatedly shown his position in support of Ukraine in the bloody war. Recently, the artist and his family visited the Ukrainian Museum in New York, USA. The Russian shared his emotions, noting that he was impressed by the works of art by our artists.

In the summer of 2024, Galkin surprised his fans with his performance at the Laima Vaikule festival in Jurmala, Latvia. The comedian flawlessly performed the Ukrainian song "Smereka."

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Musk vs Maga explained: US immigration debate sparks divisions in Trump camp as Musk supports H-1B visas

Smriti Mishra

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Trump could be offered second state visit to UK, Telegraph reports

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US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving office

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Tamal Nandi

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Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day

Aabhas Sharma

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Nothing brings the Circle to Search AI feature with Nothing OS 3.0 update: Check out list of eligible devices

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Aabhas Sharma

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Shaurya Shubham

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Ukrainian actress Natalka Denysenko has revealed the details of the complex surgery her military husband, Andrii Fedinchyk, had to undergo. The artist, who joined the ranks of the Armed Forces after the start of the full-scale invasion, had titanium implants installed in his spine because of the constant pressure on his spinal cord and nerves.

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The 35-year-old celebrity told about this on her Instagram page. She showed a few shots of her beloved, who is gradually starting to walk with the help of a walker.

Natalka Denysenko posted a video from the operating table, where the surgeon said that the 39-year-old Honored Artist of Ukraine underwent a foraminotomy. Specialists widened the hole between the vertebrae to reduce pressure on the nerve roots and, accordingly, to eliminate pain during movement.

"The implants were installed. Now the spine is as stable as possible, there is no compression, and the nerve is open. Our soldier will undergo rehabilitation. I am confident that in a few months he will be able to continue his difficult struggle for our freedom," the surgeon said.

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Since the complicated surgery was successful, Andrii Fedinchyk is gradually starting to recover. The military actor's wife and son visited him in his hospital room, where he can now walk around a bit with the help of crutches. Natalia Denysenko showed the corresponding video.

As a reminder, on December 25, Andrii Fedinchyk was hospitalized and underwent a complicated surgery. The actor and his family traveled to Uzhhorod, as it was there that a private clinic was located where the surgery was performed. At the time, Natalia Denysenko had not yet declassified her lover's diagnosis, only noting that the doctor had done the incredible.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
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Actress Olha Sumska is currently considered one of the most touring actresses in Ukraine. However, she herself believes that this is not the case, and cites the example of her colleague, a mother of many children, Lilia Rebryk.

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Olha Sumska told about this in an interview with OBOZ.UA. She also admitted that she has no idea how Lilia Rebryk, who works as a morning TV host, as well as does a lot of filming and tours, manages to do everything.

When asked by OBOZ.UA how she manages to keep up with the crazy tour schedule, Olha Sumska answered: "I look at my colleagues, for example, Lilechka Rebryk, who has three small children. She just works in a frantic rhythm: she wakes up at four o'clock because she has a morning show on television, and she also has constant touring and filming. I said: "Lilya, of course, I also have a difficult schedule, but I can't imagine how you manage to do everything."

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"As for my rhythm, I'll say this: it's my life and my energy," adds Olha Sumska, "It's always been like that, and if I slow down, I'll get sad. I like to keep everything spinning and moving around. And I work so hard, believe me, not just to make money. It's my lifestyle."

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that actress and TV presenter Lilia Rebryk, who has three daughters, answered the question of how she manages to do everything. According to the actress, everything is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Paying attention to three daughters, one of whom is very young, is more difficult than combining work with raising two older children.

"Three is not two. And here is the most common question from you: how do you manage everything? My answer is simple. The main thing is to properly organize the workspace around you. This applies to everything. You can get useful gadgets that will save you time and make your everyday life easier," says Lilia Rebryk.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The creators of the popular culinary show "MasterChef" announced the start of filming the 15th season after the pavilion was damaged in November 2024 by a Russian drone attack in the Kyiv region. At the time, despite the damage, creative producer and project manager Dmytro Shyrobkov noted that the team planned to release new episodes on the scheduled date.

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The restored pavilion can be seen in the Starlight Media announcement. In addition, the permanent judge of the cooking show, Hector Jimenez-Bravo, shared a happy moment on his Instagram page. In the video, the chef showed the renovated set, which seemed to shine with bright colors.

The crew shared the joy by cutting a huge cake. The star also showed a small dessert with the inscription "MasterChef 15." As Hector noted, no chess pieces or rockets will stop the Ukrainians.

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As a reminder, the show's pavilion, located in the Kyiv region, was partially destroyed on the night of November 12-13, 2024, as a result of a Russian attack. Back then, footage published by STB showed a smashed fence, rooms, and a recognizable kitchen where the chefs created their dishes and competed for the best.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Zimbabwes festive season has ended on a tragic note, with a total of 77 fatalities recorded in 1,211 road accidents between December 15th and 26th, according to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

This represents a slight increase in deaths compared to the 71 recorded during the same period last year, despite a marginal decrease in the overall number of accidents (1,454 in 2023 versus 1,211 this year). A further 401 people sustained injuries during this period, eight more than the 393 injured in December 2023.

Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi attributed the high number of fatalities to driver fatigue and negligence. In a statement released on Friday, Commissioner Nyathi highlighted the concerning trend: The Zimbabwe Republic Police has established that some accidents are caused by fatigue and negligent conduct on the part of drivers.

He further noted that most accidents involved private vehicles, with a single exception: a three-bus collision on December 22nd, resulting in two deaths. This incident involved South Africa-bound buses, highlighting the risks faced even on major transport routes.

Commissioner Nyathi detailed the accident figures for specific days during the peak festive period. On December 22nd, 106 accidents occurred, resulting in seven deaths and 38 injuries. Christmas Day saw 104 accidents, with 13 fatalities and 16 injuries.

The post-Christmas period on December 26th recorded 87 accidents, causing 11 deaths and 40 injuries. These figures illustrate the consistent dangers on Zimbabwean roads throughout the holiday period.

The ZRP statement also addressed the issue of pedestrian accidents, urging drivers to exercise caution, particularly in built-up areas and residential zones. Commissioner Nyathi issued a strong warning: Drivers are urged to be observant, especially when approaching built-up areas or places frequented by the public, including residential areas.

He reiterated standard road safety advice, emphasising the importance of avoiding speeding, unsafe overtaking, and overloading vehicles. Beyond driver behaviour, the ZRP appealed to the public to play their part in enhancing road safety. Citizens are urged to report instances of reckless driving to the authorities.

Commissioner Nyathis statement concluded with a plea for responsible driving, stating: Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Republic Police reiterates that drivers should avoid speeding and overtaking in circumstances that are clearly not safe to do so. Above all, motorists are implored not to overload vehicles when travelling on the countrys roads.

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A rare African black leopard under the stars  a photo that took the photographer 6 months to capture Credit: Will Burrard-Lucas pic.twitter.com/LYDt7viwBo  Nature is Amazing  (@AMAZlNGNATURE) December 25, 2024

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Elon Musk suggests COGNITIVE TESTS for elected officials following reports of Kay Grangers dementia issue

Elon Musk is proposing cognitive testing for elected officials following concerns regarding aging and mental acuity in political leadership.

This comes after reports revealed that Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), 81, has been residing in an assisted living facility for several months. She has not attended a regular session in the House of Representatives since July. Her son said in a statement that she has been struggling with dementia all this time.

Granger's extended absence and the lack of statements regarding her health has led to calls for more accountability and transparency among elected officials in addressing health concerns.

Most voters are in favor of mandatory cognitive tests for older politicians. Experts warn however that this could be seen as age discrimination, and note that cognitive testing is not a definitive measure of a politician's capacity to serve the public.

In a recent post on X, formerly Twitter, tech giant billionaire Elon Musk raised eyebrows by suggesting that elected officials should undergo cognitive testing. His proposal was prompted by news that Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) had been absent from Congress for six months due to dementia issues.

Maybe we should have some basic cognitive test for elected officials? This is getting crazy, Musk tweeted on Dec. 21, highlighting the troubling implications of aging in political leadership. (Related: Discovery of Texas GOP representative living in retirement home amid health challenges and congressional absence sparks uproar.)

Granger, 81, had been in a senior living center in Fort Worth as she was dealing with dementia. Her son revealed that Granger had been experiencing some dementia issues late in the year.

Granger announced last year that she would retire following the end of her term in 2024. By July 2024 she was rarely seen in Congress, and her extended absence led to criticism and concern, with former colleagues and political observers highlighting her decline in mental acuity. Some felt that her staff could have acted more responsibly in addressing her health issues.

Cognitive testing could ensure elected officials are mentally capable of holding office

Supporters of cognitive testing argue that such measures would ensure that elected officials are mentally capable of handling their responsibilities.

As society ages, the number of older politicians in key positions increases, raising concerns about their cognitive abilities. Proponents believe that regular cognitive assessments can serve as a safeguard against incompetence, ensuring that decision-making is not compromised by cognitive decline.

The discussion surrounding cognitive evaluations for aging politicians is not new. A June 2024 Harvard Gazette article highlighted that 75 percent of voters support cognitive tests for older politicians, reflecting public concern over the mental acuity of aging leaders.

However, experts caution that while cognitive screening tools can provide insights, they are not definitive measures of an individual's capacity to serve in public office. Critics further warn against age discrimination and the potential for undue scrutiny to be placed upon older politicians.

Others worry that mandatory cognitive testing could unfairly target older adults and perpetuate ageism. They argue that age should not be the sole determinant of an officials fitness for office.

Watch this report from Sky News discussing the plot by White House aides to cover up President Joe Biden's mental decline.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

White House aides knew Biden was mentally and physically unfit to be president from the very beginning.

Deep state coup: Biden's mental decline was no surprise to his own staff  they knew all along.

Biden cognitively engaged for only a couple hours each day, aides confirm.

White House calls on tech giants to censor all video clips of Joe Biden behaving like a dementia patient, claiming such videos are "fakes."

LOST IN TRANSLATION: Dementia sets in deeper as Dark Brandon asks permission to speak, even though he is supposedly the president.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NYPost.com

EconoTimes.com

Brighteon.com
Confirmation: The government used private entities to censor citizens during the pandemic  even accurate information

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), monitored and influenced domestic COVID-19 speech through private sector partners, raising constitutional concerns.

CISA partnered with organizations like the Atlantic Council DFR Lab, Media Matters, and the Center for Countering Digital Hate to flag and censor content, creating a "censorship industrial complex."

CISA censored accurate information, including President Trump's comments on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and discussions about mask effectiveness and the Wuhan lab leak theory, delaying critical public health information.

By using private entities, CISA circumvented constitutional protections against government censorship, undermining free speech and public discourse.

The incident reflects a broader pattern of government surveillance and suppression of dissent, emphasizing the need to protect liberty and hold federal agencies accountable.

The revelation that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) monitored and influenced domestic speech on COVID-19 through private sector partners should come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention over the past few years. Documents obtained by America First Legal (AFL) through litigation against CISA confirm what many citizens already suspected: The government, under the guise of combating misinformation, actively censored speech during the pandemic. This is not a new narrative but a continuation of a troubling trend that has eroded trust in government institutions and their private sector collaborators.

CISA, a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), began monitoring domestic speech about COVID-19 as early as mid-February 2020  nearly a month before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic and well before widespread shutdowns began in the United States. The agencys Countering Foreign Influence Task Force (CFITF), ostensibly focused on foreign disinformation, expanded its scope to include domestic speech, raising serious constitutional concerns. To avoid direct government censorship, CISA enlisted private entities such as fact-checkers, bias raters, and NGOs to flag content, even when that content was accurate.

The list of private partners involved in this censorship effort is extensive and includes well-known organizations such as the Atlantic Council DFR Lab, Media Matters, Stanford Internet Observatory, and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). These groups, often funded by foreign governments or globalist interests, were tasked with identifying and flagging speech that contradicted the evolving pandemic narratives promoted by the government. This collaboration between government agencies and private entities created what AFL has termed the censorship industrial complex, a network designed to suppress dissenting views under the pretext of public health.

One of the most egregious examples of this censorship was the targeting of President Trumps comments on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Despite later studies suggesting that HCQ provided moderate protective benefits without serious adverse effects, CISA flagged these comments as misinformation. The justification for this censorship was based on hypothetical scenarios, such as the idea that once-accurate information can become misinformation as it ages, a rationale that undermines the very concept of free speech. This approach allowed CISA to censor even accurate information, creating a chilling effect on public discourse.

Controlling the narrative

Other narratives censored by CISA included discussions about mask effectiveness and the Wuhan lab leak theory. Both of these topics were heavily suppressed on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter but were later proven to have merit. The agencys reliance on private partners to censor speech not only circumvented constitutional protections but also delayed the dissemination of critical information that could have informed public health decisions.

CISA justified its actions by claiming threats from foreign entities such as Russia, Iran, and China, as well as evidence from organizations like the George Marshall Funds Alliance for Securing Democracy. However, as AFLs Reed D. Rubinstein pointed out, CISAs reliance on these sources was incredibly anti-American. The agencys partnership with a dangerous network of foreign and domestic entities raises questions about its true motives and the extent of its overreach.

The revelation that CISA monitored and influenced domestic speech during the pandemic is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of government overreach. The use of private sector partners to censor speech allowed the government to bypass constitutional safeguards, creating a system of censorship that undermined the principles of liberty and free expression. While the specifics of this case may be new, the underlying issues  government surveillance, private sector collaboration, and the suppression of dissent  are all too familiar.

As America First Legal continues its efforts to challenge government censorship practices, it is essential to hold federal agencies accountable for their actions. The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our system, but it also highlighted the need to protect free speech and resist the encroachment of government power. The story of CISAs censorship is a reminder that liberty must be vigilantly guarded, evenand perhaps especiallyin times of crisis.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

LegalNewsline.com

STGReport.com
Israel seizes Syrian buffer zone, bans villagers from their fields, as U.N. condemns occupation

Israeli forces seized a 400-square-kilometer buffer zone on the Syrian border, previously controlled by the United Nations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the occupation, citing the need for Israel's security following the Syrian civil war.

Syrian residents, particularly those in Maariyah village, are protesting the occupation and experiencing restricted access to farmland and freedom of movement.

The United Nations and Qatar have strongly condemned Israel's actions, with the U.N. calling for an immediate withdrawal.

Critics argue that the move is an opportunistic land grab, while Israel claims it is necessary to prevent Iran from smuggling weapons to Hezbollah.

The situation has significant implications for regional stability and ongoing peace negotiations, with the international community closely watching the developments.

Israeli occupation in the Syrian buffer zone

In a dramatic move that has sparked international condemnation, Israeli forces have seized control of a strategic buffer zone on the Syrian border, pushing deep into Syrian territory and setting up strategic military positions. The buffer zone, which had previously been controlled by the United Nations, now lies under Israeli occupation, raising concerns among Syrian residents and drawing criticism from the international community.

On Sunday, Israeli troops began moving into the roughly 400-square-kilometer demilitarized buffer zone, which borders the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The buffer zone was established in 1974 as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, and was patrolled by UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force). The Israeli military's actions have been widely condemned as a violation of the 1974 ceasefire agreement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the move, stating that it was necessary to secure Israel's northern border in the wake of Syrian President Bashar Assad's ouster. He emphasized that Israeli troops would stay in the buffer zone until a new arrangement is in place to ensure Israel's security.

Syrian villagers protesting Israels occupation

In Maariyah, a village on the western edge of Syria's Daraa province, residents are expressing strong opposition to the Israeli occupation. Abdel Raouf Issa, a local resident, said, "We call on the United Nations to remove the occupation as soon as possible." Another resident, Kamal Saleh Damara, expressed frustration at the lack of freedom of movement in the village.

Access to farmland has been particularly contentious. Abdel Raouf Issa told residents, "They [Israeli forces] prevented us from farming. They prevented us from moving." The residents are now unable to travel freely in or out of the buffer zone, and farming activities in the region have been severely disrupted.

The move by Israel has drawn sharp criticism from a number of countries and organizations. Qatar, one of the first countries to re-establish diplomatic relations with Syria's new authorities, issued a statement expressing its "categorical rejection of the regimes repressive policies against the Syrian people." However, its re-establishment of an embassy in Damascus is seen as a sign of support for the new government.

The United Nations, through spokesman Stephane Dujarric, has been vocal in its condemnation of Israel's actions. "The advance of Israeli troops, however long it lasts, violates the deal that set up the buffer zone," Dujarric said. "Occupation is occupation."

The situation has significant implications for the wider region. Israel claims that the capture of the buffer zone is necessary to prevent Iran from smuggling weapons to Hezbollah through Syria. However, critics argue that the move is an opportunistic land grab taking advantage of the chaos that has followed Assad's ouster.

The U.N. has called for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops, emphasizing the importance of upholding international agreements and the sovereignty of Syria. The international community is likely to debate the legality and consequences of this occupation, with potential implications for future peace negotiations and regional stability.

Sources include:

APNews.com

APNews.com

APNews.com
By now, most of us understand that the real force behind the day-to-day operations inside the White House was Jill Biden. Lets be honestJoe wasnt capable of much, whether it was finding his way off a four-foot stage or leading the so-called free world. Jill was the one making key decisions that impacted not only our lives but also the very existence of the United States on the world stageall without any political, business, or negotiating experience.

(Article republished from Revolver.news)

This was an article written back in July 2024, revealing that Jill Biden was the real (fake) president.

Boston Herald:

Edith Wilson was President Woodrow Wilsons second wife. She ran the country for a year and a half after Wilson was incapacitated following a massive stroke in 1919.

The public never knew.

This is not to say that First Lady Jill Biden, 73, is running the country today. It is to point out that she is running Joe Biden, 81, which may amount to the same thing.

Edith Wilsons first move after Wilsons debilitating stroke was to mislead the nation regarding the bedridden Wilsons ability to function, let alone continue to serve as president.

The stroke was of such an intensity that it incapacitated Wilson, leaving him permanently paralyzed on the left side of his body and blind in one eye.

While Wilson was confined to his White House bed and barely conscious or rational, Edith Wilson, in effect, took over the presidencyand the country.

Even after Wilson went from a sick bed to a wheelchair, his health continued to deteriorate. His mind wandered and his memory diminished.

There was no 25th Amendment to allow for the replacement of an incapacitated president as there is now. That amendment was only passed in 1967.

And back then, thanks to his loyal wife, nobody outside of the White House knew what a basket case Wilson was, including the press and the public. He died at age 67 in 1924 after leaving the White House.

Before that, Edith Wilson became sort of acting president. She allowed only a few trusted friends to see the bedridden Wilson.

Those prohibited from seeking and conferring with President Wilson included genial Vice President Thomas P. Marshall, Cabinet members and members of Congress.

If they had policy issues or other business with the president, they would present the matters to Edith Wilson, and she would then allegedly confer with the stricken president and return with a decision.

Whether the decisions were President Wilsons or hers remained an open question.

Edith Wilson, who died in 1961 at age 89, later denied making any decisions regarding public affairs. The only decision that was mine, she said, was what was important and what was not, and the very important decision of when to present the matters to my husband.

Translated that means that to get to the president on important matters of state you had to get to the unelected presidents wife first, not the vice president, the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate.

Edith Wilson became the first woman president, the unelected decider in chief.

It also means that an unelected individual cannot get much more powerful than that in this representative democracy.

Joe Biden is nowhere as bad off as Wilson was, despite his obvious decline both physically and mentally. He will continue to get worse, not better. He will not do any better at a second presidential debate. Time does not work that way.

And as demands that he not seek re-election continue to persist, the role of Jill Biden as the presidents hovering caretaker and advisor have become Edith Wilson-like. Biden can barely walk or talk without her at his side.

One way out of his dilemma, and the dilemma of the troubled Democrat Partyas well as for the good of the country  is for Joe Biden to step aside and nominate Jill Biden for president.

A Jill Biden for president  a woman!  would give Donald Trump something to worry about.

Biden could do it at the Democrat Party convention in Chicago in August by turning all his delegates over the Jill Biden.

She could then keep Kamala Harris on as a running mate or replace her with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Russias Lavrov slams current ceasefire efforts in Ukraine but welcomes negotiations with incoming Trump administration

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov harshly criticized current ceasefire efforts in Ukraine as futile and a "path to nowhere."

Lavrov has expressed cautious optimism and indicated that Russia is open to consultations with the Trump administration regarding peace in Ukraine.

Lavrov reports France has been holding secret meetings with Russia to achieve peace in Ukraine.

Beyond Ukraine, Lavrov addressed Russia's growing influence in Syria, expressing willingness for economic cooperation and participation in election organization, though analysts note these actions are primarily self-serving.

As power transitions in Washington, the future of international diplomacy remains uncertain, and whether Lavrov's expressed optimism will materialize into meaningful progress is still an open question, underlining the complexity of current global tensions.

In a press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed what he described as the futility of current efforts to reach a ceasefire deal in Ukraine, while simultaneously showing cautious optimism for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration and his potential future efforts to reach peace between Kyiv and Moscow.

Lavrov labeled current ceasefire efforts as "a path to nowhere." The Russian official's sentiments echo a deep-seated frustration with what he perceives as empty negotiations and fruitless discussions.

"Russia is not interested in empty discussions about a resolution," Lavrov declared in a statement.

Lavrov's statements suggest that even Moscow believes the conflict with Ukraine is unlikely to end anytime soon. Instead of a ceasefire leading to peace, it seems to be leading to an extended period of limbo, with no clear path to resolution on the horizon.

However, Lavrov has indicated that the Kremlin seems willing to give the new U.S. leadership a chance.

"Russia is open to consultations with the Trump administration, hoping for an understanding of the conflict's root causes," Lavrov stated. (Related: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the West DOESN'T WANT the Russia-Ukraine war to end.)

Lavrov also used the press conference to reveal that France has reportedly been approaching Russian officials in private, seeking to discuss the situation in Ukraine without the involvement of the government in Kyiv.

This back-channel diplomacy is raising eyebrows, particularly given France's continued military support for Ukraine.

In Lavrov's words, France's actions are "ambiguous" and "raising doubts."

Syria: Russia's new playground

As if the tension in Ukraine wasn't enough, Lavrov also addressed the ongoing situation in Syria, a conflict that very recently ended after over a decade of conflict, thousands of lives lost and the downfall of the decades-long reign of the Assad family. Russia reportedly sees the chaos in Syria as an opportunity to expand its influence.

"Russia maintains contact with the new Syrian authorities and anticipates renewed economic cooperation," Lavrov said, while also expressing Russia's willingness to assist in organizing elections in the war-torn country.

Analysts point out Lavrov's statements underline a deep-seated frustration with the current state of negotiations in Ukraine, coupled with a cautious optimism for future dialogue with the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the actions of France and the state of affairs in Syria hint at a complex tapestry of international intrigue and power play.

Head over to RussiaReport.news for updates on the wars Russia is waging against other nations.

Watch Tucker Carlson's interview with Lavrov on Russia's war with the United States.

This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Highlights from Tucker Carlson's historic interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russia's RED LINES not mere threats: West's provocation puts global security in grave danger.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov describes Russia-Ukraine chaos as one part of wider conflict with the West.

Russian official warns U.S. will face WORSE CONSEQUENCES for backing Ukraine's strikes on Kursk.

Sources include:

YouTube.com

InfoWars.com

Brighteon.com
Migrant crossings through deadly Darien Gap down 40% amid crackdown by Panama government

Migrant crossings through the Darien Gap dropped by approximately 42 percent in 2024, from 520,000 in 2023 to around 300,000 this year.

Panamanian authorities attribute the decline to enhanced border security measures, including biometric screening, increased troop deployments, the installation of razor wire fences and stricter enforcement of border controls.

Panama is also collaborating with the U.S., who has agreed to fund the repatriation of migrants entering Panama illegally.

The Darien Gap crossing remains dangerous, with at least 55 migrants dying in the jungles, including 10 who drowned in July.

Despite progress, Panamanian authorities face continued pressure to address the migrant crisis, with concerns that crossings could increase without sustained efforts and more support from the United States.

The number of migrants crossing the perilous Darien Gap has dropped by as much as 40 percent following a crackdown by Panamanian authorities.

The Darien Gap is a 70-mile stretch of jungle that connects South and Central America. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, who took office in July with a campaign pledge to curb illegal immigration into and through Panama, implemented a series of measures that helped make travel through Panama much more difficult.

Minister of Public Security Frank Abrego reported that only around 300,000 migrants made the journey north through the Darien Gap compared to a record-high 520,000 in 2023, a decline of around 42 percent.

The decline is attributed to enhanced security measures, including biometric screening, which helps border agents identify individuals with criminal histories. Additionally, Panama has deployed troops, installed razor wire fences and implemented stricter controls to manage the flow of migrants.

Mulinos administration has also collaborated with the United States to address migration through the Darien Gap. Under a bilateral agreement, the U.S. agreed to cover the costs of repatriating migrants who enter Panama illegally.

55 Migrants dead, 180 children abandoned in Darien Gap

The dangers of the Darien Gap remain stark. Mulino reported that 55 migrants have died in the Darien in 2024, including 10 who drowned in July while attempting to cross a swollen river during the rainy season. Panamanian authorities suspect the actual death toll may be higher, as many bodies are unrecoverable in the remote jungle.

Additionally, 180 unaccompanied minors were abandoned in the jungles this year, with some left alone after their relatives died or became lost. These children are now under the care of Panamanian child welfare institutions.

The migration crisis has placed significant pressure on Panama and other countries along the route, including Mexico, to address the issue. Panama has closed several routes in the Darien region and begun deporting migrants on flights funded by the U.S. government. However, the challenges persist, as migrants continue to risk their lives in pursuit of reaching the United States.

Mulino emphasized the need for ongoing U.S. support from the incoming government of President-elect Donald Trump, stating, We want the Trump administration to realize that its border is actually here at the Darien Gap and to see how complicated that area is.

Despite the progress, Mulino expressed concern that migration numbers could rise again without sustained efforts.

At its peak, as many as 25,000 migrants traversed through the jungles of the Darien Gap daily.

Migrants who successfully navigate the dense terrain are often transported by bus through Panama and into Costa Rica, continuing their journey northward.

Learn more about the ongoing problems faced by authorities dealing with the migrant crisis at Migrants.news.

Watch this video showing how the United Nations is helping migrants at the Darien Gap make their way north to the United States.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump threatens to retake control of Panama Canal, combat Chinese influence and unfair treatment to American companies.

THANK YOU, TRUMP: Amid U.S. pressure, Mexican officials dissolved 2 migrant caravans headed for the southern border.

Illegal immigrants self-deporting ahead of Trump's return to the White House.

REPORT: Number of Venezuelan migrants crossing the Darien Gap surged by 80% in September.

Panama finally cracking down on Darien Gap migrant problem following reports from Michael Yon.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com
Naloxones miraculous impact on fentanyl overdose rates masks an ongoing crisis

The United States is witnessing a notable decline in overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, marking a significant milestone in the battle against this deadly drug. Naloxone has proven to be a powerful antidote, saving lives. However, behind the encouraging statistics lies a complex, ongoing struggle for many communities and individuals

Naloxone prevents overdose deaths, but there's more to the crisis, addressing behavior patterns and root causes of addiction

Fentanyl Overdose Deaths Plunge: For the first time in a decade, synthetic opioid-related deaths are declining. In the 12 months through July 2024, the U.S. recorded a 22% decrease, while Ohio saw a dramatic 34% drop. This shift is attributed largely to the widespread distribution of naloxone, the life-saving antidote for opioid overdoses.

For the first time in a decade, synthetic opioid-related deaths are declining. In the 12 months through July 2024, the U.S. recorded a 22% decrease, while Ohio saw a dramatic 34% drop. This shift is attributed largely to the widespread distribution of naloxone, the life-saving antidote for opioid overdoses. Naloxone's Widespread Availability: Since the FDA allowed over-the-counter sales in March 2023, naloxone has become increasingly accessible. In Ohio alone, nearly 320,000 two-dose kits were distributed in the first 10 months of 2024, marking a significant increase from previous years.

Since the FDA allowed over-the-counter sales in March 2023, naloxone has become increasingly accessible. In Ohio alone, nearly 320,000 two-dose kits were distributed in the first 10 months of 2024, marking a significant increase from previous years. User Experiences: James Sleaze Morgan, a frequent user in Columbuss Hilltop neighborhood, credits naloxone with saving his life at least 20 times in the last few years. However, users also describe the harsh realities of the antidote, particularly the intense withdrawal symptoms it triggers.

James Sleaze Morgan, a frequent user in Columbuss Hilltop neighborhood, credits naloxone with saving his life at least 20 times in the last few years. However, users also describe the harsh realities of the antidote, particularly the intense withdrawal symptoms it triggers. Grappling with Withdrawal and Recurrence: Repeated use of naloxone to revive individuals means they often experience severe withdrawal symptoms and an immediate craving for another fix. Sleaze Morgan, for instance, recalls waking up from a near-fatal overdose feeling intense physical and emotional pain, prompting a frantic search for more drugs.

Repeated use of naloxone to revive individuals means they often experience severe withdrawal symptoms and an immediate craving for another fix. Sleaze Morgan, for instance, recalls waking up from a near-fatal overdose feeling intense physical and emotional pain, prompting a frantic search for more drugs. Naloxone's Dark Side: While hailed as a life-saver, naloxone has become a double-edged sword. Users report experiencing violent reactions and acute pain following administration. Some even describe fleeing the scene to evade further doses of the antidote.

While hailed as a life-saver, naloxone has become a double-edged sword. Users report experiencing violent reactions and acute pain following administration. Some even describe fleeing the scene to evade further doses of the antidote. Ongoing Fentanyl Crisis: Despite the decline in overdose deaths, fentanyl remains abundant on the streets, with a steady supply and usage rate in many communities. The Hilltop area of Columbus, known for its trap houses and drug exchanges, continues to be heavily impacted by fentanyl and other illicit opioids.

Despite the decline in overdose deaths, fentanyl remains abundant on the streets, with a steady supply and usage rate in many communities. The Hilltop area of Columbus, known for its trap houses and drug exchanges, continues to be heavily impacted by fentanyl and other illicit opioids. Introduction of Tranquilizers: Researchers are investigating the role of veterinary tranquilizers, such as xylazine and medetomidine, mixed with fentanyl in reducing overdose rates. These tranquilizers, though dangerous in their own right, may be contributing to a longer-lasting high and reduced need for frequent fixes, which could explain the decrease in fentanyl-related deaths.

Researchers are investigating the role of veterinary tranquilizers, such as xylazine and medetomidine, mixed with fentanyl in reducing overdose rates. These tranquilizers, though dangerous in their own right, may be contributing to a longer-lasting high and reduced need for frequent fixes, which could explain the decrease in fentanyl-related deaths. Continued Need for Support: Community centers like the Hope Resource Center in Columbus report a growing number of visitors, with usage increasing by about a third compared to the previous year. Despite the drop in fatalities, these centers remain crucial hubs for providing support, naloxone, and referrals to treatment programs.

Community centers like the Hope Resource Center in Columbus report a growing number of visitors, with usage increasing by about a third compared to the previous year. Despite the drop in fatalities, these centers remain crucial hubs for providing support, naloxone, and referrals to treatment programs. Complexity of the Opioid Crisis: While the decline in fentanyl overdose deaths is welcome news, the underlying factors driving this trend remain multifaceted. Experts debate whether reduced drug purity, the presence of tranquilizers, or the depletion of at-risk populations are primarily responsible for the lower mortality rates.

While the decline in fentanyl overdose deaths is welcome news, the underlying factors driving this trend remain multifaceted. Experts debate whether reduced drug purity, the presence of tranquilizers, or the depletion of at-risk populations are primarily responsible for the lower mortality rates. Call for Continued Vigilance: Analysts stress the importance of not becoming complacent in the face of improved statistics. Communities and officials must remain vigilant, focusing on providing broader access to naloxone, expanding treatment options, and addressing the root causes of substance abuse.

The fight against fentanyl is far from over. As communities continue to deploy naloxone to save lives, the challenge lies in addressing the intricate dynamics that fuel this ongoing crisis. The decline in overdose deaths offers a moment of hope, but it is overshadowed by the stark realities of ongoing addiction and the urgent need for comprehensive solutions and addressing the root causes of addiction, behavioral disorders, behavioral patterns, enabling and mental illness.

For the latest stories and information on this topic, check out Addiction.news.

Sources include:

Reuters.com

NYTimes.com

PMC.NLM.NIH.gov
An ancient burial site with artifacts from the times of Kyivan Rus has been discovered in the center of Chernihiv. This research began in 2008 and continued in 2021 and September 2024.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to the scientists, this burial ground functioned for about 200 years and was first a burial mound and then a Christian burial ground. In one of the burials, a heraldic pendant was found, which depicts two trident on both sides, Cheline writes.

The area where the burials were found was planned to be used for the construction of a multi-story building. All archaeological objects and materials have been removed and the site is now an empty lot for construction work.

ADVERTISIMENT

During the research near the burials, fragments of eleventh- and twelfth-century ceramics were discovered, as well as jewelry, an ancient Russian axe-glue, a knife, and other items confirming the antiquity of this burial.

"Kurgan mounds were visible at the end of the eighteenth century. They are marked on the plans of Chernihiv," said Vitalii Zhyhola, a junior researcher at the Old Russian Department of Archeology at the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, during a museum meeting at the V. Tarnovskyi Chernihiv Regional History Museum. He also added that this site is interesting because at first there were mound burials there, and then they began to make ground burials around it.

ADVERTISIMENT

According to Vitalii Zhyhola, it is most likely that one of the tridents may belong to Mstyslav, who was the founder of the Chernihiv principality. According to historians' research, at that time this territory was already an outskirt of the city.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Roger Ver prosecution exposes deep-seated government HOSTILITY toward economic freedom and decentralization

The ongoing attacks on freedom of speech and financial autonomy in the U.S. are exemplified by the federal prosecution of cryptocurrency advocate Roger Ver and independent media figure Alex Jones, targeting their views on decentralization and freedom from government control.

Ver, dubbed the "Bitcoin Jesus," faces charges of tax evasion, mail fraud and filing false tax returns. His case reflects a coordinated government campaign to suppress dissent, similar to the tactics used against Jan. 6 protesters.

Jones faced a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit that illustrates prolonged legal tactics to stifle free speech. This mirrors the government's approach against Ver and other dissenters.

Ver's early conviction for selling fireworks on eBay and his 2002 remarks about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as "child-murdering thugs" are cited as examples of selective prosecution aimed at silencing criticism of government agencies.

Federal agents raiding the office of Ver's tax lawyer in 2018 highlights issues of government overreach and the erosion of attorney-client privilege, underscoring the importance of upholding principles of free speech, fair prosecution and due process.

The ongoing assault on freedom of speech and financial autonomy in the United States is highlighted by the federal prosecution of crypto-evangelist Roger Ver and independent media figure Alex Jones. Both face charges for their perceived transgressions against the status quo through their espousal of decentralization and freedom from government control.

The case against Ver, known as the "Bitcoin Jesus," exemplifies a coordinated government campaign of suppression that echoes those used against Jan. 6 protesters. On Dec. 18, Ver appeared on "The Alex Jones Show" on InfoWars alongside his advocate Tracy Thurman, where she spoke with guest host Mike Adams about Ver's predicament. Interestingly, Ver appeared on the program with his mouth taped shut, the words "censored" written on the tape.

Ver, a libertarian activist and early Bitcoin investor, has been indicted on charges of tax evasion, mail fraud and filing false tax returns. According to the federal indictment, he allegedly failed to report a portion of his Bitcoin holdings in 2014 and under-reported his ownership after renouncing his U.S. citizenship and becoming a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis.

This case mirrors the tactics used against Alex Jones of InfoWars. In 2018, Jones faced a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed by the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims. Though the lawsuit was eventually dismissed, it served as a prolonged legal proceeding aimed at stifling Jones's free speech. This is reminiscent of the government's tactics against Ver and Jan. 6 protesters, who have been slapped with excessive charges and lengthy sentences.

Ver's early brushes with law enforcement highlight a broader pattern of targeting individuals advocating for personal liberty and financial autonomy. He was convicted in 2002 for selling fireworks on eBay, a practice widespread among retailers, and served 10 months in federal prison. However, Ver's advocate, Tracy Thurman, maintains that this was a case of selective prosecution aimed at silencing his criticism of government agencies, particularly the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

During a debate in the early 2000s, Ver allegedly called the ATF "jack-booted child-murdering thugs" following the agency's actions in Waco, Texas, where operatives murdered members of David Koresh's Branch Davidians.

Thurman recounted that in a meeting between the ATF, the prosecutor and Ver's attorney, the latter argued that the case should just involve a fine or a request for a license, as was normally the case for other retailers. The ATF agent, however, responded by pounding his fist on the table, saying, "You didn't hear what he said about us." (Related: FBI raid on Mar-A-Lago backfires spectacularly as lawmakers call for NULLIFICATION of corrupt federal agencies like FBI, IRS, EPA, ATF, DOJ.)

Silencing dissent: The perils of government overreach

Ver's renunciation of American citizenship in 2014 to escape government harassment underscores the precarious state of freedom in the United States. His involvement in Bitcoin and advocacy for a decentralized financial system have long been viewed as threats to the status quo.

The case against Ver also raises serious concerns about government overreach and the erosion of attorney-client privilege. In 2018, armed federal agents raided the offices of Ver's tax lawyers, interrogating them without a warrant, in violation of due process.

The prosecution of Ver, Jones, and the Jan. 6 protesters is part of a coordinated strategy to stifle dissent and rein in those challenging the existing power structure. Ver's case, in particular, is a significant blow to proponents of decentralized financial systems and economic freedom. As the U.S. navigates these complex issues, it is crucial to uphold principles of free speech, fair prosecution, and due process to ensure the voices of those advocating for liberty and financial autonomy are not silenced.

In summary, the prosecution of Roger Ver, Alex Jones and the Jan. 6 protesters highlights the dangers of a surveillance state willing to use invasive tactics and selective prosecution to silence dissent. Upholding the principles of free speech, fair prosecution, and due process is essential in ensuring that the voices of those advocating for financial freedom and personal liberty are heard.

Watch the second hour of the Health Ranger Mike Adams' Dec. 18 guest hosting on "The Alex Jones Show," where he interviews Roger Ver, Tracy Thurman and Aaron Day.

This video is from the Ron Gibson Channel on Brighteon.com.

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The Onion's "winning" bid on Infowars may be disqualified as judge investigates why trustee didn't accept highest bid.

Just hours after The Onion purchased Infowars in bankruptcy, Alex Jones website WENT DOWN (but it's back online for now).

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NBCNews.com

FreeRogerNow.org
China unveils next-generation JH-20 stealth bomber

Images and videos circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo reportedly reveal that the Chinese People's Liberation Army has conducted one of the first flights of its new JH-20 stealth fighter bomber, designed to replace its aging fleet of JH-7 tactical bombers.

The JH-20 features a diamond-shaped wing design and other advanced stealth characteristics that appear on the surface to emulate American B-2 stealth bomber aircraft.

The aircraft is intended to penetrate advanced air defenses, enhance precision-strike capabilities and operated in neighboring contested environments like Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The JH-20 is part of China's "20 series" of next-generation aircraft, reflecting the communist nation's focus on rapidly modernizing its air force and expanding its regional and global military influence.

China has reportedly conducted the maiden flight of its new advanced combat aircraft: a next-generation tactical stealth fighter-bomber.

The bomber, nicknamed the JH-20, is designed to replace the People's Liberation Army's aging fleet of Xi'an JH-7 fighter-bomber aircraft, which have been in service with the PLA Naval Air Force and the PLA Air Force since the early 1990s.

Images that circulated on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Dec. 26 appear to show the new fighter-bomber in flight. The aircraft, reportedly being developed by the Xi'an Aircraft Corporation, features stealth characteristics, including a diamond-shaped wing design aimed at reducing its radar cross-section that emulates American stealth B-2 bombers.

Analysts suggest the platform is intended to penetrate advanced air defense systems and enhance Chinas precision-strike capabilities. (Related: Mach 7 drone illustrates China's latest leap in hypersonic technology.)

The new aircraft's development aligns with Chinas strategic focus on modernizing its tactical aviation capabilities. The designs emphasis on low observability and survivability positions it as a potential key asset in contested environments, particularly in scenarios involving Taiwan or the South China Sea.

American intelligence officials have described the JH-20  designated by the United States intelligence community as the "JH-XX" due to its current status as an undesignated aircraft  as a regional or tactical bomber with a shorter range and smaller payload capacity.

While specific details about the aircrafts capabilities remain classified, its size and design suggest it may carry advanced guided missiles, including anti-ship and air-to-ground weapons. Analysts have drawn comparisons to the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft, which has proven its tactical strike capabilities in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

China rapidly expanding its fleet of next-generation military aircraft

The new fighter-bomber is expected to join China's "20 series" of advanced aircraft, including the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, the Xi'an Y-20 military transport aircraft and the larger Xi'an H-20 stealth strategic bomber, which has a far longer range and bigger payload than the JH-20.

Chinas defense sector has made significant strides in recent years, with the J-20 stealth fighter already in squadron-level service. The development of these new platforms reflects Chinas focus on countering adversarial air defenses and projecting power beyond its territorial waters.

While the exact roles, production timelines, and operational capabilities of these aircraft remain unclear, their unveiling highlights Chinas ambition to dominate the skies in the Asia-Pacific theater and beyond. The absence of official comments from the Chinese government suggests these reveals were strategically orchestrated to maximize impact.

Watch this short video discussing the increasing cooperation between China and Russia when it comes to joint bomber aircraft patrols.

This video is from the Prather Point channel on Brighteon.com.

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Mysterious drones spotted over 17 U.S. military bases, raising alarms of Chinese espionage.

U.S. experts sound the alarm: China's cyber espionage threat grows as Salt Typhoon breaches U.S. telecom giants.

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China's new hypersonic weapon could tip the scales in future conflicts in Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Chinese submarines can now track AND SINK U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

Sources include:

Defence-Blog.com

MilitaryWatchMagazine.com

TWZ.com

Brighteon.com
Calling it a necessary first step to stop Weaponization of the Federal Government, house issues 17,000-page report

During the Biden administration, Americans faced a two-tiered system of government  one of favorable treatment for the politically-favored class, and one of intimidation and unfairness for the rest of American citizens, according to a report released late last week.

(Article by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org)

The 17,019-page final report, released Dec. 20 by the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, highlighted numerous instances of the federal government being weaponized against the American people.

The reports introduction also detailed attempts by the FBI to investigate parents who expressed opposition to COVID-19 restrictions at school board meetings, referring to this as an example of a two-tiered system of government.

The committee accused multiple federal agencies, including the White House, of engaging in a vast censorship campaign against so-called mis-, dis-, or malinformation, during the Biden administration.

The Biden-Harris administration worked with private entities, nonprofit groups, foreign actors and academics to form a censorship-industrial complex that censored speech that questioned official narratives, the report said.

The report highlighted U.S. government efforts to censor true information, government partnerships with universities and foreign intelligence agencies to censor speech, government efforts to harass Elon Musks Twitter, and the governments attempt to control artificial intelligence to suppress free speech.

The subcommittee said the report is a necessary first step to stop the weaponization of the federal government.

The report largely consisted of previously released documents and the transcripts of closed-door interviews and depositions the panel conducted, but also contained new documents and the subcommittees final conclusions.

In a statement cited by Fox News, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the subcommittees report a success. He said:

The Weaponization Committee conducted rigorous oversight of the Biden-Harris administrations weaponized government and uncovered numerous examples of federal government abuses. 

Through our oversight, we protected the First Amendment by investigating the censorship-industrial-complex, heard from numerous brave whistleblowers, stopped the targeting of Americans by the IRS and Department of Justice, and created serious legislative and policy changes that will benefit all Americans.

In an interview with The Defender, Jeffrey Tucker, president and founder of the Brownstone Institute, called the report a step in the right direction and better than any official report to appear in any country so far.

However, he said the report does not touch on the deeper issues of the militarized and national-security-driven response to the pandemic.

It nowhere mentions the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and leaves untouched a host of issues, Tucker said. There is a very long way to go to get full disclosure.

According to a June 2023 House Judiciary Committee report, CISA  a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  worked with social media platforms to censor posts it considered dis-, mis- or malinformation.

However, Tucker said the report vindicated voices that were censored during the pandemic.

Most conspiracy theories, of course, turn out to be true. The report is a solid step toward admitting that but much more needs to be said, Tucker said. Weve learned two realities about free speech. First, it is threatened in ways we never imagined. Second, it is absolutely essential to maintaining freedom itself. We need a new vigilance surrounding this issue.

The Washington Examiner, citing remarks by Jordan, reported that the subcommittee will dissolve at the end of the year and will be absorbed by the Judiciary Committee.

Government feared misinformation would erode confidence in COVID shots

In the meantime, documents obtained from DHS shed more light on the U.S. governments attempts to censor COVID-19-related speech, including censorship of true information that can become misinformation as it ages.

The documents, obtained by America First Legal as part of its litigation against the U.S. Department of State and CISA, were made public on Dec. 19, one day before the House report on the weaponization of the government.

According to the documents, in early 2020, DHS and CISA were concerned that online misinformation would erode public confidence in the yet to be developed COVID-19 vaccine.

Citing remarks by Dr. Anthony Fauci, CISA noted that it will probably require 50% to 75% of the population to be immune before achieving herd immunity but this goal should be achieved not just through infected people recovering but also through vaccination.

The documents show that CISA advised citizens to recognize the risk of COVID-19 disinformation. It recommended talking to friends and family about the risk of spreading disinformation and visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) rumor control website.

The documents also showed that FEMA  an arm of DHS  also conducted social listening to monitor public sentiment relating to official COVID-19 narratives. This monitoring was primarily focused on online discussions about President Donald Trumps statement that he was using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.

Even information the government acknowledged was accurate but inconsistent with official narratives was tagged as potential misinformation. Once-accurate [COVID-19] information can become misinformation as it ages, leading to erroneous conclusions and misinterpretation of the current situation, the documents noted.

Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org
Migrants see massive job gains while 43 million Americans remain unemployed

In 2024, foreign-born workers accounted for all net job growth, while 43 million native-born Americans remain out of the workforce.

Workforce participation among native-born men has halved since 1960, with 22 percent now out of the labor force, up from 11 percent six decades ago.

The foreign-born workforce has surged by over 14 million since 1960, reaching a record 52 million under Biden.

Reliance on immigrant workers may mask declining native-born participation, with calls to reduce immigration to boost wages and reform welfare programs.

Policymakers face challenges balancing immigration with addressing factors driving native-born Americans out of the workforce, raising questions about long-term labor market trends.

A recent analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) has revealed that foreign-born workers now account for the majority of net job growth in the United States this past year, all while over 43 million native-born Americans remain out of the workforce.

The CIS's report has revealed significant shifts in the U.S. labor market. The findings, based on data from 1960 to 2024, highlight a long-term decline in labor force participation among native-born Americans and a growing reliance on immigrant workers to sustain job growth.

As of April 2024, 43 million working-age Americans aged 16 to 64 are not employed, marking an increase of 8.5 million since 2000. The decline in workforce participation is particularly pronounced among native-born men, with the share of working-age men not in the labor force doubling from 11 percent in 1960 to 22 percent in 2024.

If the labor force participation rate for these men matched 1960 levels, there would be approximately nine million more men in the workforce today. Even among prime-age native-born men  typically considered the most employable demographic  the share of those not in the labor force has tripled from four percent in 1960 to 12 percent in 2024.

In contrast, foreign-born workers have seen consistent job growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while 1.1 million fewer native-born Americans are employed compared to last year, over 400,000 foreign-born workers have gained jobs.

This trend extends over the past five years, with foreign-born employment returning to its pre-pandemic growth trajectory and accounting for all net job growth during that period. Native-born employment, however, remains below its pre-pandemic level, with 619,000 fewer jobs than in early 2020. (Related: Disappointing BLS report: U.S. economy only created 12,000 new jobs in October due to hurricanes and labor strikes.)

U.S. labor market becoming increasingly reliant on migrant workers

The analysis underscores the growing role of immigration in the U.S. labor market. Since 1960, the number of foreign-born men in the workforce has increased by over 14 million.

Under President Joe Bidens immigration policies, the foreign-born population has reached a record 52 million, or 15.5 percent of the U.S. population. Without reductions in immigration levels, this figure is projected to rise to 82.2 million by 2040, or more than 20 percent of the projected population of the U.S. by that decade.

Steven Camarota, CIS Director of Research, argues that reliance on immigrant workers has allowed the U.S. to overlook the declining labor force participation among native-born Americans. He suggests that reducing immigration could lead to higher wages, incentivize workforce participation and prompt reforms in welfare and disability programs.

While foreign-born workers have filled critical gaps in the labor market, the long-term decline in native-born workforce participation raises questions about the sustainability of current trends. Policymakers face the challenge of balancing immigration levels with efforts to address the underlying factors driving native-born Americans out of the workforce.

The analysis highlights a critical juncture for the U.S. labor market, with profound implications for economic and social policy. As the nation grapples with these challenges, the role of immigration in shaping the future of work remains a central issue for policymakers and stakeholders alike.

Watch this report from Fox Business discussing the Republican Party's plans to strengthen the economy and increase the number of jobs available for Americans.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Report: U.S. manufacturing sector slashed 26,000 jobs in November as industry woes persist.

BLS jobs report shows American-born workers are losing jobs to foreign-born workers.

NY Fed poll: 28.4% of Americans are searching for new jobs  the HIGHEST RATE in a decade.

High unemployment rates, high taxes and population exodus pushing Illinois to the brink of collapse.

California plans to give unemployment benefits to ILLEGALS, while their own citizens foot the bill.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

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CooperCenter.org

Brighteon.com
Trump vows to reclaim Panama Canal, saying it belongs to America

Trump threatens to reclaim control of the Panama Canal, citing "outrageous" fees and a "foolish" relinquishment.

The canal, built by the U.S. in the early 1900s, was transferred to Panama in 1999 under a treaty.

Trump criticizes rising canal fees and warns of potential foreign influence, hinting at China.

Panamas president rejects Trumps proposal, defending the canals sovereignty and fee structure.

The dispute reflects Trumps "America First" agenda and broader U.S.-Panama tensions.

In a bold declaration that has sparked international debate, President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to reclaim control of the Panama Canal, arguing that the United States should not tolerate what he calls outrageous fees and a foolish relinquishment of a vital national asset.

Trumps remarks, delivered during a rally in Arizona, reflect a broader vision of restoring American dominance on the global stage, but they have also raised questions about the legal and moral implications of such a move.

The Panama Canal holds a unique place in American history. Constructed in the early 1900s, the canal was a monumental engineering feat that revolutionized global trade by connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was built by the United States, paid for by American taxpayers, and was once considered a cornerstone of U.S. economic and military power. For decades, the canal served as a symbol of American ingenuity and influence, facilitating the movement of goods and military assets between the two coasts.

However, in 1999, under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter, the United States relinquished control of the canal to Panama. The decision was framed as a gesture of goodwill and a step toward Panamanian sovereignty. But for Trump, this transfer represents a historic mistake  one that he now seeks to rectify.

Rising fees and sovereignty concerns

Trumps primary grievance lies in the fees charged to ships passing through the canal. He has described these charges as ridiculous and a rip-off, noting that the United States, as the canals original builder and benefactor, should not be subjected to such financial burdens.

The fees, which can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars per vessel, have risen in recent years due to operational costs and reduced capacity caused by droughts in the region. For Trump, this is not just a matter of economics but a question of fairness and national pride.

Beyond the fees, Trump has also suggested that the canals future could be at risk if it falls into the wrong hands. While he did not explicitly name China, his comments hint at concerns about foreign influence, particularly from a nation that is the canals second-largest customer after the United States. For Trump, the canal is too important to be left under foreign control, especially when it was built and paid for by Americans.

Panamas response

Panamas president, Jose Raul Mulino, has firmly rejected Trumps proposal, calling it an affront to Panamanian sovereignty. In a public statement, Mulino emphasized that the canal belongs to Panama and will remain so. He defended the fee structure as necessary to cover operational costs and fund improvements to the canal, which has expanded in recent years to accommodate larger ships.

The dispute highlights a broader tension between the United States and Panama, two nations that have long enjoyed a close relationship. While Panama relies on the canal for a significant portion of its revenue, the United States views it as a critical link in its economic and military strategy. For Trump, the canal is not just a piece of infrastructure but a symbol of American greatness that should be reclaimed if Panama fails to uphold its end of the bargain.

Whether Trumps threat to reclaim the canal is a serious policy proposal or a rhetorical flourish remains to be seen. However, it underscores his administrations commitment to an America First agenda, which prioritizes U.S. interests above all else. For many conservatives, the idea of reasserting control over the canal resonates as a bold and necessary move to restore American dominance in a rapidly changing world.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

APNews.com

FoxNews.com
Physicists have long known that light can sometimes appear to leave a material before it enters it. This effect has been dismissed as an illusion caused by the way waves are distorted by matter.

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However, researchers at the University of Toronto say they can prove that "negative time" is not just a theoretical idea using innovative quantum experiments. They say it actually exists in a tangible, physical sense, and it deserves to be studied in more detail, Phys.org writes.

The researchers emphasize that their findings emphasize a particular quirk of quantum mechanics, not a radical change in our understanding of time.

"This is a difficult thing, even for us, to talk about with other physicists. We are misunderstood all the time," said Ephraim Steinberg, a professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in experimental quantum physics.

Laser experiments

Many years ago, a team of scientists began to study the interaction between light and matter.

When light particles, or photons, pass through atoms, some of them are absorbed by the atoms and then re-emitted. This interaction changes the atoms, temporarily putting them in a higher energy or "excited" state before they return to their normal state, scientists say.

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In a study led by Daniela Angulo, a team of scientists decided to measure how long these atoms remained in their excited state. This time turned out to be negative, meaning that the duration was less than zero.

To visualize this concept, experts advise imagining that cars are entering a tunnel. Before the experiment, physicists recognized that while the average entry time for a thousand cars might be, for example, noon, the first cars might leave a little earlier, say, at 11:59 am. This result had previously been dismissed as meaningless.

What Angulo and her colleagues demonstrated was akin to measuring carbon monoxide levels in a tunnel after the first few cars have entered and finding that the reading has a minus sign in front of them.

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Unchanging relativity

The scientists spent more than two years optimizing the experiments. The lasers used had to be carefully calibrated to avoid distorting the results, the researchers say.

"No one is claiming that time travel is possible or that anything has traveled back in time," Angulo and her colleague Steinberg emphasized.

According to the researchers, their explanation lies in quantum mechanics. Instead of following a fixed schedule for absorption and re-emission, these interactions occur over a spectrum of possible durations, some of which go against everyday intuition.

Importantly, the researchers say, this does not violate Einstein's theory of special relativity, which dictates that nothing can travel faster than light. These photons carried no information, bypassing any cosmic speed limit.

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Discovery

The concept of "negative time" has aroused both fascination and skepticism among some scientists.

German physicist Sabine Hossenfelder criticized the work in a YouTube video viewed by more than 250,000 people, saying: "Negative time in this experiment has nothing to do with the passage of time  it's just a way of describing how photons travel through a medium and how their phases shift."

Angulo and Steinberg responded that their research addresses key gaps in understanding why light does not always travel at a constant speed.

However, Steinberg noted that no serious scientist has challenged the results of the experiments. He added that although practical applications remain elusive, the discoveries open up new avenues for the study of quantum phenomena.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
New Delhi, Dec 26 : Top political leaders and business tycoons on Thursday mourned the demise of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, saying that his leadership, humility, and dedication will always be remembered.

Stressing that he was a visionary leader, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Dr Singh served as the Governor of RBI and as Finance Minister of India.

Presented the milestone budget of 1991 which liberalised the Indian economy. Respected by all, he was soft-spoken and gentle. Condolences to his family and friends, FM Sitharaman posted on X social media platform.

Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, said he was deeply saddened by the demise of the former Prime Minister and distinguished economist.

His contributions to India's economic reforms charted a new path of development for the nation. A political stalwart, his wisdom, humility, and dedication to public service earned him respect and admiration across the political spectrum, Goyal posted on X social media platform.

Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, posted: Saddened by the loss of former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. His leadership, humility, and dedication will always be remembered..

Meanwhile, RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka said Dr Singh was a true statesman whose quiet demeanour belied his transformative impact.

An architect of economic reforms, he shaped modern India with intellect, grace, and integrity. A leader who let actions speak louder than words. RIP, Goenka posted on X social media platform.

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra wrote: Farewell Dr. Manmohan Singh. You loved this nation. And your service to it will long be remembered. Om Shanti.

A man of humility and intellect, Dr. Singh was a respected figure both in India and globally. Under his leadership, India saw consistent economic growth, reducing poverty and strengthening the countrys position on the world stage.

He is survived by his wife, Gursharan Kaur, and their three daughters.
New Delhi, Dec 27 : Condolence messages from economists mourning the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh poured in on Friday, with IMF Deputy Director Gita Gopinath stating that the economic reforms he ushered in as finance minister in 1991 had inspired countless young economists like her.

Dr. Manmohan Singhs 1991 budget unshackled Indias economy, significantly enhancing the economic prospects for hundreds of millions of Indians. His visionary reforms inspired countless young economists like me. Rest in peace, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Gita Gopinath said on X.

Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), said that his generation of Indians was the creation of the economic reforms introduced by Finance Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Rao in 1991.

"As I have said before, the two most significant years of the twentieth century for India were 1947 and 1991 -- one brought political freedom and the other economic freedom. Manmohan Singh will always be remembered for announcing the Great Liberalisation..." Sanyal said.

Condolence messages also came in from industrialists for the former Prime Minister and former finance minister who had played a key role in opening up the Indian economy and breaking away from the erstwhile licence-permit raj that had shackled industry.

JSW Group chairman and MD, Sajjan Jindal, said; "Saddened by the passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, former Prime Minister of India and the visionary leader behind Indias economic liberalisation. A statesman of humility and wisdom-India owes him a debt of gratitude."

The US-India Business Council expressed deep condolences following the passing of Dr Singh, highlighting his significant contributions to strengthening the relationship between the United States and India.

USIBC praised Dr Singh for his pivotal role in in the 2008 Civil Nuclear Agreement between the two countries and economic reforms that shaped modern bilateral ties.
London, Dec 28 : David Lammy, UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, paid tributes to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and highlighted Singh's legacy in "laying the foundations for thriving India-UK partnership".

"Dr Manmohan Singh's bold economic reforms transformed India's economy. His legacy continues to shape modern India, and his vision laid the foundations for today's thriving UK-India partnership. My deepest condolences to his family and the Indian people," Lammy said on Friday in a post on X.

Condolences have been pouring from across the world on the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh.

Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi.

Dr Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932.

Apart from being an economist, Dr Manmohan Singh served as the Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982 to 1985.

He was the 13th PM of India, with his tenure from 2004-2014.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed deep condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, hailing him as a key figure in strengthening US-India relations.

Blinken praised Dr Singh for his leadership and said that he played an important role in advancing economic reforms in India, fostering the US-India strategic partnership, and will always remember his dedication to bringing the US and India closer together, including the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the former PM as an outstanding statesman who made significant contributions to India's economic development and its global interests.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya remembered the former PM for "his endeavours, which built the foundation" for the development of bilateral relations between the two nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel have also condoled the former PM's demise.

Macron said that India has lost a "great man" and France a "true friend" and offered condolences to Dr Singh's family and the people of India.

In a post shared on X, Macron said, "India has lost a great man, and France a true friend, in the person of Dr. Manmohan Singh. He had devoted his life to his country. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of India."

"We are profoundly saddened by the passing away of former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh. Dr Singh was a visionary leader of India. I extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the government and people of India as well as the bereaved family members," Ramchandra Paudel posted on X.

President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also expressed his condolences in a post on X, extending sympathies to Singh's family and his admirers worldwide.

"On behalf of the people of Sri Lanka and myself, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Republic of India, Dr Manmohan Singh's family, and his countless admirers worldwide. A visionary leader, Dr Singh's influence transcended national boundaries," Dissanayake wrote.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that he was deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh and called him a "visionary leader". He said Nepal will forever remember Dr Manmohan Singh's support for democracy and lasting friendship.

"Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, former PM of India. A visionary leader, his wisdom, humility, and dedication shaped India and inspired the region. Nepal will forever remember his support for democracy and lasting friendship," Oli posted on X.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condoled the demise of former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Ibrahim described Dr Singh as a cherished friend and a towering figure in Indian economic reform. The Malaysian PM reflected on the life of Singh, recalling his leadership during India's transformative economic era.

"The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh. Obituaries, essays, and books plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India's economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India's emergence as one of the world's economic giants," he said in a post on X.

German Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Philipp Ackermann, expressed his sorrow on X stating: "Saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh. A truly visionary politician, he opened India to the world and shaped the country's future for decades to come. Together with Chancellor Angela Merkel, he raised the strategic partnership between India and Germany to new heights."
Washington, Dec 28 : US President Joe Biden on Saturday paid heartfelt tributes to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, describing him as a "true statesman," a "kind and humble person," and a "dedicated public servant."

Dr Singh, who served as India's 14th Prime Minister and was widely regarded as one of the nation's most distinguished economists, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Acknowledged as the 'Architect of India's economic reforms,' Dr Singh led the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, leaving a lasting legacy on India's economic and diplomatic landscape.

In an official statement issued by the White House, President Biden said, "Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."

He emphasised that "the unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister's strategic vision and political courage."

President Biden credited Dr Singh for key milestones in Indo-US relations, including the landmark US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement and the establishment of the Quad between Indo-Pacific partners.

He added that Dr Singh charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations and the world for generations to come.

"He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person," Biden stated.

Recalling his personal interactions with Dr Singh, Biden mentioned their meetings during his tenure as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during Dr Singh's official visit to the United States in 2009.

"He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013," Biden said, noting their shared belief in the US-India relationship as one of the most consequential in the world.

Expressing his condolences, Biden added, "During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India."

Earlier on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also expressed his sorrow, calling Dr Singh "one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership."

Blinken highlighted Dr Singh's pivotal role in advancing the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement and his contribution to India's rapid economic growth.

"The United States offers our sincere condolences to the people of India for the passing of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh," Blinken stated, adding, "We mourn Dr Singh's passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together."
Renault Clio is gradually preparing its well-known budget model for a generation change. The car is in the final stages of development and is set to surprise customers with its practicality and quality. Recently, a concept design of it appeared online.

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The low-cost model of the French company is expected to be released by 2026. The TALK WHEELS channel showed this car with a striking new design.

The concept is inspired by the company's current models. Thus, large elements of complex shapes, narrow lighting and broken lines can be expected.

Of course, we can't hope that the European car will have only gasoline versions by 2026. The new 6th generation Renault Clio will likely be offered in hybrid and possibly electric versions.

Renault previously planned to completely abandon internal combustion engines in the European market by 2030. Electric cars need to be made cheaper through new designs, efficient mass production, and cheap batteries. An expanded range is also on its way.

The manufacturer is working to reduce the cost of batteries by 65% by 2028. This will make EVs more affordable.
Washington, DC, December 28 : US President Joe Biden expressed condolences on the passing of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, recognising his contributions to US-India relations and global cooperation.

"Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," President Biden said in an official statement by the White House.

"The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister's strategic vision and political courage. From forging the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations--and the world--for generations to come. He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person."

Biden also recalled his meetings with Singh during key moments in their professional lives. "I had the chance to meet Prime Minister Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during his Official State Visit to the United States in 2009. He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013."

"As we discussed then, the US-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people," he continued, as per the statement.

Singh, who passed away on Thursday night due to age-related medical conditions, is remembered for his role in shaping India's modern economic landscape. His legacy includes the economic liberalisation reforms he introduced as Finance Minister in 1991, which opened India's economy to global markets.

During his tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Singh worked to strengthen India's global standing, especially in its relationship with the United States, and foster regional cooperation through initiatives like BRICS.

Singh will be cremated near Rajghat, where many prominent Indian leaders are laid to rest.

"During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life," Biden concluded. "And Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India."
Washington, DC, December 28 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with the next US National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz on Friday evening (local time) during his visit to the United States.

The two leaders held discussion on bilateral partnership and current global issues, and Jaishankar said that he is looking forward to working with Waltz.

"Delighted to meet Rep. @michaelgwaltz this evening. Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1872802352178360583

Michael Waltz would succeed Jake Sullivan as the US National Security Advisor after Donald Trump assumes office as 47th US President in January. Earlier in November, Trump picked Florida Republican leader as his National Security Advisor.

Waltz also served as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Mike served 27 years in the US Army and National Guard.

Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to US, concluded a two-day conference of the team at the Indian Embassy in the US and Consuls General. He expressed confidence in the deliberations and noted that they would plummet the India-US partnership.

"Concluded a very useful two day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC today. Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated," Jaishankar posted on X.

On Thursday, Jaishankar met with the United States NSA Jake Sullivan, in Washington, DC. He said that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership and exchanged views on current regional and global developments.

Jaishankar also held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington, DC on Thursday. The two leaders reviewed the advancement of India-US partnership over the past four years and agreed that cooperation has strengthened in many sectors.

Jaishankar expressed confidence that ties between India and US will serve mutual interests and global good.

"Delighted to meet @SecBlinken yesterday evening in Washington D.C. Reviewed the advancement of India - US partnership over the last four years. Agreed that our cooperation has strengthened in many domains, just as our comfort levels have grown correspondingly. Confident that India-US relationship will serve our mutual interests as well as global good," he stated in a post on X.
Bratislava, Dec 28 : Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that his government may stop electricity supplies to Ukraine following the anticipated end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine on January 1, 2025.

"If necessary, we will stop the supply of electricity, which Ukraine desperately needs during grid outages. Or we will agree on another course of action," Fico said in a video post on social media.

Fico's remarks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed opposition to the continued transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to Slovakia once the current contract expires at the beginning of next year.

Fico added that according to estimates, the termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine and Slovakia could cost the European Union 120 billion euros over the next two years. Slovakia, he said, would lose up to 500 million euros annually in transit fees.

Fico also indicated Slovakia's readiness to host peace talks on Ukraine. "If someone wants to organise peace talks in Slovakia, we will be ready and hospitable," Fico said. Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 22 in Moscow, discussing issues including the transit of Russian gas, Xinhua news agency reported.

On October 3, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called for a quick end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

He said the conflict was 'a misfortune for everyone' and stressed that every war must end at the negotiating table.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the joint session of Slovak and Ukrainian governments, Fico expressed Slovakia's commitment to maintaining friendly relations with Ukraine.

However, the Slovak leader also voiced his intention to restore ties with Russia, stating that if the Russia-Ukraine conflict ended during his tenure, he would do his utmost to restore ties, especially economic relations, with Russia.

"The European Union needs the Russian Federation and the Russian Federation needs, of course, the European Union," Fico said.
Ottawa, Dec 28 : Cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, are increasing in several provinces and territories in Canada, local media reported.

Canadian health officials have reported 19,000 cases of pertussis so far this year and the country typically sees 1,000 to 3,000 cases a year, CTV News reported.

Whooping cough was mentioned by Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, on her biggest health concerns heading into 2025.

Tam said that whooping cough was controlled by vaccination for years and that one of the reasons it may be coming back is the pandemic's disruption on routine childhood vaccinations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Whooping cough is considered a 'nationally notifiable disease' in Canada and it's monitored through the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System, which has been set up to keep track of transmission of infectious diseases, CTV News reported.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. In many people, it's marked by a severe hacking cough followed by a high-pitched intake of breath that sounds like 'whoop.'

Before the vaccine was developed, whooping cough was considered a childhood disease. Now whooping cough primarily affects children too young to have completed the full course of vaccinations and teenagers and adults whose immunity has faded.

Deaths associated with whooping cough are rare but most commonly occur in infants. That's why it's so important for pregnant women  and other people who will have close contact with an infant  to be vaccinated against whooping cough.

Once you become infected with whooping cough, it takes about seven to 10 days for signs and symptoms to appear, though it can sometimes take longer. They're usually mild at first and resemble those of a common cold:

After a week or two, signs and symptoms worsen. Thick mucus accumulates inside your airways, causing uncontrollable coughing.

However, many people don't develop the characteristic whoop. Sometimes, a persistent hacking cough is the only sign that an adolescent or adult has whooping cough.
New Delhi, December 28 : As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was laid to rest at Nigambodh Ghat, the government dignitaries and leaders across party lines paid their respects to the former Prime Minister. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said that his biggest achievement was to give the country the right to food, employment, and education.

"He left after giving directions to the country. When the country was going through an economic crisis, he was the Finance Minister. He served as the Prime Minister for 10 years. Sonia Gandhi nominated him as the PM. He gave the country the Right to Food, Right to Employment, and Right to Education. This was his biggest achievement," Sukhu told reporters while leaving from Nigambodh Ghat.

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi said that the government of India should award the former PM with Bharat Ratna and allocate space for a memorial.

"He gave a lot to the nation and worked towards nation-building. He will always be remembered for improving the economic conditions of this country. I appeal to the government of India that they should award Bharat Ratna to a man who was honest and simple. They should allocate space to him...He should be given the respect he deserves..." Channi, former Chief Minister of Punjab, told ANI.

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said, "The government should have been sensitive and allocated space for his memorial...He served the nation and did a lot of work for the welfare of the nation...A space was allocated to Atal Bihari also when he died...So the government should have done the same here also."

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday was cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains earlier today.

The rituals for the cremation ceremony were performed for the former Prime Minister. The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Dr Singh's mortal remains were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes.

Earlier, after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of the late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it.

Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy.

After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Climate change risks have started to impact the financial system and it is essential to build capabilities to ensure correct assessment of these risks and put in place suitable adaptation and mitigation measures, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor M. Rajeshwar Rao has said, stressing the need for India-specific data that can be based on globally accepted range of scenarios.

Currently, the biggest challenge faced by emerging markets like India and developing economies is lack of adequate financing for development of sustainable technologies and requisite infrastructure to mitigate and adapt to climate change and build a robust sustainable financial system.

"India looks to be particularly vulnerable to climate change given its geographic location. It is estimated that by the year 2100, climate change could lead to an annual GDP loss of 3 per cent to 10 per cent," Rao noted in an RBI paper, titled 'Mitigating Climate Change Risks and Fostering a Robust Ecosystem for Sustainable Finance'.

While there is some debate on whether or not climate change is part of a mandate for a Central Bank, the fact that it has a bearing on both price and financial stability means that there is a need for a regulatory response on risks arising from climate change, he maintained.

The Central Bank has been proactive in its resolve to assess and mitigate the climate change risks that may impact the financial system.

"Over the last few years, we have taken several incremental measures in this direction. It started with the setting up a dedicated group within the Bank to assess climate change risks and foster a robust ecosystem for sustainable finance," said Rao.

This was followed by release of survey on climate risk and sustainable finance covering 34 scheduled commercial banks, discussion paper on climate risk and sustainable finance, followed by release of framework on green deposits.

He said climate data is characterised by lack of uniform methodology, fragmentation in accessibility, lack of uniformity in publication of data and difference in metrics, units, and formats.

"There is lack of actual historical loan loss data related to climate risks, hazard data encompassing historical and future forecasts of occurrences of climate events, and sectoral benchmarks for transition to net zero. Currently there is no set practice among financial institutions of labelling loan assets which have gone bad basis any climate risk event," Rao highlighted.

This limits the availability of realistic loan loss data for integration of climate related risks into traditional risk management models to estimate probability of default. It also inhibits the financial institutions from carrying out various simulations and scenario analysis exercises to arrive at realistic future loss estimations.

"Having said that, the scenarios provided by the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) and Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) serve as good starting point to derive India-specific results," said Rao.

The government has also been at the forefront in fostering sustainable and climate finance, be it Green Hydrogen Mission, National Solar Mission, PM-KUSUM, PM-Suryaghar Yojana, Sovereign Green Bonds, Long-Term low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) etc.

"There is a need to further augment these efforts by forging public-private partnerships and look at blended finance options, including the role of Development Financial Institutions (DFIs). Efforts are needed to address commercial viability of projects and related market failures, along-with transparency, integrity, and disclosures," Rao noted.
Port Louis, December 28 : Mauritius flag will be flown at half mast on all government buildings until sunset on Saturday as a mark of respect to India's former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mauritius Prime Minister's Office announced in a statement.

In a statement, Mauritius Prime Minister's Office said, "Following the passing away of Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of the Republic of India, the public is hereby informed that the Mauritius Flag will be flown at half-mast on all Government buildings until sunset today Saturday 28 December 2024, the day of his funeral.mast."

"An appeal is also made to the private sector for all flags to be flown at half-mast," it added.

Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Dhananjay Ramful, arrived in Delhi to attend the funeral of Manmohan Singh, according to sources.

On Friday, Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam visited India's High Commission in Port Louis and signed the Condolence Book opened in memory of Manmohan Singh.

In a post on X, Indian High Commission in Mauritius stated, "Hon'ble Dr. @PmRamgoolam, Prime Minister of Mauritius, visited the @HCI_PortLouis and signed the Condolence Book opened in memory of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India."

https://x.com/HCI_PortLouis/status/1872657770929074567

Navin Ramgoolam recalled his first meeting with Manmohan Singh. Calling former PM "gentleman politician and eminent economist," Ramgoolam said Manmohan Singh's humility, integrity and calmness will be remembered forever.

In a post on Facebook, Ramgoolam stated, "It is with profound sadness that I have just learnt of the passing away of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. I first met him when I was Leader of the opposition and he came to Mauritius on an official visit, prior to the 2005 election."

"Dr. Manmohan Singh was a gentleman politician and an eminent economist, who transformed India's economic landscape. His humility, integrity & calmness will always be remembered. On behalf of the people of Mauritius & that of my Government, I present our sincere condolences to his family & close ones," he added.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away at AIIMS at the age of 92 due to age-related ailments on Thursday, was cremated today with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains earlier today.

The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Singh's mortal remains were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes.

Manmohan Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy.After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections.
Mumbai, Dec 28 : Actress Rakul Preet Singh recently shared a glimpse of her enchanting vacation in London with her husband, actor Jackky Bhagnani.

On Saturday, Rakul took to Instagram to offer her followers a peek into their romantic getaway in the British capital. Through a series of pictures and videos, she showcased her fun-filled moments spent with Jackky. One of the photos features the actor posing at a restaurant, where he tagged Rakul and asked, What say? Resharing Jackkys picture on her Instagram story, the Thank God actress simply wrote, Best. She also posted an image of exotic dish, writing, "Londondiaries."

On December 25, Jackky Bhagnani celebrated his birthday with his wife. Rakul also penned a heartfelt birthday message for him, calling him the "best gift Santa could have given her."

In her Instagram post, Rakul shared a series of romantic photos with Jackky and wrote a sweet note: Happppppy bdayyyy babyyyyy!! You are the best gift Santa could have given me!! You are the best son, best brother, best friend, and best husband. May this year bring all the success and joy you deserve. May you keep smiling always and keep me cracking up with your dry sense of humor forever. Loveeeee you to infinity and beyond @jackkybhagnani.

In one of the pictures, Rakul was seen planting a kiss on Jackky's cheek, while in another, he sweetly kissed her forehead. Additional photos captured the couple smiling and posing happily together for the cameras.

Meanwhile, Jackky Bhagnani hosted a glamorous birthday party in Mumbai, attended by several celebrities, including Aayush Sharma, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Pragya Jaiswal, and more.

On February 21, Singh tied the knot with Bhagnani in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in Goa. The couple, who made their relationship Instagram-official in October 2021, celebrated their union with Anand Karaj and Sindhi rituals, followed by a glamorous wedding reception.
Thimphu, December 28 : King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck led Bhutan in honouring the late Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, with a solemn prayer ceremony at the Kuenrey of Tashichhodzong.

The prayer ceremony on Friday was also attended by the Bhutan Prime Minister, Ambassador of India to Bhutan and senior officials of the Royal Government and Government of India. Similar prayer ceremonies were also held across all 20 Dzongkhags, as per an official post by Wangchuk on Facebook.



"His Majesty The King, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo and Their Majesties the Queen Mothers offered Karmi Tongchoed (one thousand butterlamps) in memory of the late Former Prime Minister," the Facebook post read.



As a mark of respect to the late former Prime Minister and in solidarity with the Government and people of India, all national flags across the country and at Bhutan's Embassies, Missions, and Consulates abroad are being flown at half-mast, it said.



https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1128503888646551&id=100044608501488&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=BrK9s2yMdHfu5y4m



Manmohan Singh, born on September 26, 1932, served as India's Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. He is widely remembered for his pivotal role in modernising India's economy through the liberalisation reforms introduced as Finance Minister in 1991. These reforms marked a turning point in India's integration into the global market.



During his decade-long premiership, Singh further strengthened India's international relationships, notably with the United States, and contributed to regional cooperation through initiatives like BRICS. Leaders and diplomats worldwide have extended their condolences, recognising his legacy.



Singh was cremated near Rajghat, New Delhi, where many of India's prominent leaders are laid to rest, marking the final farewell to a statesman who shaped modern India's economic and diplomatic trajectory.




Guwahati, December 28 : The Assam Book Fair 2024 has started at Assam Veterinary College field, Khanapara in Guwahati with great enthusiasm.

The annual book fair has been organized by the Assam Publication Board in collaboration with the All Assam Publishers and Booksellers Association and it will continue till January 7.



Pramod Kalita, Secretary of Assam Publication Board told ANI that, Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu had inaugurated the book fair on December 27 in the presence of renowned writer Hindol Sengupta, Surinder Kumar Ghai, president of the Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Associations in India.



"This book fair will be continued till January 7. A total of 118 publishers and sellers have participated in this book fair and there are 350 stalls. 15 publishers from Kolkata, West Bengal, 16 publishers from Delhi, one each from Haryana and Hyderabad have participated in this book fair," Pramod Kalita said.



He further said that last year publishers from Bangladesh had also participated, but this time we didn't contact them due to the current situation in Bangladesh.



"The publishers of Bangladesh had communicated with us and they don't want to participate this time due to the current situation in the country and we also have not shown our interest in inviting them," Pramod Kalita said.



Last year nearly 135 booksellers and publishers participated in the Assam Book Fair at the Assam Engineering Institute (AEI) field, Chamdmari in Guwahati. Many publishers from Bangladesh also participated in the book fair.



Pramod Kalita, Secretary of the Publication Board of Assam told ANI that the Publication Board of Assam and All Assam Publishers and Book Sellers Association had jointly organized the Assam Book Fair.



"A total of 135 booksellers and publishers from across Assam and other parts of the country have participated in this book fair. We hope that this year's book fair will also be successful. We are trying to make all the arrangements here. Many renowned writers and artists from various parts of the world will take part in this book fair. We have arranged many programmes for the students," Pramod Kalita said.




Castelo Novo is a picturesque city in Portugal that captivates with its medieval atmosphere, diverse landscapes, and rich history. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) named the best tourist towns, and Castelo Novo was among the leaders.

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Unlike large tourist centers, Castelo Novo offers a calm and measured vacation. You can enjoy the silence, nature walks, and gastronomic discoveries. The details about Castelo Novo were provided by the Express.

Located near Coimbra, a beautiful riverside city known for its medieval Old Town, Castelo Novo promises an incredible experience.

Castelo Novo showcases Portugal's rich history and cultural heritage. Narrow cobblestone streets, old houses, and churches transport you back to the days of knights and kings. You can walk along the medieval walls, admire the architectural details, and feel the spirit of the past.

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The city has received awards for its commitment to sustainable practices, local community empowerment, high level of security, and protection of cultural and natural assets.

Castelo Novo is also famous for being completely carbon-free. With five electric vehicles to transport tourists from nearby train stations, Castelo Novo sets the standard for eco-friendly travel.

The oldest mention of Castelo Novo, then called Alpreda, dates back to around 1202.

The main attraction of the city is the medieval castle, which stands on a hill. The top offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Zezere River Valley and the surrounding mountains. It is an ideal place to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature.

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Tourists also come to Castelo Novo to see the Roman baths of Quinta do Ervedal.

Throughout the year, Castelo Novo hosts a variety of festivals that celebrate local traditions and culture. You can meet the locals, taste traditional dishes, and enjoy music and dance. The city has several museums and galleries with exhibits that tell the story of the history and culture of the region

The journey from Lisbon will take approximately three and a half hours by train or two and a half hours by car.

According to the UNWTO, Castelo Novo was included in the list of the best tourist cities in Europe in 2022. In 2024, Portugal is also represented in the ranking thanks to Santa Cruz da Graciosa, a municipality on the volcanic island of Graciosa, in the Azores archipelago.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
Kathmandu, December 28 : Trial to import petroleum products from India via the expanded Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline following the completion of its infrastructure enhancement has started from Saturday.

The pipeline which earlier has been supplying only diesel to Nepal on Saturday begun trial for the import of kerosene and petrol from India.

Pralayankar Acharya, Chief of the Madhesh Provincial Office of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) in Amlekhgunj, confirmed the trial's progress. He stated that 5,500 kiloliters of petrol and 1,000 kiloliters of kerosene have been imported through the pipeline for testing purposes.

"The regular import of petroleum products was initially scheduled to commence in January 2025, minor delays are anticipated as final preparations are underway. The expansion project, undertaken by the Indian Oil Corporation, has significantly upgraded the depot's infrastructure in Amlekhgunj," Acharya told ANI over phone.

The enhancements include the construction of large storage tanks, automatic loading facilities, a pump house, and a dedicated laboratory. A new firefighting system and mechanisms for separating oil and water have also been installed to improve safety and operational efficiency.

Although the contract for the work was scheduled to be completed in 2023, delays pushed the finalization of the project to this month. The pipeline project, initially launched in 2019, enabled diesel imports in its first phase. With the second phase now completed, the pipeline can transport petrol and kerosene as well.

Until now, limited storage capacity at the Amlekhgunj depot had necessitated the use of tankers for importing these products. Acharya said the upgraded facilities will allow for the regular import of petrol, diesel, and kerosene through the pipeline.

"It eliminates technical losses during transport, reduces costs compared to tanker imports, and helps mitigate environmental pollution caused by vehicular emissions. Once fully operational, the depot will have a storage capacity of 24,840 kiloliters for diesel and 16,630 kiloliters for petrol, ensuring a more stable and efficient supply chain for petroleum products in Nepal," Acharya added.
Bhubaneswar, December 28 : Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday attended the 12th and 13th Convocation of IIT, Bhubaneswar and said that IIT Bhubaneswar can become the hotpot of innovation. Exuding confidence, he said that India would surely lead the way in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

"IIT Bhubaneswar can become the hotpot of innovation. Encouraged all stakeholders to strengthen research and innovation. The government of India and the Government of Odisha stands with you to enable you to make the big leap. With our demographic dividend, a knowledge-based society and a growing economy, India will surely lead the way in the 4th Industrial Revolution and the faces I see in front of me will be the leaders of this revolution," Pradhan posted on X.



While addressing the 12th and 13th Convocation of IIT, Bhubaneswar, Pradhan said "This is India's time. Indian civilisation has traditionally led and cared for the world. India is on its way to becoming the world's third-largest economy. Odisha is also uniquely poised to benefit from it with a rich demographic dividend and a knowledge-based society. Students are also the trustees of the society. Called upon the graduating students to become job creators and steer us towards a Viksit Bharat and Viksit Odisha,"



Meanwhile, Pradhan also visited the Research and Entrepreneurship Park at IIT, Bhubaneswar.



"Visited the @IITBhubaneswar Research and Entrepreneurship Park, an emerging hub of innovation in Odisha. The park is fostering startups in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, green energy and agritech, with notable projects like millet-based products and advanced drone technologies. The initiative envisions incubating 100 startups, each with a valuation of Rs 100 crore by 2036, reinforcing India's goal of building a self-reliant economy. Also, toured the Silicon Carbide Research Innovation Centre (SiCRIC). Such initiatives are instrumental in positioning Odisha as a dynamic centre for entrepreneurship and cutting-edge research," Pradhan posted on X.




Chandigarh, December 28 : The Haryana Government on Saturday approved an enhancement in the monthly pension of Matribhasha Satyagrahis of the Hindi Aandolan-1957 from the existing Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, with immediate effect.

A decision to amend the Pension Scheme for the Matribhasha Satyagrahis was taken by the State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Chandigarh.

While the pension amount has been increased, the eligibility criteria and other terms and conditions of the scheme will remain unchanged.

CM Saini also announced several key decisions aimed at supporting the public and strengthening governance in the state.

A total of 30 out of 31 agendas were approved during the meeting, marking a productive session.

The cabinet in one of the major decisions increased the financial support for the families of Army and CRPF personnel who died in the line of duty. The amount has been raised from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore, reflecting the state's commitment to honouring the sacrifices made by its citizens in service to the nation.

Speaking at the press conference, Nayab Singh Saini said, "It has been decided to increase the ex-gratia amount for the families of Army and CRPF personnel who give supreme sacrifice from 50 lakhs to 1 crore. It was also decided to increase the monthly pension of Rs 15 thousand to 20 thousand rupees for the Matribhasha Satyagrahi of 1957."

In addition, the Panchayat Department has been instructed to allocate a 200-square-yard plot to the wife of Police Sub-Inspector Jai Bhagwan, who died in the line of duty while combating terrorists on December 12, 1995.

These decisions, expected to bring significant relief to the public and foster development in Haryana, reflect the state's focus on welfare and improving administrative procedures.
Jaipur, Dec 28 : The Bhajan Lal Sharma-led Rajasthan government on Saturday annulled the creation of nine districts and three divisions formed in the state during the previous Ashok Gehlot administration.

This decision was finalised during a Cabinet meeting held on Saturday. Rajasthan will now have 41 districts and 7 divisions.

The three divisions which were annulled include Pali, Sikar and Banswara, while the creation of nine out of the 17 new districts formed during the regime of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's rule which have now been cancelled during the Cabinet meeting, include Dudu, Kekri, Shahpura, Neemkathana, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Anupgarh and Sanchore.

Meanwhile, those districts which have been retained include Balotra, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, Kotputli-Behror, Khairthal-Tijara, Phalodi and Salumbar.

According to Rajasthan minister Jogaram Patel, these districts and divisions were established prior to the elections without proper consideration of practicality.

Key factors such as financial resources and population were overlooked. Several districts did not even include 6-7 tehsils, raising questions about their necessity.

Patel noted that no new administrative posts or office buildings were created for these areas, and attempts to establish 18 departmental posts in each district proved burdensome for the state.

A review committee concluded that these districts were not viable.

Meanwhile, no decision was taken in the meeting regarding Sub Inspector (SI) recruitment.

Jogaram Patel, the Law Minister, said: "The matter of SI recruitment was not on today's agenda, the matter is sub judice in the court. Additionally, the Cabinet decided to extend the validity of the Common Eligibility Test (CET) score from one year to three years."

Further, it was announced that a three-month campaign will be launched to include new beneficiaries under the Food Security Scheme.

Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zilla Parishads in the state will also undergo reorganisation, said the ministers submitted during the Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.
Colombo, Dec 28 : The Cinnamon Development Department of Sri Lanka aims to double the country's annual cinnamon export revenue to $500 million in the next few years, up from the current $250 million.

Local media on Saturday quoting Janaka Lindara, chairman of the Department of Cinnamon Development, said that Sri Lanka produces approximately 25,000 metric tonnes of cinnamon annually, with around 19,000 metric tonnes being exported.

To boost production, the country plans to expand cinnamon cultivation into the North Central and North Western provinces, Lindara said.

Sri Lanka also seeks to strengthen its foothold in international markets such as China and the European Union. The department is promoting the production of value-added cinnamon products to maximise foreign exchange earnings, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier, on July 10, 2019, Sri Lanka emerged as the largest exporter of cinnamon in the world, according to an international market survey, local media reports said.

According to the survey titled "Cinnamon Market Growth, Trends and Forecast 2019-2024" compiled by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the demand for Sri Lankan cinnamon increased in countries such as Mexico, the United States, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Guatemala.

The major countries that imported cinnamon from Sri Lanka were Mexico, the United States, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.

The survey stated that Sri Lanka had also emerged as the fourth-largest producer of cinnamon in the world.

The Asia-Pacific region was the world's leading producer of cinnamon, with Indonesia alone accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the total global output.

In 2018, Indonesia was the biggest cinnamon producer, followed by China, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government had recently stated that it had taken steps to increase cinnamon production in the island country to target international markets.

Cinnamon is a spice that has been prized for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.

In recent years, modern science has started to confirm many of the potential health benefits associated with cinnamon.

Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snack foods, bagels, teas, hot chocolate and traditional foods.

The aroma and flavour of cinnamon derive from its essential oil and principal component, cinnamaldehyde, as well as numerous other constituents including eugenol.
Kolkata, Dec 28 : The office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has decided to thoroughly scan and examine the voters' list in certain districts in West Bengal having international borders with neighbouring Bangladesh, with Intelligence input hinting that members of Bangladeshi fundamentalist groups have managed to get themselves enrolled in voters.

CEO office insiders said that the process had started with the bordering Murshidabad district, after it came to the notice that the recently arrested activist of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based fundamentalist group, Shad Radi a.k.a. Shab Sheikh, had managed to not only get his name enrolled as a voter in Murshidabad but at two places in two different Assembly constituencies in the district, namely Kandi and Hariharpara.

Sources said that the scanning and examination are being conducted to ensure whether there are similar instances in the district or not. In subsequent stages, similar scanning of the voters' list will be done for other districts in the state, especially those having international borders with Bangladesh.

Besides the instance in Murshidabad district, instances have also surfaced where the same EPIC number has been allotted to one voter of West Bengal and one voter of Gujarat.

Sources said that the CEO office is taking such matters very seriously since fake EPIC cards are the second layer in the chain of fake Indian documents being arranged for illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

As information revealed by the investigation officials, the first stage in this chain is getting fake ration cards, which is immediately followed by fake EPIC cards. The third and fourth stages are fake PAN cards and Aadhaar cards. The final stage in the chain is that of fake passports.

So in case if the chain can be broken at the second stage, which is a fake EPIC card, the next lines in the chain can be broken automatically. At the same time, the office of the CEO has directed their respective-level officials to be extremely careful in checking the documents in case of new EPIC card applicants," a source said.
Bhopal, Dec 28 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday that farmers should be encouraged to increase the use of organic manure along with fertilisers from the market for their production.

While reviewing the availability of fertilizer in the state during a meeting with officials, the Chief Minister said the farmers should be taught about the benefit of traditional organic manure, stressing that the step could be an example for other states.



"There is a need to calculate and document the quantity of organic manure being used. Farmers are using organic manure on a large scale based on traditional experience and their own initiative. They should be taught about the benefits of organic manure," CM Yadav said in a statement.



During the meeting, the Chief Minister noted that farmers will use organic and natural manure when they are taught about benefits from it and an alternative option would be provided to them.



CM Yadav also said that advance storage should be ensured at major centres of fertilizer distribution so that fertilizers can be provided to farmers in time as per the crop cycle.



Despite the allegation of a shortage of fertilizer in the market, the Chief Minister claimed, in the current year, the availability of urea, NPK, SSP, and MOP fertilizers was the highest in the last four years.



According to the government, more than 32 lakh metric tons of Urea fertilizer have been distributed to the farmers. Similarly, 9. 29 lakh metric tons of NPK and 10.58 lakh metric tons of SSP have been distributed.



The shortage of fertilizer has been an issue of debate between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress as farmers in several parts of Madhya Pradesh have protested, raising their voices.




Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Windy. Showers this morning with clearing during the afternoon hours. High 81F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Variable clouds and windy with strong thunderstorms. Storms could contain damaging winds. Low 58F. Winds S at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Ukrainian casting director Alla Samoilenko shared an outrageous story that shows that, unfortunately, not all foreign cultural figures are ready to refuse to allow Russian citizens to participate in their projects. Moreover, some of them aim to pass Russians off as Ukrainians, as Hollywood producer Darren Aronofsky did.

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On her Facebook page, the casting director said that some time ago she learned from a friend that a well-known industry representative had watched a Ukrainian film and was impressed by the performance of an actor from Ukraine. At that time, he was casting two characters for "Caught Stealing," so Ukrainian actors had a chance to get into a large-scale project. At first, Samoilenko was excited to be a part of this action, but later her mood changed dramatically.

"I sent a fairly large selection of the appropriate type of Ukrainian actors with instructions on where they were at that time and whether they had the opportunity to cross the border if they were in Ukraine. And that was the end of the communication. It seemed that the idea itself was dead, logistical difficulties with Ukrainian actors had cooled interest, and nothing would happen. And yet, after a while, my colleague came back, and not just like that, but with a fantastic offer to pay a substantial amount of money for my work, with texts for auditions and a list of actors they would like to see at the auditions," the woman wrote.

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According to Alla Samoilenko, when she opened the list of desired stars, she was speechless. There were about a hundred names on the list, of which no more than 10 were Ukrainian, but the majority were Russians. According to the casting director, she saw on the list both those Russian citizens who had left the aggressor country for Europe and those who remained in the country and were actively involved in propaganda films. What struck her the most was that many of the Russians' names had a note next to them indicating how they felt about having to play Ukrainians.

Over time, Samoilenko found out that "Caught Stealing" was based on the novel of the same name by Charlie Huston, which is quite popular in the United States. In his work, the main antagonists were Russians, but in Darren Aronofsky's script, they became Ukrainians for unknown reasons.

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"I could hardly resist an immediate response, and after talking to the producer who initiated this event, I wrote a calm and balanced letter explaining why I could not meet their expectations and find all those Russians on the list. I explained that their expectations that Mr. Klitschko would drop everything and run off to film in Hollywood, even if it was with such a famous director, were not true because they were sitting politicians. She explained that Ivan Dorn, although a Ukrainian by passport, is imprisoned in Russia, and our newly minted Olympian, one of the winners of the Greco-Roman wrestling competition, will not be able to leave his training to go to the movies. And most importantly, she asked why the antagonists written by Russians turned into Ukrainians in the script. What is the secret meaning of this? And why are they looking for Ukrainians among Russians, most of whom support the policies of their aggressor state?" the woman shared her emotions.

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Alla Samoilenko received a response with a noticeable delay. However, in a letter, her colleague explained that the producers' request was to find both Russians and Ukrainians, as it had not been decided who the characters of Pavlo and Oleksii should be. In the end, the casting director suggested that Ukrainian stars take part in self-checks to be able to express themselves. Nevertheless, the roles in Darren Aronofsky's film went to actors from Russia, namely Yuri Kolokolnikov and Nikita Kukushkin. Moreover, Samoilenko found out that their recommendation was written by Anna Kevorkova, who collaborated with Lithuanian director Maryus Vaysberg, who lives in two cities-Moscow and Los Angeles.

"And the main thing that I learned from this interesting but morally exhausting adventure is that even this liberal party does not understand anything about the reasons and nature of our struggle for existence," the casting director said, "they do not shoot the difference between Ukrainians and Russians, they are not going to abandon stereotypes of perception.

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The IMDb website lists Nikita Kukushkin, who will play Pavlo, and Yuriy Kolokolnikov, although there is no character listed opposite his name. In addition, the film will feature the character of a "Russian soldier," which may indicate that the antagonists will still be of Russian origin.

It's worth noting that Darren Aronofsky demonstrated a certain affection for Russian residents back in 2019. Back then, he confirmed his relationship with Russian actress Aglaya Tarasova. Rumors of their romance surfaced back in 2018 when the stars spent the entire evening in each other's company at the wedding of a mutual friend.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
With the heavy traffic load on North Prospect Avenue in Champaign, and the fact that its one of the narrowest 4-lane roads in town, why couldnt U.S. 150 be rerouted onto Mattis Avenue between Bloomington Road and Springfield Avenue?
Since July 2024, faricimab has also been approved in Europe for the treatment of visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined in an early benefit assessment whether faricimab offers patients benefits over ranibizumab or aflibercept. However, the drug manufacturer did not present any suitable data. Consequently, there was no proof of an added benefit of faricimab versus the comparator therapies.

The manufacturer submitted the results of the completed RCTs (randomized controlled trials) BALATON and COMINO, which compared faricimab and aflibercept with each other, with its dossier. However, the treatment regimens in both studies did not correspond to the specifications of the Summary of Product Characteristics: Patients continued to be treated even if the findings were stable, and it was not possible to individualize the dosing regimens in the study phase in which faricimab was compared with aflibercept. Thus, the studies were unsuitable for the benefit assessment.

Background: According to the respective Summary of Product Characteristics, treatment with faricimab or aflibercept should initially be performed every four weeks, with three or more consecutive monthly injections possibly being required. Subsequently, treatment should be adjusted individually in accordance with a treat-and-extend dosing regimen depending on the disease activity. The data, e.g. on best corrected visual acuity, show that a large proportion of patients in the studies BALATON and COMINO had stabilized after just 8 to 12 weeks. However, according to the study design, individual adjustment of the dosing regimen was only possible in the second, non-comparative half of the study from Week 24, in which all patients also received treatment with faricimab. Accordingly, a relevant proportion of patients continued to be treated with an unchanged treatment regimen despite stable findings, and no data are available on a comparison of individualized dosing regimens of faricimab and aflibercept.

According to the European Public Assessment Report, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had explicitly recommended to the manufacturer as part of its consultation that a study with a treat-and-extend dosing regimen be set up in both study arms. The manufacturer did not follow this recommendation.

The RCT TALON, which compares brolucizumab and aflibercept for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration, shows that there is another way. In the TALON study, a treat-and-extend regimen is used in both arms, which allows an individual adjustment of the treatment intervals for each patient depending on the disease activity. The study was therefore suitable for the early benefit assessment of the drug brolucizumab, which was conducted in early 2024.

The G-BA decides on the extent of added benefit

The dossier assessment is part of the early benefit assessment according to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) supervised by the G-BA. After publication of the dossier assessment, the G-BA conducts a commenting procedure and makes a final decision on the extent of the added benefit.
BSEB Inter Practical Admit Card 2025 Released, Exams From Jan 10

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 16:46 IST

BSEB Inter practical exams 2025 are scheduled to be conducted from January 10 to January 20,2025

The Bihar Board Inter practical exam 2025 admit card will be available for download till January 9, 2025.(Representative/File Photo)

The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has released the admit card for Class 12 practical exams 2025. Heads of schools can download the BSEB Admit Card 2025 for the students of their schools who are scheduled to appear for the Intermediate exams from the official website-seniorsecondary.biharboardonline.com.

The board has asked the heads of educational institutions to download the admit cards of the candidates appearing for the exam for practical subjects from the official website using their user ID and password and distribute it to the candidates with their signatures and stamp.

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The Bihar Board admit card 2025 will be available till January 9, 2025. BSEB Inter practical exams 2025 are scheduled to be conducted from January 10 to January 20, 2025.

This admit card has been issued only for appearing in the practical subjects exam. For appearing in the theoretical subjects exam, the admit card will be issued separately," states the BSEB.

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Additionally, the admit cards will be valid only for candidates who have been declared successful or qualified in the sent-up examination. Candidates who were unsuccessful, disqualified, or absent in the sent-up exam will not be permitted to sit for the 2025 practical exams, as stated by BSEB.

For any difficulties in downloading the online admit card, please contact the helpline at 0612-2230039 for assistance.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 16:46 IST
Ghaziabad Schools Closed Until Dec 30; Haryana Announces Winter Break From Jan 1

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 14:13 IST

Ghaziabad schools have been shut for Classes 1 to 8 until December 30 due to heavy rainfall and bone-chilling weather in the district.

Ghaziabad district administration has instructed schools to not conduct classes before 9 AM for the Classes 9 and above. (Image: PTI)

All schools in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh will remain shut until December 30, 2024. Amid the heavy rainfall in the district and bone-chilling weather, the District Magistrate of Ghaziabad has announced holidays for Classes 1 to 8 from December 28 to December 30, 2024. The district administration further ordered the schools to not conduct classes before 9 AM for the Classes 9 and above. This decision aims to ensure the safety and well-being of students during adverse weather conditions.

In view of heavy rainfall in the district, and in compliance with the instructions issued by the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad, all schools affiliated with the UP Board, CBSE, ICSE, and other boards for Classes 1 to 8 in Ghaziabad district will remain completely closed from 28-12-2024 to 30-12-2024. Additionally, classes for students in Class 9 and above should not be conducted before 9:00 AM," stated the official notification.

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Winter Vacation In Haryana Schools From January 1

Meanwhile, the Directorate of School Education, Haryana announced a winter break for students in all private and government schools in the state from January 1 to January 15, 2025. The schools will be reopened as usual from January 16, 2025.

The Haryana Chief Ministers Office, in a post on X, confirmed the winter holidays for all private and government schools in the state.

                    1   15 , 2025   pic.twitter.com/JaA07WLHVX CMO Haryana (@cmohry) December 27, 2024

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However, students may be required to attend school for practical exams as per the schedule set by the CBSE and ICSE boards for 10th and 12th-grade students.a

First Published: December 28, 2024, 14:13 IST
NIRF 2024 Rankings: Top 5 Indian Colleges Leading In Education Excellence

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 10:36 IST

The top 5 NIRF-ranked colleges in India for 2024 include St. Stephen's College and Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College.

Delhi University's Miranda House has an A+ NAAC accreditation. (Representational/ PTI Photo)

Indias higher education institutions are ranked and evaluated annually by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) based on factors like teaching, learning, resources, research, professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach, inclusion, and perception. Below is a list of the top universities in the country highlighted in the 2024 NIRF rankings, which also provide information on their admissions, curricula, and cost structures.

Top 5 Colleges In India With NIRF Ranking

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Hindu College, Delhi- Rank 1

Hindu College, Delhi, founded in 1899, was formerly associated with Punjab University and provides UG, PG, and diploma programs to students through its 16 departments. These classes are offered in English, economics, botany, and other subjects. Students can also enrol in Value-Added and Foreign Language courses at the college. The University of Delhi is presently associated with Hindu College Delhi. Hindu College-Delhi University (HC-DU) has received UGC approval and NAAC accreditation with an A+ grade. Applicants may apply through an entrance exam or based on merit for admission to Hindu College. The CUET scorecard is accepted by the college for admission to several courses.

Tuition Fees

B.A.: Rs. 80,610

B.Sc. Rs. 88,410

B.Com. Rs. 80,610

M.A.: Rs. 51,600

Miranda House, Delhi- Rank 2

Through several departments, Miranda House College provides students with UG, PG, Foreign Language, and supplemental courses. These courses are offered in Hindi, English, economics, and several other languages. Delhi Universitys Miranda House has an A+ NAAC accreditation. The University of Delhis Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) is used for entrance-based admission to Miranda House. Students must choose DU while filling out the CUET form and then apply on the CSAS site to be eligible.

Tuition Fees

B.A. in Political Science and History: Rs. 44,670.

M.Sc. in Mathematics: Rs. 14,530.

M.Sc. in Physics: Rs. 15,170.

M.Sc. in Chemistry: Rs. 15,770.

M.Sc. in Botany/Zoology/Anthropology: Rs.16,170.

St Stephenss College, Delhi- Rank 3

UG and PG courses such as BA, B.Sc., MA, and M.Sc. are offered at St. Stephens College. The results of the CUET entrance exam or an aptitude test, followed by an in-person interview with the university, will determine admission to these courses. St. Stephens College also provides scholarships to deserving students, students from low-income families, and students with physical disabilities.

Tuition Fees

B.Sc (Hons.) 3 Courses: Rs. 24,67024,850

BA (Hons.) 5 Courses: Rs. 23,470

B.Sc 2 Courses: Rs. 24,670

BA 1 Course: Rs. 23,470

Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Kolkata  Rank 3

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College was founded in 1963 and is a private institution. NAAC has granted the college its accreditation. Three science courses in one are available at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College. The college offers popular degrees, including BSc and MSc. In addition to having a strong teaching methodology, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College is a pioneer in innovation and research. In the college category, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College is ranked third by the NIRF 2024. To get admission here applicants must meet the entry requirements of a minimum of 55 per cent in the 12th standard.

Tuition Fees

B.Sc Hons.- 7 Courses- Rs 13,000  17,000 (1st Year Fees)

M.Sc  7 Courses- Rs 37,000 (1st Year Fees)

PhD 3 Courses- Rs 21,000 (1st Year Fees)

Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, Delhi  Rank 5

The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha in Delhi established Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (ARSD College) in 1959. It is one of the University of Delhs coeducational constituent colleges. Accounting & Commerce, Humanities & Social Sciences, Science, and IT & Software are a few of the accessible streams. The Common University Entrance Test (CUET), administered by NTA, is a prerequisite for admission to Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College in 2024 for undergraduate programs. Additionally, CUET-PG will be used for admission to postgraduate courses at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College.

Tuition Fees

BA: Rs. 540

BSc: Rs. 540

BCom: Rs. 540

MA: Rs. 432

MCom: Rs. 432

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The mentioned universities have set themselves apart by providing strong academic programs, creating settings that support both professional and personal development, and consistently performing well across a range of metrics. These rankings are a useful tool for making well-informed decisions that are in line with personal ambitions and professional objectives. Choosing the correct institution is a crucial decision for students.

Candidates must note for admission, they should visit the official website of the respective colleges for a detailed admission process and fee structure.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 10:36 IST
Chennai: NCW Forms Fact-Finding Panel To Probe Anna University Sexual Assault Case

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 14:22 IST

The National Commission for Women said chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has formed the fact-finding committee, which will investigate the matter and recommend action

Members of the SFI stage a protest against the alleged sexual harassment of a girl student of Anna University, in Chennai on December 25. (Image: PTI)

The National Commission for Women on Saturday formed a fact-finding committee to look into the alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old student at Chennais Anna University. It said it had already taken suo motu cognizance of the shocking incident.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) said chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has constituted a fact-finding committee, which will have member Mamta Kumari and former Maharashtra DGP Praveen Dixit. The panel will investigate and recommend action, it said.

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It further said the committee will interact with the authorities, the survivor, her family, and NGOs to ascertain the facts in the case. Members of the panel are likely to visit Chennai on Monday (December 30), it added.

On December 25, a girl student was allegedly sexually assaulted and a 37-year old man, who sells biryani on the pavement outside the campus, was arrested for the crime. The victim, a student of the College of Engineering, Guindy, in her complaint stated that while she was speaking to her male friend on December 23, at about 8 pm, behind a building on the college campus, they were intimidated by an unknown person, who sexually assaulted her.

The accused was identified as 37-year-old Gnanasekaran, a resident of Kottur in the neighbourhood area of the college. The incident, however, triggered strong political reactions with the BJP alleging that the man was an office-bearer of the ruling DMK.

ALSO READ | Wont Wear Shoes, Whip Self 6 Times: Annamalai Vows To End DMK Rule In Tamil Nadu

Continuing its hearing from Friday (December 27) in a writ petition seeking a CBI probe into the case, the Madras High Court came down heavily on the Chennai Police for leaking the victims identity. It asked Rs 25 lakh to be paid as compensation to the student and stated that the FIR is a classic example of victim blaming".

A day before, the court said such a lapse will discourage others from approaching the police. And who is responsible for the victims family and what they are going through? The parents of all students will be afraid now to approach the police. We are concerned about that too and we want to request all students to come forward and tell us if they know anything more," the bench said. You can upload the FIR but you are supposed to redact identity details. You give us an answer. The damage caused to the victim and her family cant be taken back by you"

Amid protests by student parties in front of the state-run campus seeking action, other political parties had also condemned the incident. Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK general secretary, expressed shock and said it was shameful" that the barbarity happened and that too in the reputed varsity premises. He said the incident showed that the law and order situation had deteriorated further.

According to the police, Gnanasekaran is a history sheeter". As per the initial probe, only one person was involved in the sexual assault of the student. The arrested man was involved in 20 offences like theft and house-breaking since 2013, and no cases of crimes against women have been registered against him so far," the police commissioner said.

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Gnanasekaran has been convicted in six cases so far. Asked about his political affiliation, the commissioner said: Some persons are making this case political and speaking in a sensational manner."

(With PTI inputs)

First Published: December 28, 2024, 13:17 IST
Photo-Journo Killed With Iron Rod; Had Gone To Intervene In Fight Between Neighbour And Wife

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 16:55 IST

The photojournalist's neighbour and his family reportedly have a criminal background. The neighbour's father is accused of killing his wife, while the neighbour is accused of killing mukhiya of a panchayat.

During investigation it was also found that the neighbour had once raised the pistol to the deceased's head. (Representative Image)

A photojournalist of a local Hindi daily was beaten to death with an iron rod by his neighbour in Bihars Purnia district. The 35-year-old deceased had gone to intervene in the fight between his neighbour and his wife, but the neighbour grabbed the photojournalist and struck him on his head. During investigation it was also found that the neighbour had once raised the pistol to the deceaseds head.

According to a report in The Times of India, one person was arrested on Saturday after the police acted swiftly post a formal complaint in the matter by the deceaseds family.

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The deceased, identified as Neelambar Yadav, was a resident of New Sipahi Tola under K Haat police station area of Purnia, the report stated.

The deceaseds younger brother, Pitambar, was quoted as saying, Last night, their neighbour Nishant Yadav and his wife Bhawani Kumari were having a fight. Around 1.30am, Nishants father, Neeraj Yadav, came to our house to call my elder brother, Neelambar, to intervene. When my brother went to their house, Pramod Yadav, who lives there, grabbed him, and Nishant struck him on the head with an iron rod. He fell unconscious and passed away shortly thereafter."

The publication quoted police sources as saying that Nishant had an ongoing dispute with the family of the journalist. A year ago, Nishant allegedly entered Neelambars house and threatened to kill him by raising a pistol to his head. Following this, a CCTV camera was installed in the journalists house.

In the neighbours house, we found my elder brothers shoes, bricks, sticks, and bamboo scattered on the floor. Neelambar was lying on the ground soaked in blood. When I protested, they attacked me too," the deceaseds younger brother was quoted.

According to TOI, Purnia SP, Kartikeya Sharma, said that seeing the police, Nishant, his father Neeraj, wife Bhawani, and sisters Richa Kumari and Swati Kumari jumped over the wall and fled the house.

The police arrested one person, Pramod, in connection with the case. However, Nishant and his family members are absconding, Sharma was quoted.

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Purnia MP Pappu Yadav paid tribute to the journalist on social media, while former MP Santosh Kushwaha and BJP district president Rakesh Kumar arrived at his house.

Nishant and his family have a criminal background. Five years ago, he shot and killed the mukhiya of Sonapur panchayat, Pappu Yadav. He served his sentence and was released from jail a year and a half ago. His bike is still seized at the police station. The accuseds father, Neeraj, is accused of killing his wife," a police official was quoted as saying.

Location : Purnia, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 16:54 IST
"It's not scary to die. It's scary that after death they will make a film and Bezrukov will play you," this phrase is attributed to the wonderful Soviet theater and film actor Valentin Gaft. It was an ironic statement addressed to the Russian actor Bezrukov, who managed to play a variety of characters in the cinema, from Yesenin to Vysotsky, eventually giving them another movie character - Sasha Bely from the TV series "Brigade".

A similar situation has developed in Armenia. Current and former artists of the local political scene perform there with New Year's wishes, based on their own selfish interests. One of them is former Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. He has been trying to loudly remind himself of himself for a long time, having found a job and acquired at least some kind of current status. He has no feeling of disgust from the word at all.

I remember that he even considered the proposal of the Russian-Armenian oligarch Ruben Vardanyan. The current prisoner of the Baku pre-trial detention center, who was previously one of the leaders of the Karabakh junta, offered Oskanian a truly anecdotal "position" - head of the "foreign ministry" of "Artsakh". And the one who once headed the Foreign Ministry of some country, but still a real one, agreed to pose as the "chief diplomat" of a classic soap bubble.

To Oskanian's sadness and sorrow, the soap bubble burst very quickly. Azerbaijan has fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity by detaining and transporting the leaders of the Karabakh junta to Baku, including the patron of Vardan Minasovich by the name of Vardanyan. Which, of course, the retired goat drummer, namely Oskanian's current status, periodically recalls.

He longs for their release, for all the leaders of the Karabakh junta in Baku. He seems to have forgotten the saying about the whistling of cancer on the mountain. Oskanian feigns optimism. It is clear that the physiognomic features of this character deprive the citizens of Armenia of the opportunity to accurately understand when he is optimistic and when he is pessimistic. At the same time, Vardan Minasovich's desire to replicate fantasies disguised as facts is visible and somehow not particularly hidden.

"Today there is an opportunity to realize their right to return. The international community is ready to put this issue on the agenda, it only remains for the Armenian authorities to protect it," said the former head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, referring to the Armenians who illegally lived in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan. It is even inconvenient to remind Oskanian that this group of Armenians will not have such an opportunity until all the Azerbaijanis who were forcibly expelled from there return to Armenia.

But, as they said in school, repetition is the mother of learning. Accordingly, I would like to remind the former Foreign Minister of Armenia that soon only cats will be born and it is ridiculous to put a cart before a horse. Vardan Minasovich regularly makes attempts of this kind, but predictably unsuccessfully. This is also the result of his attempts to present the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, as a "scapegoat."

Oskanian convinces himself, first of all, as well as the Armenian public that "Pashinyan has exhausted himself, the people are tired of defeats, losses, abuses, arrogance of the authorities and their manipulations." Without stopping at simply voicing an assessment of Nikola Vovaevich's activities, the former diplomat proceeded to announce a toast, again passing off his dream as a national opinion.

"It's time for Pashinyan to think about resigning, it would be the best New Year's gift for the Armenian people so that the country can be brought out of the current situation," he said. It is worth adding here that the other day Oskanian tried to get involved in a correspondence dispute between Pashinyan and the first, second and third presidents of Armenia. Nikol Vovaevich challenged them to a debate. They refused. Oskanian tried to replace them, but then Pashinyan did not respond to Oskanian's attempts.

And it was logical. After all, no matter how many opinion polls have been conducted, they demonstrate that it is Pashinyan who is the most popular Armenian politician. Yes, in general, his rating is not high, but it is several times higher than that of Ter-Petrosyan, Kocharyan, Sargsyan. But Oskanian is not mentioned at all in the polls. Because his real rating is somewhere around the zero mark. These are the Armenian realities.

And finally, I would like to state that the situation is worth special study, in which the most popular politician in Armenia is the one who made its war inevitable and, consequently, its defeat by Azerbaijan. At the same time, Pashinyan should recall the phrase of the inimitable Gaft. Indeed, the scary thing is not that Nikol Vovaevich is remembered for a series of political fiascos, but for the fact that Vardan Oskanian gives him an assessment.
Jon Lee Anderson, reporter for The New Yorker, author of numerous books, biographer of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, speaks a Spanish as entertaining as it is colorful. Hes one of the journalists who best knows Latin America and maintains ties, both familiar and sentimental, with Granada, Spain, where he lived for many years. His history of coming and going across the Atlantic and the Andes has left its mark on the way he speaks the language, with a blend of sayings and accents from many countries.

Certainly, his timbre includes what Carlos Fuentes referred to as the territory of La Mancha, where he currently found himself. Anderson visited Madrid and Barcelona to present the book He decidido declararme marxista (Ive Decided to Declare Myself a Marxist) the first volume of a Spanish language compilation of his chronicles  it is no exaggeration to call it a crowning achievement of the journalism of our time  and a short essay Adventures of a Teen-Age Wharf Rat.

Question. Your favorite article in this journalistic compilation is The Distant Shore, where you recount an encounter in Peru with a previously uncontacted tribe. Why this piece?

Answer. I got my start as a journalist in the Amazons. At the time, you didnt use the term uncontacted, but rather, brave Indians. That took place in my adolescence and as soon as I was on my own, I organized my own expeditions in the Peruvian Amazon. My first chronicles were from there in the 1980s. In 2015, I was able to be present for the first meetings between people of this world and people of the Indigenous world. Literally, people who were naked before the world. It was a shocking thing.

Q. Do we have reason to fear for democracy in the United States?

A. I think so. With Trump 2.0, were seeing threatening statements being announced every day. Theyre not directed at the United States adversaries, but rather, neighboring countries with whom we have agreements and relationships of deep-seated friendship, like Canada and Mexico. Thats on one hand. And then on another, the appointments hes making, which seem like a joke. Its like sending a wolf to care for a flock of sheep. There are those who say that he cant deport a million people like hes promised, but his right-hand man, Stephen Miller, is a deportation apostle and has promised that this time, they are going to build massive camps, essentially concentration camps, with all that implies. I could go on and on, enumerating the thousand ways Im worried about Trump.

Q. Should we be thinking about the possibility of civil war in the United States?

A. Since the midpoint of the Trump 1 administration, I started thinking about civil war in the United States, but I kept it to myself. I didnt share it, except with a couple of people very close to me, because saying it in public seemed like too much. Hes a vengeful guy, that has always been his way of conducting himself. This man is anti-democratic, hes a danger. I do foresee problems. The issue is that the United States, in contrast to a European country, is a very violent country, highly armed. You have to keep in mind that there are more than three million U.S. residents who in recent years have had combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the first time in my life, I cant rule out the possibility.

Q. In one of the foundational books on reporting, Dispatches, Michael Herr said that just as the Vietnam War could not be won through conventional firepower, it also couldnt be revealed using conventional journalism. Do you think we are living through a similar revolution? To what extent has journalism changed?

A. Essentially, Id say it hasnt changed. Reports are the written form of oral history that in ancient times was told around the fire. And they become canonical versions of our reality. What has changed, of course, are the more temporal things. Perhaps what is most concerning now is the propagation of the notion that we are liars. That is coming from the populists. We have millions of people who believe that we are liars and who receive their information from who-knows-what kind of sites, influencers and TikTokers. The big challenge lies in maintaining the conviction that we are valuable and honest.

Jon Lee Anderson in Madrid. Alvaro Garcia

Q. I Have Decided to Declare Myself a Marxist. I think that the title, in 2024, requires some kind of explanation.

A. Consider it a generalized provocation. And there are some people who tell me, Well done, Jon, for asserting yourself like that in these times of the return of fascism. The journalist is supposed to hide their political references, to be impartial. We have our sympathies and our antipathies. I am publishing this book the same week that I turned in a profile to The New Yorker on [Argentine president] Javier Milei, who is anti-communist. [The books title] comes from an annotation in the margins of a diary I kept when I was 13 years old and was seeing what was happening at the time in Latin America, in Africa. I felt sympathy for the Marxists, who tended to be the only ones who stuck their necks out in the face of the most odious systems on the face of the Earth.

Q. You said in an interview on Spanish journalist Javier del Pinos podcast that social media is like fentanyl, which is why you abandoned it.

A. On one hand, its addictive  every time you look at what someone entered in that little box or who liked your content. But also, theres the toxic aspect. Elon Musk has made X a platform for the ultra-right. Social media is the most toxic swamp on Earth. I know that many colleagues, especially young ones, depend on social networks to have a voice. But watch out! Perhaps Bluesky is the healthy response to a platform like X. But they are very turbulent waters.

Details of the soles of the shoes and skeletal remains of one of the 10 bodies found handcuffed in grave CE017 in Barranco de Viznar in Granada, Spain, where Federico Garcia Lorca was assassinated in 1936. Fermin Rodriguez

Q. Why do you think that Spain has never been able to resolve its past? Its a subject that you dealt with in your 2009 article Lorcas Bones, which is also included in this compilation.

A. I believe that it has to do with the fact that [Spanish dictator Francisco] Franco not only forged his victory with blood and fire in 1939, but that he continued to govern through that unique act of terror for more than 40 more years. And he was able to mold the majority of Spaniards to his whims. Many Spaniards speak of the last phase of Franquismo as the dictablanda [soft dictatorship], and compared it with the 1940s. There were no concentration camps, no constant executions. Although, you have to remember that only four or five months before he died, he sent two dissidents to his dictatorship to the garrote [a handheld ligature of chain rope, scarf, wire or fishing line, used to strangle a person]. He used an instrument from the Middle Ages in front of the entire world.

I think the Spaniards started feeling comfortable as long as he let them feel comfortable. Even though, if you asked where your grandfather had disappeared to, that put you in danger and for many decades, it meant that you were linked to the Reds. So parents passed their fears down to children, and children replicated them. In many cases, nearly a quarter-century passed after Francos death before the grandchildren of the disappeared  many in number  began to ask where their grandfathers were buried. No one in all those years dared to ask publicly, and it was not resolved by the political class who carried out the transition. They didnt do anything, just in case. Because, of course, the monster is still there and theres no need to wake it up. Unfortunately, that collective fear meant that Spaniards did not take it upon themselves to address their demons.

Q. What can be done when a society turns to violence?

A. I think that in many countries, in addition to all of the primary religions, violence is legitimized, meaning, the idea of heroes and martyrs. All nations were made possible through acts of violence and from there came freedom or peace, they were created from blood that allowed that country to become democratic. It is deeply embedded in our collective psyche, that violence has taken place in one form or another. We hold onto it as the last stronghold of salvation, we have a pathological relationship with violence. It is built into the civic body that violence is possible. And we have also given governments the power to use violence against us by the pacts we have agreed on throughout the centuries.

And in more temporal terms, speaking of current figures, I go back to Donald Trump, who knows where the prejudices of groups are located. All that is missing is someone who knows how to bring out the ghosts of the past, including the violence. And that is what he has done in the United States. He has brought back ghosts that we thought were locked up. Violence floats back into his rhetoric and into the people around him. It is a threatening group that uses violent language and promises acts of violence in the propagation of their ideas once they are in power. Ill go back to the last question: I am very concerned about it. I dont rule out violence in Trump 2.0 because of these very factors.

Translated by Caitlin Donohue

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Gun Salute, State Funeral As India Bids Farewell To Ex-PM Manmohan Singh

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 16:17 IST

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh received full State Honours during the final rites held at Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday.

Former PM Manmohan Singh Funeral At Nigambodh Ghat

Former PM Manmohan Singh Funeral News: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the architect of economic reforms in India, received full State Honours during the final rites held at Nigambodh Ghat.

Manmohan Singhs daughter lit his funeral pyre at the crematorium in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, top Congress leaders and other defence officials.

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Paid last respects to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. His service to India will always be cherished. pic.twitter.com/wHXcOLgREH Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 28, 2024

Manmohan Singhs wife Gursharan Kaur laid a wreath on his body as his family paid their last respects.

#WATCH | Former Prime Minister #DrManmohanSingh laid to rest with full state honours after leaders and family paid last respects at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi.Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh died on 26th December at AIIMS Delhi. (Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/MvAJsZefrt  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

Dr Singh embarked on his final journey from the Congress headquarters in the national capital where the party leaders paid homage to the former PM earlier in the day. The procession carrying Singhs body reached the crematorium at around 11.30 am.

#WATCH | Last salute accorded to former Prime Minister #DrManmohanSingh at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi.President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers, Congress leaders and others present at Nigam Bodh Ghat. (Source: DD pic.twitter.com/priOUzdvbJ  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

The flower-bedecked vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of Manmohan Singh Amar Rahe".

A large number of Congress workers along with hundreds of Manmohan Singhs admirers walked along as Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" slogans rent the air.

#WATCH | Delhi | Mortal remains of former Prime Minister #DrManmohanSingh being taken to Nigam Bodh Ghat for his last rites.Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh died on 26th December at AIIMS Delhi. pic.twitter.com/NSt6vwiWIL  ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

The mortal remains were taken from his residence to the AICC office at 9 am, where several top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paid their last respects.

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Manmohan Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92. Considered the architect of Indias economic reforms, Manmohan Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry announced.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 12:32 IST
Centre's Late-Night Nod To Congress Request For Manmohan Singh's Memorial After Row

Reported By :

CNN-News18

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 08:11 IST

The announcement came hours after the Congress alleged that its request for a resting place in Delhi for Manmohan Singh had not been accepted by the government.

The request for Manmohan Singh's memorial was made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party said that he had talked to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah about the same.

The government said it had agreed to a Congress request for allocation of space for a memorial to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The announcement came hours after the Congress alleged that its request for a resting place in Delhi for Manmohan Singh had not been accepted by the government.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said: Today morning, the Government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh, from the Congress Party President. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, HM Shri Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Shri Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it."

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The request was made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party said that he had talked to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah about the same.

In 2013, the cabinet of UPA-2 had made a decision to have a common place as a memorial when the official press release noted, The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for the construction of a Rashtriya Smriti at the Samadhis Complex near Ekta Sthal in New Delhi, to establish a place to perform last rites of departed national leaders namely Presidents, Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers, former Presidents, Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers and such other leaders as decided by the Cabinet."

It added, In the past, separate memorials for departed national leaders were created near Rajghat which covered a large space. In view of Cabinet decision taken in the year 2000 that Henceforth Government shall not develop any Samadhi for departed leaders" and the paucity of land at the Samadhis Complex area, Rashtriya Smriti is being developed to perform last rites of departed national leaders. The Smriti area will provide space for last rites of departed national leaders in future, besides space for a public gathering."

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The first memorial in the premises was given to the late Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao in 2015 after the Narendra Modi Government came to power. Late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpai was also cremated at the Smriti Area and his memorial was called Sadaiv Atal.

It is also learned through sources that during the CWC meeting members from the Gandhi family proposed that Manmohan Singhs funeral could be carried out around the memorial of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi and that Dr Manmohan Singhs wife Gurcharan Kaur had suggested that the memorial be in the same place that the funeral was going to be held at.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 07:39 IST
Kerala Lottery Results Today: Karunya KR-686 WINNERS for 28 December, 2024; Full List Here!

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: January 01, 2025, 10:52 IST

Kerala Lottery Results Today: Here's FULL LIST of winning numbers for Karunya KR-686 lucky draw for Saturday, December 28.

Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-686 Results: The first prize winner of Karunya KR-686 will get Rs 80 lakh. (Image: Shutterstock)

KERALA LOTTERY KARUNYA KR-686 RESULT ON SATURDAY, 28.12.2024, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Karunya KR-686 lucky draw for Saturday, December 28. This weekly lottery offers substantial cash rewards, with the grand prize being Rs 80 lakh. The second and third prizes are worth Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively. Check the Full List of Winning Numbers below.

ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Results Today: Fifty Fifty FF-123 WINNERS for January 1, 2025; First Prize Rs 1 Crore!

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KARUNYA KR-686 LOTTERY: WINNING NUMBERS

WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE WORTH RS 8,000 ARE

KA 174096

KB 174096

KC 174096

KD 174096

KE 174096

KF 174096

KG 174096

KJ 174096

KK 174096

KL 174096

KM 174096

WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE WORTH RS 80 LAKH IS KH 174096 (KOZHIKKODE)

Agent Name: SOORAJ M C

Agency No.: D 7347

WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE WORTH RS 5 LAKH IS KL 179088 (ERNAKULAM)

Agent Name: MONISH S

Agency No.: E 7744

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE WORTH RS 1 LAKH ARE

KA 390682

KB 921220

KC 861342

KD 869856

KE 276688

KF 875657

KG 812487

KH 544357

KJ 187116

KK 764324

KL 193819

KM 190200

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE WORTH RS 5,000 ARE

0344 1959 2587 2633 2688 2770 3024 4279 4331 4414 5952 6408 7041 7302 8468 9045 9542 9649

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE WORTH RS 2,000 ARE

0008 0267 2696 2925 4883 5666 7059 7873 8402 8756

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE WORTH RS 1,000 ARE

3990 1840 9513 0281 6328 8092 8216 9452 3146 4853 9981 3906 7223 5341

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE WORTH RS 500 ARE

0276 0384 0888 0974 1519 1779 1990 2061 2093 2116 2297 2321 2340 2759 3350 3472 3511 3526 3571 3818 3864 3936 4058 4193 4352 4382 4408 4632 4706 4940 4944 5178 5279 5330 5474 5564 5621 5777 5821 5826 5901 5921 5968 5978 6201 6371 6425 6828 7065 7276 7735 7745 7825 7949 8035 8084 8250 8400 8405 8440 8464 8616 8635 8786 8831 8867 8874 8906 9031 9136 9149 9383 9508 9553 9609 9631 9667 9812 9846 9985

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE WORTH RS 100 ARE

0086 0172 0179 0205 0228 0417 0585 0611 0613 0673 0719 0760 0781 0844 0863 0956 1036 1114 1244 1249 1433 1489 1643 1778 1921 1929 2014 2021 2111 2123 2263 2347 2378 2424 2435 2820 2926 3487 3527 3631 3680 3756 3832 3955 4066 4160 4249 4586 4655 4696 4731 4815 5018 5036 5134 5136 5161 5206 5267 5316 5429 5465 5699 6034 6052 6090 6155 6160 6178 6299 6315 6416 6498 6509 6584 6624 6638 6874 6971 6974 6981 6996 7084 7124 7192 7199 7253 7301 7336 7361 7469 7529 7592 7685 7705 7918 7944 8071 8163 8206 8304 8540 8551 8557 8599 8723 8740 8904 8907 9052 9108 9112 9285 9306 9314 9327 9528 9623 9700 9705 9798 9801 9839 9921

HOW TO VERIFY KERALA KARUNYA KR-686 LOTTERY RESULTS?

To view the results of the Kerala Karunya KR-686 Lottery, head to the official Kerala Lottery Department website at keralalottery.info.

The winning numbers can also be accessed at the Kerala Government Gazette office.

Accurate and trustworthy lottery results are shared via authorized sources.

HOW TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY?

Match the numbers on your ticket against the official list published in the Kerala Government Gazette.

To qualify for a prize, your ticket number must exactly match the winning numbers.

Prizes can be claimed by visiting the Kerala Lottery headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Winners have up to 30 days from the draw date to submit their winning ticket.

Ensure you carry the winning ticket and a valid ID for prize collection.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY

A photocopy of the winning ticket, signed on both sides by the winner for verification. Passport-size photographs attested by a Gazetted officer. A signed photocopy of the participants PAN card. Complete the online prize claim form, affix a revenue stamp, and submit it. Identity proof such as a voter ID, ration card, PAN card, or Aadhaar card.

HOW DO I DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH A COMPLETE LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS?

Visit the official Kerala Lottery Department websites: keralalotteries.info or keralalotteryresult.net.

Click on the link to access the Karunya KR-686 results.

The list of winning numbers will be displayed on your screen.

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Choose the download option available.

Open the link to view the lottery results in PDF format.

Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 09:00 IST
Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 15:58 IST

Former PM Manmohan Singh Funeral Live Updates: The final rites of Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister and the architect of economic reforms in India, were performed at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi with full State honours.

It has been decided by the Government that a State funeral will be accorded to Dr. Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 am on 28th December 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a communication.

Several leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge, chief ministers, and foreign leaders, paid their last respects to Singh at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.

Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday. The hospital statement attributed his death to age-related medical conditions and said that he was hospitalised after a sudden loss of consciousness at home.

On Friday night, the Union Home Ministry announced that the Centre would allocate space for a memorial to former PM Manmohan Singh in Delhi. It added that the information has been passed to his family and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who had initially urged the government that the former PMs last rites be held at a place where a memorial can be built.
Marathi Actress Urmila Kothare's Vehicle Runs Over Labourers In Mumbai, 1 Killed

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 18:18 IST

Kothare's vehicle hit two labourers who were working on a Metro rail in Mumbai's Kandivali, resulting in the death of one worker. The actress and her driver were also injured.

Actress Urmila Kothare also sustained injuries in the accident in Mumbai. (Instagram/IANS)

In a tragic accident, Marathi actress Urmila Kothares car ran over two labourers in Mumbais Kandivali area, killing one and seriously injuring the other. The actor and her driver were also injured in the accident.

The incident took place after Kothare was on her way home after completing a shoot. Preliminary information showed the car was being driven at a high speed and the driver lost control, following which it struck the labourers who were working on a rail project.

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Mumbai: Actress Urmila Kanetkars car hit two laborers in Kandivali, Mumbai. The incident occurred when the car, traveling at high speed, lost control and struck the workers, one of whom died on the spot, while the other was severely injured and hospitalized. Both the actress and pic.twitter.com/1ZrwYNKuvf IANS (@ians_india) December 28, 2024

Kothares car hit two labourers who were engaged in Metro rail work under the Poisar Metro station in Kandivali east shortly after midnight. While labourer died, another was seriously injured. The actor and her driver were also injured in the accident. But they were saved as the airbags opened at the right time," a police official told news agency PTI.

A case has been registered against the car driver and investigation is underway, he added.

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The actress vehicle was badly damaged in the accident and she escaped with minor injuries. Kothare has acted in a few films, including Duniyadari" in Marathi and Thank God" in Hindi.

(with PTI inputs)

First Published: December 28, 2024, 17:03 IST
Over 100 IndiGo Flyers Stranded In Mumbai As Flight Delayed For 16 Hours, Airline Responds

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 22:49 IST

The Indigo flight 6E17 (Mumbai-Istanbul) was initially scheduled to depart at 6:55am on Saturday but has now been rescheduled to take off at 11 pm.

Passengers reported being kept onboard the aircraft for several hours without any updates (Images: X)

At least 100 passengers on an IndiGo flight bound for Istanbul were allegedly stranded at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for more than 16 hours due to a technical glitch in the aircraft.

The Indigo flight 6E17 (Mumbai-Istanbul) was initially scheduled to depart at 6:55am on Saturday but has now been rescheduled to take off at 11 pm. Later, the airline said that it has arranged an alternative aircraft to fly the stranded passengers.

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Irate Passengers Allege Airline Didnt Update

Furious passengers vented their anger on social media platforms as the airline said the flight was delayed due to operational reasons.

They reported being kept onboard the aircraft for several hours without any updates, leading to confusion and frustration. No food or even water was served and there was no representative from the airline willing to listen to their grievances, some passengers claimed.

One passenger alleged that they received drinking water only 13 hours after the ordeal began. IndiGo staff later informed passengers that the flight had been cancelled.

According to PTI, flyers complained that the flight was delayed multiple times throughout the day. The passengers also alleged that they were made to board and deboard the aircraft several times before being informed of the final departure time.

Another passenger, Suryawanshi said that the air conditioning system inside the flight was stopped during the delay, adding to their discomfort. Furthermore, passengers were made to change queues multiple times without clear communication.

An X user, Sonam Saigal tweeted, My brother has been stuck at Mumbai International Airport for more than 12 hours due to extremely unprofessional behaviour by @IndiGo6E and their staff. He had a flight to Istanbul which first got delayed, then he was made to board and de-board again twice!!" She further expressed her disappointment in the staffs rudeness and lack of information regarding rescheduling or refunds.

My brother has been stuck at the Mumbai International Airport for more than 12 hours due to extremely unprofessional behavior by @IndiGo6E and their staff. He had a flight to Istanbul which 1st got delayed, then he was made to board and de-board again twice!! 1/2 Sonam Saigal (@samajsevikaa) December 28, 2024

Another passenger, Sachin Chintalwad, voiced his concerns about missing a connecting flight to Washington from Istanbul due to the delay: Dear IndiGo this is not fair Now its 5 hr. Delay for 6E 17 from Mumbai to Istanbul. And I have a connecting flight from Istanbul to IAD Washington and Im going to miss that."

#Indigos Mumbai to Istanbul journey suspended after 10 hours waiting by passengers. Information that there are around 100 passengers in this journey and the number of students is large.Kids are crying at the airport, no resolution from authorities.@IndiGo6E @mohol_murlidhar pic.twitter.com/wpiIW1dfXK Ajay Mane (@ajaymane2995) December 28, 2024

There are 500 passengers who have been scammed by continuous delays and eventual cancellation. All passengers have not been served any food or water. There is no representative from indigo willing to listen to grievances," said another passenger in his post.

Airline Issues Apology, Arranges Another Aircraft

IndiGo has issued an apology for the inconvenience, stating, We regret that our flight 6E17, originally scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a delay due to technical issues. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to rectify the issue and dispatch it to the destination, we eventually had to cancel the flight."

An alternate aircraft has been arranged and is now scheduled to depart at 2300 hrs. We want to assure our customers that their safety and comfort remain our top priorities," it said as per the reports.

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Earlier this month, 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. However, the airline 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.

(With inputs from PTI)

First Published: December 28, 2024, 20:08 IST
Snowfall In Himachal Disrupts Traffic, Vehicles Stuck As Over 100 Roads Shut

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 18:04 IST

Long queues of vehicles, some stretching up to 15 kilometers, have caused delays of 3-4 hours, leaving tourists frustrated.

Several vehicles were stuck as the vehicular movement from Solang Valley to Atal tunnel was closed (ANI)

Several parts of Himachal Pradesh received heavy snowfall, leading to traffic snarls in several places.

Several vehicles were stuck in the state after the vehicular movement from Solang Valley to Atal tunnel was closed amid a weather forecast of heavy snowfall.

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Read More: On Camera, White Toyota Slides And Gets Stuck On Shimlas Slippery Road; Locals Come To Rescue

Long queues of vehicles, some stretching up to 15 kilometers, have caused delays of 3-4 hours, leaving tourists frustrated. A few vehicles have reportedly slipped off the icy roads, making the situation even more dangerous.

Manali DSP KD Sharma said that over 2000 vehicles were stuck between Solang Valley and Atal Tunnel. Yesterday, we closed the movement of vehicles from Solang Valley to Atal tunnel due to the weather forecast. Over 2000 vehicles were stuck and we began the rescue operation which continued till morning, today. 1800 vehicles have been evacuated, approx 200 vehicles were stuck  we evacuated the travellers in those stuck vehicles from there" he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh | Several vehicles were stuck as the vehicular movement from Solang Valley to Atal tunnel was closed yesterday, amid a weather forecast of heavy snowfall. The police team rescued the stranded vehicles and travellers pic.twitter.com/mHnxkIhU3c ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

The Atal Tunnel Rohtang, connecting Manali to Lahaul and Spiti Valley, has been closed to traffic following snowfall in Solang Valley and nearby areas and tourists are prohibited from travelling beyond Solang.

Due to continuous snowfall, 101 roads and major national highways were closed on Friday. Among the roads in Shimla that have been closed are the Deha-Chopal road and the Rohru-Chanshal-Dodra road, which is blocked near Sungri.

The state also witnessed power outages in several areas in the past 24 hours as 65 transformers went offline, disrupting 18 water supply schemes.

Kullu, Himachal Pradesh: In Kullu Valley, farmers and orchardists are pleased with the ongoing rain and snowfall. The two days of rainfall have recharged the water sources, providing relief to Kullu, which had been suffering from drought. The snowfall is considered a blessing pic.twitter.com/TWaw5Se7wW IANS (@ians_india) December 28, 2024

Meanwhile, around 5,000 tourists stranded at the Solang Nala ski resort in Kullu were rescued by the police on Friday after the region witnessed heavy snowfall. A rescue operation commenced after around 1,000 vehicles were stuck in the area.

Read More: Snowfall In Himachal Claims 4 Lives, Tourists Stranded As 177 Roads Shut

Due to fresh snowfall today on 27.12.2024, about 1000 tourists and other vehicles were stuck in Solang Nala. There were about 5000 tourists in these vehicles. The vehicles and tourists have been rescued by Kullu Police and taken to safe places. The rescue operation is still going on," Kullu police said in a post on X.

  27.12.2024           1000             5000                        pic.twitter.com/s8Z7y7l74U Kullu Police (@PoliceKullu) December 27, 2024

Heavy rainfall and snowfall was recorded in at least six districts of the state on Friday, including Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, and Kinnaur.

Those in the tourism and hospitality sector, however, said that the extreme weather conditions have not affected the industry. Manali has seen hotel occupancy rates surge to 60-70%, with most accommodations being fully booked by December 25.

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The region has been issued a weather warning, with the Western Disturbance bringing more snowfall over the next 48 hours. The IMD has predicted light to moderate snowfall in the state on December 28 and 29.. It also advised the residents and travellers to exercise caution and prepare for potential road blockages and disruptions.

(With inputs from agencies)

Location : Shimla, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 18:04 IST
UP: Amethi Man Attacked For Opposing Sister's Harassment; Family Alleges Police Negligence

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 15:22 IST

According to the victim's sister, who was allegedly being harassed, a group of boys would misbehave with her when she went to school.

Representative image of UP Police

A 26-year-old man was seriously injured after allegedly being attacked in the Jagdishpur area here when he opposed the harassment of his sister, a Class 9 student, police officials said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Thursday when Ranjit (26) was attacked by a group of boys with a sharp weapon. He was rushed to the Jagdishpur Community Health Center (CHC) for treatment.

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Ranjits family claims they had lodged a complaint regarding the harassment with the Jagdishpur police earlier, but no action was taken.

According to the victims sister, who was allegedly being harassed, a group of boys would misbehave with her when she went to school.

Whenever I went to school, a group of boys would misbehave with me and harass me. I informed my family about this, but when they tried to intervene, they received death threats." The victims family has accused the local police, including the Jagdishpur police station in-charge and a constable, of negligence in addressing their complaints.

The police, however, have refuted the charges.

Constable Praveen Kumar and the station in-charge demanded proof of the harassment instead of acting on our complaint," the girl alleged.

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We are aware of the incident. Police forces have been deployed at the site and the injured person, Ranjit, has been admitted to the hospital. Legal action will be initiated against the culprits as soon as we receive a formal complaint," said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Musafirkhana) Atul Kumar Singh.

When questioned about the allegations of negligence, Jagdishpur Station In-Charge Dhirendra Yadav said, A complaint was indeed filed and the case was investigated. However, the allegations made by the complainants were found to be untrue during the inquiry." The police have assured a thorough investigation and strict legal action against those responsible for the attack.

Location : Amethi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 15:22 IST
UP Doctor Fakes Own Death By Burning Man To Claim Insurance, Says Got The Idea From 'CID'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 23:41 IST

The accused, identified as Dr Mubarak, had allegedly committed the crime to claim the insurance money to clear his long pending debts.

On December 22, the accused invited Sonu to a roadside eatery, where they consumed alcohol. (Image: X)

In a bizarre turns of events, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested a doctor who allegedly burnt a man alive in his car in a bid to fake his own death and claim insurance fund in Saharanpur.

The accused, identified as Dr Mubarak, had allegedly committed the crime to claim the insurance money to clear his long pending debts. As per the police, the accused hatched the plan after being inspired by popular crime television series, CID.

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Saharanpur Superintendent of Police (City) Abhimanyu Manglik said that the accused had amassed debts of around Rs 30 lakh. To escape his financial troubles, he planned to stage his death and have his family collect insurance payouts," the SP said as reported by India Today.

As per the police, Dr Mubarak first tried to procure an unclaimed dead body. But unable to get that, he targeted and trapped a local man who was known to him, identified as Sonu. He was a habitual drinker and often visited the doctors home asking for money.

As per his plan, on December 22, the accused invited Sonu to a roadside eatery, where they consumed alcohol. Police said Mubarak had spiked Sonus drink with drugs. When Sonu became unconscious, the doctor drove him to a deserted location near the Yamuna canal, doused the car with petrol, and set it on fire with Sonu inside.

Next day, the police found a burnt Maruti 800 car with a charred body inside. The car was traced to Dr Mubarak, said the SP. Sonus family had also filed a missing person report, suspecting his involvement," Manglik added.

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During interrogation, Dr Mubarak confessed to the crime. I wanted to become rich quickly. I planned to fake my death, enabling my wife to claim insurance money and clear my loans," he he told the police as reported by the news outlet.

The police said that the accuseds wife, was however, unaware of the murder. She thought he would use an unclaimed body to fake his death," the SP said. There is no evidence of her involvement at this stage," he added.

Location : Saharanpur, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 23:40 IST
Watch: Snowfall Turns Srinagar Into A Surreal Winter Wonderland

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 10:31 IST

Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts also witnessed season's first snowfall.

Snowfall was recorded in the ski resort of Gulmarg, tourist resorts of Sonamarg and Pahalgam, Gurez, Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road and many areas in Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

Srinagar continued to witness snowfall, draping the valley in white owing to the influence of a western disturbance because of which light to moderate snowfall was recorded in most areas of Kashmir. Snowfall brought relief and joy to tourists and residents of the area.

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We had been waiting for snow for a long time. The prolonged dry season had led to several difficulties for locals. It led to an increase in common ailments like cough and cold. Now, it will bring relief," Yawar Hussain, a local, told news agency PTI.

Priya, a tourist, told PTI, This is a sight to behold. We are lucky to have witnessed snowfall in Srinagar. It feels surreal. It is a dream come true."

Another tourist, Pankaj Kumar, said, Snowfall has made this trip more memorable. This is just amazing. It is magical. We are so happy to be here."

Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts also witnessed seasons first snowfall. Snowfall was recorded in the ski resort of Gulmarg, tourist resorts of Sonamarg and Pahalgam, Gurez, Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road and many areas in Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

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#WATCH | J&K: Doda covered in a blanket of snow as the area receives heavy snowfall. pic.twitter.com/YhmzNXNjCI ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), I drove from Jammu to Srinagar today. It snowed continuously from Banihal to Srinagar. The conditions were quite treacherous. I understand there are around 2000 vehicles stuck between the tunnel & Qazigund. My office has been in touch with the administration in South Kashmir. While snow clearance has been done the road is very icy. Heavy vehicles are being allowed to move & efforts are on to clear the rest of the stranded vehicles."

Location : Srinagar, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 10:28 IST
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

A famous photograph taken by Louis Monier in 1977 in one of the most beautiful squares in the Latin Quarter in Paris shows three great intellectuals of the 20th century whose influence continues to this day: the philosopher Emil Cioran, the historian of religions and novelist Mircea Eliade, and the playwright Eugene Ionesco. The first two had a very dark secret to hide: their sympathy for Romanian fascism in the 1930s and 1940s, their antisemitism, and their intellectual support for a regime responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Jews. The third, the inventor of the theater of the absurd, of Jewish origin, survived the war and spent the rest of his life in France. They were very good friends in their youth, but their relationship was forever affected by Cioran and Eliades past.

The French essayist Alexandra Laignel-Lavastine, an expert on Eastern Europe, dedicated a fascinating work to the protagonists of that photo, Cioran, Eliade, Ionesco. Loubli du fascisme (2002). Its title, The oblivion of fascism, resonates strongly today in this 21st century Europe in which so many parties  and not only those of the extreme right  try to hide, diminish, manipulate, what the great totalitarianisms of the 20th century represented for the world: total loss of freedoms, death, violence, destruction The philosophers support, she writes in reference to Cioran, for the Iron Guard, one of the most violent and antisemitic extreme right formations of the 1930s, lasted until the beginning of 1941. Eliade maintained his support for this fascist movement when it had fully shown its true face.

Emil Cioran in Paris. Sophie Bassouls (Sygma / Getty Images)

From 1945 onward both reinvented their past, although, as the historian points out, they always lived in fear of it being revealed. Eliade, for example, was forced to cancel a trip to Jerusalem in 1973 because of his antisemitic past; Saul Bellow was criticized for being inspired by him in the novel Ravelstein and, although in a very collateral way, his name had a remote connection with the never-clarified murder of a Romanian professor on the campus of the University of Chicago in 1991. The journalist Ted Anton wrote a fascinating book about it, with a prologue by Umberto Eco, Eros, Magic, and the Murder of Professor Culianu (2013). It was always said that he never won the Nobel Prize because of his fascist past.

The terrible thing about this story is that Cioran and Eliade are two intellectuals who remain highly influential, republished, and read, and yet they allowed themselves to be seduced by the Iron Guard, an organization so violent and savage that it was dismantled by the regime itself after the Bucharest pogrom of January 1941. Ionesco underlined it several times: European fascism in the interwar period was an invention of intellectuals, writes Laignel-Lavastine, who explains that one of his most famous works, The Rhinoceros, told the story of an ideological contagion inspired by his friends, attracted by absolute evil.

Elie Wiesel in 1980 in New York. Santi Visalli (Getty Images)

The Iron Guard is back in the news because Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, an admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has shaken up the countrys politics, has defended this fascist organization several times. And he is not the only right-wing leader who has tried to whitewash the totalitarianism of the 1930s, like the failed French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, who went so far as to say that Vichy had saved French Jews when it contributed to their extermination.

In Spain, a leader of the far-right Vox party has been heard in Congress claiming that the post-civil war period was a time of peace and reconciliation; the offensive to whitewash Francoism is becoming more intense, not only among right-wing politicians, but also among historians and writers; conservative Popular Party leaders, from Alberto Nunez Feijoo to Isabel Diaz Ayuso, have protested against plans to commemorate (what a scandal!) the 50th anniversary of the dictator Francos death. All this speaks not of the past, but of the present, because the debate is no longer about whether fascism will return  that is a fact  but about what form it will take.

In 2004, the Romanian state commissioned an inquiry into the Holocaust in the country, which made it clear that it was not a purely Nazi undertaking, but that Romanian involvement was very intense. The foreword was written by the Romanian-born writer, Auschwitz survivor, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, who noted: What is true for individuals is also true for communities. Repressed memories are dangerous because, when they surface, they can destroy what is healthy, debase what is noble, undermine what is elevated. A nation or a person can find various ways of dealing with its past, but none of them can ignore it. Why did so many citizens betray humanity, their own and ours, by choosing to persecute, torment, and murder defenseless and innocent men, women, and children? In these dark times, Wiesels reflections are very pertinent, and the story of those intellectuals seduced by evil more disturbing than ever.

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Year Ender 2024: The Beginning Of The End Of Naxalism, 2025 Crucial

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 11:00 IST

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed top officers in the affected states to create a plan to eliminate Naxalism by 2026.

While Chhattisgarh's Bastar region and Madvi Hidma, one of the most wanted Naxals and a top leader, remain significant challenges for the forces, the Naxal leadership is shrinking. (Representative Image)

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed top officers in the affected states to create a plan to eliminate Naxalism by 2026. With only 15 months left, intelligence agencies estimate that around 3,000 Naxals are still active. As a result, security forces will intensify their operations. Of these, about 2,000 Naxals are active in Chhattisgarh, which has the highest number of Naxal-affected districts in India.

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While Chhattisgarhs Bastar region and Madvi Hidma, one of the most wanted Naxals and a top leader, remain significant challenges for the forces, the Naxal leadership is shrinking. With limited weapons and minimal support from locals, Naxal leaders are essentially fighting a losing battle, struggling to maintain their propaganda.

In the Abujhmad area, a major Naxal stronghold, security forces have successfully established camps. In fact, after 25 years, families are beginning to return to the area. In Gaarpa village, around 100 people who had previously fled due to Naxal threats, have now come back. These are some of the early signs that Naxalism may be coming to an end.

In October, Union Home Minister Amit Shah set a deadline of March 2026 to eliminate Naxalism from the country. The Central Government is committed to completely rooting out the menace of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 2026. We are providing all possible assistance to the state governments affected by LWE to fight Naxalism," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated in a press release after the meeting chaired by Amit Shah.

The year 2024 began with a major operation against the Naxals led by the Border Security Force (BSF), which also guards the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders. The BSF, deployed in Naxal-hit areas, eliminated 29 Naxals in April, including top Maoist leader Shankar Rao. This was one of the largest anti-Naxal operations conducted by the security forces so far.

To continue the mission in the right direction, security forces in October eliminated 31 Naxals in Chhattisgarh in what was termed one of the most successful operations, with no casualties on the forces side. Around 1,500 jawans fought Naxals for 48 hours along the forested border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts, killing 31 Naxals.

The forces were already aware of the mission and have been aggressive in their operations against the Naxals. Over the last six years, three reviews of LWE-affected districts have been conducted. The number of such districts has reduced from 126 in April 2018 to 90, then to 70 in July 2021, and further to 38 in April 2024. LWE-related violence has decreased by 73 per cent in 2023 compared to the peak levels in 2010. Resulting deaths (both civilians and security forces) have also dropped by 86 per cent during the same period. In 2024 (up to November 15), there has been a further 25 per cent reduction in LWE-related violent incidents compared to the same period in 2023," the MHAs latest data shows.

According to the Ministrys official data, between 2019-2024, a total of Rs 4,350.78 crore was allocated for the capacity building of LWE-affected states under various schemes like the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), Security-Related Expenditure (SRE), and Special Central Assistance (SCA). Additionally, Rs 560.22 crore was provided to central agencies for helicopters and addressing critical infrastructure needs in security camps in LWE-affected areas.

On the development front, several initiatives have been implemented. In LWE-affected areas, 14,469 km of roads have been constructed, 6,567 telecom towers have been commissioned, and 5,731 post offices have been opened. Additionally, 1,007 bank branches and 937 ATMs have been established in the 30 most LWE-affected districts. Between 2004 and 2023, 8,803 people were killed by LWE in various parts of India. The majority of these victims were tribals, often branded as police informers before being tortured and killed. In fact, the tribals and economically underprivileged sections, whose cause the Maoists claim to champion, have been the largest victims of the so-called protracted peoples war waged by the CPI (Maoist) against the Indian state.

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For skill development, 46 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 49 Skill Development Centers (SDCs) have been established in LWE-affected districts. In addition, 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been set up in these areas to provide quality education to tribals. The Central Armed Police Forces (CRPF, BSF, SSB, and ITBP), deployed in LWE-affected areas, also undertake various civic activities aimed at the welfare of the local population and to divert the youth from the influence of the Maoists.

Tribal Youth Exchange Programs (TYEPs) are being organised through the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) to increase outreach to the tribal youth in LWE-affected districts. The resolute implementation of the National Policy and Action Plan to Address Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) by both the Centre and the States has led to a consistent decline in LWE, both in terms of geographical spread and violence. There has been a progressive reduction in the number of districts affected by LWE.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 11:00 IST
Japan's Sake To Koreas Jang: 11 Dishes That Made Their Way To UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List In 2024

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 19:37 IST

A Caribbean mainstay, cassava bread has its roots in African and Indigenous customs.

Eleven international cuisines are on this year's list.

UNESCO has released the 2024 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, celebrating the connection between food, culture, and legacy. The list highlights culinary traditions from around the world, showcasing the craftsmanship and cultural significance of various nations. This year, eleven international cuisines are featured in the list, honouring the communities that have preserved these culinary practices for generations.

From delectable soups to age-old fermentation techniques, these traditions not only protect culinary customs but also serve as a reminder of the deeper meaning of food as a medium for connection, history, and storytelling. Here are the picks from the UNESCO 2024 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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Sake (Japan)  Japans sake, the traditional rice wine, has been an integral part of cultural celebrations and ceremonies for centuries. When brewed with care, sake symbolizes harmony, tradition, and the artistry of fermentation.

Cassava Bread (Caribbean)  A staple in the Caribbean, cassava bread has its origins in African and Indigenous traditions. Made from cassava tubers, this versatile bread varies in flavour and texture across countries like Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela. Its preparation is a communal practice, passed down through generations, fostering unity and cultural pride.

Arabic coffee (Arab Nations)  Arabic coffee has been recognized by UNESCO as a symbol of charity, hospitality, and tradition throughout the Arab world. Commonly brewed in countries like Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, its preparation and presentation highlight the importance of social rituals and shared cultural heritage.

Breakfast Culture (Malaysia)  Malaysian morning customs, such as Roti Canai, Teh Tarik, and Nasi Lemak, bring together diverse groups across ethnic divides. This common legacy, which represents the nations heterogeneous identity, promotes social cohesiveness and pride.

Attieke (Ivory Coast)  Ivorian cuisine has documented this fermented cassava meal dish. The communal lunch dish promotes a respect for traditional culinary techniques and community

Tom Yum Kung(Thailand)  Tom Yum Kung is a traditional Thai soup that balances strong flavours with therapeutic herbs. The distinction of cultural recognition and significance in achieving Thai uniqueness in their food has been bestowed upon by UNESCO.

Mulgi Puder (Estonia)  This hearty meal of mashed barley and potatoes is a culinary symbol of the Mulgimaa area of Estonia. To improve its flavour, families frequently boil it over several days. This cuisine promotes sustainable food practices and traditional culinary techniques while uniting people.

Azerbaijan Tandir Bread (Azerbaijan)  This bread is a key element of Azerbaijani culture, traditionally baked in tandirs, which are earthenware ovens. It symbolizes connections to family, customs, and a deep respect for food. The bread-making process is a cherished tradition that strengthens communal bonds and generates income.

Minas Cheese (Brazil)  Pingo, a special natural yeast, and raw milk are used to make this handmade cheese from Minas Gerais, Brazil. The cheese, which has a unique flavour and scent, is a tribute to sustainable farming methods and rural customs. It is frequently served during get-togethers and festivities and is a sign of hospitality and camaraderie.

Asturian Cider (Spain)  Asturiass cider culture honours the bond between rural communities and their surroundings. This tradition, which includes everything from apple farming to cider-pouring customs, represents sustainability, community service, and local pride.

Jang (Korea)  A staple of Korean cooking is Jang, a fermented sauce produced from soybeans. Its creation, which is based on tradition and environmental sensitivity and is used in many different recipes, demonstrates the knowledge and ingenuity of Korean people.

UNESCO has recognised these culinary traditions highlighting how food serves as a universal cultural anchor. The list celebrates the richness of human heritage while ensuring the survival of these foods for future generations.

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 19:37 IST
Kumbh Mela 2025: Impact On Local Economy And Business

Published By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 09:22 IST

Kumbh Mela 2025: Indias past is showcased in this internationally renowned festival, which increases the country's allure as a travel destination and even draws in foreign investment.

Devotees play instruments during the 'Peshwai' procession of 'Shri Panch Agni Akhara', which marks the arrival of 'sadhus' and other members of an 'akhara' or sect for the annual 'Maha Kumbh Mela', in Prayagraj, on December 26, 2024. (PTI Photo)

Kumbh Mela 2025: The Maha Kumbh Mela in 2025 will be Indias largest and most significant religious celebration, but it will also offer enormous commercial and economic opportunities. Prayagraj will host the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is celebrated every 12 years, from January 13 (Paush Poornima) to February 26 (Maha Shivratri). Every Kumbh Mela event has a major positive impact on the national and state economies, making the Maha Kumbhs economic impact indisputable.

On December 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Prayagraj and conducted a pooja at the Sangam before initiating construction projects totalling Rs 5,500 crore to upgrade the citys facilities and infrastructure for the Mela.

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ALSO READ: What To Expect From The 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela: A Sneak Peek

Millions of pilgrims and tourists flock to the host city for the Maha Kumbh Mela, which takes place every 12 years. An estimated 400450 million tourists are anticipated to visit Prayagraj in 2025, resulting in significant economic activity.

In addition to their religious significance, occasions such as the Maha Kumbh promote tourism, job creation, and economic growth, which benefits nearby companies and advances Indias economy as a whole.

Kumbh Mela 2025: Impact on Local Economy and Business

As millions of people flock to these pilgrimage sites during the Maha Kumbh, demand for Kumbh Mela lodging spikes. This growth helps travel agencies, lodging facilities, dining establishments, and tour operators.

ALSO READ: Kumbh Mela 2025 Shahi Snan: Dates, Maha Kumbh Rituals, And All You Need To Know

Services that give guests options for easy and engaging accommodations close to the festival venue, like Kumbh Mela tent rental, are also in high demand.

The tourism business sees a sharp increase in reservations for air, train, and road transport, which generates a slew of income for all industry sectors.

The Maha Kumbh also lowers unemployment in the region by generating a large number of work opportunities, both temporary and permanent, in industries such as construction, security, healthcare, and event planning.

Small businesses and artisans have a great opportunity to sell their goods, which benefits local communities as well. To assist local businesses, pilgrims buy large quantities of food, clothing, religious objects, and souvenirs.

ALSO READ: Travelling To Prayagraj For Maha Kumbh 2025? Heres All You Need To Know

In addition to helping individual sellers, this expansion boosts the local economy by generating demand for native cuisine, art, and handicrafts.

Maha Kumbh 2025: The Commercial and Financial Elements

According to an earlier Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimate, the Kumbh Mela of 2019 earned overall revenues of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, while the last such Maha Kumbh in 2013 generated total revenues of Rs 12,000 crore, including infrastructure upgrading of hotels and airports.

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Despite its spiritual and religious significance, the Kumbh Melas economic activities created jobs for more over six lakh people in 2019 across a range of industries, according to CII.

As businesses see a huge potential for consumption during the 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, India Inc. plans to spend at least Rs 3,000 crore on branding and marketing alone, according to Economic Times.

Location : Prayagraj, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 09:15 IST
Matthew McConaughey Reveals Why He Kept His Son Off Social Media: 5 Key Tips You Can Take Away

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 15:35 IST

Matthew McConaughey stated how he believes that it is important for children to build an identity first rather than blindly emulating trends from social media.

Matthew McConaughey stressed how kids should experience life rather than building a personality based on social media validation.

Actor Matthew McConaughey has three children with his wife Camila Alves. In a recent interview, the Interstellar actor spoke about giving his children access to social media at a young age. He mentioned how he believes it is important for children to build their identity first, rather than blindly following trends that they would come across on social media.

In an interview, Matthew McConaughey spoke about how important it is for children to develop a personality in real life rather than emulating trends from social media. Times Now quoted the actor saying, Social media is shaping your personality. Its telling you whats cool, whats not, and even whether you should feel confident about yourself. You dont get to decide that for yourself. Go live your life. And if you feel like sharing your achievements, share them."

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The actor also spoke about the importance of children finding their purpose first rather than creating social media content for instant validation. He also highlighted how exposure to social media at an impressionable age can impact the attention span. He had kept his son away from social media until he was 15 years old.

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Inspired by Matthew McConaughey, heres how you can limit social media exposure for your children.

1. Set Clear Rules and Boundaries: Establish guidelines for when, where, and how long your child can use social media. Create clear rules that fit their age and maturity level. 2. Use Parental Controls: Use the built-in parental controls on devices, apps, and social media platforms. These can help restrict access to inappropriate content, monitor usage, and limit screen time. You can also set usage limits for apps. 3. Encourage Offline Activities: Promote a healthy balance between online and offline activities. Encourage your child to engage in hobbies such as reading, sports, or arts and crafts. Organize family bonding sessions that dont involve screens. 4. Have An Open Conversation: Regularly talk to your children about the potential dangers of social media, including issues like cyberbullying, body image, and privacy concerns. 5. Be A Role Model: Practice what you preach by modelling healthy social media habits yourself. If your child sees you balancing online activity with other real-life commitments, they are more likely to adopt similar habits.

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 15:35 IST
Radhika Merchant Ditches The Gown And Opts For A Pink Nightsuit For Ambani's Jamnagar Christmas Celebrations

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News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 12:39 IST

For the Christmas celebration in Jamnagar, Radhika Merchant was spotted in an adorable pink night suit set.

Radhika Merchant's pink night suit was adorned with candy cane prints.

Radhika Merchant celebrated her first Christmas with the Ambani family after she became their bahu recently. In a classic Ambani manner, the Christmas celebration was like no other. They ditched the cliche cocktail and glamour night and rather went with a casual and comfy pajama party theme. Radhika was spotted wearing an adorable pink nightsuit set and fashion girlies are in awe.

The Ambani family celebrated Christmas in Jamnagar. The celebration was a star-studded affair with celebrities like Janhvi Kapoor, Orry, Shanaya Kapoor, and others gracing the event with their presence. While the celebrities were dressed in their finest avatars, Radhika Merchant decided to keep it casual and make a statement. She opted for a pink printed night suit set. Pictures from the celebrations have started doing rounds on social media and many celebrities also shared them on their Stories.

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Take a look at Radhikas OOTN here.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollywood Celebrity Style (@bollywoodwomencloset)

For the Christmas celebrations, Radhika opted for a stylish pink printed nightsuit. The night suit set was crafted from soft and cozy satin fabric which exuded comfort. The set came with a chic button-down top with long sleeves which she had paired with matching long pyjamas. The set had adorable candy cane print all over which made it perfect for Christmas.

The chic pyjama set was from Pretty Little Thing and it retails for US$65.00 which approximately comes to Rs 5,400.

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While the look exuded comfort, Radhika elevated it with stylish accessories. She paired her nightsuit set with quirky earrings, a luxe wristwatch, and a diamond ring that adorned her finger. For the makeup, she stuck to her classic style. She went with a dewy base for that natural look. She finished her soft glam look with subtle brown eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, mascara-coated lashes, heavy eyebrows, grazed blushed cheeks, highlighter on the high points of her face, and a glossy pink lip. She left her hair open and gave it a middle partition.

Radhika married Anant Ambani in July 2024. The wedding celebration was kickstarted with a pre-wedding celebration in Jamnagar which was followed by another pre-wedding celebration on a cruise ship. The couple married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Mumbai.

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 12:39 IST
Year Ender 2024: The Iconic Fashion Firsts That Made Headlines This Year

Written By :

News18.com

Edited By: Snigdha Oreya



Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 11:08 IST

Year Ender 2024: A look back at all the debuts that made a fashionable impression.

Year Ender 2024: Ananya Panday, Kim Kardashian and Alia Bhatt rocked 2024 in style.

Year Ender 2024: The fashion firsts that stole the show this year had some stylish debuts making a long-lasting impression in the global fashion scene.

From international red carpets and iconic award shows to high-profile weddings and fashion weeks, these stars celebrated their fashion firsts with the best in the fashion industry.

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Ananya Pandays international runway debut at Paris Couture Week, Kim Kardashian visiting India for the first time and channeling her desi diva in a Manish Malhotra lehenga at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding, and Deepika Padukone representing India in a Sabyasachi sequin saree at the prestigious BAFTA Awardsevery occasion was a proud moment for India.

Heres a look back at the iconic and fashionable debuts of 2024 celebrating the best in fashion and style.

Ananya Panday International Runway Debut at Paris Couture Week

2024 has been exceptional for Ananya Panday. The year began on a fashionable note for the Call Me Bae star when she walked for fashion designer Rahul Mishra at Paris Haute Couture Week.

Ananya wore Moth Light, an embroidery installation illustrating a swarm of moths that encircled an illuminated bodice. The creative couture piece was part of Rahuls Superheroes couture spring 2024 collection. Rahul also thanked Ananya for amplifying the voice of Superheroes with her support and presence at the show. This was indeed an extraordinary and unique presentation that Ananya slayed with her walk.

Alia Bhatt at LOreal Paris  Le Defile

Alia Bhatt walked the Le Defile with LOreal Paris at Paris Fashion Week 2024, representing India on a global map. Marking her debut as the newly appointed global brand ambassador, Alia Bhatt sashayed down the runway in a custom Gaurav Gupta ensemble.

Alias ensemble featured a metal cast silver breastplate adorned with detailing of a swans head interwoven with the body of a serpent. The bold, creative corset was styled with black sharara trousers.

Deepika Padukone at BAFTA 2024

At the 77th British Academy Film Awards, Deepika Padukone made her debut as a presenter at the awards ceremony. Gracing the occasion in a Sabyasachi couture saree and custom jewellery, Deepika looked ethereal in the six yards of shimmery elegance. At the BAFTA 2024 Deepika presented the award for Best Film Not In The English Language to director Jonathan Glazer for his film, The Zone of Interest.

Janhvi Kapoor International Runway Debut at Paris Haute Couture Week

A first for Janhvi Kapoor, Rahul Mishra celebrated the glamorous actress as his muse for the collection AURA for his Paris Haute Couture Week showcase in June 2024. Janhvi graced the runway in a hand-embroidered Noir Aura bustier top paired with a coordinating iridescent mermaid trail skirt.

Kim Kardashian And Khloe Kardashian In India

The Kardashian Sisters  Kim and Khloe made their first India visit a memorable one filled with desi glam. In Mumbai, Kim and Khloe attended Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchants wedding dressed in Manish Malhotra.

Kim looked radiant in the Maharani red saree lehenga, adorned with vibrant Swarovski crystals, sequins, and metallic zari work. She paired it with a Manish Malhotra signature structured with an adouble-layeredd blouse enhanced with signature crystal tassels.

Khloe Kardashian stepped out in a regal Indian ensemble on her first visit to India, wearing Manish Malhotra bespoke aureate lehenga. Seamlessly blending traditional culture with modern design, it was crafted from handloom brocade  a fabric esteemed by Indian royalty since the Silk Road era  and intricately adorned with zardozi work.

Showcasing a rich tapestry of silk interwoven with gold and silver threads, the lehenga features paisley motifs and Khole paired it with an elegant off-shoulder blouse. It is further enhanced by cascading strands of radiant pearls and gold beadwork at the back, adding a breathtaking dimension of glamour, complemented by a handwoven tissue drape. Khloe elevated the look with Manish Malhotra Jewellery featuring the Imperial Heirloom necklace adorned with 6,500 diamonds.

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Kiara Advani at Cannes Film Festival 2024

Kiara Advani made her Cannes debut this year in style. From Prabal Gurungs ivory-draped dress to the Nedo by Nedret Taciroglu corset gown, Kiaras style quotient was impressively classic. We cant get over the Nedo corset gown featuring a black velvet fish-cut silhouette and the pastel pink duchess satin bodice that exuded vintage charm. The highlight of this classic piece was the pink duchess satin bow that added drama to this Fall Winter 2024-25 stunning gown. Kiara adorned the gown at The Women in Cinema initiative which was held on the sidelines of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, for which Kiara Advani was invited and was also one of the prestigious honorees.

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 11:08 IST
Ravi Kishan Reveals Why He Lost Out On Gangs of Wasseypur: 'Anurag Said He Couldnt Afford Me'

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News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 21:16 IST

Actor Ravi Kishan revealed why he missed out on a role in Anurag Kashyaps Gangs of Wasseypur. The actor shared that gossip about his eccentric habits, including bathing in milk, led to him losing the role.

Ravi Kishan opens up about losing Gangs of Wasseypur due to rumors about his eccentric habits, including bathing in milk.

Actor Ravi Kishan recently opened up about missing out on a role in Anurag Kashyaps iconic film Gangs of Wasseypur. The actor revealed that he wasnt cast because someone spread gossip about him to the filmmaker, and while some of the rumors were true, many werent. Among these tales, one particular detail stood outhis unusual habit of bathing with milk, which he confirmed during the interview.

Speaking to Shubhankar Mishra on YouTube, Ravi said, I used to bathe in milk. I used to enjoy it. Somebody told this to Anurag Kashyap. I am an eccentric, thats why Im an artist. If I was a normal person, I would be working in an office, carrying a tiffin box to work. Anurag said that he didnt have the budget for my demands, and thats why I lost the film. Somebody spread some other rumours about me as well. Everyone in that movie broke out afterwards."

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This isnt the first time Ravi has discussed his eccentric habits. On Aap Ki Adalat, he candidly shared, Main doodh se nahata tha aur gulaab ki pankhuriyon pe sota tha. Mujhe aisa lagta tha ke main actor hoon aur yeh sab bahut zaroori hai. Log jab aapko Al Pacino aur Robert De Niro ki filmein dikhane lagte hain, aur bolte hain ke yeh actors aisa karte they, tum bhi karo Godfather 500 baar dikha diye, aur main desi breed ka kalakar. Khair, yeh sab naatak kiye they ki isse mahaul banta hai. Mujhe lagta tha ke main doodh se naha ke jaunga toh yeh charcha rahegi ki yeh doodh se nahata hai (Its true, I used to bathe in milk and sleep on rose petals. I used to think of myself as a big star; I thought this was important. People would show me Al Pacino and Robert De Niros films, and tell me how they used to behave. I was shown The Godfather 500 times, but Im a desi performer. So, yes, I used to make these demands. I thought if I bathe in milk, people would talk about it)."

Despite missing out on Gangs of Wasseypur, Ravi Kishan and Anurag Kashyap later collaborated on Mukkabaaz. However, their relationship became strained after Ravi, now a Member of Parliament, spoke out against drug abuse. In an interview with Faye DSouza, Anurag commented on Ravis past habits, saying, Ravi Kishan acted in my last film Mukkabaaz. Ravi Kishan starts his day by saying Jai Shiv Shankar, Jai Bam Bhole. Jai Shiv Shambhu. For the longest period of his time, he has been somebody who has used weed. It is life. Everybody knows it. The whole world knows. Theres not a single person who doesnt know that Ravi Kishan does not smoke up. He might have quit now, that he has become a minister, he might have cleaned up."

Ravi Kishans resilience has allowed him to sustain a thriving career. Recently, he appeared in Laapataa Ladies, Indias official submission to the Oscars, and stars in Netflixs Maamla Legal Hai, which has been renewed for a second season. His journey stands as a testament to perseverance, proving that determination and hard work can help overcome obstacles and negative perceptions.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 21:16 IST
Suniel Shettys Emotional Note For Son Ahan On His Birthday: 'Love You, Believe You'

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Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 11:25 IST

Suniel Shetty dropped a post on Instagram comprising a drool-worthy picture of the birthday boy attached to an emotional note.

Suniel Shetty poured his heart into the emotional birthday post. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Ahan Shetty turns 29 today. Fans have been pouring in heartfelt wishes for the actor. Celebrities, too, are also not far behind. The most touching wish came from his father and Bollywood star Suniel Shetty. He dropped a post on Instagram comprising a drool-worthy picture of the birthday boy attached to an emotional note. Well, the proud father did not hold back his love while extending the wish to his son, we must say.

Suniel Shettys note for his son Ahan Shetty read, Happy birthday, my phantom. With a heart as pure and extraordinary as yours, you deserve nothing less than the world. Know that I love you, support you and believe in youalways and forever." In the picture, we can see Ahan clicking a mirror selfie flaunting his toned muscles and chiseled body. Sporting a vest and a cap, he looked gym-ready, making fans weak on their knees.

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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Suniel Shetty (@suniel.shetty)

Suniel Shetty is indeed a proud dad and why not? Ahan Shetty was officially announced earlier this year to be a part of Border 2, the prequel of which starred Suneil in a pivotal role. Following the announcement, the actor could not contain his joy and turned to social media to reflect on the emotional moment. In a post shared on the photo-sharing application, he wrote, The journey I started years ago has now come full circle."

So proud to see you step into the world of Border. The journey I started years ago has now come full circle. I know you will give it your everything. This ones extra special for obvious reasonsits all heart," he added.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Suniel Shetty (@suniel.shetty)

Meanwhile, filming for Border 2 has officially begun. The highly anticipated sequel also stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty in the lead roles. As the actors are set to bring the characters to life in the action-packed saga, the T-series shared the first glimpse from the set, announcing its release date.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by tseriesfilms (@tseriesfilms)

The Anurag Singh directorial, powered by Bhushan Kumar, JP Dutta and Nidhi Dutta, is set to hit theatres on January 23, 2026. The upcoming war drama aims to honour the legacy of the iconic original while adding new elements to ensure a cinematic experience.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 10:20 IST
Tamannaah Bhatia And Vijay Varmas Glamorous PDA At Manish Malhotras Lavish Soiree

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Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 18:38 IST

Before entering the house, the lovebirds made sure to give some striking poses for the paparazzi. The couple, standing hand in hand, exuded their million-dollar smile as the shutterbugs clicked them.

Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma started dating each other in 2023. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varmas love story is no secret. The lovebirds, who fell in love during the time of their film Lust Stories 2 in 2023, have always been in the news for their adorable relationship. Ever since they made their relationship official, the couple never failed to show PDA and shell out some major couple goals. They are often seen dropping glimpses of their lovey-dovey moments on social media, leaving fans in awe of their chemistry. Well now, the couple got fans going gaga as they arrived together at Manish Malhotras party in Mumbai.

The ace designer threw a lavish party on Friday that saw some of the celebrated personalities from the Bollywood industry. Among all the celebrities, Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma also graced the party in style, and fans couldnt stop staring at the impeccable jodi. A video of the same was shared on Instagram by Viral Bhayani.

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In the clip, Vijay Varma can be seen waiting for his ladylove while actress Tamannaah Bhatia steps out of her car. Later, they climbed the stairs to ace designer Manish Malhotras residence and lovingly posed for the paparazzi. Before entering the house, the lovebirds made sure to give some striking poses for the paparazzi. The couple, standing hand in hand, exuded their million-dollar smile as the shutterbugs clicked them.

For the dinner outing at Manish Malhotras house, Tamannaah opted for a chic streetwear look that left her fans in awe of her impeccable style. She donned a sleek corset-style top with grey-washed cargo trousers. A delicate studded choker-style neckpiece, a classic wristwatch, and loose, wavy tresses sealed the deal for her while adding a relaxed, flowy vibe to the ensemble.

Vijay Varma, on the other hand, looked dapper in a quirky print sweater featuring colourful designs. He paired the fit with loose blue jeans and a pair of sneakers. He completed his dashing look by wearing a pendant necklace, some rings, and messy hair.

The star-studded guest list of the dazzling night also included Ayushmann Khurrana, Tahira Kashyap, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Abhay Verma, Nora Fatehi, Sooraj Pancholi, Aditya Seal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Raveena Tandon, Vaani Kapoor, Urmila Matondkar, Jacqueline Fernandez, among others.

Speaking about Tamannaah Bhatias work, the actress most recently starred in the hit OTT film Sikandar Ka Muqaddar. The film also starred Jimmy Sheirgill, Avinash Tiwary, Rajeev Mehta, and Divya Dutta in lead roles. Recently, she wrapped up shooting for her upcoming Telugu film Odela 2, which is set to hit the theatres soon. Moving on, she is gearing up for the much-anticipated project Daring Partners, directed by Karan Johar.

As for Vijay Varma, he last featured in Anubhav Sinhas debut web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Co-starring Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Arvind Swamy, Naseeruddin Shah, and Patralekhaa, the thriller-drama depicts the story of an Indian Airlines flight that got hijacked en route from Kathmandu to Delhi on December 24, 1999. Under Taliban control, it was later diverted to Kandahar. Meanwhile, there are reports that Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikha will be sharing screen space in Ul Jalool Ishq, backed by Manish Malhotra.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 18:38 IST
Opinion | Remembering Manmohan Singh

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 15:36 IST

The nation will forever hold Dr. Manmohan Singh in gratitude  a patriot who served with quiet dignity and unwavering commitment to Indias progress

Dr Manmohan Singh was Indias third-longest-serving prime minister. (PTI File Image)

I was still in school when I watched a parliamentary debate that left a lasting impression on me. It was a moment that showcased the rare blend of wit, intellect, and grace in Indian politics. Sushma Swaraj, the leader of the Opposition, recited a biting couplet by Firaq Jalapuri to question the government:

            ,

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The sharpness of her critique filled the room, demanding answers with poetic elegance. Dr. Manmohan Singh, known for his calm demeanor, responded with quiet strength, quoting another couplet:

        ,

   ,   

In those few lines, the exchange captured the essence of parliamentary debatespirited, sharp, but deeply respectful. Moments like these made parliamentary debates interesting.

A lot is being written about Dr Manmohan Singh. He was Indias third-longest-serving prime minister. His career spanned critical roles in economic administration, including Chief Economic Advisor, Secretary of Economic Affairs, Member Secretary and later Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. As Finance Minister in 1991, during Indias balance of payments crisis, Singh implemented structural reforms that dismantled decades of protectionism, liberalised trade and investment regimes, and positioned India on a trajectory of sustained economic growth. His tenure as RBI Governor emphasized monetary stability, while his leadership at the South Commission in Geneva advanced principles of South-South cooperation.

However, one of his biggest achievements and legacy according to me was the India-US Civil Nuclear Deal. His leadership during the IndiaUS Civil Nuclear Agreement negotiations (20052008) showcased his ability to navigate both international diplomacy and domestic political turmoil. The deal, designed to provide India access to civilian nuclear technology and fuel from the United States, was critical to addressing Indias growing energy needs while ending decades of nuclear isolation.

However, it was met with fierce resistance domestically. Critics within his government and outside argued that the agreement compromised Indias sovereignty by aligning too closely with the United States and raised concerns about potential restrictions on Indias strategic nuclear program. The Left Front, a key coalition partner of UPA-1, withdrew support from Singhs government, citing ideological objections and the deals perceived threat to Indias independent foreign policy.

Despite these challenges, Singh remained steadfast. He emphasised the long-term strategic and energy benefits of the agreement, arguing that it was essential for Indias future growth. His government narrowly survived a confidence vote in Parliament, with Singh leveraging key political alliances, including securing the Samajwadi Partys support. Internationally, Singhs negotiations with US President George W. Bush were pivotal. The deal required amendments to US domestic laws, including the Hyde Act, and exemptions for India from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which traditionally prohibited nuclear trade with non-NPT signatories. Singhs efforts culminated in the deals signing on October 10, 2008.

The deal ended Indias nuclear isolation by securing an unprecedented waiver from the NSG, allowing India access to nuclear technology and fuel markets. This facilitated the expansion of Indias civilian nuclear energy program, critical for diversifying energy sources and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The agreement strengthened India-US strategic ties, enabling subsequent technology transfers and defence collaborations. It also catalysed similar nuclear agreements with France and other nations, integrating India into the global nuclear order. Domestically, it positioned nuclear energy as a key component of Indias energy mix, critical for sustaining economic growth amidst rising power demand. The deal remains a cornerstone of Indias energy and foreign policy strategy.

However, Dr. Singh was often ridiculed, not for his competence or his achievements, but for his silences  silences that came to overshadow his legacy as Prime Minister. Despite being one of the architects of Indias economic reforms and leading the nation through some of its most prosperous years, his tenure became defined by what he didnt say, by the moments when he chose to remain quiet.

There was his silence in the face of corruption scandals that shook the nations faith in its leadership  scandals like the 2G spectrum case and the Commonwealth Games fiasco. These moments were moral crises that demanded a voice, a stand, and a clear rejection from the man at the top. But Dr. Singh, bound by the fragile threads of coalition politics, remained silent. For the public, this silence felt like complicity, a quiet acceptance of the erosion of trust and accountability.

Then there was his silence as the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by the AICC President, emerged as a parallel authority. Policies that shaped the nations trajectory seemed to originate from a power centre outside his office, casting a long shadow over his authority. To many, it seemed as though Dr. Singh, despite holding the highest office in the land, was not truly in control. His silence in the face of this dual power structure was seen not as humility, but as a painful surrender.

And perhaps most poignantly, there was the silence about the actions taken in his name  compromises made to hold the coalition together, decisions driven by political expediency rather than conviction. These compromises often betrayed the very principles Dr. Singh was known for, leaving many to wonder if the man who had once been a symbol of reform and integrity had become a prisoner of the system he was tasked to lead.

Looking back, these silences werent the result of indifference or weakness  they were the burden of a man trying to navigate a deeply flawed political reality. Dr. Singh was a leader of immense intellect and unquestionable integrity, but he was caught in a storm of contradictions. His silence, once seen as dignity and restraint, became a source of heartbreak, a reminder of how even the most principled leaders can be constrained by the system around them. It wasnt just his silence that hurt  it was the realisation that his voice, even when needed most, was stifled by forces beyond his control.

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The nation will forever hold Dr. Manmohan Singh in gratitude  a patriot who served with quiet dignity and unwavering commitment to Indias progress. He was the architect of the 1991 economic reforms that freed millions from the grip of stagnation, giving India a new economic destiny. He widened the social safety net, ensuring that the poorest had hope through initiatives like MGNREGA. He braved political storms to secure the India-US Civil Nuclear Deal, giving India energy security and a place of honour in the global order.

Aditya Sinha (X: @adityasinha004) is a public policy professional. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 15:30 IST
Opinion | Skills Sculpting A Secure Future

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 15:21 IST

Like marble, raw talent has limitless potential. But becoming something remarkable requires the right tools, guidance, and effort. Skill development carves out opportunities and polishes the rough edges of human potential

Skills are not static; they evolve, and the pace of this evolution is accelerating. (Shutterstock)

In an era of rapid technological advancements and shifting economic landscapes, the conversation around skill development has never been more relevant. Skills are no longer just tools for employment; they are the chisels and hammers that sculpt our collective future, shaping individuals and nations.

Historically, skills were tied to tradition and geography. A farmer learned the trade from generations before, and an artisan honed their craft through years of apprenticeship. But the 21st century has shattered these boundaries. Today, the advent of automation, artificial intelligence, and globalisation demands a workforce that can continuously adapt, innovate, and learn. Skills are not static; they evolve, and the pace of this evolution is accelerating.

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At the heart of this transformation lies the understanding that skill development is no longer a one-time event but a lifelong journey. The future belongs to those who embrace this mindset. A software engineer may need to transition to being a data analyst tomorrow. A marketer should delve into behavioural psychology or artificial intelligence. The world is moving toward a gig economy, where flexibility, creativity, and adaptability are not just assets but necessities. Those who rest on their laurels risk being left behind in a world where change is the only constant.

India has the brain power needed to rise in the skill world. Governments, educational institutions, and private enterprises all play a role in fostering a skill development culture. Traditional education systems, built to serve industrial-era needs, must undergo a radical shift. The focus should be more than rote learning or degree acquisition, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical competencies. Initiatives like coding boot camps, vocational training, and online learning platforms have already begun to disrupt the status quo, democratising access to quality education. But more must be done to ensure inclusivity and widespread reach.

When we talk of skills, we mean making one employable to earn a livelihood quickly and decently. As per the National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, we had the target to impart various skills to 40 crore people by the end of 2022. However, around 4 crore people have been trained. Still, there is a massive opportunity for varied stakeholders to come forward and arm our men and women with employable skills. It is nothing but aligning the entire skilling ecosystem with the demands of employers.

Today, a considerable gap exists between the demand for a skilled workforce and their availability in the market. Among 150 million young people in developing countries, around 33 per cent are skilled but unemployed, as their employability quotient could be better. Government policy interventions can bridge the gap between demand and supply in the workforce market. Incentivising employable skill development through subsidies, tax benefits, or public-private partnerships can empower citizens to upskill or reskill. Furthermore, governments must create frameworks encouraging lifelong learning, such as subsidised courses or learning credits for professionals looking to update their skills.

Meanwhile, industries must recognise their role in creating agile workforces. Corporate training programmes, mentorship initiatives, and collaborations with educational institutions are not just investments in employees but investments in the future of the business itself. Companies that foster a culture of continuous learning often enjoy higher productivity, better employee retention, and a competitive edge in their industries. Moreover, the private sector can lead the way in identifying future skills by analysing market trends and technological advancements, ensuring training programmes remain relevant and forward-looking.

However, skill development is not just about economic progress but also a tool for social empowerment. In many developing nations, lack of access to education and skills has perpetuated cycles of poverty. Equipping marginalised communities with in-demand skills can uplift entire populations, ensuring more inclusive growth. A young woman in a rural village learning coding or a displaced worker mastering digital marketing are potent examples of how skills can change lives. These stories highlight the transformative potential of skill development, turning adversity into opportunity and fostering hope where it is needed most.

This empowerment extends beyond individuals to communities and entire societies. Skilled populations are better equipped to address local challenges, from improving infrastructure to boosting small businesses. In this way, skill development catalyses innovation and self-reliance, reducing dependency on external aid and fostering sustainable growth. Communities investing in their human capital often see a ripple effect, where increased productivity and prosperity lead to better healthcare, education, and quality of life.

As we champion skill development, addressing the challenges it presents is also critical. The digital divide, for instance, threatens to exclude those who lack access to technology or internet connectivity. Rural areas and underserved regions often bear the brunt of this inequity, leaving millions without the tools to participate in the modern economy. Bridging this gap requires a concerted effort from the public and private sectors, including infrastructure investments, affordable technology, and localised training programmes catering to specific regional needs.

Similarly, a one-size-fits-all approach to skills training is likely to fail. Each individuals journey is unique, shaped by their aspirations, context, and potential. Personalised, learner-centric approaches must become the norm. Adaptive learning technologies powered by artificial intelligence can significantly tailor educational content to suit individual needs and learning styles. This ensures that skill development is essential, practical, engaging, and relevant.

Moreover, we must shift the narrative around failure in skill acquisition. Learning a new skill often involves trial and error, and creating an environment where individuals feel encouraged to experiment and grow without fear of judgement is essential. Employers and educators must foster a culture that values resilience and continuous improvement over perfection.

The metaphor of skill as a sculptor is apt. Like marble, raw talent has limitless potential. But becoming something remarkable requires the right tools, guidance, and effort. Skill development chisels away ignorance, carves out opportunities and polishes the rough edges of human potential. It bridges the gap between dreams and reality, between where we are and where we aspire to be.

As we look to the future, let us remember the power of skills to redefine what is possible. Whether combating climate change, revolutionising healthcare and wellness, or exploring the frontiers of space, skilled individuals will be at the helm of every breakthrough. By investing in skill development today, we are not just preparing for tomorrow, but shaping it.

The urgency of this investment cannot be overstated. The Covid-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call, highlighting the vulnerabilities of unskilled or under-skilled workers in a volatile economy. Millions faced job losses, and industries struggled to adapt to new remote work and digital operations norms. Yet, it also demonstrated the resilience of those equipped with the right skills to pivot and thrive in uncertain times. The lessons learned must guide our approach, emphasising the importance of resilience, adaptability, and future-proof skills.

Furthermore, as technology evolves, ethical considerations must be integrated into skill development. Understanding the implications of artificial intelligence, data privacy, and sustainability is as crucial as mastering technical competencies. This holistic approach ensures rapid and responsible progress, fostering a future where innovation aligns with human values and societal well-being.

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In conclusion, skill development is more than a response to economic demands; it is a transformative force that shapes our world. It empowers individuals, drives innovation, and fosters inclusive growth. By investing in skills, we invest in people, and by investing in people, we invest in the future.

The writer is co-founder and MD of Orane International, a training partner of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and a network Member of India International Skills Centres, an initiative of GoI. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 15:21 IST
Opinion | The Second Coming Of Trump: What It Means For The World

Written By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 13:33 IST

A maverick US president who is unpredictable in his conduct poses a major challenge to the international community

US President-elect Donald Trump is no doubt an unorthodox politician. (Photo: AP)

US President-elect Donald Trump is no doubt an unorthodox politician. It would not matter much if the US were not a globally pre-eminent power whose views and positions had little impact on the world. But the US is the worlds foremost economic and military power, it intervenes militarily abroad liberally in pursuit of its interests as it sees them and has numerous military bases across the globe which gives a huge reach to its power. It dominates the global financial system and uses sanctions as a tool to punish countries at will. A maverick US president who is unpredictable in his conduct therefore poses a major challenge to the international community.

Trumps first presidency had already rocked many boats. The Transatlantic Alliance has been the pillar of the Wests post-war hegemony notwithstanding the loss of their colonial possessions by European powers. Trump questioned the continued relevance of NATO, believing that the Europeans were exploiting the US by placing upon it the principal burden of providing them security. He summoned the Europeans to raise their defence budgets, a demand to which the Europeans have been responsive.

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He came across as anti-EU to the point of openly backing Brexit. His views on engaging Russia, seen by the previous US administrations and Europe as a continuing major security threat to the West, caused dismay in Europe. He walked out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the Iran Nuclear Deal, the WHO, as well as UNESCO. He disregarded UN resolutions on the Palestine issue by shifting the US embassy to Jerusalem and turning his back on the Palestinian Authority.

He was seen by Europe as a right-wing nationalist, disinterested in pursuing a values-based foreign policy centred on democracy and human rights as political tools to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and promoting regime changes. He was seen by his allies and others as transactional". No wonder the Europeans felt unsettled by his policies and personality, to the point of affirming that they and Trumps America no longer shared the same values.

Trumps slogan Make America Great Again" was seen as an inward-looking streak, a rejection of globalisation, and protectionism in trade. His administration undermined the WTO and used tariffs to extract concessions, etc.

During his election campaign, Trump made it clear that he would negotiate with Russia and seek a quick end to the conflict in Ukraine, causing immense anxiety in Europe.

All this explains why the Europeans, with the exception of Hungary, rooted for a Democratic win in the presidential election and were aghast at the idea of a Trump win. The UKs Labour Party also favoured a Kamala Harris win. The blistering attack on Trump by the current UK foreign minister when he was in the opposition is no doubt a source of embarrassment for the British. The US Vice-President Vance has already derided the UK as the first Islamic state in Europe.

Now that Trump has been re-elected, Europe will face a particular challenge in terms of compatibility of values. Trump is aggressively anti-woke, he abhors the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) as an organisational framework, rejects transgenders, has announced that he will remove all transgenders from the US armed forces, is strongly opposed to gender-affirming surgeries, has strong anti-immigration views, and so on.

In the lead-up to his taking charge as president, Trump has been brutal with some of his allies and partners. He has always disliked Trudeau, and that antipathy has been expressed cruelly by calling him the Governor of Canada and inviting Canada to become the 51st state of the US, as that would provide the country full security, ease its internal tax burden, and so on. He has continued this personal humiliation of Trudeau by referring to him as the Governor of Canada and inviting him again to make Canada the 51st state of the US in his somewhat bizarre Christmas message.

He has announced his intention to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican exports to the US  and this in violation of the revised NAFTA agreement that he had already forced on these two countries during his first presidency  if he did not obtain cooperation from the two countries on illegal immigration and on controlling the flow of the drug fentanyl into the US.

In an earlier statement, Trump had made claim to the Panama Canal built by the US 110 years ago, which was strongly rejected by the President of Panama. In a most unusual Christmas message, Trump has reiterated his complaint about China illegally operating the US-built canal and the US expending billions in repairs but excluded from any say in operating it. The implied threat to Panamas exclusive ownership of the canal has been repeated.

In his first term, Trump had voiced his desire to own Greenland. In his Christmas message, which should have been that of peace and harmony and not territorial ambitions, Trump lays claim to Greenland, which he argues is needed by the US for national security purposes and that this will be realised in accordance with the wishes of the people of Greenland.

On China, his messaging has been confusing. He had earlier threatened China with 100 per cent tariffs on its exports to the US. In November, he announced his intention to impose an additional 10 per cent tariffs on China (along with additional 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada), as part of his first Executive Orders when he takes office on January 20, 2025. He has also announced his intention to continue providing arms to Taiwan.

At the same time, he has extolled Xi Jinping as Chinas leader, calling him an amazing person" and observed in mid-December that there was no global problem that the US and China could not solve together. Is Trump conscious of the fact that such a statement can be misconstrued as the USs willingness to explore a G2 consensus with China?

He has extended an invitation to the Chinese president to attend his inauguration, when there is no precedent of a foreign leader attending the ceremony. That the Chinese president would at all be willing to be present at the inauguration when Trump has surrounded himself with China hawks, and when Xi Jinping is not in a position to make a deeper assessment of the challenges ahead in the US-China ties, is not something that Trump seems to have considered. Why should Xi Jinping expose himself to an embarrassing snub, when, as announced, Trump imposes, on the heels of Xis presence at the inauguration, increased tariffs on Chinese exports to the US as one of his first administrative acts?

While Russian President Putin has expressed his readiness to listen to Trumps proposals for a solution to the Ukraine crisis and his willingness to explore a compromise, Foreign Minister Lavrov has spelt out Russias position on any potential discussion with the US on Ukraine more explicitly. He has ruled out any ceasefire, as he sees such a step as merely buying time for Ukraine to recoup and to be further armed by NATO. Any solution has to fundamentally safeguard Russias security interests, which includes the eastward expansion of NATO, as well as an agreement that is so constructed that it cannot be legally violated. This would be in addition to addressing another root cause of the situation which lies in the Kiev regimes racist policies with regard to everything Russian in Ukraine.

Trump has already announced his intention to quit the WHO. On climate change, even if he does not withdraw from the Paris Agreement again, his intention to boost oil and gas production in the US means that the US position on the climate change issues, be it financing or technology transfer, would be uncooperative. On Iran, he could follow a more aggressive approach, now that Iran has received a major strategic setback in Syria and Lebanon, and Israel has been emboldened by its successes against Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel could well enjoy full support from Trump for its doggedness on security issues.

India has to take all these dimensions of Trumps thinking and policy approaches in forging its own responses to the challenges ahead. Trump has repeated his reproaches about Indias high tariffs and his intention to reciprocate. His good personal equation with Modi and the pro-India disposition of some of his key appointees, such as the Secretary of State, the NSA and the Director of National Intelligence, would provide us with diplomatic cushions.

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Unlike in the case of China or Russia, the issues in India-US ties are relatively manageable, as they are not deeply strategic and the roots of US power are not being challenged by India.

Kanwal Sibal is a former Indian Foreign Secretary. He was Indias Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 13:33 IST
'A Clash On Memory Lane': Why Congress Is Attacking BJP Over Manmohan Singh's Last Rites, Memorial

Reported By :

CNN-News18

Edited By: Pathikrit Sen Gupta



Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 22:11 IST

The fact that the Congress was at full strength is a testimony to the fact that the party wants to own up to its former PM and not let the BJP hog any credit. It wants to project Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government... Read More

Former PM Manmohan Singh died on December 26. Image/News18

Barely has the fire of the funeral pyre dimmed, and politics has been stoked over a memorial for late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Congress was assured by union home minister Amit Shah that a trust would be set up soon for a samadhi of the former PM.

But matters have not ended here. Congress leaders are up in arms, accusing the government of insulting Dr Singh. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took the lead. She accused the government of disrespecting the legacy and contribution of Manmohan Singh and also the self-respecting Sikh community. Manickam Tagore and others too have joined the chorus.

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Not stopping at this, the entire last rites ceremony was criticised by the Congress. Pawan Khera took to social media site X and said, The state funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh was a shocking display of disrespect and mismanagement  No news agencies except DD were allowed; DD focused on Modi & Shah, barely covering Dr Manmohan Singhs family. Only 3 chairs were kept in the front row for Dr Singhs family. Congress leaders had to insist on seats for his daughters and other family members. PM & ministers did not stand up when the National Flag was handed to the widow of the late Prime Minister, or during the gun salute."

The BJP hit back at the opposition party, where it hurts most. First, it said that the Congress had not allowed the mortal remains of its former PM Narasimha Rao to enter the head office. It added that his memorial was made not in Delhi but in Hyderabad.

BJP chief JP Nadda said, This is the same Congress which tarnished the dignity of the post of PM by placing Sonia Gandhi as super PM above PM Manmohan Singh. Rahul Gandhi insulted PM Manmohan Singh by tearing the ordinance. And today the same Rahul Gandhi is doing politics. The Gandhi family has neither given respect to any big leader of the country nor done justice to them. Whether it is from the Congress party or the opposition, whether it is Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the countrys first President Rajendra Babu, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, PV Narasimha Rao, Pranab Da, Atal Bihari Vajpayee" He also quoted late President and Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjees daughter Sharmistha Mukherjees statement that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) never met for her father nor was there any condolence meeting.

Politics being played by the Congress over the death of Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, one of Indias longest-serving Prime Ministers, is utterly shameful.PM @NarendraModi ji has expressed his heartfelt sentiments at the loss and is leading the nation in the hour of mourning. Home  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) December 28, 2024

So why is the Congress making this an issue?

The fact that the Congress was at full strength is a testimony to the fact that the party wants to own up to its former PM and not let the BJP hog any credit.

It wants to project Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government as insensitive.

Not just this, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raised the Sikh point" just ahead of the 2025 Delhi polls and also to chalk out a strategy for Punjab later. In Delhi, the Congress doesnt want the BJP to use the 1984 Sikh riots issue. BJP MP Aprajita Sarangi gifted a bag with 1984 printed on it to Priyanka, symbolic of the anti-Sikh riots, which has angered the Congress and it wants to counter this narrative.

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But the BJP has always found a weak spot in the Congress. That when it came to non-Gandhis or anyone who stood up to them, they got scant respect. Dr Singh too was humiliated" by the Congress, but because he never complained, according to the BJP, the Gandhis are backing him.

The mourning period for Dr Singh is on. But the politics over his memorial is alive.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 21:22 IST
Arvind Kejriwal Targets BJP, Congress As LG Orders Probe Into AAP's Delhi Welfare Schemes

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 14:52 IST

Dikshit had complained to L-G about the AAP's 'Mahila Samman' scheme, claiming that the ruling party was committing fraud with the women of Delhi.

Arvind Kejriwal (PTI File Photo)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), through Congress, had asked Sandeep Dikshit to file complaint with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

BJP leaders are openly distributing money, but no one will investigate that. They just want to stop all the free schemes given by us. You go ahead, and we will implement the Mahila Samman and Sanjeevani schemes," Kejriwal said.

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Dikshit had complained to L-G about the AAPs Mahila Samman scheme, claiming that the ruling party was committing fraud with the women of Delhi.

The Delhi governments Women and Child Development and Health departments issued public notices on Wednesday distancing themselves from the ruling AAPs promised schemes of providing Rs 2,100 to women and free treatment for the elderly.

The two departments also cautioned the people against providing personal details to anyone on the pretext of registration for non-existent" schemes, saying any private individual or political party collecting such physical forms or information is fraudulent and without any authority".

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In a press conference earlier in the day, Chief Minister Atishi and senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh had accused Congress leaders Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dixit of targeting AAP instead of focusing on the BJP.

The Aam Aadmi Party had also said that it will push for the Congress expulsion from the INDIA bloc if it fails to take any disciplinary action against its senior leaders within 24 hours, accusing it of colluding with the BJP and trying to harm the prospects of the Kejriwal-led party.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 14:26 IST
Can You Solve This Seemingly Easy Math Puzzle That Has Left The Internet Baffled?

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 11:10 IST

Solving these equations is a mental workout that taps into our natural curiosity, sharpening our logical reasoning, enhancing problem-solving skills, and boosting critical thinking.

The satisfaction of cracking a particularly challenging puzzle is a reward, fostering a sense of accomplishment. (Photo Credits: X)

Mathematical brain teasers have become a rage online. These intriguing puzzles cater to a wide range of interests and skill levels. From simple riddles that can be solved in a few moments to complex problems that require dedicated effort, theres a brain teaser for everyone. Solving these equations is a mental workout that taps into our natural curiosity, sharpening our logical reasoning, enhancing problem-solving skills, and boosting critical thinking.

The satisfaction of cracking a particularly challenging puzzle is a reward, fostering a sense of accomplishment and encouraging further exploration of mathematical concepts. A new math challenge is making waves on social media, and we bet it will leave you intrigued!

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Shared by a user named Brainy Quiz on X (formerly known as Twitter), the puzzle comes with five equations. The expression says: 5+5=11, 6+6=14, 7+7=17, 8+8=20, 9+9=?"

At first glance, the equation appears to defy traditional mathematics. However, its cleverness lies in thinking beyond just basic calculations.

Can You Solve This Math Puzzle  Every Question if you Solve ? your MATH iQ is Good ? pic.twitter.com/hfvNWJpIhK  Brainy quiz (@brainyquiz_) December 26, 2024

As expected, the teaser sparked curiosity and debate among social media users who flooded the comments section with varied answers. In their reactions, people were debating whether the answer lies in a mathematical equation, logic, or a playful twist.

Amid the flurry of responses, most users confidently stated the answer is 23, while others are struggling to crack the puzzle. A couple of users, uncertain about the answer, echoed 21 and 24 as an answer. A few also guessed the answer to be 27 or 33.

If you were able to crack the puzzle, heres another challenging viral question for you. In this puzzle, the math expression comes with four equations. It says: 11 + 11 = 4, 12 + 12 = 6, 13 + 13 = 8, 14 + 14 =?"

i Provide a MATH Quiz  QNA? .. 11+11=4 12+12=6 13+13=8 14+14=? pic.twitter.com/8GCjtAELxi Brainy quiz (@brainyquiz_) December 19, 2024

The internet community bombarded the comments section with varied answers and guesses. Many users tried to crack the code, with some confidently stating the answer was 10.

The answer is 10. Its based on counting the letters in the words of the sum! For example, Eleven plus eleven" has four letters in its written number equivalent," he explained.

Another user joked, This just gave me a headache. I thought I was good at maths!"

Got it after 10 minutes! Such a clever one" wrote an enthusiastic solver.

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A person commented, I dont think this has a real solution. Its just designed to mess with our heads."

Whether youre looking for a quick mental exercise or a serious intellectual challenge, try solving these brain teasers and turn your downtime into a fun time.

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 11:07 IST
Mother Of OpenAI Researcher Suchir Balaji Opens Up On His Sudden Death: Not A Normal Situation

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 15:12 IST

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI employee, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, 2024.

Suchir Balaji resigned from OpenAI in August this year. (Photo Credits: Suchir Balaji/LinkedIn)

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old Indian-American researcher and former OpenAI employee, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, 2024. The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that his death was ruled as a suicide. In an interview with The New York Times in October, Balaji had expressed his growing concerns with OpenAI particularly for its use of data sourced from the internet to train its AI models which he felt was violating copyright laws.

Now, in an interview with Business Insider, his mother, Poornima Ramarao Balaji, reflected on the tragedy, stating, This is not a normal situation."

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Suchir, who had worked at OpenAI and helped train the companys AI models, was concerned about the ethical implications of the companys practices. He even resigned from OpenAI in August 2024 after growing uncomfortable with the way the company was handling data.

Poornima remembers her son as a brilliant child who showed early signs of exceptional talent. By the time he was 2 years old, he could form complex sentences, she recalled. Suchirs parents were always amazed by his abilities. At a young age, he taught himself to code and built his first computer at 13. At 17, he was recruited by Quora to work for them despite his mothers initial hesitations.

Suchir went on to win a $100,000 prize in a TSA-sponsored challenge while studying at UC Berkeley. His talents led him to OpenAI in 2018 where he quickly became a key member of the team, contributing to the development of ChatGPT. However, over time, Suchir became disillusioned with OpenAIs shift away from its original mission of ensuring AI benefited humanity. By 2023, he was openly critical of CEO Sam Altman and the companys direction.

He felt AI is a harm to humanity," his mother said.

Poornima recalls how, in their last conversation, she urged him to be careful in his fight against corporate wrongdoing. I literally blasted him. You should not go alone. Why did you give your picture? Why did you give your name? Why dont you stay anonymous? Whats the need for you to give your picture?" she said.

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Just hours before his death, Suchir celebrated his birthday and seemed happy. Poornima spoke with him on the phone the day before his body was found. He was upbeat and happy. What can go wrong within a few hours that his life is lost?" she said.

The family has requested a private autopsy, and they are continuing to push for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Suchirs death. Poornima is determined to find out what truly happened, saying, We want to leave the question open. It doesnt look like a normal situation."

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 15:12 IST
Woman Earns Over Rs 5 Crore For Being A 'Spoiled Brat, Internet Is Jealous

Curated By :

Trending Desk

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 12:24 IST

Blair Richards also showed her followers proof of the money she has made by displaying screenshots of transactions where a man sent her hundreds of dollars in just an hour, simply because she asked.

Blair also clarified that she is not dating the person and has no intention of meeting them. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

A woman has grabbed the internets attention with her unconventional profession: being a spoiled brat." Blair Richards shared a video on Instagram revealing how she has earned a staggering $700,000 (about Rs 5 crore) in just four years by demanding money from her fin subs."

If youre wondering what a fin sub is, Urban Dictionary defines it as someone who enjoys having their Dom/Domme, Master/Mistress, control their finances and spend their money. Blairs profession revolves around this dynamic, and she has built an entire career from it.

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Blair explained that her job involves creating social media pages that attract these fin subs." She also showed her followers proof of the money she has made by displaying screenshots of transactions where a man sent her hundreds of dollars in just an hour, simply because she asked. She also clarified that she is not dating the person and has no intention of meeting them.

Blair encouraged others to embrace their pretty privilege" and reach out to fin subs" for financial support.

No cap! You really CAN be a professional spoiled brat for a living! In the past 4 years, Ive made $700k (approximately 5 crore) from creating general social media pages and fan sites UNDER an alias, branded to only attract THIS kind of sub. In this dynamic- you hold the power, you dont need to be explicit unless it empowers you AND you can do it completely from your phone!" Blair wrote in the caption.

Take a look at the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blair Richards (@getthegirliesricher)

The video garnered significant attention online, amassing more than 1.5 million views so far It has also sparked a variety of reactions from social media users.

One user commented, So just take advantage of someone who is clearly not ok."

Another wrote, So many of those men are scamming you, arent they? I see so many stories of women who that happens to."

Illegal money laundering, wait till they come after you, lol. No one just gives money unless they need to get rid of it or tax write-off for charity idk either way NOTHING IS FOR FREE careful sis," someone wrote.

One person remarked, If youre a dude and do this. Youre 100% the problem."

I wish I could find a brat to fin sub for. Its so hard to find a reliable one these days," read a reply

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Earlier, a woman named Mistress Marley from America gained attention for her unusual job: insulting men for money. In an interview with the YouTube channel Love Dont Judge, she explained that men come to her to be verbally humiliated and controlled.

These clients willingly pay her for the experience, giving her gifts and cash in return for being insulted.

Location : Delhi, India

First Published: December 28, 2024, 12:24 IST
Afghan Taliban Attacks Pakistani Posts In Retaliation For Airstrikes That Killed 46

Curated By :

News18.com

Edited By: Aveek Banerjee



Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 18:14 IST

Pakistani strikes targeting "terrorist hideouts" in an eastern border region of Afghanistan killed 46 civilians, the Taliban government said on Wednesday.

Taliban security personnel stand guard at the site two days after air strikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan's Paktika province. (AFP)

In a major escalation, Afghan Taliban forces targeted several points" in Pakistan, Afghanistans defence ministry said on Saturday, days after Pakistani aircraft carried out aerial bombardment inside Afghanistan.

The statement from Talibans Defence Ministry did not specify Pakistan but said the strikes were conducted beyond the hypothetical line'"  an expression used by Afghan authorities to refer to a border with Pakistan that they have long disputed.

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Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country," the ministry said.

ALSO READ: Most Victims Were Refugees: Taliban Says Pakistan Air Strikes Killed 46 People in Afghanistan

Sources close to the Taliban told News18 that multiple attacks have been launched on Pakistani posts in border areas. Afghan Taliban officials claimed that the attacks on Pakistani posts in Kurram and North Waziristan tribal districts have resulted in casualties, although no official number is confirmed yet.

One of the officials also confirmed that the attacks were conducted in retaliation for Pakistans recent airstrikes. Locals in Kurram also confirmed that the firing started early Saturday, with both sides using heavy weaponry.

According to Taliban social media posts, Afghan forces targeted Pakistani positions from Khost. Sources indicated that the situation will worsen if Pakistan keeps attacking Afghan soil like on Wednesday.

The Pakistani militarys public relations wing and a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Pakistan conducted a series of airstrikes targeting terrorist hideouts" allegedly linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group responsible for several deadly attacks in the country. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attacks on the eastern Paktika province killed 46 people, mostly women and children.

Afghanistan has for decades rejected the border, known as the Durand Line, drawn by British colonial authorities in the 19th century through the mountainous and often lawless tribal belt between what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghan authorities warned on Wednesday they would retaliate after the Pakistani bombardment, which they said had killed civilians. Islamabad said it had targeted hideouts of Islamist militants along the border. The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defence of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right," the statement said, using the Taliban authorities name for the government.

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Earlier, a Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed and seven others wounded in cross-border exchanges of fire with Afghanistans forces, a security source said Saturday, while hundreds of Afghans protested against the deadly air strikes that sparked the clashes.

The neighbours have a strained relationship, with Pakistan saying that several militant attacks that have occurred in its country have been launched from Afghan soil  a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.

Location : Kabul, Afghanistan

First Published: December 28, 2024, 17:35 IST
'F**k Yourself': Elon Musk's Response To MAGA Supporter In Heated H-1B/Immigration Debate

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 22:32 IST

Elon Musk gave a fierce reply to a MAGA supporter who attempted to use his own words to justify the removal of the H-1B visa, through which US companies hire workforce from countries like India.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk | File Image

As Americans continue to debate over the H-1B visa policy, tech billionaire Elon Musk gave a fiercely-worded reply to an alleged Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump over the flaming-hot issue in the country right now.

In the last few days, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have come under increasing fire for advocating merit-based immigration reforms for employment in big tech companies, which has been rejected by MAGA supporters as they remain committed to an anti-immigration stance and have complained that there are few job opportunities available for Americans due to the H-1B visa policy.

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The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China

This argument was fuelled by high-profile Republicans including Laura Loomer, Ann Coulter and former Congressman Matt Gaetz, leading to increasing racist rhetoric against Indian-Americans who have made it big in top-tier companies like Google, X, Apple and SpaceX. However, a significant number of social media users have come out in support of Indians and defended the immigration policies.

Why Did Elon Musk Use The F-Word?

Elon Musks unusual usage of the F-word came in response to a users comment on the H-1B Visa policy. Stephen Mackey, an alleged Trump supporter, shared a clip of Elon Musk, where he discussed the aspects of engineering, advising that people need to stop trying to optimise something that does not exist."

However, the user tried to use Musks words into the context of the debate around the H-1B visa, commenting Lets optimise H-1B", which invited a flaming response from the billionaire.

The reason Im in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F**K YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend," Musk wrote.

The reason Im in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 28, 2024

Responding to Musks fierce reply, Mackey tried to pacify the situation by saying, I personally am fine with reforming H1B, and as Ive stated multiple times today, I am incredibly grateful you and many others are in the country because of H1B. I do however think its appropriate to be critical of a program that is so obviously filled with abuse."

Prior to this, Elon Musk wrote on his handle that anyone of any race, creed and nationality who came to America and worked like hell" to contribute to the country will forever have my respect". He also advocated for hateful, unrepentant racists" to be removed from the Republican Party.

What Is The Controversy?

The row began after the appointment of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-origin venture capitalist, to lead artificial intelligence policy in the incoming Donald Trump administration. Sriram Krishnan supported the removal of country caps on green cards for skilled immigrants in the United States in earlier comments.

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Laura Loomer, a far-right social media commentator, labelled Sriram Krishnans appointment as deeply disturbing" which led to a social media firestorm between Donald Trump supporters and those calling for a fair system for immigration.

Elon Musk, who immigrated to the United States on an H-1B visa himself, said that the country must attract top global talent in order to maintain its technological and economic dominance. Ramaswamy has also said that legal immigration is necessary for the growth of America.

Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

First Published: December 28, 2024, 22:10 IST
Jaishankar Meets Trump's NSA Pick Waltz, Discusses Bilateral Ties, Global Issues

Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 07:30 IST

Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the US from Dec 24-29. This was the first highest-level in-person meeting between the Indian government and the incoming Trump administration.

Waltz, 50, would replace Jake Sullivan as the National Security Advisor on January 20. (Pic: X @DrSJaishankar)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met Congressman Michael Waltz, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for National Security Advisor, during which they had a wide-ranging conversation on the bilateral partnership between India and the US as well as current global issues.

Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the US from Dec 24-29. This was the first highest-level in-person meeting between the Indian government and the incoming Trump administration.

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Delighted to meet" Waltz this evening", Jaishankar posted on X on Friday.

Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him," he said.

Waltz, 50, would replace Jake Sullivan as the National Security Advisor on January 20, when Trump would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

Waltz is no stranger to India-US relationship. A three-term Congressman from the sixth Congressional District of Florida, Waltz is Republican Co-Chair of Congressional India Caucus, which is the largest country-specific Caucus in the US House of Representatives.

Waltz also co-led a Congressional delegation to India in August last year and attended the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. He has been the sponsor of several India-friendly legislations in the House of Representatives. On November 12, Trump announced that Waltz would be his National Security Advisor.

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Earlier in the day, Jaishankar said he "concluded a very useful two-day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC".

"Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated," he posted on X.

Location : San Francisco, California, USA

First Published: December 28, 2024, 07:30 IST
KYODO NEWS - Dec 28, 2024 - 12:43 | Others

Japan ranked 29th in labor productivity among the 38 OECD members in 2023, up two spots from the previous year's all-time low, thanks to an economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, a Tokyo-based group said.

Measured by the worth of goods or services a worker produces per hour, Japan's labor productivity was $56.80, remaining the lowest among the Group of Seven advanced economies since 1970 when comparable data became available, the Japan Productivity Center said.

Compared to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development members, Japan ranked between Poland at $57.50 per hour and Estonia at $56.50 per hour. Ireland ranked top at $154.90 per hour, while the United States was eighth at $97.70.

Despite the rise in 2023, Japan's position in labor productivity ranking remains low after falling sharply from 21st in 2018 to 31st in 2022, the report released in December showed.

In terms of real basis adjusted according to price changes, Japan's productivity climbed 1.2 percent from a year earlier, placing ninth in percentage rise among OECD members and second in the G7 states only behind the United States with a 3.1 percent gain.

Meanwhile, Japan saw its labor productivity improve 3.3 percent from the 2019 level before the pandemic. But its productivity in the services industry remains low, with the level standing at about half of that in the United States, the group said.

"Japan needs to be more effective in producing results through technical innovation and reskilling," an official of the group said.

The group called for utilizing generative artificial intelligence and other technologies to enhance productivity as the country faces labor shortages amid the shrinking population.

Related coverage:

Fed makes 3rd straight rate cut but hints at fewer reductions in 2025

Japan July-Sept. GDP growth revised up to 1.2% on private investment
Justin Trudeau Pays Homage To Manmohan Singh: Built Strong Bridges With Canada

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Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 09:20 IST

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Justin Trudeau stated, Manmohan Singhs passing is a loss for India and the world."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seen.(IMAGE: REUTERS)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed grief over the demise of Manmohan Singh, calling his passing a loss not just for India but for the world. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Justin Trudeau stated, Manmohan Singhs passing is a loss for India and the world. As one of its longest-serving leaders, he transformed the countrys economy, lifted millions out of poverty and built strong bridges with the world  including Canada."

Manmohan Singhs passing is a loss for India and the world. As one of its longest-serving leaders, he transformed the countrys economy, lifted millions out of poverty, and built strong bridges with the world  including Canada. Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 27, 2024

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Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92. The last rites of the former Prime Minister are to be performed at the Nigam Bodh Ghat in the national capital on Saturday afternoon.

Other world leaders also paid their tributes to Manmohan Singh. Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described him as one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership" and remarked, Dr Singhs work laid the foundation for much of what our countries have accomplished together in the past two decades. At home, he will be remembered for his economic reforms that spurred Indias rapid economic growth. We mourn Dr Singhs passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together."

Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong posted on X: Deeply saddened by the passing of former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, an outstanding leader who is widely revered by the Indian people. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi, in which he wrote: Manmohan Singh was an outstanding statesman. As Prime Minister and when serving in other high-ranking positions, he accomplished a lot in promoting Indias economic development and asserting its interests on the world stage. He also made a major personal contribution to strengthening friendly ties between our two countries by elevating them to the level of a special privileged strategic partnership."

Former Maldivian President Abdulla Shahid recalled his historic 2011 visit to the Maldives and said, I fondly recall his visit to the Maldives in 2011 I greatly benefited from his wisdom and knowledge. He was always a friend of the Maldives. May his family and loved ones find comfort in his lasting legacy."

Location : Canada

First Published: December 28, 2024, 09:20 IST
Press Bodies Urge Bangladeshs Interim Govt To Reinstate Sacked Journalists

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Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 21:28 IST

FCCA urged the Samay TVs management to take back the five journalists and allow them to do what they have been doing faithfully for years.

Bangladeshs interim government head Muhammad Yunus (AP file photo)

The Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia (FCCSA), The Press Club of India, and The Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents on Saturday voiced their concern after five senior Bangladeshi TV journalists were fired after a prominent student- coordinator of the anti-discrimination students movement reportedly demanded their removal.

In its statement, FCCSA expressed its strong concern against the move and urged the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh to uphold the freedom of press.

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We wish to remind the Interim Government in Bangladesh that it has been promising to uphold the principles of press freedom. The leaders visit to a TV channels newsroom demanding favourable coverage is nothing but news censorship, and policing of information through the threat of mob action," it said.

Whats the issue?

As per the statement, Anti-Discrimination Students Movements leader Hasnat Abdullaha had visited the promoters of one of the largest TV channels of Bangladesh, Samay TV on December 17, and urged the removal of the veteran journalists. They were serving as the Section Heads of Samay TV for more than a decade.

The sacked journalists are Chief Input Editor Omar Faroque, Chief Output Editor Ariful Sajjad, Digital Head Kamal Shahriar, Assistant Special Presenter Debashish Ray, and Senior Reporter Bulbul Reza.

After Abdullahas visit, Samay TVs management took the decision to sack the journalists on December 22.

Abdullah took to the social media and said that he had visited the Samay TVs investors to protest." He claimed that the channel was distorting" his remarks and campaigning for a fallen political party," the FCCSA release said.

While speaking to German news channel DW, one of the sacked journalists has said that the organisation had asked them to resign citing risk" to the organisation a clear indication of threat from the mob.

FCCSA further urged the Samay TVs management to take back the five journalists and allow them to do what they have been doing faithfully for years.

We call upon Chief Adviser Prof Mohammad Yunus to uphold the rule of law," the statement concluded.

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Meanwhile, relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the formation of an interim government which Yunus now heads, particularly over a spate of attacks on minorities, including the Hindu community, in the last few months.

Bangladeshs deposed PM Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile in India since Aug 5 when she fled the country amid the student-led protests over a controversial job quota system that toppled her 16-year regime.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 21:28 IST
Tragic Incident: Russias Putin Apologises Over Azerbaijan Plane Crash That Killed 38

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Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 19:35 IST

Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities.

Azeri government sources told Euronews that the jet was struck by a Russian missile, the claims which Russia rejected, stating, it is wrong to speculate. (File)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijan counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, over the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that killed 38 passengers.

Calling it a tragic incident", Putin expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

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Read More: Azerbaijan Airlines Links Kazakhstan Plane Crash To Physical And Technical External Interference

(President) Vladimir Putin apologised for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured," the Kremlin said in a statement as reported by news agency Reuters.

The Kremlin further said that air defence systems were firing near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone strike. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defence systems repelled these attacks," it said.

What Happened?

The Azerbaijan Airline Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes. Out of 62 people and five crew members, 32 passengers were rescued and 38 were killed in the crash.

Read More: All You Need To Know About Mishap That Killed 38 On Board

What Caused The Crash?

Azerbaijan Airlines on Friday said the jet crash was due to external physical and technical interference".

Aliyev had also noted that the plane had been subjected to external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace, resulting in a complete loss of control and redirection to the Kazakh city of Aktau," according to Azerbaijans presidential office.

Reports Earlier Claimed Russian Missile Strike

This comes in the backdrop of growing suspicion that a Russian anti-aircraft system may have hit the passenger plane. Reuters cited multiple unnamed sources in Azerbaijan and reported that the plane was downed by a Russian air defence system. Reports suggested that the missile was accidentally fired" on the plane. The source said that the preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system. Its communications were paralysed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny. Read More: Days After Deadly Plane Crash, Azerbaijan Airlines Suspends Flights To Russia No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft," the source said.

Russia Rejected Claims Azeri government sources told Euronews that the jet was hit by a Russian surface-to-air missile. Russia, reacting to the report, said that it is wrong to speculate". The investigation into the cause of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash is underway and it is wrong to speculate before it gives its conclusions," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. Kremlin had said that it would be improper to comment until the inquiry was concluded. It is wrong to build hypotheses before the conclusions of the investigation," he had said. Russias aviation watchdog said on Friday the plane had decided to reroute from its original destination amid dense fog and a local alert over Ukrainian drones. Azerbaijan Airlines Suspends Flights To Russia Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended all flights to Russian cities following the deadly crash. Starting from Saturday (December 28), the airline would cease flights to Sochi, Ufa, Samara Volgograd, Grozny, Mineralnye Vody and Makhachkala, as per reports. Azerbaijan Airlines had initially halted flights between Baku and Russias Chechnya until the completion of an investigation into the crash, as per the TASS news agency.

If confirmed, it would be the third major fatal downing of a passenger jet linked to armed conflict since 2014, according to the Flight Safety Foundations Aviation Safety Network. Previous disasters include the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in 2020 by Irans Revolutionary Guards, killing all 176 people on board. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all

Location : Moscow, Russia

First Published: December 28, 2024, 18:49 IST
'True Statesman': Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Condole Former PM Manmohan Singh's Death

Curated By :

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Last Updated: December 28, 2024, 10:12 IST

Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Saturday condoled the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

US President Joe Biden and former PM Manmohan Singh | File Image

Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Saturday condoled the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and described him as a true statesman" and as a kind and humble" person.

Former PM Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday. He was admitted to AIIMS Delhi after a sudden loss of consciousness" at home. The hospital statement attributed his death to age-related medical conditions"

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Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India," a White House statement quoted Biden as saying.

Biden further said that the unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the former Prime Ministers strategic vision and political courage.

From forging the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nationsand the worldfor generations to come."

He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person," Biden added.

The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden on the death of former Prime Minister #DrManmohanSingh, the statement reads, Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan SinghDuring this difficult time, we pic.twitter.com/F201Uffl1M ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2024

Biden Recalls His Interaction With Singh

Biden recalled his interaction with Dr Manmohan Singh in the US when he served as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during Singhs Official State Visit to the United States in 2009.

He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013. As we discussed then, the U.S.-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people," Biden said.

The outgoing US President pledged to honour the vision to which Singh dedicated his life and expressed his condolences to the family of the former Prime Minister and his admirer.

The final rites of Manmohan Singh, two-term Prime Minister and the architect of economic reforms in India, will be performed at Nigam Bodh Ghat in New Delhi at 11.45 am with full State honours.

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The government announced seven days of national mourning in a mark of respect to Dr Manmohan Singh. Tributes poured in from all sections of society, with PM Narendra Modi Modi saying, India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders."

Location : United States of America (USA)

First Published: December 28, 2024, 09:51 IST
KYODO NEWS - Dec 28, 2024 - 19:13 | All, Japan

Sand deposition for work reinforcing soft soil as part of the U.S. military base transfer within Okinawa Prefecture began Saturday, Japan's Defense Ministry said, marking progress in the controversial plan.

As part of land reclamation at the relocation site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, sand is being embedded in the soft ground on the Oura Bay side of Henoko before the installation of approximately 70,000 piles into the seabed at depths of up to 70 meters.

At about 1:45 p.m., a year to the day since the government took the unprecedented step of overriding the Okinawa prefectural government to greenlight its modified landfill plan, a digger on a boat took sand and soil from a neighboring boat and dumped it in the bay.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the ministry hailed the development as a "major step forward for the full return of Futenma air station," adding it will continue to do its utmost to achieve the base transfer.

While the ministry asserts that the site will be stabilized to support the base, the project may encounter challenges due to some areas reportedly reaching depths of up to 90 meters below sea level.

The government submitted a revised landfill plan to the Okinawa governor in April 2020 to address the issue of soft soil. After the Okinawa prefectural government refused to approve it, the central government granted approval in its place on Dec. 28, 2023.

Construction work is expected to take until around April 2033, while arrangements to hand the facility over to the United States are projected to take an additional three years.

Tokyo and Washington agreed in 1996 to return the land used for Futenma, located in a densely populated area of Ginowan on Okinawa's main island in southern Japan.

The Japanese government selected the coastal Henoko area in Nago as the relocation site in 1999, but the plan has been delayed by political wrangling and strong local opposition.

The central government has maintained that the relocation plan is the "only" solution to removing the dangers posed to the local community by the Futenma base without undermining the perceived deterrence provided by the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Related coverage:

U.S. Marines in Okinawa start moving to Guam, over 10 yrs after accord

Japan government ordered to pay damages over noise at Atsugi air base

U.S. Navy apparently begins Osprey deployment in western Japan
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has traveled to Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks to break bread with Donald Trump, as have Meta's Mark Zuckerberg , Apple's Tim Cook, and, of course, X owner and DOGE chief Elon Musk . Now it looks like another tech giant has requested to pay a visit, at least according to the president-elect. "Where are you? When are you coming to the 'Center of the Universe,' Mar-a-Lago," Trump wrote Friday morning on his Truth Social platform. "Bill Gates asked to come, tonight." He then added: "We miss you and x! New Year's Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!"

The reference to Microsoft's founder possibly heading down to South Florida aside, some are scratching their heads over who Trump was addressing his query to. CNN speculates that the post was meant to be a private message to Muskthe outlet thinks the "we miss you and x" is a reference to Musk's young son X  A-Xii, whom Musk often simply calls X, like the name of the social media platform he owns.

Circling back to Gates, it's not clear if he actually is coming to Mar-a-Lago. The Hill notes that the ex-Microsoft CEO has taken issue in the past with Trump, specifically over his rhetoric regarding foreign policy and on how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic while in the Oval Office the first time. Gates did offer his congrats after Trump's November victory, despite his endorsement and donation to a group supporting VP Kamala Harris, and he did meet with Trump shortly after he won the 2016 election. (More President-elect Trump stories.)
Azerbaijan Airlines said Friday its preliminary investigation findings indicate its airliner crashed because of "external physical and technical interference." The Biden administration said there's reason to think the cause of that interference was the Russian military, the Washington Post reports. "We have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday. He said the evidence is more than images of the remains of the plane, which crashed Wednesday , killing 38 people.

At least some aviation experts who looked at those photos said the plane probably was struck by an antiaircraft missile, per NPR. Puncture holes in the plane's tail section "point to the possibility of an explosion potentially of an antiaircraft missile near the aircraft," said John Cox. Russia first said a bird strike might be to blame. "A bird strike doesn't cause the kind of damage that we're seeing on this aircraft," Cox said. The flight had taken off from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku for Grozny, the capital of Chechnya in southern Russia.

A flight attendant told a news site in Azerbaijan that she felt three loud blows, as if something was hitting the outside of the plane. The oxygen masks fell after the first. Passengers and crew were injured by objects that pierced the fuselage, an Azerbaijani government minister said. "The injured Russian citizens also reported hearing three explosions over Grozny," Rashad Nabiyev said. Russia has denied shooting down the plane, but its aviation agency Rosaviatsia said Friday that heavy fog and an Ukrainian drone attack at the time "complicated" conditions at Grozny Airport. (Missiles are now the biggest threat to airline passengers, experts say.)
UPDATE

Jan 8, 2025 9:21 AM CST

An Italian journalist detained in Iran last month for murky reasons has been released. The AP reports that 29-year-old Cecilia Sala was freed Wednesday and has already left the country on a flight out of Tehran, after "intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels," per the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Iranian authorities confirmed Sala's release, reports the Wall Street Journal. The paper notes that, as part of the deal that led to Sala's freedom, Italy is set to release Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested in Italy on behalf of the United States on Dec. 16, accused of supplying drone navigation tech to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It's not clear what Sala had been detained for, other than a vague "breaking the laws of the Islamic Republic."

Dec 27, 2024 4:40 PM CST

Cecilia Sala, an Italian newspaper journalist and podcaster, has been arrested in Iran after going there this month for interviews, Italy's foreign ministry said. The podcast company she works for, Chora Media, said that the reporter is being held in solitary confinement at the Evin prison in Tehran and that no reason was given for her detention. Sala was due to fly back to Rome on Dec. 20 but didn't arrive at the Tehran airport, Italian officials said. Her cellphone went silent after texts the day before, the BBC reports. Iran hasn't confirmed the arrest.
The most important things that happened in 2024 was the progress in AI, robotics and space capability. We are on the verge of AGI (Artificial general intelligence), robotaxi and fully reusable rockets.

The most shocking images of the imminent future was the mechazilla catch of the SpaceX booster.

As of 23 December 2024 the Starlink system has

Satellites launched: 7,589

Satellites failed or deorbited: 729

Satellites in orbit: 6,886

Satellites working: 6,839

Satellites operational: 6,073

As of December 2024, SpaceX has launched approximately 320 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cellphone (DTC) capability into orbit. These satellites are designed to provide cellular connectivity in remote areas and dead zones, working with existing LTE phones without requiring any modifications to the devices. Each satellite with direct-to-cellphone capability can handle thousands of simultaneous text messages and hundreds of voice calls. SpaceX has authorization to equip up to 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites with this technology, the current number in orbit represents the initial phase.

The Starlink DTC capability was used for hundreds of thousands of text messages after the hurricanes.

Elon Musk has said Starlink will provide global emergency text messaging.

This SpaceX initiative aims to offer free access to emergency services for mobile phone users worldwide, even in areas without cellular coverage. Key points about this service include:

Global Reach: The service will be available worldwide, subject to approval by individual country governments

Free Access: Emergency services access will be provided at no cost to users in distress

Compatibility: The service will work with existing LTE-capable phones, without requiring any modifications or additional apps

Functionality: Initially, the service will support text messaging, with voice and data capabilities planned for the future

Partnership: SpaceX is collaborating with various telecom operators globally, including T-Mobile in the US, Rogers in Canada, and others

Emergency Alerts: The system will be capable of sending Wireless Emergency Alerts to all users in cellular dead zones, regardless of their service provider

Testing: T-Mobile has successfully sent a wireless emergency alert via Starlink satellites, demonstrating the systems functionality

This initiative represents a significant step in expanding emergency communication capabilities, potentially saving lives by providing connectivity in remote areas and during natural disasters when traditional cellular infrastructure may be compromised

There are 100 Starshield satellites in orbit.

Almost AGI

OpenAI O3 crushes benchmark tests and puzzles but it is not AGI in terms of replacing humans for most jobs.

There is some substantial costs of $5000 to $500,000 of compute to solve the hard problems.

The AI compute costs will become vastly more efficient and lower cost.

The problems have correct answers but there can be more issues around more compromises and shades of grey problems.

Anything with clear loss functions are solvable with LLM and the OpenAI systems.

The AI Data centers and scaling of compute for training, compute for inference and increasing data continues to improve AI.

Robotaxi and Solving driving

Altimeter Capital ($20 Billion Venture Capital company) thinks Tesla FSD 13 has caught up to Waymo, one critical disengagement every 15000 miles and will reach one critical disengagement every 100,000 miles in Q1 2025.

Altimeter Capital has sold all of its Uber holdings to buy Tesla. Brad Gerstner explained the sale of Uber by the belief that Tesla Robotaxi could disrupt Uber.

Tesla reach reach one critical disengagement every 500,000 miles in the middle of 2025. This is the average human level driver for critical disengagements.

Brad Gerstner believes Tesla will be able to remove the safety driving mode for robotaxi in the middle of 2025 by placing the car in robotaxi mode. This is a mode of defensive driving where the car is more careful about speed and how cautious it is. The human will be a passenger who will not disengage but will accept the driving. Just as a human accepts the driving choices of a bus driver.
This undated photo provided by the interviewee shows a portrait of BMW CEO Oliver Zipse. (Xinhua)

BERLIN, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The top executive of German carmaker BMW has described China as its largest global market of "tremendous importance" and a leading hub for technology and innovation.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse highlighted China's role as a pioneer in technology adoption and innovation-driven purchasing decisions. "To understand what will drive the world tomorrow, you must anticipate what is happening in China," he said.

BMW has established its largest research and development (R&D) location outside Germany in China. The company operates innovation bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing, focusing on vehicle development, digital services, software systems, and autonomous driving.

Zipse praised China's new energy vehicle (NEV) strategy, describing it as inclusive and pragmatic. Covering battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell electric vehicles, the strategy is "results-oriented and free from dogma," he said.

"This is the most promising and efficient way to ensure the market embraces e-mobility," Zipse added. He noted the alignment between China's approach and BMW's commitment to technological openness, which offers consumers a range of mobility solutions.

China's NEV market has experienced rapid growth, with sales reaching 9.5 million units in 2023 and projected to hit 11.5 million this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

BMW is actively contributing to this growth. In the first three quarters of the year, sales of its battery-electric vehicles in China increased by nearly 10 percent year-on-year.

In April, BMW announced an additional investment of 20 billion yuan (2.74 billion U.S. dollars) to upgrade its Shenyang production base, its largest outside Germany. The expansion targets NEV production.

"Our investments underscore our longstanding commitment to China and the potential we see here for the future," Zipse said. Production of BMW's next-generation electric models, the "Neue Klasse," is set to begin at the site in 2026.

Marking BMW's 30th anniversary in China, Zipse reflected on the company's growing presence in the country with its Chinese partners such as CATL and Tsinghua University, as well as some 500 local suppliers. "We are at home in China," he said.

Zipse also voiced opposition to the European Union's decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese EV imports. "Free trade has been -- and will always be -- our guiding principle," he stressed, warning that tariffs could disrupt global business models and constrain EV supply in Europe, ultimately hindering decarbonization efforts.

Instead, Zipse called for stronger partnerships between European and Chinese automotive firms. "Global challenges like climate change can only be tackled jointly. I see great potential in fostering such collaborations across borders and regions," he said. (1 yuan = 0.14 U.S. dollar) 

This undated photo provided by the interviewee shows a portrait of BMW CEO Oliver Zipse. (Xinhua)
KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Heavy clashes erupted between Afghan and Pakistani border forces at border crossing points, killing 19 Pakistani soldiers and three Afghan civilians, local media reported on Saturday.

The fierce clashes are ongoing in eastern Afghanistan's Khost and Paktia provinces bordering Pakistan, TOLOnews reported, quoting a source from the Ministry of National Defense.

Afghan border forces have set on fire several Pakistani military posts in the Ali Shir district of Khost province and captured two Pakistani posts in the Dand-e-Patan district of Paktia province, it said.

Three Afghan civilians lost their lives due to mortar shells fired by Pakistani soldiers in the Dand-e-Patan district, the source added.

The clashes took place following airstrikes carried out by Pakistani troops in Paktika province on Tuesday night that killed 51 people, including women and children. 
Dr. Victor Parsonnet, a cardiac surgeon who performed New Jerseys first successful heart and kidney transplant and was chairman of the New Jersey Symphony, has died.

Parsonnet was 100 when he died peacefully Dec. 23, his family told the symphony.

The former chief of surgery at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, who worked in medicine for more than 60 years, also performed the states first permanent pacemaker implant in 1961 and first aortocoronary bypass surgery.

Parsonnet joined the board of the New Jersey Symphony in 1986 and became chairman in 1991. He served in that role until 2007.

We have a love affair, me and musicians, he told The Star-Ledger in 2008, when he became board chair emeritus.

Dr. Victor Parsonnet at NJPAC in 2008. He served on the board of the performing arts center in Newark as well as the symphony. Tony Kurdzuk | The Star-Ledger

The reniassance man grew up in Newark, where his grandfathers, Max Danzis and Victor Parsonnet, founded Newark Beth Israel Hospital in 1901.

The alum of Maple Avenue School and Weequahic High School studied at Cornell University, served in the Navy and earned his medical degree at New York University. In 1955, he joined his fathers medical practice in Newark.

He inherited a love of the symphony from his parents, Eugene and Rose Danzis Parsonnet. His father, Eugene Parsonnet, who played the violin, was a member of the symphony board of trustees, and Rose, his mother, was a pianist.

Victor Parsonnet was an amateur pianist, and in 2008 played a rehearsal with the symphony, performing solos in movements from Mozarts piano concertos Nos. 21 and 23.

Parsonnet worked in medicine for more than 60 years. The expert surgeon and amateur pianist followed his family into both medicine and music.Mia Song | The Star-Ledger

Our father will be greatly missed, but whenever we see the New Jersey Symphony musicians perform or listen to classical music, he will be with us, Parsonnets son, Dr. Jeffrey Parsonnet, said in a statement.

The Parsonnet Room at NJPAC, where his father was also a board member, is named in honor of the family.

Victor was so special to the Symphony, and it was his ability to unite and bond that made him an effective board chair, violinist and concertmaster Eric Wyrick said in a statement. He instilled a culture of togetherness in this organization that continues to this day. Victor will be greatly missed by the musicians of the New Jersey Symphony.

Parsonnet was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2019.

His first wife, Dr. Mia (Eimer) Parsonnet, who joined him at the symphony during his time as chair, died of cancer in 2002. His second wife, Jane (Wagner) Cort Parsonnet, died in 2020.

The Parsonnet family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the New Jersey Symphony: njsymphony.org/parsonnet.

Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter/X, @amykup.bsky.social on Bluesky and @kupamy on Instagram and Threads.
A man who rammed police cars while fleeing from officers Friday afternoon in Newark was arrested a short time later, authorities said.

Officers were called to the 100 block of S. 9th Street for a call of a possible abduction around 3:15 p.m., Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said in a statement. The officers saw a U-Haul truck being driven by a man with a female passenger inside, Miranda said.

The man refused to get out and then rammed the police vehicles and two parked cars before driving off, he said.

The unoccupied truck was later found by police at the intersection of 7th and Dickerson streets and the driver, who was not identified, was found on W. Market Street. He was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, eluding, aggravated assault on police officers and criminal mischief, Miranda said.

Two officers were hurt during the arrest. The officers and the driver were taken to University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, he said.

The passenger in the truck, whose age and identity were not released, has not been found as of 8 p.m., authorities said.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
An appellate court has rejected the appeal of Kenneth C. Saal, a New Jersey man serving a 55-year prison sentence for the brutal murder of his coworker in her Middlesex County home during a lunch break five years ago.

Saal, now 35, stabbed Carolyn Byington, 26, to death after she discovered him secretly installing spy cameras in her Hunters Glen apartment in Plainsboro in the spring of 2019.

The appellate court upheld the search warrants and Saals sentence, ruling the evidence was supported by probable cause and the prison terms were fair and proportionate to his crimes.

Saal  who at the time of Byingtons murder was married with a newborn child at home  worked with Byington at the media and marketing firm Engine US in West Windsor. Byington, originally from Basking Ridge, had been employed at the firm as a market research project manager since 2016 and Saal was an accountant there.

Carolyn Byington's 2010-2011 Ridge High School Yearbook photo.courtesy image

According to court records, Saal, who admitted to being intrigued by Byington, used a copy of Byingtons keyto break into her Plainsboro apartment in May 2019, where he set up hidden cameras.

On June 10, 2019, during her lunch break, Byington unexpectedly returned home and caught Saal setting up another camera. In a violent attack, Saal killed her with a screwdriver, scissors, and a pen.

Saal tried to tell investigators he was working on his car at a park near the office around the time Byington was killed, but evidence, including a police license-plate reader, showed he was in Plainsboro.

Saal was arrested at his home in Lindenwold shortly after 10 p.m. on Aug. 21, 2019, and charged with murder and a weapons offense.

During his pretrial detention, Saal offered to pay his cellmate $15,000 to stage a similar murder or kill witnesses, complete with fabricated suicide notes to mislead authorities.

The cellmate reported Saal to the prosecutors office, and Saal was secretly recorded discussing with the cellmate, now an informer, on how to commit murder.

Saal pleaded guilty to charges including first-degree murder, burglary, and stalking, along with conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering. His sentence requires him to serve 85% of his term before parole eligibility under New Jerseys No Early Release Act.

Saal, right, speaks with his defense attorney in state court in New Brunswick during an August 2019 hearing. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

Saal also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and second-degree conspiracy to commit witness tampering for the newly filed case involving the fellow inmate.

During the plea, Saal said he copied the victims house key while she was at work about two months before the murder and used the key to enter her apartment on several occasions in the weeks leading up to her killing.

Saal also admitted that he planted hidden surveillance cameras to record her in her home without her knowledge. Saal then described how he brutally murdered the victim when she came home unexpectedly and discovered him in her home.

Saals appeal argued that evidence obtained from his car and phone should have been suppressed due to alleged flaws in the search warrants. The appellate court dismissed these claims, ruling the searches were supported by probable cause, citing DNA evidence and Saals incriminating behavior on the day of the murder.

Investigators said Saal had asked co-workers whether a person could be arrested on circumstantial evidence. Other workers noticed Saal had cuts on his hands after Byingtons murder. Saal had also hired an attorney before he had been named a person of interest.

The court also rejected Saals request for a reduced sentence, affirming that the consecutive prison terms imposed were fair and proportionate to the severity of his crimes.

Saal is currently being held at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. His earliest parole eligibility date is May 20, 2066, according to the state department of corrections.

Byington was remembered by friends and coworkers as a bright and kind individual whose life was tragically cut short. She was a 2015 graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and earned bachelor degrees in international affairs/anthropology and sociology.

As an avid volunteer, Carolyn was active in the Junior League of Greater Princeton, her family has said.

She had a passion for traveling the world and studied abroad in Japan and Germany. Carolyn loved all forms of music from opera to country, Carolyns family said in her obituary.

About 11 years before her death, Byington had a Chiari malformation, a medical condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal. A New York neurosurgeon successfully treated Byington, and her family has asked people remember her with donations to help with costs of the physicians medical research.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CHONGQING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A total of 54 individuals, including 19 foreigners, received their vocational skill certificates as "hotpot chefs" on Friday, becoming the first batch of professionals to be officially accredited for this occupation in China.

After passing previous cooking exams, these skilled workers from countries such as Poland, Pakistan and Ghana were awarded certificates of various levels during the Launch Ceremony of the Belt and Road International Skills Certification, held in southwest Chongqing Municipality on Friday.

"I am happy to pass the certification exam and receive my certificate as a junior-level hotpot chef," said Claudia Katarzyna Bzyl, a Polish student at the School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University. She added that after undergoing systematic training, she now has a deeper understanding of Chongqing's hotpot and has developed a fondness for its food culture.

"I will continue learning and plan to open a Chongqing hotpot restaurant in Poland. Thus, people can savor Chongqing flavor," Bzyl said.

The role of hotpot chef was officially recognized in the 2022 edition of China's occupational classification code. A detailed standard outlining the profession's definition, skill levels and vocational training requirements was jointly published in February by China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Commerce.

Renowned nationwide for its spicy hotpots, Chongqing took the lead in formulating the industry standard. As of June 2024, the municipality was home to around 37,000 hotpot restaurants, with the total output of the hotpot industry chain reaching 300 billion yuan (about 41.7 billion U.S. dollars), according to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce.

Chongqing has made significant progress in establishing an international evaluation system for skilled talent, according to Xie Liguo, head of the Chongqing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the organizer of the ceremony.

During the event, Chongqing also launched other international skills certifications across various sectors, including catering, logistics, the internet and new energy. Furthermore, Chongqing institutions also signed a memorandum of understanding on skills certification cooperation with TUV Rheinland (China) Ltd., a leading testing and certification service provider headquartered in Germany. 
The woman killed by an alleged drunk driver heading the wrong way on Route 70 in Brick Friday morning has been identified by the Ocean County Prosecutors Office.

Anne Rasmussen, 58, was driving west on Route 70 around 5 a.m. when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Jose Romero Quinteros, 53, of Howell. Rasmussen, of Whiting, was partially ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, the prosecutors office said.

Rasmussen spent much of her life as an ER nurse and was driving home from work when she was killed, according to her family. The family has started a GoFundMe campaign that as of Saturday afternoon had raised $22,920 to pay for funeral expenses.

She would take the shirt off her back for absolutely anyone and would do anything for the people she loved, Rasmussens daughter, Kelly Kracsun, said in the GoFundMe post. This is such a tragedy and our family will never be the same.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutors Office revealed that Quinteros, in a Toyota RAV4, was traveling east in the westbound lane of Route 70 and collided head-on with a Volkswagen Beetle driven by Rasmussen near the Lowes shopping center.

Quinteros was extricated from the vehicle and taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, where he is in critical but stable condition. Brick police issued initial summonses for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. The accident remains under investigation.

The Ocean County Prosecutors office urged anyone with information to contact Det. Joseph Mitchell at 732-929-2027, ext. 3532, or Officer David Thergesen of the Brick Police Department at 732-262-1100.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com.
By Tony Hunter

In the 12 years since Austin Tice was abducted in Syria, his family and his coworkers at McClatchy have grieved at his absence, despaired at silence from the Syrian government and prayed that promises from three U.S. presidents would turn into actions that brought Austin home.

Now, more than any moment since he was taken from us, we have a reason to believe that Austin may return. The government of Bashar al-Assad has fallen in Syria. Rebels and others are opening the gates of Assads many prisons, and the world is watching as captives walk from their cells to freedom. We hope the next one will be our colleague, Austin.

That hope was boosted Friday with the news that Roger D. Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, had arrived in the capital city of Damascus along with two other top U.S. diplomats. The update, coming almost two weeks after al-Assad fled the country, was welcome.

Journalists and non-governmental organizations have been on the ground in Syria, traveling from prison to prison, searching for clues to Austins whereabouts. The U.S. military, the FBI and the CIA are standing by should information surface.

Until Friday, representatives from our State Department had not joined them.

No U.S. government organization has been on the ground in Syria as of yet, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters this week at a briefing. Miller indicated that security was a concern but said that U.S. officials have been in communications with groups on the ground in Syria.

When asked if he believes Bashar al-Assad's regime was lying back in 2020 when it wouldn't admit to the U.S. they held American journalist Austin Tice, Amb. Roger Carstens, the Biden's administration's top hostage envoy, tells @margbrennan:



"At some point we came across pic.twitter.com/t0NnRCCFCV  Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 22, 2024

The engagement of U.S. envoys is a hopeful sign amid a troubling question: Is a president who said its a top priority to return American hostages taking full advantage of this critical moment? The rebels who toppled Assad have said they would work directly with the U.S. government to help find Austin, and some reports indicate he has been moved regularly while in captivity, including perhaps being placed more recently in the basement of the Syrian Air Force intelligence building.

Austins mother, Debra Tice, says the family has credible information that Austin may be held in a prison outside Damascus and that a new source told them that Austin is alive and healthy. In a letter last week to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Debra asked that Israel pause military strikes in that area so that rescuers could search for Austin. Israeli officials have said publicly that they have done so.

After traveling to Syria to help in the search for American journalist Austin Tice, Amb. Roger Carstens, the Biden's administration's top hostage envoy, tells @margbrennan, "I believe that he's alive. He adds, "our job in the U.S. government is to keep pressing and pressing and pic.twitter.com/owRpJlwmaA  Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 22, 2024

In the absence of the bombing, theyll be able to make a more thorough search for hidden cells in tunnels near the presidential palace there, Debra said.

The near silence from our own government over the past 12 days has been frustrating. We are hopeful senior U.S. representatives have arrived in time and will engage with rebels to unearth clues about Austins movement and whereabouts. We believe they should pull out the stops to bring this to closure.

The incoming Trump administration appears to care passionately about Austins case, but we understand that the staffing and logistical demands a new administration faces could mean weeks or months might pass before a robust search for Austin can be launched. The Biden administration already has that personnel and structure in place. The opportunity to find Austin is upon us. The moment is now.

We at McClatchy join Austins family in imploring President Biden to remember that Austin is not just a Syrian captive and American hostage but a colleague, a brother and a son. Please, bring him home.

Tony Hunter is chairman and CEO of the McClatchy Media Company.

Austin Tice, one month before disappearing in Syria. He has been missing for six years. There would be nothing sweeter than for him to celebrate #July4th with his family next year. #FreeAustinTice https://t.co/PatKrxH20u  Samantha Power (@SamanthaJPower) July 4, 2018

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As Martha, Elizabeth Taylor is a sharp-tongued, unrelenting force in the 1966 film adaptation of Edward Albees Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Thats what the script calls for, but Taylor did it surrounded by a star-studded cast including Richard Burton, George Segal and Sandy Davis, all of whom were nominated for best actor or supporting actor Academy Awards.

The drama was as influential as it was scandalous, bringing squabbling and foul-mouthed domestic tensions to the stage front and center. The play was selected for the 1963 Pulitzer Prize, but objections to the plays profanity caused the committee to make no award that year.

The movie is iconic in its own way, says Jaclyn Bethany of The Fire Weeds. But the play changed American theater in the way the movie changed American cinema. Nobody had seen a married couple portrayed in this light on stage before.

The Fire Weeds are staging the drama in the intimate space at Big Couch New Orleans in Bywater on Jan. 5-14. While Martha was always meant to have a forceful presence, the company is re-examining the play and its portrayal of women.

Were exploring this piece from a female-driven gaze in a way that hasnt been seen before, Bethany adds. With Martha and Honey, we thought there was a real opportunity to do that. The title itself is a comment on whos afraid of feminism.

In the drama, George is a professor at a small New England college. His wife Martha is the daughter of the college president. She wants him to someday succeed her father, but Georges efforts fall far short of what she thinks is necessary. Those tensions spill out on a late night of drinking after a faculty party.

George and Martha open up their liquor cabinet as they wait for Nick and Honey to arrive at their home. Nick is a new member of the faculty, and he and Honey have no idea what theyre in for.

Martha has the vigor and determination to take her fathers place, but the times were different. Bethany notes that women couldnt get a credit card in their own name, let alone executive level jobs, in the early 1960s, when the play is set. But the way Albee treated Martha and George isnt dated, as they speak their minds, often bitingly, and their battles are on level ground.

The Fire Weeds are producing the play in a roughly 30-seat space. The audience will almost share the living room with the two couples. The set is filled with mid-century modern furniture. Theyve de-emphasized Georges study, and the set allows more of a view of the women characters spaces in the play.

The text of the play is unaltered from Albees final version. It touches on a variety of themes, including whether the couples are pursuing or have missed out on the American dream, Bethany says. There also are issues around traditional roles and motherhood.

The play has a touch of Albees absurdism, and his characters are taken by illusions of themselves.

Bethany directs and also plays Honey. Shes joined by Casey Groves as George, Lin Gathright as Martha and Logan Macrae as Nick.

The Fire Weeds debuted their first works early this year, producing a couple of Tennessee Williams one-act plays. The show went from New Orleans performances to a short run in New York, and theyll remount them there again in spring.

Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5, 7-12 & 14 at Big Couch New Orleans (1045 Desire St.). Tickets $12-$45 via thefireweeds.org.
GUANGZHOU, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Guangdong Province, China's economic powerhouse, handled a record-breaking 600 million passenger trips in 2024, including a surge in trips to and from Hong Kong, according to Guangzhou Railway Group on Saturday.

Passengers made over 27 million trips between Guangdong and Hong Kong via the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed railway in 2024 as of Saturday, a yearly increase of 37 percent, according to the railway group.

With increasing train routes connecting cities in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, more passengers are using this high-speed railway for tourism, business and visiting relatives, among others.

Zhang Zhe, director of the passenger transport department of the railway group, said the huge passenger flow reflects the continuous progress of the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the vitality of thriving economic development. 
This is my last weekly column for Gambit, but Im not saying goodbye. Im just marking the end of my Long Strange Trip in print journalism. I aint dead, but I am seriously grateful.

Having been blessed to spend more than 51 years as a reporter, editor and newspaper co-owner, I must give thanks and credit where its due: to my parents, my teachers and my colleagues.

My parents persistently encouraged my eight siblings and me to pursue our dreams. I often needed an occasional push. Im forever grateful to them for giving me both.

My career path started with a schoolboy crush I had on my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Kay Lyons, who one day said I was going to be a writer. That was it. No voice from the clouds. No call from New York. Just the power of a kind word from a beloved teacher. From that moment, I was drawn to storytelling.

In my freshman year at Holy Cross High School, I applied to join the schools award-winning newspaper, The Bulletin. Thats how I met Ken Hechler, who taught the only journalism course I ever took. Kens former students include two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists  Rene Sanchez, editor of The Times-Picayune, and Alex Martin, an editor at The Wall Street Journal.

Thanks to Ken, I experienced the thrill of seeing my name atop a newspaper story for the first time at the age of 13. I was hooked. Ken and Holy Cross gave me a safe place to start writing. Kens gentle but meticulous tutelage also made it fun.

I caught my big break thanks to photographer Ralph Romaguera, who hired me during my college freshman year and then pushed me (see the pattern here?) to apply for a summer internship at The Times-Picayune. I was 18 years old and scared stiff, but I did as Ralph instructed. I got a call the next day asking if I could start immediately  a year after I graduated from high school. I still cant believe I was so lucky.

Since the day I first walked into the cacophonous TP newsroom  we wrote on typewriters back then  Ive had ink in my veins. Ive seen a lot of changes (todays hushed newspaper offices are like libraries compared to old-school newsrooms), but one thing hasnt changed: journalists mission is to speak truth to power and raise hell when necessary.

I cant imagine a better way to earn a living, or to spend a life.

I continued to work at The Times-Picayune while in college, and I quickly got a taste of major news stories. I covered the Up Stairs Lounge arson in June 1973, just six weeks into my internship. The fire killed 32 people, almost all of them gay men who led closeted lives. The fire and its aftermath inspired the gay rights movement in New Orleans, but progress exacted a heavy toll.

I witnessed big political stories early on. The citywide elections in 1973 brought major changes to New Orleans politics. The 1974 campaign to adopt a new state constitution, led by Gov. Edwin Edwards, likewise changed Louisianas political landscape.

In the ensuing half-century, I covered the 1982 crash of Pan Am Flight 759, the 1984 Worlds Fair, the continued rise  and tectonic fall  of Edwards and countless other politicians, along with elections, disasters (Katrina was The Big One), triumphs and tragedies, and, of course, Winnas and Loozas. After lunch with his family at the Governors Mansion one day during his historic fourth term as governor, Edwards pulled me aside and asked me how I thought history would treat him. The question surprised me, but it showed how heavily his legacy weighed on him, even then. Thats up to you, I said. The rest is, well, history.

Speaking of history, I was blessed to work with older reporters who had covered legendary political figures. One of them was James H. Gillis (not to be confused with my friend and colleague James Gill), an elderly TP political columnist who had covered Huey Long in his own younger days. My youthful colleagues look at me as if I have a portrait in my attic when I tell them I once worked with a guy who covered The Kingfish.

I got to know several thousand politicos and some of the most colorful political operatives in America. Their passion for power and politics fed my own drive to untangle our states complex political machinations.

I majored in history at UNO, but I got my masters in Louisiana politics on the job. History was the perfect major for me  professors Stephen Ambrose and Joe Logsdon taught me that journalism is the front lines of history. My other mentors included all my colleagues and editors as well as some of the best political consultants in the business  pollsters Joe Walker and Ed Renwick, and media gurus James Carville, Ray Strother and Jim Carvin.

I also got schooled by two of New Orleans best mayors. Moon Landrieu in 1977 dubbed me Boy Reporter because I had the boyish audacity to ask him for an interview without going through his press office. He never stopped calling me that, but he generously shared with me his vast reservoir of political and worldly wisdom.

Dutch Morial taught me more than any politician Ive known, but I didnt realize how much he mentored me until after he died suddenly in 1989. Dutch loved to pick fights with the press, but when the TV cameras shut down, hed call me over and whisper, What you hearing? We shared a passion for what Dutch called the chess board aspect of politics. I wish he could have stayed with us longer.

My favorite political character  and a terrific bourree player  was Maurice Hippo Katz. A confidant of Dutch Morial, Hippo uttered one of the greatest lines Ive heard in 51 years of political reportage. In 1985, I introduced Hippo to NBC political correspondent Ken Bode. At the time, Morial was trying to convince voters to change the City Charter so he could seek an additional mayoral term. When Bode asked Hippo what job he wanted in Dutchs third term, Hippo answered, I dont want a job. I want a position!

I cant make this stuff up.

My association with Gambit has been the most enduring part of my career. I began as a freelance political columnist in December 1981, a year after Gambit was founded, and Ive loved every minute of my 43 years as a columnist, editor and co-owner. My wife Margo, who served as Gambits publisher for three decades and made it the most successful alt-weekly of its size in the country, remains my best editor. She saved me from myself more times than I can count; Im forever grateful to her for that and so much more.

John and Dathel Georges bought Gambit in 2018 and kept it going through COVID and other challenges. In an age when newspapers were dying across America, John and Dathel enabled great journalism to thrive across Louisiana. In doing so, they have given all Louisianans access to governmental transparency and accountability  the pillars of modern democracy. They deserve all our thanks for their unwavering commitment to local journalism.

Finally, my deepest thanks go to you, my readers  including my many critics. I especially appreciate those who took the time to point out where I didnt get it quite right, or when I was just flat-out wrong. You were my mentors, too. Thanks for pushing me.

Like most of you, dear readers, I love my city and state with all my heart. Thanks for joining me on this Long Strange Trip.

And finally, a correction  Its ironic yet fitting, considering how many politicos Ive blasted, that I must end my last weekly column by owning a mistake. In last weeks Top 10 Political Stories of 2024, I misstated businessman Troy Henrys (and his companys) experience in the sanitation business. Henry Consulting has provided sanitation services at the Superdome and Louis Armstrong airport for five years and in the Downtown Development District for the past year. I sincerely apologize for the error.
ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have arrested 93 individuals in a wide-ranging operation targeting suspects allegedly linked to the 2016 coup attempt, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Saturday.

In a statement on X, Yerlikaya explained that the ongoing operations were conducted over the past 10 days across 27 provinces.

The arrested individuals were wanted for their involvement in the structure of the Gulen movement, which the Turkish government holds responsible for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

The suspects are also charged with using payphones to contact key figures, and using the encrypted communication app "Bylock," according to Yerlikaya.

A large amount of foreign currency, along with Turkish lira, and a significant number of documents and digital materials were also seized in the raids, the minister said.

The movement, led by and named after Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who passed away in September in the United States, has been accused by the Turkish government of masterminding the coup attempt, which resulted in the deaths of over 250 people. 
By Akbar Novruz



Azerbaijan is preparing to implement new rules regarding the temporary stay of Russian citizens in the country, following recent changes introduced by Russia concerning the duration of foreign citizens' stay within its borders.

Aykhan Hajizadeh, Spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the issue during an interview with local media. He emphasized that Azerbaijan views these developments through the lens of protecting the rights of its own citizens.

"As in all foreign policy issues, the Azerbaijani side will proceed from the principles of parity and reciprocity in matters of temporary stay and migration," Hajizadeh stated.

He further revealed that amendments to the rules governing the duration of temporary stay for Russian citizens in Azerbaijan are planned for the near future, signaling a reciprocal approach to Russia's new regulations.
MOSCOW, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia has foiled several assassination attempts targeting a senior defense official and a military blogger, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Saturday.

Ukrainian intelligence services coordinated the attacks and a Russian citizen had been arrested in connection with the plots, the FSB said in a statement.

The suspect allegedly planned to use an improvised explosive device disguised as a portable speaker, according to the statement.

Last week, a Russian lieutenant general and his assistant were killed in an explosion in a Moscow residential building.

The FSB also revealed on Thursday that it had thwarted multiple assassination attempts orchestrated by Ukrainian special services against high-ranking Russian military officials. Four Russian citizens were arrested in connection with these plots. 
Nippon Steel said in an 11th-hour appeal to U.S. Steel employees that it would protect integrated steel mills and union jobs, saying a $300 million blast furnace reline was the "first of many significant investments planned for Indiana."

The Japan-based steelmaker made the highest bid a year ago for Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, which put itself on the open market, after rejecting an unsolicited bid from rival Cleveland-Cliffs that likely would have led to a hostile takeover attempt. The fate of the blockbuster deal now lies in the president's hands after federal agencies were divided on whether turning over one of the country's largest steelmakers to foreign ownership would pose a national security threat, with some pointing to Japan's longtime allyship with the United States.

Nippon Steel has been mounting a full-court press of last-minute lobbying as the president weighs a decision, for instance promising $5,000 closing bonuses for workers and $1 billion in investment in Gary Works.

The steelmaker said in a letter to U.S. Steel employees that it was committed to integrated steel mills like Gary Works.

"The USW leadership believes that, even under Nippon Steels leadership, there will be no changes from U.S. Steels current plans. They believe it will simply be more of the same. This is not true, and our commitments demonstrate it. U. S. Steel has plainly stated that in the absence of this transaction, many, if not all, of its blast furnace operations in the Mon Valley will be shut down. We, on the other hand, are committed to making transformative investments in U. S. Steel that focus on growth and sustainability," Nippon Steel Representative Director and Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori wrote in the letter to U.S. Steel workers. "This will require changes from the companys current plans  changes that we believe will be better for U. S. Steel employees and communities, not just shareholders. We would not commit to investing billions in USW-represented facilities if this wasnt the case."

Nippon Steel has pledged $2.7 billion in U.S. Steel's operations, including its integrated mills in Western Pennsylvania and Gary. It has promised to reline or repair four blast furnaces at Gary Works amid fears production will be shifted south to non-union mini-mills.

"The critical role that union jobs and USW-represented facilities will play under Nippon Steel is also made clear by the billions of dollars we have committed to investing in those facilities," Mori wrote. "The USW leadership suggests that our commitments  including at least $1 billion to upgrade and/or replace the existing hot strip mill at Mon Valley, and $300 million for Blast Furnace #14 at Gary  are insufficient. We must set the record straight. Our commitments are to invest at least $2.7 billion in USW-represented facilities and much of that by the end of 2026  this is a floor, not a ceiling, and is the first of many significant investments we intend to make in Indiana, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Our investments will cover not only the hot strip mill at Mon Valley and blast furnace #14 at Gary, but also all of U. S. Steels blast furnace operations."

Nippon Steel said it would not close any of U.S. Steel's USW-represented facilities or lay off any USW-represented workers. Mori said it would honor all agreements with the union.

"The USW leadership accuses Nippon Steel of having 'plans to move production to Big River' and away from USW-represented facilities. We have no such plans. We know that growing U. S. Steel will require maintaining and growing existing USW-represented facilities, not shifting production elsewhere. In fact, we have committed not to close or lay off employees at USW-represented facilities, which are significant protections not found in the current BLA," Mori wrote. "If our plan was to shift work to Big River, we would not make these promises."

Nippon Steel said it wasn't an either/or choice between integrated steelmaking and mini-mills and it wouldn't be the same old U.S. Steel management the United Steelworkers union has chafed against.

"The USW leadership believes that blast furnace operations and EAFs cannot co-exist in one company and that over time we will always favor shifting production to Big River. We cannot think of a stronger way to demonstrate our belief in the importance of U.S. Steels blast furnace operations than by putting our money where our mouth is. The billions of dollars of investment we will make in Gary and the Mon Valley align our interests to ensure the success of those operations," Mori wrote. "We have made clear from the beginning: Nippon Steel is interested in building a bigger, stronger U.S. Steel, and not running the company the way it has been run in the past. This means investing in USW-represented facilities and protecting union jobs, both because its the right thing to do and because its good for business."

The USW has vocally opposed the transaction from the start, fearing it would further the decline of steelmaking in the United States. Union leaders continued to express skepticism about Nippon Steel's promises.

"Since the spring, Nippon has trumpeted the $1.4 billion it could spend in our facilities, failing to tell the public that this involves regular capital expenditures and failing to disclose that the figure includes the repair and maintenance already performed by U.S. Steel in 2024," USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap and President David McCall said in a letter to steelmakers. "Then, to much fanfare, Nippon announced in August, when it first was reported that CFIUS could block the deal, that it had designated $1 billion for an 'intended' hot mill in the Mon Valley. It was only after direct questioning by President McCall that Nippon executive Takahiro Mori conceded that it would take twice that amount to complete the project."

Union leaders called for U.S. Steel to remain domestically owned and operated.

"In short, the $2.7 billion does nothing to prevent Nippon from its stated intention of transferring production to Big River 2, with its 3 million annual tons of electric arc furnace production, paving the way for Nippon to eventually reduce or shut down our blast furnace capacity," McCall and Millsap said. "This puts thousands of our jobs, not to mention our critical supply chains and our national security, at risk. This all comes against the backdrop of Nippons long-term and continuing dumping of products into our market which has injured our members, our economy and steelmaking operations."
An Indian devotee who accidentally dropped his iPhone into the collection box at a Hindu temple while making a donation was told that the phone was now the deitys property and could not be returned.

Last month, a Chennai man who was visiting Arulmigu Kandaswamy Temple in Thiruporur with his family to offer prayers, felt his iPhone slip out of his pocket and into the hundial  a metal donation box  just as he was making offerings to the temples patron deity. The man, referred to only as Dinesh, approached temple officials and explained the incident, demanding that his handheld be returned. To his surprise, they refused, claiming that rules did not permit them to return anything placed into the hundial, willingly or accidentally, because it is the deitys property.

Dinesh refused to give up hope of retrieving his phone and filed a complaint with the HR and CE (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments) officials requesting to be notified when the hundial would be opened. This month, when the metal box was finally opened, he was there hoping to recover his iPhone, but temple officials stood by their decision.

Anything deposited into the offering box, even if done unintentionally, becomes part of Gods account, Sekar Babu, Minister of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department explained. As per the practices and tradition at the temples, any offering made into the hundial directly goes into the account of the deity of that temple. Rules do not permit the administration to return the offerings back to the devotees.

iPhone accidentally fell into the temples hundi.. The temple administration refused to return it the owner, saying it belonged to the temple.pic.twitter.com/4VgfcRk0Ib  Vije (@vijeshetty) December 20, 2024

Dinesh was allowed to recover the data from his phone if he so wished, and Sekar Babu said that he would consult with temple officials to see if there was any way to compensate the former owner.

The incident went viral on Indian social media, sparking a heated debate around the temples decision. Most users found their interpretation unjustified
FINN Partners is named global agency of record for Fiserv, which provides payments and financial services technology. FINNs efforts as communication partner for the brand will focus on accelerating brand, marketing and PR efforts under its new, unified creative banner, Fiserv Moves More than Money. The scope of work includes such fintech and consumer tech communications services as creative campaigns and storytelling, media and influencer engagement, live activations and events and partnerships in the US and 14 markets internationally. FINNs East Coast technology practice will lead the global engagement with in-market support from EMEA, APAC and LATAM colleagues. Were thrilled to have a strategic PR partner that will work alongside us and immediately impact our communications efforts, said Fiserv head of communications Sophia Marshall.

B2i Digital, whose capabilities include investor communications and digital marketing, adds clinical-stage biotechnology company OS Therapies to its client roster. B2i is tasked with enhancing the companys investor outreach, implementing data-driven strategies to raise awareness about its research and upcoming milestones, including the Phase 2b clinical trial for OST-HER2, a cancer treatment targeting recurrent, resected metastatic osteosarcoma. The next clinical data update on OST-HER2 is expected to be announced during the week of the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2025 in January. "Our collaboration with B2i Digital aligns with our mission to bring life-changing treatments to patients and increase awareness of the unique

Percepture, a digital marketing and PR agency, signs on to work with Scope Technologies, a tech company specializing in quantum security and machine learning. Percepture has been engaged to develop thought leadership initiatives that will aim to educate key decision-makers on the urgency of adopting quantum-secure solutions, as well as providing programmatic advertising. Their expertise in digital marketing and deep understanding of our objectives will help us fast-track our mission to protect businesses with cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions," said Scope Technologies CEO James Young.
A man who suffered PTSD after serving with the army in Ukraine pleaded guilty to driving without insurance three times in five months.

Levani Papashvili (27) of Corville House, Sean Ross Abbey, Roscrea, Tipperary admitted driving without a licence or insurance at Patrick Street, Durrow on May 20 last.

He also admitted to the same offence on the Mountrath Road, Boghlone, Portlaoise on August 26 and at Towns Park, Borris-in-Ossory on October 22, 2024.

Judge Andrew Cody noted the three offences involved different vehicles. Three different cars, one every two months, he said.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client was from Ukraine and he fully understands the severity of his actions.

He is here about a year after being released from his duty suffering with PTSD, she said.

Judge Cody asked if there was any evidence that the man had served in the Ukrainian army.

Does he have any proof that he is Ukrainian? asked Judge Cody.

He put the case to second call in order for the mans details to be ascertained.

When the case was called again, Ms Fitzpatrick informed Judge Cody that her client was Georgian and had served in the Ukrainian army.

23 weeks he was in the Ukrainian army, Judge Cody noted.

He said the man was accused of not having a driving licence or insurance on three occasions in three separate cars.

Ms Fitzpatrick said her client was in no doubt as to the severity of the offences and the potential penalties. She said he has been in Ireland for a year and is working in a self employed capacity in the building industry.

Judge Cody fined the man a total of 2,550 and banned him from driving for six years.

He is very fortunate he is not facing an immediate prison sentence, Judge Cody told the sitting of Portlaoise District Court.
It took more than two years for Ireland to accept the gift of a painting of Daniel OConnell from a bank, after concerns that the Irish parliament was only receiving a copy of the original portrait.

OConnell, known as The Liberator, was known for his campaigns of Catholic emancipation and drive towards the repeal of the act of union between Great Britain and Ireland.

He also had a career as a banker  where he was immortalised in an 1838 portrait that became the subject of a years-long campaign.

Newly released files from the National Archives in Dublin show a protracted process in which plans to display that original portrait in the Irish parliament buildings were changed, sparking some concern and a desire for a low-key handover ceremony for a copy.

The repatriation of the portrait dates back to early 2001, when Irish diplomat Dan Mulhall contacted the chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) about the portrait of OConnell which he came across at an exhibition in Edinburgh.

Mr Mulhall suggested that the portrait be moved to Ulster Bank in Dublin, given that RBS  now part of NatWest  had acquired the bank.

The painting is understood to have originally been commissioned by one of the National Bank of Irelands early directors, an organisation for which OConnell was chairman.

The National Bank was split up and a section of it, including the painting, was purchased by the National Commercial Bank of Scotland which later became part of RBS.

Correspondence between the bank and Mr Mulhall in August of that year show that RBS wanted to move the portrait to the embassy in London as soon as possible, in the further hope that the Ambassador would host a reception.

From there, RBS envisaged the portrait could be moved to Leinster House between September and January 2004 and that this might be the right occasion for the Taoiseach to welcome the painting to Ireland.

It was then suggested that the original would move to the National Gallery after a copy for Leinster House was completed, until a permanent home for the artwork was found in Dublins Ulster Bank base.

However, issues requiring clarification later arose in October, according to newly released documents from the Department of An Taoiseach.

The Department asked the then clerk of the Dail on October 31 whether the portrait will be accepted by Leinster House.

The Irish Embassy and the Royal Bank wanted to know if Leinster House would accept the portrait, with the former expecting that the latter would desire a handing-over ceremony.

Another factor that might delay the handover was the process of making a copy, although if Leinster House chose not to accept the portrait  a duplicate would not be necessary.

Follow-up calls to the Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and Privileges occurred between then and November 19, where the Department was told the committee would have a meeting on the matter  originally scheduled for the previous week  on November 28.

The Department had told Leinster House that the Embassy and the bank wanted to be in a position to say what the future plans for the portrait would be by November 22.

The committee said it would establish a sub-committee to consider works of art for Leinster House in general.

It was not until December 20 when Leinster House confirmed that the Dail and Seanad committees had accepted the portrait.

However, a subsequent change of plans emerged, and a copy of the painting was made in London while the original was in the embassy there.

Both were then transported to the National Gallery instead and a reception was held in September 2002 featuring Arts Minister John ODonoghue.

The cost of transporting, insuring and making the copy were borne by the bank.

It meant that the original painting did not first go on display in Leinster House as initially envisaged.

When contacted by the Department of An Taoiseach, the Gallery was not open to releasing the original to Leinster House  according to the newly released Government documents.

The bank had intimated that the painting might be given on loan and Leinster House would have liked to receive the original as agreed by the committees.

In a departmental document, Leinster House is recorded as preferring a low-key approach to accepting the copy under the new circumstances.

Reservations had also been expressed about accepting gifts from commercial organisations, the document states.

It was suggested that the copy be placed in Leinster House on a Saturday morning when no one was around and that the Ceann Comhairle could ask bank executives, at some point, to come in to view it.

Ulster Bank officials felt the National Gallery event did not provide the profile they had hoped for, and had instead desired that the original had been accepted by a significant person  the Taoiseach or Minister for Finance.

However, Leinster House revised its position and suggested that the Taoiseach could accept the copy in its grounds.

This was acceptable to the Taoiseach in March 2003, with the bank also agreeing on the grounds the original portraits place in the National Gallery would be acknowledged.

On April 8 2003, the Department made efforts to finalise plans with Leinster House.

On May 15, the procedures committee recommended that the copy of the portrait be placed in Room 2, off Leinster Houses Main Hall.

The Government formally accepted the copy as a gift to the nation on June 24 and the handing over ceremony took place on July 1 2003.

The original portrait, commissioned from the renowned 19th century artist Sir David Wilkie, remains on display  as part of the loan arrangement  at the National Gallery in Dublin.

In recent years, NatWest decided to wind down Ulster Bank in Ireland. However a spokesman said there is no current plan for the bank to end the loan agreement.

As part of that withdrawal, the bank gifted dozens of artworks to the National Gallery while others were auctioned off for a fund with Communities Foundation Ireland.

 This article is based on the 2024/130/9 file.
Irish officials made extensive efforts to convince UK authorities to return extremely rare bronze cannons after claiming they were illegally smuggled from a Waterford shipwreck and sold to the Tower of London, records show.

A decades-long dispute over the ownership of the cannons raised concerns that they could be targeted by the Provisional IRA.

The cannons, each measuring nine-foot-by-six-foot, were allegedly removed in the early 1970s from a shipwreck off the south east coast of Ireland, near the Metal Man at Tramore Bay, according to newly released papers from the Irish National Archives in Dublin.

They were then displayed as a tourist attraction at the Royal Armouries and Tower of London with no reference to Ireland.

The cannons, known as sakers, bore the Tudor rose and were made for King Henry VIII in the 1540s by the Owen Brothers and are two of only 10 examples of these types of cannon known to have survived the centuries  with a price tag in the early 1990s of at least 30,000 each.

Irish authorities began investigating the case after reports in the Sunday Press and Times of London alleged the cannons had been smuggled out of Irish waters by a gang of British treasure hunters before being sold in an Essex scrap garage at the knock-down price of 3,250 to a senior Tower official who did not ask where they came from.

The newly released documents show that Irish officials from the National Museum of Ireland, Department of Foreign Affairs and the chief State solicitor repeatedly sought the return of the cannons.

The Tower had been told by the Maritime Institute of Ireland that both Irish and English law had been broken [during the acquisition of the items] by the failure to report the cannon to the Receiver of Wreck, an official body which records when  and where  potentially important items have been found.

A 1993 report from Eamon P Kelly, the Acting Keeper of Irish Antiquities of the National Museum of Ireland, shows that, following initial representations, Tower officials had become defensive in 1974, claiming there was no evidence the cannons had been removed recently from the sea bed, that they may have been found off the Sussex coast, and that the original story of Irish provenance was spread as a cover.

The record around the disputed ownership of the cannons also states that the Receiver of Wreck confirmed that, by 1992, the cannons had not been reported to its office.

Later that year, the Royal Armouries said it wished to resolve the controversy, partly over concerns that they could be targeted by the Provisional IRA.

The Royal Armouries said this was due in part to the continuing adverse publicity in the British and Irish press by the Times of London and Sunday Press over the situation, before linking the earlier controversy with a bomb attack carried out by the IRA which resulted in loss of life, and expressed fear further publicity would again target the Tower, or its officials.

The 1993 report notes that while some British authorities were sympathetic to the Irish claim, the Royal Armouries pointed out that public money was used to acquire the cannons and that the body would need to be satisfied that the Irish authorities had a valid case before they would concede.

After receiving Mr Kellys report which concluded that it seems clear British officials were aware the guns had been found off the Irish coast and were therefore the property of the Irish State under Irish law, Irelands embassy to the UK wrote to Britains foreign and commonwealth office seeking immediate return of the cannons.

 This article is based on documents in 2024/52/181
Details of a threat to poison English water supplies have emerged in newly unsealed documents, which show British authorities took the plot seriously as it appeared technically feasible.

The British Embassy and the Papal Nunciature in Dublin received the threat in June 1999 on behalf of what was called the Republican Revenge Group.

It threatened to introduce weed killer into the water supply in England unless the British Government announced its intention to withdraw from occupied Ireland by the following day.

The letters said an improvised chemical weapon would be attached to fire hydrants in England, forcing the chemical  a commonly available weedkiller called New Pathclear  into the water supply, potentially poisoning hundreds of thousands of people.

Although the threat might appear far-fetched, the British authorities took it seriously because the technical processes had been checked and were feasible, because the threatening letter was cohesive and literate, and because it had been sent to the right people in the UK, including the appropriate water authorities.

However, the British Embassy in Dublin thought the letter might be a dirty trick by loyalists designed to smear republicans.

The potential giveaway was references to HMG (Her Majestys Government) throughout the threat, a phrase unlikely to be used in earnest by a republican.

The authorities decided they had to take the threat seriously in the circumstances, even though it was thought the risk to life was low.

Most people who drank contaminated water would suffer nothing worse than a stomach upset, though it could threaten the lives of babies, and of people on dialysis.

The media in London  including Irelands national broadcaster RTE and the Irish newspapers  were called into a Government briefing and asked not to report the story, for fear of causing panic over what might well be a hoax.

The Government promised that if a real threat was established, the public would be informed, and said that the media would be told whether or not anything happened when the deadline ran out.

Meanwhile in Dublin, gardai were co-operating with British police and quickly identified a suspect.

They arrested an ex-soldier from Scotland living in Dublin. He was described by some observers as a Walter-Mitty character and he was never charged.

After his arrest, some details of the threat emerged, but not the precise technical details which caused the authorities to take it seriously. They are now available to view in papers released by the Irish National Archives.

 This article is based on documents in 2024/28/12
DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 people, including children, on Pemba Island in Tanzania's Zanzibar, received free medical services on Friday provided by three Chinese medical teams operating in the East African nation.

The joint free medical services were organized by a Chinese medical team stationed in Zanzibar, another on the Tanzanian mainland, and a schistosomiasis control team in Zanzibar.

A total of 16 medical experts from the teams performed health examinations, offered free clinic services and distributed urgently needed medicines to residents in the Mbuzini community.

Meanwhile, the teams educated residents about the prevention of common infectious diseases and encouraged them to receive timely vaccinations.

Masoud Mohd Sleiman, a local health official on Pemba Island, expressed gratitude to the Chinese medical experts for their work, noting the importance of strengthening cooperation with China in the medical and healthcare fields to jointly promote the development of local health services. 
Irish officials were worried that a US decision to designate the Real IRA (RIRA) as a foreign terrorist organisation might help recruitment for the paramilitary group.

Just years after the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the US was planning to add the RIRA to the list of foreign terrorist organisations.

In a briefing note for then-Irish premier Bertie Ahern in early 2001, officials warned that designation might unintentionally give a boost to dissident republicans by enhancing their status in the eyes of republican supporters in the US and that this might encourage recruitment.

The note came ahead of Mr Aherns visit to then-US president George W Bush in Washington, DC in March as part of the annual St Patricks Day celebrations.

The file also notes that the main legal effects of designation relate to prohibitions on fundraising, freezing of existing funds and the refusal of visas to, or exclusion from the US of representatives of, a designated organisation.

Papers released to the National Archives in Dublin show that despite the reservations, there was acknowledgement between Irish and British authorities that adding the RIRA to the list would also have benefits.

In October 2000, then-justice minister John ODonoghue and then-secretary of state for Northern Ireland Peter Mandelson agreed that the issue would be further discussed by An Garda Siochana and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

The report of the Garda Commissioner and the RUCs Chief Constable concluded that, on balance, it would make operational sense to have the organisation designated a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) as this would make additional legal powers available to law enforcement officials in dealing with (the RIRA).

On the basis of this report, the Irish and British governments decided on November 24 2000 to jointly request that US authorities start the process of designation.

At the time of Mr Aherns visit the following March, the US State Department was seeking legal advice on the matter.

Ultimately, the US added the RIRA to its official FTO list in May 2001.

Later that year, following the September 11 terrorist attacks, US officials wrote to governments in various countries including Ireland asking them to freeze the assets of groups on the FTO list.

John B Taylor, then-US secretary for international affairs, sent a fax to John Hurley, then-secretary general at the Department of Finance, on November 1 2001 asking for the RIRAs assets to be blocked in Ireland.

Please notify me as soon as possible whether or not you will be able to join the United States in a simultaneous blocking, Mr Taylor wrote.

If not, please notify me when you do take blocking action against these terrorists.

Thank you for your continuing co-operation in the global effort to combat the financing of terrorism.

The Oireachtas later passed the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill 2002 to strengthen Irelands capacity to respond to terrorism including freezing assets.

 This article is based on documents in 2022/49/125 and 2022/49/40.
Actors stage a show at a New Year celebration for children in Minsk, capital of Belarus, Dec. 27, 2024. Belarus held the event at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk on Friday. More than 2,000 children from across the country came to watch the performances. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a speech at a New Year celebration for children in Minsk, capital of Belarus, Dec. 27, 2024. Belarus held the event at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk on Friday. More than 2,000 children from across the country came to watch the performances. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)

Actors stage a show at a New Year celebration for children in Minsk, capital of Belarus, Dec. 27, 2024. Belarus held the event at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk on Friday. More than 2,000 children from across the country came to watch the performances. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)

Actors stage a show at a New Year celebration for children in Minsk, capital of Belarus, Dec. 27, 2024. Belarus held the event at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk on Friday. More than 2,000 children from across the country came to watch the performances. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)
MEXICO CITY, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and 27 others injured after a passenger bus collided with a semi-trailer truck early Friday in eastern Mexico, local authorities said.

The collision occurred on the Perote-Xalapa highway near Los Molinos in the eastern state of Veracruz, killing three men, four women and one minor, the Veracruz State Attorney General's Office said.

It added that the Xalapa regional prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

According to local media, the ADO bus was traveling the Mexico City-Xalapa route, and it appeared that the bus driver failed to notice the presence of the semi-trailer, leading to the collision.

Veracruz Governor Rocio Nahle said on social media that the state is working in coordination with the federal government to attend to the passengers and families affected by the accident.

This tragic crash came just a day after another traffic accident in the western state of Michoacan, where at least six people lost their lives. 
SHENYANG, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new air route connecting Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, with Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officially opened on Saturday, according to China Southern Airlines.

Operated with Airbus A330-300 aircraft, the flight departs from Shenyang Taoxian International Airport every Saturday at 8:10 a.m. Beijing Time and arrives in Dubai at 7:20 p.m. local time.

The return flight departs from Dubai at 9:20 p.m. local time on Saturday and arrives in Shenyang at 1:45 p.m. Beijing Time on Sunday, according to the Northern Branch of China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd.

Each of the outbound and inbound flights includes a stopover in Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province.

Wang Xiaohui, deputy general manager of the branch, said that 80 percent of tickets for the inaugural flight were sold to passengers traveling for business, study, work, family visits and tourism, among other purposes.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the UAE, and the two countries have adopted visa-free policies for each other's citizens.

Liaoning has established cooperation with the Middle East in areas such as commodity trade, oil and gas, and science and technology. 
New Delhi: Union Home Ministry has announced plans to designate land for a memorial honouring former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as communicated to his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

In a release titled "Facts of the matter regarding a memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh," the ministry disclosed that Kharge submitted a request for the memorial.

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Following the Cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed both Kharge and Singhs family of the decision to provide the space for the memorial, reported PTI.

The ministry further explained that while the cremation and related rituals could proceed, the allocation process would take time as a trust must be established to oversee the memorial.

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Singh, who headed the Congress-led UPA government, was Indias Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. He passed away on Thursday at the age of 92.

On Friday, the Congress accused the government of intentionally delaying the selection of a site for Singhs cremation and memorial, terming it a deliberate affront to Indias first Sikh Prime Minister.

The partys criticism came after the home ministry announced that Singhs last rites would take place with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi, at 11.45 am on Saturday.
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Every year has certain recurring stories. North Korea threatened US. And we supposedly found Amelia Earhart's plane again. Supposedly. Breaking news, the Republicans disapproved of something the Democratic President did!

GenX wore pajamas like it was a senior prank played on people who planned their day.

Yep. Russia is still invading Ukraine, Israel is getting back at Hamas 'a little more' via the southern route through Gaza.

Kaley Cuoco wore a bikini!

Women's nails went from coffin nails to stiletto nails. Who is setting these trends? 16th century ninjas?

Tipping culture peaked. So please answer a question before you complete this section...

Boeing had a "door plug" that didn't, a tire fell off (notice all this happened after Boeing moved to Chicago). It's hilarious when a tuktuk falls apart on a third-world dirt alley YouTube video... not so much when you see it was your flight. Then they had an emergency slide fall off. Well. Guess we won't be needing that.

And it certainly didn't help when its spacefaring Starliner eventually made it to the International Space Station... then had a layover. At this writing their one-week jaunt turned into SIX MONTHS. So don't complain about your commute. Then a Boeing satellite imploded. Their solution; mass layoffs. While former CEO Dave Calhoun earned almost $33 million.

The Census Bureau released information that the most commonly used phrase this year was 'the social media platform formerly known as Twitter'.

The stupidest phrase is when a phone recording says "... if this is an emergency please hang up and dial 911". Darn! I went through all the trouble to look up your number and go through your elaborate phone tree to report my double dismemberment.

The Kansas City Chiefs won the Superb Owl putting Taylor Swift's Deep State plan to attack democracy into blah, blah, blah.

A few years ago, we had never heard of bomb cyclones or atmospheric rivers. And now the West Coast is regularly being bombarded by them. But reactionaries say there is no evidence of climate change. Oil companies predicted climate change 50 years ago, but there is 'no evidence of climate change'. Record highs around the world, but there is 'no evidence of climate change'. A dozen Florida home insurers have left the state, but there is 'no evidence of climate change'. The Pope says climate change is a threat to mankind, but there is 'no evidence of climate change'. The Pentagon says climate change is a national security threat, but there is 'no evidence of climate change'...

Kaley Cuoco wore a bikini again!

What a productive year for the GOP (as opposed to reproductive?). When asked about the loss of their rights, five dead baby incubators that bled out in hospital parking lots could not be reached for comment. Five, so far.

The GOP was given everything they asked for at the border.

Then killed the bill.

Then had their 'star witness' to persecute Hunter Biden turn out to be a Russian disinformation trough. The final nail was when the agent, whose entire eyewitness account the GOP 'impeachment' of Biden depended upon, turned out to be a Russian disinformation operative. You mean, the guy named 'Alexander Smirnov'?! How could the GOP be expected to know that?

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, US forces invaded, conquered, and occupied Panama, replacing its pet dictator, Manuel Noriega with a new regime. Then-president George H.W. Bush's justifications for the invasion included protecting US citizens in Panama and prosecuting the ill-conceived and ill-fated US war on drugs. The more likely reason is that Noriega, after many years of obedient service to his US masters, had increasingly become his own man (not necessarily in good ways, but that wasn't the issue -- he was plenty bad before, too).

In 2025, president-elect Donald Trump proposes that the US regime regain control of the Panama Canal, ceded to Panama in 1999 pursuant to a 1977 treaty proposed by then-president Jimmy Carter and ratified by the US Senate. Implementing Trump's proposal would likely require another invasion, another conquest, another occupation, and imposition of another regime change.

Trump's justifications for his proposal include his expressed opinion that the US acted "foolishly" when it ceded the canal to Panama, that the transit fees charged to move ships across it are "ridiculous," and that the Chinese regime's influence in Panama is strategically dangerous to the canal in particular and US interests in general.

Unmentioned, but worth wondering about: According to the Panamanian courts, the Trump Organization evaded, and owes, millions of dollars in taxes to the Panamanian regime. The case is currently in the US federal court system. Presumably any Trump-installed new regime would take a more forgiving attitude.

Personally, I don't care if someone avoids taxes -- of any kind, in any amount, in any way, or to any regime.

But neither do the other supposed justifications hold water, if for no other reason than that attempting to re-take the canal, even if successful, would likely end up with it shut down for a significant period of time, costing US consumers far more than the "ridiculous" transit fees Trump complains of and increasing rather than decreasing Chinese influence in Central America as the region's regimes start looking for help with their own prospective defense from US predation.

And frankly, this one is personal to me.

I won't name names because I think it would be disrespectful in the context of making a political argument, but if you care to look, you can find the name of the only Marine who was killed in the 1989 invasion.

I knew that Marine. I went to boot camp with him. Because the first letter of his name was close to the first letter of my name, he slept one bunk down from me, and we sometimes stood fire watch and other details together. I won't pretend we were best friends, but he was one of the recruits I got to know better than most during a formative life experience.

I've not always been anti-war, and wouldn't have considered myself anti-war in 1989. But never, at any time, did I consider the US objectives in Panama worth his loss.

If Trump follows through with this ambition, people -- American and Panamanian alike -- will die. And, again, the results won't be worth that cost.


Trump mass deportation plan could split 4 million mixed-status families President-elect Trump's mass deportations could split four million mixed-status families. NBC News' Julia Ainsley joins Ana ...

(Image by YouTube, Channel: MSNBC) Details DMCA



President elect Donald Trump announcing plans to deport whole families of illegal immigrants

Is there anyone in the world more unpredictable than newly elected US President Donald Trump?

One never knows what he'll do.

Oh sure he says he'll end the Ukraine conflict in 24 hours. Yet he hasn't disclosed any details on how he'll achieve this feat. So it's no more than speculation at this point.

On January 20, 2025 he'll be inaugurated as the 47th president of the US. Probably the most predictable outcome regarding the Trumpster.

Except for him naming people to his cabinet. Most of them will have to be approved by the Senate. Speculation abounds about the people he's nominated, what influence they may have on him and what decisions he'll finally make that could be attributed to them. It's all merely speculation. Just filler for the endless 24 hour news cycle in the US.

Lately the Trumpster been talking about making Canada a US state, buying Greenland from Denmark and taking over the Panama Canal.

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Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

George Michael sang a hit song, "Last Christmas", about heartbreak, betrayal, and disappointment. Many Syrians may now be feeling those same emotions, because this might be the "Last Christmas" celebrated legally and openly in Syria.

Syrians feel they were betrayed by former President Bashar al-Assad, who drained the country of wealth for his benefit, and that of his family. They are disappointed that he did not hand over power in the process of the UN resolution 2254, but held selfishly on to his 'throne' which forced the country to plunge into chaos.

Syria has been home to Christians for 2,000 years. The community can trace its ancestry back to the converts to Christianity during the ministry of Jesus and his 12 apostles, as well as the ministry later of St. Paul, who was converted to Christianity in Damascus and went on to write much of the New Testament. The site of his conversion is a church in the Bab Touma neighborhood of Damascus, near the Eastern Gate.

When Europeans worshipped bonfires as their 'God', the Syrians sat inside churches praying in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, still spoken in Ma'alula, north of Damascus. In Latakia is the church of the Lady, dated 1,800 years old, named for Mother Mary after she slept there on her way to Turkey, where she was later buried in Ismir.

At the time of the advent of Islam, Damascus was populated almost exclusively by Christians, and the huge Umayyad Mosque, recently prayed in by the fighters who ousted the brutal dictator Assad on December 8, was named Saint John's Cathedral.

By 1860, Damascus was exactly 50-50 split population between Christians and Muslims. After the instigation of a sectarian massacre by the Turkish Ottoman occupiers, the Christian population began to decline and many Christians began to migrate later to Europe and America seeking a safer place to live. The Turks, who ruled Syria for 400 years, stoked sectarian strife to keep the Syrians busy killing each other, instead of noticing how bad the occupation was.

The current Christian population in Syria is about 10%, while the Sunni Muslim population stands at about 80%. The fighters following the Muslim Brotherhood political ideology currently are the caretaker government in Syria, with hopes of a transitional government being appointed along sectarian lines in March 2025.

Although everyone in Syria, and abroad is happy to see the end of the Assad regime, and the accompanying brutality, atrocities, and Captagon drug manufacture and export, still there are a majority of Syrians who have become used to the secular nature of the Syrian government for 50 years and enjoyed the freedom to worship how and where they chose, and to dress themselves out of free-will.

When the US-NATO war on Syria began in 2011, directed and funded by US President Obama, the Western political mantra was: "Assad step-down, and allow for a peaceful transition." It all sounded so easy, but many of the supporters didn't ask about what was the end goal. The peaceful transition ends in what? Now, we know what Washington and their allies always knew: the end is the establishment of an Islamic State.

Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, now being called Ahmad al-Sharaa, has won the war, backed by the US, Turkey, and others, and utilizing troops loyal to him in Idlib. Yesterday, Barbara Leaf, US Under Secretary of State, arrived in Damascus to meet with Jolani and give him his orders. She immediately removed the 10-million-dollar bounty from his head, issued by the US Treasury Department because of his past allegiance to Al Qaeda and ISIS. Now that he won the war for the US and its allies, he is suddenly free of any past crimes and atrocities.

Jolani didn't conquer Syria alone. His group is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but it is only one of a large coalition of fighting groups in Idlib. Nor al-Din al-Zinki (NDZ) is one of the groups in the Jolani coalition. They are best known for cutting off the head of an 8-year-old Palestinian boy who they called an "Assad Loyalist". The group proudly made a video of cutting off the screaming child's head in the back of a red pickup truck. The video went viral on social media. Keeping NDZ in his coalition may have been seen as 'tacky' and 'in bad form' by some Western audiences, but to take Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus in one week every fighter was needed by Jolani.

When Jolani first got to Damascus, he was calm and keen to keep the peace. His first words and directives were to ease the fears of the population, and he assured the 18 different sects of Syria that everyone would be safe. Then he gave interviews to CNN and BBC and started to let down his guard. By the time he spoke with Jeremy Bowen of the BBC, you could tell from his face and body language, that he was fed up with the questions about women's rights and liberties. Most questions went unanswered, such as the question about whether alcohol will be allowed in the Islamic State of Syria.

The Christian leaders in Syria had previously thought of calling off Christmas decorations and celebrations in solidarity and memorial of the hundreds of thousands dead in Gaza and Lebanon. Now, with the new administrators in Syria as of December 8, most are resigned to the fact that this Christmas might be the last openly, and publically celebrated in Syria, marking the end of 2,000 years of celebrations, and the beginning of fear for an uncertain future.

click here

Fr. Vincent de Beaucoudrey, a Jesuit priest and director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Syria, has worked in Syria for several years-- first in Homs and now in Damascus. He is a direct witness to the upheaval that the population is currently experiencing. Jean-Charles Putzolu recently interviewed the priest.

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An 18-year-old man was wounded in a shooting Thursday night in Northeast Portland, police said.

Officers responded about 11:30 p.m. to the area of Northeast 72nd Avenue and Prescott Street, where they found the man. He was taken to a hospital, and police believe his injuries are not life threatening.
COLOMBO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Cinnamon Development Department of Sri Lanka aims to double the country's annual cinnamon export revenue to 500 million U.S. dollars in the next few years, up from the current 250 million dollars.

Local media on Saturday quoting Janaka Lindara, chairman of the Department of Cinnamon Development, said that Sri Lanka produces approximately 25,000 metric tons of cinnamon annually, with around 19,000 metric tons being exported.

To boost production, the country plans to expand cinnamon cultivation into the North Central and North Western provinces, Lindara said.

Sri Lanka also seeks to strengthen its foothold in international markets such as China and the European Union. The department is promoting the production of value-added cinnamon products to maximize foreign exchange earnings, Lindara added. 
A downed power line in Vancouver on Friday set an RV ablaze, started a fire in a nearby house, and shocked a person on the ground  as well as three firefighters who rushed in to help.

Firefighters arrived at the scene at 616 Ash St. shortly after 9 p.m. to find several small fires on the ground and a burning RV  as well as an injured person who couldnt move and was calling for help, the Vancouver Fire Department said in a statement.

The electricity from the live power line ran through the ground and nearby structures and shocked three firefighters as they tried to reach and treat the injured person, officials say.

The team of firefighters were able to get the critically injured person to an ambulance so they could be driven to a hospital, officials say.

Officials have not shared the injured persons current condition.

The power company that managed the downed line shut off electricity to the entire neighborhood, allowing the firefighters to put out the fires, including the RV fire and the fire in a nearby house, officials said.

The three firefighters who were shocked were also taken to the hospital where two were discharged; the third firefighter was kept overnight, officials say.

Officials say that the Vancouver Fire Marshals Office is investigating the incident.

 Tatum Todd is a breaking news reporter who covers public safety, crime and community news. Reach them at ttodd@oregonian.com or 503-221-4313.
EUGENE  Ohio States biggest change in personnel since its loss at Oregon is along the offensive line and the Buckeyes continue to shuffle players.

Left tackle Josh Simmons went down with a knee injury during the Oct. 12 game against the Ducks, leading guard Donovan Jackson to move outside. Center Seth McLaughlin tore his Achilles last month, moving Carson Hinzman into the starting role. Austin Siereveld and Tegra Tshabola have been starting at guard, where Luke Montgomery also saw significant snaps in OSUs first round playoff win over Tennessee.
Athena, a 4-year-old German shepherd and husky mix, returned home to her Florida family in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve 2024 by ringing the doorbell, ending a more than weeklong search.Brooke Comer

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  After a nearly weeklong search, Athena found her way home to her Florida family in time for Christmas Eve and even rang the doorbell.

Athena, a 4-year-old German shepherd and husky mix, escaped her home in Green Cove Springs, Florida, on Dec. 15, prompting a search among the community and nearby towns for her. Her owner, Brooke Comer, said her family left for church that day and got a message from her neighbor with a picture of Athena outside the house.

Comer panicked. Her family rushed home to find her collar in the crate and no visible opening Athena could have gotten out from. How she escaped remains a mystery.

The next weeks events continued to be an unbelievable story for Comer, where neighbors and community members from nearby towns would contact her from her missing dog ads and send any footage or photos where they may have spotted Athena. Based on all the alerts Comer got, it looked like Athena made a nearly 20-mile roundtrip while she was missing.

At every alert, Comer and her family would go to the spot within minutes and search for Athena  to no avail.

She was the hide-and-seek all time grand champion, Comer said. With every sighting my heart jumped, and it honestly was excitement and then your hearts crushed because we were always one step behind.

Athena, a 4-year-old German shepherd and husky mix, approaches the video doorbell of Comer's home in Green Cove Springs, Fla., on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024.Provided by Brooke Comer

The entire search was a terrifying and scary experience for Comer, who was worried about where her already skittish dog could have gone or could have encountered. That was until 2:30 a.m. Christmas Eve, when she got a Ring video notification from her doorbell and her other dog began barking.

I was kind of like in a daze, and the dog was barking, and as soon as I heard that ring, I looked at my phone and you could see in the video it was Athena and she was jumping at the door, ringing the doorbell, Comer said.

As soon as Comer opened the door, Athena bolted inside and went to go lick her sons face, who was on the couch half-asleep. After that, she immediately grabbed her ball to play and shortly went to her cage to go back to sleep.

Comer said the experience gave so much hope because of the neighbors and the large community looking for Athena for the past week. The next plan was to get Athena a full exam, flea and tick treatments and a microchip.

 STEPHANY MATAT, Associated Press
The United States saw an 18% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally regulated tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were homeless  a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.

That increase comes on top of a 12% increase measured in January 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.

Oregon was the lone state in which officials opted not to conduct a new count of people living unsheltered in nearly all its most populous counties in 2024, the federal report indicated. In Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Polk and Jackson counties, officials only tallied people living in emergency shelters and transitional housing, not those living outdoors, in vehicles and in other places not designed for human habitation, the report said. Rather, counts of unsheltered Oregonians taken in January 2023 were used as counts for 2024 as well, making them unreliable.

The federal government only requires jurisdictions, which it calls Continuums of Care, to count all their homeless residents in odd-numbered years. Nevertheless, 94% of the nations 385 jurisdictions did so in January 2024.

But in Oregon, only three of seven jurisdictions, including Lane County and rural central Oregon, conducted a full count, the report said. The others, including Multnomah County, where about one-third of all homeless Oregonians live, only took a census of those living in shelters.

Thats particularly problematic for understanding trends in homelessness in Oregon, where an estimated 66% of people experiencing homelessness live unsheltered.

For more than two decades, city of Portland and more recently Multnomah County leaders have chosen to carry out federally regulated surveys only in odd-numbered years, when the federal government requires they be done, because the one-night counts miss people and are of limited utility, said Denis Theriault, a county spokesperson. The countys work to create a much more accurate by-name list, recently highlighted by The Oregonian/OregonLive, will yield more relevant and actionable information, he said.

The January 2024 count of homeless Oregonians living in emergency shelters or transitional housing rose 25% from 2023, to just over 6,900 people, the report said.

Nationally, one of the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness, a category that was strongly affected by the arrival of migrants in big cities. Family homelessness more than doubled in 13 communities impacted by migrants including Denver, Chicago and New York City, according to HUD, while it rose less than 8% in the remaining 372 communities. Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% jump from last year.

Disasters also played a part in the rise in the count, especially last years catastrophic Maui wildfire, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. More than 5,200 people were staying in emergency shelters in Hawaii on the night of the count.

Increased homelessness is the tragic, yet predictable, consequence of underinvesting in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing, Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in a statement. As advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase as more people struggle to afford sky-high housing costs.

Robert Marbut Jr., the former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness from 2019 to 2021, called the nearly 33% increase in homelessness over the past four years disgraceful and said the federal government needs to abandon efforts to prioritize permanent housing.

We need to focus on treatment of substance use and mental illness and bring back program requirements, like job training, Marbut said in an email.

The numbers also come as increasing numbers of communities are taking a hard line against homelessness.

Some communities  especially in Western states  have begun enforcing bans on camping as public pressure grows to address what some residents say are dangerous and unsanitary living conditions. That follows a 6-3 ruling earlier this year by the Supreme Court that found that outdoor sleeping bans dont violate the Eighth Amendment. Homeless advocates argued that punishing people who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness.

Portland Mayor-elect Keith Wilson won a resounding victory in November after he ran on a platform that placed getting virtually all unsheltered Portlanders into emergency shelters by next fall as his No. 1 priority.

There was some positive news in the count, as homelessness among veterans continued to trend downwards. Homelessness among veterans dropped 8% to 32,882 in 2024. It was an even larger decrease for unsheltered veterans, declining 11% to 13,851 in 2024.

The reduction in veteran homelessness offers us a clear roadmap for addressing homelessness on a larger scale, Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a statement. With bipartisan support, adequate funding and smart policy solutions, we can replicate this success and reduce homelessness nationwide. Federal investments are critical in tackling the countrys housing affordability crisis and ensuring that every American has access to safe, stable housing.

Several large cities had success bringing down their homeless numbers. Dallas, which worked to overhaul its homeless system, saw a 16% drop in its numbers between 2022 to 2024. Los Angeles, which increased housing for the homeless, saw a drop of 5% in unsheltered homelessness since 2023. California, the most populous state in the U.S., continued to have the nations largest homeless population, followed by New York, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts.

The sharp increase in the homeless population over the past two years contrasts with success the U.S. had been having for more than a decade.

Going back to the first survey conducted in 2007, the U.S. made steady progress for about a decade in reducing the homeless population as the government focused particularly on increasing investments to get veterans into housing. The number of homeless people dropped from about 637,000 in 2010 to about 554,000 in 2017.

The numbers ticked up to about 580,000 in the 2020 count and held relatively steady over the next two years as Congress responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with emergency rental assistance, stimulus payments, aid to states and local governments and a temporary eviction moratorium.

This story was reported and written by The Associated Press with Oregon-specific additions by Betsy Hammond, who co-edits The Oregonian/OregonLives coverage of homelessness.

 Betsy Hammond oversees coverage of state politics and government as well as education, Portland City Hall, Multnomah County and homelessness. Reach her at betsyhammond@oregonian.com
This photo taken on Dec. 28, 2024 with a mobile phone shows people gathering near a drone attack site in El Fasher city, Sudan. At least 20 civilians were killed and 17 others injured in two attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on two displacement camps in El Fasher city in western Sudan, a local government official said on Saturday. (Photo by Ibrahim Taj Al-Sir/Xinhua)

KHARTOUM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 civilians were killed and 17 others injured in two attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on two displacement camps in El Fasher city in western Sudan, a local government official said on Saturday.

"Last night (Friday), a RSF militia drone dropped four bombs on Qoz Bena school, a camp hosting hundreds of displaced people in El Fasher, killing 19 civilians and injuring 16 others," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health department, told Xinhua.

"This morning, the militia launched artillery shelling on Abu Shouk displacement camp, north of El Fasher, killing a civilian and injuring a girl," he added.

The RSF has not yet commented on the two incidents in El Fasher.

Fierce clashes have been raging in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF since May 10.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced over 14 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by international organizations. 
ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish army has "neutralized" five members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria and northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

In a statement on X, the ministry reported that three "terrorists" from PKK and YPG were "neutralized" in the Euphrates Shield region of northern Syria. Turkiye considers the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the PKK.

Additionally, two other PKK members were "neutralized" in the Claw-Lock Operation area in northern Iraq, according to the ministry.

"We will continue our fight against terrorism with the same determination and resolve, without compromise, as we have until now," the ministry stated.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralize" in their statements to imply the alleged terrorists have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured.

Since 2016, Turkiye has conducted anti-terror operations along its border with northern Syria to establish a YPG-free zone. These operations include Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018, and Peace Spring in 2019 and 2020.

Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq in 2022 to target PKK hideouts.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in armed rebellion against the Turkish government for four decades. 
Its Friday, so a new article has been published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: The Allegory of Ruth as a Prophecy of Latter-day Gathering, written by Jan Francisco

Abstract: In the historical context of the late fifth century BC, the book of Ruth was a powerful story of hope and redemption for the eventual gathering and restoration of Israels covenants. Connecting their golden period of unity under King David to this idyllic tale with a beautiful happy ending may be more than a family story. It could also be read allegorically to prophesy the promised gathering of Israel by the Gentiles in the Latter-days. The key to understanding the symbolic layer of this story lies in deciphering the Hebrew meanings of the characters names, with Naomi representing the Israelites, and Ruth the Gentiles. Doing so unlocks the messages in the story of the Gentiles gathering Israel, the marriage relationship of Christ and the Church, and the promise of a Millennial Messiah. Exploring the connection of the book of Ruth, Pentecost, and harvest themes adds more significance to this allegory.

The article above is accompanied, on the website of the Interpreter Foundation, by Interpreting Interpreter: Gathering a Gentile Ruth, which was written by Kyler Rasmussen:

This post is a summary of the article The Allegory of Ruth as a Prophecy of Latter-day Gathering by Jan Francisco in Volume 63 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. A video introduction to this Interpreter article is now available on all of our social media channels, including on YouTube at https://youtube.com/shorts/8dgj_ZUdgd8. The Takeaway: Francisco outlines an interpretation of the story of Ruth where it represents Christ (Boaz) gathering in faithful gentiles (Ruth) into the House of Israel (the family of Naomi), helping to support and restore that house after it abandons its covenant status, as fulfilled via the Latter-day restoration of the Gospel. Ive just begun reading Martin Hilbert, A Catholic Case for Intelligent Design (Seattle: Discovery Institute, 2024). Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Father Hilbert, who is a priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Toronto, emigrated to Canada as a child in the wake of the Soviet invasion of his country that occurred on 20 August 1968. He holds an MASc in electrical engineering and a PhD in the history and philosophy of science from the University of Toronto. I share here a couple of passages about the history of evolutionary thought in biology that I thought might be of interest: In late antiquity, Augustine famously introduced the notion of seminal reasons to explain how God could be said to create at the beginning things that would only be visibly present in later ages. Just as seeds develop into plants over time, so one created reality could give rise to another as history unfolds. In the fifteenth century, the rediscovery of Lucretiuss long poem De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), presenting an atomistic/materialistic/evolutionary account of the origin of life, may have sown the seeds of materialistic evolutionary speculation in Europe, though if so, the seeds were very slow to sprout. (Chapter 2) Augustines idea of seminal reasons (rationes seminales) strikes me as potentially quite helpful for reconciling belief in divine creation with some sort of organic evolution. In particular, I think its interesting in connection with such phenomena as the famous Cambrian explosion. Father Hilbert also talks about the two great founders of nineteenth-century evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin and the unfortunately somewhat neglected but very interesting Alfred Russel Wallace, whose independent formulation of a concept of biological evolution impelled Darwin to publish his own theory so as not to forfeit the credit for it:

Darwin published his Origin of Species in 1859, and it is his name that we now associate with evolution. Darwin was the first to conceive of the theory; and, unlike Wallace, he came from the upper echelons of British society. His mother was from the immensely wealthy Wedgewood family; and he married his cousin Emma Wedgewood. Wallace was abroad doing field work whereas Darwin was right in the heart of England, and as a gentleman of independent means had considerable leisure time to advocate for his theory in subsequent books and through a voluminous correspondence with top scientists in England, Europe, and the United States. Finally, Darwin insisted that his theory could account for all life, even for all the faculties of human beings, a view Wallace ultimately rejected. For all these reasons Darwin, rather than Wallace, become the clear-cut choice for patron saint of modern evolutionary materialism. (Chapter 2)

Even right in the middle of the Winter Solstice holiday, theists and theism continue to wage war on decent people who are otherwise just trying to mind their own business. Here is an example of such shameless misbehavior that Ive taken from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File: The Church of Jesus Christ Provides Humanitarian Aid After Flooding in Panama

But, of course, religions crimes against humanity are cruelly distributed throughout the entire year. Here are some examples that, again, have been drawn from the Hitchens File: Giving Gifts of Love: The Church of Jesus Christ in 2024

And, thanks to a tip from Dr. Lynn Johnson, Im also able to share this article from the Hitchens File: Eleonora Papaleontiou-Louca, Religiosity: Is It Mainly Linked to Mental Health or to Psychopathology? Religions 15 (2024):

Abstract: The impact of religiosity on human mental health has been much debated over the last few decades. A large number of empirical and theoretical studies have been conducted to understand the impact of religiosity and spirituality on peoples quality of mental health. Though the vast majority of research indicates that religiosity makes a positive contribution to a persons mental health and can give meaning to life, both the positive and some negative effects of religiosity on mental health are discussed. The impact of religiosity on peoples mental health seems to correspond to the quality of their religiosity.

Eleonora Papaleontiou-Louca is affiliated with the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences of the European University, in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Here we are well into Hanukkah. A most interesting holiday. One I understand that the rabbis, and quite correctly, have always felt more than ambivalent about. But also its one of those holidays people just love.

So the rabbis worked it. And the story of a fundamentalist uprising and their pyrrhic victory is turned into a meditation on light and faith.

For me that pyrrhic victory means a lot. Its haunted by so many terrible things. Failures. I think of that arch in Rome celebrating the destruction of Jerusalem. I think of the terrible things people do to each other.

And I think of how in the midst of the bad, so much that is bad, there is something. A seed. A light. A small flame that burns when it should not.

And as I thought about this one thing led to another, and, well

A psychic once declared I had been a rabbi in a very recent incarnation. I love to tell this. But, I have to then add how my Jewish friends are pretty clear that I am in fact about as goyish as one can be. My smattering of Yiddish expressions, nearly all learned during my time in a Zen Buddhist monastery, are also nearly all mispronounced, and on occasion exist only in the general vicinity of correct usage. And even my read of the Hebrew scriptures is all washed through my Baptist upbringing, or in reaction to it.

The gaps in my knowledge of Judaism are big enough to drive starships through

So it didnt really come as a surprise when I recently discovered the famous line about Rabbi Hillel proclaiming the Torah while standing on one foot, Do not do to your neighbor what is hateful to you. Everything else is commentary is only part of a larger story.

Turns out the person who asked the question of the good rabbi, actually asked it of another rabbi first. When asked about what could be said of the Torah while standing on one foot, perhaps an ancient version of what we sometimes call an elevator speech, Rabbi Shammai had quite a different response than Hillel.

The story is preserved in the Talmud as Shabbat 31a. It begins:

A certain heathen came to Rabbi Shammai saying You can convert me if you can summarize the Torah while I stand on one foot. The rabbi beat him with a measuring stick.

I actually didnt get it was a heathen who asked the question before, either. So, someone in quest for truth, perhaps even more than a birthright person looking for clarity. A seeker is asking. Yearning. Hoping. Longing.

And he gets his beating.

It is only after this the heathen goes to Hillel. The commentaries add in the emotions for these encounters. Shammai was angry while Hillel was patient. And the meaning of it all flows on from there.

However, as a Zen person I can read this anecdote quite a bit differently. Especially if you strip out the emotions of the two moments.

Hillels response is lovely. It is a calling to the one teaching that seems truly to be universal to our human condition. The Golden Rule seems to draw from places deep in our human hearts. If anything can be said to be engraved on our hearts, it is probably this sense of fundamental fairness. Pretty much all ethics, even the structures of government can flow from this deep intuition.

But then theres that smack with a ruler.

On the Zen way, rebuke is often used as praise. And apparent non sequiturs, including sharp yells and the odd strike with hand or with some object at hand, are used to answer essentially the same question. What is the Torah? What is the meaning of Bodhidharma coming from the West?

To put it plainly: What is true?

Why does the world and my heart hurt? What is meaning of suffering? Why is the world so beautiful? Why does it all pass so quickly?

What heals the heart? What heals the world?

Here we might find ourselves drawn to the mysteries of the intimate. Even more powerful than that most powerful call of equity and care.

The sages proclaim, just this.

Talk about the shamash. Worthless. To no purpose.

The law and the prophets. The teaching of the Buddhas. The good news.

When we let go of our analysis, only for a second, if we let go of what we know, if only for a heartbeat. If we just meet that strike with the ruler without judgment or expectation.

You know, here. Just here.

This is what the sages call us to.

Find the right eyes, and heaven is right here. The Pure Land.

This place.

The rest, as they say, is commentary
President-elect Donald Trump is obsessed with Liz Cheney.

In fact, he has repeatedly called for her to be jailed for her work on the January 6 Committee. A recent partisan report from a House Administration subcommittee was all Trump needed to place a target on her back on his Truth Social platform: Liz Cheney has done egregious and unthinkable acts of crime. She is so unpopular and disgusting, a real loser!

But the Subcommittee report is flawed. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md) explained: Liz Cheney did not commit a crime. Its not close. The suggestion to the contrary by the Republicans who ran the Committee betrays that they either have no clue about criminal law or dont care because the politics of payback reign supreme.

The issue stems from the fact that Cheney spoke with a witness from the Trump White House and encouraged her to tell the truth. In fact, the aide in question, Cassidy Hutchinson, reached out to the Committee in the first instance to do exactly that. As Raskin points out: It is not a crime in America to tell someone to testify truthfully. Thats the opposite of witness tampering  and, of course, Cassidy Hutchinson did testify truthfully. In addition, Since Hutchinson first reached out to Cheney, any subsequent work done by Congressional Committees is covered by the Constitutions speech and debate clause.

Heres the truth: The incoming Trump administration wants to erase all memory of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots. Despite the bloody violence and the effort to overturn an election, the incoming administration would have us believe that the only crimes committed were done by those who stood for the Constitution and against an insurrection. By singling out Liz Cheney, he puts a target on her back.

Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, arrives to testify as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to reveal its findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 28, 2022.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Not long ago, on the other side of the world, a dictator by the name of Kim Jong-un took out his revenge against his own half-brother. Kim Jong-nam died after two assassins smeared a nerve agent on his face in an airport in Kuala Lumpur.

Kim Jong-nam had been passed over for positions in the North Korean government because he committed the crime of merely suggesting that Kim Jong-un was not up to the task of governing. He died a gruesome death at the hands of a tyrant who could not handle any criticism.

Unlike North Korea, the United States of America stands for robust debate and free speech. That is until a president-elect starts the drumbeat to lock up his political opponents.

You might think that any comparison to the maniacal Kim Jong-un is extreme. But consider that a U.S. president  or even a President-elect  is exponentially more powerful than any North Korean dictator. This means that any political or personal threats that come from Mar-a-Lago get immediate attention. When Trump blathers about buying Greenland or annexing Canada, a frightening percentage of his supporters buy into the schemes. When Trump singles out Liz Cheney for retribution, he legitimizes an inquisition that is baseless and flies in the face of American traditions of free speech and robust political discourse.

Worse, he invites actual violence from a faction of his MAGA minions.

Back to the subcommittee report, Raskin calls it thin gruel. It doesnt change the facts of the Jan. 6 attack. It doesnt lay a glove on the bipartisan committees original report. It doesnt implicate any member of that committee in any way. It is, according to Raskin, empty heckling.

Still, we should take note of an incoming administration that is obsessed with looking backward rather than forward. The early ramblings of the president-elect demonstrate a shallowness that is unprecedented and unacceptable for anyone aspiring to hold the most powerful position on the planet.

FILE - Rioters storm the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)AP

Somebody should tell the incoming president that he is not the only one who has dealt with strident opponents. Somebody should remind him of the second inaugural address of a man who knew he was despised by about half of the nation he would lead.

Lincoln knew that the preservation of the country was the only priority. He did not waste his time on revenge  even for those who bore arms against him and his cause. He sought to govern all his people with malice toward none; with charity for all.

Back off of Liz Cheney, Mr. President-elect. You have a world of responsibilities that require nobler instincts.

Mark S. Singel is a former lieutenant governor and former acting governor of Pennsylvania.
SYDNEY, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three homes and nearly a dozen outbuildings have been destroyed in a major bushfire burning in a national park in Australia's southeastern state of Victoria, local media reported on Saturday.

Cooler, settled conditions in and around the Grampians National Park, 230 km west of Melbourne, have allowed emergency crews to start initial impact assessments, according to The Age daily newspaper.

Three homes have been lost in the town of Moyston, while 11 outbuildings have been destroyed by the fire across Moyston and Pomonal, the report said.

"These numbers will continue to evolve over the next couple of days," State Control Center spokesman Luke Heagerty was quoted as saying.

Fire crews are expecting conditions for fighting the out-of-control 75,000-hectare fire across the Grampians National Park to remain favorable for the next seven days, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Warnings have been downgraded to watch and act level with residents advised to monitor conditions. 
Poker Pro Files Lawsuit Against Phil Nagy, ACR Poker Over Breach of Contract

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. Copy link

Phil Nagy, ACR Poker's head boss, reportedly told Scott Ball to "sue me" over a financial dispute, and that's exactly what occurred just before Christmas.

The poker pro filed a lawsuit in a San Diego Superior Court on Dec. 23 over a breach of contract against Nagy, ACR (formerly Americas Cardroom), International Processing Services, and Foozle Ventures. Ball's talent agency, End Game Talent, LLC, was hired by ACR to arrange streamers to promote the poker site, many of whom reported they were never paid, including Ludwig Ahgren.

Nagy claims that ACR paid the agency and that End Game was responsible for then paying the streamers. But Ball, in a September interview with PokerNews, alleged that his company never received millions in contracted payments, leaving him unable to pay the streamers.

Both parties have publicly disputed the other side's claims, and now a judge will officiate the matter.

Lawsuit Against ACR Poker

Scott Ball

Ball told PokerNews earlier this year that his company worked for ACR Poker for "over seven years" and that he had contracts for "tens of millions of dollars," none of which was paid after June 2023. Exhibit A in the lawsuit shows nine invoices each for $3,300,000 from June 1, 2023 to April 1, 2024 from End Game to "Americas Cardroom Campaign."

The plaintiff seeks damages in the amount of "at least $30 million, restitution for unjust enrichment, legal fees, and damages for defamation and trade libel." Ball argues that Nagy made defamatory statements against the poker pro.

"Defendant published false and defamatory statements about Plaintiffs, including but not limited to public statements attributing payment failures to Plaintiffs' alleged failure to 'follow through on their commitments' and claiming Plaintiffs 'dropped the ball,' the complaint reads, referring to statements Nagy made to Matt Berkey and crew on an August OnlyFriends podcast episode.

The lawsuit claims Nagy and ACR made alleged false statements with "actual malice and intent" to harm Ball's professional reputation and "deflect blame for their own conduct."

Scott Ball Says I Want to See Creators Get Paid; Claims Nagy Never Made Good on Eight-Figure Deal

The main cause of action against the defendants is for breach of contract. Ball's attorneys argue their client performed all obligations as set forth in the contract, while the ACR didn't pay $29.7 million in combined promised installments.

Ball, who has over $1.8 million in The Hendon Mob cashes, contends that "repeated demands for payment and concessions," ACR has failed to pay the outstanding debt "due under the contract."

Ball, as the lawsuit explains, is facing a separate but connected lawsuit filed against him from Loaded, LLC over nonpayment related to the ACR matter, a payment the California poker player claims he's been unable to make due to ACR's refusal to first pay his talent agency.

A hearing has been set for July 18, 2025.

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Quick Response Reporter

Komlavi Adissem is a breaking news and public safety reporter based in Charleston, S.C. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he covered local, county, and state government for the Columbia Missourian. Find him on Twitter (X) and Bluesky @KAdissem!
JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Saturday that it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen aimed at the Jerusalem area.

The IDF statement said that "a projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory."

The missile activated air defense sirens in the Jerusalem area, the Judean Lowlands, and the Dead Sea, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to rush to shelters just after 2:10 a.m. local time (0010 GMT), said the IDF.

On Thursday, Israeli fighter jets conducted a series of strikes on Yemeni targets, including on the international airport in Sanaa and power stations. The airstrikes killed at least six, according to the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV. 
The Chief Magistrates Court in Ibadan filed four charges against Queen Naomi Silekunola, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, broadcaster Oriyomi Hamzat, and Abdullahi Babatunde over the tragic incident that occurred on Wednesday at the Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.

The event, a funfair carnival intended to bring joy to children, ended in chaos, resulting in the deaths of 35 individuals, including children aged between five months and 13 years.

On Tuesday, the Iyaganku Chief Magistrates Court in Ibadan ordered the remand of the defendants at the Agodi Correctional Centre, citing lack of jurisdiction to hear the charges. Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi did not take their pleas but directed that the case be transferred to the appropriate court.

Police Inspector Sikiru Opaleye, the prosecutor, disclosed that the defendants organised a Christmas party for children but failed to ensure a safe environment, leading to the stampede. He revealed that the tragedy occurred between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan.

Charges

The charges include conspiracy, culpable homicide, and negligent acts causing harm.

According to a copy of the charges obtained by Premium Times, the defendants were accused of conspiring to commit a felony and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities for the event.

Conspiracy to commit a felony

The court alleged that the defendants conspired to commit a felony leading to acceleration of death, contrary to Section 324 of the Criminal Code.

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Culpable Homicide

They allegedly caused the deaths of Musiliu Sofia and thirty-four others by organising a funfair without providing adequate security and medical facilities to prevent the stampede. This offence is contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code. Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000

Negligent acts causing harm

The defendants are also charged with conspiring to commit negligent acts causing harm, contrary to Section 517 of the Criminal Code. Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000

Failure to ensure safety

The court alleged that they unlawfully omitted the provision of adequate security, medical facilities, and a conducive atmosphere before inviting attendees to the venue, resulting in the stampede. Cap 38, Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

Background

Premium Times reported that 35 people were confirmed dead during a stampede at a childrens carnival in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The event was organised by WINGS (Women In Need of Guidance and Support), a foundation established by Queen Naomi Silekunola, in collaboration with media partner Agidigbo FM. The funfair, meant to bring joy to children, turned chaotic, resulting in the loss of lives.

The Oyo State Police Command confirmed the arrest of eight suspects, including the defendants, following the incident. Other suspects include Fasasi Abdulahi (56), Genesis Christopher (24), Tanimowo Moruf (52), Anisolaja Olabode (42), Idowu Ibrahim (35), and Abiola Oluwatimilehin (25).

Police spokesperson Adewale Osifeso described the incident as a stampede caused by overcrowding and inadequate safety measures. He noted that the case had been transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

So far, 35 minors have been confirmed dead, while six others remain critically injured and are receiving medical attention, Mr Osifeso said.

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Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Director: Akay Mason

Release Date: 13 December

Cast: Uzor Arukwe, Mercy Aigbe, Iyabo Ojo, Olaiya Igwe, The cute Abiola, Jaiye Kuti, Adeniyi Johnson, Olu Deno Adebamowo, Yvonne Jegede, Uche Montana, Prisma James, Akintunde Yusuf, Martins Ogbebor, Nkechi Blessing, Daniella Peters, Motilola Akinlami, Yekini Ibrahim,

Streaming platform: Cinemas

Thinline, produced by Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe in collaboration with Kazim.S. Adeoti and directed by Akay Mason, tells the story of Pastor Raymond, a charismatic preacher celebrated for his spirit-filled sermons and practical teachings on relationships and marriage, who finds his life unravelling after a chance encounter with Annie, a desperate prostitute.

What begins as a lapse in judgment spirals into multiple guilt-ridden nights. Seeing an opportunity, Annie seizes her chance, blackmailing Raymond and threatening to expose him, risking his ministry and entire reputation.

Plot

Pastor Raymond Njoku (Uzor Arukwe), a respected preacher celebrated for his spiritual guidance and teachings on relationships, stumbles into a dangerous affair with Annabelle Annie Coker (Uche Montana), a manipulative prostitute. Known for deceiving and stealing from her clients, Annie demands more than money from the pastor.

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Unable to bear the weight of his actions, Pastor Raymond eventually confesses to his wife, Damilola Njoku (Mercy Aigbe). Just as he decides to end Annies schemes, tragedy strikesAnnie is found dead in her apartment.

When police investigate, evidenceincluding a sex tapepoints to Pastor Raymond as the prime suspect. However, a shocking twist reveals that his wife, Damilola, driven by jealousy after discovering Annie was pregnant with Raymonds child, committed the murder.

Character Analysis

Pastor Ray Njoku (Uzor Arukwe): The host pastor of Power of God Ministry; he preaches about faith and Gods love for everyone. He also preaches about relationships and marriages and lives a practical life based on what he preaches.

Damilola Njoku (Mercy Aigbe): Married to the famous pastor, lived her life serving God and her husband but had no child for ten years of marriage, misunderstood her husband and committed murder out of jealousy after finding out that the prostitute was carrying a child for her husband.

Annie (Uche Montana): The prostitute who steals from her clients and, most times, doesnt even have sex with them. Possessed, she meets with the pastor and demands something more than money.

Ibrahim Yekini (Seyi Baller): Portrays a fraudster with a fake accent who becomes one of Annies victims. Enraged after she steals from him, he retaliates by shooting her.

Ebun Oloyede plays a husband tricked by Annie, who steals money meant for his wife, adding depth to the narrative.

Rukkie Mama (Laide JaiyeKuti): Shines as a streetwise pimp who connects clients to prostitutes. In a memorable scene, she admonishes Annie for her deceitful and destructive behaviour.

Notable mentions

Nkechi Blessing and Yvonne Jegede: Notable in their portrayals as supporting prostitutes, adding realism to the story.

Wunmi (Iyabo Ojo) plays the wife of Chief, whose money Annie steals during one of her schemes.

Themes

The film explores themes of faith, love, betrayal, forgiveness, jealousy, and redemption. Thin Line showcases actual actions and emotions, incredible performances, and attractive scenes that keep viewers fixated on the screen.

Right from the script, the writer and editor did a great job. Who would have anticipated the shocking twist? Then, the director, producer, cinematographer, and every other team member did a fantastic job because the shooting and editing were correctly done so that you would hardly notice any errors.

The cast delivered emotionally charged performances, fully immersing themselves in their roles and bringing their characters to life with depth and authenticity. Even the minor characters left a lasting impression, with their expressions and dialogue skillfully complementing the narrative.

However, the films originality falters as it draws inspiration from familiar plots. Additionally, some detailssuch as the sparse and unrealistic depiction of the police stationlacked the bustling activity typically associated with such settings.

Verdict

Despite minor flaws, Thin Line is one of Nollywoods finest productions of 2024. The story is captivating and evokes different emotions.

Its thought-provoking themes and captivating narrative make it a must-watch. With excellent performances and commendable technical execution, its a perfect film to round off the year.

I rate the Thin Line 6/10.

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Our dear Rafat Salami, what else can we say? What remain is to thank you for your impact on humanity. And to add that although there may be a mystical or spiritual reason for your sudden departure, we are glad that you lived a purposeful life. You taught valuable lessons. You touched lives. They will serve as monuments to your memory. Adieu, Comrade.

Rafat was a most admired woman. Many would have wished to be like her, but most would not have been like her, no matter the burning desire. The reason? Rafat was an exceptional gift to humanity whose type could compare to Haleys Comet  coming around every 72 to 80 years. The rarity of her kind made her sudden death on Friday, December 20, shocking and devastating.

While most mothers love their children, it is arguable whether any mother towered above Rafat in the context of loving and caring for a challenged child. She expanded that frontier with an uncommon commitment and approach to addressing the challenge of her darling son, Ahmed, thus helping him to cope and live happily with autism. As should be expected of a thoroughbred broadcast media professional, she deployed an unrestrained storytelling tool to get this done. By relentlessly bombarding us with photographs and videos of Ahmeds exciting moments, Rafat made him the star boy whose abilities against disabilities became inspiring news, not the least his Americana or Britico accent. Yet Ahmed, according to Rafat, could barely pronounce a word in about five years of his early life!

Indeed, Ahmeds vocabulary can sometimes be enthusing. I recall when the child and his mother argued intensely over the latters insistence on helping the former scrub his upper back while bathing because his hand was not mobile enough to do justice to the concerned area. Ahmed, savouring having just turned 18, retorted that the thought and suggestion were creepy. When Rafat asked why, he reiterated: Because its creepy, Mum.

While we enjoyed the fun and poured accolades on mother and son, we probably paid less attention to the pains and pangs the mother was enduring, perhaps because she only occasionally betrayed the fact. Within the past year, however, she lamented how helping Ahmed stand on his feet, especially by getting him to accept a vocation, was herculean. Then came the illness that manifested in sudden immobility of the limbs and ultimate confinement to the wheelchair.

I called Rafat when I read about the disturbing turn of events. Let me digress a bit. Rafat and I relate as professional colleagues, fellow media trainers, and comrades  both of us being gender activists and trade unionists. Years back, when she ran for the chair of FCT, Abuja Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and lost, some of us felt we didnt do enough to support a comrade who, beyond theory, attempted to break a gender barrier at the level of the Council.

Rafat did run an inspiring campaign, and if today the FCT NUJ chapter has a woman as the new chair, it is partly because an enigma like Rafat once dared to run. As such, it was a comradely conversation revealing how far she had gone to seek medical solutions to her ailment and how much support she deserved, leading me to make my modest contribution, which she appreciated as if I had dropped a million. She was humble and appreciative.

The triennial conference and meeting of the International Press Institute (IPI), Nigeria, in Abuja on 11 and 12 December, offered a perfect opportunity to continue the conversation. There were smiles, jokes, and warm embraces, but the sight of Rafat in the wheelchair was worrisome. Yet, undeterred, it was from that wheelchair, which she assured us would soon be discarded, following improvement to her health, that she presented a detailed financial report for the past three years, for which she was applauded before being re-elected for a second term in the Muskiliu Mojeed-led Exco.

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The IPI conference offered me another opportunity to meet the famous Ahmed in person. That happened during the group lunch, and the encounter was again revealing. When I arrived, the mother was begging her visibly upset son to calm down and eat. The son was upset because he had just returned from the hospital, where a toenail had been pulled out following an injury. The pain led to a misplaced anger against the sons family friend, who had accompanied him to the hospital. I joined the pleading and cajoling party until Ahmed agreed to eat. It took a longer while before he managed to smile. Invariably, all smiled around the table.

A few weeks on, we are now in a state of shock over the sudden death of Rafat, with many rightly worried about what would become of Ahmed. It would be challenging, but Im hoping that after the initial shock, the memory of all his mother did to make him succeed would positively affect Ahmed.

Our dear Rafat Salami, what else can we say? What remain is to thank you for your impact on humanity. And to add that although there may be a mystical or spiritual reason for your sudden departure, we are glad that you lived a purposeful life. You taught valuable lessons. You touched lives. They will serve as monuments to your memory. Adieu, Comrade.

Lanre Arogundade, executive director of the International Press Centre (IPC), is a former Chairman of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

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A fire outbreak has ravaged the Masaka market in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The incident occurred late Friday night from about 10:30 p.m., residents said.

Witnesses described the scene as pathetic, with hundreds of shops and valuables worth millions of naira, destroyed.

Joseph Jatau, a witness, told PREMIUM TIMES that the fire spread rapidly, catching traders unaware.

We rushed to the market and found everything engulfed in flames, Mr Jatau said. Community members called the fire service, but they arrived late, citing a lack of water.

READ ALSO: Group distributes relief materials to vulnerable communities in Nasarawa

Another trader, Usman Aliyu, estimated that over 500 shops were destroyed in the blaze.

We were still at the market when the fire started, but we dont know the cause, Mr Aliyu said.

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The entire market has been burnt down, including food storage areas.

Governor Abdullahi Sule visited the scene on Saturday, pledging support for the affected traders.

The incident has raised concerns about the lack of fire safety measures in markets in the state.

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The Chief of Staff to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulKadir Mahe, is dead.

He died in the early hours of Saturday.

This was announced on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.

His remains were buried on the same day at his residence on Moro Street, Adewole Estate, Ilorin.

His Excellency deeply mourns the death of Prince AbdulKadir Mahe, a perfect gentleman, community leader, urbane public servant, and a statesman, the statement added.

In the statement, the governor commiserated with the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari; the immediate family of the deceased; government establishments; and cabinet members.

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We ask for the understanding of everyone at this mournful period as the government and family mourn the quintessential public servant.

We pray that Allaah accept his return, ease his accounts, admit him to al-jannah Firdaus, and uphold his family upon goodness, the governor said.

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GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least nine Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on Saturday, Palestinian sources said.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said an Israeli aircraft bombed a house on the outskirts of Maghazi camp with at least one missile.

Hussam Al-Daqran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza, told Xinhua that nine people were killed, including children and women, and dozens of wounded people were sent to the hospital following the airstrike.

The Israeli army did not comment on the raid.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a press statement on Saturday that Israeli forces began operating at night against "terrorist targets in the Beit Hanoun area in light of prior intelligence information about the presence of a number of terrorists and terrorist facilities in the area."

Before the forces entered, Israeli fighter jets, in cooperation with artillery fire, attacked "several terrorist targets in the area, including terrorist gathering points and other terrorist facilities belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization," according to the statement.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza 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 enclave has risen to 45,484, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday. 
Nigerias National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives, recorded a flurry of significant events during the year. The two chambers resumed from the Christmas/New Year holiday on 30 January 2024 and sat through 19 December except on a few occasions they were on recess. Some of the activities are:

1. Budget padding controversy

On 12 March, the Senate suspended Bauchi Central senator Abdul Ningi for three months for alleging that the 2024 budget was padded with about N3 trillion.

The suspension followed a point of order raised by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Adeola Olamilekan, during the plenary.

Mr Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West) complained that his privileges as chairman of the committee that scrutinised the budget, had been breached by the allegation.

However, Mr Ningi, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was recalled after spending two months and 16 days on suspension.

The Senate resolved to recall Mr Ningi on 28 May after adopting a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro, who apologised on his behalf.

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While on suspension, Mr Ningi was not only removed as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Population, he lost his position as the Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF). He was replaced with Abdulaziz Yaradua, Katsina Central senator.

2. Ndumes demotion for criticising Tinubu

Borno South senator, Ali Ndume, was removed as Senate Chief Whip on 17 July, following a letter from Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman, and Basiru Ajibola, the partys national secretary.

In the letter, the APC leaders referenced an interview Mr Ndume granted in which he criticised the Tinubu administration. The party leaders consequently recommended that the Senate relieve Mr Ndume of his position.

The APC also told Mr Ndume he could quit the ruling party rather than criticise the administration of a president who is its member.

Mr Ndume later apologised for his action and promised not to criticise President Tinubus administration again.

He was demoted to chair the Senate Committee on Tourism. However, he rejected the committee on the grounds that he has no experience in tourism.

Tahir Monguno, the senator for Borno North Senatorial District, took over immediately as the Whip.

3. Akpabios gaffes

Some comments made by the senate president during plenaries during the year were strongly criticised even by state governors.

During plenary on 20 February, Mr Akpabio claimed that state governors received N30 billion each from the federal government to reduce hardships in their respective states.

The claim was controverted by governors who claimed the senate president was playing on the intelligence of Nigerians.

Specifically, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said Mr Akpabio was playing politics with the welfare of Nigerians.

Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno also denied receiving the money from the federal government.

Mr Akpabio later apologised to the governors, saying he regretted making the unverified comment.

He, however, made another gaffe when he misinformed Nigerians about legislative activities in the upper chamber during the Sixth and Seventh Assemblies of the Senate led by David Mark.

Mr Mark, a retired army brigadier-general, served as the senate president between 2007 and 2015 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was a five-term Benue South senator from 1999 to 2019.

During the plenary on 11 July, Mr Akpabio said the official time for plenaries under Mr Marks leadership as senate president was from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to make the timing convenient for the lawmakers.

PREMIUM TIMES however fact-checked Mr Akpabios claim with official documentary records and human sources and discovered that the senate president lied about the timing.

A few weeks after the misinformation, Mr Akpabio, during the plenary, also told the Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, not to turn the Senate into a nightclub where people talk anyhow.

Apart from Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senate president, during another plenary session in the same month, also attempted to silence Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT), who raised a motion seeking to provide basic amenities for fire victims in Karu market, Abuja.

Nigerians on social media criticised the senate president for the statements, saying he was deliberately denigrating the few women in the Senate.

Later, Mr Akpabio apologised for his comment and said he did not intentionally degrade the female senators as was being suggested on social media.

4. Reshuffling of committees

The Senate effected a minor reshuffling of its standing committees in July, following the removal of Mr Ndume and elevation of Mr Monguno to the position of chief whip,

Apart from being the whip, Mr Monguno was also appointed as deputy chairman of the appropriations committee.

Adeniyi Adegbomire (APC, Ondo Central), a SAN, was appointed as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. He replaced Mr Monguno in that position.

Ned Nwoko (PDP, Delta North) was named the chairman of the Committee on Reparation and Repatriation while Musa Mustapha (APC, Yobe East) was appointed as chairman of the Committee on Livestock Development.

Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South) became the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agricultural Institutions, while Mr Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) was reinstated as chairman of the Committee on Population.

There was also a minor reshuffling of standing committee members at the House of Representatives.

In July, the House Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, reassigned Abdulmumin Jibrin, a vocal Kano lawmaker, from the committee on foreign affairs to chair the committee on housing and habitat.

Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) replaced Mr Jibrin as the chairman of the committee on foreign affairs. Mr Oke was initially the chairman of the committee on judiciary.

Aminu Balele, initially the chairman of the Committee on Housing and Habitat, was named the chairman of the Committee on the Army.

Abdullah Mamuda was appointed to fill the vacancy in the Committee on Judiciary. Before this reshuffle, Mr Mamuda was the chairman of the Committee on the Army.

5. NASS loses five members

Four federal lawmakers died this year  three in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate.

The lawmakers who died in 2024 were Ekene Adams, Musliudeen Akinremi, Isa Dogonyaro and Ifeanyi Ubah, a senator.

Mr Adams died on 16 July at the age of 39 after battling illness. He represented the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency of Kaduna State on the platform of the Labour Party. Until his demise, Mr Adams was the chairman of the House Committee on Sports.

Mr Akinremi, a two-term member of the House, who represented Ibadan North Federal Constituency of Oyo State, died in July.

Mr Akinremi, popularly called Jagaban, died at 51. He served as the chairman of the House Committee on Science Research Institutions.

Mr Dogonyaro died on 10 May in Abuja after undisclosed illness. He represented Garki/Babura Federal constituency of Jigawa State under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Until his death, Mr Dogonyaro was the deputy chairperson of the House Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control.

Mr Ubah died on 27July in a hospital in London, United Kingdom after a brief illness. He represented Anambra South Senatorial District.

Mr Ubah was the chief executive officer of Capital Oil and until his death, he was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream.

He would have been 53 on 3 September.

6. N70,000 new minimum wage bill

In July, the two chambers of the National Assembly passed the new National Minimum Wage Bill to pay Nigerian workers at least N70,000 monthly.

The executive bill seeks to amend the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 and reduce the review period from five years to three years.

The Senate intervened in the course of the negotiations between the executive arm and organised labour.

After the passage, President Tinubu gave assent to it and many states have already commenced the payment of the new minimum wage.

7. Constitution review

In February, Mr Akpabio inaugurated a 47-member constitution review committee of the Senate.

The House also inaugurated its own committee to review the constitution.

During the inauguration, the senate president explained that the 1999 constitution contains many issues that should be put right.

The Senates constitution review committee, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, pledged to conclude the exercise in 2026.

Recently, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the committee received 37 memoranda from civil society organisations (CSOs) and other members of the public.

8. The subtle seniority battle over national award

President Tinubu, in his Independence Day broadcast, announced the conferment of national honours on five senior government officials.

They are Messrs Akpabio and Abbas. Others are the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

Messrs Akpabio and the CJN were awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), while Messrs Tajudeen and Jibrin were conferred with the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR).

Mr Kalu was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

During the plenary which happened a day after the announcement, some members of the House of Representatives rejected the CFR award conferred on the speaker.

They specifically demanded that President Tinubu confer the GCON award on Mr Abbas, arguing that both are first among equals.

Philip Agbese (APC, Benue) moved a motion for the rejection of the award and all the House members unanimously supported it.

Two days later, President Tinubu reconsidered his decision and conferred the GCON award on the House Speaker.

9. Tax reform controversy

The tax reform bills have faced criticisms from some Nigerians, with the most prominent being that it disfavours Northern Nigeria.

The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

Mr Ndume, the Borno senator, is a major critic of the bills.

While the bills have passed the second reading in the Senate and referred to the committee on finance, they are yet to be debated at the House of Representatives.

To address the concerns in the bills, the Senate constituted a committee to liaise with a delegation of the federal government led by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

The panel is chaired by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro.

The two parties were supposed to resolve the grey areas but they are yet to do so.

Senators from the South-east have said they are not against the bills but they needed to consult with their governors and other stakeholders in the region.

South-south senators warned people opposed to the tax reform bills not to introduce regional, ethnic or tribal sentiments when criticising the bills.

The senate president has, however, assured that the National Assembly would do everything it can to ensure passage of the tax reform bills.

10. Tinubu, twice guest of NASS

During the year, President Tinubu visited the National Assembly twice.

His first visit was on 29 May to commemorate Nigerias 64th anniversary during which he addressed the lawmakers at a joint session.

Mr Tinubu urged the lawmakers to be united and see themselves as brothers and sisters despite the political, ethnic and religious differences.

The president also commissioned a library named after him.

Mr Tinubus second visit was for the presentation of the N49.7 trillion 2025 budget.

The budget was also presented to a joint session of the National Assembly.

11. New clerk for National Assembly and Senate

In November, the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) approved the appointment of Kamoru Ogunlana as Clerk to the National Assembly following the retirement of Sani Tambuwal.

The Chairman of the Commission, Ahmed Amshi, said Mr Ogunlanas appointment will take effect from 2 February 2025.

While Mr Ogunlana has yet to assume office, Mr Tambawal is on three months of compulsory retirement leave to mark the end of his tenure.

The commission also named Andrew Nwoba as the new clerk for the Senate.

Projections for 2025

1. Constitution review progress

In the coming year, the constitution review committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives will continue with the exercise. They are expected to conduct public hearings across all the geopolitical zones of the country.

Like in the past, the hearings will involve political elites, traditional rulers, student representatives and other stakeholders.

2. Tax reform saga

There is a high probability that the tax reform bills would be passed by both chambers.

The Senate liaison committee is expected to meet with the federal government team led by AGF Fagbemi upon the resumption of plenary in January.

There may be a joint public hearing on the tax bills, which will involve governors, traditional rulers and other stakeholders across the country.

3. Budget defence

Upon resumption of the National Assembly in January, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government will commence the defence of their allocations in the 2025 budget presented by President Tinubu on 18 December.

The budget defence might last for at least two weeks. Afterwards, a final collation will be made at a joint sitting of appropriation committees of both chambers.

The National Assembly may pass the budget early in the new year.

North-west, South-south to come on stream

The North Central Development Commission and South-south Development Commission bills, which are at the second reading stage, will be passed.

Meanwhile, there is a criticism that the SSDC is a duplicate of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which comprises the six South-south states, two South-east states and one South-west state.

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The police in Anambra State have launched a manhunt for killers of a Catholic priest in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

The killing

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the Catholic priest, Tobias Okonkwo, was killed on Thursday in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Okonkwo, a pharmacist, was shot dead by some unidentified assailants at Ihiala, along Onitsha-Owerri Expressway around 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., church authorities announced on Friday.

Manhunt

Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnaghe Obono, has vowed that the police command would leave no stone unturned in tracking down the killers.

Mr Obono has commiserated with the family of Mr Okonkwo as well as authorities of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi over the loss of the cleric.

The police commissioner urged residents of Anambra State to support the security agencies with information that can aid investigation the killing.

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He assured the residents that such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.

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The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has categorically denied accusations that Nigeria intended to sabotage or destabilise Niger, as alleged by its leader, Abdourahmane Tchiani.

Mr Ribadu made this statement in an interview with BBC Hausa, which was provided to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Ribadu described Mr Tchianis claims as surprising and disturbing, emphasising that the allegations were baseless and unfounded.

He pointed out that Nigeria had always maintained peaceful relations with its neighbours, including Cameroon, Benin Republic, and Chad.

Why would we suddenly have a reason to be in conflict with Niger? It simply doesnt make sense, Mr Ribadu stated.

The NSA also rejected the allegation that Nigeria was hosting a French military base, stating that Nigeria had no history of hosting foreign military bases.

He noted that even the United Kingdom, Nigerias former coloniser, had never attempted to establish a base in the country.

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Nigeria firmly resisted an attempt by the US to set up a base (AFRICOM) within our borders, he added.

Mr Ribadu further clarified that Niger had hosted foreign military bases, including one established by the US, which was recently expelled.

He dismissed the claim that France was using Nigerian territory to launch an attack on Niger as implausible and baseless, stressing that such an event would not happen.

How could it even happen? he questioned.

According to Ribadu, Nigerias relationship with France is based on economic cooperation, not military collaboration.

He urged Nigers leadership to reconsider its stance on severing ties with France, stressing that doing so would bring more challenges.

He also called on Niger to reconsider its desire to withdraw from the joint military campaign in the Lake Chad region, noting that such a move would only create additional security issues for both countries.

Mr Ribadu emphasised that Nigeria and Niger face shared security challenges, including terrorism and banditry.

Niger must recognise that we share a common enemy. The same terrorism and banditry that plague Niger also threaten Nigeria. This shared challenge calls for closer cooperation between our nations, he said.

He assured Niger that Nigeria had no intentions of destabilising the country and reiterated that the relationship with France was strictly economic.

We will not allow our country to be used as a tool for destabilising Niger.

We hope that Nigers leadership will understand this and work with us as allies and brothers to ensure peace and stability in the region, Mr Ribadu said.

(NAN)

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Traditional rulers and residents of border communities in Sokoto and Kebbi states have refuted claims by Nigerien leader Abdourahamane Tchiani that Nigeria is host to a French military base and training camps.

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited border communities in the states on Friday reported that there was no evidence of the claim.

Mr Tchiani, in a Christmas Day interview, had claimed that Nigeria had provided a base for French soldiers near Lake Chad.

He also claimed training camps had been established for terrorists in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, all aimed at destabilising Niger.

Findings by NAN, however, indicated that there was no training camp in any of the states bordering Niger as claimed by Tchiani.

Aminu Aliyu, the district head of Balle, a border community with Niger, in Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State, dismissed Mr Tchianis claims.

He described the Nigerien leaders claims as baseless, saying none of his subjects had reported the presence of foreign soldiers or camps in the area.

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According to another community leader, Abdurahman Usman, Marake, Kurdula and Bikini communities are located between eight and 35 kilometres from Niger and residents have not sighted any military camp.

Mr Usman stressed that residents of Balle and other communities were relating well with their counterparts in Nigerien border communities and had at no time reported military presence.

Kabiru Muhammad, a resident of Ruwa-wuri community in Tangaza Local Government Area, acknowledged the presence of Lakurawa bandits sometimes, but not foreign military camps in the area.

Lakurawa terrorists are being chased away by personnel of the Nigerian Army stationed in our area, but there is no foreign military camp in the area, Mr Muhammad said.

Adamu Bagobiri, Yusuf Abubakar and Ibrahim Kadadi, all residents of Tangaza, also denied seeing any military training camp in the area.

They, however, urged the Nigerien leader to cement the long-existing relationship between Nigeria and Niger as many engage in intermarriage and business relationships.

On his part, the Sarkin Arewan Araba, Abubakar Yusufu, dismissed claims of a village or forest called Gaba in his domain.

NAN reports that Araba is a border community in Illela Local Government Area, less than two kilometres from Konni in Niger.

He also debunked the allegation of foreign military camps in the area.

There is no such forest in Araba district or Illela Local Government and we are yet to see any foreigner in our villages.

These are tea joint discussions. Instead, it is the Nigerien military operatives that have been coming into our area every night, he said.

The district head cautioned the Nigerien leader against making baseless allegations capable of severing historical ties.

Another resident of Araba, Muhammadu Danladi, said the allegation of training camps was meant to smear the image of Nigeria.

It is a lie, there is no presence of foreigners in our community. It is just a mere allegation which is unfounded, he said

He also said there had been a deliberate attempt by Nigerien soldiers to harass Nigerians in border communities in the last six months.

Their security operatives at the border areas have been harassing our people, seizing their goods for no just cause.

Their people are, however, having free access into our country.

They have been coming to buy goods and leave, and nobody is harassing them.

We want our government to do something about this, he said.

In Kebbi State, Murtala Muhammad-Kaka, the district head of Bayawa in Augie Local Government Area, also dismissed allegations of foreign military camps in the area.

Mr Muhammad-Kaka described the Nigerien leaders allegations as an attempt to jeopardise the peace and stability enjoyed by border communities in Niger and Nigeria.

Condemning the Nigerien leaders claims as divisive, Mr Muhammada-Kaka called for more initiatives to promote cooperation between both countries.

Mr Muhammada-Kaka, who acknowledged the presence of Lakurawa terrorists in the area, however, commended the Nigerian Army for tackling the menace.

According to him, the community shares borders with Silane, Gidan Sami, Rundi, Karami and Binji communities in Sokoto State as well as Kwaidu and other communities in Kebbi State.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Salah, the district head of Kasaki, a border town in Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State, commended the federal government over its efforts to secure the vast borders.

Mr Salah said no fewer than eight communities share borders with Benin and Niger, with residents speaking the same Dandi dialect.

The traditional ruler said residents engage in farming activities as well as attend the weekly markets and social gatherings in the area.

According to him, communities in the border areas have interwoven relationships.

He said his mother hailed from a town in Benin Republic, adding that many of his subjects have such marital relationships.

He denied knowledge of any foreign military camp and enjoined residents across borders to live in peace with one another.

Another resident, Sidi Mustapha, stressed the need for increased preparedness to address trans-border security challenges such as terrorism, banditry, smuggling and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

NAN reports that Nigeria had rejected allegations made in the viral video by Mr Tchiani, claiming collusion between Nigeria and France to destabilise his country.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday that the claims existed solely in the realm of imagination.

He said Nigeria had never engaged in any overt or covert alliance with France or any other country to sponsor terrorist attacks or destabilise Niger.

The minister said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Chairman of ECOWAS, had demonstrated exemplary leadership.

He said the president had kept the doors of the sub-regional body open to re-engaging Niger in spite of the political situation in that country.

Nigeria remains committed to fostering peace, harmony, and historic diplomatic ties with Niger.

Nigerias armed forces, in collaboration with partners in the Multinational Joint Task Force, are succeeding in curbing terrorism within the region, he said.

(NAN)

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops on internal security operations have apprehended two terrorist ammunition couriers, 256 other suspects, and killed 148 terrorists within one week.

The DHQs Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, a major general, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

Mr Buba said the troops also rescued 291 hostages, arrested 51 suspected oil thieves and recovered stolen crude worth N798.1 million.

He said the suspected ammunition couriers identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza, were apprehended in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

He added that the troops also within the week, recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 assorted ammunition, comprising two PKT guns, 72 AK47 rifles, 33 fabricated rifles, 28 dane guns, among others.

Others, according to him, included 1,596 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 636 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 111 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 114 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 25 rounds of 9mm ammo and 98 live cartridges.

Also recovered are three baofeng radios, three vehicles, 36 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones and the sum of N1.8 million among other items.

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Meanwhile, in the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 66 illegal refining sites, 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats and 45 storage tanks.

Other items recovered include; four speedboats, one pumping machine, 150 drums, one generator, two motorcycles, two mobile phones, one drone and five vehicles among others.

Troops also recovered 657,470 litres of stolen crude oil, 127,870 litres of illegally refined AGO and 5,000 litres of DPK, Mr Buba added.

(NAN)

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The New Year 2025 promises to be full of conflicts, most of them avoidable. The hottest spot might be in the Middle East where fierce proxy conflicts are going on with Israel at the centre. Only the naive would think that the wars Israel has been involved are entirely fought by it, whereas that country is a proxy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

It is backed by the war machine of the West mainly run by the United States (US), United Kingdom, UK and France. They provide Israel with intelligence, embedded soldiers, missiles and anti-missile shields, military hardware and, of course, funds. On 13 August, the Department of State announced that the US alone had approved a $20 billion weapons package to Israel which includes advanced air-to-air missiles and fighter jets.

Those countries also have their warships on the side of Israel. Such warships include the American USS Wasp, USS New York and USS Oak Hill while the UK has its Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. On its part, France, has the Languedoc and Alsace warships in the area which can come to Israels aid as it did when Iranian missiles were fired at Israel. This is why Israel is enabled to carry out genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, and attacks in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran.

The new year may also reveal whether Iran has been seriously weakened by the loss of Syria to the terrorists and their founders in the West, the Israeli attacks against Hezbollah and Yemen. Whatever the case, Iran has its hypersonic missiles intact even as its nuclear programme progresses. Next to the conflict in the Middle East is the Russo-Ukrainian War which has witnessed the bombing of gas pipelines, introduction of higher grade missiles, the continued use of mercenaries from across the world and the reported introduction of North Korean troops.

There is the senseless war in Sudan in which troops from the same armed forces, nationality, religion, language and culture are engaged in a siblings conflict. Its only parallel, in terms of stupidity, is the 36-year conflict in Somalia. Another that comes a bit close is the 13-year civil war in Libya ignited and controlled by NATO. In West Africa, the conflicts are mainly against terrorists and bandits with Nigeria being the main centre. Some of the countries, namely Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have entered into a military and economic alliance to fight the criminals.

They have also expelled France which not only exploits the situation in those countries, but also plays a double game. Partly for these reasons, countries like Chad and Senegal have joined in expelling the French military, while, disturbingly, Nigeria is getting closer to the same France. The conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, which became complicated when the USA, UK and Belgium organised the ouster and execution of founding Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba on January 17, 1961, are still raging.

The DRCs main sin is that it has huge mineral resources. The low intensity combats in the Central African Republic, CAR, took ethnoreligious dimensions in 2013. It is still simmering. One country that has strenuously tried not to be involved in armed conflicts is China despite having territorial disputes with countries like Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines. It has also refused to take the bait of the US to draw it into an economic war. Chinas strength lies in this and advancing its economic interests and powers as is evident in the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS+ alliance.

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A unique country that has strenuously avoided war and has tried to be friends with all humanity is Cuba. Apart from the April 1960 Bay of Pigs Invasion in which it defeated mercenaries from the US, and its unique sacrifice in fighting the Apartheid armed forces to free Africa from colonialism, Cuba has, since its 1959 revolution, avoided war. The only unique wars it has fought in many countries have been against diseases and pandemics like Ebola and COVID-19.

But the main challenge of Cuba is that the US treats it like a mortal enemy. Its primary sins include the fact that it is a mere 151 kilometres from the US city of Florida. Now, the US regards Cuba as its backyard and believes it must always control it. This, Cuba has heroically rejected, insisting on its sovereignty and freedom to run its own affairs. Secondly, Cuba in pre-revolutionary times was the playground of the US Mafia and the rich. The American elites have insisted on returning Cuba to that status.

Thirdly, Cuba in carrying out its revolution and insisting on its maintenance, is seen by the US establishment as a bad example in the hemisphere which must not be allowed to stand. Fourthly, the US sees Cuba as an inspiration to revolutions across the world. Fifthly, it sees Cuba as being very dangerous because it is socialist and, an ally of radical governments across the world. So, since 1962, the US has tried to squelch tiny Cuba which is a mere 109,884 kilometres or the size of the US state of Tennessee.

One of its main weapons against Cuba is to impose a blockage against it, stopping it from trading freely or running its business. On 30 October, the United Nations General Assembly voted for the 32nd time that US ends its illegal 62-year economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. The resolution, passed by 187-Member States, with only the US and Israel voting against, and Moldova abstaining, again reaffirmed the total support of the international community for the just struggle of the Cuban people and government.

But as it has done since 1992, the US continues to ignore the rest of humanity. This Christmas week marking the birth of Jesus Christ, known as the Prince of Peace, the Cuban nation decided to march in its capital city, Havana, to demand that the US brigandage and injustice against the Cuban people must be brought to an end. The peace march led by Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez and his successor, Raul Castro Ruz, passed in front of the US embassy.

During the march, President Bermudez said: We do not profess the slightest feeling of hatred against the American people. To the noble citizens of that country, we offer our full respect, and our hand is always extended to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between the two peoplesbut if the US persists in its efforts to undermine our sovereignty, our independence, our socialism, they will only find rebellion and intransigence. The US message to Cuba is clear: when chosen by war, youve no right to choose peace.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.

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Evidently, it has been a remarkable year for Nigerias health sector. The seeds of todays reforms are already beginning to bear fruit, with sufficient promise for the coming years The Tinubu administration is unwavering in its purpose of ensuring efficient and accessible healthcare for all Nigerians.

It has been a stellar year for the health sector under the President Tinubu administration. This axis of executive excellence has witnessed transformation over the past months owing to some incisive, superlative reforms and programmes.

One of the spectacles of the passing year is the Sector-Wide Joint Annual Health Review (JAR) meeting, which was held in Abuja from 6 to 8 November. It was the first of its kind and provided a rostrum for constructive engagement, interrogation of challenges, evaluation of achievements, and mapping of strategies and priorities for the health sector.

Groundbreaking innovations, such as the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Initiative, which offers free caesarean sections to all eligible Nigerian women meeting the criteria, and the Nigeria Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) Assessment Report, were launched.

In addition, an Expert Working Group, endued with the task of strengthening the nations health data systems, was established. The group is executing systematic mini health surveys, contracting the current five-year gap in data collection from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Nigerias health authorities can now track progress, address emerging health threats, and make informed, data-driven decisions critical to the sectors success with timely and reliable data.

Another milestone in the year is the concatenation of bourgeoning outcomes from the reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII)  a programme helmed by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

The Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative is a strategic blueprint  with a sector-wide tack for improving population health outcomes through the primary healthcare system and enhancing reproductive, maternal, and child health services in the country.

The administration set out to comprehensively revamp the nations health infrastructure and equipment and re-train frontline health workers for first-rate healthcare service delivery.

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So far, 53,000 health workers have been re-trained  an impressive number  to deliver integrated, high-quality services.

Also, in furtherance of President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda on addressing the high cost of healthcare and enhancing access to healthcare services, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) was redesigned, and today covers about 10 million Nigerians  with a record 2.4 million citizens enrolling in the national health insurance scheme in 2024 alone.

To pivot the health sector to a more efficient, utilitarian and viable model that stimulates job opportunities, enhances economic value, and strengthens domestic manufacturing capacity, President Tinubu set up the Presidential Unlocking Healthcare Value Chain Initiative, with the mandate to increase local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria to at least 70 percent of total consumption by 2030; increase the total direct full-time employees working in the life sciences manufacturing sub-sector to at least 50,000 (up from the current workforce estimated at approximately 20,000); establish at least two commercial vaccine plants across the health sector; establish at least five new medical supplies and diagnostics plants, and double Nigerias pharmaceutical market share in Africa to at least 15 percent.

In one of his weekly broadcasts, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare disclosed that, till date, Nigeria has secured a 1 billion European Investment Bank financing mechanism, in addition to a $1 billion Afreximbank financing mechanism, to support incoming manufacturers in the health and life sciences sectors.

He also revealed that over 70 new healthcare manufacturing companies with strong projects backed by integrous business cases had lined up with 22 large-scale projects currently in active discussions with international financiers.

More than 10 value chain verticals are being established in-country, including the manufacturing of: Rapid diagnostic tests, which is exemplified by the recent MoU signing with South Africa-based Abbot Diagnostics which has agreed to establish a plant in-country that will manufacture rapid test kits for malaria, HIV/AIDS and several other diseases.

Medical Oxygen is another investment vertical being advanced as seen in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfares partnership with Global Gases group which is establishing a Cryogenic Air Separation Plant in Nigeria, and other Supply Chain support solutions, such as the recent agreement signed with Siemens Healthineers to establish an Ultrasound Assembly plant in the country.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients is another important area of sectoral investment focus, which is why we inaugurated the Beta Lactam facility in Lagos state only days ago. Established by Jawa Investments, this landmark facility brings the nation closer to self-sufficiency in producing essential antibiotics like Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid locally, ensuring supply chain security but also reducing costs for consumers, particularly the most vulnerable populations, Professor Pate stated.

Furthermore, over 700 young Nigerians are said to have already secured quality employment through this facility, directly contributing to household incomes and lifting communities. This is clearly the economic and social impact of industrialisation in action  job creation, retained earnings, and increased production capacity that can serve Nigeria and the African continent.

Other areas of intensive cultivation in health sector value chain localisation include Vaccines (Live Attenuated Platforms and mRNA vaccines), Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets, Nutrition supplementation, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health solutions.

Another significant stride under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative is the signing of a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) between the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Siemens Healthineers.

This crucial partnership underscores the Tinubu administrations commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure, especially in the sphere of cancer treatment, where the burden on Nigerian families remains acute.

According to Professor Pate, the significance of this agreement extends beyond a commercial transaction; it represents a strategic alignment of public and private sector resources to address some of the most pressing health challenges facing our nation.

With the opening of the first set of these facilities in May 2025, we are truly entering a transformative era in Nigerias cancer care landscape. For the first time in history, our nation will benefit from a large-scale investment in advanced cancer treatment infrastructure, empowering our healthcare system to deliver timely, high-quality care to those in need.

This initiative is designed to ensure that the new equipment will be supported by a well-trained, capable workforce so that treatment can commence from the day these facilities are ready. By combining cutting-edge technology with skilled personnel, this partnership embodies Mr. Presidents vision under the NHSRII for a healthcare system that meets the highest standards of excellence and addresses the real needs of the Nigerian people, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare said.

Evidently, it has been a remarkable year for Nigerias health sector. The seeds of todays reforms are already beginning to bear fruit, with sufficient promise for the coming years.

The Tinubu administration is unwavering in its purpose of ensuring efficient and accessible healthcare for all Nigerians.

Fredrick Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement.

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The Nigerian Communications Commission hereby notifies the public that approval has been granted for the disconnection of Exchange Telecommunications Limited (Exchange) from MTN Nigeria Communications Limited (MTN) as a result of nonsettlement of interconnect charges.

Exchange was notified of the application and was given opportunity to comment and state its case.

The Commission, having examined the application and circumstances surrounding the indebtedness, determined that Exchange does not have sufficient reason for non-payment of the interconnect charges.

The public is, therefore, requested to TAKE NOTICE that:

1. The Commission has approved the Disconnection of Exchange to MTN in accordance with Section 100 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 and the Guidelines on Procedure for Granting Approval to Disconnect Telecommunications Operators, 2012.

2. At the expiration of 5 (Five) days from the date of this notice, MTN will discontinue passing voice and data traffic through Exchange and will, thereafter, utilise alternative channels in interconnecting with other Network Service Providers. Please note that this disconnection will subsist until otherwise determined by the Commission.

Dated this Day, Friday, 27th December, 2024.

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Signed: Reuben Muoka Director, Public Affairs

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Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, on Friday, assented to the 2025 Appropriation Bill of N750.2 billion passed by the state House of Assembly.

In a speech at the brief event held at Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, Mr Otti said that the budget underscores the commitment of his administration to transform the states trajectory in achieving infrastructure development.

He described the allocation of 82 per cent of the 2025 budget to capital expenditures and 18 per cent to recurrent expenditure as a strategic move to address the critical infrastructure needs of the state.

Our push for infrastructure development is demonstrated in this budget because when you have capital expenditure over 80 per cent, it speaks to what you want to do with infrastructure, things that would out-last all of us, he said.

The governor said that some of the road projects that kicked off in 2023 would be delivered in 2025.

According to him, the roads include the Port Harcourt Road, Aba, Umuahia  Uzuakoli -Abiriba  Ohafia Road, Ohafia-Arochukwu Road, Okobo-Abam Road, the Omenuko Bridge, and Nunya Road.

Mr Otti also said that other road projects that had been awarded as well as the retrofitting of hospitals and schools would be completed in 2025.

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 commended the lawmakers for giving the bill an accelerated hearing and passage.

This budget that was passed is a budget that will give us the impetus to continue to fire on all cylinders to ensure that our people are living a good life.

I want to thank, especially, the House members and leadership for doing such a thorough job in record time.

I want to commend you for being thorough because that is actually what our government is about.

We pride ourselves as a serious-minded government, so anything we present, we are ready for scrutiny.

I want to thank you for a great job you did in scrutinising the budget, disagreeing in a few areas, and also being flexible enough to accept when reasonable responses are given, Mr Otti said.

He said that the budget, christened a Budget of Sustained Momentum, represents a deliberate effort by his administration to keep delivering the dividend of democracy to the citizens.

When we say sustained momentum, we know that we have taken off and the challenge is to continue because the easiest thing to do is to accelerate and de-accelerate.

We can assure you that this government has its eye on the ball and will continue to do those things we promised our people that will take Abia out of poverty, that will take this state out as one of the dirtiest states like it was in 2023, Mr Otti said.

Earlier, the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, described the budget as a very aggressive budget that would serve as a veritable tool for fostering development in Abia.

Mr Emeruwa said that the lawmakers would continue to work with the executive arm of the government to ensure that Abia continued to experience social and economic growth.

(NAN)

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A Bishop of the Anglican Church, Canon Olowolagba, has been kidnapped. He was kidnapped alongside his wife and two children in Ondo State, south-west Nigeria.

One of the kidnapped children is the 16-year-old daughter of the cleric while the other is a nine-year-old staying with them.

The Ondo State Security Network, known as Amotekun, confirmed the kidnap.

Mr Olowolagba, attached to the Akoko Diocese of the Anglican Church, was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday at Iboropa Road while travelling from Ipesi.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the kidnappers have contacted his relatives and members of the Anglican Church, demanding a N75 million ransom.

The abduction of the cleric has sent shockwaves through the community in the Akoko North-East council area of Ondo State.

The Bishop of Akoko Anglican Diocese, Babajide Bada, while confirming the development, said that the family was travelling from Ipesi through Isua Akoko when they were abducted.

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 confirmed that the kidnappers initially demanded N75 million but later reduced it to N10 million and then N15 million.

Mr Bada said the matter has been reported to Amotekun and other relevant authorities.

Amotekun is working tirelessly to secure the release of the victims. We have also notified the hunters and reported the matter to the police in Ikare and Isua, Mr Bada said.

The state Amotekun commander, Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed the abduction and assured that the corps is working with other security agencies to secure the release of the victims.

The Ondo State Police Command, however, said it has not been officially notified of the kidnap.

Police spokesperson Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya said she would not confirm the development since no report had been made to the police.

Kidnapping for ransom is not uncommon in Ondo State and is carried out by various armed groups who often keep their victims in the forests in the state.

The prevalence of kidnapping in the state was one of the reasons the Amotekun was established by the state government.

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YANGON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have seized 5.23 million stimulant tablets, 170 kg of ICE (methamphetamine) and 2.6 kg of "Happy Water" drug in southern Myanmar's Bago region, the state-run daily The Mirror reported on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police searched a vehicle in Bago town of Bago region on Dec. 20, and confiscated the narcotics hidden in iron boxes, the report said.

The seized narcotics are approximately worth over 14.1 billion kyats (about 6.71 million U.S. dollars), and four suspects were arrested for the case, it said.

Investigation showed that the narcotics came from southern Shan state and were intended to be transported to Yangon region, Rakhine state, and Kayin state, it said.

The suspects have been charged under the country's law, and further investigations are ongoing, it added. 
THE 68-PAGE FEDERAL COURT COMPLAINT INCLUDES TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT, UNFAIR COMPETITION, BREACHES OF EXECUTIVE SERVICES AGREEMENTS, MISAPPROPRIATING COMPANY RESOURCES, BREACHES OF FIDUCIARY DUTIES, ETC.

MIAMI, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardone Ventures LLC and 10X Health Ventures LLC filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit on December 26, 2024, in federal court against their ex-senior executives, Gary Brecka and Sage Workinger, as well as the businesses through which they have conducted unlawful competitive activities, Ultimate Human LLC, IJS Presentations LLC, and Turning Point Holdings LLC. The case has already been assigned to Chief United States District Judge Cecilia Altonaga.

The complaint includes Trademark Infringement, Unfair Competition, Cancellation of a Federal Trademark Registration, breaches of their respective Executive Services Agreements, misappropriating company resources, breaches of fiduciary duties, declaratory relief, and injunctive relief to prevent Brecka, Workinger, and their affiliated companies from competing directly against 10X Health and Cardone Ventures in violation of their past agreements.

The complaint alleges that Brecka and Workinger betrayed 10X Health and abandoned their duties to the company and its leadership. Brecka and Workinger clandestinely built a competitive business  The Ultimate Human  on the back of 10X Health's and Cardone Ventures' time, team, relationships, assets, and intellectual property, all while demanding millions of dollars in base compensation and commissions. While ostensibly still part of 10X Health's inner circle, Brecka went so far as to divert 10X Health business opportunities for his own gain and siphon 10X Health business to an entity owned by his daughter.

Brecka's and Workinger's disdain and disregard for their fiduciary duties, for the agreements they signed, and for the trust and support structure that propelled their success forced 10X Health to terminate their services on November 5, 2024.

10X Health has been forced to file this lawsuit in order to recover misappropriated company resources and ill-gotten gains from Brecka, Workinger and their companies; demand an injunction against further unlawful competition by Brecka and Workinger in the anti-aging and wellness space; ask the court for forfeiture of all profits made from unlawful exploitation of the "Ultimate Human" name and to enjoin further use of that trademark; demand triple damages for Brecka's and Workinger's intentional infringement of Cardone Ventures' "Ultimate Human Analysis" trademark; and show how Brecka and Workinger allegedly violated the Federal Lanham Act and Florida common law.

About Cardone Ventures

Cardone Ventures, co-founded by scaling experts Brandon Dawson (CEO), Natalie Dawson (President), as well as their partner, renowned entrepreneur and equity fund manager Grant Cardone, is a business consultancy and investor firm that specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses scale to achieve exponential growth. With a mission to empower business owners with the tools and strategies necessary to increase their sales, optimize their operations, and enhance their team's performance, Cardone Ventures has become a pivotal force in the realm of business development.

Cardone Ventures offers a suite of business services, including business education workshops, consulting services, and business formatting, along with debt and equity investments. The firm's innovative approach is designed to align with the unique vision and goals of each client, ensuring personalized solutions that drive real results.

Cardone Ventures' commitment to excellence and proven methodologies has earned it a prestigious reputation in the industry, helping clients not only meet but exceed their ambitious business objectives. As the company continues to expand its reach, it remains dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial success across various sectors, shaping the future of businesses worldwide.

For more information about Cardone Ventures and how its cutting-edge services can transform your business, visit: http://www.CardoneVentures.com.

About 10X Health Ventures

10X Health Ventures is a pioneering company at the forefront of the health and wellness industry, dedicated to revolutionizing the way individuals approach their personal health and well-being. With a philosophy rooted in the principle that optimal health is the foundation for a life lived to the fullest, 10X Health provides cutting-edge solutions and personalized health plans designed to empower individuals to achieve and maintain peak physical and mental performance.

The company's comprehensive approach to health combines the latest advances in medical science, nutrition, fitness, and technology to offer a suite of services that include state-of-the-art diagnostic testing, individualized treatment protocols, and ongoing support from a team of world-class health professionals. 10X Health's commitment to innovation and results has established it as a leader in the health optimization space, catering to those who strive to push the boundaries of what is possible in their health journey.

Media Contact: Rida Bint Fozi

Phone: 212-337-8870

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Cardone Ventures LLC and 10X Health Ventures LLC
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 10, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 8, 2024 and October 29, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period") or purchased Chipotle call options or sold put options during the Class Period. This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Get Help

Chipotle investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-cmg-2/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Chipotle and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (1) the Company's portion sizes were inconsistent and left many customers dissatisfied with its offerings; (2) in order to address the issue and retain customer loyalty, the Company would have to ensure more generous portion sizes, which would increase cost of sales; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

The case is Stradford v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., et al., No. 24-cv-2459.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
Car Insurer's History of Advocacy and Affordable Rates Drive Growth

SOMERSET, N.J. , Dec. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NJBIZ unveiled its prestigious Business of the Year finalists, announcing CURE Auto Insurance as the winner for 2024. The awards were presented on December 12 during a ceremony in Somerset, NJ, celebrating the organizations that exemplify excellence and leadership in business.

AnnMarie Karczmit, NJBIZ (L) and Eric S. Poe, CURE (R)

For over 35 years, CURE Auto Insurance has stood out as a staunch advocate for equity in the auto insurance industry. The insurance carrier has taken a bold stance against income discriminatory practices adopted by its own industry, calling for legislative reforms to eliminate the use of credit scores, education, homeownership status, and occupation in determining insurance rates.

Since 2006 NJBIZ Business of the Year award honors the state's most dynamic companies and leaders who share a commitment to professional excellence, business growth and their communities. Winners across a range of categories are selected by an independent panel of judges comprising previous program honorees.

The Princeton-based insurer grew from $85 million in 2022 to more than $144 million in 2023 with over 350 employees in three different locations countrywide. In addition to doubling its New Jersey policies in one year, CURE increased its overall policyholder base from 75,000 to over 150,000 households creating an affordable option for thousands. The company's growth is a direct result of its focus on advocating for industry reform and providing a quality, affordable insurance option for all drivers, regardless of their income or socioeconomic status, according to CURE CEO Eric Poe.

"It is an honor to have received this award and I share it with our entire team whose hard work cannot be understated. They tirelessly go above and beyond amid remarkable growth  something that is not always easy," said Poe regarding this recognition. "It is also a testament that CURE is making an impact by staying true to our mission and advocating for fairness in car insurance rate-setting. We are steadfast to eradicate the use of income proxies and fight all forms of insurance fraud. Our goal is to ensure that people who buy car insurance can afford it."

About CURE

CURE auto insurance, headquartered in Princeton, NJ, was founded in 1989 by New Jersey Insurance Commissioner James J. Sheeran and insurance expert Dr. Lena Chang to address New Jersey's insurance crisis. Specializing in no-fault insurance, CURE insures nearly 200,000 vehicles and drivers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. For more information, visit www.CURE.com or call 800-535-CURE.

SOURCE CURE Auto Insurance
Duke Energy Florida mobilized more than 27,000 workers and additional resources to restore power for approximately 2 million customers impacted by hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, following a devastating 2024 hurricane season, Duke Energy Florida filed a plan with the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) to recover an estimated $1.1 billion in direct costs associated with the company's emergency activation and response to hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, which included mobilizing more than 27,000 workers and additional resources to restore power for approximately 2 million impacted customers.

Given the severity of these three storms, the filing covers a range of costs, such as deploying hundreds of Duke Energy crews from the entire span of the company's service territories and acquiring significant mutual assistance from across the country and even Canada; standing up staging sites, basecamps and temporary lodging, while also providing meals for thousands of lineworkers and field personnel; and repairing, rebuilding and replacing critical infrastructure, including poles, wires and transformers, that were damaged and/or destroyed by catastrophic storm surge and wind.

"Quickly and safely getting the lights back on for our customers was our highest priority after each of these brutal storms. While today's filing reflects the costs of those efforts, we want to assure our customers that, as part of our overall commitment to affordability, we strived to minimize the impact on their bills as much as possible, and moving forward, we will keep making strategic investments to strengthen the electric grid and help ensure they have the reliable power they need," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "This kind of continuous improvement is a cornerstone of the work we do at Duke Energy Florida, especially considering the increasing risk of more extreme weather in the future."

The Facts

The 2024 hurricane season resulted in an unprecedented level of activation as Duke Energy Florida responded to three major hurricanes, including a Category 4 and a Category 3, all within three months:

Hurricane Debby (Category 1)

350,000 outages reported

3,000 workers and additional resources mobilized

320 damaged poles replaced

90% of outages restored within 24 hours

62,000 outages automatically restored by self-healing technology

12.5 million minutes of outage time saved by self-healing technology

Hurricane Helene (Category 4)

800,000 outages reported

8,600 workers and additional resources mobilized

925 damaged poles replaced

Nearly all outages (outside of hardest-hit areas) restored within 72 hours

127,000 outages automatically restored by self-healing technology

113 million minutes of outage time saved by self-healing technology

Hurricane Milton (Category 3)

1 million outages reported

16,000 workers and additional resources mobilized

1,560 damaged poles replaced

95% of outages (outside of hardest-hit areas) restored within four days

190,740 outages automatically restored by self-healing technology

200 million minutes of outage time saved by self-healing technology

Click here for photos and videos of storm damage and restoration efforts.

Temporary Bill Impact

As outlined in Duke Energy Florida's filing with the FPSC, the temporary impact to customer bills beginning in March 2025 is associated with the costs of the company's emergency activation and response to hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.

Residential customers will see an increase of approximately $21 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity on their monthly bills in March 2025 when compared to February 2025. While the storm charge actually totals an approximately $31 increase, the impact on customers has been reduced because of the annual, seasonal (March-November) decrease of $10 per 1,000 kWh through November 2025. However, it should be noted that storm costs will remain on bills through the end of February 2026.

Help for Customers

Duke Energy Florida offers several financial assistance tools, including flexible billing programs and the Share the Light Fund, for customers in need. To learn more, customers can call the Customer Care phone number listed on their bills or visit duke-energy.com/HereToHelp.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Aly Raschid

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy
YICHUN, China, Dec. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wanzai, in Jiangxi Province, is the hometown of Chinese fireworks and boasts a millennia-old fireworks culture.

New Life of Wanzai Brothers

Sophie, a French art advisor for the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, was captivated by fireworks and visited Wanzai. She eventually decided to settle there for over two years. This film chronicles Sophie's journey in designing a fireworks performance for Wanzai, transforming this ancient city into an online sensation. The production team followed her to the Alxa Hero Festival, where Wanzai's fireworks lit up the desert and grasslands, showcasing their brilliance nationwide. The film also captures the moment when Wanzai fireworks attracted performance teams from around the world to the hometown of fireworks, where they collaborated on designs that celebrated the beauty and allure of Chinese culture.

2024 marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. Through the lens of French artists who have integrated into Chinese cultural life and become "Wanzai Brothers" in Jiangxi, this film sheds light on the globalization of Chinese culture and the ongoing fusion of Chinese and foreign influences. It also highlights Jiangxi's efforts to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and the world, sharing the story of China with the world.

https://youtu.be/BOnIKCWOLaM

SOURCE "My China Story" International Short Video Competition Organizing Committee
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 13, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against PACS Group, Inc. (NYSE: PACS), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's a) securities between April 11, 2024 and November 5, 2024 inclusive (the "Class Period"), and/or b) shares pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus (collectively, the "Registration Statement") issued in connection with the Company's April 2024 initial public offering ("IPO"), and/or the Company's September 2024 secondary public offering ("SPO"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court Southern District of New York.

Get Help

PACS investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-pacs/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

PACS and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information in the Registration Statement and during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 6, 2024, pre-market, the Company disclosed that it had "received civil investigative demands from the federal government regarding the Company's reimbursement and referral practices that may or may not be related to this week's third-party report" and that it would postpone filing its 3Q 2024 earnings release. On this news, the price of PACS' shares fell $11.45 or 38.76%, to close at $18.09 per share on November 6, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The first-filed case is Manchin v. PACS Group, Inc., et al., No. 24-cv-8636. A second case, New Orleans Employees' Retirement System v. PACS Group, Inc., et al., 24-cv-8882, extended the Class Definition.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club issued the following statement on the wrongful detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran.

"The National Press Club demands the immediate release of Cecilia Sala a fearless journalist unjustly imprisoned in Tehran. Sala, who has been held in Tehran's Evin prison since Dec. 19, was on an approved reporting trip and adhered to all regulations required for journalists working in the country. Her detention is an affront to press freedom and a violation of international norms. Journalism is not a crime.

It is appalling that Sala has been subjected to solitary confinement, a cruel and punitive measure condemned by the United Nations Mandala Rules, which prohibit such treatment for more than 15 consecutive days days. Sala has already endured eight days in isolation, an experience that leaves lasting psychological harm.

Celia Sala's imprisonment is a chilling reminder of the risks journalists face in pursuit of the truth. The Iranian government must act now to release her and ensure her safety.

We call on global leaders to stand with us in demanding Sala's immediate release. Together we must send a powerful message: the international community will not tolerate the silencing of journalists."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organization, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide. In 2024, the Club organized and helped support The Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club, to advocate on behalf of journalists who face unlawful detention, assault or other forms of oppression.

Contact: Bill McCarren of the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club
LHASA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region was home to 523,900 private sector entities at the end of the third quarter of 2024, making up 97.4 percent of the region's total business entities, said local authorities.

The tax revenue of Xizang's private sector was 22.49 billion yuan (about 3.13 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, accounting for about 76.3 percent of the region's total. Private entities also provided more than 80 percent of jobs in the whole region, according to the Xizang Regional Federation of Industry and Commerce.

The private sector of Xizang has been expanding. In 1978, the year China began to reform and open up, there were just 53 registered private businesses in the region. The number increased to nearly 120,000 in 2012 and jumped to 486,500 in 2023.

From 2019 to 2023, the region's private sector contributed to over 35 percent of economic output and more than 80 percent of tax revenue, and provided over 80 percent of employment, according to the federation.

Private businesses have contributed greatly to the region's economic development, scientific and technological development, and the improvement of people's livelihoods and well-being.

This year, 858 private enterprises assisted nearly 1,000 villages, with funds reaching 840 million yuan. 
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 27, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Rentokil Initial plc (the "Company") (NYSE: RTO), if they purchased the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") between December 1, 2023 and September 10, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

Get Help

Rentokil investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-rto/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Rentokil and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On September 11, 2024, pre-market, the Company provided an unscheduled "Trading Update," announcing that it now expected only 1% organic revenue growth in North America for the second half of 2024well below the Company's prior guidance, also disclosing that "While we saw some positive momentum in North America sales activity at the end of the second quarter, the trading performance in July and August was lower than anticipated. There has also been some modest disruption to organic growth from branch integration."

On this news, the price of Rentokil ADSs fell by over 21%, from a closing price of $31.60 per ADS on September 10, 2024, to a closing price of $24.95 per ADS on September 11, 2024.

The case is Laborers Local #235 Pension Fund v. Rentokil Initial plc, et al., No. 24-cv-2932.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 20, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), if they purchased the Company's securities between November 16, 2023, and September 23, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Get Help

Visa investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-v/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Visa and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On September 24, the United States Department of Justice filed suit against the Company for four separate violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act alleging, among other things, that the Company leverages dual-sided network effects, afforded to it by its existing monopoly position on both sides of the payment processing market, to freeze out smaller competition and cement its market dominance and further abuses that power by coercing merchants to exclusively use its payments processing platform, thereby causing harm to consumers.

On this news, the price of Visa's shares fell $1.48, or 5.38%, to close at $26.03 per share on September 24, 2024, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The case is Cai v. Visa, Inc., et al., No. 24-cv-08220.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
Gurugram, Dec 28 : A crime branch team of the Gurugram police have arrested four persons for allegedly killing a 19-year-old youth in a fight over a mobile phone, police said.

The victim was identified as Ashish, a resident of Bhangrola village of Gurugram, who was an autorickshaw driver.

The accused have been identified as Brijesh alias Rinku, Umesh alias Nahne and Arvinder Kumar, all residents of Uttar Pradesh, and Siyasaran Sahu alias Sibbu of Madhya Pradesh.

According to the police, on December 22, they received information that a body of a person was lying in the water filled in the green belt of Dwarka Expressway near Harsaru village.

Upon receiving the information, the police team reached the spot and discovered the body.

The spot was also inspected by the police's scene-of-crime, forensic science laboratory and fingerprint teams.

"After inspection of the deceased and the spot, efforts were made by the police team to identify the deceased, as a result of which he was identified as Ashish," said Varun Dahiya, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime).

The deceased's father told the police through a written complaint that his son Ashish used to drive an autorickshaw on rent.

The deceased had injury marks on his head and his neck was slashed with a muffler.

Some unknown persons have murdered his son, the deceased's father said.

Based on the deceased's father's complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections in the Sector-10 police station of Gurugram.

During questioning, a police team of Inspector Jagveer Singh, Incharge Crime Branch, Palam Vihar, nabbed the accused on Thursday from Kankarola Road in Gurugram.

During police questioning, it was found that the accused lived on rent in Kankarola.

Brijesh was acquainted with Ashish, the deceased.

"Ashish had forcibly taken the mobile phone of accused Brijesh. Later, on the night of December 21 and 22, Brijesh, along with his other companions, went to meet Ashish in Bhangrola village, and there they had an altercation with Ashish. Later, the accused hit Ashish on the head with a brick, put him in the autorickshaw and strangled him with a muffler. Later, the accused killed Ashish and threw his body in the green belt of Dwarka Expressway and fled," ACP (Crime) Dahiya said.

Further action is being taken by the police team as per the rules in the case.

The case is under investigation.
Patna, Dec 28 : In a significant operation on Friday, the Saran Police seized 844 cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) during a vehicle-checking drive.

The seizure was made in Umdha village, under the jurisdiction of the Mufassil police station.

The intercepted container carried a Nagaland registration number and was found to be transporting liquor illegally into Bihar, where alcohol has been banned since 2016.

Upon spotting the police, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene. During the search of the container, police discovered a large quantity of Imperial Blue brand foreign liquor valued at approximately Rs 50 lakh.

"We received secret information about a container with a Nagaland number plate entering Saran. Accordingly, we laid a trap with makeshift barricades at Umdha village and successfully seized the illegal consignment," a police officer of Mufassil police station stated.

The initial investigation suggests that the consignment was intended for New Year celebrations in Bihar.

Authorities are now working to identify the owner of the container using its registration details. This seizure is part of ongoing efforts by the district police to curb the illegal transportation and consumption of alcohol in the state during the festive season.

Due to the New Year, different security agencies are actively keeping a close watch on the smugglers.

On December 25, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons and seized a big consignment of foreign cigarettes on Wednesday.

The item seized was valued at Rs 1.5 crore in the international market.

DRI received specific intelligence about the smuggling of cigarettes from Myanmar. Accordingly, they laid a trap at the Gaighat toll plaza on National Highway 57 in Muzaffarpur district.

Earlier on December 21, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) successfully conducted a significant operation in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, resulting in the arrest of an individual and the seizure of 2 kilograms of morphine on Saturday.

The value of the seized item was approximately Rs 5 crore in the international market.

The high-value substance had been smuggled into Muzaffarpur from Myanmar.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of all the eight persons who lost their lives in a tragic bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab.

He also announced a financial compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the family members of each of the deceased victims and an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 would be given to those injured in the accident.

"Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the Prime Minister's Office posted on Friday on X.

Eight people, including a two-year-old girl, lost their lives on Friday after a speeding bus met with an accident as the driver lost control of the vehicle, according to officials.

Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda, Showkat Ahmad Parray said that out of eight deceased, five have been identified and three are yet to be identified.

"Eight people have died unfortunately, including a two-year-old girl -- five of them were in Talwandi hospital, and other three people lost their lives in the civil hospital, Bathinda. Out of eight people, five have been identified and three are yet to be identified. The bus was at high speed and the driver lost control... All the help that the government can do will be extended to the families," Parray added.

Bathinda SSP Amneet Kondal reported that 46 passengers had been rescued.

"Forty-six passengers were rescued. Eight deaths are confirmed as of now. The health conditions of others are normal," she said.

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday expressed her deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the people who lost their lives in the bus accident in Bhatinda.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in a bus accident in Bathinda, Punjab. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and pray to God for the speedy recovery of all those injured in this accident," President Murmu posted on X.

Aam Aadmi Party national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also expressed his dismay over the bus accident in Bathinda.

"The bus accident in Bathinda is very sad. My condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I pray to God that the people injured in the accident recover soon and return home. Have spoken to Punjab CM Mann and, provide all possible help to all the victims and their families as soon as possible," he posted on X.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will kickstart its poll campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing his first Parivartan Rally on December 29 in Rohini.

As per a top BJP source, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address his first Parivartan Rally in Delhi and blow the bugle for the upcoming Delhi Assembly election due in February 2025."

The source also said that another rally by the Prime Minister is scheduled to be held on January 3, 2025.

"PM Modi likely to announce something big for Delhi in the rally. His other big rally is slated on January 3, 2025", the source added.

On December 29, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for a new Metro line in Rithala and address a public meeting in Japanese Park, Rohini, BJP sources said.

On January 3, he will inaugurate several projects in Northeast Delhi, the Lok Sabha constituency of BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, including the inauguration of the New Delhi-Saharanpur highway, and address a public meeting after the official programme, they said.

Special focus is on Najafgarh and South Delhi regions and with the PM's meeting the party will reach out to voters, they said.

BJP MPs Kamlajeet Sehrawat, Yogendra Chandolia and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri have been made the in-charges for Sunday's (December 29) programme.

Although the Election Commission of India has not yet announced the dates for the elections of the 70-member Delhi Assembly. However, the elections are likely to be held in February next year.

The term of the current Assembly in Delhi ends on February 23, 2025.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, seeks to retain power in Delhi for a third consecutive term following their electoral successes in 2015 and 2020.

The party won 67 seats in 2015 and 63 in 2020 in the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

On December 24, the BJP held a brainstorming session with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the BJP headquarters extension office in Delhi.

The leaders discussed better coordination between the BJP and RSS in the election.

According to a top source in the BJP, "A key meeting was held between the BJP and RSS regarding the Delhi Assembly elections at the BJP headquarters in Delhi today. Arun Kumar, who is overseeing the coordination of the BJP on behalf of the Sangh, reviewed the Delhi elections with BJP leaders."
New Delhi, Dec 28 : An advisory has been issued by the Delhi Traffic Police urging people to avoid taking several major routes on roads in the national capital, ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday

The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to instead use public transport to help ease congestion.

"The dignitaries of many foreign countries and other VIPs/VVIPS and the general public will visit Nigambodh Ghat on the occasion of the state funeral of late Dr Manmohan Singh, Former PM of India on December 28, 2024," Delhi Traffic Police said in its advisory on Friday.

According to the advisory, diversion points include Raja Ram Kohli Marg, Rajghat Red Light, Signature Bridge, and Yudhister Setu.

Traffic restrictions, regulations, and diversion may be imposed on Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg), Nishad Raj Marg, Boulevard Road, SPM Marg, Lothian Road, and Netaji Subhash Marg from 7 a.m. onwards, likely till 3 p.m.

The advisory advises people to avoid the mentioned roads and stretches, as well as the area where the procession will take place.

Commuters going to Old Delhi Railway Station, ISBT, Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, and Tis Hazari Court are advised to leave with sufficient time to accommodate possible delays on the route.

It is also recommended to use public transport to reduce road congestion.

Vehicles should only be parked in designated parking lots; roadside parking should be avoided as it obstructs the normal flow of traffic.

In case any unusual or unidentified object or person is noticed in suspicious circumstances, the public is urged to report it to the Police, they added.

The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday noon.

"Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister passed away at 9:51 p.m. on December 26, 2024, at AllMS Hospital, New Delhi. It has been decided by the government that a State funeral will be accorded to Dr Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 a.m. on December 28, 2024, at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for a State funeral with full military honours," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.

Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions.

He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital.

Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy.

He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy.

After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition.

He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections.
London, Dec 28 : David Lammy, UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, paid tributes to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and highlighted Singh's legacy in "laying the foundations for thriving India-UK partnership".

London, Dec 28 (IANS) David Lammy, UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, paid tributes to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and highlighted Singh's legacy in "laying the foundations for thriving India-UK partnership".

"Dr Manmohan Singh's bold economic reforms transformed India's economy. His legacy continues to shape modern India, and his vision laid the foundations for today's thriving UK-India partnership. My deepest condolences to his family and the Indian people," Lammy said on Friday in a post on X.

Condolences have been pouring from across the world on the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh.

Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi.

Dr Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932.

Apart from being an economist, Dr Manmohan Singh served as the Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982 to 1985.

He was the 13th PM of India, with his tenure from 2004-2014.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed deep condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, hailing him as a key figure in strengthening US-India relations.

Blinken praised Dr Singh for his leadership and said that he played an important role in advancing economic reforms in India, fostering the US-India strategic partnership, and will always remember his dedication to bringing the US and India closer together, including the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the former PM as an outstanding statesman who made significant contributions to India's economic development and its global interests.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya remembered the former PM for "his endeavours, which built the foundation" for the development of bilateral relations between the two nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel have also condoled the former PM's demise.

Macron said that India has lost a "great man" and France a "true friend" and offered condolences to Dr Singh's family and the people of India.

In a post shared on X, Macron said, "India has lost a great man, and France a true friend, in the person of Dr. Manmohan Singh. He had devoted his life to his country. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of India."

"We are profoundly saddened by the passing away of former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh. Dr Singh was a visionary leader of India. I extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the government and people of India as well as the bereaved family members," Ramchandra Paudel posted on X.

President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also expressed his condolences in a post on X, extending sympathies to Singh's family and his admirers worldwide.

"On behalf of the people of Sri Lanka and myself, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Republic of India, Dr Manmohan Singh's family, and his countless admirers worldwide. A visionary leader, Dr Singh's influence transcended national boundaries," Dissanayake wrote.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that he was deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh and called him a "visionary leader". He said Nepal will forever remember Dr Manmohan Singh's support for democracy and lasting friendship.

"Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, former PM of India. A visionary leader, his wisdom, humility, and dedication shaped India and inspired the region. Nepal will forever remember his support for democracy and lasting friendship," Oli posted on X.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condoled the demise of former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Ibrahim described Dr Singh as a cherished friend and a towering figure in Indian economic reform. The Malaysian PM reflected on the life of Singh, recalling his leadership during India's transformative economic era.

"The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh. Obituaries, essays, and books plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India's economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India's emergence as one of the world's economic giants," he said in a post on X.

German Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Philipp Ackermann, expressed his sorrow on X stating: "Saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh. A truly visionary politician, he opened India to the world and shaped the country's future for decades to come. Together with Chancellor Angela Merkel, he raised the strategic partnership between India and Germany to new heights."
Washington, Dec 28 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has concluded a two-day conference of the team at the Indian Embassy in the US and Consuls General and "expressed confidence in the deliberations and noted that they would plummet the India-US partnership".

EAM Jaishankar wrote on Friday on X, "Concluded a very useful two-day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC today. Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated."

As per a press statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar is visiting the US from December 24 to 29.

On Thursday, EAM Jaishankar met with the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, in Washington, DC.

He said that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership and exchanged views on current regional and global developments.

Jaishankar also held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington, DC on Thursday.

The two leaders reviewed the advancement of the India-US partnership over the past four years and agreed that cooperation has strengthened in many sectors.

EAM Jaishankar expressed confidence that ties between India and the US will serve mutual interests and global good.

EAM Jaishankar, during his visit, met India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra and Consul Generals based in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and Atlanta.

The officials discussed opportunities for deepening India-US partnership, focusing on technology, trade and investments.

The visit by the EAM comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US earlier in September and participated in the fourth Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.

The US and India have seen frequent high-level interactions.

Earlier on Tuesday, senior diplomats from India and the US, including Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, highlighted the strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries.

India-US bilateral relations have developed into a "global strategic partnership," based on shared democratic values and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues.

Regular exchange of high-level political visits has provided sustained momentum to bilateral cooperation, while the wide-ranging and ever-expanding dialogue architecture has established a long-term framework for India-US engagement.
SINGAPORE, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Kerryn Lee May Xin, 27, was prepared to trade Singapore's tropical heat for the icy landscapes of northeastern China. She planned to ring in the New Year amidst snowy mountain ranges and traditional hot springs.

Living in Singapore with her husband, Lee, a Malaysian, is no stranger to traveling in China. Over the past year, she has journeyed to cities as varied as Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the south, Beijing and Harbin in the north, and Chengdu and Chongqing in the west. She has been joined by a growing circle of friends who share her enthusiasm for exploring the country.

Lee attributes Southeast Asia's burgeoning interest in China trips to the country's recent visa-free agreements with countries like Singapore and Malaysia. Since February 2024, Singaporeans have been able to stay in China visa-free for up to 30 days, an extension from the previous 15-day allowance. Malaysia and Thailand have also established mutual visa exemption policies with China, making spontaneous trips a reality. "Now it's truly 'go whenever you like,'" Lee said.

Travel agencies reported that the number of group bookings for flights from Singapore to China in the first half of 2025 matches the total for all of 2024.

Conversely, Chinese are also traveling to Singapore in record numbers. According to the Singapore Tourism Board, 2.89 million Chinese tourists visited Singapore in the first 11 months of 2024, up by 134.1 percent year-on-year.

Based on search data from Singapore-based travelers for the Dec. 21 to Jan. 3 holiday period, global hospitality giant Hilton found a significant surge in interest for China, with 23 percent of Singapore's Generation Alpha (those born in the 2010s) and Generation Z citing strong interest in traveling to China.

"We are also observing an uptick in interest from younger travelers looking to immerse themselves in China's rich heritage, such as in the ancient capital of Xi'an," said Jeremiah Wong from Chan Brothers Travel, a leading travel agency in Singapore, adding that off-the-beaten-path locales such as Xinjiang, Xizang, and Yunnan are also top of travelers' bucket list.

For Lee, this winter trip isn't her first venture to northeastern China. In the summer of 2024, she visited cities like Dalian and Harbin, each offering a unique slice of life. She sailed on a boat in Dalian as seagulls soared overhead, and sampled delicious local dishes, including grilled eel, in a Korean community in Shenyang.

Yet, her experience with China's bathhouse culture left the deepest impression.

In northeastern China, bathhouses are more than places to relax -- they are social hubs. Lee had heard tales from colleagues about the tradition of "scrubbing" in bathhouses, where guests are meticulously cleaned and massaged. When she visited a bathhouse for the first time, she was initially hesitant about undressing in a public space. But as she experienced the detailed service and welcoming atmosphere, she quickly adapted.

Social media platforms like Xiaohongshu (a popular lifestyle social media platform), TikTok and YouTube have been instrumental in showcasing China's attractions. Scenic spots featured in Chinese dramas have become trendy destinations for Chinese Singaporeans, who then share their experiences online in English, broadening the appeal to non-Chinese-speaking communities.

China's infrastructure is another major draw for foreign travelers. Enhanced mobile payment options now allow visitors to link overseas bank cards to platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay, simplifying transactions. Apps such as 12306 for train bookings and Xiaohongshu for travel tips make planning seamless.

Lee recalls her first encounter with China as a teenager attending a summer camp in Wenzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province. Back then, limited online information gave China an air of mystery and detachment from her peers. However, upon visiting, she discovered a country bustling with modern cities, efficient logistics, and a warm and welcoming spirit.

Taxi drivers, for instance, often chat with her and eagerly recommend local delicacies and attractions upon learning she's a foreign visitor. "They're genuinely trying to share!" Lee said. 
Abu Dhabi, Dec 28 : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned the burning of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip by Israeli troops, which forced patients and medical staff to evacuate.

In a statement released by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the UAE expressed its rejection of the act, describing it as a "heinous violation" of international humanitarian law and part of a "systematic assault" on Gaza's already fragile healthcare system.

The Ministry called for an immediate cessation of violence, stressing the importance of protecting civilians and civilian institutions.

"The current situation represents a catastrophic humanitarian emergency that demands urgent attention," the statement noted.

The UAE also urged the international community to intensify efforts to prevent further deterioration in "the occupied Palestinian territory" and to support all initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just peace.

Gaza-based health authorities reported on Friday that Kamal Adwan Hospital is suffering from a stifling siege, as its operating and surgery departments, laboratory, maintenance units, ambulance units, and warehouses were completely burned away.

Prior to the Israeli raid, Kamal Adwan Hospital, the largest medical facility in northern Gaza, was housing around 350 people, including 75 wounded patients and their companions. The Israeli army has blockaded the hospital for more than two months as part of its military operations in northern Gaza, claiming the hospital serves as a stronghold and hideout of "terrorists".

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called the raid "a heinous war crime" that adds to Israel's ongoing crimes in Gaza and "a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian law".

It held Israel accountable for the safety of the patients and medical staff, and urged the international community to exert pressure on Israel to halt attacks on civilians in Gaza and end "the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel's aggression".

The Saudi Foreign Ministry also condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Israel's actions at the hospital.

It said the attack and forced evacuation of the hospital's patients and medical staff was "in violation of international law, international humanitarian law and basic humanitarian and ethical standards".
Washington, Dec 28 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met Congressman Michael Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for National Security Advisor, and said that he was "looking forward" to work with him.

Both EAM Jaishankar and the next US NSA Waltz had a wide-ranging conversation on the bilateral partnership between India and the US as well as current global issues.

The EAM is currently on an official visit to the US from Dec 24-29. This was the first highest-level in-person meeting between the Indian government and the incoming Trump administration.

"Delighted to meet" Waltz "this evening," EAM Jaishankar posted on X on Friday.

"Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him," he said.

Waltz, 50, would replace Jake Sullivan as the National Security Advisor on January 20, when Trump would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

Earlier on Friday, EAM Jaishankar said he "concluded a very useful two-day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC".

"Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated," he posted on X.

Michael Waltz, a Congressman from Florida who is the co-chair of the India Caucus, is US President-elect Trump's new National Security Adviser.

Waltz is a retired Army colonel who served as a Green Beret, an elite special forces unit of the US Army.

He has been a member of the US House of Representatives since 2019. He has been a forceful critic of President Joe Biden's foreign policy and serves on the House Armed Services Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee this term.

He has called for Europe to do more to support Ukraine and for the US to be more stringent with its support, aligning with a key foreign policy goal of the President-elect. He has also been a staunch critic of the Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Waltz has praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to spend more on defence, but unlike the President-elect has not suggested the US pull out of the alliance.

"Look we can be allies and friends and have tough conversations," Waltz said last month

Waltz is also on the Republican's China taskforce and has argued the US military is not as prepared as it needs to be if there is conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.

Waltz had been open about his willingness to serve in the administration and was considered a candidate to lead the Pentagon. The role of National Security Adviser does not require Senate confirmation.

Waltz is also a co-chair of the India Caucus in the House, which is the largest country-specific group in the US Congress.

Trump has been moving swiftly to announce key personnel of his incoming administration, including Susan Wiles, his White House Chief of Staff who will be the first woman to hold the position.

Trump's other appointments include Stephen Miller, as a senior adviser, who is a known critic of the H-1b visa programme which he tried to kill in Trump's first administration.

According to his website, Waltz was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and went on to serve for 27 years in the US Army and National Guard.

As Trump's NSA, Waltz will be dealing with Ajit Doval, the Indian NSA who has dealt with a rotating roster of NSA starting with his first Michael Flynn in 2017 and then H R McMaster, John Bolton, and then Robert Brien; all in the Trump administration.

NSA Doval then dealt with Jake Sullivan, NSA to US President Joe Biden, who is expected to serve out his full term and leave the administration at the end of his tenure on January 20, 2025.
Washington, Dec 28 : At least eight people were killed and 27 others injured after a passenger bus collided with a semi-trailer truck in eastern Mexico, local authorities said.

The collision occurred early on Friday on the Perote-Xalapa highway near Los Molinos in the eastern state of Veracruz, killing three men, four women and one minor, the Veracruz State Attorney General's Office said.

It added that the Xalapa regional prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

According to local media, the ADO bus was travelling the Mexico City-Xalapa route, and it appeared that the bus driver failed to notice the presence of the semi-trailer, leading to the collision.

Veracruz Governor Rocio Nahle said on social media that the state is working in coordination with the federal government to attend to the passengers and families affected by the accident.

This tragic crash came just a day after another traffic accident in the western state of Michoacan, where at least six people lost their lives, reports Xinhua news agency.

In another instance on Thursday, at least six people were killed and two others seriously injured in a traffic accident in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, said the local town hall.

The accident, involving a white pickup truck carrying three young people and a grey car carrying a family, occurred on the Los Reyes-Jacona highway near the town of La Ventilla in Tocumbo, said Jose Luis Alcazar, Tocumbo's municipal president, in a statement.

"We join in the pain of the families affected by this irreparable loss and send our most sincere condolences to them at this time of sadness," said Alcazar.

The accident site was cordoned off by municipal police officers while the General Prosecutor's Office of Michoacan state based in Tocumbo and Jiquilpan carried out the relevant investigation.

The World Health Organization this year ranked Mexico as the seventh country with the most traffic accidents in the world and the third in deaths resulting from these incidents in Latin America.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Parivartan Yatra, scheduled to take place on December 29 in Rohini, Delhi, has been rescheduled in light of the seven-day national mourning announced to honour the legacy of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Dr Singh, a distinguished economist and India's 14th Prime Minister, passed away on Thursday night at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi at the age of 92. The mourning period will last until January 1, 2025, with several government events rescheduled as a mark of respect.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had planned to kickstart its campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections with the Prime Minister's Rohini rally, which has now been rescheduled for January 5, 2025.

According to the top sources associated with the party, the Prime Minister is expected to make significant announcements for the national Capital during the rally.

Additionally, another major rally is scheduled for January 3, 2025.

As part of the original plan, PM Modi was set to lay the foundation stone for a new Metro line in Rithala and address a gathering at Japanese Park in Rohini on December 29.

However, the new dates for the foundation stone-laying ceremony are yet to be confirmed.

The Election Commission of India has not yet announced the dates for the 70-member Delhi Assembly elections, though they are likely to be held in February next year, as the current Assembly's term ends on February 23, 2025.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by the party's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, is seeking a third-consecutive term following its decisive victories in 2015 and 2020. The party had won 67 seats in 2015 and 63 seats in 2020, maintaining a stronghold in the Delhi Assembly.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Even as digital healthcare consultations are becoming more common, a study showed it may not be enough for a safe assessment of tonsillitis.

Tonsillitis is a painful infection of the tonsils -- two lymph node-rich glands in the back of the throat. Symptoms of tonsillitis include swollen tonsils, sore throat, and difficulty swallowing.

The study showed that digital assessment may not be reliable, thus increasing the risk of over- or undertreatment of a sore throat.

As tonsillitis is commonly treated with antibiotics, digital assessment may not be as reliable as physical examinations in determining whether antibiotic treatment is warranted, said the team from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

To determine whether a patient needs antibiotics, doctors use the so-called Centor Criteria -- fever, tender, and swollen lymph nodes in the angles of the jaw, and inspection of the tonsils. However, it has been unclear how well these criteria can be assessed during digital healthcare consultations compared to traditional in-person consultations, said the researchers.

"Our study shows that although digital healthcare consultations are convenient for many patients, they are not reliable enough to assess tonsillitis. To ensure a correct diagnosis and treatment, it is still important to conduct a physical examination," said Patrycja Woldan-Gradalska, a doctoral student at Sahlgrenska Academy at the varsity.

The study, published in the journal Infectious Diseases, included 189 patients who sought care at healthcare clinics and urgent care clinics in Sweden, between January 2020 and October 2023.

Each patient in the study underwent two assessments: a digital medical assessment via video and a physical examination conducted by another doctor.

The results show that digital healthcare consultations are not sufficient to assess some of the most important criteria, such as tonsil inspection and lymph node examination.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Cooking garlic and onions in vegetable oil at high temperatures can generate trans-fatty acids (TFA) and can prove to be detrimental to heart health, claims a study by Japanese researchers.

TFAs are harmful fats that can accumulate along artery walls, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attacks.

While TFAs are commonly present in processed foods, evidence suggests that they can also be created at home during cooking. Studies indicate that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), usually considered beneficial, can undergo trans-isomerisation -- a molecular reconfiguration that transforms them into TFAs when heated at 150 degrees Celsius or higher.

To explore, researchers from Meijo University assessed the role of isothiocyanates and polysulfides -- sulphur-containing compounds found in vegetables like garlic, leeks, onions, scallions, and shallots -- in promoting the trans-isomerisation of vegetable UFAs during cooking.

The team first evaluated the effects of sulphur compounds on triacylglycerols (TAGs) in a model system using reagents. Then they tested garlic, onion, leek, cabbage, horseradish, broccoli sprouts, and vegetable oils like soybean and olive oils to simulate actual cooking processes.

The results, published online in the journal Food Research International, showed that sulphur compounds significantly promote heat-induced trans-isomerisation of UFAs in vegetable oils. This occurs especially when cooking temperatures are above 140 degrees Celsius.

Further, the team also assessed the role of antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol in reducing the isomerisation of UFAs in triglycerides like triolein and trilinolein.

While the addition of antioxidants significantly reduced the promotion of UFA's isomerisation by isothiocyanates, they did little to inhibit the promotion of isomerisation by polysulfides.

"This explains that cooking polysulfide-rich vegetables such as garlic and onions in vegetable oil at high temperatures can generate TFAs. The study demonstrates that garlic and onions significantly promote the trans-isomerisation of UFAs," said the team led by Dr. Masaki Honda at Meijo University.

On the other hand, the release of TFAs under normal cooking conditions is minimal.

"Cooking with ingredients rich in natural sulphur compounds may increase the risk of TFA intake," the researchers said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TFAs are responsible for over 278,000 annual deaths worldwide. The global health body recommends that TFA consumption should be limited to less than 1 per cent of daily energy intake.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : As the nation mourns the loss of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress leaders on Saturday remembered him as a visionary who steered India out of a financial crises and criticised the Centre for not allocating a dedicated site for his cremation and memorial.

Dr Singh, India's 14th Prime Minister and a globally-respected economist, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Known as the 'Architect of India's economic reforms,' he served two consecutive terms as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, leading the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

His last rites will be conducted with full state honours at Delhi's Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground, and President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other senior leaders are expected to attend.

Speaking about Dr Singh's legacy, businessman Robert Vadra who is also the husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said, "The whole nation is mourning a promising Prime Minister who contributed immensely to financial and economic matters. He was truly one of a kind."

Vadra also emphasised the need for a memorial, stating, "The Gandhi family and Congress leaders believe a space should be allocated. He served as Prime Minister for ten years, and his cremation deserved to take place at a significant site. The government's refusal is wrong, and we will continue to advocate for this."

Vadra further called for Dr Singh to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, citing his unparalleled contributions to the nation.

Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa highlighted the respect Dr. Singh commanded across communities, especially among Punjabis and Sikhs.

"He was a remarkable leader who handled the financial crisis with exceptional skill. The BJP government has not done justice by denying him a memorial and a suitable cremation site," Randhawa remarked.

Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahai, who served as a minister twice under Dr Singh when he was the Prime Minister recalled his time with the leader and said, "He spoke less and was a very kind and humble person. When we talked to him, he always showed his humility."

Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, another Congress MP, praised Dr Singh as an inspiration for future generations.

"His life and work will guide the nation and the Sikh community for years to come. As India's first Sikh Prime Minister, he deserved a proper site for his cremation and memorial," he said.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit shared fond memories of working with Dr. Singh.

"As a Member of Parliament, I had the privilege of witnessing his wisdom and clarity in addressing national issues. His insights and policies were transformative. He was a leader we can proudly remember," Dikshit told IANS.

Dr Manmohan Singh's legacy as an economist, reformist, and unifying leader continues to resonate with calls for the government to honour his memory through a memorial and the Bharat Ratna. As tributes pour in, the nation reflects on the life of a leader who reshaped India's economic and political landscape.
Bengaluru, Dec 28 : The Karnataka BJP has hit out at the Congress-led state government over the Shakti guarantee scheme, which provides free travel for women in state-run RTC buses. The party alleged that the scheme has paralyzed the transport department, driving it toward bankruptcy.

BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra stated, "The Congress government has earned the dubious distinction of financially crippling Karnataka's transport department, which was once a model for the nation."

According to Vijayendra, the four corporations under the department are burdened with over Rs 6,468 crore in dues, plunging them into severe financial losses. He added, "Despite 38 months having passed since the last salary revision, the pending payments remain unresolved. The Shakti scheme has only worsened the crisis, driving the department to the brink of collapse."

Vijayendra warned that if the government fails to address the financial woes of the transport corporations and settle the pending dues of employees, it could face widespread protests. "The day when people will take to the streets in shameful denouncement of this government is not far off," he cautioned.

Adding to the crisis, employees of the four transport corporations have announced an indefinite strike starting December 31, demanding a 25 per cent hike in basic pay and the settlement of outstanding dues. The Joint Action Committee of workers' unions has accused the government of inaction, despite multiple meetings and appeals to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

The Committee declared, "The strike will commence at 6 a.m. on December 31 to press for our demands." Umesh, President of the Joint Action Committee, urged the government to release Rs 2,000 crore of the Rs 5,010 crore owed to the transport department under the Shakti scheme.

Launched on June 11, 2023, shortly after the Congress-led government took office in Karnataka, the Shakti scheme has cost the state Rs 7,507.35 crore as of October 18, 2024, enabling 311.07 crore free rides for women.

The scheme sparked controversy recently when Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar suggested it might be reviewed. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervened, asserting there was no question of rolling back the scheme.
New York, Dec 28 : Wildfires may be in the news again this winter across the southern tier of the United States as drought persists and expands across the region.

"Fire is probably the biggest danger going into winter," said climatologist and drought expert Brian Fuchs.

Long-promised La NiAa conditions are still expected to develop, perhaps as early as January, which typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months, leaving the southern tier of the country warmer and drier, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said. As a result, forecasters expect drought conditions to persist and worsen across the southern United States, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the USA TODAY on Friday.

"The places to watch will definitely be the Southwest, Southeast and how much of the southern Plains ends up reverting back into drought over the next several months," said Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Centre.

Overall, 38.9 per cent of the contiguous United States is in drought, which is down about 13 per cent since early November, according to the most recent US Drought Monitor.

Looking ahead, other than the risk for wildfires, "drought impacts are typically less pronounced during the winter, but some longer-term hydrology issues remain, including below-normal soil moisture and streamflow, particularly across portions of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois," according to a report on Drought.gov.

"Dry wells and low springs continue to be an issue in southeast Ohio, and low farm ponds are a problem in northwest Ohio," the report said.

"I think the big picture is shaping up that the La NinIa winter we are expecting will bring more dryness to the southern portions of the US, with new drought development likely (through the end of March 2025) from Arizona into central and northeast Texas along the Gulf Coast and into the Southeast (including Florida)," Fuchs said.

He added that many of the precipitation numbers were 'skewed' in the Southeast and Florida from the tropical storms and hurricanes earlier in the fall, but the dryness has been building up since. "I expect to see more drought through the winter and into early spring."
New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, pays his last respects to the mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his funeral procession at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday, December 28, 2024.. Image Source: IANS/Wasim Sarvar

New Delhi, Dec 28 : Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's final journey concluded at Delhi's Nigam Bodh Ghat, where his last rites will be performed with full state honours.

Amid emotional slogans of "Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega, Manmohan Singh Ka Naam Rahega," the mortal remains of Dr Singh were carried in an Army vehicle adorned with flowers from the Congress headquarters to the cremation ground.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with Dr Singh's family members, was present in the vehicle, reflecting his respect and admiration for the late leader.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, "Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family."

He added, "I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride."

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with senior leaders and dignitaries, were also present to attend the funeral.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force were also present to pay their respects.

Earlier in the morning, the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force officers brought Dr. Singh's mortal remains to the Congress headquarters, where his family and senior Congress leaders gathered for a solemn tribute.

Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge paid their respects by draping the body with the Indian National Congress flag.

Dr Singh's wife, Gursharan Kaur, led the tributes at the Congress headquarters. Other prominent Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, D.K. Shivakumar, Ashok Gehlot, K.C. Venugopal, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, and Telangana Congress Chief Revanth Reddy, were also present to honour the former Prime Minister.

A large crowd of Congress leaders, workers, and supporters gathered outside the headquarters as the armed forces ceremonially placed the late leader's mortal remains on a vehicle for the funeral procession.

The streets resonated with chants of "Manmohan Singh Amar Rahe (long live Manmohan Singh)" as Congress workers followed the procession, demonstrating their reverence for Dr Singh.

Dr Singh, India's 14th Prime Minister and a globally respected economist, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Known as the 'Architect of India's economic reforms,' he served two consecutive terms as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, leading the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
This aerial photo taken on Nov. 8, 2023 shows the Torugart port of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

KASHGAR, Xinjiang, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, scheduled to begin construction in 2025, is expected to open a new shortcut between China and Europe, while elevating Central Asia's status in the global supply chain, according to companies and experts.

With a designed speed of 120 km per hour, the railway is a key connectivity project between China and Central Asia and is expected to become a new demonstration project for cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The route will begin in Kashgar, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and pass through the mountainous terrain of Kyrgyzstan to reach Uzbekistan.

Jiang Zhidong, chairman of the Kashgar-based Xinjiang Jiujiuxi International Trade Co., Ltd., looks forward to the railway's operation, which he said would reduce freight transport time between China and Europe by about a week.

"Our coal imports from Kyrgyzstan will see a significant surge in quantity, while the transport cost will be cut by a third," Jiang said, adding that products made from the imported coal, including activated carbon, can then take this route to reach European markets in shorter time.

Currently, land transport between China and the two Central Asian nations relies on road-rail routes or must detour through Kazakhstan. Once operational, the railway will not only cut transport time, but also exempt goods from multiple times of reloading, thus making it easier and cheaper to transport perishable goods such as farm produce.

Moreover, the railway is expected to offer landlocked Central Asian nations access to the sea by connecting to the sprawling railway network in China that extends to Pacific Ocean ports.

"The railway allows local resources and products to enter the global market rapidly. This will make Central Asia more important in the global supply chain," said Ravshan Nazarov, a senior researcher at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, highlighting the railway's benefits to the region's logistics, mining, energy and agriculture sectors.

A truck drives at the Irkeshtam port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Nov. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

In 2023, trade between China and the five Central Asian countries rose 27 percent year on year, reaching 89.4 billion U.S. dollars.

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan experts have also highlighted the railway's catalyst effect for regional development and its benefits on local livelihood.

Sergei Ponomarev, president of the Association of Markets of Kyrgyzstan, said Kyrgyzstan will receive a large increase in the passage of goods with the help of the railway.

The expert said the project presents an interesting opportunity to not only create jobs and boost infrastructure development but also improve economic indicators. "In general, the main goal of the project is to improve the lives of citizens of Kyrgyzstan, China and Uzbekistan," Ponomarev said.

Mederbek Shermetaliev, director of the Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, said apart from strengthening Kyrgyzstan's transit potential, the railway will also make the country more attractive to investors.

"Opening a factory will become more economical in Kyrgyzstan, which boasts abundant human resources and skilled labor," said Shermetaliev.

Zhong Feiteng, a researcher with the National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the railway route highlights the vitality of the BRI and will play a crucial role in enhancing regional connectivity between Europe and Asia.

"The construction of the railway demonstrates China's commitment to aligning its development with the interests of other countries to foster a win-win situation through greater openness," Zhong said. 
Kochi, Dec 28 : A CBI court here on Saturday convicted 14 CPI-M workers, including a former party legislator, in the Periya twin murder case. The court exonerated 10 of the 24 accused initially charged by the CBI. The sentencing is scheduled for January 3.

The case pertains to the brutal murders of Youth Congress workers Kripesh (19) and P.K. Sarath Lal (24) on February 17, 2019, in Periya, Kasaragod district. The victims were allegedly killed by CPI-M workers in a politically motivated attack.

According to the court, eight of the accused were directly involved in the murders, while six others played indirect roles. Among the convicted is former MLA and CPI-M district leader K.V. Kunhiraman, accused of forcibly removing the second accused from police custody.

Initially investigated by the Crime Branch, the case was handed over to the CBI after a plea was filed by the victims' families in the High Court. The CBI concluded that the murders stemmed from a cycle of politically motivated attacks between CPI-M and Congress workers in the region.

Reacting to the verdict, Kasaragod Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan expressed mixed feelings. "We are not entirely satisfied with the judgment. The Kerala government, if it has any scruples, should resign. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led administration spent crores to protect the accused. This was a CPI-M-sponsored murder. We will seek legal advice on our next steps, as 10 accused have been acquitted," he said.

Following the verdict, family members of the victims, along with Congress party members, visited the victims' final resting places to offer prayers.

Vadakara Congress MP and Youth Congress president Shafi Parambil pointed to the involvement of CPI-M leaders at various levels in the crime. "The murders were carried out with the knowledge of the high and mighty within the party, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan," said Parambil.

K.K. Rema, an independent legislator whose husband, T.P. Chandrasekharan, was also murdered by CPI-M workers, criticized the party's attempts to protect the accused. "This verdict is another blow to the CPI-M, which spent massive sums on high-priced lawyers from Delhi to save the accused. Now, we await the punishment," said Rema.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : To enhance interoperability in jungle warfare and counter terrorism operations in the mountains, an Indian Army contingent comprising 334 personnel departed for Nepal on Saturday to participate in the 18th edition of the battalion-level Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran.

The exercise will be conducted in Saljhandi, Nepal, from December 31, 2024 to January 13, 2025.

It is an annual training event conducted alternately in the two countries.

The Indian Army contingent is being led by a Battalion from the 11th Gorkha Rifles.

The Nepal Army contingent will be represented by the Srijung Battalion. The aim of the Exercise Surya Kiran is to enhance joint operations in mountains, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief under the United Nations Charter.

The exercise will focus on enhancing operational preparedness, aviation aspects, medical training, and environment conservation.

Through these activities, the troops will enhance their operational capabilities, refine their combat skills and strengthen their coordination to operate together in challenging situations.

This edition of exercise Surya Kiran follows successful visits by General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff to Nepal, and the visit by General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief of the Army Staff of Nepali Army to India.

The exercise will provide a platform for soldiers from India and Nepal to exchange ideas and experiences; share best practices and foster a deeper understanding of operational procedures of the neighbouring nationas military.

Exercise Surya Kiran signifies the strong bonds of friendship, trust, common cultural linkages that exist between India and Nepal.

It sets the stage for a productive and professional engagement, showcasing the unwavering commitment of both nations towards a broader Defence cooperation.

The exercise will also achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly neighbours.

Earlier this month, a bilateral Naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka, SLINEX 24 (Sri Lanka - India Exercise 2024) was conducted from December 17-20 at Visakhapatnam under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command in two phases.

The harbour phase was held from December 17-18 and the sea phase from December 19-20.

INS Sumitra of the Eastern Fleet, along with a Special Forces team participated from the Indian side, whereas, SLNS Sayura, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, along with a Special Forces team participated from the Sri Lanka Navy.
Khartoum, Dec 28 : Sudan has resumed the operation of the train linking Port Sudan in the eastern Red Sea State with Atbara in the northern River Nile State, following a hiatus due to the ongoing civil conflict, Sudanese authorities said.

The train set off from Port Sudan on Thursday evening and arrived in Atbara on Friday, marking the first railway line in Sudan to resume operation since the onset of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April 2023.

Sudan's Transport Minister Abu Bakr Abu Al-Qasim Abdalla said the work would continue to resume the operation on other railway lines.

"This is just the beginning, and we are working to resume train operation services on all railway lines that connect different cities," the Minister said.

According to Musa Al-Qom Al-Jahdi, director general of Sudan Railways Corporation, there will be a train trip every two weeks between Atbara and Port Sudan. The train has a capacity of 432 passengers across six carriages and travels a distance of approximately 600 km in 12 hours, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ongoing civil war has significantly impacted the railway sector in Sudan, leading to a halt to operations of almost 80 per cent of passenger and freight trains, as well as the looting of stations and wooden railway sleepers, according to Sudan Railways Corporation.

At least 20,000 people had been killed, but the death toll was likely much higher as the ongoing fighting and the collapse of the health system made updating or verifying casualty figures impossible.

According to the United Nations, the war had also prompted the world's largest displacement crisis, with more than 11 million people displaced to refugee camps and neighbouring countries. The UN also said in early October that famine and the outbreak of diseases like cholera had further exacerbated an already desperate situation.
Tunis, Dec 28 : Tunisian security forces have dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the northwestern province of Siliana, arresting three individuals, the Tunisian National Guard said on its Facebook page.

The arrestees include a woman, it said on Friday, without mentioning the timing of the operation or the identities of the suspects.

National Guard units targeted the criminal network in the town of Rouhia in Siliana, and a quantity of narcotic pills, sharp tools, and a sum of money were seized during the operation.

Upon reviewing the case, the public prosecution authorised their detention pending investigations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on December 26, security forces dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the capital Tunis, seizing 3.5 kg of cocaine.

National Guard units targeted the criminal network operating in the neighbourhood of Ain Zaghouan, the Tunisian National Guard said, without elaborating on the details of the operation or the number of arrests.

The operation followed investigations that resulted in the seizure of an unregistered car parked outside a residence in Tunis. Inside the vehicle, authorities seized 3.5 kg of cocaine.

Earlier in the month, in a similar operation, security units dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the Grand Tunis area, the largest metropolitan area in Tunisia, seizing 3 kg of cocaine.

In two separate operations, the security units arrested five individuals and seized the cocaine, varying quantities of narcotic pills, money, jewellery, and three vehicles, said the National Guard.

In a separate operation on December 1, the forces dismantled two drug trafficking networks in Ben Arous and Ariana provinces near the capital Tunis, the Tunisian National Radio reported.

The Tunisian government has taken a strong stance against drug trafficking, arresting hundreds of suspects in recent nationwide operations.
Chandigarh, Dec 28 : Punjab Police's Special Operation cell of Amritsar has busted a narco-terror module which is being operated by controllers from abroad, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Saturday.

He said that those arrested have been identified as Gurjeet Singh of Amritsar and Baljit Singh of Tarn Taran. They had carried out a grenade attack on the police station in Islamabad in Amritsar district on December 17.

So far, 1.4 kg heroin, one hand grenade and two pistols have been recovered, he said, adding that further investigations are ongoing to uncover the entire network.

On the day of the grenade attack, DGP Yadav visited Amritsar and directed officers to take strict action against the perpetrators of the attack on the police station.

Chairing a high-level meeting, the DGP had emphasised the need for officers to use both technical and human intelligence to detect and apprehend those responsible for the attack.

He had asked the officers to identify common trends and patterns in such heinous crimes and conduct investigations in a scientific manner, utilising all the technical and forensic tools for the detection of crimes to ensure the conviction of the accused.

He had also reviewed the law and order situation of border districts and took stock of the progress achieved in previous attacks on police establishments.

"All the previous cases of attacks on police establishments, including IED implants at the police station in Ajnala and hand grenade attack at a police post in Asron in Nawanshahr have been solved successfully and accused persons have been arrested," he had said.

In a separate meeting, the DGP addressed all SPs, DSPs and SHOs from border districts, including Commissionerate Police Amritsar, Amritsar Rural, Batala and Tarn Taran to brief them about the top priorities of the police.

He had directed the officers to intensify the fight against counter-terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking, and street crime.
Jaipur, Dec 28 : Rain and hailstorm lashed different parts of Rajasthan since Friday bringing down the mercury and increasing the chill, a met official said on Saturday, issuing an alert for thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds, especially in the western parts of the state.

Around a dozen people were injured in various rain-related incidents across the state since Friday, officials said.

On Saturday, Jaipur recorded a minimum temperature of 13.2 degrees celsius, which was 4.4 degrees celsius above normal. A total of 11 mm rain was recorded from 8.30 am on Friday till 8.30 am on Saturday, the weatherman said.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning for dense fog in the Pink City on Saturday. Fog alerts have also been issued for eastern and western parts of Rajasthan.

On Friday night, Dholpur experienced heavy rain and a storm around 9 pm, leading to the collapse of trees and temporary houses, which blocked roads in multiple areas. The administration deployed JCBs to clear the roads late at night.

Ajmer also recorded heavy rainfall on Friday. Heavy rain and hailstorm caused dense fog in districts like Jaipur, Pali, Kota, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Sikar. Visibility was reduced to 30a"50 meters, necessitating the use of headlights on highways.

The IMD has forecast light rain in seven districts of the Kota and Bharatpur divisions on Saturday. It also warned of fog in 26 districts across the state.

Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning across the divisions of Jaipur, Kota, Amer, and Bikaner are expected in the next 24 hours. Hailstorms are expected in select areas of Jaipur, Amer, and Bharatpur divisions, said the met department.

Additionally, a noticeable drop in daytime temperatures is expected, said met department officials on Saturday.

Dense to very dense fog is forecasted across several parts of the state and is expected to persist for 3-4 days.

In the wake of a cold wave, the met department has also issued suggestions to people to dress warmly and layer your clothing to retain body heat, to consume warm beverages frequently to stay cozy, to avoid wearing loose-fitting clothes during a cold wave and to limit outdoor activities and remain indoors as much as possible during a cold wave.
Aden, Yemen : Saudi Arabia has allocated 500 million to the Yemeni government to cover state employees' salaries and other expenses, Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak said.

In a post on social media platform X, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak expressed "profound gratitude and appreciation" to Saudi Arabia for its "continuous and generous support."

"The launch of the fourth batch of support, amounting to $200 million for the general budget, alongside a $300 million deposit for the Central Bank of Yemen, demonstrates the kingdom's steadfast solidarity with the Yemeni people," Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak added.

The Yemeni prime minister emphasised that the aid will allow the government to pay state employees' salaries, enhance citizens' living conditions, and help stabilise the significantly depreciated Yemeni currency, ultimately contributing to overall market and economic stability, Xinhua news agency reported.

The funding is part of a $1.2 billion support package pledged by Saudi Arabia last year to bolster Yemen's struggling economy. Previous disbursements from the package valued at 250 million dollars were made in February and August last year.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since late 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally recognised Yemeni government. In 2015, the Saudi-led coalition intervened to support the Yemeni government in the war.

Ten years after the Houthis' takeover of Sanaa, Yemen presented a stark picture of north-south division.

The Houthis controlled most of the northern areas, including Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The internationally recognised Yemeni government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022, mainly controlled the southern and eastern regions, with Aden serving as the temporary capital.

The central Marib province and southwestern Taiz province remained hotly contested. Adding to the complexity, extremist organisations such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula exploited the instability, operating in remote areas of southern Yemen.

The toll on Yemeni civilians had been catastrophic. UN agencies estimated that by the end of 2021, the conflict had directly and indirectly caused 377,000 deaths. The UN had declared the Yemen situation "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world."
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Women investors in the Indian mutual fund (MF) industry, especially from the smaller cities and towns, have grown more than 2.5 times (year-on-year) on average amid the boom in the stock market, a report showed on Saturday.

Women's financial inclusion is increasing across urban and emerging regions and tier 4 cities saw a whopping over 140 per cent growth in women's participation in the MF market, according to data shared by online brokerage Groww.

"While we had amazing growth across all segments in 2024, two segments stood out. Rise of women investors - number has doubled this year. And the number of portfolios with size greater than 1 crore tripled this year," Lalit Keshre, Co-founder and CEO, Groww, posted on X on Saturday.

The women's participation in MFs saw more than 100 per cent growth in Metro, tier 1, 2 and 3 cities.

Among the cities with the highest number of women MF investors are Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata (Metro) and Pune, Lucknow, Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Jaipur (Non-Metro).

"Women's SIP contributions are 25 per cent higher than men's, and female SIP investors now make up one in four (compared to one in five last year)," the data showed.

When it comes to monthly SIP contribution, the average ticket size is Rs 2,500 (indicating a focus on long-term wealth).

Among the women SIP investors, 50 per cent are less than 30 years of age, followed by 33 per cent in the 30-40 year bracket and 17 per cent are age 40 and above.

Meanwhile, the Indian mutual fund industry saw a meteoric rise in 2024, as the assets under management (AUM) of all MF schemes increased by more than Rs 17 lakh crore this year.

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the mutual fund industry's AUM was Rs 68 lakh crore at the end of November 2024, which is Rs 17.22 lakh crore or 33 per cent more than the December 2023 figure of Rs 50.78 lakh crore.

A record 42,76,207 investors joined the Indian stock market in November, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) data showed.

As per a latest SBI Research report, the country is witnessing at least 30 million new demat accounts being opened every year since 2021.
Imphal, Dec 28 : At least four persons including a TV Journalist and a security personnel were injured after suspected militants fired in Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages in Imphal East district on Saturday, officials said.

A police official said that the militants fired indiscriminately at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages from the hilltop injuring a local TV Journalist, a security personnel and two civilians.

TV Journalist L. Kabichandra sustained bullet injuries on his left thigh.

All the injured were rushed to the hospital.

"The militants fired in the Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages on Friday night and Saturday morning. These villages are situated in Imphal East district adjoining tribal inhabited Kangpokpi district," the official said.

Additional security forces led by senior police officials have rushed to the areas and launched search operations to nab the militants.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday strongly condemned the indiscriminate firing by militants in Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi areas.

Singh, in a post on X, said, "Strongly condemn the indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East, which injured civilians and security personnel.

This cowardly and unprovoked attack on innocent lives is an assault on peace and harmony.

Adequate security personnel have been rushed to the affected areas. The injured are receiving necessary medical assistance, and the government calls for calm and unity in the face of such challenges."

Central forces and state police should have proper coordination and understanding when dealing with such situations, the chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, search operations and area domination were conducted by the Central and state security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts.

Movement of vehicles carrying essential items, food grains and transport fuel along the two vital National Highways -- NH-37 and NH-2 -- has been ensured with adequate security.

Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations and security convoys are provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles.

In a separate incident, seven acres of illegal poppy cultivation were destroyed by a combined team of security forces and forest department officials at T. Lhanghoimol areas in Manipur's Churachandpur district on Friday.
Ouyang Daobing, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, speaks during a ceremony to mark the completion of a rural clean water project at Aung Thar Village in Lewe township, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Dec. 27, 2024. A ceremony to mark the completion of a rural clean water project, funded by Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, was held in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday. (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe)

NAY PYI TAW, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony to mark the completion of a rural clean water project, funded by Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, was held in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday.

During the ceremony held at the project site in Aung Thar Village, Lewe township, Myanmar's Union Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development U Hla Moe thanked China for supporting the drinking water project.

He said that China has actively helped the development of the people's livelihood in countries within the Mekong-Lancang River region through both intergovernmental and private projects.

The project not only provides clean drinking water for villagers, but also supports agriculture and animal husbandry in the village, he said.

Ouyang Daobing, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, said that in order to actively promote practical cooperation on Lancang-Mekong water resources, China has funded a series of projects that focus on needs and benefit people's livelihood.

The project in Myanmar's Nay Pyi Taw is important for China-Myanmar cooperation and rural development. It can not only solve the water shortage problem faced by villagers, but also promote green and sustainable development of Aung Thar Village, he said.

Ouyang said that China will continue to actively promote cultural exchanges between China and Myanmar, enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the people, and provide more help for Myanmar's prosperity and development, people's happiness and the construction of a closer China-Myanmar community with a shared future.

Undertaken by the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute of Changjiang Water Resources Commission of China's Ministry of Water Resources, and constructed by SPIC Yunnan International Power Investment Co., Ltd, the rural clean water project effectively solved the drinking water problem for more than 300 villagers and improved the safety of their drinking water.

Meanwhile, the project alleviated the problem of water access for livestock, ensured drinking water for livestock in the dry season, improved the survival rate of livestock and poultry, and increased villagers' income. 

A villager collects water from a water storage tank aided by Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund at Aung Thar Village in Lewe township, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Dec. 27, 2024. A ceremony to mark the completion of a rural clean water project, funded by Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, was held in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday. (Xinhua/Myo Kyaw Soe)
Shimla, Dec 28 : An intense cold wave continued on Saturday with most parts of Himachal Pradesh shivering with snow-marooned Manali at 0.2 degree Celsius, while the Met office forecast "chances of more rainfall and snowfall in the state till December 29." Shimla, Dec 28 (IANS) An intense cold wave continued on Saturday with most parts of Himachal Pradesh shivering with snow-marooned Manali at 0.2 degree Celsius, while the Met office forecast "chances of more rainfall and snowfall in the state till December 29."

The western disturbances -- storm systems originating from the Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region -- will be active in the region for the next 24 hours, a Met Office official told IANS.

In the next 24 hours, light to moderate rain/snowfall is likely at many places and heavy rain/snowfall at some places over Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Mandi, Kinnaur, Shimla and in Sirmaur.

He said light to moderate rain or snowfall is likely at many places with heavy precipitation at some places over Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Kinnaur, Shimla and Sirmaur districts.

Most of the prominent tourist towns like Narkanda, Kufri and Manali, located in mid-hills, may witness more snowfall, the weatherman added.

Shimla, which saw a low of 1.2 degrees Celsius, had received 20.2 mm rain, while its neigbouring hill destinations Kufri and Narkanda had plentiful snow.

Manali in Kullu district, about 250-km from here, is also wrapped under a blanket of snow.

Picturesque Kalpa in Kinnaur district was the coldest place in the state at minus 2.5 degrees Celsius with 23 cms of snow. It was 5.9 degrees in Dharamsala town.

Those in the hospitality industry are happy as they are expecting a record footfall on New Year's Eve owing to chances of more snow.

"Snowfall is always an added attraction for our guests," remarked a hotelier in Shimla, adding, "We are getting enquiries about the chances of snowfall on December 31".

A day earlier, heavy snowfall in the Lahaul valley and upper Manali region caused a major traffic disruption on the Manali-Leh highway.

Reports said more than 1,000 vehicles, largely of the tourists, got stuck in the Solang Nala of Kullu district.

According to Kullu Police, there were about 5,000 tourists struck in their vehicles.

"All the vehicles and tourists have been rescued and taken to safe places," it said.

An update by the Lahaul and Spiti police on Saturday said it "has been snowing in Sissu and the road to Sissu (from Manali) is closed owing to accumulation of over three-feet of snow."
Kabul, Dec 28 : Heavy clashes erupted between Afghan and Pakistani border forces at border crossing points, killing 19 Pakistani soldiers and three Afghan civilians, local media reported on Saturday.

The fierce clashes are ongoing in eastern Afghanistan's Khost and Paktia provinces bordering Pakistan, TOLOnews reported, quoting a source from the Ministry of National Defense, as per Xinhua news agency.

Afghan border forces have set on fire several Pakistani military posts in the Ali Shir district of Khost province and captured two Pakistani posts in the Dand-e-Patan district of Paktia province, it said.

Three Afghan civilians lost their lives due to mortar shells fired by Pakistani soldiers in the Dand-e-Patan district, the source added.

The clashes took place following airstrikes carried out by Pakistani troops in Paktika province on Tuesday night that killed 51 people, including women and children.

In addition to this, following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terror attacks as the new regime has emboldened and strengthened the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP aims to establish an Islamic emirate in Pakistan, just like its brother outfit did in Kabul.

A report by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies revealed a 56 per cent rise in fatalities from terror attacks in Pakistan in 2023 compared to 2022, with over 1,500 killed, including 500 security personnel.

The relationship between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan's government has been further strained after Islamabad accused the Kabul regime of cross-border terrorism.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has directed the city's police commissioner to investigate surveillance allegations made by Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and submit a comprehensive report within three days.

Dikshit, a former Member of Parliament and a proposed candidate for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, has accused Intelligence personnel from the Punjab government of repeatedly visiting his residence and parking their vehicles outside his home.

"This pertains to a representation received from Sandeep Dikshit, former MP and candidate of the Indian National Congress for the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha Elections, 2025. He has raised serious concerns regarding Intelligence personnel from the Punjab government allegedly visiting his residence and parking their vehicles outside his house," the LG's office stated in an official release.

Dikshit further claimed that these actions were being orchestrated at the behest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He suggested that this could be an attempt to intimidate and discourage him from participating in the electoral process.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the LG emphasised the importance of ensuring a fair democratic environment, particularly in light of the upcoming elections.

"The Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor has noted the gravity of the allegations. Given the impending Vidhan Sabha elections, it is essential that potential candidates are not subjected to any form of intimidation or coercion that could hinder their participation in the democratic process," the statement further read.

The LG has directed the police commissioner to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations and submit a detailed report within three days to his office.

Sandeep Dikshit has been fielded against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency for the upcoming Assembly elections likely to be held early next year. He had met Delhi LG Saxena on Thursday.

The Congress leader had also appealed to the Delhi LG to order the registration of a cheating case against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi over the 'fraudulent scheme' of 'Mahila Samman Yojana'.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : There will be zero tolerance for consumer exploitation, said Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi over price differentiation between iPhone and Android users on ride-hailing apps.

Joshi said this while responding to a media report that claimed that ride-hailing apps' algorithms were programmed to charge Apple users higher than those using Andriod phones.

"This prima facie looks like unfair trade practice where the cab aggregators are alleged to be using Differential Pricing based on the factors mentioned in the article. If so, this is blatant disregard to consumer's right to know," Joshi said in a post on social media platform X.

Noting "zero tolerance for consumer exploitation," he directed the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to examine instances of pricing discrepancies. Besides ride-hailing apps, the Union Minister also ordered inquiry into such practices among food delivery apps and online ticket booking apps.

"I have directed @jagograhakjago through CCPA to conduct a detailed inquiry into this and submit a report at the earliest. Have asked the department to look into other sectors as well like, food delivery apps, online ticket booking apps, etc," Joshi said.

The probe follows media reports highlighting price disparities between mobile platforms for the same journey.

Earlier, Niraali Parekh, Founder and Creative Director of Bokap Designs, also highlighted the price difference between Android and one iPhone while booking an Uber ride.

In a LinkedIn post, he recounted how his colleague who booked an Uber ride using Android and iPhone phones simultaneously, for the same pick-up and drop-off points saw significant differences in fares.

"On Android, the fare was Rs 290.79 and on iPhone, the fare jumped to Rs 342.47," he said.

While some users called the pricing strategy an inevitable consequence of a data-driven business model, others stated that this model also works on MakeMyTrip while booking hotels.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : BJP National Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday slammed the Congress party over Dr Manmohan Singh memorial row and said that their leaders 'from outside the family' never got respect and their due in the party.

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) BJP National Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday slammed the Congress party over Dr Manmohan Singh memorial row and said that their leaders afrom outside the familya never got respect and their due in the party.

In an interview with IANS, Trivedi blamed Congress for politicising the memorial issue of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92.

Additionally, the BJP spokesperson also talked about the Sambhal dispute, Spiritual leader Swami Ram Bhadracharya, and the rift in the INDIA bloc.

Excerpts of the interview:

IANS: Former President late Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee has criticised Congress for seeking a separate memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and has claimed that the party did not even call a condolence meeting when her father passed away. How do you see this?

Sudhanshu Trivedi: It is very unfortunate. What happened with P.V. Narshimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee is evident to all.

On the other hand, the BJP-led NDA government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rose above party spirit and honoured all the great people who brought glory to the country. We conferred Bharat Ratna upon three big leaders of Congress -- Madan Mohan Malviya, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee.

Not only this, many Congress leaders are also honoured with Padma awards -- S.C. Jamir and Tarun Gogoi. However, Congress never gave them the respect they deserved. The sad thing is that everyone knows how Dr Manmohan Singh was treated during his lifetime, and now politics is being played after his passing away.

IANS: The memorial demand for the former Prime Minister has spurred a controversy, even though the Union cabinet has approved it. How do you see this?

Sudhanshu Trivedi: Today, the entire nation is mourning the passing away of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The entire country wants a space to be allocated for the respectable memorial of the late leader. The PM Modi-led NDA government and the BJP are committed to doing so, and hence, it was decided that a memorial will be built in honour of Dr Manmohan Singh.

The process to construct the memorial will be followed, and it has been conveyed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

IANS: Do you think that Congress is playing dirty politics following the demise of Dr Singh?

Sudhanshu Trivedi: It is unfortunate that during this painful time, Congress is playing its dirty politics. Everyone is aware that when Dr Manmohan Singh was alive, he did not get proper respect from the Congress, and now condemnable politics is being done after his demise.

Dr Manmohan Singh was the first Prime Minister from Congress outside the Nehru-Gandhi family, who led the country for 10 years. Everyone knows what the Congress did with former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, who was the first PM outside the Nehru-Gandhi family.

It has been the nature of Congress that no leader outside their family is given due respect. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Pranab Mukherjee are a few examples of this.

Congress should avoid doing politics during this painful time.

IANS: Spiritual leader Swami Ram Bhadracharya has said, "It is a good thing that traces of a temple are found in Sambhal, and we will secure it, through the courts, votes, or public support." What is your stance on this?

Sudhanshu Trivedi: The Supreme Court has given instructions that everyone should follow the decision of the court.

IANS: The INDIA bloc is facing rifts in many states. There are reports claiming an internal rift in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Additionally, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal has said that Congress should be removed from the alliance. What do you have to say about this?

Sudhanshu Trivedi: Immediately after the elections in Maharashtra, the mismatch in the Maha Vikas Aghadi was evident. Differences between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are now out in the open.

In Delhi, both Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are using abusive language against each other. It is clear from this that the INDIA bloc, which was formed at the beginning of 2024, is disappearing by the end of 2024.

In Maharashtra, the leaders of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, both used to hug each other like family, but deep inside, every one of them was just eyeing power by eliminating others from the race.
Kabul, Dec 28 : Afghanistan's capital Kabul has become the epicentre of multiple explosions during the last 24 hours as border clashes between Pakistan and Afghan forces intensify. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, an explosion was reported in Kabul close to the office of the interior ministry in front of Sheikh Zayed Hospital. The latest explosion in Afghanistan's capital is the second within 24 hours with the first being near the Indian Embassy at Kabul's Shahri Naw area on Friday.

"No casualties have been reported. A search operation has begun in the vicinity. The motive behind the blast is unknown as of now. There has been no official word about the incident as yet also," said Samiullah, a local resident of Kabul.

Saturday's explosion in Kabul follows what seems like a series of targeted attacks around sensitive locations in the capital. On Friday, around 3:30 p.m., an explosion was heard by the locals near the Indian Embassy located at the Shahri Naw area in Kabul. The Afghan Taliban regime opted to remain silent on the incident. However, reports suggested that the explosion resulted in at least 17 casualties.

"Yesterday's explosion killed dozens and it seemed to be targeted somewhere near to the Indian Embassy in Kabul. On December 24, an Afghan staffer of Indian consulate in Jalalabad was attacked and injured," said a local source in Kabul.

Pertinent to note that the explosions in Kabul are happening at a time when clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified on the border. During the early hours of Saturday, heavy exchange of fire was reported between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the Dande Pattan-Kurram border.

"There have been injuries reported on both sides. We still do not have a confirmation on the casualties," said a local source in Kurram district of Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) province.

Moreover, at least four security personnel have been martyred, while at least 11 have been injured in heavy clashes with the militants in KP's Bajaur district.

"Four security personnel have died and 11 injured during the intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Mulla Said Banda, Salarzai area of Bajaur district. The injured include a major ranked officer. There have been casualties among militants also. However, the militants have been surrounded and the firing is still going on," said a security source.

The latest episode of heavy clashes between militants and the security forces along with a fresh exchange of heavy fire along the Pak-Afghan border has forced hundreds of families, residing in Afghanistan's Landoro Sadiqo village of Khost province to leave their homes due to fear of further armed clashes.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his recent address at a Cabinet meeting, stated that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a "red line" for the country, urging the Taliban-led Afghan interim government to take decisive action against the group.

"Since TTP operates from Afghanistan, the Afghan government must take solid action to prevent attacks on Pakistan. If this continues, it will be unacceptable. Pakistan will defend itself at all costs," he said.

The fresh Pak-Afghan clashes are also a result of the recent airstrikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan, that targeted hideouts of TTP in Paktika province of Afghanistan, which borders with Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal district of KP province.

Reports of casualties were confirmed by the Afghan Taliban, who stated that they would respond to Pakistan's aggression with full force.

"The Pakistani side should understand that such arbitrary measures are not a solution to any problem. The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered and considers the defence of its territory an inalienable right," said Enayatullah Khowarazami, spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban's Defense Ministry.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : BJP National Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday slammed the Congress party for engaging in what he termed "dirty politics" following the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Speaking to IANS, he also reaffirmed the Modi government's commitment to allocating space for a memorial in honour of the late leader.

Dr Manmohan Singh, India's 14th Prime Minister and a globally acclaimed economist, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Known as the "architect of India's economic reforms," Dr Singh served as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, leading the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Addressing the controversy around demands for a memorial in his name, Trivedi said, "The entire nation is mourning the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The BJP-led NDA government is committed to building a memorial in his honour and this decision has been conveyed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge by Union Home Minister Amit Shah."

Accusing Congress of "playing dirty politics" over the issue, Trivedi said, "Everyone is aware that when Dr Manmohan Singh was alive, he did not get proper respect from the Congress and now condemnable politics is being done after his demise."

"Dr. Manmohan Singh was the first Prime Minister of Congress, outside the Nehru-Gandhi family, who led the country for 10 years. Everyone knows what the Congress did with former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, who was the first PM outside the Nehru-Gandhi family," he said, adding that it has been the "nature of Congress that no leader outside their family is given due respect."

He further pointed to 'historically neglect' of several leaders, citing examples of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Pranab Mukherjee.

"It is unfortunate that Congress is using this solemn occasion for political mileage. Their actions are not new, as seen in the case of late President Pranab Mukherjee, whose daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, criticised the party for not organising a condolence meeting after his demise," he added.

Trivedi further emphasised that the BJP respects Dr Singh's legacy and accused Congress of hypocrisy.

"Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, the government has risen above party lines, conferring Bharat Ratna awards on Congress leaders like Madan Mohan Malaviya, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Pranab Mukherjee. Padma awards have also been given to Congress stalwarts such as S.C. Jamir and Tarun Gogoi," he said.

"The sad truth is that everyone knows how Dr Manmohan Singh was treated during his lifetime, and now the Congress is playing politics after his passing. The NDA government, on the other hand, has always honoured leaders who have contributed to India's progress," he added.

Earlier in the day, Dr Singh's last rites were conducted with full state honours at Delhi's Nigam Bodh Ghat.

The apoliticsa over Dr Manmohan Singhas memorial began as Congress leaders criticised the decision to perform the last rites at Nigam Bodh Ghat, arguing that a designated memorial site should have been identified.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to government yesterday, seeking a dedicated space for the memorial.
Patna, Dec 28 : One person was killed and three others injured during a clash between a group of people and a traffic police team in Bihar's Rohtas district.

The deceased has been identified as Badal Kumar (34) while his friends Atul Kumar and Vinod Kumar were injured in this incident.

The family members of the deceased claimed Badal and his friends were having a birthday party when the Traffic DSP and his team reached Karraha Mor in Sasaram. They abused the people attending the party before the incident.

"Traffic DSP Adil Bilal and his bodyguard demanded money from the youths at the party, and when they objected to it, the situation escalated. They were involved in an altercation followed by firing by the police team. DSP Adil Bilal allegedly fired on them. Badal sustained a gunshot injury on his chest while the others also sustained gunshot injuries," said the brother of the deceased.

The victim's brother specifically alleged that the traffic DSP and his bodyguard were responsible for the firing.

Meanwhile, Rohtas SP Roshan Kumar told IANS that around 20 individuals were having a liquor party, which is prohibited in the state.

The altercation began when the traffic DSP and other accompanying police personnel intervened, leading to a confrontation with the group.

"We have seized liquor bottles and more than 10 bikes from the location. The district police are employing investigative tools such as CCTV footage, statements from involved parties including a Constable who was injured, and forensic methods to ascertain the sequence of events.

"We are trying to locate individuals who were present at the party. They would put the actual sequence of events," Kumar said.

"We have registered two First Information Reports (FIRs) following complaints filed by the deceased's brother and from the police side. A death has taken place in this incident and we are waiting for the postmortem report. It would clarify the nature of bullets through the injuries of the deceased," Kumar said.

This case underscores the importance of adhering to local laws and the challenges law enforcement agencies face when dealing with such violations.
Islamabad, Dec 28 : At least 383 security personnel and 925 terrorists were killed in 59,775 operations conducted across Pakistan in 2024, a senior officer of the Pakistan army has said.

During the operations, 73 high-value targets from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups were killed, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told a press briefing on Friday, as per Xinhua news agency.

"This year marks the highest number of terrorists neutralised in the past five years," he said.

More than 179 operations have been conducted on a daily basis by the Pakistan army, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and the police during the year, the ISPR chief said.

The Pakistani army has made significant strides in counter-terrorism efforts and border security management, Chaudhry added.

The Pakistani military has expanded its operations to combat smuggling, drug trafficking, electricity theft, and hoarding, he noted.

"The army and law enforcement agencies fight terrorists, but the nation fights terrorism," he said, adding that all segments of society and political parties stand united on this front.

In a most recent event, heavy clashes erupted between Afghan and Pakistani border forces in eastern Afghanistan's Khost and Paktia provinces bordering Pakistan, killing 19 Pakistani soldiers and three Afghan civilians on Saturday.

The clashes took place following airstrikes carried out by Pakistani troops in Paktika province on Tuesday night that killed 51 people, including women and children.

In addition to this, following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terror attacks as the new regime has emboldened and strengthened the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP aims to establish an Islamic emirate in Pakistan, just like its brother outfit did in Kabul.

A report by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies revealed a 56 per cent rise in fatalities from terror attacks in Pakistan in 2023 compared to 2022, with over 1,500 killed, including 500 security personnel.
SANAA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said in a statement on Saturday that it was behind an overnight long-range rocket attack on Israel, which it said was targeting the Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel.

"We targeted the Nevatim Air Base in Negev," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"The operation was carried out with a hypersonic ballistic missile ... the hit was accurate," he claimed, whereas the Israeli army said the "projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory."

The Houthi spokesman vowed that his group would continue to launch attacks against Israel until "aggression on Gaza stops and siege is lifted."

The Houthi group has launched frequent rocket attacks on Israel this month, prompting Israel to strike vital Houthi infrastructure on Thursday and Friday, including power stations, Sanaa International Airport, and military sites. 
Jakarta, Dec 28 : The Indonesian government has provided emergency assistance to quake-stricken Vanuatu to help the nation carry out emergency relief efforts following the 7.3-magnitude quake on December 17 that killed a dozen people and wounded hundreds of others.

A plane carrying a medical team and 50.5 tonnes of logistics and food departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force base in East Jakarta on Friday afternoon.

Health Minister Budi Sadikin expressed his expectation that the medical team would begin aiding the victims of the catastrophe upon their arrival in the country. According to him, the team is scheduled to conduct the humanitarian mission for 14 days, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on December 24, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also announced that it had provided $5 million in contingent disaster financing to support emergency relief efforts in Vanuatu following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the capital, Port Vila, on December 17.

The grant had come from the fifth phase of the Pacific Disaster Resilience Programme, which had also supported progress in strengthening the country's capacity to manage and reduce disaster risks.

The program had been financed by a $20 million concessional loan from the ADB's ordinary capital resources and a $21 million grant from the Asian Development Fund.

The situation in Vanuatu remained concerning after the massive earthquake, and the government had requested international assistance on December 18.

The government of Vanuatu had declared a state of emergency for seven days following the 7.3-magnitude earthquake. At least 14 people had been confirmed dead, with more than 200 injured. Authorities had anticipated that the toll would rise.

To complement the national response, the government had requested international assistance, as Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, had told reporters.

According to local authorities, the damage inflicted by the quake had been extensive, including to hospitals, residential and public buildings, roads, water reservoirs, and gas pipes. Villages near Efate had also experienced landslides. Communications in many areas had been cut off.

Operations at Port Vila International Airport in the capital city had also experienced delays due to damage to its terminal building and road network, although the runway had been functioning, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. The airport had remained closed to all commercial services. However, on December 22, Port Vila International Airport had reopened to commercial airline operations.

Access to the seaport had also been disrupted by a landslide, limiting the transport of essential supplies and personnel.

The United Nations and its partners had been mobilising resources to respond, OCHA had said. It had been deploying response teams, including a UN disaster assessment and coordination team, in the quake-hit region.

UN humanitarians had said that immediate needs included medical supplies and repairs to medical structures, mobile medical teams, and search and rescue teams with heavy machinery for clearing, as well as safe drinking water.
Seoul, Dec 28 : South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Saturday denounced the Opposition-led impeachment of acting President Han Duck-soo as an attempt to bring down the government, saying that his impeachment should be nullified.

The opposition-led National Assembly voted Friday to impeach Han less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his botched imposition of martial law on December 3.

Han was suspended from duties, with Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok assuming office as acting president.

The impeachment motion against Han was introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) after he refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court that will adjudicate Yoon's impeachment trial.

"The impeachment of Han should be nullified as it did not meet what is required for an impeachment of an acting president as well as the quorum for approval," Seo Ji-young, a spokesperson at the PPP, said.

"We are strongly denouncing the DP's attempt to break down the government," she said.

Denouncing National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik for proceeding with the impeachment vote with a simple majority, Seo said that his decision opened the way for incapacitating the administration and amounted to abuse of legislative powers, Yonhap news agency reported.

The PPP said that Friday's vote was invalid as Woo announced the quorum for impeachment was a simple majority in the 300-member National Assembly, not a two-thirds majority.

A simple majority applies to Cabinet members while two-thirds are required for the impeachment of the president.

Friday's vote marked the first time in Korean history that an acting president has been impeached by parliament.

Acting President Choi said on Friday that the government will do its best to focus on stabilising state affairs amid concerns that a deepening political turmoil could hurt the country's diplomatic activity and rattle financial markets.

Choi, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Minister, stepped into the interim leadership role following the suspension of acting President Han Duck-soo's duties by the National Assembly on Friday.
Lucknow, Dec 28 : In its unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes, the Adani Foundation has once again extended its helping hand, this time to support a young engineering student battling a life-threatening illness.

Anoop Mishra, a 19-year-old BTech student specialising in cybersecurity at Ram Swaroop College, Lucknow, is grappling with last-stage chronic kidney disease. Currently undergoing treatment at SGPGI Lucknow, Anoop requires a kidney transplant to survive.

The high cost of the transplant posed an insurmountable challenge for Anoopas family, whose financial situation was dire. In a desperate bid for assistance, social workers and well-wishers took to social media, appealing directly to Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and the Adani Foundation. Their pleas were heard by the industrialist, who has long been recognised for his philanthropic endeavours.

Deeply moved by Anoop's plight, Gautam Adani instructed the Adani Foundation to extend support for the student's kidney transplant and post-operative care. This timely intervention has not only provided a new lease of life to Anoop but also alleviated the overwhelming financial burden on his family.

Expressing his heartfelt gratitude, Anoop said, "I want to thank Gautam Adani for helping me with my kidney transplant. Both my kidneys were damaged, and my family's financial condition made the treatment unaffordable. This assistance has given me a chance to live, and my entire family will always be indebted to him."

This act of kindness is not an isolated instance for the Adani Foundation. Over the years, the organisation has been at the forefront of supporting those in need. Notable examples include the case of Lovely, a young girl from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, who underwent surgery to correct congenital limb deformities on Gautam Adanias instructions. Similarly, 4-year-old Manushree, who was born with a hole in her heart, received life-saving treatment at PGI with the Foundationas support.

Through initiatives like these, the Adani Foundation continues to uphold its ethos of compassion and social responsibility, proving that corporate success can go hand in hand with meaningful community service.
New Delhi/Chennai, Dec 28 : The Madras High Court on Saturday ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged sexual assault of an Anna University student.

Pulling up the Chennai Police for revealing the contents of the FIR on its website, including the rape survivoras identity, a Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Lakshminarayanan ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay an interim compensation of Rs. 25 lakh to the victim.

It clarified that its present order will not prejudice the victimas right to seek compensation under the criminal law.

The Madras HC also asked the state government to consider taking appropriate action against the Police Commissioner for holding a press conference regarding the case without prior permission.

A day before, the Justice S.M. Subramaniam-led Bench decided to take up the issue suo motu (on its own) after a letter petition was addressed to the Madras HC raising safety concerns of women in the state.

It deferred the hearing till December 28 and in the meantime, called for a status report from the Tamil Nadu government.

In her letter, advocate R Varalakshmi demanded that a Special Investigation Committee (SIC) led by a sitting woman judge of the Madras HC should oversee the investigation and ensure adherence to legal protocols.

Alternatively, she prayed to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to guarantee a thorough and impartial investigation free from political or institutional interference.

The horrific incident occurred when the victim, a 19-year-old engineering student at Anna University, and her male friend were sitting in a secluded area of the varsity's campus after attending a midnight Christmas mass at a nearby church.

Accused Gnanashekaran allegedly attacked the male friend, brutally assaulting him, before dragging the girl to a nearby shrub and raping her.

The Chennai Police have faced severe criticism for the lapse in security.

Authorities had earlier claimed to have implemented comprehensive safety measures for Christmas celebrations, with over 8,000 officers deployed.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP President, K. Annamalai has alleged that the accused, Gnanashekaran, was not included in the policeas rowdy list despite being involved in several criminal cases.

He claimed that this omission was due to Gnanashekaranas close ties with DMK leaders and provided evidence of the accusedas affiliation with the ruling party.

Annamalai also condemned the police for leaking the FIR related to the sexual assault case, which resulted in the identification of the victim.

He claimed that the authorities intentionally leaked the details and failed to ensure the safety and anonymity of the survivor.

Annamalai also accused DMK of attempting to divert attention from the deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu by promoting a false narrative of a North-South divide.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, on Saturday, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to derail key welfare schemes introduced by the Delhi government. These include monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,100 for women and free healthcare for senior citizens.

Addressing a press conference, he claimed that investigations have been initiated against these schemes under BJP's directives to obstruct their implementation.

Kejriwal questioned the rationale behind the investigations, asserting that these initiatives were part of AAP's poll promises. "What is there to investigate? These are our commitments to the people, which BJP now wants to halt under the guise of inquiries," he stated.

He alleged that BJP, in collaboration with Congress, is working to undermine AAPas governance. "When BJP lacked the courage, they used Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit to lodge complaints with the Lieutenant Governor," Kejriwal said.

He assured the people of Delhi that he would ensure the continuation of these schemes, urging residents to register for the benefits.

The Delhi government had recently launched two major welfare initiatives a" Rs 2,100 per month for women under the Mahila Samman Yojana and free healthcare for the elderly under the Sanjeevani Yojana. Kejriwal said there is an overwhelming response for these schemes, with lakhs of people registering in a short span of time, which he said had left the BJP "frustrated."

According to Kejriwal, the BJP's primary agenda in Delhi is to block the implementation of these welfare measures. "If you vote for BJP, they will stop benefits like free bus travel for women, free electricity, and water," he warned.

He also alleged that BJP would prevent the rollout of the Sanjeevani Yojana, depriving the elderly of free medical care.

Kejriwal said that a lot of people living in Delhi, particularly from the low-income group, are sustaining on these welfare facilities, including free electricity, water, quality schools, and healthcare. "If BJP comes to power, these essential services will be withdrawn, forcing many poor families to leave the city," he cautioned.

Recalling previous challenges in implementing initiatives like free bus travel and the construction of quality government schools, Kejriwal said his government overcame all obstacles. "We fought for free electricity, water, and education, and we will fight to implement these new schemes as well," he declared.
Mumbai, Dec 28 : Adopting a tough stance, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) called upon Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a survey of victims of police brutality in the wake of the recent death of a Dalit man in judicial custody, here on Saturday.

VBA President Prakash Ambedkar met Fadnavis and submitted a memorandum of demands pertaining to the afoul deatha of the Dalit law student, Somnath Vyankat Suryawandi, 35, on December 15, and other issues.

Ambedkar claimed that the CM has agreed to survey and provide a list of the victims of police high-handedness in Parbhani and ensure that they are adequately compensated.

The VBA head has urged the CM to file an FIR against the police officers who allegedly brutalised Suryawanshi and other innocent victims while probing the Parbhani incidents, ordered a 'lathi-charge' without clearance from the seniors, plus compensation for those Dalits whose homes have been demolished, and probe by a retired district or high court judge.

The VBA chief further asked the government to hike the compensation amount of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore for Suryawanshias next of kin, plus ensure a government job to a member of his immediate family.

In view of the upcoming seventh anniversary of the infamous Koregaon-Bhima caste riots of January 1, 2018, the VBA chief urged the CM to direct the police to monitor all misinformation against the Dalits and thwart any kind of violence anywhere on New Year's Day.

The CM has also agreed to VBAas demand to carry out a survey and cancel the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for tribal students and revert back to the old system, said Ambedkar.

It may be recalled that Suryawanshi was arrested (December 12) after the defiling of a statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar near the Parbhani Railway Station (December 10), followed by massive violence on December 11.

However, barely 72 hours later on December 15, Suryawanshi was found dead in judicial custody, setting loose a political storm that continues to rage.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other top Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders went to meet the Suryawanshi family.

After consoling the family (December 23), Rahul Gandhi launched an unprecedented direct attack on the MahaYuti government contending that Suryawanshi was amurdereda as he was a Dalit and attempting to safeguard the Constitution, plus accused that the CM had alieda before the legislature.

Opposition leaders who called on the Suryawanshi family include Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar, besides representatives of Shiv Sena (UBT), VBA, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and others.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee criticised the Congress party for not holding even a formal condolence meeting after her father's demise in 2020. She also called for bestowing former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with Bharat Ratna honour, for his monumental contributions to country's development.

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee criticised the Congress party for not holding even a formal condolence meeting after her fatheras demise in 2020. She also called for bestowing former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with Bharat Ratna honour, for his monumental contributions to country's development.

Sharmisthaas comments follow her recent criticism of Congress President Mallikarjun Khargeas proposal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a separate memorial for Dr. Manmohan Singh.

In an exclusive telephonic conversation with IANS, Sharmistha discussed her disappointment with Congress, her fatheras 'ill-treatment' within the party, and the political dynamics surrounding key issues.

Below is the full interview:

IANS: You recently posted on social media about Congress leadership not convening a condolence meeting after the death of your father in August 2020. What you want to say on this?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: First, I want to clarify that I am not seeking to create controversy around Dr. Manmohan Singhas memorial. He was a two-time Prime Minister and the architect of Indiaas economic reforms. He truly deserves a memorial, and I believe he should be awarded the Bharat Ratna for his immense contributions to nation-building. However, my concern is about the lack of a formal condolence meeting for my father by the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

When I saw a tweet by BJP spokesperson C.R. Kesavan highlighting the poor treatment of P.V. Narasimha Rao after his death, I was reminded of how my fatheras passing was handled by Congress. My father had been associated with Congress for over three decades, and I expected a formal condolence from the CWC, which did not happen. Although Sonia Gandhi sent me a personal message, I felt deeply hurt that there was no official recognition from the party.

I spoke to some senior leaders who explained that since my father had been the President, it was not customary to offer condolences for a former head of state. However, this explanation seemed wrong to me. While scanning through his diary, I discovered that he himself had drafted a condolence message for other Presidents, like K.R. Narayanan, after their passing. My fatheras long association with Congress, both as president and as a key leader, warranted a formal acknowledgment, which never came.

IANS: What do you think about Mallikarjun Khargeas proposal for a memorial for Dr. Manmohan Singh?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: As I mentioned earlier, I fully support the idea of a memorial for Dr. Manmohan Singh. He was the architect of Indiaas economic reforms, and his contributions to the nation are immense. He deserves the Bharat Ratna, and I have no objection to the proposal for a memorial.

However, I cannot help but feel disheartened that my father did not receive a similar gesture of recognition from Congress. This issue has nothing to do with Dr. Singhas memorial, but I do feel that my father, who was deeply involved in the party for decades, deserved formal condolences from the CWC. I also urge the government to build a memorial for Dr. Singh, in recognition of his invaluable service to the country.

IANS: Do you believe Congress is engaging in politics with these issues?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: I think this question should be directed to Congress. When my father passed away, Sonia Gandhi wrote me a very kind personal message. But personal condolences are different from institutional tributes. My father had been with Congress for 45 years, serving as the president for five years and he was deeply associated with the CWC for over 30 years. In this context, it was expected that the CWC would hold a formal condolence meeting. The fact that this did not happen, especially during the pandemic when virtual meetings were possible, was very hurtful to me.

IANS: Do you believe Congress is politicising the death of Dr. Manmohan Singh?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: I cannot speak on behalf of Congress. I am no longer associated with any political party. But why was P.V. Narasimha Rao's body not allowed inside the AICC after his death? Why didnat Congress hold a formal meeting for Pranab Mukherjee after his passing? These are questions only Congress can answer.

IANS: Do you think Congress gave Dr. Manmohan Singh, the freedom during his tenure as Prime Minister?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: Based on what Iave read in my fatheras diary, Sonia Gandhi, as UPA Chairperson, did not interfere in governance. However, she did hold ultimate authority over appointments, such as ministers and governors. But from my fatheras writings, itas clear that Sonia Gandhi did not interfere with the day-to-day running of the government.

IANS: Do you believe the Gandhi family treated Dr. Manmohan Singh and your father with respect?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: Yes, my father received a great deal of respect from the party, and his contributions were acknowledged. However, whether the lack of a formal condolence from the CWC was due to a deliberate decision or a lapse in institutional memory, I donat know. If Congress has lost its institutional memory and forgotten its protocols, that is indeed a sad state of affairs.

IANS: Do you think the relationship between the Gandhi family and other Congress leaders will change in the future?

Sharmistha Mukherjee: I am not an astrologer, so I cannot predict the future.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : The government on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, laid the foundation stone and dedicated 28 key projects worth Rs 3,921 crore under the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) this year.

In 2024, ESIC also gave in-principal approval for the establishment of 10 new ESIC medical colleges at Andheri (Maharashtra), Basaidarapur (Delhi), Guwahati- Beltola (Assam), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Ludhiana (Punjab), Naroda-Bapunagar (Gujarat), Noida and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Ranchi (Jharkhand).

ESIC has approved the set up for 97 new ESI hospitals across the country in the last 10 years.

To provide the access to quality medical care across the country, ESIC is in process of convergence with Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

This will benefit over 14.43 crore ESI beneficiaries and their families. ESIC beneficiaries will be able to avail secondary and tertiary services at over 30,000 AB-PMJAY-empanelled hospitals, with no financial ceilings on treatment costs, said the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

In October, as many as 17.80 lakh new employees were enrolled under the ESIC scheme. The year-on-year analysis showed a growth of 3 per cent in net registrations compared to October last year.

Out of the total 17.80 lakh employees added during the month, 8.50 lakh employees amounting to around 47.75 per cent of the total registrations belonged to the age group of up to 25 years. The gender-wise analysis of the payroll data indicated that the net enrolment of female members was 3.52 lakh in October.

According to the government, the ESI scheme currently offers medical care under 165 hospitals, 1,590 dispensaries, 105 dispensary-cum-branch-offices (DCBOs), and around 2,900 empanelled private hospitals. In the last 10 years, the ESI scheme has been implemented in 687 districts out of 788 districts of the country, from the 393 districts in 2014.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : While India has proved its prowess in precision landing with Chandrayaan-3, the impending SpaDeX mission will achieve a historic space docking feat, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) aims to launch the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket, at 21:58 IST from Sriharikota on December 30.

The mission aims to dock two satellites in space, a challenge only mastered by the US, Russia, and China, so far.

"ISRO's year-end mission is going to be a historic one as it will seek the rare feat of docking or merging or joining together two satellites in space," Singh said, adding that "the indigenous technology used for this mission is called the 'Bharatiya Docking System'".

"SpaDEX will mark a milestone, showcasing India's expertise in spacecraft docking technology," Singh noted.

The success of this mission is vital for India's future space ambitions. Docking technology will help upcoming missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the planned Indian space station, expected to be ready by 2035. It is also crucial for the eventual manned Gaganyaan mission, expected to launch in 2026.

With SpaDeX, "ISRO will attempt to dock two satellites orbiting at speeds of 28,800 km/h". And both satellites must be carefully manoeuvred to reduce their relative velocities to a mere 0.036 km/h".

The two satellites, SDX01 or Chaser and SDX02 or Target, will merge to form a single unit in space.

Each satellite weighs around 220 kilograms and will orbit 470 km above Earth.

The mission aims to include performing precision rendezvous and docking manoeuvres, validating power transfer between docked spacecraft, and operating payloads post-undocking, with a two-year lifespan.

SpaDEX will also use PSLV's fourth stage, POEM-4, for experiments. The stage will carry 24 payloads from academic institutions and startups. These experiments will utilise the microgravity environment in orbit.
GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army has detained Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement followed an earlier one from the health authorities, which claimed that the Israeli army had taken dozens of medical workers from Kamal Adwan Hospital in the city of Beit Lahia, including Abu Safia, to an interrogation center.

On Friday, Gaza's health authorities reported that Kamal Adwan Hospital was under a stifling siege, with its operating and surgery departments, laboratory, maintenance units, ambulance services, and warehouses all burned down.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that an operation against the hospital was launched based on intelligence suggesting the presence of "terrorist" infrastructure and operatives in the area.

"Kamal Adwan Hospital serves as a Hamas stronghold in northern Gaza, from which terrorists have been operating throughout the war," the IDF said, adding that despite a targeted operation in October, the hospital revived to serve as a hideout for "terrorists."

Prior to the raid, Kamal Adwan Hospital was housing around 350 people, including 75 patients and their companions. It is the largest medical facility in northern Gaza, serving over 400,000 people before the ongoing conflict. The Israeli army has blockaded the hospital for more than two months as part of its military operations in northern Gaza.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza 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 enclave has risen to 45,484, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday. 
Yangon, Dec 28 : Myanmar authorities have seized 5.23 million stimulant tablets, 170 kg of ICE (methamphetamine) and 2.6 kg of "Happy Water" drug in Myanmar's Bago region, the state-run daily The Mirror reported on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police searched a vehicle in Bago town on December 20, and confiscated the narcotics hidden in iron boxes, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the state-run daily The Mirror.

The seized narcotics are approximately worth over 14.1 billion kyats (about $6.71 million), and four suspects were arrested for the case, it said.

Investigation showed that the narcotics came from southern Shan state and were intended to be transported to Yangon region, Rakhine state, and Kayin state, it said.

The suspects have been charged under the country's law, and further investigations are ongoing, it added.

Earlier, on December 18, Myanmar authorities seized a significant amount of narcotics in Myanmar's Shan state. Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police had searched a house in Tachileik town on December 14 and confiscated 141 kg of ICE (methamphetamine), 23 kg of ketamine, and 128,000 ecstasy pills.

On the same day, police conducted another raid at a different house in the same town and seized two kg of happy water, 16,000 happy-5 tablets, and 9 kg of ecstasy powder, it said.

The seized narcotics were estimated to be worth over 5.7 billion kyats (about $2.7 million) in the black market. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the cases, the report added.

The suspects had been charged under the country's law, and further investigations were ongoing, it added.

The Myanmar police had also destroyed 960 acres of opium fields in eastern Myanmar's Shan state, the daily reported.

Police in Loilem district of Shan state had destroyed the opium fields located in Loilem township and the west of Panglong town in Shan state, the report said.

The opium fields, which were grown in hilly areas and on mountain slopes, were eradicated between December 7 and December 15 this year, the report added.

Last month, Myanmar authorities had seized large amounts of narcotic drugs in the regions of Mandalay and Sagaing, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) reported.

The confiscated narcotics included over 150 kg of heroin, over five million stimulant tablets, 412 kg of ICE (methamphetamine), and three tonnes of caffeine.

On November 6, another 13.2 kg of heroin had been seized in Kale township and 89.8 kg of heroin in Chanmyathazi township of Mandalay region, the CCDAC said.
Jerusalem, Dec 28 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Saturday that it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen aimed at the Jerusalem area.

The IDF statement said that "a projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory."

The missile activated air defense sirens in the Jerusalem area, the Judean Lowlands, and the Dead Sea, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to rush to shelters just after 2:10 a.m. local time (0010 GMT), said the IDF.

On Thursday, Israeli fighter jets conducted a series of strikes on Yemeni targets, including on the international airport in Sanaa and power stations. The airstrikes killed at least six, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

Earlier on December 27, Yemen's Houthi group announced that it had launched a 'hypersonic ballistic missile' targeting Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, claiming it had hit its target.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the strike had caused casualties and disrupted air traffic at the airport.

"The missile succeeded in reaching its target despite the enemy's secrecy. The operation resulted in casualties and the suspension of air traffic at the airport," Sarea alleged.

However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had intercepted the missile. The IDF acknowledged that air traffic had been halted for 30 minutes, while Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said 18 people had been slightly injured on their way to shelters.

The Houthis also claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including a drone strike on what they described as a 'vital' site in Tel Aviv and a vessel named Santa Ursula near Yemen's Socotra Island in the Arabian Sea. According to Sarea, the vessel had been targeted for alleged connections to Israeli ports.

"The Israeli aggression on civilian facilities in Sanaa and Hodeidah will increase our determination to support the Palestinian people," Sarea said, vowing to expand attacks on Israeli targets until the "aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."

Israel had launched airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport and facilities in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes had caused significant damage, killing at least six people and injuring dozens, including a United Nations staff member, Xinhua news agency reported.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), had been at Sanaa International Airport, preparing to board a UN flight, when Israeli airstrikes struck the area. He confirmed that he and his team had escaped the strikes without harm.

Ghebreyesus had been in Sanaa for talks aimed at securing the release of UN personnel who had been detained by the Houthi group earlier that year. He had called on the Houthi leadership to release the detained employees without delay.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had also criticised the intensifying violence, calling for adherence to international law.
Kochi, Dec 28 : Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly V. D. Satheesan on Saturday slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for inaugurating a five-star hotel at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

"A seven day mourning is in place following the passing away of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Vijayan took part in the function when the last rites of the person who was the PM for a decade were taking place in Delhi," said Satheesan.

CIAL is the first airport in the PPP model and the Chief Minister of Kerala is the Chairman of the airport. CIAL has built the hotel and has handed it over to the Indian Hotels Company Limited for its running.

"A person like Vijayan should not have done this when the entire country is in mourning as it's disrespectful to the departed soul. It was brought to the attention of the CIAL to inform Vijayan that the function should be postponed, but it did not happen and this act has to be condemned," added Satheesan.

Inaugurating the hotel, Vijayan emphasised that constant innovation is essential for individuals and institutions to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Vijayan highlighted the importance of adapting to shifting trends in service delivery, especially in the era of pervasive new media.

"These days, providing the best services is not enough, as new media impacts daily life. People should be able to be convinced of the benefits," said Vijayan.

Vijayan then praised CIAL's professional marketing strategies and ability to communicate its initiatives' benefits effectively.

CIAL is the second airport in India to introduce a hotel under this business model, utilising its land for strategic ventures.

Apart from Vijayan, State Industries Minister P. Rajeeve and other top state government officials also took part in the event.
Chandigarh, Dec 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government is committed to setting up a memorial for former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Punjab unit BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin said here on Saturday.

The BJP has always been keen on giving due respect to national heroes like the great economist Dr Manmohan Singh, who heralded major economic reforms in the country, he told the media.

"The BJP has always risen above politics, and it has even conferred Bharat Ratna on Congress leaders Madan Mohan Malviya, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee," said Sarin.

He said the Central Cabinet has already decided to erect a national memorial in memory of Dr. Manmohan Singh at its meeting on December 27. He said the place for the memorial requires to be acquired, transferred, setting up of a trust and there are certain other paper works too involved.

"Once the ball is set rolling, the work shall be completed on memorial as soon as possible," he clarified.

He said that despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah having conveyed the decision to erect a memorial to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the grand old party "is wrongly propagating that the Modi government is not keen to erect a memorial. The Congress has never respected Dr Manmohan Singh and it's a matter of shame that the Congress is playing petty politics over the death of its own stalwart leader".

Sarin said that apart from Nehru and Gandhi's family, Dr. Manmohan Singh was the only Prime Minister that has served the nation spanning 10 years in a row.

"All of us are well aware of the disgrace of late P.V. Narasimha Rao, who served the nation for five years as PM, suffered at the hands of his own party. Even the autobiography of Pranab Mukherjee mentions it," he added.

Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was also a noted economist, passed away at the AIIMS in Delhi on Thursday. He was 92.

Dr. Singh is credited with bringing reforms and transformational changes to the country's economy when it was passing through a tough phase.

His demise has been condoled by leaders cutting across political lines, eminent personalities as well as global leaders.
Kolkata, Dec 28 : The office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has decided to thoroughly scan and examine the voters' list in certain districts in West Bengal having international borders with neighbouring Bangladesh, with Intelligence input hinting that members of Bangladeshi fundamentalist groups have managed to get themselves enrolled in voters.

CEO office insiders said that the process had started with the bordering Murshidabad district, after it came to the notice that the recently arrested activist of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based fundamentalist group, Shad Radi a.k.a. Shab Sheikh, had managed to not only get his name enrolled as a voter in Murshidabad but at two places in two different Assembly constituencies in the district, namely Kandi and Hariharpara.

Sources said that the scanning and examination are being conducted to ensure whether there are similar instances in the district or not. In subsequent stages, similar scanning of the voters' list will be done for other districts in the state, especially those having international borders with Bangladesh.

Besides the instance in Murshidabad district, instances have also surfaced where the same EPIC number has been allotted to one voter of West Bengal and one voter of Gujarat.

Sources said that the CEO office is taking such matters very seriously since fake EPIC cards are the second layer in the chain of fake Indian documents being arranged for illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

As information revealed by the investigation officials, the first stage in this chain is getting fake ration cards, which is immediately followed by fake EPIC cards. The third and fourth stages are fake PAN cards and Aadhaar cards. The final stage in the chain is that of fake passports.

aSo in case if the chain can be broken at the second stage, which is a fake EPIC card, the next lines in the chain can be broken automatically. At the same time, the office of the CEO has directed their respective-level officials to be extremely careful in checking the documents in case of new EPIC card applicants," a source said.
Bengaluru, Dec 28 : Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, accused Kalaburagi district in-charge minister Priyank Kharge of abusing his power and demanded his resignation in connection with the suicide of a contractor, Sachin.

He also alleged that the Kharge family is running a republic in their native Kalaburagi.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Narayanaswamy further criticised the situation in Kalaburagi, stating, "It has become the Republic of Kalaburagi. The administrative system in Karnataka and Kalaburagi are entirely different. In Kalaburagi, police function as if they are acting under the sole instructions of Priyank Kharge."

Priyank Kharge is the son of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.

The BJP leader alleged that the Kharge family wields significant dominance in the region. "No one else is allowed to voice their opinions. Especially Dalit communities, if they speak against the Kharges, they face consequences. Police camp outside the homes of those who criticise them," he charged.

"I visited Kalaburagi, but had to return due to a condolence meeting for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."

Narayanaswamy criticised the administration in Kalaburagi, stating that it has completely collapsed.

He alleged that Priyank Kharge has surrounded himself with loyalists and is involved in multiple illegal activities.

"There is illegal sand mining, and rackets involving tiles and cement factories. Even in contract matters, appointments are made to suit their agenda. This is the primary reason behind Sachin's suicide," he claimed.

Narayanaswamy demanded a high-level investigation into the matter.

He also urged the government to remove Priyank Kharge from his ministerial position and to arrest him, ensuring full cooperation with the investigation.

"If this doesn't happen, our party leaders and workers will have no choice but to launch an intense protest," he warned.

Narayanaswamy highlighted that the deceased contractor, Sachin, had written a seven-page death note and also posted it on social media. "In the note, he mentioned plans to hire a hitman to kill individuals such as Andol Swamiji, Chandu Patil, and Basavaraj, which raise serious concerns," he added.

Sachin, a 26-year-old contractor, committed suicide in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district on Thursday following the alleged threats to his life and extortion by an aide of Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge.

The deceased contractor left a seven-page suicide note and alleged that Minister Kharge's aide and Kalaburagi City Corporation's former member Raju Kapanuru's atrocities forced him to take the extreme step.

Reacting to the development, Minister Priyank Kharge said, "I came to know about the incident just now. I will make a demand that whether the accused is my associate or a Congress party worker, the investigation should be conducted. I will not try to silence the matter and won't say that an investigation is not required. I will request the Home Minister G. Parameshwara to get a thorough investigation done regarding the incident."

The Karnataka BJP unit had earlier accused Minister Priyank Kharge of being directly responsible for a series of murders of its party workers in his native Kalaburagi district of the state.

The BJP also said that during Priyank Kharge's tenure, incidents of murders and extortions have increased, adding that "after Priyank Kharge took over as the district in-charge minister of Kalaburagi, BJP workers and leaders have been hacked to death one after the other".

BJP has asserted that Priyank Kharge, who handed over the Kalaburagi district to criminals, is directly responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation.

Following the killing of Mahantappa Aloore, another BJP leader Girish Chakra was hacked to death, the BJP said.
Khartoum, Dec 28 : At least 20 civilians were killed and 17 others injured in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on two displacement camps in El Fasher city in Sudan, a local government official said on Saturday.

"Last night (Friday), a RSF militia drone dropped four bombs on Qoz Bena school, a camp hosting hundreds of displaced people in El Fasher, killing 19 civilians and injuring 16 others," Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State's health department said.

"This morning, the militia launched artillery shelling on Abu Shouk displacement camp, north of El Fasher, killing a civilian and injuring a girl," he added. The RSF has not issued any comment on the attack on the Abu Zeriga area.

Earlier on December 4, Sudan's Darfur region governor announced that 20 civilians had been killed in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in an area in North Darfur State in Sudan.

"The RSF committed a massacre in the Abu Zeriga area, south of El Fasher city, killing 20 civilians and injuring 20 others," Governor Minni Arko Minnawi said in a post on his Facebook page.

Minnawi said that the attack had taken place on December 3.

He called on the international community and humanitarian organisations to send international investigation teams to document the crimes and work to bring the perpetrators to justice.

He further urged aid organisations to intensify efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected population amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in the region.

In the meantime, the non-governmental Sudanese Doctors Network said the attack had left 21 civilians dead and 13 others wounded.

Since May 10, fierce clashes had raged in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, which had been embroiled in a brutal conflict.

Sudan had been gripped by a devastating conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which had claimed at least 29,683 lives and displaced over 14 million people, either inside or outside Sudan, according to the latest estimates by international organizations.
Bengaluru, Dec 28 : The Karnataka Police have arrested a gang of four individuals, led by the Manager of the Corporate Division at Axis Bank in Gujarat, for siphoning off crores of rupees by stealing sensitive data from a company, officials said on Saturday.

The Bengaluru East CEN police (Cybercrime, Economic Offences, Narcotics) apprehended the suspects and seized Rs 1.83 crore in cash, two mobile phones, and a fake Corporate Internet Banking (CIB) form, according to Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand.

The investigation began after the Director of Dream Plug Pay Tech Solutions Private Limited (CRED) in Bengaluru filed a police complaint on November 15 with the CEN East police station. The complaint alleged the siphoning of Rs 21.51 crore from the companyas accounts and requested an investigation.

According to the complaint, the companyas nodal and current bank accounts were with the Indiranagar branch of Axis Bank in Bengaluru. Strangers had gained access to the email addresses and contact numbers associated with these accounts.

The cyber fraudsters stole the companyas data, forged CIB forms, and falsified signatures and seals to facilitate the transfer of Rs 12,51,13,000 to 17 different bank accounts.

After registering the complaint, the East CEN police launched an investigation and arrested the primary suspect, who worked as the Manager of the Corporate Division at Axis Bank in Gujarat. The investigation revealed that the accused, in collusion with others, had stolen the companyas data and committed the crime.

The kingpin created fake Corporate Internet Banking (CIB) forms and Board Resolutions for the company and submitted them to the Ankleshwar branch of Axis Bank in Bharuch district, Gujarat. Using these forged documents, the accused gained access to the companyas internet banking accounts and transferred funds to 17 mule accounts in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The four suspects were apprehended on December 20 in Surat, Navsari, and Rajkot in Gujarat. They were produced in a local court and subsequently brought to Bengaluru for further investigation.

The accused were remanded to 10 days of police custody. The police recovered Rs 1.28 crore in cash and Rs 55 lakh from the mule bank accounts associated with the crime.

The case was cracked by a team led by DCP East D. Devaraj, ACP Laxmikanth of CEN East police station, and Inspector Umeshkumar.

Six people were arrested in connection with cyber fraud of Rs 56 lakh in Bengaluru on December 24. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand had said: "The accused duped a company by impersonating its Managing Director (MD). Using the MD's photograph and the company logo as a WhatsApp display picture, one of the accused sent a message to the company's employee asking for an urgent transfer of Rs 56 lakh, claiming it was needed as a security deposit."

An incident of cyber criminals conning a Japanese national and extorting Rs 35 lakh from him has been reported from Bengaluru recently. Hiroshi Sasaki, a 59-year-old Japanese national, had lodged a complaint in this regard with the South East Cybercrime, Economic offences, Narcotics (CEN) Crime police station.

An incident of a software professional losing Rs 11 crore after falling victim to digital arrest was reported from Bengaluru on December 23. According to the police, the cyber fraudsters disguised themselves as police officials from the Mumbai Crime Branch and committed the crime through digital arrest.

A case of a state government employee falling victim to cybercriminals and being robbed of Rs 19 lakh after being digitally arrested for six hours in Tumakuru district of Karnataka was reported on December 24.

According to police, the accused had called the victim officer on the phone and introduced himself as a staffer from the Mumbai Crime Branch. The accused further charged that the money had been transferred illegally from his account.
DAMASCUS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The de-facto head of Syria's new governing authority, Ahmed al-Sharaa, held separate talks with delegations from Bahrain and Libya on Saturday, signaling a continued push to solidify diplomatic ties and rebuild regional partnerships following the fall of the previous administration in early December.

According to Syrian official press releases, al-Sharaa welcomed Bahrain's Strategic Security Bureau chief, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, and later met with a Libyan delegation led by Walid Ammar al-Lafi, Libya's minister of state for communication and political affairs.

While no detailed statements were released, the discussions reportedly focused on enhancing cooperation in security and other areas.

"We discussed raising the level of relations and diplomatic representation," al-Lafi told reporters after meeting with al-Sharaa, according to Syria's radio station Sham FM.

"Syria is a crucial, central country, and it's our duty to maintain contact with its leadership. There are positive signs for closer collaboration, particularly on security matters," the Libyan official said.

Meanwhile, the new Syrian administration announced that an amnesty period for former military members to surrender their weapons has expired.

Those who failed to comply are now considered outlaws, local newspaper al-Watan reported. In a related operation, security forces in the coastal region of Sutmorkho apprehended a number of individuals tied to so-called "remnants of Assad militias," confiscating weapons and ammunition.

The interim Ministry of Interior said they would continue combing the area to maintain order. 
Jakarta, Dec 28 : The Indonesian police detained four suspects during an operation in West Java, as part of an investigation into alleged terrorist activities, local media reported on Saturday.

This operation, conducted by the National Police's counterterrorism unit, took place in the Majalengka region of the province. Officers reportedly seized several pieces of evidence, including documents and firecrackers.

Indonesia has experienced several terrorist attacks in the past, including the deadly Bali bombings in 2002 and the Makassar cathedral bombing in 2021. In response, the Southeast Asian nation has carried out counterterrorism operations both domestically and internationally, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier, on September 4, Indonesia's national police counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, arrested two individuals on suspicion of terrorism activities in the country's province of West Java, according to the unit's spokesperson Aswin Siregar.

He said the arrests took place in the Bekasi area, with several pieces of evidence, and the suspects were undergoing intensive interrogation.

Earlier, on October 20, 2023, the Indonesian police's counterterrorism squad arrested nine people on suspicion of terrorism activities in three separate operations, police said.

Ahmad Ramadhan, spokesman of the National Police, told reporters that five suspects were arrested in South Sumatra, who had alleged ties with the homegrown extremist group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), which is linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

Counterterrorism squad officers arrested one suspect in West Kalimantan and four others in West Nusa Tenggara, who were affiliated with the homegrown extremist group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), also linked to the IS group.

The JAD was responsible for a string of attacks in the archipelago, including a suicide bombing at a cathedral in Makassar City on Sulawesi Island in March the previous year and several suicide bombings at churches in East Java in 2018, which killed a dozen people. The group had been declared an illegal organization in 2018.

The JI was behind the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed more than 200 people on the holiday island.

All suspects, the spokesman said, were still under further investigation by police.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Congress candidate from New Delhi Assembly constituency Sandeep Dikshit on Saturday challenged AAP convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to a public debate and vowed to expose his links with the BJP.

Talking to IANS, Dikshit said, "I will give 100s of evidence to prove how they have helped the BJP win elections at the Centre and in states."

"As part of a conspiracy, the AAP has directly helped the BJP and tried to defeat the Congress," Dikshit said, dismissing the AAP allegation that he was being used as a front by the BJP to defeat the AAP.

Lashing out at AAP leaders' habit of making baseless allegations, he said, "We are still waiting to see the 350-page evidence Kejriwal had promised to issue against Sheila ji (former Delhi CM and late Congress leader)."

"I challenge Kejriwal to share if they have anything substantive to prove that I have some links with the BJP," said a combative Dikshit, who is fighting the upcoming Assembly election against Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency.

Highlighting the alleged wrongdoings of the AAP, the Congress leader referred to LG V.K. Saxena's decision to seek a report within three days from Delhi Police after an inquiry into the Congress leader's complaint of illegal political surveillance ahead of Assembly elections.

Dikshit, a former Member of Parliament, has alleged that intelligence personnel from Punjab have parked their vehicles outside his home.

The LG's office said in an order, "This pertains to a representation received from Sandeep Dikshit, former MP and candidate of the Congress for the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha Elections, 2025. He has raised serious concerns regarding intelligence personnel from the Punjab government allegedly visiting his residence and parking their vehicles outside his house."

"The Lieutenant Governor has noted the gravity of the allegations. Given the impending Vidhan Sabha elections, it is essential that potential candidates are not subjected to any form of intimidation or coercion that could hinder their participation in the democratic process," said a statement from Raj Niwas.
Melbourne, Dec 28 : The John Cain Arena played host to a historic PKL Melbourne Raid, featuring a spectacular double-header that showcased kabaddi's finest talent from the PKL as well as from Australia.

Melbourne, Dec 28 (IANS) The John Cain Arena played host to a historic PKL Melbourne Raid, featuring a spectacular double-header that showcased kabaddias finest talent from the PKL as well as from Australia.

The evening witnessed two contrasting matches: a nail-biting encounter between the PKL All Star Masters and PKL Mavericks that ended in a thrilling 41-39 victory for the Mavericks. Meanwhile, the showpiece international clash between the Pro Kabaddi All Stars and the host nation's Aussie Raiders saw the All Stars emerge victorious with a commanding 46-28 scoreline.

The PKL Melbourne Raid's opening match began with strong defensive displays before Saurabh Nandal's Super Raid gave the PKL All Star Masters an early lead. However, the PKL Mavericks responded with an ALL OUT, powered by two-point raids from Ajay Thakur and Pardeep Narwal. Despite this, the momentum shifted when Maninder Singh's Super Raid inflicted an ALL OUT on the Mavericks, giving the Masters a 22-19 lead at half-time.

The second half saw Pardeep Narwal showcase his prowess with a Super Raid, helping the Mavericks close the gap. Though the Masters briefly regained the lead through Jai Bhagwan's Super Raid, Pardeep Narwal's Super 10 performance proved decisive. Despite late drama threatening to swing the match, the Mavericks held on to secure a thrilling 41-39 victory, keeping the fans at the John Cain Arena on the edge of their seats.

In the second match, it took the Pro Kabaddi All Stars just three and a half minutes to inflict an ALL OUT on the Aussie Raiders, but Benny Gowers tackled Pardeep Narwal, getting the Australian team to four points on the board. The fifth point for the Aussie Raiders was won by Brett Deledio, with a running hand touch on Saurabh Nandal. By then, the score read 9-24 at the end of the first half.

In a bid to get their match back on track, the Aussie Raiders inflicted an ALL OUT on the Pro Kabaddi All Stars after Heppel managed to get touches on Jeeva Kumar and Anup Kumar. This move reduced the deficit to 12 points.

Soon after, Maninder Singh and Sukesh Hegde contributed crucial points, while Rakesh Kumar and Ran Singh provided solid defensive support, helping the Pro Kabaddi All Stars maintain control throughout most of the match. Despite some impressive moments from the Aussies, including a successful ALL OUT led by Heppel and Billy Gowers' heroic struggle against Ran Singh, the home team's lack of experience showed in crucial moments.

The Pro Kabaddi All Stars' superior tactical awareness and raid efficiency ultimately proved decisive as they closed out a commanding 46-28 victory at John Cain Arena, with the final raid seeing Joshua Kennedy brought down on the left flank as the Pro Kabaddi All Stars went on to win by 18 points.
Istanbul, Dec 28 : The Turkish army has 'neutralised' five members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria and Iraq, the Defence Ministry announced on Saturday.

In a statement on X, the ministry reported that three 'terrorists' from PKK and YPG were 'neutralised' in the Euphrates Shield region of northern Syria. Turkey considers the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the PKK.

Additionally, two other PKK members were 'neutralised' in the Claw-Lock Operation area in northern Iraq, according to the ministry.

"We will continue our fight against terrorism with the same determination and resolve, without compromise, as we have until now," the ministry stated.

Turkish authorities often use the term 'neutralise' in their statements to imply the alleged terrorists have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on December 25, Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) 'neutralised' a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq, allegedly before an attack on Turkish forces in the region.

Firat Serihan, who was wanted by Turkey, was 'neutralised' in a pinpoint strike in Iraq's Gara region, although the time frame of the operation was not specified.

According to Turkish public broadcaster TRT, Serihan and other militants preparing to attack Turkish security forces in Gara were neutralised during the operation.

Serihan had allegedly personally planned and directed attacks against Turkish security forces in northern Syria in 2016.

He was also accused of supplying weapons and ammunition to operatives seeking to carry out attacks in the Turkish military's Pence-Kilit Operation Zone in northern Iraq.

Since 2016, Turkey had conducted anti-terror operations along its border with northern Syria to establish a YPG-free zone. These operations included Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018, and Peace Spring in 2019 and 2020.

Turkey had launched Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq in 2022 to target PKK hideouts.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, had been engaged in armed rebellion against the Turkish government for four decades.
Sydney, Dec 28 : Three homes and nearly a dozen outbuildings have been destroyed in a major bushfire burning in a national park in Australia's southeastern state of Victoria, local media reported on Saturday.

Cooler, settled conditions in and around the Grampians National Park, 230 km west of Melbourne, have allowed emergency crews to start initial impact assessments, Xinhua news agency reported quoting The Age daily newspaper.

Three homes have been lost in the town of Moyston, while 11 outbuildings have been destroyed by the fire across Moyston and Pomonal, the report said.

"These numbers will continue to evolve over the next couple of days," State Control Center spokesman Luke Heagerty was quoted as saying.

Fire crews are expecting conditions for fighting the out-of-control 75,000-hectare fire across the Grampians National Park to remain favorable for the next seven days, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Warnings have been downgraded to watch and act with residents advised to monitor conditions.

Earlier on December 25, authorities in Australia's state of Victoria issued an emergency warning to residents in the Grampians mountain range, urging them to evacuate as bushfire conditions worsened.

VicEmergency issued a fire warning on Wednesday afternoon, urging residents in Moyston and Pomonal, two towns in western Victoria, to leave immediately as the bushfire in Grampians National Park continued to burn.

"There was a bushfire at Grampians National Park, Yarram Gap Road, that was not yet under control," said VicEmergency, adding that leaving immediately was the safest option before conditions became too dangerous.

VicEmergency also warned in a statement that bushfires burning across Victoria would create Extreme Fire conditions, which it described as the worst across the state since Black Summer in 2019-2020.

If the fire was rated as Extreme Fire Danger, it would spread quickly and be extremely dangerous.

The fire, which was sparked by lightning on December 16, had burnt through approximately 41,000 hectares of land as of Monday due to high temperatures and strong winds.

Communities and fire crews in Australia had been preparing for several days of extreme bushfire danger.

Several out-of-control fires continued to burn in the southeastern state of Victoria that week despite more favorable conditions for firefighters.

With temperatures forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius on December 26, Victorians were advised to brace for catastrophic fire conditions.

Residents of communities evacuated due to the threat posed by a major fire in the Grampians National Park, about 230 km west of Melbourne, were allowed to return to their homes for two hours to collect their belongings.

Four interstate firefighting task forces and two emergency management teams were expected to arrive in Victoria to aid the hundreds of local firefighters working to contain the Grampians blaze.

The Country Fire Authority had advised anyone who could avoid traveling through affected areas over the Christmas period to do so.

Elsewhere in Australia, several small bush and grass fires in the state of New South Wales continued to burn but were under control.

In South Australia, residents of the outer-southern Adelaide suburb of Onkaparinga Hills were urged to leave as firefighters battled an out-of-control bushfire.
Shimla, Dec 28 : With potatoes contributing around 20 per cent of the state's vegetable cultivation, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Saturday said the government is planning to establish a potato processing plant in Una district with an outlay of Rs 20 crore, that will also help growers of Punjab, another prominent grower state.

The plant, with a minimum processing capacity of 500 kg per hour, will primarily focus on producing potato flakes and the Agricultural Department has been directed to formulate the detailed project report for the facility.

Agriculture accounts for 14 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product, with potatoes being a key crop. Potato yields approximately 238,317 metric tons sown 16,960 hectare.

The establishment of the potato processing plant will not only help ensure better remunerative prices for farmers but also boost the local economy by creating employment opportunities both in the factory and agricultural sector, an official statement quoting the Chief Minister said.

Sukhu said, "By processing potatoes into value-added products like flakes, the plant will help stabilize the potato market and reduce the vulnerability of farmers to price fluctuations in the fresh potato market. Potato flakes are made by cooking, mashing, and drying the potatoes to create flat, dehydrated chunks, which are then packaged for sale."

He said the potato processing industry is an industrialized, technologically advanced, and market-driven sector. He said Una district, with its production of approximately 54,200 metric tons of potatoes from 3,400 hectares across both seasons (autumn and spring), is well-positioned to support such a plant.

Additionally, the neighbouring state, Punjab, also produces a significant quantity of potatoes, ensuring a steady supply of raw material for the processing industry.

He said one of the key advantages of potato cultivation in Himachal Pradesh is the ability to harvest potatoes during the rabi season, which typically occurs in March. However, due to market conditions, farmers often face distressing sales during this period.

The proposed processing unit will offer farmers an opportunity to sell their potatoes at better prices, preventing price fluctuations and ensuring a year-round demand for potatoes.

Sukhu said the state's climatic conditions are ideal for producing high-quality, disease-free seed potatoes, which are highly valued across India. He said the demand for processed potato products, such as flakes, is rapidly growing in India, driven by changing consumer preferences and the expanding processing industry.

Besides Una district, the table potato is also cultivated in Bilaspur, Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Kullu districts.

The Lahaul Valley in Lahaul-Spiti district is known for producing virus-free seed potatoes that mainly find a market for plantation. The potato cultivation in Lahaul goes back to 1854 when missionary A.W. Hide from Germany established a farm near Keylong, the district headquarters town.

The seed potatoes are in great demand in states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Karnataka.

Vegetable production in the state is generating revenue of Rs 3,500-Rs 4,000 crore annually and has emerged as an alternate economic activity in the agriculture sector.

The returns on off-season vegetable cultivation are very high compared to traditional food crops, say experts.
Seoul, Dec 28 : South Korea's prosecutors have seized former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun's mobile phone to try to access phone calls he held during President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law, legal sources said on Saturday.

Kim was indicted on Friday on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection amid allegations he proposed declaring martial law to Yoon and ordered military officials to send troops to seal off the National Assembly on December 3.

The prosecution's special investigation headquarters handling the martial law case seized the phone on Thursday with a court-issued warrant and notified Kim's side to attend a forensic survey of the phone scheduled for next Monday, according to the sources.

Prosecutors earlier secured the phone when Kim voluntarily appeared for questioning on December 8, but Kim's side protested against what they said was illegal collection of evidence, Yonhap news agency reported.

Instead of returning the phone, prosecutors filed for a warrant and succeeded in securing the phone again.

Kim's lawyer, however, submitted an appeal before a court on Friday to overturn the seizure.

Earlier on December 27, South Korea's prosecutors indicted former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun under detention on charges of insurrection over his alleged role in the short-lived imposition of martial law this month.

The prosecution's special investigation team indicted Kim on charges of abuse of power and playing an "integral" role in an insurrection, marking the first indictment in the case on President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched declaration of martial law.

Prosecutors believe Kim recommended Yoon declare martial law, and led the deployment of troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission's offices during martial law.

Earlier on Friday, South Korea's Constitutional Court said it would swiftly proceed with President Yoon's impeachment trial as it wrapped up the case's first hearing, with the next hearing on the trial set for January 3.

The court made the announcement during the preparatory hearing for the trial on the validity of Yoon's impeachment by the National Assembly this month over his failed imposition of martial law on December 3, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The case on the President's impeachment is more important than any other case," Justice Cheong Hyung-sik, one of the judges for the preparatory proceedings, said, noting the court first deals with cases that are "most urgent."

"The date was decided by considering the seriousness and gravity of the impeachment trial's impact on state affairs and the public," Justice Lee Mi-son, another Constitutional Court judge, said, referring to the date of the next hearing.

The hearing brought together the legal representatives of both Yoon and the National Assembly for the first time to lay out their cases, present their list of witnesses and evidence, and coordinate the dates of future proceedings.

Yoon, who was not required to attend the hearing, did not appear as expected.

During the hearing, Yoon's lawyers said they would dispute the legality of the request for the impeachment trial, apparently referring to possible procedural issues regarding Yoon's impeachment motion at the National Assembly.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : In a special sitting on Saturday, the Supreme Court pulled up the Punjab government over its failure to hospitalise farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast unto death.

The 70-year-old cancer patient has been fasting at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26 in support of their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.

A Vacation Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant told Punjab's Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh to comply with its earlier orders, where the Punjab government was directed to ensure the stable health condition of Dallewal.

"It is entirely the responsibility of the State of Punjab to ensure the stable health condition of Mr Jagjit Singh Dallewal, for which if he requires hospitalisation, the authorities must ensure to do so. The State Government, therefore, will take a call as to whether Mr Dallewal can be shifted to the makeshift hospital (temporary hospital, which is said to have been set up at a distance of 700 metres from the site) or to any other well-equipped hospital," the SC had ordered on December 20.

After AG Gurminder Singh stated that other protesting farmers were obstructing the medical aid to Dallewal, Justice Kant-led Bench suggested that it can direct the Union government to provide logistical aid.

The apex court ordered the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) to comply with its judicial orders within two days and posted the matter for hearing on December 31.

It cautioned that if orders are not followed, the Supreme Court will consider framing charges of contempt of court against the officials on the next date of listing.

On Friday, Justice Kant-led Bench issued notice on a plea seeking contempt action against the Chief Secretary of Punjab for not complying with the apex court's orders.

It said, "Medical aid has to be given (to Dallewal) and the impression is that you (Punjab authorities) are not following our orders."

Expressing concern over Dallewal's life and safety, it had ordered the Punjab government to comply with its direction to get him hospitalised.

In an earlier hearing, the Justice Kant-led Bench said that protesting farmers are free to put their grievances directly before the top court after it was told that the farmer leaders did not attend the meeting with the court-appointed panel.

Remarking that the court's doors were always open, it said that farmers could put forth their demands directly before the apex court or through their authorised representative.

Before this, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a fresh plea seeking directions to immediately clear the blockage of national as well as state highways in Punjab, which "alleged farmers and farmer unions" have blocked permanently for an indefinite period. "Why are you filing repeated petitions? We are already seized of the matter and have already taken some initiatives. There is no question of repeated petitions," it told the PIL litigant.

"In pending PIL, we never say 'no' to any counsel. You assist us on the fixed date, we will see what orders could be passed on the opening of highways," the apex court said.

Saying that no fresh petition should be entertained on the same subject matter, it proceeded to dismiss the fresh plea but granted liberty to the petitioner's counsel to assist in the pending matter relating to the "larger public interest issue".

In September, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a committee to amicably resolve the grievances of the farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border. It had suggested the panel headed by Justice Nawab Singh, a former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, to hold negotiations with the protesting farmers for the removal of their tractors, trolleys, etc from the National Highway for the ease of the general public.

Further, the apex court had granted liberty to farmers to shift their peaceful protests to an alternative site. Apart from Justice Nawab Singh, the panel comprised former Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, agricultural analyst Devender Sharma, Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman, agricultural economist Dr Sukhpal Singh, and Prof Baldev Raj Kamboj as a special invitee.
Sydney, Dec 28 : A man has died after a shark attack off the Central Queensland coast in eastern Australia, local media reported on Saturday.

The man in his 40s died after suffering life-threatening injuries to his neck in the shark bite incident in waters off Yeppoon, the second in Central Queensland within the past month.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the man had been fishing with family members when he was bitten by a shark. The incident occurred about 4:37 p.m. on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Brisbane-based The Courier Mail daily newspaper.

The man suffered life-threatening injuries and succumbed just before 6 p.m., the police spokesman said.

There have been at least four other shark attacks in Australian waters so far this year, the newspaper reported, quoting the Australian Shark-Incident Database.

Earlier on July 23, a man was severely injured after a shark attacked him on the eastern coast of Australia.

Emergency service New South Wales (NSW) Ambulance reported that the response crew was called just after 11:00 a.m. local time to North Shore Beach at Port Macquarie, following reports of someone having been bitten by a shark.

"Paramedics assessed and treated a man in his 20s with a serious leg injury and transported him to Port Macquarie Base Hospital in a stable condition," the NSW Ambulance noted in a statement.

Stretching over 10 km, North Shore Beach is located in the mid-north of New South Wales and lies more than 300 km north of the state capital, Sydney.

Following the incident, a local lifesaving agency and members of the public rendered assistance by using makeshift tourniquets.

"Beaches between North Shore and Lighthouse Beach (Tacking Point) were closed and remained closed for at least 24 hours," said Port Macquarie Hastings ALS Lifeguards.

According to the SharkSmart map operated by the NSW state government, surveillance drones were deployed in the region.
Chandigarh, Dec 28 : The Haryana Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Saturday approved the use of Aadhaar authentication services for candidates appearing in examinations for Group A and B posts conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).

The authentication will be mandatory during the registration process for these posts on the HPSC portal, an official statement said.

The introduction of Aadhaar authentication aims to streamline the application procedure, eliminate fraudulent candidates, and ensure the accuracy of candidate data through de-duplication.

This move will enhance the credibility and reliability of the recruitment process, maintaining public confidence in the competitive exams, said the government.

The Cabinet decided to increase the maximum limit on the death-cum-retirement gratuity for government employees by 25 per cent, raising it from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. This enhancement will take effect from January 1, 2024.

Similarly, the Cabinet approved a 25 per cent increase in the maximum limit of death-cum-retirement gratuity for judicial officers, raising it from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. This enhancement will also be effective from January 1, 2024.

These decisions are aimed at providing enhanced financial security to government employees and their families as well as judicial officers.

It also approved the standing operating procedure (SOP) for the implementation of Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojana (MMPSY) for 2024-25.

As per the SOP, instead of reimbursing the premium to the beneficiaries of PMJJBY, PMSBY, PMKMY, PMSYMY and PMLVMY under Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojana, Rs 1,000 per eligible family per year will be transferred to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Parivar Suraksha Yojana (DAYALU) for payment of compensation under DAYALU having family income from all sources less than or equal to Rs 1.80 lakh per annum, and having a Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP).

The Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojana was notified on February 6, 2020, with an aim of providing financial assistance and social security, including life and accident insurance and pension benefits to eligible families belonging to economically weaker sections.

The Cabinet approved the revision of the ex-gratia to the families of battle casualties of Central armed forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. The revised ex-gratia has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday called on the international community to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East, respect the legitimate and reasonable concerns of those countries, respect the independent choices made by the people of the Middle East, and respect the historical and cultural traditions of countries in that region.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks when holding talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.

Noting that the Middle East belongs to the people of the Middle East, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that it is not an arena for major-power rivalry, nor should it be the victim of geopolitical competition among countries outside the region.

For the region to emerge from chaos and enjoy stability, the pressing task is to achieve an immediate ceasefire and stop violence, ease the humanitarian crisis, adhere to political settlement and resume dialogue and negotiation, Wang said.

He said it is hoped that all parties will play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, instead of trying to impose their will on the people of the Middle East or pointing fingers at Middle Eastern countries, let alone resorting to sanctions and pressure, provoking confrontation or resorting to force at every turn.

As a good friend and partner of Middle Eastern countries, China has always firmly supported them in independently exploring development paths, in resolving issues through dialogue and consultation, in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in opposing external interference, Wang stressed. 
Srinagar, Dec 28 : Jammu & Kashmir Police extended a helping hand to commoners by evacuating ailing patients and rescuing hundreds of stranded passenger vehicles during the ongoing snowfall across Kashmir valley, as per a police statement on Saturday.

In Anantnag, a distress call was received by Police that a vehicle carrying four tourists travelling from the National Highway via Dalwach to Dooru had got stuck in heavy snow leaving the passengers stranded in extreme weather conditions.

A team from Police Station Dooru rushed and rescued all four tourists and safely evacuated them to a secure location.

Moreover, police facilitated the emergency evacuation of a female patient from Bragam Dooru to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Dooru in a police vehicle. The patient, who had recently undergone surgery, experienced severe pain and required immediate medical attention.

Upon receiving the distress call, police acted swiftly, arranging transportation and ensuring the patient was safely shifted to the hospital without delay.

Police in Budgam rescued tourists stranded in Doodhpathri and helped patients, commuters and tourists who were stuck on roads at different places across the district, especially in far-flung areas.

In Pulwama, a distress call was received, reporting that a group of people along with a deceased person's body were stranded at Wahibugh while en route to Qazipora, Budgam. Acting swiftly, police ensured that the dead body was carried on foot to Qazipora, enabling the bereaved family to perform the final rites.

In another incident, early this morning, two women in need of emergency medical attention were rescued near Turkawagan Bridge. Braving adverse weather conditions, police transported the patients to District Hospital Pulwama, where they received medical treatment.

In Ganderbal, Police extended assistance to tourists, commuters and patients stranded in the snow at various locations across the district.

In Awantipora, police received a distress call from Shahabad Awantipora, in which the caller requested that a lady is in dire need of medical treatment to save her life. Acting swiftly, a special team led by SHO Police Station Awantipora rushed to the spot along with his vehicle and evacuated the said patient to SDH Tral for treatment.

In Kulgam, police received a distress call from Adigam, Devsar in which the caller reported that an ailing person (cardiac patient) namely Nawaz Ahmad Mallah son of Ghulam Nabi Mallah resident of Adigam Devsar had suffered a heart attack and is in dire need of medical treatment. However, the family members were unable to shift the patient to the hospital at their own due to incessant snowfall and slippery road, making access impossible through conventional means. Acting swiftly, a special team led by SHO police station Devsar rushed to the spot and evacuated the cardiac patient to a hospital for treatment.

Police in Baramulla launched extensive emergency assistance operations across the district following heavy snowfall including rescuing stranded vehicles, providing mechanical assistance, and helping install snow chains. Under the supervision of SSP Baramulla, police teams were strategically deployed along the Gulmarg-Tangmarg road axis and other critical areas to aid stranded travellers and tourists visiting Gulmarg.

Moreover, various teams have been constituted and deputed across the districts of Kashmir valley for providing a helping hand to general public, especially in far-flung areas prone to heavy snowfall. Emergency help desks have also been established by J&K Police at key locations, offering shelter and transportation assistance to tourists.

"J&K Police continuing its unwavering dedication to serving the community even in challenging circumstances. J&K Police urges the public to exercise caution during severe weather conditions and to reach out in emergencies for assistance on already established helpline numbers or Dial 112," the police statement said.
Moscow, Dec 28 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday offered his apologies to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev that the incident with the AZAL airliner occurred in Russia's airspace and conveyed his condolences to the families of the plane crash victims.

Moscow, Dec 28 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday offered his apologies to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev that the incident with the AZAL airliner occurred in Russiaas airspace and conveyed his condolences to the families of the plane crash victims.

"Vladimir Putin offered his apologies that the tragic incident had occurred in Russiaas airspace and once again conveyed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the plane crash victims and wished those injured the quickest recovery," the press office said in a statement, TASS news agency reported, quoting the Kremlin press office on Saturday.

This comes a day after Russia and Ukraine put the blame on each other for the plane crash. Chief of Russia's civil aviation authority Dmitry Yadrov had said, "Ukrainian military drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure... at the time," adding that the plane made two unsuccessful attempts to land.

Meanwhile, Ukraine had stuck to claiming Russia's involvement and said, "Russia must be held responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane."

Earlier on December 25, Azerbaijan declared a national day of mourning for the victims of the tragic crash of an Embraer 190 passenger plane operating a Baku-Grozny flight.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an official order to observe the day of mourning in response to the tragedy on Wednesday.

Aliyev, who was in Russia's airspace en route to St Petersburg for a summit at the time, ordered his flight to return upon learning of the accident.

The aircraft with flight number J2-8243 crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) reported 28 survivors, while rescue operations were underway.

There were 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and five crew members, Azerbaijan Airlines said on X, Xinhua news agency reported.

Kazakh media said the passengers aboard included 37 citizens from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan.

The initial cause of the tragedy appeared to be a bird strike.

The MES dispatched 52 personnel and 11 units of equipment to the site, where the aircraft was found to be on fire.

The Embraer 190 aircraft was designed to carry between 96 and 114 passengers, depending on its cabin configuration. The aircraft could fly up to 4,500 km.

According to FlightAware, the aircraft took off from Baku 11 minutes ahead of schedule. While flying over the Caspian Sea, it issued an emergency signal.

Azerbaijani media reported that the aircraft was unable to obtain permission to land in Grozny due to fog, leading it to be redirected to Makhachkala and later to Aktau.

Online flight tracking apps showed the plane flying over the Caspian Sea and heading towards its destination in Chechnya. As the plane entered Russia's territorial borders, it started circling near the airport. Following this, it requested an emergency landing.

At 6:28 a.m. local time, the plane crashed a few kilometres away from the airport.

According to FlightRadar24, the plane was exposed to "strong GPS jamming, which made the aircraft transmit bad ADS-B data."

Azerbaijan Airlines assured that more information would be provided, while local authorities and emergency services were investigating the crash.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday accused AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal of trying to rig elections and cited cases of property owners whose addresses have allegedly been used to create fake voter IDs and bogus votes.

Sachdeva presented details of homeowners whose addresses were used to create fake Muslim votes, stating that households with five members were suddenly recorded as having 60 or more Muslim voters.

BJP leader and legal counsel Sanket Gupta, who oversees legal matters for the election committee, was also present at the press conference.

Sachdeva alleged that Kejriwal, along with his MLAs, has been running a fake voter scheme for the last 10 years to win elections.

He cited a case from Tughlakabad, where the address of resident Mohit Mavi has been used for voters like Mohammed Suleiman and Imran Khan, and five others.

Similarly, at Ankuras residence in Tehkhand, 10 legitimate votes coexisted with 14 fake ones under names like Junaid Alam and Mohammed Azgar. Deepakas house, which legitimately has only five voters, was fraudulently linked with 60 additional fake voters, he said.

Niranjan Bidhuri of Chhuriya Mohalla reported that his unoccupied house had been tied to 64 fake voters, he said.

In Kalkaji constituencyas Navjeevan Camp, Himanshuas home, housing five legitimate residents, had 55 fake voters added, he said.

Sachdeva slammed Kejriwal for undermining democracy by nurturing fake voters and said the BJP would raise the issue with the Election Commission and demand legal action.

The party also called for upgrading the voter list verification system.

He said that Delhias voter history shows a suspicious trend. Before the 2015 Assembly elections, the voter count in Delhi increased by 14 lakh in just 8 months, jumping from approximately 1.19 crore in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to 1.33 crore.

After that, during the next four years leading to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, only 6 lakh voters were added. But within 8 months before the 2020 Assembly elections, the voter count jumped by another 9 lakh to over 1.48 crore, Sachdeva said.

Sachdeva stated that the Election Commission recently filed an FIR at Shaheen Bagh police station in Okhla against four accused involved in voter fraud using forged documents. The accused were identified as Jameel Alam, Kishunik, Mohammed Naeem, and Shabana Khatoon.
Gaza, Dec 28 : At least nine Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on Saturday, Palestinian sources said.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said that an Israeli aircraft bombed a house on the outskirts of Maghazi camp with at least one missile.

Hussam Al-Daqran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza, told Xinhua that nine people were killed, including children and women, and dozens of wounded people were sent to the hospital following the airstrike.

The Israeli army did not comment on the raid, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a press statement on Saturday that Israeli forces began operating at night against "terrorist targets in the Beit Hanoun area in light of prior intelligence information about the presence of a number of terrorists and terrorist facilities in the area."

Before the forces entered, Israeli fighter jets, in cooperation with artillery fire, attacked "several terrorist targets in the area, including terrorist gathering points and other terrorist facilities belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation," according to the statement.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 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 enclave has risen to 45,484, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday.

Earlier on December 25, at least 22 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Civil Defence in Gaza, told Xinhua that Israeli aircraft had targeted tents housing displaced persons inside the Al-Muhabban school in northern Gaza City.

Civil defence crews had recovered at least seven bodies and 25 injured individuals from the school following the Israeli attacks, transferring them to a local hospital, Basal said. Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that the tents had caught fire and some bodies were mutilated in the bombing.

The Israeli military said in a press statement that an Israeli Air Force aircraft, acting on intelligence, had targeted a Hamas member in the Al-Furqan area of Gaza City. The statement claimed the military had taken precautions, including the use of precision munitions, aerial photographs, and intelligence, to minimise civilian casualties.

In Beit Hanoun town in northern Gaza, four people had been killed in an Israeli bombing of a house sheltering displaced people, while paramedics reported four more deaths in an Israeli bombardment targeting a group of Palestinians east of Jabalia.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Delhi Chief Minister Atishi attended the mega PTM (parent-teacher meeting) event at Kalkaji's Sarvodaya Vidyalaya on Saturday and held a fun-filled interaction with children as well as their parents.

The Chief Minister also took the feedback from parents and school staff on the PTM drive in government schools, an initiative started by former CM Arvind Kejriwal.

However, the sweepers and cleaners of the same school shared the distressing and poignant state of affairs.

They said that they have been 'unpaid' for months and described the big promises of the AAP government as mere eyewash.

A couple of sanitation workers speaking to IANS shared that they have not been paid their salaries and remuneration for months. They spoke about their financial troubles, routine travails because of the unexplained delay in their monthly remuneration.

Reena, a sanitation worker at the school, speaking to IANS said that they haven't been paid salaries for months and hence are faced with a monetary crisis.

"Our salaries didn't come for three months. It's only when we went to CM Atishi's office, our salaries were released," she stated.

She further said that this is not new, they have been facing this problem for the past two years.

"Many a times, the school principal gives us money from his own pocket. We need a solution to our problem. We have been working for 20 years, our demand is to be confirmed," she demanded.

Ruby, another cleaning worker, raised similar concerns and demanded an end to their salary woes.

"We have not been getting our salaries on time. The previous contractor used to pay us salary on time, but the new one is not doing anything on time. We had also gone to meet CM Atishi, but the meeting could not take place," she said.

Sanitation worker Sonu said that he has got salary just once in the last three to four months.

"We live in a rented house and, due to non-payment of salary on time, we are not able to pay the rent. The work in the school has increased, but the number of employees has not increased," he said.

Another sweeper also shared his pain over unpaid salaries.

"We have to borrow money to run our household. We are very distressed. We don't get a chance to talk to any school supervisor. Our problem needs an urgent solution," he remarked.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Delhi unit of Congress and BJP on Saturday welcomed a probe ordered by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena against the illegal collection of women's data by AAP volunteers.

The data was collected in the garb of enrolling beneficiaries for the Chief Minister Mahila Samman Yojana.

Welcoming the LG's order, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Devender Yadav said that after Aam Aadmi Party Government's departments called the bluff of Kejriwal's promise of giving Rs 2,100 to women and free treatment to the elderly, he was adopting unfair methods like misusing Punjab Police for mounting surveillance on Congress candidates.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva stated that the party welcomes the directive issued by the Lieutenant Governor to investigate complaints of data collection from women under the garb of the Mahila Samman Yojana and its potential transfer to private companies.

"If any cyber crime takes place against Delhi women, the sole responsibility would fall on Kejriwal for collecting their private data under the Mahila Samman Yojana and passing it on to private parties," he said, adding that the BJP would fully cooperate with the investigation if needed.

Sachdeva said Kejriwal has been feeding lies to the people of Delhi for the past 10 years and has failed to fulfil any of his promises. He questioned whether a cabinet proposal to grant Rs 2,100 monthly under the Chief Minister Mahila Samman Yojana had ever been passed.

He further accused Kejriwal of using women's issues only for electoral gains and called on him to learn from BJP-led states about quietly and effectively implementing programmes to support women.

Sachdeva highlighted successful initiatives like the Mahatari Shakti Rin Yojana in Chhattisgarh, Ladli Yojana in Madhya Pradesh, Lado in Haryana, and Ladli Bahna Yojana in Maharashtra.

In a separate development, Sachdeva pointed to a video of Kejriwal circulating on social media in which the former Delhi CM is heard saying that he had now understood politics well enough to know that the promise of cleaning the Yamuna would not fetch votes.

The Delhi BJP President remarked that Kejriwal never paid attention to Yamuna cleaning because it did not benefit him politically.

Sachdeva emphasised that Kejriwal's admission of negligence in Yamuna cleaning is an insult to the sentiments of millions of Chhath devotees.
Jaipur, Dec 28 : The Bhajan Lal Sharma-led Rajasthan government on Saturday annulled the creation of nine districts and three divisions formed in the state during the previous Ashok Gehlot administration.

This decision was finalised during a Cabinet meeting held on Saturday. Rajasthan will now have 41 districts and 7 divisions.

The three divisions which were annulled include Pali, Sikar and Banswara, while the creation of nine out of the 17 new districts formed during the regime of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's rule which have now been cancelled during the Cabinet meeting, include Dudu, Kekri, Shahpura, Neemkathana, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Anupgarh and Sanchore.

An official said that the state Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, also took some significant decisions on Saturday to promote good governance, youth welfare, and the state's overall development.

During a press conference, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel announced the re-determination of districts and divisions established during the previous government's tenure. Following this decision, Rajasthan will now have 7 divisions and 41 districts.

Patel stated that the prior administration had declared the creation of new districts and divisions during its final year in office. Notifications of these administrative changes were issued on August 5, 2023.

However, the announcement of three additional districts came just before the enforcement of the Assembly Election-2023 code of conduct, leaving these notifications un-issued.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister criticised the previous government for prioritising political gains over administrative needs. He noted that the creation of new districts and divisions lacked consideration of key factors such as financial viability, administrative requirements, law and order, and cultural harmony.

Additionally, the necessary posts, office infrastructure, and budgetary provisions were not established for these new units.

To address the shortcomings, a high-level expert committee, chaired by retired IAS officer Lalit K. Panwar, was formed to review the changes. Based on its recommendations, the Cabinet decided to retain eight districts, which are Phalodi, Balotra, Kotputli-Baharod, Khairthal-Tijara, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, and Salumber.

However, nine districts, including Anupgarh, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore, Shahpura, and three divisions, which are Banswara, Pali, and Sikar -- were revoked.

Additionally, the districts of Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchaman City, announced just before the election code of conduct, were canceled.

The Cabinet also approved the reorganisation of Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and Gram Panchayats following the changes.

Patel assured that adequate financial resources and facilities would be provided to establish administrative structures in the retained districts, ensuring that citizens in these areas experience the benefits of these reforms.

At the press conference, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara outlined additional cabinet decisions which include amendments to service rules.

Under this, the validity of the Common Eligibility Test (CET) score for Rajasthan Subordinate and Clerical Class Services was extended from 1 year to 3 years to reduce the number of repeat applicants, easing the administrative and financial burden on the board.

Amendments were approved to allow a third promotion opportunity for livestock assistants and revise their designations.

Further, under the abolishment of censure penalty impact on MACP, the cabinet eliminated the effect of censure penalties under disciplinary proceedings on financial upgrades under the Minimum Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme.

Personnel will no longer face delays in receiving financial benefits related to their years of service due to censure penalties.

These measures aim to ensure administrative efficiency, address employee welfare, and reduce the financial burden on both the government and its personnel, reflecting the state government's commitment to good governance, said ministers while addressing the press conference.
Mumbai, Dec 28 : Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL) has rebranded itself as Navbharat Mega Developers Private Ltd (NMDPL) - matching with the company's promise of building a modern, inclusive and vibrant community, it was announced on Saturday.

Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL) has rebranded itself as Navbharat Mega Developers Private Ltd (NMDPL)  matching with the company's promise of building a modern, inclusive and vibrant community, it was announced on Saturday.

The initiative is not just to change the name DRPPL but also to avoid being mistaken for the government authority in the same space, which is DRP (Dharavi Redevelopment Authority), the special planning authority of the state government dealing with Dharavi's redevelopment.

"The role of the Maharashtra Government remains unchanged and DRP continues to be the supervising authority for the ambitious project," said the company.

The name Navbharat Mega Developers is rooted in the company's commitment to growth, change and hope, and the rebranding exercise that has received the affirmation of its Board of Directors and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

NMDPL is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed as a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and the Adani Group.

"This change reflects the company's fresh outlook and obligation to creating a broader and brighter future for everyone associated with or beneficiary of the gigantic and historic task of rehabilitating slums across the nation," said NMDPL.

The name Navbharat, which means "New India," reflects the massive potential this project holds in shaping a better tomorrow.

On the other hand, Mega highlights the sheer scale and impact of the work being undertaken, while Developers points to the role the company intends to play in building a thriving community.

"As India works towards its ambitious goal of becoming slum-free, Dharavi's redevelopment is a crucial step in that direction. With this new name, NMDPL is reaffirming its pledge to the national cause," it noted.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is unique because there will be no financial burden on the residents. The state government has decided to provide free housing to eligible residents of Dharavi.

Additionally, the government is committed to offering affordable housing to ineligible residents under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or through a hire-purchase scheme  all designed to offer maximum benefits at the most affordable rates.

IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 28 : Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday dismissed allegations levelled by the BJP against him in connection with the suicide of a contractor.

Addressing the media at his residence in Bengaluru, Minister Kharge stated, "There are two versions for the suicide. While the contractor is suggesting one thing, the accused have also brought out another aspect of the entire incident."

"Let there be a free and fair probe. I myself have requested the Home Minister to constitute an independent authority within the Home Department to investigate the matter," he said.

Quite naturally, the BJP thinks it has found reasons as it has been trying to get my resignation for over a year for frivolous reasons. Neither me, neither my department nor the government is involved in the incident, Kharge clarified.

"I have had word with the concerned minister but he is not in Bengaluru now. Once he is back, I will discuss it with him," he said.

When asked about the BJP's demand for his arrest, Kharge stated, BJP doesn't understand the law. "I am an accused? Does the BJP know what the law is? Does it understand the law of the land? On what basis are they asking for my arrest?" he questioned.

Is my name mentioned in the case, has it been alleged that I had caused abetment to suicide? The BJP just want to pursue politics and their intention is clear. They want to hide internal problems, Kharge claimed.

"Former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa is involved in the POCSO case. There are BJP MLA N. Munirathna, and BJP MLC C.T. Ravi cases. There is internal strife as well and they want to cover this," Kharge stated.

"It's not today, Priyank Kharge is their favourite. I have a strong ideology which is against their political masters. Hence, it is quite natural that they are targeting me," he said.

They have not been able to pin one thing on me for the last many years. They don't come with facts, proof and documents. Show me one thing where I accused the BJP without documental proof. The BJP always does hit and run and this is also hit and run, Kharge stated.

"I dare them to prove charges on me. There are eight people who are accused. One of them is our Congress corporator's brother. It is a fact that I cannot deny. That doesn't mean that I am involved in everything," he stated.

The accused are saying there was a money transaction from the bank and it is a legal transaction. There is no ambiguity about the money transfer. Let further details come out in the investigation, he said.

The BJP can protect anywhere in Karnataka including Kalaburagi. Former Minister K.S. Eshwarappa's resignation was taken in different circumstances. The suicide note mentioned his name and he was directly blamed, Kharge stated.

Karnataka BJP has dubbed the Congress-led government as a government of killers in the backdrop of the suicide of a contractor in Kalaburagi district allegedly due to the torture by a close associate of Minister Priyank Kharge.

Opposition leader in the Karnataka Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, accused Kalaburagi district in-charge minister Priyank Kharge of abusing his power and demanded his resignation and arrest in connection with the suicide case of the contractor.

He further attacked that the Kharge family is running a republic in their native Kalaburagi.

Sachin, a 26-year-old contractor on Thursday committed suicide in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district following the alleged threats to his life and extortion by one aide of Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge.

The deceased contractor has left a seven-page suicide note and alleged that Minister Kharge's aide and Kalaburagi City Corporation's former member Raju Kapanuru's atrocities forced him to take the extreme step.
Mumbai, Dec 28 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday announced strict and swift action in the gruesome crime involving a 13-year-old girl in Kalyan, saying that senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam will represent the rape-murder case in court.

Additionally, he directed the Thane Police Commissioner to ensure the charge sheet is filed within 30 days. "The victim was like my daughter. Ensuring justice for her is my responsibility. The culprits will be severely punished within four months."

On Saturday, the victimas parents met the Chief Minister along with Mumbai BJP Vice President Amarjeet Mishra and Kalyan East MLA Sulbha Gaikwad.

During the meeting, the family shared their pain and demanded justice. The Chief Minister assured them of all possible support and emphasised that strict action would be taken against the culprits.

The Chief Minister instructed the Thane Police Commissioner to ensure that the victimas family feels completely safe.

He said: "The family need not fear anyone. If anyone tries to harass them, strict action will be taken against them."

Fadnavis further assured that the culprits would not be able to come out of jail and would face the harshest punishment.

After the meeting, Amarjeet Mishra said: "This case is not just about one family but a matter of security and justice for all daughters. The Chief Ministeras decision to appoint an experienced advocate like Ujjwal Nikam and his directive to file the chargesheet within 30 days is a significant step towards justice."

Additionally, Amarjeet Mishra handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh as immediate financial assistance to the victimas family.

Earlier on Thursday, a Special POCSO Court in Kalyan town sent Vishal Gawli and his wife Sakshi Gawli to police custody for a week till January 2 in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl who was reported missing since Monday.

Thane district was rocked by a sensational sex crime perpetrated on the girl, who had stepped out of her home to buy some provisions but then went 'missing' till her body was found on December 25 (Wednesday).

Coming nearly five months after the Badlapur sexual assault on two nursery class girls in August, this is the second case that has sparked outrage with people demanding the death penalty for the alleged perpetrators -- Vishal Gawli, 35, and his wife Sakshi Gawli, 25.

Vishal Gawli is accused of kidnapping the girl from near her home, forcibly taking her in an autorickshaw to his house, assaulting, raping, killing and then dumping her body near a cemetery in the neighbouring Bhiwandi town, nearly 8 km away.

As the girl failed to return home for several hours, the family had lodged a missing complaint and a probe had started on Monday night, with the needle of suspicion pointing at the Gawli couple after the girl's body was found.

The Thane Police formed six teams to hunt him down, but Vishal Gawli had already fled to Shegaon in Buldhana district, where his in-laws reside.

There, he was spotted in a crowded restaurant through CCTV footage buying liquor, and the Shegaon police caught up with him in a local hair-cutting salon where he had gone for a clean shave, ostensibly to conceal his identity.
SHANGHAI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A 95-year-old survivor of the Japanese army's "comfort women" system during World War II, passed away on Saturday in central China's Hunan Province, leaving only eight registered survivors on the Chinese mainland.

Previous research has shown that some 400,000 women in Asia were forced to be "comfort women" -- sexual slaves for the Japanese army during World War II -- and nearly half of them were Chinese.

The survivor, born in 1930 in Pingjiang County, Hunan, was abducted by Japanese soldiers with her cousin in early 1945. They, along with other girls taken from various locations, were confined in a house in Pingjiang, where they endured severe sexual abuse, according to the Research Center for Comfort Women at Shanghai Normal University.

After more than a month of captivity, she was rescued by Chinese soldiers.

The research center has conducted multiple investigations in the provinces of Hunan and Shanxi, collecting information through site visits, testimonies of survivors, and historical records to establish research archives on victims of the Japanese army's "comfort women" system.

It has also set up a fund for "comfort women" research and assistance, which assists the victims and supports relevant research. 
Bhopal, Dec 28 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday that farmers should be encouraged to increase the use of organic manure along with fertilisers from the market for their production.

While reviewing the availability of fertilizer in the state during a meeting with officials, the Chief Minister said the farmers should be taught about the benefit of traditional organic manure, stressing that the step could be an example for other states.

"There is a need to calculate and document the quantity of organic manure being used. Farmers are using organic manure on a large scale based on traditional experience and their own initiative. They should be taught about the benefits of organic manure," CM Yadav said in a statement.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister noted that farmers will use organic and natural manure when they are taught about benefits from it and an alternative option would be provided to them.

CM Yadav also said that advance storage should be ensured at major centres of fertilizer distribution so that fertilizers can be provided to farmers in time as per the crop cycle.

Despite the allegation of a shortage of fertilizer in the market, the Chief Minister claimed, in the current year, the availability of urea, NPK, SSP, and MOP fertilizers was the highest in the last four years.

According to the government, more than 32 lakh metric tons of Urea fertilizer have been distributed to the farmers. Similarly, 9. 29 lakh metric tons of NPK and 10.58 lakh metric tons of SSP have been distributed.

The shortage of fertilizer has been an issue of debate between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress as farmers in several parts of Madhya Pradesh have protested, raising their voices.
Agartala, Dec 28 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday emphasised the crucial role played by Tripura Civil Service (TCS) officers in implementing government initiatives, plans and schemes aimed at addressing public issues and development.

Addressing a winter clothes distribution program, the Chief Minister said that the TCS officers play a pivotal role in ensuring that the benefits of various welfare schemes, both from the Central and state governments, reach the most marginalised sections of society.

They also act as a bridge between the government and the people, he stated.

The winter clothes distribution programme was organised by the TCS officers association here. Winter clothes were distributed to around 400 families affected by the recent floods in Agartala.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the TCS officers association regularly engages in social activities.

"Previously, the association distributed winter clothes to 700 sanitation workers of Agartala Municipal Corporation. Such social service initiatives are indeed praise-worthy. TCS officersa efforts have also been instrumental in successfully managing various disasters, including the recent floods," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the state government is committed to creating a dynamic, welfare-oriented administration, with TCS officers being integral to this mission.

Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor Dipak Majumdar, Corporator Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya, President of the Tripura Civil Service Officers' Association Dilip Kumar Chakma, General Secretary Ashim Saha among others attended the programme.

Addressing another event, the Chief Minister said that officers in the state government are playing a key role in making the administration corruption-free which is an example of good governance.

"The main aim of good governance is a corruption-free administration. We must work towards that, and in doing so, people will continue to keep faith in us. People are keeping faith in us, and for that, the officers are playing a key role. Everyone must work for the welfare of the people of the state. We have also launched 'Amar Sarkar' to address local development issues," he said.

Saha pointed out that around 60 per cent of Tripura's population comprises the young generation, and their potential must be utilised to strengthen the state.
New Delhi, Dec 28 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday met prominent leaders in the national capital to invite them to the grand Mahakumbh 2025, set to take place in Prayagraj, an official said.

Among those the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister met were former President Ram Nath Kovind, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President J.P. Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Mizoram Governor Gen (retd) V.K. Singh.

A statement mentioned that Adityanath presented each dignitary with an official invitation along with symbolic gifts.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was in Delhi on Saturday to invite these dignitaries for the Mahakumbh to be held from January 13 to February 26, 2025.

His first meeting was with Mizoram Governor Gen (retd) V.K. Singh at Uttar Pradesh Bhawan, where he extended the invitation.

Following this, Adityanath met former President Ram Nath Kovind at his official residence to invite him to the grand event.

He then visited the official residences of Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J.P. Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to extend the invitation.

"Today I had a courtesy meeting with Union Minister of Home and Cooperation, Amit Shah ji in New Delhi. Thank you very much for providing your valuable time!" the Uttar Pradesh CM later wrote on X.

After meeting J.P. Nadda, CM Adityanath posted on X: "Today I had a courtesy meeting with National President of BJP and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda ji in New Delhi. Thank you very much for providing your valuable time!"

As part of the courtesy meetings, the Uttar Pradesh CM presented each dignitary with symbolic gifts, including a logo of Mahakumbh 2025, a Kalash (sacred urn), literature about the event, and a New Year desk calendar and diary, the statement read.

On his social media platform, Yogi Adityanath also shared pictures of these meetings and expressed gratitude to the dignitaries for their valuable time.

With just 15 days until Mahakumbh begins, the Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath is intensifying efforts to invite distinguished personalities and the general public from across states.

As part of this initiative, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to Delhi aimed to encourage widespread participation in the grand event, the statement mentioned.
Bhopal, Dec 28 : The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to set up a special cell to monitor the schemes under the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.

The upcoming unit (cell) will function under the state's Tribal Affairs Department, which will be tasked to monitor the effective implementation of the PESA Act.

The Act was implemented in Madhya Pradesh in November 2022.

During a review meeting on Saturday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav instructed officials to ensure that the issues related with the PESA Act should be resolved on priority basis and a special cell should be formed to monitor the execution on ground.

During the meeting, district administrations have been asked to prepare for a detail presentation of works under the PESA Act in the upcoming Collector-Commissioner Conference, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office on Saturday.

CM Yadav also highlighted that improvement in the living standards of tribal people and conservation of forest areas should be given top priority.

He also asserted that the participation of local residents should be ensured in the conservation and management of community forest resources. Along with this, activities should be expanded by involving social organisations.

"Madhya Pradesh is a big producer of tendu leaves, but it is used commercially in other states. A strategy should be prepared to encourage tendu leaf collectors and various businesses related to it in the state itself and to provide its benefits to tribal brothers and sisters," the statement read.

Notably, after the implementation of the PESA Act, the state government is giving an extra push for the execution of the wide range of plans for the transformation of the tribals in the state.

The revenue resources of the Tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh will cross the traditional boundaries such as making 'mahua liquor', collection of 'tendu patta' or farming etc., and will have many other resources for their livelihood.

The PESA Act in Madhya Pradesh was implemented by President Droupadi Murmu during a visit to the state on the occasion of Tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda's birth anniversary on November 15, 2022.
Busan, Dec 28 : Thousands of people in South Korea gathered outside ruling party Park Soo-young's office on Saturday to demand President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster over his brief imposition of martial law.

The rally began around 11 a.m. when around 30 people headed to Park's office in the southeastern city of Busan to demand he state his position on Yoon's 'insurrection.'

Park, who heads the ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s Busan chapter, was having a weekly meeting at his office with civil petitioners.

Police were called to the scene as the number of protesters grew rapidly, leading to a standoff between the sides starting around noon and lasting until shortly after 8 p.m.

Organisers of the rally estimated the number of people gathered at around 5,000, while Park's office put the number at around 1,700, Yonhap news agency reported.

The standoff ended with a meeting between leaders of the rally and Park.

"Actions using physical force and violence to put pressure on and threaten parliamentary activities must stop immediately," Park Soo-min, a PPP spokesperson, said in a statement.

"We will demand accountability from the forces that used the citizens of Busan for political purposes."

Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of people also gathered in downtown Seoul to rally for or against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol in the wake of his short-lived imposition of martial law.

Police estimated 35,000 people took part in anti-Yoon rallies near Gyeongbok Palace as of 5:10 p.m., though organisers put the number at over 500,000.

K-pop music blared through loudspeakers as protesters dressed in thick winter gear waved light sticks and chanted, "Immediately arrest Yoon Suk Yeol."

Some called on the Constitutional Court to remove him from office while others demanded the dissolution of Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP).

Lee Jae-Myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, was reported to have visited the site.

Just 1 km away, near Gwanghwamun Station, Yoon's supporters held their own rally.

"Impeachment is invalid," read a sign held up by a protester. "Arrest Lee Jae-myung," another read.

PPP Yoon Sang-hyun made an appearance and addressed the supporters from the stage.

"We failed to stop the impeachment motion against our own party President. I apologise to our honourable patriot citizens," he said before bowing on his knees.

Police said around 35,000 people gathered at the rally as of 5:10 p.m., while organisers claimed the number was close to 3 lakh.
Itanagar, Dec 28 : The security forces have recovered ten different types of most sophisticated assault rifles in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang District on Saturday, Defence officials said.

A Defence spokesman said that a well-coordinated and successful joint operation by security forces led to recovery of the ten most sophisticated different types of assault rifles from the Miao-Vijaynagar areas in Changlang district.

He said that the joint operation has been undertaken by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles in coordination with the Arunachal Pradesh police.

During the extensive search by the specialised teams specialist drones, tracker dogs, metal detectors and other devices were employed.

The recovery on Saturday was one of the largest recoveries in the region.

The weapons were concealed in the forest area and were being searched by insurgent groups operating in Changlang for over six months.

"It is alleged that these weapons were buried by Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG), a Naga militant group before their surrender last year," the spokesman said.

He said that the security forces utilising their expertise and reliable information have managed to uncover the hidden cache in the thickly forested area.

Prior to conducting the operation, the security personnel ensured safe passage to the tourists present in Namdapha Reserve Forest, the defence PRO said adding that the operation was carried out with the utmost professionalism and precision, ensuring that a huge cache of weapons didn't fall in the hands of insurgents.

According to the spokesman numerous inputs have been received in the past six months regarding attempts by various insurgent groups, including NSCM (IM) and NSCN (KYA), with the help of ENNG cadres, to recover the said cache.

This successful operation underscores the continued dedication of our security forces to maintaining peace and security in the region, the defence official said.

Meanwhile, in March last year 15 cadres belonging to the ENNG) have surrendered and laid down their weapons before Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and officers of police and Assam Rifles personnel at Itanagar.
Srinagar, Dec 28 : The Army on Saturday said that it has launched a Human Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation in Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district following unprecedented heavy snowfall.

The snowfall rendered the road to Tangmarg impassable, stranding numerous tourists.

Responding promptly to an SOS from the civil administration regarding tourists stranded, the Indian Army undertook a swift action.

"The rescue mission, led by the Indian Army, aimed to evacuate the stranded tourists and provided immediate aid and relief," the statement said.

"Demonstrating efficiency and commitment, the operation successfully rescued 68 civilians, including 30 women, 30 men, and 8 children. The operation, initiated at 1900 hours, showcased exemplary coordination between Indian Army and Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA)."

The rescued individuals were provided with shelter and meals at the Gulmarg Army base.

They remained there until the road was cleared and deemed safe for further travel.

"This prompt and compassionate response earned immense appreciation from the tourists and local authorities," the statement added.

"Indian Armyas unwavering commitment, professionalism, and efficiency in the face of adversity highlighted their dedication to public welfare. The operation stands as a testament to the Armyas readiness to protect and serve, even in the harshest conditions. The Indian Army is ever committed for the welfare of the citizens."

Besides army, the police have also been in the forefront of rescue operations. On Saturday in view of the snowfall, J&K Police extended helping hands to the people by evacuating ailing patients and rescuing hundreds of stranded passenger vehicles during the ongoing snowfall across the Kashmir valley.

Police said in Anantnag, a distress call was received which reported that a vehicle carrying four tourists traveling from the National Highway via Dalwach to Dooru had stuck in the heavy snow leaving the passengers stranded in extreme weather conditions.

A police team of Police Station Dooru rushed and rescued all four tourists and safely evacuated them to a secure location.

Moreover, police facilitated the emergency evacuation of a female patient from Bragam Dooru to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Dooru in a police vehicle. The patient, who had recently undergone surgery, experienced severe pain and required immediate medical attention.

Upon receiving the distress call, police acted swiftly, arranging transportation and ensuring the patient was safely shifted to the hospital without delay.

Police in Budgam rescued tourists stranded in Doodhpathri and helped patients, commuters and tourists who were stuck on roads at different places across the district especially in far flung areas.

In Pulwama, a distress call was received, reporting that a group of people along with a deceased body were stranded at Wahibugh while enroute to Qazipora Budgam. Acting swiftly, police ensured the dead body was carried on foot to Qazipora, enabling the bereaved family to perform the final rites.

In another incident early Saturday morning, two women in need of emergency medical attention were rescued near Turkawagan Bridge. Braving adverse weather conditions, police transported the patients to District Hospital Pulwama, where they received the medical treatment.

In Ganderbal, the police extended assistance to tourists, commuters and patients stranded in the snow at various locations across the district.
Kolkata, Dec 29 : The security for the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari will be overhauled thoroughly amid inputs by central intelligence agencies on possible terror attack on him by the associates of Bangladesh-based fundamentalist outfits who have already entered the Indian territory through the porous borders with the neighbouring nation.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has already started the work of coordination with the West Bengal government on what additional security measures can be adopted for the Leader of the Opposition, confirmed a senior official from the state secretariat Nabanna.

He also said that the Union Home Ministry has expressed willingness to coordinate smoothly on this issue to ensure absolute safety for Adhikari.

The Union Home Ministry had also requested the state government to provide with the details about the locations of the public meetings to be attended by the Leader of the Opposition so that based on the sensitivity of the location appropriate security measures can be adopted.

There is also a proposal that Adhikari be provided with bullet-proof vehicles in case the location of his public meeting is at any sensitive zone, especially in the areas close to the international borders.

At the same time, the state government official said, there would be restrictions on people willing to have selfies with the Leader of the Opposition during those public meetings.

In two successive inputs from the central agencies sent to the state secretariat recently, it has been clearly stated that Adhikari has become the target of two Bangladesh-based fundamentalist associations namely Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HUT).

It has also been claimed in the intelligence reports, sources added, that there is a possibility of the LOP being targeted in any of the several public programmes that he is attending daily where he had constantly been vocal on the recent crisis in Bangladesh, especially the attack on the minorities and Hindu religious establishments there.

Threat perception on this count was already there and in view of that the Union government decided to expand the ambit of security for Adhikari last month.

Till November this year, Adhikari was entitled to aZa category security only within the state of West Bengal. However, considering the threat perception as highlighted in the central intelligence report, the same security will be provided to the LoP wherever he travels within India.

Earlier, Adhikari was entitled to aYa category security in any state other than West Bengal.
Gurugram, Dec 29 : The Gurugram police have arrested three criminals for allegedly demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from a businessman, police said.

The accused have been identified as Ravi of Gurugram, Mohit Kumar, and Amit, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, they received a complaint on December 25.

The complainant told the police that on the intervening night of December 16 and 17, a WhatsApp caller had demanded Rs 50 lakh and threatened him and his family with dire consequences if the complainant failed to meet his demand.

Out of fear, the complainant gave them Rs 5 lakh.

Later, the accused trio called again on December 18 demanding more money from the complainant and threatening to kill him.

Based on the businessman's complaint, a case was registered under the relevant sections at Rajendra Park police station in Gurugram.

During the police investigation, Sub-Inspector Manoj Kumar, Incharge Crime Branch, Farrukhnagar, Gurugram, nabbed all the accused on December 27.

During police questioning, it was found that the accused Ravi was known as the complainant.

During this time, accused Ravi felt the complainant had a lot of money.

Later, the accused, along with his other accomplices, hatched a plan to extort money from the complainant.

The accused have been sent to a two-day police remand for further questioning and recovery of extorted money.

The investigation is underway.
New Delhi, Dec 29 : Union Railways Minister and senior BJP leader Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Saturday, hit out at the Congress for politicising the death of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and said that Singh was insulted by the grand old party when the then Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi publicly tore an ordinance which was approved by the Union Cabinet under Dr Singh in 2013.

In a post on social media platform X, Union Minister Vaishnaw said: "The ultimate insult came in 2013 when Rahul Gandhi publicly tore up an ordinance approved by the Cabinet chaired by Dr Singh as Prime Minister of India. Height of hypocrisy indeed."

Manmohan Singh, a man of intellect and integrity, remained steadfast in his leadership despite facing insults and challenges, particularly from within his own party. As he breathed his last on December 26, the country remembers how, despite Rahul Gandhi's insults, the isolated PM continued to stand firm in his commitment to the nation.

In a dramatic moment that shook the corridors of Indian politics, Rahul Gandhi, the then Vice-President of the Congress Party, publicly tore up a crucial ordinance supported by his own government in 2013.

The ordinance, aimed at protecting convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification, was a controversial piece of legislation that had already been passed by the Union Cabinet and was presented as a way to address the issues faced by politicians with pending criminal cases.

However, it was Rahul Gandhi's shocking move that turned the ordinance into one of the most discussed moments in Indian political history.

This event took place just days before the Congress-led UPA government's proposed ordinance was to be introduced in Parliament. The ordinance, seen as a protectionist measure for politicians facing charges, had been endorsed by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and several members of the Cabinet.

Dr Singh, known for his calm demeanour and technical approach to governance, was caught in a political storm when Rahul Gandhi made an unexpected announcement on the matter.

Later at a press conference, Rahul Gandhi not only condemned the ordinance but also took the bold step of publicly tearing it up, declaring it as "complete nonsense". His fiery stance shocked many, including his party colleagues, and revealed a clear rift between the Congress leadership.

Rahul Gandhi's actions were seen as a direct challenge to former Prime Minister Dr Singh's authority and his government's decisions, sending a clear signal of the young leader's growing discontent with the old guard and his desire to chart a new political course for the Congress Party.

This ordinance, which came at a time when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on a foreign trip, had severely embarrassed the then UPA government, which went on to withdraw the Act.

AIIMS informed that Dr Manmohan Singh breathed his last on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. Dr Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years in the Parliament.

Dr Manmohan Singh, born in Punjab in 1932, served two terms as Prime Minister of India -- from 2004 to 2014. He took the oath of office for the first time in 2004, after Congress' win in the 2004 Lok Sabha election against Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA. He served his second term from 2009 to 2014. He was then succeeded by PM Narendra Modi in 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government is committed to setting up a memorial for former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Punjab unit BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin said in Chandigarh on Saturday.

The BJP has always been keen on giving due respect to national heroes like the great economist Dr Manmohan Singh, who heralded major economic reforms in the country, he told the media.

"The BJP has always risen above politics, and it has even conferred Bharat Ratna on Congress leaders Madan Mohan Malviya, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee," said Sarin.

He said the Central Cabinet has already decided to erect a national memorial in memory of Dr Manmohan Singh at its meeting on December 27. He said the place for the memorial requires to be acquired, transferred, setting up of a trust and there are certain other paperwork too involved.

"Once the ball is set rolling, the work shall be completed on the memorial as soon as possible," he clarified.

He said that despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah having conveyed the decision to erect a memorial to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the grand old party "is wrongly propagating that the Modi government is not keen to erect a memorial. The Congress has never respected Dr Manmohan Singh and it's a matter of shame that the Congress is playing petty politics over the death of its own stalwart leader".

Sarin said that apart from Nehru and Gandhi's family, Dr Manmohan Singh was the only Prime Minister that has served the nation spanning 10 years in a row.

"All of us are well aware of the disgrace of late P.V. Narasimha Rao, who served the nation for five years as PM, suffered at the hands of his own party. Even the autobiography of Pranab Mukherjee mentions it," he added.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who was also a noted economist, passed away at the AIIMS in Delhi on Thursday. He was 92.

Dr Singh is credited with bringing reforms and transformational changes to the country's economy when it was passing through a tough phase.

His demise has been condoled by leaders cutting across political lines, eminent personalities as well as global leaders.
BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Throughout the year of 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended three major diplomatic events hosted in China and made four significant overseas visits, consistently calling for stronger win-win cooperation to build a better world.

Esteemed a masterly communicator, Xi incorporated into his talks, speeches and articles a string of well-known Chinese and foreign maxims, which offer a unique glimpse into his international insights and global vision.

STRATEGIC INDEPENDENCE

"A man of true moral integrity is one who is both friendly but independent, and who does not compromise his principles, and who is independent without any bias or taking sides. How unflinchingly firm he is in his strength!"

In a signed article published prior to his visit to France in May, Xi quoted the saying by ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, which was recorded in "The Doctrine of the Mean," one of the hallowed Four Books of classical Chinese philosophy.

In a conversation with one of his most faithful disciples millenniums ago, Confucius uttered those words to emphasize the importance of independence besides affability, moderation, and other virtues.

Over 2,000 years later, Confucius' teaching was echoed by French writer Romain Rolland, whose observation was also cited in Xi's article: "It is so much easier to allow oneself to be guided than it is to think for oneself. This abdication is the kernel of the mischief."

Quoting both Confucius and Rolland, the Chinese leader stressed that both China and France value independence as two major countries. French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, has on many occasions also repeated his country's adherence to independence.

As Xi said in the article, now with the two countries standing at a new historical starting point, it is time for them to join hands to push for greater progress in bilateral relations and more benefits for the two nations and the broader world.

TRUE FRIENDS NEVER APART

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Beijing in September, marked a significant milestone in China-Africa relations.

In his toast at the welcoming banquet of the summit, Xi quoted a Chinese poem written by Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Zhang Jiuling: "True friends always feel close to each other, no matter the distance between them."

Reflecting on his heartwarming interactions with African leaders over the years, Xi commended the enduring China-Africa bond. "China-Africa friendship remains robust and is growing stronger through generations, no matter how the world changes," he said.

"The China-Africa community with a shared future is deeply rooted in our traditional friendship. Since the mid-20th century, we have been fighting shoulder to shoulder imperialism, colonialism, and hegemonism, and advancing hand in hand along the path of development, revitalization, and modernization," Xi noted.

The following day, in his keynote speech at the summit's opening ceremony, Xi referred to an African proverb: "A friend is someone you share the path with," highlighting that no country should be left behind on the journey to modernization.

During the summit, China proposed 10 partnership actions to be implemented over the next three years, and forged or elevated strategic partnerships with 30 African countries, underscoring its commitment to further deepening cooperation and friendship with Africa.

TOWARD SHARED PROSPERITY TOGETHER

"A man of virtue, while establishing himself and pursuing success, also works to help others establish themselves and succeed," Xi said at the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, citing Confucius. Then he continued to quote a similar Latin American adage: "The only way to be profitably national is to be generously universal."

With those maxims, Xi reaffirmed China's commitment that the country welcomes all parties to continue riding the "express train" of its development, grow together with the Chinese economy, and jointly contribute to peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common prosperity.

As he pointed out, the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, held earlier this year, laid out systematic plans to advance Chinese modernization, which will not only boost China's development but provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

Over the past decades since it adopted the policy of reform and opening up, China has made remarkable progress. Now as the world's second-largest economy, it has been actively working with its global partners to boost shared development.

Addressing the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in June, Xi referred to three maxims from different cultures to urge the international community, particularly the Global South, to work together in pursuit of shared prosperity.

Besides the Latin American one he mentioned months later at the APEC meeting, a Chinese saying goes, "The benevolent treat others with love, and the wise share with others benefits," and an Arab proverb teaches, "With unity, the fire grows; without unity, the fire extinguishes."

"In the era of economic globalization," Xi stressed at the event, "what is needed is not gaps of division but bridges of communication, not iron curtains of confrontation but highways of cooperation." 
Nitin Desai, who has known Dr Singh from 1971, extends his 'deepest condolences to his wife Gurcharan Kaur and to his three talented daughters Upinder, the historian; Daman, the writer; and Amrit, the human rights activist.'

IMAGE: Then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh with his wife Gursharan Kaur as he is given a King Saud University sash during a visit to the university in Riyadh March 1, 2010. Photograph: Reuters

Dr Manmohan Singh passed away on December 26, and his loss has inspired a wide range of tributes for a political leader distinguished by his integrity, humility, deep understanding of the economy, and achievements as both finance minister and long-standing prime minister.

He grew up in a poor family in Punjab and was, I think, the first person in his family to attend university and scholarship supported higher education in the UK.

He had an extraordinary working life as an academic and a bureaucrat, but his most significant national contributions came during his tenure as the finance minister under Narasimha Rao and later as the prime minister by the Congress party at the suggestion of Sonia Gandhi.

I first met him in 1971, when he was serving as economic advisor in the ministry of commerce.

He was an early advocate of India placing greater emphasis on export development, which is reflected in his 1962 DPhil thesis at Oxford and his later book India's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth.

In some ways, this academic perspective is reflected in the path-breaking changes he engineered in July 1992.

His Budget presentation in 1992 marked a series of changes that liberalised controls and shifted the focus of investment from the public to the private sector.

The elimination of industrial licensing, the gradual shifts of trade policy away from high tariffs and quantitative controls, the exchange rate changes, and the liberalisation of the financial system are behind the significant shift in the Indian economy compared to the pre-liberalisation era.

The fact that he saw the revolutionary nature of the Budget was reflected in his statement at the end of his speech that an idea whose time has come is the emergence of India as a major economic power in the world.

Dr Singh's capacity to promote a policy idea that is not widely prevalent and supported in political and bureaucratic circles was also reflected in his diplomatically astute promotion of the nuclear agreement with the United States during his tenure as prime minister.

This was a vital precondition for strengthening of relations with the pre-eminent global power, which he perhaps saw as crucial for India s outward economic orientation and its geopolitical relations with China and Pakistan.

He also tried a reorientation of India's relations with Pakistan, but that did not work out, perhaps due to the political instability in Pakistan.

These two fundamental shifts in the trade orientation of economic policy and in the reorientation, perhaps partial still, of India's diplomatic stance are today the foundation of the country's long-term development plans.

We must recognise the key role of the gentle and unassuming Dr Singh in achieving this.

There are many other achievements of his tenure as prime minister that one can list.

The period of rapid growth from 2004 to 2011 depended at least partially on Dr Singh's good understanding of economic dynamics.

I would also mention that two socially oriented initiatives during his tenure, the rural employment guarantee programme (MGNREGA) and the recognition of the citizen's Right to Information (RTI) are the most welcome.

Dr Singh was very conscious of the fact that he had risen from a poor family to the highest levels of power, which shaped his view of his responsibilities.

He had once said: 'This country has honoured me by appointing me to some of the most important public offices of our sovereign Republic. This is a debt which I can never be able to fully repay.

'The best I can do is to pledge myself to serve our country with utmost sincerity and dedication.'

He certainly did this and will be remembered for that.

While he was a prominent public citizen, Dr Singh was also a devoted husband and father.

Even in his famous July 1992 speech, there was a light-hearted paragraph that proposed elimination of excise duties on tiffin boxes where he said: 'I have had to spend long hours in office. This has quite naturally made my wife very unhappy.

'The House will agree that it is not good for the health of our economy if the Finance Minister of the country has strained relations with his own finance minister at home.'

My deepest condolences to his wife Gurcharan Kaur and to his three talented daughters Upinder, the historian; Daman, the writer; and Amrit, the human rights activist.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
He won two terms, which was a stunning feat for a leader who used his silence as the most vocal weapon to change the economy and lives of a billion people, asserts Tarun Vijay, former BJP MP and former Chief Editor, Panchjanya, the RSS weekly.

IMAGE: Then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh arrives for the launch of the Gandhi Heritage Portal in New Delhi, September 2, 2013. Photograph: Prakash Singh/Pool/Reuters

His humility reflected in his face and his love became a twinkle in his eyes. I was editing Panchjanya, the RSS thought leader once edited by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

We disagreed with the policies of the Congress and expressed our editorial views strongly, though most Congress leaders did appear in our columns and granted interviews that were published without any change.

When Dr Manmohan Singh became prime minister I requested a meeting with him as editor of the weekly and I was pleasantly surprised to receive an invitation from his media advisor Sanjoy Baru to have a cup of tea with Dr Singh.

He was affable, humble and soft spoken. He had just taken over and it wasn't a moment to grill him.

Sixteen years earlier, in 2008, I wrote about my meeting with him on Rediff.com.

I quote:

Yes, I must admit, I adored him for his simplicity and coolness. Manmohan Singh's present depressing position reminds me of my first meeting after he took over as prime minister. It was a less than forty minutes meeting at his residence; we had cookies and tea and discussed various aspects of politics including ideological apartheid.

'I don't believe in it,' he said, and looked straight into my eyes. I knew he was serious and meant every word he said -- otherwise I wouldn't have been ushered into meeting him. He said that he respected different viewpoints, even if he didn't agree completely. Hence, leaders like Atalji, Advaniji had a high place in our public life and he would like to build a nation free from animosities and hatred. I loved him saying so.

I asked a couple of questions about improving India's economic condition and focusing on the poor and he was very clear, optimistic and affable. In the end, I ventured to suggest that he should give a grand vision for a resurgent India -- 'Maybe, if it pleases you, you may like to use the phrase -- Nav Bharat Nirman Yojana for a grand poverty eradication plan.' He smiled and said it was a good name. And we parted.

I published some major points about my meeting in Panchjanya and it did raise a storm in political circles and the media.

A senior editor of a daily newspaper sent me an sms: 'Tarun, it's a coup!'

Eyebrows were raised within the Congress and their spokespersons could not understand how to defend or reject the criticism of this so-called interview with a Congress prime minister to an RSS weekly editor.

Dr Singh didn't yield to the pressure from within the Congress to disown the 'interview'.

Two years later I was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

He saw me in the Rajya Sabha corridor, smiled, paused when he came near and with affection in his eyes, rested his left hand on my shoulder, and asked: "What are you writing these days, Tarun?"

I said, "Sir, my new book has been released by the RSS sarsanghchalak and I would be happy to present it to you." He said, "Sure, come to my office tomorrow."

I was given an appointment the same evening and the next day I presented him my book, India Battles to Win.

It was released by RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat (external link) at a function in the Parliament House premises.

IMAGE: Tarun Vijay with RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat during the release of his book India Battles to Win. Photograph: Kind courtesy Tarun Vijay

Dr Singh browsed a few pages, he didn't try to do the customary photo op and finish the meeting.

He asked a few questions about what I had written about China, then did the photo op with a smiling face and said, "Write more, Tarun."

I came from the BJP with a strong RSS background, my weekly and party continuously attacked his policies. Inside the House we were always speaking against his party and programmes, and here he was receiving me and posing with my book that was released by the RSS chief.

I was simply speechless at his humility and as a recipient of his undiluted affection.

Whenever we saw each other in the Parliament House corridors, he would make it a point to stop for a few moments, put his hand on my shoulder and ask, "What are you writing these days? Any new book?"

IMAGE: Tarun Vijay presents his book to then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Photograph: Kind courtesy Tarun Vijay

I met him twice at his Motilal Nehru residence after the Modi government had taken over. Mrs Singh was once present during our chai meeting.

He would never ask about party politics, but would ask me to speak on issues that were of my interest like Israel and China.

The Singhs treated me with respect and affection, showed interest in my work and always wished me well.

He invited me to pay a visit to North Korea in 2013, first by any Indian Parliamentary delegation after a gap of forty years, and that again was a surprise.

Our visit with Sitaram Yechury and the Congress's Hamdullah Sayed was a milestone event.

He always showed genuine affection, fatherly love for me, and I always felt blessed in his presence.

Never once was I asked by my RSS seniors to stop meeting him and they never looked with disapproval when I published, in a positive manner, details of my meeting with him in Panchjanya.

I was always taught by mentors in the RSS to refrain from practicing political or ideological apartheid.

Dr Manmohan Singh too believed in this doctrine unlike the present leaders of his party.

When the Kedarnath tragedy occurred there were serious concerns about the refueling of relief helicopters and the state government needed a mid way refueling facility.

Uttarakhand's chief secretary was a friend and I tried to contact the PM from his office.

Within a few minutes Dr Singh was on the line and I requested if the refueling facility could be relocated mid way. It was done the very next day.

There were many within his party who disliked him, made fun of him, but kept silent as they felt the Congress had no other option but to project him as the face of a party to win.

One very senior leader told him it is his simple, innocent, humble face that hides all the sins of the party and wins the hearts of common Indians who like humility as a virtue in their leaders.

I agreed. He won two terms in office, which was a stunning feat for a leader who used his silence as the most vocal weapon to change the economy and the lives of a billion people.

My humble tribute to a great soul of India.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The government will allocate space for a memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and this has been communicated to his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Union home ministry said on Friday night.

IMAGE: The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Dr ManmohanSingh being taken from his residence to the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, December 28, 2024. Photograph: ANI on X

In a late-night release titled Facts of the matter regarding memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh, the ministry said the government received a request to allocate space for a memorial for Singh from the Congress chief.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Kharge and the family of Manmohan Singh that the government would allocate space for the memorial.

In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it, the home ministry said.

Singh, who headed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and is credited with economic reforms, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92.

He was India's prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

Amid controversy, the Centre on Friday decided to build a memorial to Manmohan Singh in the national capital, official sources said as they accused the Congress of doing politics over the issue.

The sources said the decision on the memorial has been conveyed to the Congress, but added that it will take a few days to find an appropriate venue for building a memorial.

"The government's decision to build a memorial in honour of Manmohan Singh has been conveyed to the Congress. But they have engaged in politics over the issue," a government source said.

Singh, who headed the Congress-led UPA government and is credited with economic reforms, passed away on Thursday at 92. He was India's prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Singh is a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister.

The Congress raised the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh's last rites will be held at New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat at 11.45 am on Saturday with full state honours.
Thousands of people gathered in Maharashtra's Beed city on Saturday to protest against the brutal murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh as even MLAs from ruling parties demanded the sacking of Nationalist Congress Party minister Dhananjay Munde.

IMAGE: Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and other MPs stage a protest over the alleged murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Maharashtra's Beed district, at Parliament House Complex in New Delhi. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, Chhatrapati Sambhaji of the Kolhapur royal family, local Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs Suresh Dhas, Abhimanyu Pawar; NCP MLA Prakash Solanke and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Sandeep Kshirsagar participated in the 'aakrosh morcha' or protest march.

The protesters demanded arrest of Walmik Karad, an associate of Dhananjay Munde, a politician from Beed district.

Santosh Deshmukh was abducted and tortured to death on December 9. While four persons have been arrested, Opposition leaders claimed in the state legislature during the winter session that Walmik Karad was the mastermind of the murder.

Karad, named as an accused in a related case of extortion, is still at large.

Vaibhavi Deshmukh, the daughter of the deceased sarpanch, demanded justice for her father during the protest. He lost his life while saving a person from the Dalit community, she said.

Abhimanyu Pawar, who was earlier an aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis before he became MLA from Ausa in neighbouring Latur district, said the pain caused by Deshmukh's murder was felt in different parts of Maharashtra.

"Even if I am part of the (ruling) dispensation, I want to tell the government that if the accused are not arrested, protests will reach other parts of the state. We want justice for the family of Santosh Deshmukh," he said.

BJP MLA Dhas alleged that Munde, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, won assembly election from Parli in Beed district with the help of bogus votes.

The NCP to which Munde belongs is part of the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.

NCP MLA Prakash Solanke said some of the accused were still at large even 19 days after the murder, and Walmik Karad too had not been arrested.

"Dhananjay Munde was the guardian minister of Beed for four of the last five years. Munde needs to be sacked. Until the accused are convicted, Munde should be sacked so that there is an impartial probe," Solanke said.

The Majalgaon constituency which he represents has collected Rs 40 lakh for the Deshmukh family, he informed.

Quota activist Jarange said the Maratha community will not keep quiet till the deceased, who belonged to the Maratha community, got justice.

"If the CM does not want this protest to spread to other parts of the state, the accused should be arrested and action should be taken against those who are supporting them. There is suspicion that the government is shielding the accused," Jarange said.

The Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray demanded resignations of both Dhananjay Munde and his cousin, BJP minister Pankaja Munde.

According to police, Deshmukh was prima facie killed because he opposed an extortion bid targeting a windmill company in Beed district.

Local NCP leader Vishnu Chate allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from the company. Deshmukh tried to intervene, leading to his abduction, torture and murder. Chate is among the four arrested accused.
The Congress on Saturday accused the Centre of insulting Dr Manmohan Singh, the country's first Sikh prime minister, by carrying out his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated spot that could later become his memorial.

IMAGE: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh cremated with full state honours, at Nigam Bodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday. Photograph: Jitendra Gupta/ANI Photo

The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, accused the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of 'indulging in politics' over Dr Singh's funeral and alleged that the party has 'insulted' its own leaders, including former PM P V Narasimha Rao, in the past.

BJP president J P Nadda said the Centre had allocated space for Dr Singh's memorial and informed his family about it as he accused the Congress of indulging in 'cheap politics' over the former prime minister's cremation.

The opposition party had written to the Centre for identifying a designated place for Singh's last rites, where a memorial could be set up for him.

As politics over the matter erupted, the Centre said a decision to set up a memorial has already been taken and a trust would be formed to identify the place soon.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the great son of Mother India and the first prime minister from the Sikh community has been 'totally insulted' by the BJP-led Centre by performing his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday.

He said Singh was the prime minister for 10 years, the country became an economic superpower during his tenure and his policies are still the support system for the poor and backward classes.

'Till date, respecting the dignity of all former prime ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised burial sites so that every person could have a last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience.

'Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community,' Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said by not providing an appropriate place for the former prime minister's cremation, the Centre has not done justice to the dignity of the post, his personality, legacy and the self-respecting Sikh community.

She said earlier, all former prime ministers were given the highest honour and respect.

'Dr Manmohan Singh ji deserves this honour and a Samadhi Sthal. Today, the whole world is remembering his contributions. The government should have thought beyond politics and narrow-mindedness in this matter,' she said in a post in Hindi on X.

'This morning, I felt this when I saw Dr Manmohan Singhji's family members struggling for a place at the funeral site, trying to find a place in the crowd, and the general public getting troubled due to the lack of space and paying tributes from the road outside,' Priyanka Gandhi added.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also took to X to say that he attended Singh's funeral at the Nigambodh Ghat.

'It was difficult to see very much, beyond the backs of the heads of assorted dignitaries and close relatives of the departed soul, so it became more of an occasion to reflect on the life and legacy of the late great PM,' Tharoor said, adding that he found himself seated next to Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was a memorable companion during the proceedings.

'We shared a great regard for the late Prime Minister and agreed that a fitting memorial must be established by the government for Dr MMS without delay,' he said, while sharing pictures of the funeral.

Former Indian Youth Congress chief B V Srinivas said when former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on August 16, 2018, his funeral took place at the National Memorial, the designated place for the cremation of former presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers.

He referred to Vajpayee's memorial, 'Sadbhav Atal', which is spread over seven acres and 'where memories related to Atalji are present', and shared pictures of the memorial on X.

'But during the tenure of the same prime minister, Narendra Modi, the last rites of former prime minister Manmohan Singh were performed at the public Nigambodh Ghat instead of the National Memorial. Because he was a Congress leader, not a BJP leader?' he asked in a post in Hindi on X.

After the matter of a memorial for Singh took a political colour, the Centre clarified that a decision to build one was already conveyed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge by Union Home Minister Amit Shah after Friday's Cabinet meeting.

A government statement also said the funeral could be held as the process of setting up a trust and allotting land for the memorial could take a while.

Kharge had written to Modi on Friday seeking a memorial for Singh.

Several sections of the society have also urged the government to confer Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour of the country, on the late economist-prime minister.

Reacting sharply to Congress charges, Nadda said, "It's very unfortunate that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and incumbent Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are not refraining from playing politics even over the former prime minister's sad demise."

"No amount of condemnation is enough for such cheap thinking of the Congress. The Congress, which never gave real respect to Manmohan Singh when he was alive, is now playing politics in the name of his respect," he added.

The Union minister also said the government under Prime MInister Narendra Modi had allocated space for Singh's memorial and also informed his family about it.

"Yet, the Congress is spreading lies," he said.

"Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders should refrain from indulging in such cheap politics," Nadda said.

BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra also attacked Rahul Gandhi and alleged that the grand old party had 'insulted' its leaders -- Rao, ex-president Pranab Mukherjee, first president Rajendra Prasad and former deputy PM Vallabhbhai Patel -- in the past.

"Since Manmohan Singh's death, the Centre has been preparing to construct a memorial for him. A cabinet meeting was called and a condolence message was issued. It was also decided to pay proper respects to the former PM befitting his stature.

"The cabinet has informed Dr Singh's family and the Congress that a memorial will be built so that everyone can remember his positive contribution. However, time is needed for land acquisition, forming a trust and other formalities. At the same time, cremation should be done as it cannot wait," Patra said at a press conference in Bhubaneswar.

The BJP leader alleged that Rahul Gandhi had himself disrespected Singh by publicly tearing down a Cabinet note.

Singh had considered resigning from the post as Sonia Gandhi was 'running a parallel government', he claimed.

He alleged that the Congress has a history of insulting prime ministers who were not from the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"Former prime minister Narasimha Rao's body was not allowed entry into the Congress headquarters in Delhi on instruction of Sonia Gandhi. The Congress did not allow Rao's last rites in the national capital, so it was performed in Hyderabad. Some media outlets also reported that some stray dogs were moving around the body of the late prime minister. Such was the audacity of the Congress," Patra alleged.

The BJP leader alleged that the Congress did so to protect the Nehru-Gandhi family's legacy.

Rao was the first non-Gandhi Congress PM who completed a full five-year term but still the party did not construct a memorial for him despite being in power, he said.

"When the BJP came to power, it built a memorial for Rao and also conferred Bharat Ratna on him. The Gandhi family gave Bharat Ratna only to its members," Patra said.

Patra also mentioned the Congress's alleged injustice to former president Pranab Mukherjee.

"Mukherjee's daughter Sarmistha has alleged that the Congress had done injustice to her father by not condoling his death. The party said it does not condole the death of any former CWC president. However, that is not the reality... it was done to diminish his legacy," Patra alleged.

Patra alleged that when Vallabhbhai Patel died on December 15, 1950, the then-prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had written a letter to all ministers and senior officers asking them not to attend Patel's funeral.

Nehru also neglected first president Rajendra Prasad on his death on Feb 28, 1963, he said.

When Atal Bihari Vajpayee died, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge remarked that the former prime minister was a heavy drinker, Patra said.

"Now Rahul Gandhi, full of his immaturity, has yet again taken this to a new low by making the tweet. This shows the character of the Congress and the Gandhi family," he alleged.
Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who led India to the path of economic liberalisation in the 1990s, was cremated with full state honours in New Delhi on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from the country and abroad.

IMAGE: Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh cremated with full state honours, at Nigam Bodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday. Photograph: Mohd Zakir/ANI Photo

Dr Singh's funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, at the Nigambodh Ghat as family members, friends and dignitaries bid farewell to the reformist former prime minister.

President Droupadi Murmu, the supreme commander of the armed forces, led the nation in paying last respects to the departed leader.

Priests and family members recited religious hymns from the holy Gurbani, while chants of 'Satnam Waheguru' filled the air, as Dr Singh was cremated according to Sikh rituals.

Before Dr Singh's mortal remains were consigned to flames, the security forces gave a salute of three volleys of small arms and the buglers sounded the 'Last Post' as a mark of honour for the former prime minister.

At the Nigambodh Ghat, a sense of deep grief united the assembly featuring Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the foreign minister of Mauritius, Dhananjay Ramful, were among the foreign dignitaries who paid tributes to Singh, who served as the prime minister from 2004 to 2014.

Dr Singh, 92, died on the night of December 26.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also paid their last tributes to the former prime minister and laid wreaths on his mortal remains.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the tri-services also laid wreaths on the former prime minister's mortal remains.

Several chief ministers, including Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh) and Atishi (Delhi), besides Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, also attended the last rites of Singh.

Former chief ministers Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel were also present, apart from All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Surjewala and several former Union ministers.

Among the first ones to place a wreath on the mortal remains of the late prime minister was his political mentor, Sonia Gandhi, to whom he deferred his entire life even at the cost of criticism by political rivals.

It was Sonia Gandhi who, after powering the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, stepped back from the prime minister's chair, nominating Dr Singh to lead the coalition.

The quintessential economist went on to steer the nation for the next 10 years, a period that saw him end India's nuclear apartheid by pressing ahead with the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, despite resistance from the Left Front that was giving support to the UPA from outside.

In a show of uncharacteristic firmness in 2008, Dr Singh risked his government over the deal after the Left withdrew support. He faced and won a no-confidence vote in the Lok Sabha.

Entering the Rajya Sabha in 1991 as a member from Assam, Dr Singh remained in the House of Elders till April 2024. His last innings in the Upper House was from Rajasthan, the only other state he ever represented besides Assam.

Dr Singh died of age-related complications at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, the ace tertiary-care public establishment where the former prime minister always got admitted whenever he faced medical complications.

Sources close to the family said "Akhand path" would be held at Dr Singh's residence on January 1 and its 'bhog' would be held on January 3.

They said the Antim Ardas and kirtan for Singh would be conducted at the Gurdwara Rakab Ganj in the evening of January 3.

Earlier in the day, Dr Singh's body, placed in a flower-bedecked casket and carriage, was taken from his 3, Motilal Nehru residence in Lutyens' Delhi to the headquarters of the Congress party, which he represented in Parliament for 33 long years.

At the party office, Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid rich tributes to their leader, as did thousands of Congress workers who had gathered to catch a last glimpse of Singh.

The former prime minister's final journey then started from the AICC office to the Nigambodh Ghat, where the procession reached around 11.30 am.

A large crowd had gathered at the AICC office as well as at the Nigambodh Ghat.

The vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left his residence a little before 9 am. The procession moved forward amid chants of 'Manmohan Singh Amar Rahe'.

A number of Congress workers and leaders, along with hundreds of Singh's well-wishers, walked along chanting 'jab tak suraj-chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega'.

Demands for honouring Singh with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, were also raised during the procession.

Draped in the tricolour, the flower-bedecked casket was placed on a raised platform at the ghat, where leaders cutting across party lines laid wreaths on Dr Singh's mortal remains.

Dr Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body at the AICC headquarters.

The three daughters of Dr Singh -- Upinder Singh, Daman Singh and Amrit Singh -- along with other relatives, were present.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also accompanied the procession, sitting alongside Singh's relatives in an Army truck just ahead of the casket carrying the former prime minister's mortal remains.

Later, Rahul Gandhi was also among those who carried Dr Singh's body to the pyre.

Earlier, a row erupted over a memorial for the former prime minister, with the Congress demanding that Singh's last rites be performed at a place where a memorial could be built later.

The party also alleged that the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party was 'deliberately insulting' the first Sikh prime minister of the country in not doing so.

After the matter of a memorial to Singh took a political colour, the government clarified that a decision to build one had already been conveyed to Kharge by the Union home minister after Friday's Cabinet meeting.

A government statement also said the funeral could be held as the process of setting up a trust and allotting land for the memorial could take a while.

Kharge had written to Modi on Friday seeking a memorial for Singh. Several sections of the society also urged the government to confer Bharat Ratna on the late economist-prime minister.

A seven-day national mourning is being observed as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union home ministry has announced.
The nation bid farewell to one of its tallest sons, Dr Manmohan Singh, at the Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

IMAGE: The Tricolour is taken off the coffin; it was later handed over to Mrs Singh, Gursharan Kaur. Photograph: ANI Photo

IMAGE: Dr Singh is taken for the last rites after family, leaders and others had paid their respects. Photograph: ANI Photo

IMAGE: Gursharan Kaur, her daughters and other family members during the last rites, here and below. Photograph: ANI Photo

Photograph: ANI Photo

IMAGE: A 21 gun salute was accorded to the late prime minister. Photograph: ANI Photo
Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has ordered an inquiry against private persons allegedly gathering personal details of women in the name of Mahila Samman Yojana, his office said on Saturday.

IMAGE: Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal with beneficiary women during the start of the 'Mahila Samman Yojana' registration program, in New Delhi on December 23, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party wanted to stop its scheme and is afraid of a defeat in the assembly polls scheduled in February.

The LG also said that the chief secretary of the Delhi government may bring the matter to the knowledge of the Election Commission of India through the chief electoral office given that such canvassing is happening ahead of the election.

The inquiry was ordered based on a complaint by Congress leader and party's New Delhi assembly seat candidate Sandeep Dikshit, who recently met Saxena at Raj Niwas.

In a letter addressed to the chief secretary and police commissioner, LG's principal secretary said, 'Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor has desired the Chief Secretary to get an inquiry conducted through Divisional Commissioner in the matter of collection of personal details and forms by non-government people.'

It said the police commissioner may direct the field officers to take action as per law against any person found breaching the privacy of citizens by collecting their personal details in the name of enrolling them for 'benefits'.

On Wednesday, Dikshit met Saxena and expressed his apprehensions about the Mahila Samman Yojana, under which the Delhi government has promised to give every woman in the city, aged above 18, Rs 1,000 per month.

The AAP said if it gets elected again, the government will raise the amount to Rs 2,100 per month.

Dikshit, according to the letter, alleged that the AAP workers were going door-to-door meeting women, and making them sign some forms.

'Dikshit has requested that because of the clarification submitted by the Women and Child Development Department, GNCTD, it is clear that this is a fraud being perpetrated by the AAP and has requested to institute a high-level inquiry into the matter,' the letter read.

The WCD Department earlier this week published a public notice in newspapers saying it would launch a digital portal for the collection of forms as and when the scheme is notified.

The department advised people not to fill out forms handed to them by unauthorised persons.

The AAP, in response, has alleged that the inquiry came not from the Delhi LG but from the 'office' of BJP leader Amit Shah.

The ruling party in Delhi charged that the BJP did not respect the women and claimed that the Mahila Samman Yojana was getting the full support of the women of the city.

The party claimed that more than 22 lakh women were already registered for the scheme.
UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to authorize the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) from Jan. 1, 2025.

In the resolution, approved by 14 of the council's 15 member states, with the United States' abstention, the Security Council said that it endorsed the African Union Peace and Security Council's decision to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) with AUSSOM.

This move marks "a further step in transitioning national security responsibilities to Somalia's own forces," the council said.

The council authorized African Union (AU) members to take all necessary measures for 12 months, starting Jan. 1, 2025, including supporting the Somali government in degrading Al-Shabaab and affiliates linked to Islamic State.

According to the resolution, AU member states were also authorized to continue to deploy up to 12,626 uniformed personnel, including 1,040 police personnel, to AUSSOM until June 30, 2025, and to complete by this date the realignment of all AU troops from ATMIS to AUSSOM. 
Pattali Makkal Katchi President Anbumani on Saturday opposed a decision of his father, party founder S Ramadoss, in a party meeting in Puducherry on Saturday, and the octogenarian leader curtly said those who do not wish to follow his diktats should quit the outfit.

IMAGE: PMK founder S Ramadoss with son Ambumani Ramadoss in Chennai. Photograph: ANI Photo

When the party patriarch Ramadoss announced that a party member, Mukunthan, is appointed president of the state youth wing, Anbumani voiced his opposition and a war of words broke out between the father and son at the party's special general council meeting.

A former union minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Anbumani, said Mukunthan was only about 4 months old in the party and expressed his opposition to his appointment.

"Whoever it may be, what I say must be followed, understand?," Ramadoss asserted and said that the party was founded by him and no one could be in the party if his directions were not complied with.

Further, the founder leader said: "This is a party I started, what I say must be followed and done. If someone does not wish to follow, they should leave."

A stunned Anbumani dropped the handheld microphone on the table, seen as an act of disappointment and disapproval, placed in front of the speakers, who were seated on the dais.

Ramadoss, seemingly upset, made it clear that whoever it may be, if they do not fall in line and comply with his instructions, must quit. He was categorical and firm on his stand of appointing Mukunthan to the post.

Anbumani, took the mic and announced immediately that he had set up an office at Panayur in suburban Chennai and that office-bearers may meet him there. He also announced a mobile number for contact purposes.

On December 21, 2024, the father and son duo were together in a party meeting held at Tiruvannamalai for the welfare of farmers and in that event too, they were seated next to each other on the dais, like it happened in Puducherry on Saturday.

When the PMK aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it was speculated that only Anbumani favoured the alliance and that his father Ramadoss was inclined to join hands with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
'The balance Zakir Bhai created between rhythm and execution...his maths during his performances were perfect, and yet he was a fountain of improvisation.'

IMAGE: Eleven-year-old Puneet Thakkar, who is terminally ill, learns how to play the tabla from Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Puneet whose dying wish was to meet Zakir Hussain met his idol after the Make-a-Wish Foundation organised the meeting. Photograph: Savita Kirloskar/Reuters

Tabla maestro Sandeep Das sees the passing away of Ustad Zakir Hussain as a irreparable loss.

"It is a personal loss and a big blow to the world of Hindustani classical music.

"One by one we've lost so many maestros of classical Hindustani recently.

"Everyone has to go. But why so many of us?

"I can't tell you how much I looked up to him.

"By the time I was 10, he was already a star.

"I grew up watching him play. When he played the tabla it was magic.

"I have learnt so much just observing him.

"I remember when Zakir Bhai met my guru Pandit Kishan Maharajji, Zakir Bhai was so respectful and attentive.

"He took off his footwear before entering the room. This is the kind of humility he had.

"His qualities went far beyond the tabla.

"He was an exemplary human being as well.

"He will be much missed by all."

Above all, the quality that Sandeep admired in Ustad Zakir Hussain's performance was the performing equipoise.

"The balance Zakir Bhai created between rhythm and execution...his maths during his performances were perfect, and yet he was a fountain of improvisation.

"I would say, there is no joy in being a carbon copy.

"Zakir Bhai may have started as a shagird (disciple) of his great father. But he soon branched out on his own.

"A true artiste is not one who can follow his seniors to perfection.

"He is one who imbibes the legacy and takes it forward. Zakir Bhai did that."

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
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Year in Review

Year in Review: Friesians of Majesty again in the news, and it's not good
US President Donald Trump has urged Russia to agree to a 30-day cease-fire, warning he would slap additional sanctions on the country if it refused the US proposal, as Moscow made more gains on the battlefield.



"Russia has no way out but cease-fire. If needed we will sanction it, but I hope we won't need to," Trump told reporters at the White House on March 12.



"In a financial sense we can do very unpleasant, very bad things, devastating for Russia, but I don't want to," he said.



His comments come a day after Kyiv agreed to the temporary cease-fire following nine hours of talks with Trump administration officials in Saudi Arabia.



Trump has made ending Russia's more than three-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine a top priority since taking office for a second term less than two months ago, quickly dispatching his top officials to Moscow and Kyiv to prepare the groundwork for peace talks.



He has used Washington's significant leverage over Ukraine -- namely military aid and intelligence sharing -- to get Kyiv to agree to the cease-fire proposal, which if implemented, would leave almost 20 percent of the country in Russia's hands for the time being, at least.



But Trump lacks that type of leverage with Russia, which has navigated sweeping US and European sanctions placed on its economy following the invasion much better than most experts forecasted.

Putin may seek to drag out talks with the US over a cease-fire to improve Russia's position on the battlefield and hence at the negotiating table when and if Moscow and Kyiv hammer out a peace deal.

As Trump spoke at the White House, Putin was visiting troops in Russia's Kursk region, where fierce fighting is currently taking place and Moscow's forces are advancing.

Ukraine seized a swath of the Kursk region in a stealth incursion in August seen as an effort to divert Russian forces from eastern Ukraine and use the territory as a bargaining chip during any peace talks.

That strategy is now at risk of failing as Russian forces slowly push the Ukrainians out of Kursk. Russians forces have retaken more than half the territory initially captured by Ukraine.

Putin's visit to Kursk was his first since the incursion and signals the momentum Russia has in that theater of the war. The Kremlin leader urged his troops to retake the region in its entirety "as soon as possible."

Ukraine's top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said that fighting continued in and around Sudzha, the largest town in the part of the region that Ukraine occupied.

Unconfirmed reports on March 12 indicated that Ukraine has begun to draw back units as Russian officials claimed their troops had captured more settlements, including Sudzha.

"Despite increased pressure from the Russian and North Korean forces, we will maintain the defense of the Kursk region as long as it is appropriate and necessary," Syrskiy wrote on Telegram.

In a Facebook post, Syrskiy said that saving soldiers lives is a priority and that Ukrainian troops "maneuver to more favorable positions, if necessary," wording often used top describe a retreat.

Concessions?

Trump hinted that Ukraine would have to make concessions on land, something more and more experts say is inevitable given Russia's momentum on the battlefield.

"When we talk cease-fire [with Ukraine], we talked land, who's withdrawing -- we discussed a lot of things [with Ukraine]," Trump said.

"We don't want to waste time, people are dying. Russia is not in the best situation now. I hope [Putin] gets a cease-fire."

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the cease-fire proposal and said he hoped it would be used as a draft for a lasting peace deal that included security guarantees for Ukraine.

"It's now up to Russia what is next," he said at a March 12 press conference, and whether "it wants to continue its aggression against Ukraine or not."

On the streets of Kyiv, some Ukrainians told RFE/RL's Current Time that they doubted whether Russia would sign on to, and adhere to, a cease-fire deal.

"I'm not sure what to say, but it all seems implausible, frankly speaking," said one Kyiv man, while a woman in the capital said the cease-fire talks were "meaningless without Russia taking part."

Moscow has so far declined to comment on the specifics of the proposal for the 30-day cease-fire, and it's unclear whether Putin has made up his mind on the agreement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was "carefully studying" the joint US-Ukraine statement issued following the Jeddah talks and will wait to comment until Russian negotiators receive more detailed information from Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who represented the United States at the talks, said Washington "will have contact with Russians" today.

Trump on March 11 said he would soon speak with Putin to secure his commitment. Mike Waltz, the White House national-security adviser, spoke with his Russian counterpart on March 12, while Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also planned to travel to Moscow, possibly to meet Putin.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe held a phone call with Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, late on March 11, the Interfax news agency reported.

Rubio told reporters on March 12 in first comments since leaving the talks in Jeddah that the United States hoped to have a positive answer from Russia toward the cease-fire deal and "strongly urge[s] Russians to end all hostilities.

Konstantin Kosachev, an influential lawmaker in Russia's upper house of parliament, seemed to imply that Moscow would not simply accept the US-backed ceasefire proposal but attach conditions, taking into account that Russian forces have the momentum on the battlefield.

"Russia is advancing, and therefore it will be different with Russia," Kosachyov said in a Telegram post.

"Any agreements (with all understanding of the need for compromise) will be on our terms, not American," he said. "And this is not boasting, but an understanding that real agreements are still being written there, on the front line. Which Washington should also understand."

Rubio also said Ukraine will need a strong deterrent to prevent future attacks and that Europeans will "need to be involved in this regard." He added that further discussions would need to tackle to topic of the European Union lifting sanctions on the Russian economy.

"I would imagine that in any negotiation, if we get there, hopefully with the Russians, they will raise these European sanctions that have been imposed upon them," Rubio said.

Moscow has so far been against a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Russia's position during an interview with three right-wing US bloggers that it will under no conditions accept the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine.

Minerals Deal

Washington and Kyiv could sign a framework agreement as early as this week on sharing the revenue generated from Ukraine's mineral resources.

Trump and Zelenskyy intended to sign the deal during their meeting at the Oval Office on February 28. However, the two got into a heated, public exchange over security guarantees for Ukraine and the meeting was abruptly ended without any deal.

Rubio cautioned that he "would not couch [the] minerals deal as a security guarantee." But he added that "if the United States has a vested economic interest thats generating revenue for our people as well as for the people of Ukraine, wed have a vested interest in protecting it if it were to be challenged or threatened."

The parade of comments come after Russia and Ukraine traded air attacks overnight just hours after Kyiv agreed to accept the cease-fire proposal.

Two Russian missile strikes hit the central Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih on March 12, killing one person, while a separate attack killed four crew members of a cargo ship near the southern port city of Odesa.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its air-defense systems shot down six drones overnight on March 12, one over Ukraine's Russia-annexed Crimea and five over the Black Sea. The Krymsky Veter Telegram channel reported loud explosions and air-raid sirens over Crimean towns and near Russian military sites.

The United States announced after the talks in Saudi Arabia that it would immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and restore military aid to Ukraine, which could be a boost to Ukrainian forces. Ukraine's battlefield positions have been under heavy pressure, particularly in Russia's Kursk region.
NAIROBI, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- In 2024, Africa has taken center stage on the global development agenda, demonstrating the continent's resilience and its deepening ties with the Global South in the international arena.

From the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and the 3rd South Summit held in Uganda to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit, Africa has showcased its determination and capability to unite the Global South in achieving shared development and pursuing modernization.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions in the global economic landscape in 2024. Amid rapid and profound changes in the world, the vast continent's potential and vitality have solidified its role as a key player in shaping the future.

GROWTH ENGINE OF FUTURE

Amid a complex and evolving global landscape, African nations are seeking self-reliant development through regional integration.

According to the African Development Bank, Africa's economic growth is projected to rebound to 3.7 percent in 2024, exceeding the global average, and climb to 4.3 percent in 2025, making it the world's second-fastest-growing region after Asia.

Many African countries held elections this year. From the Comoros in East Africa to Senegal in West Africa, most elections were conducted smoothly and orderly. The new governments have placed economic development at the forefront of their agendas, recognizing that self-reliance is essential for carving out a competitive position on the global stage.

To this end, African countries are accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The agreement has been enacted in several nations, including South Africa, Ghana and Kenya. According to a report by Al-Mal News, an Egyptian daily, intra-regional trade is projected to grow from 192.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 to 520 billion dollars by 2030 following the launch of the AfCFTA.

The World Bank forecast that the AfCFTA could increase the continent's income by 7 percent by 2035 and lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty. Meanwhile, countries are ramping up investments in technological innovation and talent development, driving industrial upgrades through initiatives such as establishing research funds and developing technology parks.

According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union, the number of internet users in Africa has surged from 181 million in 2014 to nearly 646 million in 2024, and this figure could exceed 1.1 billion by 2029, which will enable Africa to integrate more effectively into the global economy.

Africa's development is fueled not only by its strong internal momentum but also by the rise of the Global South. At this year's G20 summit in Brazil in November, China outlined its eight actions for global development, including pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and supporting African development. These pragmatic measures have been widely recognized by developing countries.

Moreover, China, Brazil, South Africa and the African Union (AU) jointly launched an Initiative on International Cooperation in Open Science to bring the benefits of global scientific and technological innovation to the Global South.

"We committed ourselves to have a vision that transcends national borders and individual interests while recognizing that the force of Africa resides in its unity," said Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission, at the fourth Ordinary Session of the sixth parliament of the Pan-African Parliament in South Africa in November.

RISING POWER OF AFRICA

In 2024, Africa has reaffirmed its strong commitment to building a more just and equitable international order. This is evident in its advocacy for reforms in global governance, efforts to mediate geopolitical crises and advancements in energy transition.

On Jan. 1, Egypt and Ethiopia officially joined BRICS, marking another African addition to BRICS cooperation following South Africa's participation.

The expansion of the BRICS membership highlights the bloc's intention to enhance multilateral cooperation and uphold the voice and interests of developing countries at various international and regional forums, said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

In November, the AU participated as a full member in the G20 summit for the first time, joining others to call for a fairer international financial system, advocating for debt relief, and safeguarding the interests of developing countries. On Dec. 1, South Africa assumed the G20 presidency, becoming the first African nation to hold this position. The theme of its presidency, "Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability," reflects a distinct African vision for future global governance.

The AU's entry into the G20 "provides a platform for African nations to address critical global issues," said Balew Demissie, a communication and publication consultant at the Policy Studies Institute of Ethiopia.

"Through its participation, the AU can address challenges such as poverty, underdevelopment, and climate vulnerability while strengthening regional solidarity and increasing Africa's influence on global policy decisions," Demissie said.

Analysts observed that Africa is reassessing its developmental trajectory, seeking to break free from the constraints of Western development models and striving for political, economic and cultural independence. This shift is often described as Africa's "second awakening" since the national liberation movements in the mid-to-late 20th century.

Over the past year, countries such as Niger, Senegal and Chad have called for the withdrawal of the U.S. and French military forces from their territories.

Africa is no longer content to be the "silent majority" and is emerging as a key force in reshaping the international order, with African leaders actively pursuing political solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within multilateral frameworks and underlining their resolve to promote global peace, development and justice.

The AU's Agenda 2063 envisions Africa as "an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena." To achieve this vision, African countries are playing an active role in Global South partnerships.

"Africa has a stake in a truly multilateral global order," said Mwangi Wachira, former World Bank economist and advisor to the Kenyan government. "Hopefully, it will have more than a token role in the ongoing drive for an equitable multilateral global order."

UNITED EFFORTS TOWARD MODERNIZATION

In September, the FOCAC Summit held in Beijing marked another historic milestone in China-Africa relations and for the broader Global South. China and Africa vowed to join hands to implement 10 partnership actions to advance modernization.

As a member of the Global South, China has consistently advocated for an open global economy, and helped developing countries, particularly African nations and the least-developed countries, to actively participate in international industrial cooperation and benefit from economic globalization.

In November, the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai showcased a range of African products, including South African avocados, Tanzanian honey and Mauritian sugar, which made their debut this year. The expo highlighted China's commitment to openness and its efforts to help African products gain access to the vast Chinese and global markets.

Devesh Dukhira, chief executive of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate, said that the Chinese market's long-term contribution will be substantial, thanks to the CIIE and the China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement.

By synergizing the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative with Agenda 2063 and African nations' development strategies, China and African countries are continuously exploring new areas of collaboration.

Starting Dec. 1, China has given all the least-developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, including 33 African nations, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, becoming the first major developing country and the first major economy to take such a measure. This policy will boost African industrial growth, create jobs and reduce poverty.

In March this year, Chinese and African scholars jointly released the China-Africa Dar es Salaam Consensus, emphasizing the agreement among Global South countries on development path and philosophy.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July, laying out a blueprint for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, which provides valuable insights for African nations exploring their modernization paths, African experts said.

With a shared history of overcoming colonial oppression and achieving independent development, Africa is poised to take its turn in shaping its destiny, said Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam of Tanzania. 
In 2021, Uzbekistans energy minister said the country produces enough natural gas to meet domestic demand three times over.

But production in the gas-rich nation has been dropping for half a decade, and the reality is this: Many Uzbeks rely on coal, firewood, and animal manure to heat their homes and cook their meals, and many of the power plants feeding the electrical grid are fueled by coal.

Experts and activists have sounded the alarm about the effects on the environment: The most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, coal is a major contributor to human-caused climate change, and thousands of trees are being cut down illegally for firewood.

Citizens accuse the government of failing to offer an alternative.



The problem worsens every winter as demand for energy rises amid a chronic shortage of natural gas.

Its been quite cold since late November, and were experiencing problems with gas supplies not only in the villages but even in cities, too, says activist Abdusalom Ergashev, who lives in the eastern city of Ferghana.

In the downtown area where I live, the gas pressure [in the pipes] drops so low during the winter that the stove doesnt even get warm. People are left with no choice, so theyre burning whatever they can -- coal and animal dung, and theyre felling trees, even fruit trees, Ergashev said.



Illegal tree felling has become so widespread that the government has toughened legal punishments for the crime. Under a law that came into force in February, individuals convicted of illegal tree cutting face fines of up to 17 million soms ($1,300). Penalties are higher for government officials and companies or other entities.

Offenders must also plant 100 saplings for each tree they felled unlawfully.

Many Uzbeks, especially those living outside urban areas, say they start preparing for the winter many months in advance, storing firewood, collecting and drying domestic animals manure, and buying coal. In many households, even walnut shells and fruit pits are used as fuel.

The average village household burns about 1.5 tons of coal over the winter, in addition to firewood, cotton stalks, dry manure, and other fuels.

Environmental damage is not the only effect of the dark plumes of smoke billowing from chimneys in winter.

I was driving through Ferghana, and even with my car windows closed, the smell of the evening air was suffocating, popular vlogger Akmal Isomiddinov said in a recent video. Its not only happening in Ferghana. Its the same in 90 percent of our country. It is harmful to environment and peoples health.



King Coal?



Relief may not come soon.

With an estimated 1.8 trillion cubic meters of proven reserves, the Central Asian nation of some 36 million people is among the worlds top 20 countries for natural gas.

But its long-exploited deposits are gradually being depleted and the reserves more difficult to drill, according to the government, which also says more modern technology is needed.

According to official statistics, in the first 10 months of 2024, Uzbekistan produced nearly 39 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas, which is 4.8 percent less than the same period last year.

In 2018, the country produced about 61.6 bcm. Production had fallen to 46.7 bcm in 2023, a 24 percent decrease over five years.

The government plans to gradually increase production by 33 percent, reaching 62 bcm -- slightly above the 2018 level -- by 2030.

In the meantime, however, the government has reportedly been urging the country to burn more coal.

Thousands of state-run schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities were ordered by authorities in 2023 to switch to from gas to coal, Uzbek media reports said.

As gas production dropped, coal production climbed steadily, according to government figures. Annual production rose from less than 4 million tons in 2016 to 6.5 million tons in 2023.

The government plans to boost coal production to 10 million tons in 2025.

As for warnings over climate change concerns, the Uzbek government says that it has been investing in green energy sources, has introduced subsidies for electric vehicles, and launched a nationwide campaign to plant 200 million trees to help clean the air.
Ukraine has agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day cease-fire in the war against the Russian invasion, prompting the United States to say it would immediately lift the suspension of military aid, including the sharing of intelligence.

The outcome of nine hours of talks on March 11 in Jeddah marked a stunning turnaround less than two weeks after an acrimonious meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The clash between the two leaders preceded the US pause in aid and limits on intelligence sharing, which the United States said were imposed because of doubts that Ukraine was committed to seeking peace.

"The President wanted this war to end yesterday... So our hope is that the Russians will answer 'yes' as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after the agreement was announced.

A joint statement issued by the two countries said Ukraine expressed a "readiness" to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day cease-fire, "which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation."

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said a meeting with Russia would take place later on March 11 or the following day.

Rubio, who attended the talks in Saudi Arabia along with national-security adviser Mike Waltz, said the cease-fire plan puts the ball in Russias court.

Were going to tell them this is whats on the table, he said of Russian President Vladimir Putins government. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now itll be up to them to say yes or no."

Russian officials have repeatedly said that they want a comprehensive peace deal, not a cease-fire or other temporary arrangement.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it wouldn't rule out contacts with US officials over next several days, but gave no further comment.

The US and Ukrainian delegations said they also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the cease-fire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.

"I have confirmation that the security assistance from the United States has been restored," Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Ukrainian President's Office and a member of the delegation, said in a post on Facebook.

"Arrangements are starting to be fulfilled."

In addition, Ukraine and the United States agreed to conclude a pact on joint development of Ukrainian critical minerals and other resources as soon as possible.

That deal had been expected to be signed at the White House meeting on February 28, but Zelenskyy left early after the argument in the Oval Office, leaving it in limbo.

Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

The talks were closely watched across Europe, which has grown concerned Washington's renewed contacts with the Kremlin would sideline both Kyiv and Brussels from the peace process.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently traveled to the White House to meet Trump, congratulated the US and Ukrainian delegations, saying it is now up to Moscow to end the fighting.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saidthe proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance was a welcome development.



"This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine. The ball is now in Russias court," she added.

The talks in Jeddah on March 11 followed a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack that struck the Moscow region and other Russian provinces overnight, killing three people.

John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, said before the joint statement that restoring intelligence cooperation should be seen as a positive result for Kyiv.

He also said sequencing in future negotiations will be crucial. While an early cease-fire can be key part of a future peace process, he stresses that it's important that it be followed by further steps toward a lasting peace deal, such as continued military shipments to Ukraine, a potential demilitarized zone, and a greater role for European countries, including their forces deployed as peacekeepers.

These are all serious ideas that have been floated, Herbst said.

That might not be a just peace, because a just peace wouldnt see Ukraine have to concede territory, but it could still be a durable one that makes it very hard for Russia to renew aggression.

What Role Will Russia And Europe Play In Peace Talks?

As Ukrainian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia, attention was also shifting to the other two players that will decide how the war ends: Russia and Kyivs European allies.

Top military officials from more than 30 nations met in Paris on March 11 for talks on the creation of an international security force for Ukraine.

The force is being envisaged by Britain and France. Its aim is to reassure Ukraine and deter another large-scale Russian offensive after any cease-fire. The force might include heavy weaponry and weapons stockpiles that could be rushed within hours or days to aid in Ukraines defense.

Russia has so far said it is against accepting European troops in Ukraine as part of a deal.

The Kremlin has also spoken about getting Western sanctions lifted on its economy as part of a peace process, including in Saudi Arabia where US and Russian officials held talks nearly a month ago.

Marie Dumoulin, a former French diplomat and an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, says that this gives European governments some leverage when the dust settles from the talks in Jeddah.

She said that doubts remain in European capitals about whether Russia is willing to make any concessions of its own and that Europe can use both its own offer of security guarantees to Ukraine and the possibility of lifting European Union sanctions on Russia as a way to shape discussions in both Moscow and Washington.

This gives Ukraine a few more cards to hold at the table, Dumoulin told RFE/RL. These can give Ukraine some room to say whether the deal being offered to them is good enough yet or not.

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and RFE/RL's Kosovo Service contributed to this report
Dr. Manmohan Singhs Mortal Remains Consigned to Flames with Full State Honours

The funeral ceremony marked the end of an era, honoring the life and legacy of one of Indias most respected leaders.

Dr Manmohan Singh Mortal Remains Cremation and Funeral Latest News Today: The nation bid a solemn farewell to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, as his mortal remains were consigned to flames with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi on Saturday. The funeral ceremony marked the end of an era, honoring the life and legacy of one of Indias most respected leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi were among the prominent leaders who attended the ceremony to pay their respects. Several other dignitaries, politicians, and admirers also gathered to honour Dr. Singh, whose contributions to India's economic and political landscape remain unparalleled.

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A Nation Mourns

The funeral procession, steeped in tradition and respect, began from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, where party workers and supporters had gathered earlier in the day to pay their tributes. Emotional scenes unfolded as thousands remembered Dr. Singh as a leader of integrity, humility, and vision.

Prime Minister Modi described Dr. Singh as a statesman who left an indelible mark on Indias progress. "His contributions to modernizing Indias economy and his steady leadership during challenging times will always be remembered," Modi said.

Full State Honours

The former Prime Minister was accorded full state honours, with the tri-services personnel presenting a ceremonial salute. The national flag was draped over the coffin, symbolizing Dr. Singhs lifelong service to the nation.

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A Legacy Remembered

Dr. Singh, who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, was instrumental in spearheading economic reforms that transformed the nation during his tenure as Finance Minister in the early 1990s. His calm demeanor and commitment to inclusive growth earned him admiration across party lines.

Rahul Gandhi, visibly emotional, called Dr. Singh "a guiding force and a pillar of the Congress party." "His wisdom and vision for India will inspire generations to come," Gandhi added.

Public Tributes

Crowds gathered outside Nigambodh Ghat and the AICC headquarters to bid a final goodbye to Dr. Singh. Many spoke of his humble beginnings and his rise to become a towering figure in Indian politics. Jasmeet Kaur, a Delhi resident who attended the ceremony, said, "Dr. Singh's policies touched the lives of millions. He was a leader who truly cared for the common people."

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As the flames dimmed and the nation bid its final adieu, Dr. Manmohan Singhs legacy continues to shine bright, etched forever in the annals of Indian history.

(For more news apart from Dr Manmohan Singh Mortal Remains Cremation and Funeral Latest News Today, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
'This is abettment to suicide,' SC on farmers who're not allowing Jagjit Dallewal's hospitalisation

Justice Kant stated, If Punjab faces resistance, we will direct the Union to provide logistical support."

Supreme Court on Jagjit Singh Dallewal Health Update Latest News Today: The Supreme Court of India held an urgent hearing today regarding the deteriorating health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a hunger strike in Punjab. Despite medical interventions on-site, Dallewal has refused hospitalization, citing concerns about undermining the farmers' protest.

The hearing highlighted the tension between protecting Dallewals life and managing the volatile situation at the protest site, which remains under siege by farmer groups resisting his evacuation.

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States Compliance Questioned

Advocate General for Punjab, Gurwinder Singh, informed the court that two medical boards, including specialists from AIIMS, had been providing medical care to Dallewal. Tests were conducted on November 19 and December 24, and expert opinions were sought. However, Singh admitted that Dallewal declined hospitalisation, claiming it would dilute the protests cause.

The bench, led by Justice J.B. Pardiwala, Justice P.S. Narasimha, and Justice Suryakant, expressed dissatisfaction with the states approach. Justice Kant questioned, Who allowed this situation to escalate to this point? If theres resistance to lawful action, you must confront it. What kind of farmer leaders are allowing this to happen?

Central Governments Role

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Haryana government, warned that Dallewals health and law-and-order situation would worsen with each passing day. He emphasized the urgency of diffusing the crisis and suggested Central assistance.

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Justice Kant stated, If Punjab faces resistance, we will direct the Union to provide logistical support. The life of the farmer leader must be saved, and those obstructing his hospitalisation are not acting in his best interest.

Concerns Over Collateral Damage

The Punjab government argued that forcibly shifting Dallewal could lead to collateral damage and exacerbate tensions at the protest site. The site is under siege by farmers, and any forced action could escalate violence, Singh explained.

The court remained unconvinced. Justice Kant remarked, Starvation is a serious condition. If you cannot save one life without risking others, it reflects poorly on governance.

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Courts Observations and Orders

The court observed that the state had not fully complied with its December 20 order to ensure Dallewals safety. It directed the Union government to provide logistical support to Punjab if required and scheduled further proceedings for December 31.

We are deeply concerned about saving the life of the farmer leader, the court emphasized, while also warning of potential contempt charges against Punjabs DGP and Chief Secretary if adequate action is not taken.
Victory Road, a journey into the history of a princely street

An overview of the history of one of Bucharest's oldest and busiest arteries

Palatul Telefoanelor / Foto: RRI

Ion Puican, 28.12.2024, 14:00

Perhaps the most famous road in Bucharest is Victory Road  an important artery in the center of the capital, which stretches from the United Nations Square to Victory Square (where the Romanian Government building is located) and has a length of 2,700 meters. Victory Road is one of the oldest arteries of Bucharest. Before the reign of ruler Constantin Brancoveanu (1654-1714, reign between 1688-1714), the artery did not exist, being partly called Brasov Road and another section being known as Big Street. The union of the two roads resulted in todays street in 1692, opened by Prince Constantin Brancoveanu under the name of Mogosoaia Bridge  this was a princely street, ensuring the connection between the princes estate in Mogosoaia and the princely palace near the Old Court, at the end of the street. Thus, the new artery becomes the main road in the capital. It is along this street that boyar houses, churches, inns (which will later become hotels), shops, luxury stores, cafes, restaurants or state institutions would be erected. The street initially had wooden sleepers, and later it was paved with stone. In 1882, the first electric street installations appeared in front of the Royal Palace on Victory Road. The name Victory Road was given to this street after the Romanian army made its triumphant entry into the capital on this road on October 8, 1878, after the victory in the War of Independence (1877-1878).

More about the rich history of this old princely street from the coordinator of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at the Bucharest Municipality Museum, Camelia Ene:

This name, Victory Road, an incursion into the history of a princely street, may seem at first glance, an outdated topic. But it is not, because it is a very important artery of the city, the first south-north axis of this important settlement, loaded with history. Victory Road has a name with a special resonance. It simply refers to the victory that the Romanian armies obtained in 1878, following the War of Independence. But Victory Road is much older. It is the first road traced during the reign of Prince Brancoveanu, who managed to unite portions of the slums located on winding streets, as foreign travelers said, and go to Mogosoaia, the place where he built a palace, his personal estate. There had to be a connection between the Royal Court and his house, his residence, but of course it also passed near the houses of his byzades or sons.

What is the present-day outlook of this road? Camelia Ene compares it to an elegant lady:

Today, Victory Road is a street that, when we walk on it, burdened with personal problems, we probably forget to see the beauty of the buildings. I consider it an elegant lady because it shows us so many architectural styles that blend together, the taste that the commissioners had for Western architecture. We have eclectic, French, Art Nouveau, baroque, neo, baroque styles. We have so many buildings that simply overwhelm us with their beauty, but also with the fact that they are imposing. Maybe if we stopped in front of one of them and asked ourselves the question  who lived here? When was it built? This curiosity would lead us to search the archives and find out how Victory Road was born. The road was built from south to north. Great families who created this city are people who built the history of this street through the houses that were built, but you should know that some were built on the site of other houses. The street is formed from the front of the Church of Saint Spyridon, from the United Nations Square to Victory Square. It crosses an area with old houses. This is the place where, during the Revolution of 1821, Bimbasa Sava, commander of the Arnauts, mercenaries of Albanian origin, who protected the ruler and the boyars, was killed. Walking along Victory Road we have the CEC Palace on the left, built in 1900 on the site of an old inn, In 1878, after the Romanian army paraded victoriously on Victory Road on October 8, after the War of Independence, its official name was changed to Victory Road.

Victory Road remains one of the most important landmarks of the capital, from a historical, commercial, architectural and stylistic, political and cultural point of view. On this road we encounter important buildings at local or national level, including the National Museum of History of Romania, the CEC Palace, the Royal Palace (hosting the National Fine Arts Museum), the Romanian Athenaeum, the National Military Circle, the Museum of Collections, the Enescu House and some of the capitals most luxurious shops or hotels.
JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel's air defense system on Saturday afternoon intercepted two rockets fired from the northern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

The rockets triggered sirens in Jerusalem and the Judean Lowlands areas, sending residents to seek refuge in protected spaces.

Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom said there were no casualties in the incident.

The IDF noted it was the first long-range rocket launch from the Gaza Strip into Israel since Oct. 7 this year.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News channel reported that the rockets were launched from the city of Beit Hanoun, where the IDF has been conducting a ground operation against militant targets since Friday night.

The channel added that the launch was carried out just hundreds of meters from the Israeli forces operating in Beit Hanoun and may be conducted to prevent the rockets from being seized by the IDF. 
Ceramic restoration

Museum of the City of Bucharest hosts exhibition entitled "The World of Ceramic Restoration".

Ceramic restoration

Ion Puican, 28.12.2024, 14:00

The Sutu Palace, which is home to the Museum of the City of Bucharest, and located in the city centre, has staged an exhibition entitled The World of Ceramic Restoration, dedicated to the less visible part of ceramic exhibits. The objects made of ceramic material created by potters are not simple useful, functional containers, but distinct pieces, which through form, decoration and texture, enter into a spiritual dialogue with the viewer and are able, today and in the past, to trigger pleasure, delight and attachment. The passage of time leaves its mark on their appearance and integrity. This is where the restorer comes in, bringing the objects, through research and scientific restoration procedures, back to their original appearance and so that they can be exhibited in public. We spoke to the curator of the exhibition, restorer Mihaela Ciobanu, about the challenges she faces in her work:

 The restorer's challenges arise from the moment the objects enter the restoration lab, from research through to the completion of the restoration process. Each ceramic object requires a unique approach, depending on the deterioration that has occurred as a result of the passage of time. What is the primary responsibility of a ceramic restorer?  The restorer has a great responsibility to apply appropriate restoration procedures to save the ceramic objects. What exactly does the restoration process entail and what is its final goal? Restorer Mihaela Ciobanu tells us more:

The destructive action of nature or man is removed by the restorer with patience, talent, seriousness and high professional conscientiousness, so as to restore the original shape, colour and appearance of the object.

In order to understand the ceramic restoration process in more detail, restoration expert Mihaela Ciobanu gives us a brief overview of the steps of this painstaking and delicate process :

The first step that the restorer takes is to study the processing of clay and its manufacturing methods. Throughout history, the craft of working with clay has evolved from modelling by hand, and using the potters wheel to industrial techniques for making ceramic objects. Starting from the quality of the clay, its composition, the modelling technology or the firing process, the restorer can determine methods of approaching certain treatments in the restoration process, using materials and substances compatible with the ceramic material in question. Determining the deterioration of the object is achieved through several types of investigations. Chemical investigations are carried out by fellow investigators who determine, through various methods, the nature of deposits that endanger the integrity of the object. Where appropriate, the restorer studies these reports and, together with the physical investigations made microscopically or macroscopically, determines the state of preservation and the diagnosis of the researched object. Professional restoration work is based on scientific research, principles and methodologies with application to all kinds of cultural goods. As I said earlier, the first stage of the restoration process is the research, followed by the physico-chemical assessments, the establishment of the deterioration factors and up to the conservation status of the objects. The accumulated information helps us in the next stage, that of diagnosis and the proposal of appropriate treatment methods. After that, the chemical treatments to remove deposits begin; the identification of objects where the object is in a fragmentary state; gluing them with adhesives specific to ceramic paste; completing the missing areas with compatible materials; chromatic integrations on filled areas and final conservation. From the desire to be up to speed with the new methods and materials and modern techniques, the restorer has a great responsibility to know what to use in the restoration process, in order to adopt the most appropriate treatment. In the therapy of the object restoration process, the passage of time leaves its mark on the appearance and integrity of ceramic objects.

The "World of C eramic R estoration" exhibition at the Museum of the City of Bucharest painted a portrait of the restoration of heritage ceramic objects, a portrait summarized by Mihaela Ciobanu as follows:

Restoring ceramics aims to preserve tangible evidence for future generations as long as possible. The purpose of this exhibition is to show the entire journey of an object, from its discovery to its display in the museum. Through the unique theme of this exhibition, I hope that visitors will learn about the challenges of restorers in the face of the relentless passage of time.
2024 in review  Roundup of global events

A roundup of the most important global events in 2024

The Week in Review

Vlad Palcu, 28.12.2024, 14:00

The rise of the far-right in Europe

Parliamentary elections this year confirmed the rise of right-wing nationalist or radical parties in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy. At the end of October, in Austria, the Parliament elected a far-right politician as its leader for the first time, after the historic victory of the Freedom Party in the September parliamentary election. In France, a republican front formed ahead of the early parliamentary election in summer managed to block the ruse to power of the nationalist National Assembly party (Rassemblement National), but the absence of a clear majority has since triggered a political crisis. In September, the anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a regional election for the first time and obtained historically high scores in two others. Against this background, MEPs approved, on November 27, a new European Commission. The European Commission started its activity on December 1, and President Ursula von der Leyen, having secured a second term in office, promised major projects in the first 100 days.

Donald Trump returns to the White House

Republican Donald Trump won the United States presidential election on November 5, securing a second term at the White House, owing to a spectacular political comeback. In 2016, he had achieved a surprising victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the favorite in the polls at the time. This year, he defeated Kamala Harris, who was endorsed by the Democratic Party in July after the withdrawal of the 80-year-old incumbent president Joe Biden from the race. Despite polls predicting a very close fight between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the Republican won the seven most contested states. At 78 years old, Donald Trump, whose election campaign was marked by two assassination attempts, four indictments and a criminal conviction, will be inaugurated on January 20, 2025.

Elections and repression in Russia, war in Ukraine

In Russia, Vladimir Putin began his 5th term as president in June, after winning an election denounced by the West as a sham. Earlier, in February, his famous opponent, Alexei Navalny, aged 47, had died suddenly, under suspicious circumstances, in a prison in the Arctic Circle, where he was serving a sentence for alleged extremist actions. Meanwhile, Ukraine, invaded by Russia in February 2022, launched a surprise attack against the Kursk border region in Russia in summer. In November, Kyiv for the first time used American and British long-range missiles against targets on Russian territory, after Washington and London gave their consent. Moscow retaliated by striking Ukraine with a state-of-the-art, non-nuclear, medium-range ballistic missile and vowed to increase such attacks if Ukraine continued to target Russia with Western missiles. Vladimir Putin even mentioned the possibility of resorting to nuclear weapons.

The war in the Middle East

Israel continued its military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following the Palestinian Islamist groups unprecedented attack on Israeli territory in October 2023. This year, several important Hamas leaders were killed, most notably the movements leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in July in Tehran. Negotiations for a ceasefire produced no results, and the Palestinian territory, where over 44,000 people, mostly civilians, have died, continued to struggle with a serious humanitarian crisis. At the same time, after about a year of cross-border clashes with the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas Iran-backed ally, in September, the Israeli army launched bombings against the Islamist movement in southern, eastern and northern Lebanon, as well as in the capital Beirut. Israel also undertook a ground offensive against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. In response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in September, and of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier, Iran also launched hundreds of missiles on Israel, which responded with strikes on Iranian military bases, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Also in the Middle East, towards the end of the year, a rebel offensive led by radical Islamists forced Syrias President, Bashar al-Assad, to flee the country, putting an end to the five-decade Baath Party regime.

Extreme weather conditions

Heatwaves and droughts, on the one hand, and catastrophic rains, on the other, have also wrought havoc around the world this year. A world atlas published by the UN shows that record-breaking drought episodes are about to become a habit. Meanwhile, floods have devastated many regions of the world. In Europe, southeastern Spain faced historic floods in the fall. According to the authorities, 230 people lost their lives, of whom 222 in the Valencia area alone. The desperate victims criticized the chaotic way in which the authorities managed the crisis, from the late alerting of people to the delayed delivery of aid.

The Paris Olympics

2024 was also the year when the 33rd edition of the Summer Olympic Games was held, the largest multi-sport event organized every four years. The competition took place in Paris, after an opening ceremony on the Seine River that was as lavish as it was controversial. After hosting the 1900 and 1924 Olympics, the French capital became the second city, after London, to play host to the Olympics three times. Also in Paris, on December 7, world leaders, but also ordinary people, attended the reopening ceremony of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, restored after a fire that had destroyed the Gothic monument five years earlier.

The world has lost

We cannot end this roundup of the most important global events of 2024 without honoring the memory of personalities who passed away. Thus, in 2024, we said goodbye to international actors Alain Delon, Anouk Aimee, Donald Sutherland or Maggie Smith, to writer Ismail Kadare, to singer Francoise Hardy or to musician, composer and producer Quincy Jones. (VP)
In November 2024, Royal Enfield sold a total of 68,448 units of 350cc to 450cc motorcycles, dominating the sales charts

The 350cc to 450cc motorcycle segment is an important one as it encompasses premium and enthusiastic products that buyers crave. Royal Enfield emerges as the best-seller in this segment with 68,448 units sold, while it was 4,148 units for Jawa & Yezdi, 3,088 units for Honda, 2,240 units for Triumph, 860 units for Bajaj, 421 units for Hero & Harley, 303 units for KTM & Husqvarna, 190 units for Aprilia and 42 units for Kawasaki.

350cc To 450cc Motorcycle Sales Nov 2024

Topping the sales charts of this segment, we have Royal Enfield Classic 350 which registered 27,514 units in sales along with a 9.09% YoY and 28.16% MoM decline as opposed to 30,264 and 38,297 units sold in November 2023 and October 2024 respectively. Volume loss was 2,750 units YoY and 10,783 units MoM. Classic 350 held a 34.5% market share in this segment.

Bullet 350 and Hunter 350 sales fell close to each other at 16,193 and 15,229 units respectively. While Bullet saw a 7.2% YoY and a 28% MoM decline in sales, Hunter 350 saw a 7.43% YoY growth and a 28.67% MoM decline. Among the 350s from RE, Meteor 350 registered the highest sales decline of 10.81% YoY and 35.52% MoM with 7,181 units sold.

After the Royal Enfields, Jawa Yezdi has emerged as a best-seller in this segment, sidelining rivals with 4,148 units sold last month. Classic Legends witnessed 25.09% YoY growth and a negligible 0.77% MoM decline. In 6th place, we have Triumphs 400 lineup (Speed T4, Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X) with 2,240 units sold and witnessed sales drop by 15.82% YoY and 44.07% MoM.

Honda sold 3,088 350cc Bikes

Together, Honda sold 3,088 350cc bikes last month. Breaking that number, we get 1,836 units of HNess 350 with a 25.55% YoY and a 33.74% MoM decline and 1,252 units of CB 350 with a 31.88% MoM decline. Between the two Honda bikes, we have Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 with 1,534 units sold and it saw a 15.44% YoY and a 30.24% MoM decline when compared to 1,814 units sold last year and 2,199 units sold a month before.

The Roadster counterpart of Himalayan 450, the Guerrilla 450, managed to sell 797 units with sales halved MoM at a 49.68% decline. Indias most affordable 400cc high-performance bike, Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, managed to sell 582 units but sales more than halved at a 55.98% MoM decline. In comparison, Dominar 400 sold 278 units and saw a 27.03% YoY and a 43.61% MoM decline.

4.81% YoY and 30.65% MoM decline for this segment

The Hero and Harley duo sold 421 units of their jointly developed 440 motorcycles. X440 sold 387 units witnessing a massive 82.08% YoY and 82.41% MoM decline. Whereas Mavrick 440 sold just 34 units with an 82.65% MoM decline. KTM Husqvarnas sales in this segment stood at 290 units of KTM 390 bikes and 13 units of Husqvarna Svartpilen bikes. Both registered significant YoY and MoM decline in numbers.

Aprilia sold 190 units of RS 457, but saw a 45.87% MoM decline when compared to 351 units sold a month before. Kawasaki was the only one that registered positive growth in both YoY and MoM aspects. However, the sample sizes were quite low with 42 units sold and 40% YoY and 500% MoM growth. In total, the 350cc to 450cc motorcycle sales Nov 2024 charts contributed to 79,740 units along with 4.81% YoY and 30.65% MoM decline, losing 4,030 units YoY and 35,239 units MoM in volume.
People walk at the site of an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 28, 2024. At least four people sustained injuries in a blast near the Ministry of Interior in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday morning, a police officer said. The blast occurred in front of Shaikh Zayed Hospital close to the Ministry of Interior in Kabul's Police District 15, Khalid Zadran, spokesman of Kabul police chief, told Xinhua. (Photo By Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least four people sustained injuries in a blast near the Ministry of Interior in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday morning, a police officer said.

The blast occurred in front of Shaikh Zayed Hospital close to the Ministry of Interior in Kabul's Police District 15, leaving four people injured, Khalid Zadran, spokesman of Kabul police chief, told Xinhua.

According to Zadran, the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, and an investigation was being conducted.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast. 

Security personnel guard near an explosion site in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 28, 2024. At least four people sustained injuries in a blast near the Ministry of Interior in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday morning, a police officer said. The blast occurred in front of Shaikh Zayed Hospital close to the Ministry of Interior in Kabul's Police District 15, Khalid Zadran, spokesman of Kabul police chief, told Xinhua. (Photo By Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
Paleontologists from the Western University of Health Sciences, Brigham Young University, the Arizona Museum of Natural History and Auburn University have described a new specimen of Haplocanthosaurus based on bones excavated from the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry near Delta, Colorado, the United States.

Haplocanthosaurus is a small genus of intermediate sauropod dinosaurs that lived during the Late Jurassic period, 155 to 152 million years ago.

Only two members of the genus are currently known: Haplocanthosaurus delfsi and Haplocanthosaurus priscus.

Haplocanthosaurus is an enigmatic sauropod from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of the American West, said Western University of Health Sciences paleontologist Mathew Wedel and colleagues.

Haplocanthosaurus is known from far fewer individuals (approximately 11 specimens) compared to many of the more famous Morrison Formation sauropods, such as Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Camarasaurus, all of which are known from parts of more than 100 individuals.

Furthermore, important parts of the skeleton such as the skull, forelimbs, and manus and pes either have not been recovered, or have not been described to date.

As a genus, Haplocanthosaurus has appeared in a number of phylogenetic positions, they added.

Studies have recovered it as a basal diplodocoid, a basal macronarian, or possibly just outside Neosauropoda, indicative of an unstable position in sauropod phylogeny.

However, most recent studies have converged in recovering Haplocanthosaurus as a basal diplodocoid.

The new specimen of Haplocanthosaurus was found at the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry near Delta, Colorado.

It consists of three anterior dorsal vertebrae, four isolated posterior dorsal vertebrae, and a right tibia.

The new individual of Haplocanthosaurus is identified based on the presence of dorsally angled transverse processes, tall neural arch peduncles, and a broad distal tibia, the researchers said.

It is the geologically youngest Haplocanthosaurus specimen on the Colorado Plateau.

This individual increases the range of the genus into the true Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation, the authors said.

Their paper was published in The Anatomical Record.

_____

Colin Boisvert et al. 2024. Description of a new specimen of Haplocanthosaurus from the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry. Anatomical Record 307 (12): 3782-3800; doi: 10.1002/ar.25520
COLOMBO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has asked officials of Airport and Aviation Services and Sri Lanka Customs to establish a unified monitoring division to curb drug smuggling, corruption and illegal migration, the President's Media Division (PMD) said in a press statement on Saturday.

The monitoring division should also focus on preventing entry of other prohibited items, irregularities at airports and customs and the unauthorized exit of individuals from the country, the PMD said.

The president said this during a meeting on Saturday with the heads of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka Customs, and the Airport and Aviation Services.

The president also emphasized the need for a practical and modernized process to prevent smuggling, calling for the replacement of the current scanning equipment with advanced scanners. 
BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Beijing on Saturday, agreeing to further promote the implementation of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the successful meeting between the two heads of state during the 16th BRICS Summit provided strategic guidance for deepening China-Iran relations.

Noting the time-honored China-Iran relations and the traditional friendship between the two peoples, Wang said that enhanced coordination and cooperation between China and Iran will not only benefit the two peoples, but also contribute to regional and world peace, stability and development.

The two sides should continue to support each other on issues concerning their core interests, steadily promote practical cooperation and enhance cooperation in multilateral fields, Wang said.

He called for closer coordination and cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) framework and for the upgrading and strengthening of BRICS cooperation, to better safeguard the common interests of the Global South.

In the face of instability and uncertainty in today's world, Wang said China and Iran must stay focused and strengthen solidarity and cooperation, jointly advocate and practice genuine multilateralism, and work for a more just and equitable global governance system.

Araghchi said that developing and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China is the priority of Iran's foreign policy, and Iran attaches great importance to China's important role in upholding justice in international affairs.

Iran abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning China's core interests such as Xinjiang, Xizang and human rights, Araghchi said.

He said that Iran looks forward to closer high-level exchanges with China, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthening communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the SCO and BRICS, and safeguarding common interests.

The two sides agreed to further promote the implementation of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan, strengthen the exchange of experience in governance in the fields of politics and diplomacy, legislative bodies, law enforcement and justice, economy and trade.

They also agreed to increase cooperation in youth, education, sports, science and technology, culture, tourism, ecological and environmental protection, health, radio and television, and deepen people-to-people, sub-national and sister-city exchanges.

On the Iranian nuclear issue, Wang stressed that China always stands for a political and diplomatic resolution and upholds the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), opposes sanctions and pressure at every turn and firmly supports Iran in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests. He also called on all relevant parties to play a constructive role in resuming dialogue and negotiation.

Araghchi expressed appreciation for China's important role in promoting and maintaining the JCPOA and a willingness to maintain close communication with China. 
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has entered into a strategic alliance with boAt, an Indian company in audio and wearables market. This collaboration aims to foster innovation and provide tailored support to DPIIT recognised Startups including startups in D2C and manufacturing domains.

The key features of this mutual partnership includes: curate dedicated program(s)/ initiative(s) for mentoring startups, innovators and entrepreneurs, provide resources, guidance, and support for different milestones such as prototype development, and offer connections and insights for international expansion , wherever applicable and feasible.

Speaking on the ocassion, Joint Secretary Startup India, Shri Sanjiv, said, This endeavour will be instrumental in equipping our startups with the best expertise and enormous resources to raise the bar of efficiency while contributing to Indias vision of becoming a hub for world-class manufacturing and entrepreneurship. By connecting startups with industry tycoons like boAt, we aim to foster innovation, enhance product development, and support the establishment of globally competitive brands.

Lauding the partnership, Mr. Aman Gupta, Co-founder of boAt, revealed; This partnership with DPIIT reflects our commitment in the 'Make in India' initiative. By joining hands with the government, we are poised to nurture a thriving ecosystem for product startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met Congressman Michael Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for National Security Advisor, and said that he was 'looking forward' to work with him.

Both EAM Jaishankar and the next US NSA Waltz had a wide-ranging conversation on the bilateral partnership between India and the US as well as current global issues.

The EAM is currently on an official visit to the US from Dec 24-29. This was the first highest-level in-person meeting between the Indian government and the incoming Trump administration.

"Delighted to meet" Waltz "this evening", EAM Jaishankar posted on social media platform X on Friday.

"Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him", he said.

Waltz, 50, would replace Jake Sullivan as the National Security Advisor on January 20, when Trump would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

Earlier on Friday, EAM Jaishankar said he "concluded a very useful two-day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC".

"Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated", he posted on X.

Michael Waltz, a Congressman from Florida who is the co-chair of the India Caucus, is US President-elect Trump's new National Security Adviser.

Waltz is a retired Army colonel who served as a Green Beret, an elite special forces unit of the US Army.

He has been a member of the US House of Representatives since 2019. He has been a forceful critic of President Joe Biden's foreign policy and serves on the House Armed Services Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee this term.

He has called for Europe to do more to support Ukraine and for the US to be more stringent with its support, aligning with a key foreign policy goal of the President-elect. He has also been a staunch critic of the Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Waltz has praised Trump for pushing NATO allies to spend more on defence, but unlike the President-elect has not suggested the US pull out of the alliance.

"Look we can be allies and friends and have tough conversations", Waltz said last month

Waltz is also on the Republican's China taskforce and has argued the US military is not as prepared as it needs to be if there is conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.

Waltz had been open about his willingness to serve in the administration and was considered a candidate to lead the Pentagon. The role of National Security Adviser does not require Senate confirmation.

Waltz is also a co-chair of the India Caucus in the House, which is the largest country-specific group in the US Congress.

Trump has been moving swiftly to announce key personnel of his incoming administration, including Susan Wiles, his White House Chief of Staff who will be the first woman to hold the position.

Trump's other appointments include Stephen Miller, as a senior adviser, who is a known critic of the H-1b visa programme which he tried to kill in Trump's first administration.

According to his website, Waltz was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and went on to serve for 27 years in the US Army and National Guard.

As Trump's NSA, Waltz will be dealing with Ajit Doval, the Indian NSA who has dealt with a rotating roster of NSA starting with his first Michael Flynn in 2017 and then H R McMaster, John Bolton, and then Robert Brien; all in the Trump administration.

NSA Doval then dealt with Jake Sullivan, NSA to US President Joe Biden, who is expected to serve out his full term and leave the administration at the end of his tenure on January 20, 2025.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  There were nine homicides on Staten Island in 2024, with victims ranging in age from just a month to 87 years old.

A shocking six of the victims were stabbed to death. One victim lost his life to a shooting. Another was strangled. And one infant victim, police allege, was starved to death.

The nine homicides are down 10 from last year (19), down two from 2022 (11), and are four less than 2021 (13).

Homicides on the borough  so long as no more happen for the rest of the 2024  represent a six-year low.

The last time so few homicides occurred on Staten Island was in 2018, which saw eight.

Only one homicide case remains unsolved.

So far this year, the NYPDs 121th Precinct has seen four of the nine homicides, two of them in the Mariners Harbor area and one each in New Springville and Port Richmond. The number of homicides remained steady for the precinct, as four occurred the year prior as well.

The 120th Precinct only had two homicides in Stapleton this year  a decrease of 10 (82%) when compared to 2023.

The 123rd Precinct had two homicides this year, one in both Annadale and Princes Bay. Two homicides are one more than the precinct had in 2023.

In the 122nd Precinct, there was a single homicide in Dongan Hills. Thats one less than the precinct saw the year prior.

As of Dec. 8, police across New York City had responded to 352 homicides, compared to 382 at the same time last year, a decrease of about 8%, CompStat data shows.

Here is a look at homicide cases on Staten Island in 2024:

JANUARY

Jan. 17, 2024

Rosalie Sutera, 82, of Wolcott Avenue in Annadale, died on Jan. 17, 2024. Obituary photo

Rosalie Sutera, 82

The year began with what officials say was the strangulation of Rosalie Sutera, 82, in her Annadale home.

Her son, Carl Sutera, 59, of Huguenot, was arrested.

Authorities previously said that her adult son presented multiple accounts of what happened in the seconds, minutes and hours leading up to her death.

Sutera was charged with second-degree murder, in addition to charges that include first-degree strangulation and assaulting a person 65 years or older.

Sutera described his mother to police as a dignified woman with a penchant for a clean house.

His next court date is Jan. 27.

JUNE

June 17, 2024

Joel Badillo, 41

Carlos Rivera, 37, was indicted on charges of first-degree manslaughter, criminal possession of a knife and tampering with evidence in connection with the fatal stabbing of Joel Badillo, 41, on a street in Stapleton.

Both men resided in that community.

The deadly assault in broad daylight left blood spattered on the sidewalk on Broad Street near Gordon Street and terror in the hearts of area residents.

The men had an unusual connection, as both Rivera and Badillo were arrested in 2016 in a drug ring that authorities said once operated across the boroughs North Shore.

Rivera is due in court on Feb. 7.

Amanda Heben and Joseph Taranovich, both 23, are charged with murder in state Supreme Court, St. George, in the July death of their infant son. (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance

JULY

July 20, 2024

Joseph Heben Jr., 1 month

The day of Joseph Heben Jr.s death, his mother woke up to find the baby unresponsive and unconscious in a bassinet, prompting both parents to take the 1-month-old to the hospital, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

An autopsy revealed that the baby was extremely malnourished and dehydrated, leading to the determination that his death was a homicide, the source said.

In the immediate aftermath, the Administration for Childrens Services (ACS) was able to secure the safety of the babys sibling, a source said.

The childs mother, Amanda Heben, 23, and father, Joseph Taranovich, 23, both of the 100th block of Main Street in Tottenville, have since been charged in connection with their sons death.

The couple faces charges that include second-degree murder, manslaughter, reckless endangerment and criminally negligent homicide.

They are due in court next on Jan. 16.

July 31, 2024

Shamel Massie was fatally shot and a second man was injured in a shooting on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Facebook

Shamel Massie, 28

Shamel Massie, a theft prevention specialist and musician by the stage name of Billy Finesse, was remembered by those who knew him for being a nice guy who loved his young son.

Massie was fatally wounded during an early-morning double shooting in Mariners Harbor near his home.

In August, the NYPD arrested and charged a 36-year-old Staten Island man. Murder charges against the individual were eventually dismissed by a grand jury due to claims of self-defense and harrowing surveillance footage showing the events.

AUGUST

Aug. 13, 2024

Priscilla Scarpati was the victim of a suspected murder-suicide in a home on Amador Street near Amity Place on Aug. 13, 2024. Obituary photo from Scalia Home for Funerals website

Priscilla Scarpati, 36

The bodies of Priscilla Scarpati, 36, of Eltingville, and her partner James Guidone, 37, were found inside Guidones Mariners Harbor home, reportedly in a state of decomposition.

Scarpati was found with multiple stab wounds while Guidone showed no signs of trauma.

Police investigated the deaths as a murder-suicide and said at the time they were not looking for any other suspects. Scarpati was stabbed over 30 times, the New York Post reported.

One neighbor told the Advance/SILive.com previously, that he had never seen any fighting or violence between the two, and that he had only began seeing Scarpati around the neighborhood some months prior.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 7, 2024

Elvis Tzintzun, 35, succumbed to his injuries after being stabbed in Port Richmond on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Courtesy of Melissa Solis)

Elvis Tzintzun, 35

Elvis Tzintzun was fatally stabbed during a dispute on Maple Avenue between Grove Avenue and Richmond Terrace in Port Richmond, police said.

In the wake of this heinous act, a 4-year-old boy and a wife were left without a father and husband. Tzintzuns wife, Melissa Solis, said her husband was a talented artist who possessed an innate talent for drawing and a passion for rapping.

Police are still searching for the unknown individual responsible for the fatal attack. Police say that Tzintzun and the individual engaged in a dispute before the latter used an unknown object to stab the father multiple times before fleeing.

The NYPD has since released a photo of a male who is sought for questioning in connection with the slaying. The image was captured in the vicinity of Maple Avenue and Richmond Terrace.

Nov. 20, 2024

Desuan Baker-Dunning, 32, of Brooklyn, was fatally stabbed on the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at Bay and Wave streets in Stapleton. Courtesy of Elizabeth Dunning

Desuan Baker-Dunning, 32

Police found Desuan Javon Baker-Dunning of Brooklyn mortally wounded when they responded to a 911 call for an assault at the corner of Bay and Wave streets in Stapleton on Nov. 20.

Baker-Dunning was a husband, father and bus driver, his mother Elizabeth Dunning of Concord, previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

In the days after the slaying, police arrested Erika Rosario, 28, the mother of Baker-Dunnings 4-year-old child, and her new boyfriend, Sean Alston, 29, both of Grymes Hill, in connection with the case.

A grand jury last week dismissed a murder charge against Alston and he was released from custody.

The stabbing was described in a criminal complaint and by a witness account as a wild brawl. A person familiar with the case noted surveillance footage of the encounter.

Rosario, meanwhile, was charged with a felony count of hindering the prosecution; misdemeanor assault and harassment as a violation. She was not charged with the homicide.

Nov. 24, 2024

Damian Kleba, 34

Several hours after police found Damian Kleba of New Springville stabbed to death inside of his home, police arrested his roommate.

Daniel Perez, also 34, has since been charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the slaying.

Perezs attorney argued the possibility of self-defense, while touching on an apparent mental health condition.

According to the defense, Perez was the recipient of a supportive housing program which in part serves adults with mental illness. He has a serious mental health diagnosis, his attorney noted.

Throughout the arraignment, Perez mother wept in the gallery. She was able to muster an I love you as he was escorted out of the courtroom by officers.

Perez is due back in court on Jan. 6.

DECEMBER

Dec. 5, 2024

Laxmiben Khristi, 87

Pitarbhai Khristi, 85, stabbed his wife, Laxmiben Khristi, 87, in the chest inside their Dongan Hills home earlier this month, police allege.

The fatal assault occurred inside the home when a verbal dispute escalated into a physical altercation, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

A knife was later found on Pitarbhai Khristi, and a second knife was recovered in a bedroom, the source previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

He is facing charges that include second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

His next court appearance is Jan. 3.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  It has been almost exactly two years since a gun incident on an NJ Transit bus made headlines, and the case against a man at the center of it all -- the driver, who is a Staten Islander -- was quietly resolved last year.

Charles Fieros, 48, had been charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing a gun at three teenagers who police say were assaulting him, leaving one of the youths with three bullet wounds.

Fieros, a Staten Island resident, pled guilty to one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to a spokeswoman for the Hudson County Prosecutors Office.

Charles FierosNJ Department of Corrections

On Aug. 11, 2023, a superior court judge sentenced Fieros to five years in prison. He is not eligible for parole until he has served 42 months.

The incident took place on Dec. 17, 2022, in Jersey City, N.J., in the vicinity of Monticello and Jewett Avenues around 9:45 p.m., a Jersey City spokeswoman told NJ.com.

A source with knowledge of the incident said the altercation began with an argument on the bus between the driver, Fieros, and a group of teenage men before spilling onto the street. The shooting happened after the teenagers allegedly assaulted Fieros outside the bus.

In response to the attack, Fieros allegedly took out a black Glock 19 handgun and fired upon the three teens, striking a 15-year-old three times in the abdomen, a spokeswoman for the Jersey City Police Department previously stated.

Both the teen and Fieros were transported to Jersey City Medical Center as a result of their injuries; Fieros suffered head and face injuries from the initial assault. The teen survived and was listed in stable condition, as previously reported.

Following the incident, authorities found Fieros in possession of three large capacity magazines for the handgun, the complaint alleges. They were described by authorities as one black, 15-round magazine and two green, 17-round magazines.

The gun itself was reported stolen in Norfolk, Va., police said.

At the time, Fieros faced a number of charges in connection to this incident, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of multiple extended magazines and receiving stolen property.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The NYPD is urging residents to remain vigilant as there has been a notable increase in garbage can thefts on Staten Island.

The notification comes from the NYPDs 123rd Precinct in Tottenville, which put out a post on Facebook on Dec. 20 notifying residents of the trashy trend.

We are experiencing an uptick in garbage can thefts, the post reads in part. Please try to safeguard your bins by chaining them up when they are not at the curb. There is also a white space for you to write your address, please utilize that space.

Theft AlertWe are experiencing an uptick in garbage can thefts. Please try to safeguard your bins by chaining them... Posted by NYPD 123rd Precinct on Friday, December 20, 2024

Replacing these stolen bins is more than just an inconvenience, for many, its a monetary incurrence.

In recent months, the city rolled out its mandatory composting program. As part of this program, households must dispose of organic refuse in a separate bin for collection.

Official 21-gallon New York City composting bins are available for purchase through a private vendor for $43.47. However, residents are permitted to use alternative bins, so long as they are 55 gallons or less, have a secure lid and are labeled with a free composting bin decal.

If you are unfortunate enough to have your bin stolen, youll have to dole out some cash for a replacement.

Those who lose their designated compost bin and are hesitant to even bother securing a substitute may want to think twice.

The city has enacted a three-month grace period for yard waste and an even longer grace period that runs through April 2025 for food waste and food-soiled materials. Once this grace period is up, those who do not comply with the composting rules will be subject to escalating monetary fines.

Residential buildings with fewer than nine units will be charged $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for all subsequent offenses within a 12-month period. Larger residential buildings with nine or more units face fines of $100 for first offenses, $200 for second offenses and $300 for all subsequent offenses in a 12-month period.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A 47-year-old Staten Island man is facing multiple charges, accused of violating a restraining order and stabbing an individual at the victims home, according to authorities.

A criminal complaint alleges the attack took place around 5:15 p.m. Thursday. At that time, Joseph Johnson of Sunnyside allegedly violated an order of protection that was issued in October, after he was arrested and charged with harassment and assault, as detailed in court documents.

A NYPD spokesman said Johnson and the victim had a verbal argument before the conflict escalated and became physical.

In addition to violating the order of protection, authorities allege Johnson took a knife and stabbed the victim in the shoulder and the knee, bit the victim in the face and used a closed fist to strike their face multiple times.

These alleged attacks resulted in stab wounds, substantial pain to the shoulder and knee, a bite mark, redness, and a cut to the face, according to the criminal complaint.

The victim was treated on scene and released, the NYPD spokesman said.

As a result of his alleged actions, Johnson faces multiple charges, including charges of attempted assault in the first degree, assault in the second and third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third and fourth degree, criminal contempt in the first and second degree and menacing in the second and third degree.

Bail was set at $25,000 cash or $100,000 bond.

Following his arrest in October and the resulting order of protection, Johnson had been released without bail.

Court documents indicate that Johnson was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the third degree back in December 2000.

An attorney for Johnson did not return a request for comment by the time of publication.

Johnson is due in criminal court in St. George on Tuesday.
As the year draws to a close, its time to reflect on 17 of the most talked-about shows of 2024, that may have you binge-watching into the new year.

From dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies, this list has something for everyone with its unique storytelling and unforgettable moments.

17. My Lady Jane (Amazon Prime Video)

The historical romance genre has become a hit in recent years, but what most of these series seem to miss is a dashing love interest who turns into a horse. Amazons short-lived drama My Lady Jane, based on the novel, blends 16th-century England with fantasy, replacing religious conflicts with shape-shifters called Verities and Ethians. The show is brought to life with the combination of humor and chemistry by leads Emily Bader and Edward Bluem. Like the real Lady Jane Grey, who was queen for only nine days, the series was short-lived, streaming for less than two months before its abrupt cancellationstream My Lady Jane on Amazon Prime Video.

16. Interview With the Vampire

AMCs Interview With the Vampire is a gothic horror series based on the novel by Anne Rice. The adaptation already earned acclaim for Season 1s unique take on the story of Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat (Sam Reid), whose relationship was reimagined as an interracial gay romance. In Season 2, the show focuses deeper on Louis other relationships: with Daniel (Eric Bogosian), his human interlocutor; with Armand (Zaman), his rebound who turns out to have hidden Lestat-like control issues; and with Claudia (Delainey Hayles, stepping in for Bailey Bass), the eternal teenager Louis took with him to Europe. The series can be streamed on AMC.

15. Elsbeth

Another spinoff of the show The Good Wife, Elsbeth, is a police procedural comedy-drama starring Carrie Preston. Preston portrays the unconventional attorney, Elsbeth Tascioni, who uses her quirkiness and sharp wit to help the NYPD solve crimes. Inspired by the classic how-catch-em format, each episode begins with a crime, turning the show into a clever cat-and-mouse game. The series can be streamed on CBS and Paramount +.

14. Say Nothing

Say Nothing is a limited historical drama series that balances the broad scope of history with personal and emotional stories. This FX series is an adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefes book, which focuses on Northern Irelands troubles and the peace process that ended them. The show highlights personal experiences often overlooked by statistics, like children who lost their mothers, those falsely accused of leaking intel to the English, and paramilitary fighters struggling with their actions. Say Nothing can be streamed on Hulu.

13. John Mulaney: Everybodys in LA

John Mulaney: Everybodys in LA hosted by comedian John Mulaney, was aired as part of Netflixs comedy festival, Netflix Is a Joke, but has since been renewed for more episodes. The show takes on a talk show format as Mulaney explores Los Angeles, blending his humor, interests, and conversations with guests. Stream John Mulaney: Everybodys in LA on Netflix.

12. The Sympathizer

The Sympathizer is a thriller that follows Captain (Hoa Xuande), a North Vietnamese Communist who embeds with a South Vietnamese general in Los Angeles after the American War. Director Park Chan-wook and co-showrunner Don McKellar adapt Viet Thanh Nguyens Pulitzer-winning novel by portraying blurred identities and divided loyalties. Robert Downey Jr. plays four characters representing white American hegemony, including a C.I.A. operative, an Orientalist professor, a film director, and a Congressman. The show blends intense, thought-provoking moments with action and self-sacrifice. Stream The Sympathizer on Max.

11. Tokyo Vice

Creator J.T. Rogers adapted his childhood friend Jake Adelsteins memoir about organized crime in Japans capital into an ensemble series starring Ansel Elgort as an American journalist. It was set in 1999, when Jake relocated to Tokyo and secured a job at a major Japanese newspaper, becoming their first foreign journalist. The show ran for two seasons before getting canceled. Tokyo Vice can be streamed on Max.

10. Industry

Industry is a drama series about graduates from various walks of life competing for a limited number of full-time employment opportunities at Pierpoint, a top investment bank in London. The show ended its third season and has been renewed for a fourth, showing no signs of slowing down. Watch Industry on Max.

9. A Man on the Inside

Netflixs mystery comedy A Man on the Inside, based on Maite Alberdis Academy Award-nominated documentary The Mole Agent, follows Charles (Ted Danson), a retired widower who is pushed to find a hobby. Charles soon works with Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), a private investigator, and is planted in a local retirement community in an attempt to catch a thief. A Man on the Inside can be streamed on Netflix.

8. Joan

CWs crime drama series Joan follows a young mother, Joan Hannington (Sophie Turner), who is trying to make a new life after leaving a disastrous marriage with a violent criminal named Gary. Joan is an adaptation of Joan Hanningtons memoir, I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britains Most Notorious Jewel Thief, and is set in 1985 London, where this young woman transforms into a jewel thief. Joan can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

7. Criminal Record

Criminal Record is a thriller set in London following Detective Sgt. June Lenkers (Cush Jumbo) missing persons case as it leads her to an old murder case managed by Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi). Criminal Record narrows in on the racism, negligence and inconsistencies in Londons police force, as Junes race and gender makes her a target. It can be streamed on Apple TV +.

6. One Day

An adaptation of David Nicholls novel, Netflixs One Day is a two-decade-long drama focusing on love and friendship. The series follows Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall), who meet by chance on their last day of college and form a life-long connection that changes over time. Stream One Day on Netflix.

5. Presumed Innocent

Presumed Innocent is a psychological thriller based on Scott Turows best-selling 1987 novel. The series centers around Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), Chicagos chief deputy prosecutor, who finds himself on trial after being accused of murdering his colleague and lover, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). Presumed Innocent highlights the self-awareness and the chaotic politics of a prosecuting attorneys office. The series can be streamed on Apple TV +.

4. The Day of the Jackal

Based on Frederick Forsyths 1971 novel and adapted for television by Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett, The Day of the Jackal is an action thriller following a cat-and-mouse game between assassin Jackal (Redmayne) and MI6 arms specialist Bianca Pullman (Lynch). The Day of the Jackal can be streamed on Peacock.

3. Baby Reindeer

Baby Reindeer is a comedy-drama thriller created by and starring Richard Gadd. Its adapted from Gadds autobiography, and follows comedian Donny Dun, who works as a bartender and gets stalked by customer Martha (Jessica Gunning). The show focuses on themes of abuse and trauma as life becomes violent and dark for Donny. Stream Baby Reindeer on Netflix.

2. The Penguin

The HBO series The Penguin continues the crime saga filmmaker Matt Reeves began with the blockbuster The Batman. Based on the DC comic characters, The Penguin follows Oz Cobbs (Colin Farrell) lust for power and status in Gotham Citys criminal underworld. Stream The Penguin on HBO.

1. Somebody Somewhere

The Peabody Award-winning dramedy is in its third and final season. HBOs Somebody Somewhere follows Sam Miller (Bridget Everett), who returns to her small Kansas hometown after her older sisters illness and death. The series follows the themes of grief, friendship, and healing as Sam tries to navigate change while trying her best not to retreat into old habits of isolation and self-loathing. Somebody Somewhere can be streamed on Max.
BAGHDAD, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi authorities said Saturday that over 6 tons of drugs have been seized and 14,438 individuals involved in drug crimes have been arrested in 2024.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement that Iraqi judiciary issued rulings against 8,930 detainees, including 144 international drug traffickers who were sentenced to death, and 454 local dealers who were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The statement added that the anti-drug operations resulted in the killing of 11 drug dealers and the wounding of 33 others, while three members of the Iraqi security forces were killed and another 31 were injured during the year.

The anti-drug forces also seized 1,423 vehicles, 365 rifles, 765 pistols, and 153 hand grenades, according to the statement.

The chaos and conflicts in Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003 have impeded successive Iraqi governments from effectively addressing the threat of drugs.

In May 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani underlined the importance of waging "a war on drugs," saying that drug dealing remains a major source of funding for terrorism and that the circulation of drugs flourishes in the shadow of terrorism. 
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Congestion pricing in New York City is set to begin Jan. 5, and the charge for the controversial tolling program greatly depends on when drivers enter the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ).

When congestion pricing was brought back in November, Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed for a 40% reduction in tolls from the initial plan.

This 40% reduction was applied to both peak period and overnight tolls. According to the governor, the lower fee will still allow the MTA to secure the bonds for capital projects, while saving daily commuters around $1,500 annually.

During the peak period, defined as 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, drivers with E-ZPass will pay the following:

Passenger vehicles (once per day): $9

Motorcycles (once per day): $4.50

Small trucks and non-commuter buses: $14.40

Large trucks and sightseeing buses: $21.60

Toll rates will be discounted during overnight hours, which are defined as weekdays from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and weekends from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

These overnight tolls are about 75% lower than the peak hour tolls to encourage more nighttime deliveries in the city.

As such, passenger vehicles with E-ZPass will pay $2.25 and motorcycles will pay $1.05 when entering into the CRZ overnight.

Commercial vehicles can expect to pay more. Smaller trucks will pay $3.60 and larger ones will pay $5.40 overnight.

Heres what else drivers need to know before congestion pricing is set to begin next month.

CONGESTION PRICING IS BACK?

Yes. In mid-November, Hochul officially reinstated congestion pricing for New York City.

At the press conference announcing this decision, the governor characterized her initial opposition to the program as a concern over the high cost for working New Yorkers.

WHAT IS CONGESTION PRICING?

Congestion pricing refers to using electronic tolling to charge vehicles for entering certain areas of Manhattan  the Congestion Relief Zone  during peak commuting hours. This aims to reduce traffic congestion and raise money for public transportation upgrades.

Revenue generated from the program will be bonded against and to fund around $15 billion worth of capital projects in the citys aging transit systems.

WHAT IS THE CONGESTION RELIEF ZONE ?

As part of the $175 billion state budget approved on April 1, 2019, the MTAs Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority will establish the Central District Business Tolling Program.

This will charge travelers a fee for driving into Manhattans Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), defined as any area south of 60th Street, but excludes certain highways in the area.

WHAT IF I DONT HAVE E-ZPASS?

Drivers without E-ZPass can expect to pay even more come early January. Passenger vehicles will be charged $13.50 and motorcycles will have to pay $6.75 if a driver uses Tolls by Mail during peak hours.

During overnight hours, Passenger vehicles can expect to pay $3.30 a trip, while motorcycles pay $1.65.

WILL THE TOLLS INCREASE?

The MTA recently revealed that while the toll has been lowered, it can be raised as early as 2028 and again in 2031.

The toll for passenger vehicles can grow to $12 as soon as 2028, and then to $15 as soon as 2031  the original cost of the toll before Hochul paused the program in June.

CROSSING CREDITS

Drivers entering the CRZ via the Queens-Midtown, Hugh L. Carey, Holland or Lincoln tunnels will be offered crossing credits against the toll.

However, due to the lowered toll, drivers will now be getting crossing credits that are reduced by 40% when compared to the original plan

Drivers who come into the CRZ via the Holland and Lincoln tunnels will receive a $3 credit, while drivers who use the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel or Queens-Midtown Tunnel will receive a $1.50 in credit.

DISCOUNTS, EXEMPTIONS

Drivers who make under $50,000 per year will receive a 50% discount on the standard toll for all crossings after their first 10 trips each month.

As previously required by state law, emergency vehicles and those carrying people with disabilities will be exempt from the program, with tax credits in place for residents living within the CRZ and earning less than $60,000.

The MTA will also offer discounts for people who have disabilities or health conditions that prevent them from using transit. More information on discounts can be found here.

TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES

Hochul said that the MTA will be adding more service to at least 23 bus routes, putting a high priority on adding more frequent trips for the outer boroughs.

Four express bus routes on Staten Island were selected earlier this year for expanded service that coincided with the original start date of the program. These include the SIM1C, SIM4C, SIM23 and SIM24.

There were also two routes selected in Brooklyn  the BM2 and BM5 lines.

The other 17 routes will soon be selected by the MTA.

The funding for this extra service will come from the transit authoritys Outer Borough Transportation Account, which was created, and fully funded, to provide $50 million a year to improve transportation outside of Manhattan in preparation for congestion pricing.
Those planning on making their way to the iconic ball drop in Times Square may want to reconsider. The latest forecast reveals that New York City is slated to experience considerable rainfall, particularly in the late evening hours.

Tuesdays wet weather will follow on the heels of what is expected to be a weekend filled with rain and overcast skies.

So just how bad is the news for those anticipated outdoor celebrations?

Clouds will eventually roll into the New York City area after a predominantly dry start on Tuesday, according to John Feerick, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.

Temperatures are expected to reach a mild 50 degrees Tuesday afternoon, Feerick said. The typical high for New Years Eve in the Central Park area is 40.7 degrees Fahrenheit, as indicated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data from 1991-2020.

Last year, Staten Island experienced a New Years Eve high of 42 degrees and a low of 39, as recorded by the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com weather station.

It looks like the rain is going to come in Tuesday evening, added Feerick. So by the time the ball drops, Tuesday night at midnight, its probably raining, and its not out of the question that its coming down pretty hard at that point as well.

AccuWeather notes that Times Square will be soaked by the storm and any individuals planning on celebrating at the heart of the city should anticipate hours of rainfall.

As of Saturday morning, Feerick foresees a general half-inch to an inch of rain from this approaching system. However, it is possible that some spots receive up to an inch and a half of rain should this storm slow down.

It comes Tuesday night and then its kind of winding down Wednesday morning, said Feerick. Unfortunately, its just coming at the wrong time for the ball drop and all of that.

Rain should taper off around sunrise or shortly thereafter, according to Feerick.

While residents should not expect howling winds, it could get breezy Tuesday evening.
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 Its 9am on a Thursday and Windsor Road has slowed to a crawl. Semi-trailers carry building materials to feed booming housing estates, SUVs head to the shopping centre after the school run, and tradies dip into the drive-through after a trip to Bunnings. None are going anywhere fast. Thinking about this traffic makes Lexie Kanaley nervous. In a few months, she will have to run the Windsor Road gauntlet to Westmead Hospital, where she is due to give birth to her second child. When Kanaleys first son Kyson was born, the labour was quick, but the family lived in Castle Hill at the time and the commute was only 15 minutes. Now rising house prices and a desire for more space have forced the family out to Box Hill. The drive to Westmead can take more than an hour. A quick labour this time would be a nightmare. Id rather be at home, but do I risk waiting and then having a baby on the side of the road? Because I really dont want that, Kanaley says. Lexie Kanaley with her son Kyson at home in Box Hill. Credit: Rhett Wyman This is the problem facing hundreds of young families moving to Sydneys growing north-west, where houses pop up almost overnight but not the schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure to support them. The state government is building a hospital at Rouse Hill, but almost a decade after it was first promised, the site remains an empty field. When it eventually opens in 2029, the maternity unit will not have birthing suites. The $700 million Rouse Hill Hospital will offer expectant mothers outpatient antenatal and postnatal care, but they will still have to travel to Westmead or Blacktown to give birth.

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Thats wild to me, says Kanaley. All of my neighbours are still having kids, and theyre not going to be able to give birth at the new hospital? Crazy. Every one of Kanaleys direct neighbours is a young family who are likely to need maternity services in the next decade. The states planning department expects an additional 200,000 people to live in the Hills Shire and Blacktown local government areas by 2041, and the hospital site borders the high-density housing zones around the Bella Vista and Kellyville Metro stations where the Minns government has slated 4600 new homes to be built. Close to the Metro network and with lower house prices than other parts of Sydney, the area is key to Sydney avoiding becoming what Productivity NSW commissioner Peter Achterstraat described as a city with no grandchildren. But locals have had to push to get the services they feel they will need from a future hospital. Mayor of Hill Shire Michelle Byrne (left) and resident Vicki Giannoulis at the Rouse Hill hospital site, which remains a green field almost a decade after it was first promised. Credit: Rhett Wyman They didnt even want to give us an emergency [department], says Vicki Giannoulis, a local real estate agent and member of the Box Hill Nelson progression association.

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Giannoulis moved to Rouse Hill 35 years ago, when Windsor Road was a quiet country road and the local school had fewer than 100 pupils. But she is concerned the government hasnt considered the changing needs of an area populated mostly with young families. If theyre not going to put a birthing [centre] here, what are they going to be put up here instead? Rehab? Giannoulis said. We have young people up here. Why would we do that? In budget estimates earlier this month, health bureaucrats acknowledged the community would eventually need a hospital with birthing services, but said their modelling showed this likely wouldnt be required until the back half of the 2030s. Health Infrastructure acting chief executive Emma Skulander said Health Minister Ryan Park had been briefed on the scope, cost, and workforce requirements of adding birthing services to the new maternity unit. Do I risk waiting and then having a baby on the side of the road? Because I really dont want that. Lexie Kanaley, due to give birth to her second child in April Liberal MP Damien Tudehope suggested adding birthing services would increase the cost by $200 million, but Skulander would not confirm that figure, saying the ministerial briefing was confidential.

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Park said the hospital would be built with expansion zones that would enable capacity for additional services down the track. Loading A spokeswoman for Park said in a statement that NSW Health continuously assessed the demand for services and how best to meet the communitys needs. We are purposely building this new hospital with expansion zones to enable capacity for additional services down the track, future-proofing this vital piece of infrastructure for many years as the community needs increase, the statement read. Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane said Sydneys north-west was experiencing a serious case of Labor pain with the government failing to plan for the population boom. You cant change planning laws to add more population to Sydneys biggest growth corridor without providing somewhere for all those babies to be born, Sloane said in a statement, pointing to the Liberals record health infrastructure upgrade across 180 hospitals when last in power. In failing to include a birthing centre in planning for the hospital, Hills Shire mayor Michelle Byrne says the government has missed an opportunity to get the infrastructure in first before the rest of the population arrives.

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Bridget Vallence, who holds shadow ministry roles including industry spokeswoman and was one of the MPs photographed walking into parliament on Friday with Battin, is eyeing the finance portfolio, according to two sources. From left: MPs Joe McCracken, Nicole Werner, Sam Groth, Bridget Vallence, Richard Riordan and Brad Battin arrive at Parliament House for Fridays leadership spill. Credit: Eddie Jim On Saturday, Vallence said she was yet to speak with Battin. Im looking forward to having conversations with Brad. Id love to perform in a finance role, but it would be a privilege to serve in shadow cabinet in whatever opportunity there is. Other early backers of the new leader, including housing spokesman Richard Riordan and Western Victoria Region MP Beverley McArthur, are also likely to be rewarded for their support.

Former Pesutto loyalist-turned-Battin supporter James Newbury is tipped to receive the treasury portfolio. However, three sources said there was lingering tension between Newbury and his partys Coalition partner, the Nationals. Newbury has previously called for the opposition to consider a duck hunting ban and also criticised Premier Jacinta Allan and new Treasurer Jaclyn Symes for spearheading housing changes that would raise Melbournes suburban skyline while they live in regional Victoria. One National MP source went as far as to say that Newbury receiving such a prominent position in the party would dent the Coalitions regional vote. He has upset them all along, a Liberal source added. So that could be interesting.

Newbury was contacted for comment. Loading Two Coalition sources said new Nationals leader Danny OBrien was acting as the rudder of the ship and gently pushing for strong media performers to stay in the shadow cabinet  even if they had not backed Battin. Dannys approach to things is measured and practical, one of the sources said. OBrien was also contacted for comment. But one Liberal source said the Nationals had lost some of their leverage in shaping the frontbench after OBrien publicly endorsed the new leader.

Another MP speculated that Newbury could be rewarded with a different portfolio, such as shadow attorney-general, if there were too much resistance to the idea of him being treasurer. Question marks remain over whether Michael OBrien, a moderate, will retain the attorney-general portfolio. The role is traditionally held by someone with a law degree, given the job involves being the states top lawyer and handling some justice responsibilities. There are at least six Liberal MPs with law degrees  Michael OBrien, Newbury, Wilson, Pesutto and Mornington MP Chris Crewther. It is also not known if former upper house leader Georgie Crozier will retain the health portfolio. Three MPs said Battin, prior to his appointment, was seeking to have a frontbench evenly split between males and females. If he were to push ahead with that plan, nearly all of the partys 11 female MPs would secure frontbench positions. One Coalition source suggested that first-term Warrandyte MP Nicole Werner was a frontbench contender given her strong speaking skills.

Shes ambitious, the source said. Liberal MP Moira Deeming, who was readmitted to the party room shortly before Battin was installed as leader, has brushed off suggestions she is seeking a shadow cabinet position. Loading Labor Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas issued a scathing assessment of Battin on Friday, attacking the gender make-up of his core leadership team and attendance at a November rally in Melbournes outer south-east. He has put together a right-wing leadership team that doesnt include a single woman, Thomas said.

Last month, he [hosted] an angry rally against an Indian community in Melbourne which Nazis attended. The rally was against the same Indian community who travelled to the Grampians this week to cook and deliver supplies for people affected by bushfires. Brad Battin is extreme and unstable and not the kind of person who should be representing Victoria and making big decisions. The opposition leader rejected any assertion that he held extreme views. That is just a ridiculous comment from a person whos trying to throw mud out of fear, Battin said. They [Labor] wont even run here [in the seat of Prahran] because theyre scared of the result of the elections coming up. There is no suggestion that Battin, other speakers or event organisers invited the neo-Nazis or knew they would be joining the November rally, which was held in response to the renaming of a suburban lake.

An opposition spokesman previously said police had been immediately notified, and that Liberal MPs left the event as soon as they became aware of the individuals in question. Loading Greens leader Ellen Sandell also accused the Coalition of shifting to the right amid Pesuttos dumping. It seems the Liberals continue to be beholden to the extreme right wing of their party, at odds with the values of Victoria, Sandell said. A byelection is due next year in Prahran after the resignation of former Greens MP Sam Hibbins in November following revelations he had had an affair with a staffer. Labor has not fielded a candidate.
Tbilisi, Georgia: At first, there was a strange banging noise outside the plane as it approached Grozny, Russia. Then, while one flight attendant was standing in the cabin, something hit his arm, cutting it. The passengers, sensing something was terribly wrong, began panicking. Some began praying.

One passenger recalled thinking it would be the last prayer of his life. Then, silence.

The crash landing of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Credit: AP

The anxious and chaotic scene on board Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was described by two flight attendants  Zulfugar Asadov and Aydan Rahimli  and a passenger, Subhonkul Rakhimov, in interviews with The New York Times on Friday and with an Azerbaijani TV station.

They were among the 29 survivors from the plane that set off on Wednesday with 67 people on board from Baku, Azerbaijan, en route to Grozny, Russia, and that crashed in a ball of black smoke and orange flames on the shores of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. The pilot was among those who did not survive.
Moscow: President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Azerbaijans leader for what the Kremlin called a tragic incident over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences were fired against Ukrainian drones.

The extremely rare publicised apology from Putin was the closest Moscow had come to accepting some blame for Wednesdays disaster, although the Kremlin statement did not say Russia had shot down the plane, only noting that a criminal case had been opened.

Vladimir Putin has apologised to Azerbaijani President leader for the tragic incident involving crashed Azerbaijani plane. Credit: AP

Flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny, crash-landed on Wednesday near Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed.

Four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijans investigation told Reuters on Thursday that Russian air defences had mistakenly shot the airliner down. Passengers said they heard a loud bang outside the plane.
Washington: Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcares CEO, although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger, according to a new poll.

In the survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, about eight in 10 US adults said the person who committed the killing has a great deal or a moderate amount of responsibility for the December 4 shooting of Brian Thompson.

Luigi Mangione is escorted from a Manhattan court after his arraignment on December 23. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges over Brian Thompsons death. Credit: AP

Despite that, some have cast Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect charged with Thompsons murder, as a heroic figure in the aftermath of his arrest, which gave rise to an outpouring of grievances about insurance companies. Police say the words delay, deny and depose were scrawled on the ammunition investigators found at the scene, echoing a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims.

UnitedHealthcare has said Mangione was not a client.
JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it completed a targeted operation against a "Hamas command center" located within Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

The IDF reported the arrest of more than 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, some of whom allegedly tried to disguise themselves as patients or escape in ambulances.

Among those arrested was Hussam Abu Safia, the hospital's director, who the IDF suspects of being involved with Hamas.

In the course of the operation, the IDF claimed to have seized a variety of weapons, including grenades, firearms, and other military equipment from within the hospital.

During the operation, Israeli forces engaged militants who had fired anti-tank missiles and RPGs at IDF troops. Israeli Air Force airstrikes targeted those attempting to flee the area. The IDF emphasized that it had evacuated 350 patients, caregivers, and medical staff from the hospital prior to launching its operations.

Also on Saturday, Gaza's health authorities reported that the Israeli army had detained dozens of medical workers from Kamal Adwan Hospital, including Abu Safia, taking them to an interrogation center.

On Friday, Gaza's health officials claimed that Israeli soldiers forcibly expelled patients and medical staff from the hospital buildings, and set fire to large portions of the hospital, including its operating and surgery departments, laboratory, maintenance units, ambulance services, and warehouses.

Prior to the raid, Kamal Adwan Hospital was housing around 350 people, including 75 patients and their companions. It is the largest medical facility in northern Gaza, serving over 400,000 people before the ongoing conflict. The Israeli army has blockaded the hospital for more than two months as part of its military operations in northern Gaza. 
Pakistan soldier killed in border clash with Afghan forces: security source



Peshawar, Pakistan, Dec 28 (AFP) Dec 28, 2024



A Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed and seven others wounded in cross-border exchanges of fire with Afghanistan's forces, a security source said Saturday, while hundreds of Afghans protested against the deadly air strikes that sparked the clashes.

Sporadic fighting, including with heavy weaponry, erupted overnight between border forces on the frontier between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan and Khost province in Afghanistan, officials from both countries said.

The exchanges of fire come after Afghanistan's Taliban authorities accused Pakistan of killing 46 people, mainly women and children, in air strikes near the border in the southeastern province of Paktika this week.

A Pakistan senior security source said they targeted "terrorist hideouts", though Islamabad has not officially confirmed carrying out the bombardment.

"One frontier corps (FC) soldier has been reported dead, and seven others have been injured," a senior security source at the border told AFP, adding clashes took place in at least two locations in Pakistan's border district of Kurram.

The Afghan defence ministry said on X that "several points" across the border with Pakistan "where the attacks in Afghanistan were organised... were targeted in retaliation".

A provincial official in Khost told AFP the clashes forced residents to flee border areas, but that there were no reports of casualties among Afghan forces.

In Khost city, the provincial capital, hundreds of Afghans demonstrated against Pakistan on Saturday, calling for accountability for civilian deaths.

Protester Najibullah Zaland said they demanded global economic pressure on Pakistan to prevent such incidents.

"We gathered here today to raise our voices to the world," he told AFP.

"A path to peace must be put in place, or else the youth will not stay silent."

The demonstrators praised the Afghan forces, with one protester, Rashidullah Hamdard, saying "our fighters gave them a strong response, and we stand with our forces".

"We demand the world hold the Pakistani military accountable for these cruel and foolish attacks," Hamdard said.



- 'Red line' -



The strikes were the latest spike in hostilities on the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with border tensions between the two countries escalating since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

Islamabad has accused Kabul's authorities of harbouring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity -- allegations the Taliban government denies.

Skirmishes along the frontier escalated after Pakistan's military conducted deadly air strikes in Afghanistan's border regions in March, which Taliban authorities claimed killed eight civilians.

The UN assistance mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, called for an investigation into the "credible reports" of civilian deaths, as the UN children's agency UNICEF said "children are not and must never be a target".

"UNICEF is deeply saddened by reports that at least 20 children have been killed in an attack near the border in eastern Afghanistan," regional director Sanjay Wijesekera posted on X.

The strike comes after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- who share a common ideology with their Afghan counterparts -- last week claimed a raid on an army outpost near the border with Afghanistan, which Pakistan said killed 16 soldiers.

"We desire good ties with them (Kabul) but TTP should be stopped from killing our innocent people," Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a cabinet address on Friday.

"This is our red line," he added.

Pakistan has been battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions since the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan.

In 2024 alone, the military has reported 383 soldiers and 925 militants killed in various clashes.

la-zz-sw/mtp
Israel army says ends operation against 'Hamas centre' in north Gaza hospital



Jerusalem, Dec 28 (AFP) Dec 28, 2024



Israel's military said on Saturday it had ended its raid on "a Hamas command centre" in a north Gaza hospital and detained its director as a suspected Hamas operative.

Since October 6, Israeli operations in the Palestinian territory have concentrated on the north, where they are carrying out a land and air offensive they say aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

As part of its offensive, the military launched a blistering raid early Friday on northern Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had been one of the area's two remaining functional medical facilities.

"The IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) completed a targeted operation against a Hamas command centre in the Kamal Adwan Hospital... the forces apprehended over 240 terrorists in the area," the military said in a statement.

It added that the hospital's director, Hossam Abu Safiyeh, suspected of "being a Hamas terrorist operative", had been detained for questioning.

The military said the hospital was being used by "terrorists... for military operations in Jabalia".

"At the beginning of the targeted operation, the 401st Brigade encircled the Kamal Adwan Hospital and apprehended terrorists who were hiding in the area and eliminated additional terrorists," the military said.

Israeli special forces then conducted "precise activities" inside the hospital and located and confiscated weapons including grenades, guns, munitions and military equipment, it said.

During the raid, next to the hospital, "terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and RPGs (rocket-propelled-grenades) at the troops and attempted to carry out additional attacks against the troops", it said, adding that troops "eliminated the terrorists".

The military said that during the operation, "over 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists and other operatives suspected of terror activities were apprehended, some of whom attempted to pose as patients or flee using ambulances".

Apart from detaining Abu Safiyeh "who is suspected of being a Hamas terrorist operative", the military said it also detained "Hamas engineering and anti-tank missile operatives and approximately 15 terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7th massacre".

Before launching the raid, the military said it helped to evacuate 350 patients, caregivers and medical staff from the hospital.

It said that during the operation, an additional 95 patients, caregivers, and medical personnel were evacuated to the Indonesian Hospital in coordination with local health officials.
Israel army says ends raid against 'Hamas centre' in north Gaza hospital



Jerusalem, Dec 28 (AFP) Dec 28, 2024



Israel's military said on Saturday it had ended its raid on "a Hamas command centre" in a north Gaza hospital and detained its director as a suspected Hamas operative.

Since October 6, Israeli operations in the Palestinian territory have concentrated on the north, where they are carrying out a land and air offensive they say aims to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping.

As part of its offensive, the military launched a raid early Friday on northern Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had been one of the area's two remaining functional medical facilities.

"The IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) completed a targeted operation against a Hamas command centre in the Kamal Adwan Hospital... the forces apprehended over 240 terrorists in the area," the military said in a statement.

It added that the hospital's director, Hossam Abu Safiyeh, suspected of "being a Hamas terrorist operative", had been detained for questioning.

The military said the hospital was being used by "terrorists... for military operations in Jabalia".

Hamas dismissed as "lies" Israeli allegations that its operatives were at the hospital.

"At the beginning of the targeted operation, the 401st Brigade encircled the Kamal Adwan Hospital and apprehended terrorists who were hiding in the area and eliminated additional terrorists," the military said.

Israeli special forces then conducted "precise activities" inside the hospital and located and confiscated weapons including grenades, guns, munitions and military equipment, it said.

During the raid, next to the hospital, "terrorists fired anti-tank missiles and RPGs (rocket-propelled-grenades) at the troops and attempted to carry out additional attacks against the troops", it said, adding that troops "eliminated" the assailants.



- 'Over 240 terrorists detained' -



Later on Saturday in an online media briefing, Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said there were a "lot of explosives" around the hospital.

"The amount of terrorists is what we were expecting. We weren't expecting to find a weapon storage with thousands of guns," he said.

"That's not the type of target this was. This was a command and control centre that we understood was for many dozens of terrorists or a few hundreds."

The military said that during the operation, "over 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists and other operatives suspected of terror activities were apprehended, some of whom attempted to pose as patients or flee using ambulances".

Apart from detaining Abu Safiyeh, who is being questioned in Gaza, the military said it also detained "Hamas engineering and anti-tank missile operatives and approximately 15 terrorists who infiltrated Israel during the October 7th massacre".

"Either they admitted or we were able to cross-reference with other intelligence we have," Shoshani said, referring to those arrested.

"When I talk about the hospital director, he is a suspect," Shoshani added.

Before launching the raid, the military said it helped to evacuate 350 patients, caregivers and medical staff from the hospital.

It said that during the operation, an additional 95 patients, caregivers, and medical personnel were evacuated to the Indonesian Hospital in coordination with local health officials.

"Kamal Adwan is now empty," the World Health Organization said, adding it was "appalled" by the raid, the latest against a hospital during the war.
This photo taken on April 26, 2024 shows a BMW electric vehicle displayed at the signing ceremony for deepening strategic cooperation between BMW and Shenyang, in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

The top executive of German carmaker BMW has described China as its largest global market of "tremendous importance" and a leading hub for technology and innovation.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse highlighted China's role as a pioneer in technology adoption and innovation-driven purchasing decisions. "To understand what will drive the world tomorrow, you must anticipate what is happening in China," he said.

BMW has established its largest research and development location outside Germany in China. The company operates innovation bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing, focusing on vehicle development, digital services, software systems, and autonomous driving.

Zipse praised China's new energy vehicle (NEV) strategy, describing it as inclusive and pragmatic. Covering battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell electric vehicles, the strategy is "results-oriented and free from dogma," he said.

"This is the most promising and efficient way to ensure the market embraces e-mobility," Zipse added. He noted the alignment between China's approach and BMW's commitment to technological openness, which offers consumers a range of mobility solutions.

A BMW i5 electric car produced by BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) is displayed at an innovation achievements exhibition of the 2024 Global Industrial Internet Conference in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Lei)

China's NEV market has experienced rapid growth, with sales reaching 9.5 million units in 2023 and projected to hit 11.5 million this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

BMW is actively contributing to this growth. In the first three quarters of the year, sales of its battery-electric vehicles in China increased by nearly 10 percent year-on-year.

In April, BMW announced an additional investment of 20 billion yuan (2.74 billion U.S. dollars) to upgrade its Shenyang production base, its largest outside Germany. The expansion targets NEV production.

"Our investments underscore our longstanding commitment to China and the potential we see here for the future," Zipse said. Production of BMW's next-generation electric models, the "Neue Klasse," is set to begin at the site in 2026.

Oliver Zipse, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, speaks during an interview in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, April 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

Marking BMW's 30th anniversary in China, Zipse reflected on the company's growing presence in the country with its Chinese partners such as CATL and Tsinghua University, as well as some 500 local suppliers. "We are at home in China," he said.

Zipse also voiced opposition to the European Union's decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese EV imports. "Free trade has been -- and will always be -- our guiding principle," he stressed, warning that tariffs could disrupt global business models and constrain EV supply in Europe, ultimately hindering decarbonization efforts.

Instead, Zipse called for stronger partnerships between European and Chinese automotive firms. "Global challenges like climate change can only be tackled jointly. I see great potential in fostering such collaborations across borders and regions," he said. (1 yuan = 0.14 U.S. dollar)




ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were injured in an explosion on Saturday at a building in northwestern Turkiye's Kocaeli province, the state-run Anadolu agency reported.

Preliminary reports showed that the explosion occurred in the Darica district of Kocaeli and was caused by a natural gas leak in a house, Anadolu said.

A fire broke out in the building following the explosion, Anadolu said, adding that health, police, and firefighting teams have been dispatched to the area.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals after receiving initial treatment on the scene from medical personnel, Anadolu said. 
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
ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call on Saturday that Turkiye would not allow the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to operate in Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Anadolu cited Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli, who said Fidan underlined the importance of cooperating with Syria to ensure stability and manage a peaceful transition.

Fidan reiterated Turkiye's commitment to Syria's territorial integrity and security, stressing that the PKK/YPG presence must be prevented.

According to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department, Blinken "emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government."

Turkiye views the YPG as an extension of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish government.

Ankara has long been critical of U.S. support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, of which the YPG is a key component. Turkiye perceives this support as tacit backing for the PKK.

Since 2016, Turkiye has launched multiple military operations in northern Syria targeting the YPG, including "Euphrates Shield" in 2016, "Olive Branch" in 2018, and "Peace Spring" in 2019-2020. These operations have strained relations between the two NATO allies. 
Locals attend a ceremony marking the completion and official handover of 40 Chinese-aided water cellars in Dukem Town, about 33 km east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dec. 27, 2024 (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD), a national social organization dedicated to poverty alleviation, handed over much-needed water cellar facilities to rural communities in central Ethiopia on Friday.

A special ceremony was held at Obaay Primary School on the outskirts of Dukem Town, about 33 km east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, to mark the completion and official handover of 40 water cellars. The initiative, carried out in collaboration with Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (XCMG), aims to address the long-standing challenge of limited access to clean water in rural areas.

Local government officials and community members expressed their gratitude for the new facilities, praising CFRD and its partners for their crucial support in providing clean water sources.

"While many investors and organizations engage with the community, this collaboration serves as a model for others, offering hope and a brighter future for residents, including young students," said Duguma Kena, administration head of Melka District.

CFRD Ethiopia Office Country Director Yin Qian said the latest handover of water cellars highlights the organization's commitment to improving the quality of life in rural communities in Ethiopia.

She said that since 2017, CFRD and XCMG have been working together on the water cellar project, benefiting more than 12,000 rural residents. The water cellars are designed with sustainability in mind, using renewable and environmentally friendly construction methods.

The project has so far delivered more than 200 water cellars, providing clean and safe water to vulnerable communities in Ethiopia's arid regions, according to Yin.

Li Jingchen, XCMG's representative in Ethiopia, said the company is committed to improving livelihoods in Ethiopia as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts. 

This photo shows a Chinese-aided water cellar in Dukem Town, about 33 km east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dec. 27, 2024.

The China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD), a national social organization dedicated to poverty alleviation, handed over these much-needed water cellar facilities to rural communities in central Ethiopia on Friday.(Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis police said Monday they expect the 14-year-old boy shot in Ivory Perry Park last week to survive, but reiterated that "no tip is too small" as they investigate the shooting.

The police department received a 911 call about 10:40 a.m. on Friday regarding a shooting in the 800 block of Belt Avenue, near the entrance of the park.

Ivory Perry Park is the site of the former Visitation Academy and Convent, between Goodfellow and Union boulevards, a few blocks north of Delmar Boulevard. Originally named Visitation Park, the city renamed it Ivory Perry Park in 1989.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a teenage boy who had been shot in his stomach. Officials have not released the teen's name.

Paramedics took the teen to a nearby hospital, where police said on Friday that he was in critical condition. On Monday, police say that the boy's condition had improved and that he is expected to survive.

"We are still asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers. No tip is too small to be considered," said police spokesperson Evita Caldwell.

To reach Crime Stoppers, call 866-371-8477. Tips can also be submitted to detectives at 314-444-0001.
Firefighters work to control a blaze at the North Hangar at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin on Nov. 7, 2023. (Jeff Gritchen/Orange County Register)

The Navy has pumped over $123 million into the clean-up of a World War II anti-submarine blimp hangar in Southern California destroyed by fire a year ago.

Workers for the Navy have hauled away over 395 tons of twisted and charred steel from the wreckage at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, along with 77 tons of toxic waste and 1,180 tons of other debris, according to a tally by the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command.

David Bennett, a Navy spokesman for the project, said work will continue through the first quarter of 2025.

Fire broke out Nov. 7, 2023, at one of two landmark World War II blimp hangars, towering historic landmarks in the heart of Orange County, home to 3.2 million people. Plumes of smoke and air-borne debris settled across a wide swath of suburban housing tracts, schools and parks.

After initially battling the blaze from the ground and helicopters, fire officials removed responders because of concerns they could be killed or injured if the 17-story, 1,000-foot-long, 300-foot-wide hangar collapsed.

Built with two-million board feet of Oregon Douglas fir trees, the hangar smoldered, then repeatedly flared over the next 24 days, before it was declared officially extinguished on Dec. 1, 2023.

The South Hangar, a virtual twin just a few hundred feet away, was untouched by the blaze.

As of the end of December 2024, the Navy has spent $20 million on direct demolition and clearance of the North Hangar site, while it has paid the City of Tustin that sits next to the hangars, a total of $103.3 million in six installments.

Late last summer, Tustin officials said the citys costs could top $150 million before the recovery was over.

The money would come from the Navy, which was deemed the responsible party for damages from the fire by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

The Navys webpage for the clean-up gives a 15-month timeline from the beginning of debris removal on July 8 until work is completed. Ten federal, state and city agencies, ranging from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Southern California Air Quality Management District, had to sign off on the plan.

The Navy is continuing to work with the city on bringing the response to the Hangar fire to a close, the Navys webpage says of the project.

Two hangars were erected in farmland about 35 miles south of Los Angeles following the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The project was completed in less than a year. The hangars housed Navy anti-submarine blimps that patrolled the Pacific coast for signs of Japanese ships or submarines.

After World War II, the hangars became the centerpiece of the 1,600-acre Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, home to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing helicopters. Fighter jets and transports flew from the nearby Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

Both bases were closed in 1999, and most of their land was turned over to local authorities for development.

The Navy retained 225 acres centered around the blimp hangars, listed as national historic sites. The North Hangar had been shut for all uses when its roof was damaged in a 2003 windstorm.

Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard was outspokenly critical late last year of what he said was a slow response and lack of funds from federal and state officials immediately after the fire was put out.

It is time for the Navy to step up, said Lumbard. It is time for the state to step up. It is the time for the environmental agencies to do what they are empowered and authorized to do.

But in his end-of-the-year report to the community on the fires aftermath, he had only praise for the Navy.

The Navy is continuing to work with the city on bringing the response to the hangar fire to a close, Lumbard said.

Id also like to express appreciation to our Navy partners who successfully advocated for critical federal funding to provide 100% reimbursement for all the work the city has performed on the Navys behalf, he said. It was not an easy task, but the Navy delivered on its funding commitment.

Updates can be found on the Navys Hangar 1 Debris Removal page at https://www.bracpmo.navy.mil/BRAC-Bases/California/FormerMarine-Corps-Air-Station-Tustin/Hangar-1-Debris-Removal/ .
Movies in English are shown at Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg, Germany, with tickets costing about 11 euros. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

I often find myself torn between the comfort of a cozy night at home and the joy of spending time out with friends.

An evening at a movie theater strikes a balance between the two. But living in a foreign country means adding the challenge of finding theaters that screen English-language movies without German dubbing.

Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg offers films that cater to both German- and English-speaking audiences, along with restaurants and amenities that encourage spending a little extra time there before or after the show.

Cinecitta Multiplexkino, nestled along the Pegnitz River in Nuremberg, Germany, lets patrons enjoy dinner and a show all under one roof. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes) Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg, Germany, stands out by offering numerous showtimes for films in English, free from dubbing or translation. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The theater is nestled along the Pegnitz River and close to all the sights and sounds of the citys old town. If you visit in December, its a scenic 10-minute stroll from one of Europes most famous Christmas markets.

The tickets for Gladiator II were 11 euros, which is very reasonable in comparison to what Ive come to expect from American theaters lately. But we arrived well in advance to check out what the complex has to offer beyond the movies.

Cinecitta Multiplexkino hosts a bar and common area where patrons can have a snack or a drink and socialize when they're not watching a movie. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes) The common area in Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg, Germany, provides a social atmosphere beyond the film screenings. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The atmosphere outside the screenings is a social one, say those who recommended the spot to me. The common area between the theaters, restaurants, cafe and bar wasnt jumping on a Tuesday evening, but Im told its a busy hangout over the weekend.

The food options include the recently renovated Oriental, which goes in two different directions, Middle Eastern mezze and southeast Asian. If hummus and stuffed grape leaves appetizers and pad thai for dinner is your thing, have at it.

The Google returns are positive about the food. One five-star review mentions, among other things, remarkable photos on the way to the toilet.

The second floor of the complex hosts an American-style diner, where I indulged in one of the most classic fast-food meals from our culture, chicken tenders and fries, while a friend accompanying me opted for a salad.

The food offerings at the American Diner in Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg, Germany, serve as a complement to the American-made movies shown there. The theater offers English-language shows without dubbing or subtitles. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes) The American Diner is one of several places at Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremburg, Germany, where patrons can grab a bite to eat. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The food was decent, affordable and convenient, especially since we had both come straight from work without having the chance to grab dinner beforehand.

We didnt have time for the bar and cafes, but theres a lot to choose from if you do. Central Bar is a lot more than bar, serving stone oven-baked pizza, smoothies and ice cream sundaes, among other things.

Theres also the cappuccino bar and a roof terrace open in the summer. I cant vouch for the beer, but I wouldnt be worried about the quality  youre in Bavaria.

Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg, Germany, presents films in German, as expected, but it stands out by also offering numerous screenings in English. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The movie theater itself was cozy, if unremarkable. The crowd was minimal, allowing us to have the entire row to ourselves. As for Gladiator II, I found it entertaining. Im not a film critic, but they generally say Denzel Washington stole the show, and Id have to agree.

If it hadnt been a weeknight, I would have loved to stay for a nightcap. I fully intend to return, especially with the lineup of films debuting early next year. And when I do, Ill sample more of what Cinecitta has to offer beyond the movies.

Cinecitta Multiplexkino in Nuremberg, Germany, offers more than just a movie night. The vibrant social scene at its various eateries, cafe and bar invites customers to linger long after the credits roll. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Cinecitta

Location: Gewerbemuseumsplatz 3, Nuremburg, Germany

Cost: Ticket, 11 euros; dinner entree, 10-18 euros

Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 a.m.

Information: Online: www.cinecitta.de
Images of advanced aircraft cruising at low altitudes in China on Thursday have surprised analysts, who say they could mark the maiden flights of sixth-generation fighter jets, representing a major breakthrough for the countrys military.

Photos and videos originating on Chinese social media platforms and reposted to X on Thursday show large triangular aircraft making sweeping slow turns at a very low altitude. The images appear to show two different aircraft, one smaller than the other  both featuring a tailless, stealthy design suggesting they rely on advanced computational technology to be piloted.

Videos of the jets were trending on Friday on Weibo, a Chinese social media site similar to X, though their origin is unclear, and The Washington Post was unable to verify authenticity. In one video, the large fighter appears to be flanked by the fifth-generation J-20, Chinas current top operational fighter jet.

The testing of two new advanced aircraft in broad daylight is also highly unusual, analysts say, and could indicate Beijing is putting on a purposeful show of force.

It comes amid uncertainty about the future of the United States own sixth-generation fighter initiative  known as the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Program. Projected costs for each of the future U.S. aircraft are estimated to reach hundreds of millions of dollars, and the Air Force in November decided to defer key decisions about the projects direction to the incoming Trump administration.

The Chinese display of new military technology also follows criticism from Elon Musk  whom President-elect Donald Trump has tasked with advising on budget cuts  regarding the F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet program, which has been saddled with faulty technology and cost overruns. Musk called the F-35 builders, Lockheed Martin, idiots and suggested that manned fighter jets should be replaced with drones.

It seems quite intentional that [the Chinese military] wanted us to see this aircraft flying. I would think personally that the timing on this is really curious because theyre aware of this debate and it almost seems designed to influence that debate, said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.

Amid uncertainty over the manned fighter project, Pentagon officials have said they want to create an unmanned hellscape of drones to defend Taiwan. [China] might be more worried about the United States Air Force going in that direction, Grieco said.

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the apparent test flights. Chinas Defense Ministry and state media published no details of the flights  which Chinese netizens pointed out coincided with Mao Tse-tungs birthday.

There is no set pattern in how Beijing unveils new military breakthroughs, though often it is on dates that mark national anniversaries. The maiden flight of the J-20 in 2011 coincided with a visit by then-U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Beijing, and it was widely viewed as an effort by Beijing to signal its military might.

Domestic Chinese media reported that the test flights took place around 4 p.m. Thursday at the Huangtianba Airbase near Chengdu, home to the airfields of Chengdu Aircraft Corporation  a subsidiary of a state-owned aircraft conglomerate tasked with designing and manufacturing some of the countrys most advanced combat aircraft, including the J-20.

It has long been known that Beijing  along with the United States and other major powers  is pursuing what is broadly referred to as sixth-generation fighter capabilities. These encompass a range of potential breakthroughs, including AI-driven autonomy, hypersonic speed, advanced electronic warfare systems and next-level stealth technology  all of which could give Beijing an edge in a potential conflict around Taiwan or the South China Sea.

The initial images of the new aircraft provide no concrete evidence of such capabilities. However, analysts note that the designs hint at a significant leap forward from the countrys fifth-generation fighters, including the Chengdu J-20, which has undergone several major upgrades over the past decade.

Its not clear from the images whether either of the test aircraft would be a successor to that model. The J-20 is designed as a long-range stealth fighter and has featured prominently in increasingly aggressive drills circling the self-governed island of Taiwan. China has also produced a smaller fifth-generation stealth aircraft called the J-35, which has yet to be used in major drills but is expected to be deployed for shorter-range carrier-based operations in the coming years.

A maiden test flight of a sixth-generation aircraft would underscore the rapid pace of Chinas ambitious efforts to modernize its military.

In an annual report to Congress released this month, the Pentagon noted that Beijing is quickly closing the gap with the United States in advanced airpower, making significant strides in unmanned aircraft and increasing the proportion of advanced fighter jets in its ranks.

Wider production of a sixth-generation Chinese jet could still be many years off. The fifth-generation J-20 only began mass production around 2017, according to Chinese media reports. The Pentagon estimates that the majority of Chinas fighters  around 1,300 of a total 1,900  are fourth-generation planes.

China is pressing ahead with its goal of building a world-class military by the middle of the century, aiming to match or surpass the United States despite recent setbacks.

A sweeping anti-corruption crackdown has ensnared key military units over the past 18 months, including the disappearance of two top defense ministers. The campaign initially targeted the PLA Rocket Force, which oversees the countrys strategic missile systems, but has since widened.

This week, two more generals were removed from key positions, overseeing critical aspects of Chinas military strategy in the army and the South China Sea navy.
(Tribune News Service)  Police in Finland are transferring the seized oil tanker Eagle S closer to land as they step up their investigation into damage caused to undersea cables this week.

The operation to move the vessel to Svartbeck, an anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti, was scheduled to begin at 10:50 a.m. local time on Saturday, authorities said in a statement. The Helsinki Police Department is taking the lead, supported by Finlands Border Guard.

Finlands National Bureau of Investigation detained the vessel, sailing under the Cook Islands flag, two days ago after discovering damage to a subsea power link and several data cables as it probes for possible aggravated criminal mischief.

Authorities believe the ships anchor, which they found to be missing, severed the 105-mile electricity line that connects Finland and Estonia. Since then, four underwater data cables have also been experiencing disruptions.

The new location offers a better option for carrying out investigative measures, the police said in the statement. On-board operations by the authorities were to be suspended for the time of the transfer and resumed once the vessel is at anchor.

Police have set up a 1-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the tanker, and a no-fly zone is currently in effect around Skoldvik Bay, they said.

Kilpilahti is also where Neste Oyjs Porvoo oil refinery is located.

Eagle S is part of the Russian shadow fleet transporting its oil, and was carrying a full load of unleaded gasoline, Finnish police said earlier.

The Eagle S was loaded with transmitting and receiving devices that effectively allowed it to become a spy ship for Russia, the specialist shipping publication Lloyds List reported on Friday, citing a source who wasnt identified familiar with a vessel that provided commercial maritime services to the tanker in recent months.

The hi-tech equipment on the Eagle S was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ships generator, leading to repeated blackouts, it cited the source as saying.

This weeks damage is the third such incident in just over a year. Last month, a high-speed fiber optic cable in the Baltic Sea connecting Finland and Germany was severed by what was likely an external impact, and a nearby link between Lithuania and Sweden was also damaged, with authorities connecting Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 to the events.

Ships are damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea with almost monthly frequency at the moment, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the Funke media group late Friday. This is an urgent wake-up call for us all.

A year earlier, the anchor of Newnew Polar Bear, a Hong Kong-flagged ship, tore up at least two data cables and a gas pipeline, prompting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to step up patrols in the Baltic Sea.

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LUSAKA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese enterprises in Zambia should take a leading role in driving the country's innovation and aligning with global technological and industrial transformation, the Chinese ambassador to Zambia has said.

"I urge Chinese businesses to seize emerging opportunities in Zambia in sectors such as solar power, green mining, information and communication technology, and electric vehicles, while expanding collaboration in green development and the digital economy," Ambassador Han Jing said on Friday night during the annual conference and business forum organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia.

The event included the awarding of certificates to Chinese enterprises in recognition of their contributions in various areas, including outstanding corporate social responsibility and employment advancement.

The ambassador commended the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia for its pivotal role in promoting trade and investment cooperation between the two nations.

Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga praised Chinese enterprises for investing in value addition to the country's raw materials.

"Our government is focused on promoting value addition to raw materials, and we are pleased that Chinese enterprises have already begun investing in this area," Mulenga said.

He noted that two Chinese companies have established factories in Zambia to produce electric cables from locally sourced copper.

"Zambia is learning lessons from China, which has made significant efforts to promote value addition to raw materials as a strategy for economic growth," Mulenga added. "We are grateful that Chinese firms have responded to our call for investment in value addition." 
JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the legislative body of the African Union based in Johannesburg, on Saturday called for restraint in Mozambique and urged dialogue to resolve the ongoing crisis in the country.

In a statement issued by the PAP, its Southern Caucus expressed "profound sadness and deep concern" over the unfolding crisis in Mozambique. "We grieve the tragic loss of life, with hundreds of individuals reported to have perished amidst the unrest, and we are deeply troubled by the fear and instability that now cloud the future of this great nation," the statement said.

On Monday, Mozambique's Constitutional Council declared Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate of the ruling party Frelimo, as the winner of the general elections held on Oct. 9. According to local media reports, more than 100 civilians have died in the post-election chaos, and hundreds have been injured.

"The Southern Caucus unequivocally condemns violence and calls upon the people of Mozambique to exercise restraint, embrace calm, and prioritize dialogue over discord," said Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, chairperson of the Southern Caucus of the PAP, in the statement.

"As your brothers and sisters in the southern African region, we stand with the people of Mozambique in solidarity, urging calm and collective resolve to navigate these trying times," she said, urging all political parties, civil society and stakeholders in Mozambique to resolve their differences through "genuine and constructive" dialogue.

Zuma-Sambudla said that the unrest in Mozambique also poses significant risks to neighboring countries and the broader southern African region. "Political instability disrupts travel and trade, economic activities, displaces communities, and threatens regional integration. As a region, we cannot turn a blind eye to these challenges brought on by the political unrest," she said.

Therefore, "the Southern Caucus calls on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to intensify its efforts in supporting Mozambique. We also appeal to the African Union to intervene and ensure a mutually beneficial mediation process to stabilize Mozambique while safeguarding peace and prosperity across the region," Zuma-Sambudla added.

SADC Chairperson Emmerson Mnangagwa, also president of Zimbabwe, convened an extraordinary summit in November to discuss the unrest in Mozambique. 
Anita Tansey (38) was panicking and not trying to take on the victims, who were both large doormen, her defence said.

A woman bit one security guard on the shoulder and hit another on the head when she lashed out during a drunken night out, a court heard.

Anita Tansey (38) was panicking and not trying to take on the victims, who were both large doormen, her defence said.

Judge Bryan Smyth struck the case out, leaving her without a criminal record, when she paid 250 compensation to each man.

Ms Tansey, with an address at Edenmore Green, Raheny, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault.

Dublin District Court heard that gardai were on duty at Eden Quay at 10.15pm on November 8 this year when they saw the accused being detained by security staff following a public order incident.

She was intoxicated and a danger to herself, a garda sergeant said.

Ms Tansey was highly aggressive to the staff, bit one on the shoulder and hit the other on the side of the head.

The accused was not a heavy drinker but she had been out drinking that night, lost her friend and got confused, her solicitor Michael Kelleher said.

Ms Tansey had no recollection of the incident but remembered being very distressed, he said. She deeply regretted what happened.

The two victims were large doormen and Mr Kelleher said: I dont think she was taking them on, I think she started panicking and lashing out.

Ms Tansey was taking the matter extremely seriously and had 500 in court, Mr Kelleher said.

The judge struck the charges out after the money was paid.
David Fahy (41) was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Blanchardstown District Court.

A Dublin man accused of the unlawful use of a vehicle has been sent forward for trial.

David Fahy (41) was served with the book of evidence when he appeared on bail before Blanchardstown District Court.

The accused, with an address at Cappagh Avenue in Finglas, is charged with the unlawful use of a 182 Dublin-registered vehicle without the consent of the owner at Jamestown Business Park in Finglas on February 28, 2024.

Mr Fahy is further accused of having a registration plate with a 172-Dublin registration, with the intention that it be used with the unlawful use of a vehicle, at the same time and place.

A State solicitor said that the book of evidence was ready and had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge David McHugh gave Mr Fahy the formal alibi caution.

The judge also assigned defence solicitor Sandra Frayne and one junior counsel on free legal aid.

Mr Fahy has not yet indicated how he intends pleading to the charges.

The accused was remanded on continuing bail to appear before a court at the Criminal Courts of Justice on a date in February.
Coolaney woman cleared of serious charges after collecting over 21,000 in welfare payments for father and son who moved to Spain during Covid lockdown

The Jobseeker's Allowance was collected at the Post Office at O'Grady's shop in Coolaney.

A father and son who left Sligo for Spain got a woman to draw their Jobseekers Allowance at Coolaney Post Office and lodge it to a bank account for them for several months, Sligo Circuit Court was told.

Even though they should have been resident here and be available for work in order to draw Jobseekers Allowance, the court heard that the post master at Coolaney Post Office said it was okay for the two men to nominate someone to collect the money for them.

The offences took place at Coolaney Post Office over a period of 72 weeks from September 2020 to February 2022.

Before the court, was Deirdre Wheeler, (50) of Horseshoe Crescent, Coolaney who faced a total of 40 charges of stealing Jobseekers Allowance in the names of Reece and Francois De Poix, the property of the Department of Social Protection.

The defendant also faced a charge that on various dates between September 21,2020 and February 23, 2022 at AIB Bank Stephen Street Sligo did engage in money laundering.

Also before the court was Reece De Poix (26) of The Mill Centre, Main Street, Coolaney who was charged with 20 counts of stealing Jobseekers Allowance in his own name to from September 2020 to February 2022, the property of The Department of Social Protection.

Outlining the case before Judge Keenan Johnson, Mr Leo Mulrooney BL (prosecuting) with Ms Elisa McHugh, State Solicitor, said Wheeler had pleaded guilty to ten counts and De Poix to five but the case would be outlined on a full facts basis.

Wheeler was represented by Mr Colm Smyth SC with Mr Keith OGrady BL, instructed by Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor, while Ms Eileen OLeary SC with Mr Eoin McGovern BL, instructed by Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor appeared for De Poix.

Garda Greg Regan told the court that he was attached to the Special Investigation Unit of the Department of Social Protection and that on March 1st, 2022 he was contacted to enquire into a vacant council house in Coolaney which was rented by Reece De Poix and his father Francois De Poix.

Both men had left the State and the house was vacant. Garda Regan checked the system and found that Reece De Poix was in receipt of 117.70 a week in Jobseekers Allowance while his father was receiving 208 a week along with the Fuel Allowance. All of the payments were being collected at Coolaney Post Office.

Garda Regan said he tried to contact both men but got no answer to his phone calls. He called to the house on March 3rd, 2022 with the intention of leaving an appointment letter but the property was boarded up.

Witness spoke with Coolaney Post Office post master Gerry OGrady who recalled that the father and son had left in early 2020 for Spain but that the Jobseekers Allowance was being collected for them by Deirdre Wheeler on a weekly basis. This had been going on for approximately two years.

Mr OGrady thought this was above board and he didnt know that an agent could collect the allowance on the mens behalf.

Deirdre Wheeler herself was in receipt of a Disability Allowance. Her daughter, Caoimhe Wheeler had gone to Spain with the De Poixs. She had been going out with Reece De Poix at the time.

The court heard however that this relationship had broken up while the pair were in Spain and that Caoimhe Wheeler then began a relationship with Reeces father, Francois De Poix.

Garda Regan said he obtained a search warrant for Deirdre Wheelers house on March 4th, 2022 and went there.

She told the Garda she knew why he was there and directed him to a drawer where there were a number of receipts for Jobseekers Allowance in the names of Reece and Francois De Poix.

There were 72 social welfare receipts for both men while there was a further 64 AIB lodgement slips.

Deirdre Wheeler admitted collecting the payments for the father and son and appreciated what she was doing wasnt permitted.

The Garda also found two public service cards in the house in the names of Reece and Francois De Poix.

Payments to both men were subsequently suspended.

Garda Regan said he obtained bank account details of Deirdre Wheeler and he discovered she had been putting the money into her daughter Caoimhes account through the AIB in Sligo for onward transfer to the two men.

Garda Regan rang Reece De Poix on July 21st, 2022 on being told he was back in Sligo and had made a new application for Jobseekers Allowance.

Garda Regan met the defendant on July 27th, 2022 for interview. On September 25th, 2022, Deirdre Wheeler was arrested and questioned.

Both defendants were subsequently charged in July 2023.

A statement was taken from the post master Mr OGrady in which he said he ran a shop in Coolaney and was an agent for An Post. In late 2019 Reece and Francois De Poix came in and asked that their Jobseekers Allowance be collected by Deirdre Wheeler, that they were moving to Spain.

Mr OGrady agreed to this. The payments were paid up to 28th August 2022.

Mrs Wheeler told Gardai that her daughter and Reece and Francois De Poix were living in Spain from September 2019.

She had been asked to collect the De Poixs Jobseekers Allowances for a couple of weeks and then Covid struck and she said she would keep doing it.

The De Poixs could not get back to Ireland due to the travel restrictions put in place. She visited them in Spain in September 2021 for a week.

She used to transfer the money into her daughter Caoimhes account after first putting the cash into her own bank account.

Garda Regan said the post master did not ask for the payments to be signed by Deirdre Wheeler.

She told Gardai she received no payment for this but got ten euro every now and then for dog food for Francois De Poixs dogs.

Mrs Wheeler thought it was okay for a couple of months but deep down she knew it was wrong and felt uncomfortable the longer it went on.

Mr Mulrooney said the amount involving Reece De Poix over the 72 weeks was 8,948.30 and he was currently paying back 34.80 a week which was being stopped from his current Jobseekers Allowance of 232. The amount left outstanding was 5,418.94 and it will take three years to pay this off.

In respect of Deirdre Wheeler, Mr Mulrooney said she had collected 21,683.70 over the 72 weeks.

Garda Regan said there was still a live investigation in respect of Francois De Poix and he agreed with Mr Mulrooney that directions have been issued to prosecute him.

Mrs Wheeler did not have any previous convictions while Reece De Poix received the Probation Act on two occasions, once for assault and the other for a public order offence.

Garda Regan agreed with Mr Smyth that Mrs Wheeler had been told by Reece and Francois De Poix that it was okay to collect their allowance and that this had also been the position of the post master.

She gained nothing at all, said Mr Smyth. He outlined that Mrs Wheeler has been on medication for years for mental health issues.

Judge Johnson remarked that it seemed the level of Mrs Wheelers culpability was very low.

Ms OLeary pleaded that Reece De Poix had 600 in cash in court. He had a number of medical issues.

It would appear that he didnt get a significant benefit from it either, she added.

Judge Johnson commented that the case seems a bit like Hamlet without the Prince.

Judge Johnson said Mrs Wheeler had asked Reece and Francois De Poix if it was okay to collect the Jobseekers Allowance for them and the post master thought there was nothing wrong with it and that it could be collected by an agent.

The level of culpability in her case seems to be extremely low, said Judge Johnson, adding that Reece De Poix seems to have been influenced by his father.

The Judge stressed that Jobseekers Allowance was for those out of work living in the State and available for work here.

The Judge said Mr OGrady didnt see any difficulty in this arrangement even though the two men were living in Spain.

Its an extraordinary situation, said the Judge.

He said the case was well founded but added that it would be a gross injustice were he to jail the two defendants.

Passing sentence, the Judge said Mrs Wheeler was innocently caught up in this and he applied the Probation Act and also required her to enter a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for one month

The Judge said Reece De Poix had a little bit more culpability in that he did benefit.

The Judge noted that he was now estranged from his father and that he wanted to train to become a plumber.

Judge Johnson imposed a one year sentence, suspending it for three years on condition he enter a bond to keep the peace and he of good behaviour for three years.

He was also ordered to re-pay the balance of the monies he owes within three years.
Charlene Dwyer (35) was in custody and now attending grief counselling to help her cope with her loss.

The use of crack cocaine, cocaine and synthetic drugs are on the rise in Wexford.

A former hairdresser turned to crack cocaine and her life spiralled out of control after she suffered the loss of two individuals close to her within a short period of time, a court heard.

Charlene Dwyer (35) was in custody and now attending grief counselling to help her cope with her loss.

Judge David McHugh imposed a four-month sentence, backdated to when she went into custody two weeks ago.

On an uninsured driving charge, Judge McHugh also fined Dwyer 500 and disqualified her from driving for 10 years.

The defendant, with an address at Corkagh Grange Avenue in Clondalkin, admitted accounts of theft, failing to appear in court and uninsured and unlicensed driving.

The use of crack cocaine, cocaine and synthetic drugs are on the rise in Wexford.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court that gardai received a call on May 23 last from the manager of Tesco in Clondalkin stating that a woman had come into the supermarket and taken four bottles of vodka, worth a total of 88.

Sgt Callaghan said gardai viewed the CCTV footage and Dwyer was identified as the culprit. The alcohol was not recovered, the court heard.

In a separate incident, Dwyer also stole groceries valued at 109 from Spar, Old Nangor Road in Clondalkin on March 12, this year.

On March 10, 2022, Dwyer was stopped by gardai at Cherrywood Villas in Clondalkin. Sgt Callaghan said that gardai made the demand for the defendants insurance certificate and driving licence, but she failed to produce them.

Dwyer was banned from driving at the time, the sergeant said.

The court heard that Dwyer had a total of 56 previous convictions, including three previous convictions for uninsured driving.

Defence lawyer Ciaran MacLoughlin said Dwyer, a mother of two teenagers and a former hairdresser, accepted that she had a bad record.

Mr MacLoughlin said Dwyer had been doing well, but two years ago her father and her best friend both died, and she developed a problem with crack cocaine.

Asking the judge to be as lenient as possible, Mr MacLoughlin said Dwyer was now receiving grief counselling, and she was hopeful that the counselling would help her to come to terms with her loss.

The defendant was also attending school in the womens prison, was working out in the gym and taking embroidery classes, the lawyer added.
The Irishman, who travels regularly for work in his marketing job, had arrived in the city a few days before the killing

Mackenzie Michalski and inset, the Irish suspect leading police to her body

AN Irishman suspected of murdering an American tourist in Budapest has claimed it was an accident that took place during a BDSM sex game.

The Irish businessman (37) is currently in custody ahead of a future trial for the murder of Mackenzie Elizabeth Michalski and his parents have travelled from Ireland to visit him in prison in Hungary.

The American nurse disappeared in November but police later located her body after arresting the Irishman, who has only been identified by his initials M.L.T.

The Irishmans lawyer Gyorgy Magyar told the Hungary media outlet Sunday Blikk how the suspect is hopeful his version of events will be believed.

He is disciplined to tolerate his situation and he is confident that the expert investigations will support what he said in his testimony."

The Irishman, who travels regularly for work in his marketing job, had arrived in Budapest a few days before the killing.

He met with the American tourist while socialising and they kissed.

They later went back to his rented apartment.

The confession said that my clients apartment continued to drink, and then the girl suggested that, although she had never tried it, she would be interested in bdsm sex, his lawyer said.

My client was not prepared for this, he didnt have the necessary tools, so at his request he tied the girls hand and feet with a belt.

It was also claimed that the Irishman was asked to inflict pain and strangle her to make the pleasure even greater.

According to the Irishman, after a while Ms Michalski began to groan and threw up.

She later lost consciousness and the Irishman said he couldnt wake her up.

Mackenzie Michalski

He said at this stage he panicked and placed the body in a rental car before hiding it in a wooded area.

He put the young womans remains in a suitcase and then drove to Lake Balaton in a rented car.

Its further alleged he hid his victim in a wooded area on the outskirts of Szigliget, then drove back to Budapest, where he was arrested.

The investigators also found out that after allegedly killing Mackenzie, the Irishman searched the internet terms including: Do pigs really eat corpses? The appearance of wild boar in the settlements along the Lake Balaton. What does the corpse smell like after decomposes? And, removal of rotting meat smell.

He also researched the chances of being identified for the crime.

Local media reported that he searched for web cameras in Budapest, as well as How does the police handle cases of missing persons? And how reliable is the police in Budapest?.

He insists he didnt deliberately kill the woman.

I am convinced that this matter can only be judged in the light of the medical examiners opinions, Gyorgy Magyar added.

The Irishman has no previous convictions. He comes from a large family and has several siblings and is single.

His parents recently visited him in prison and brought him a package.

His legal team are hoping that he is granted bail and placed under house arrest ahead of trial.

They will also request that he is transferred to a prison in Ireland if he is found guilty.

A memorial service and celebration of life for Ms Michalski is due to take place on Saturday January 18 in Buffalo, New York on what would have been her 32nd birthday.
Nicole Craig (20), from west Belfast, was told at Newtownards Magistrates Court earlier this month she would be jailed for any similar behaviour in the future

A young mum who made a false rape allegation has been given a stern warning by a judge as she avoided a jail term.

Nicole Craig (20), from west Belfast, was told at Newtownards Magistrates Court earlier this month she would be jailed for any similar behaviour in the future.

The court heard police received a report at around 10:30pm on April 25, 2022, about a woman who had entered a mans address and who claimed she had been very seriously sexually assaulted by a male in a block of flats.

Police made enquiries at the location where mum-of-one Craig alleged the offence had taken place, however a prosecutor said: It subsequently transpired this had not happened and she had admitted to concocting the story.

Craigs defence solicitor told the court: This is a young girl who has been in care most of her life and she has an eight-month-old child who is with her today.

District Judge Mark Hamill addressed the defendant directly as she stood in the public gallery, telling her: Look this is an unnamed individual which is what has saved you from prison. Do not do this again or anything like it.

Craig, of the West Circular Road, Belfast, was handed a two-year conditional discharge.
Creaking system also struggling to find appropriate care for mentally ill

The IPS added more than 150 cells in 2024

More than 300 prisoners every night have to sleep on mattresses on their cell floors in Irelands overcrowded prison system.

The stark reality of the crisis was laid bare by Caron McCaffrey, the director general of the Irish Prison Service (IPS), in an exclusive interview with the Sunday World.

In the interview, she said that far from getting better, the situation continues to deteriorate.

Ms McCaffrey said the overcrowding situation has a negative impact on every area of the Prison Service.

We have over 500 people in our prisons who dont have a permanent bed, she said.

In some of our prisons we had to take the very regrettable and regressive step of putting bunk beds into single cells.

Ms McCaffrey said Mountjoy Prison in Dublin was at 120pc capacity in mid-December.

There were 99 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor in that facility on the day we spoke.

Caron McCaffrey

The highest-ever number of people in custody in Ireland was recorded at 5,124 last November 6, against a capacity of 4,534, and the number in custody this year has risen by 11pc.

This includes an average of around 1,000 inmates on remand in the system at any one time  these are prisoners who have not yet been sentenced or convicted.

This year we will have recruited over 270 recruit prison officers to support our operations

Ms McCaffrey revealed that the Department of Justice is now considering electronic monitoring for defendants on remand as an alternative to being remanded in custody.

Because of overcrowding, there are now almost double the amount of prisoners on temporary release than there were in pre-Covid times, which she described as a very important safety valve within the system.

Ms McCaffrey said there are plans to try to combat the overcrowding both in the short and long term. She said the IPS has added more than 150 cells this year and its budget will increase by 18pc to 525m to help deal with overcrowding.

We continue to engage with the Department of Justice to bring on-stream over 1,100 spaces between now and 2030, she said.

Over 300,000 extra hours, which is almost 20m in additional funding, was provided to prisons across the estate to support staff managing overcrowding, including the increase in escort demand.

Mountjoy Prison

These extra hours are for prisons experiencing staff shortfalls and increased prisoner numbers.

The additional hours are to support a safe system of working in the management of prison landings, which are overcrowded.

This scheme is dependent on volunteers being available.

This year we will have recruited over 270 recruit prison officers to support our operations.

She went on to commend the incredible work the staff in the prison service do in such an overcrowded environment.

Since taking her position as the head of the prison service in 2018, Ms McCaffrey has consistently highlighted the ongoing challenges of managing the increasing numbers of prisoners who suffer from severe mental health issues.

Currently, there are around 350 people under the care of psychiatric services at any one time in Irish jails, with up to 20 of these individuals assessed as requiring in-patient treatment at any one time in the Central Mental Hospital, which does not have space for them.

Separately, it is estimated that up to 70pc of all prisoners in Irish jails are suffering from a personality disorder.

The level of need far outweighs our resources

It is an incredible challenge for our staff, Mc McCaffrey said before offering her support to a pilot project that was introduced in the Limerick garda division in October and has the potential to divert people who are mentally ill out of prison.

The project entitled Community Access Support Team (Cast) is a partnership between An Garda Siochana and Mental Health Services HSE Mid-West.

Supported by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health, the pilot comprises intervention, prevention and outreach, with the potential to yield a better outcome for persons experiencing a mental health crisis or situational trauma.

However, Ms McCaffrey pointed out that in the prison system, the level of need far outweighs our resources in terms of treating prisoners with mental health difficulties.

Over 2,000 prisoners are on waiting lists to see a psychologist despite a significant increase in the number of psychologists working in the system.

There are currently 700 prisoners being treated by psychologists.
Just because one chapter is bad doesn't mean the others can't be amazing

Bonnie Ryan has opened up about how 2024 was one of the hardest years of my life as she struggled with the ebb and flow of life.

The beauty influencer revealed how some days getting out of bed was a massive win and although she always tries to be as positive as I can be, this year truly kicked me up the ass.

From a big move to New York and her best pal's wedding to the death of her beloved dog Bobby, Bonnie reflected on her past year in a series of snaps she posted on her Instagram page.

Alongside the emotional images, she wrote: Just to show life is an ebb and flow. Just because one chapter is bad doesn't mean the others can't be amazing.

And for all the shiny moments we see, we are all going through moments a little less shiny too!

Bonnie's emotional post

For all the highs I've posted there [were] also many lows. Every year has its ups and downs. It's how you deal with them and keep going.

She added: I would say 2024 was maybe one of the hardest years of my life. Some days getting out of bed was a massive win. I always try to be as positive as I can be, but this year truly kicked me up the ass.

She also paid tribute to husband John Greenhalgh, saying she was so grateful as he is really the only person who knows what I've been through.

But I know I'm also beyond lucky for the life I'm getting to live. I will always find the positive no matter what.

2025 will be a year of ups and downs for everyone, of course, but I'm going into [it] excited and determined. Be kind, work hard, enjoy the little things and remember life is fragile and you need to be present!'

Everyone has their battles so give people grace!. And if you're going through something I'm sending you love. May 2025 be your year!!

Last June, Bonnie, daughter of late RTE broadcaster Gerry Ryan, marked her late dads birthday with a poignant family photo.

The makeup artist and influencer posted the black and white picture on her Instagram page showing the legendary broadcaster with three of his children.

In the snap, Gerry is seen on a couch raising his arms in delight with his three kids around him.

Bonnie captioned the post: Dads birthday today. Miss him every day. Hold yours tight.

Bonnie with late dad Gerry and sister Lottie

RTE radio presenter Gerry died on April 30, 2010, with an inquest later concluding that his cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia.

He left behind five children - Bonnie, Lottie, Rex, Babette, and Elliot.

On the recent 14th anniversary of his passing, Bonnie paid loving tribute to her late father.

"14 years without Dad, miss him every day but so lucky he was mine while he was here, she wrote on social media.

Bonnie also shared an old photo of a proud looking Gerry surrounded by all of his loved ones.

Last year Bonnie gave further insights into how she deals with the loss of her father.

I was cleaning my house and I dont know why I did but I opened my dads book and read the first two pages and cried, she said in a social media post.

I can hear his voice in this sentence about our family.

The best dad I could have ever wanted, he really was that person, the person I could call at any time and know hell be able to get me out of this mess.

Miss him every day, especially right now.

Grief is a funny thing. It comes in waves. At a time in my life right now I really wish he could be here to see all Im doing, she said.

Got to visit my dads old studio. He worked out of this studio for the majority of his career at RTE. I have such fond memories of visiting him in work growing up and watching him do his job, she wrote.

I have dealt with grief the majority of my life and personally, its the insignificant days that can catch you off guard. Not a topic I ever address publicly  but as Im getting older I realise its something that will always be with me. Luckily enough, @lottieryan1 still haunts this studio xx. she added.
Confidential papers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Taoiseach underlined the concerns in Dublin over the profile being given to Wright and the LVF.

Irish officials were appalled that Northern Ireland prison authorities had granted loyalist terror boss Billy King Rat Wright his own wing at the Maze prison for his breakaway Loyalist Volunteer Front (LVF).

Secret documents released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive revealed Irish authorities were worried there was a deliberate attempt in Northern Ireland to enhance the profile of Wright, who was opposed both to peace talks with republicans and the Irish government as well as the ceasefire by loyalist paramilitary groups.

Confidential papers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Taoiseach underlined the concerns in Dublin over the profile being given to Wright and the LVF.

Wright emerged in the early 1990s as one of the most feared loyalist paramilitary leaders. He had been active in the mid-Ulster unit of the UVF.

However, he split from the UVF and formed his own LVF faction in protest at its participation in the loyalist ceasefire.

The LVF became notorious for its violence and sectarianism, with the group believed responsible for the murder of dozens of nationalists.

One Department of Foreign Affairs file revealed Irish officials were appalled when the LVF was granted the right to have its own wing at the Maze prison  a concession reserved for established paramilitary groups.

The 1997 document noted that the concession would have consequences.

[It would inevitably] enhance Wrights self-confidence and self-importance provide a magnet for a variety of dissidents amongst loyalist prisoners and weaken the authority of the relatively moderate and peace-oriented combined loyalist military command leadership within the Maze.

Loyalist Volunteer Front leader Billy Wright

State Papers: 1994

Prison workers and mediation officials noted that Wright attracted loyalty from his followers through his personal courage and charisma rather than through fear.

Mediation Network official Brendan McAllister visited Wright in the Maze in June/July 1997.

Later, he described Wright as very different to the media caricatures of the LVF leader.

Mr McAllister said Wright was well spoken, clearly intelligent, determined and charismatic.

He noted that it was clear there was a sort of personal magnetism about the LVF leader.

The Mediation Network official said the LVF had to be taken very seriously.

[They] combined a potent mix  magnetism and leadership, a sense of purpose, idealism and probity, a cadre of disciplined and motivated followers with a proven capacity for sectarian violence and a philosophy which stridently mixes notions of territory, identity and religious fundamentalism, he said.

He and his followers see themselves as the custodians of a unionist integrity which has been lost sight of by the mainstream.

Northern Ireland and British officials justified the treatment of Wright by insisting that his life was in danger.

A number of republican groups had vowed to target Wright because of the sectarian attacks he organised.

In December 1997, Wright was killed by INLA prisoners who managed to escape from their wing, climb over a roof and into a compound where Wright was about to be taken out of the Maze in a prison van for a supervised visit with his girlfriend.

The INLA had managed to smuggle a Hungarian FEG pistol and .22 handgun into the Maze and they were used to assassinate Wright.

All three INLA members were subsequently convicted of the killing but were released from prison within two years because of the early release provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.

The killing of Wright came as clashes between prison officials and LVF prisoners erupted earlier that year at the Maze.

The prisoners had burnt part of their wing and were later held in solitary confinement and subjected to strict conditions.

LVF inmates were then supervised by prison officers in almost full riot gear  with no speaking allowed by prison officers to protect their identities. Instead, they used hand signals to communicate.

Wright was said to be livid over their treatment.

The nature of Wrights killing in a high-security prison led to speculation that the INLA had received assistance from the authorities in targeting the LVF leader.

Hardline loyalists claimed he was killed because he was a threat to the peace process.

The INLA later rejected these suggestions and insisted Wright was only targeted because of his murderous campaign against the nationalist population in Northern Ireland.

Wright had told friends and LVF associates that he feared he was going to be killed.
Una and Kenneth Ennis have been told that there is a groundbreaking gene therapy programme in Los Angeles that will show the progression of the condition

WHEN Santa arrived to little Archie Ennis his brave parents had to try and act as normal as possible despite being given devastating news about their precious son just days before Christmas.

Una and Kenneth Ennis had been told in Tallaght Hospital just over a week ago that their seven-year-old boy had a rare condition called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

This is a rare genetic condition that will weaken Archies muscles, a devastated Una (31) revealed in a video she posted, which has gone viral. It will start to weaken Archies muscles in his hips and then in his shoulders.

(The doctor) said his muscles will continue to get weaker. She said that it will progress over time to weaken his heart and his lungs.

"She also told us most boys with this condition will end up in a wheelchair at the age of 10, so as you can imagine we are devastated and looking for help.

Una and Kenneth have been told that there is a groundbreaking gene therapy programme in Los Angeles that will show the progression of the condition, but it costs a minimum of 3.2 million to start with.

Archie with his parents Una and Kenneth Ennis

Its just devastating, we are just devastated, Una tells the Sunday World.

We are just grieving the life that we thought we were going to have for our little boy, and now we are being told this is the life that he is going to have  and we cant accept it, we need to just try and help him.

We have really no other option. I think any other mammy would do anything that they could really.

The family live in Jobstown in Tallaght where Una is a health care assistant in a hospital, while Kenneth (32) is a Sergeant in the Irish Army. They have one other child, Maisie (three).

Una explained that as Archie grew up, he physically started declining. They got physiotherapy for him and also occupational therapy.

In recent months he has been finding it hard to get up the stairs, so the familys GP referred him to a paediatrician in Tallaght Hospital.

Professor Denise McDonald dismissed that their initial speculation Archie might have dyspraxia.

Archie Ennis struggling to get up the stairs

I said do you think its something worse? and she said yeah. I said do you think I should be worried? and she said yeah, recalls Una.

She said Una, Im going to send off this test and its going to take four weeks then last week we went in, she sat myself and my husband down and said what I said in the video.

The diagnostic confirmation was earth-shattering.

Our world was literally turned upside down, we never thought that it would be this, sobs Una.

I suppose last week when we first found out we had to kind of keep it together when the kids were here. We had to try and act as normal as possible and then when they finish school, we just try to do stuff.

The Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Association reached out to me and kind of had a counselling session with me. The lady from it said, just try your very best to have a good Christmas, as if you hadnt had this news.

Archie is so young he doesnt really understand.

Archie Ennis

We have taken time off work. As any father would be, he is struggling too.

She reveals other families have reached out to her that are in the same boat.

Theres one in 5,000 boys affected by this genetic condition, its more common in little boys, she elaborates.

The professor is a neuromuscular professor and she said theres 10 boys in her clinic (with the same condition). Its mainly little boys when they start showing symptoms.

When they are born with this their mother is the carrier and I didnt know I was the carrier. I have never been tested, because I have never had anybody in the family that has had this.

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She discloses the life expectancy for most people with the condition is in their early 30s.

There is a new drug on the market in the UK which still has to get the go-ahead to be introduced here, but their best option right now is the gene therapy programme in America.

Since Unas heartbreaking video, over 270,000 has been raised in donations on the familys GoFund Me appeal link.

Of course, as a mammy and daddy we are going to have to do anything that we can to help our little boy, she adds.

Everybody in the community is really helping, they are doing raffles, and they are just really trying to help us, its amazing, the community spirit is really good.

She also hopes the video she posted of Archies struggle to get up the stair will help other families who may not have figured out what is happening their kids in a similar position.

Maybe they can start treatment sooner so it doesnt progress and their little boy is going to end up in a wheelchair, she points out.

- Donations can be made on the GoFundMe page at https://tinyurl.com/2davss26 or by Revolut @unacl6jg
BISHKEK, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The commencement ceremony for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, on Friday. Representatives from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan highlighted the railway's potential to promote regional connectivity and prosperity.

Sanjar Mukanbetov, director of the National Institute of Strategic Initiatives under the President of Kyrgyzstan, told Xinhua that the support of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan's leaders has made the railway project possible.

"Residents and nearby settlements will directly benefit from the economic impact of the project," Mukanbetov said. "It will certainly reshape regional logistics, bringing significant economic benefits."

According to the current progress of the project, the construction of the Kyrgyz section of the railway project is scheduled to begin in July 2025 and last for six years, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said.

Igor Shestakov, an expert from Kyrgyzstan, said the railway would help showcase Belt and Road cooperation projects and significantly benefit projects under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Kyrgyz economist Iskender Sharsheev said he believed that the project would attract more investments in energy, transport, and agriculture.

"The infrastructure will open opportunities for logistics, product processing, and export-oriented production," he said, adding that the railway will drive change, fostering economic growth and social stability in the region.

Abdurasul Abdukhalilov, head of Uzbekistan's Tashkent regional department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the railway will link China with European and Middle Eastern markets, facilitating freight transport.

Calling the railway the "road of the new century," Azamat Seitov, head of the Laboratory of Anthropology and Conflictology at Uzbekistan's University of World Economy and Diplomacy, said there is no doubt that it will open up new opportunities for trade, tourism and industry, while strengthening regional economic interconnectivity. 
Eileen Mitchell took to social media on Friday to share that her sister, Katie - who is non-verbal, autistic and has learning difficulties - was removed from a branch of CEX.

The sister of an autistic woman has called for more awareness of disabled and vulnerable adults after her sister was left traumatised after she was removed from a retail store by police in Lisburn.

Eileen Mitchell took to social media on Friday to share that her 19-year old sister, Katie - who is non-verbal, autistic and has learning difficulties - was removed from a branch of the second-hand electronics shop CEX on December 19th.

She said her sister had entered the shop after she spotted a DVD she wished to purchase, but was told by staff that a sale was not possible as the registers had been taken off due to closing.

She shared an image of Kate standing at the till, alongside a video in which she is being carried by several police officers out the front door of the shop.

Katie was removed by officers from a shop in Lisburn

Watch: Police remove autistic girl from Lisburn shop

The post has nearly 10,000 likes and over 8,000 shares, while the group NI Disability and Carers shared the post saying they have no words and tagged Chief Constable Jon Boutcher asking him if the response from the officers in the video was acceptable.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Eileen said Katie didnt understand the situation which occurred after she spotted a DVD she wished to purchase of her favourite cartoon series Thomas the Tank Engine, and hit out at how it was handled by the retailer.

Its shocking, its like something you would have expected 20 years ago, but its coming into 2025 and things like this are still happening to vulnerable people, said Eileen who said she believes it was her parents who called the police in the hopes of helping de-escalating the situation.

CEX has been contacted for comment.

To be honest, Katie was very traumatised over this for a long time, it was the shock of it.

"We dont know what long term impact it will have, were scared Katie will now react if she sees a police officer when out shopping, or if she sees another one of these shops.

I dont think we can take her shopping in Lisburn either, its so traumatic for her.

You just assume that you can call the police in a crisis, and theyll be able to help and be aware of how to handle vulnerable people, and help the situation.

After the incident, Eileen claims her sister was carried outside of the shop, before she was set down. The police and shop staff then left, as Katie and Eileens father attempted to help her.

She also said her father stepped in after the incident because he was concerned that due to her low weight, Katie would be hurt when being carried by the officers.

The worst part of it was that she was just left outside the store and everyone just walked off, she added.

We did hear from the police on Christmas Day who contacted us who told us that it was basically my mum and dads fault - as well as Katies fault. They were blaming them.

The family said they have not received any further response from the police.

I shared the video because of how my parents and Katie have been since, theyre really in shock about it all. The fact that several police officers needed to remove a young girl because of a 2 DVD.

"At the time when Katie wanted to buy it, my mum also said she begged with the shop to do anything that would help, like bringing back the DVD the next day to scan it, or letting them keep the box so the sale could be processed in the morning.

I think we just need more common sense, and a better approach for disabled and vulnerable adults.

The incident comes just weeks after the PSNI launched training webinars for police officers in partnership Autism NI.

An aspect of the training was to focus on understanding and responding to the needs of autistic members of the public whilst on duty.

At the time, Autism NI praised the partnership and said it was  great to see the organisation's commitment to supporting both autistic members of the public and autistic staff members.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police were called to assist in a shop in the Bow Street area of Lisburn at 6.15pm last Sunday, 22nd December. Officers attended and removed a 19-year-old female from the shop."

Sinn Fein councillor Gary McCleave said he had contacted the PSNI over the incident.

I have made contact with the PSNI regarding this incident, he said.

This incident highlights the importance that shops and people who work in the public sector receive appropriate training.

I will be speaking with my colleagues who will be raising it with the policing board.

Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood also said she had contacted the family.

"Folks, regarding a video of an incident last week in Lisburn, I've made contact with all parties concerned this evening, she said.

In order to respect privacy and process, I will not be commenting further. Please rest assured that we are supporting the family and will be following through.
Warren Upton, who was 105, died on Wednesday at a hospital in Los Gatos, California, after suffering a bout of pneumonia

Warren Upton with his daughter Barbara Upton at his home in San Jose, California (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group via AP)

The oldest living survivor of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and the last remaining survivor of the USS Utah, has died.

Warren Upton, who was 105, died on Wednesday at a hospital in Los Gatos, California, after suffering a bout of pneumonia, said Kathleen Farley, the California state chairwoman of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbour Survivors.

The Utah, a battleship, was moored at Pearl Harbour when Japanese planes began bombing the Hawaii naval base in the early hours of December 7 1941, in an attack that propelled the US into the Second World War.

Warren Upton holds a picture of himself as a young serviceman (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group via AP)

Mr Upton told The Associated Press in 2020 that he had been getting ready to shave when he felt the first torpedo hit the Utah. He recalled that no one on board knew what made the ship shake. Then the second torpedo hit and the ship began to list and capsize.

The then-22-year-old swam ashore to Ford Island, where he jumped in a trench to avoid Japanese planes strafing the area. He stayed for about 30 minutes until a truck came and took him to safety.

Mr Upton said he did not mind talking about what happened during the attack. Instead, what upset him was that he kept losing shipmates over the years. By 2020, there were only three crew members of the Utah still alive, including himself.

There were an estimated 87,000 military personnel on Oahu on the day of the attack, according to military historian J Michael Wenger. After Mr Uptons death, there are only 15 still alive.
Doing a bit of post Christmas shopping?

Police are urging people to be cautious when it comes to buying good listed for sale on social media.

"Our advice is to always be vigilant when shopping via social media," said a police spokesperson in a post on Faacebook.

"Were seeing the same common tactics, which offenders use to lure in victims, including specifically requesting the victim bring cash for the sale, or requesting the buyer to come to the sellers home address to purchase the item.

"Were also seeing an increase of alleged buyers providing a fake home address to the victim."

Police have several suggestions for people looking to buy or sell online:

- First and foremost, we recommend using a reputable online site to buy or sell items.

- Check the social media profile of the seller. Is it a new profile or relatively blank? There's a chance it may be a fake profile.

- If the trader insists on meeting at a public place or unusual location to make a sale, be cautious. It may be that they are selling stolen items or don't want to be identified for some other reason.

- Equally, if purchasers are reluctant to meet in person or insist items are dropped off at a location, they may be avoiding being seen or identified.

- Purchasers who are happy to pay full price without trying to negotiate.

- If you are the seller, make sure the money is in your account before sending or handing off items.

- As the saying goes: if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

If you wish to report a social media scam, contact Police on 105 or report it online at 105.police.govt.nz

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Big Lots has struck a deal to save some stores from closing and keep the brand name alive.

The discount retail chain announced late Friday that it has agreed to a sale transaction with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, LLC, to transfer Big Lots assets, including stores, distribution centers and intellectual property, to other retailers including Variety Wholesalers, Inc.

Variety Wholesalers said it will acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores that will continue to operate under the Big Lots brand, plus up to two distribution centers. Variety also said it may continue to keep Big Lots employees at its acquired properties, as well as some corporate staff.

Its unclear which locations will be saved, but Variety currently owns more than 400 retail stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions under names like Roses, Roses Express, Maxway, Bills Dollar Stores, Super 10, Super Dollar, and Bargain Town. The deal represents less than half of Big Lots current brick-and-mortar footprint, which was 908 stores last week after closing more than 500 locations over the previous year.

Big Lots currently has 49 stores remaining in New York state, including locations in Auburn, Buffalo, Clifton Park, Cortland, Depew, Dunkirk, Elmira, Hamilton, Kingston, Liverpool, Lockport, Mattydale, Niagara Falls, Oneida, Ontario, Oswego, Potsdam, Pulaski, Rochester, Rome, Saugerties, Tonawanda, Utica, Vestal, Watertown and West Seneca. The retailers website still said All stores closing Saturday morning with sales of up to 25% off.

Earlier this year, Big Lots closed at least a dozen locations in the Empire State, including stores in Binghamton, Buffalo, Canandaigua, Geneva, Irondequoit, Ithaca, New Hartford, Poughkeepsie and Troy.

Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September amid declining sales, expressing doubt about its survival due to a challenging consumer environment and a continued pullback in consumer spending by our core customers, particularly in high ticket discretionary items. The company said last week it would close all remaining stores and have a going-out-of-business sale after a sale agreement with an affiliate of Nexus Capital Management fell through.

The strategic sale to Gordon Brothers and the transfer to Variety Wholesalers is a favorable and significant achievement for Big Lots that reflects the tireless work and collective effort of our team. This sale agreement and transfer present the strongest opportunity to preserve jobs, maximize value for the estate and ensure continuity of the Big Lots brand, Big Lots President and CEO Bruce Thorn said Friday. We are grateful to our associates nationwide for their grit and resilience throughout this process.

Variety Wholesalers President and CEO Lisa Seigies added: We are excited to partner with Gordon Brothers to provide a path forward for the Big Lots brand and hundreds of it stores. We look forward to working with members of the Big Lots team to realize the exciting opportunities ahead.

The agreement is subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and other customary closing conditions.
Wakefield, N.H.  A 2024 Syracuse University graduate and three family members died of a suspected carbon monoxide leak on Christmas Day in their vacation home in New Hampshire, police said.

The family was spending the Christmas holidays at a home they owned in Wakefield, New Hampshire, authorities told the Associated Press. The family is from Newton, Massachusetts, a city eight miles west of Boston.

The four who died are Matthew Goldstein, 52, a school teacher, and his wife, Lyla Goldstein, 54, who was a project manager at Microsoft, and their daughters, Valerie, 22, the SU graduate, and Violet, 19, a first year student at the Rhode Island School of Design.

The family was discovered dead when they did not arrive to a holiday event and extended family called police, according to the report. High amounts of carbon monoxide were found in the home and Matthew Goldsteins autopsy revealed his cause of death to be carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said.

Investigators told the AP they havent yet figured out what caused the apparent leak of carbon monoxide from the propane gas heating system. There were no carbon monoxide detectors in the home, authorities said.

Valerie Goldstein graduated this year from Syracuse University, according to her LinkedIn profile. She majored in policy studies. According to a profile by the school, she graduated early and was excited to put my Syracuse education into practice, advancing educational equity at the ground level.

She was in her first year of Teach for America in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, according to her profile.

While at SU, she studied abroad in England and Italy and assisted a professor with writing a book, according to the school.

While at Syracuse she interned with Blueprint 15 to create a business page highlighting minority-owned businesses, she wrote. She also worked as a research consultant for ARC of Onondaga. She also was a Girl Scout camp counselor.

A city counselor for the city of Newton, Massachusetts, posted a tribute to Valerie Goldstein on Facebook.

I remember that Valerie would write in to the City Council about her passion for a more sustainable world and a just society as soon as she was old enough to vote, and she asked me to help her with a class project on local environmental policy, wrote Councilor Bill Humphrey.

A house in Wakefield, N.H., where a family of four died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning on Christmas Day, is shown on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry) APAP

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A 50-year-old man was charged with making a terroristic threat Friday that prevented Destiny USA from opening, police said.

Darrell Anderson Navedo, of Syracuse, made threats in an internet chat to go to Destiny USA and kill two people, according to an emergency risk protection order filed Friday by the Onondaga County District Attorneys Office.

It wasnt clear if the threat was toward two specific people, according to court documents that described the exchange.

But the man indicated he had a bomb, an uzi and a 4k47 ready, which he showed the person who ultimately tipped off law enforcement, according to court documents.

Authorities decided Friday to temporarily suspend mall operations after investigating the threat that was received Friday morning Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile said.

We looked into it, we realized it was very specific and very actionable, so we put together a team of local, county, state and federal partners, as well as reached out to the mall management and the owners of the mall to come up with a plan, Cecile said Friday afternoon at Destiny USA.

The mall usually opens at 10 a.m. but only employees were allowed to enter this morning. Stores were asked to close their gates and delay opening, police said. A shelter-in-place was not issued, and employees were not asked to evacuate, they said.

Around 11 a.m., driving entrances to the mall could be seen blocked by State Police. The reason for this was to keep people trying to get into the mall out while it suspended operations, Cecile said.

The man was taken into custody around 3 p.m., according to Kieran Coffey, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Police Department

Destiny USA has been officially cleared to reopen and is safe for mallgoers, Destiny USA management said in a news release at 5 p.m. Friday.

Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at tcobb@syracuse.com.
SYDNEY, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A man has died after a shark attack off the Central Queensland coast in eastern Australia, local media reported on Saturday.

The man in his 40s died after suffering life-threatening injuries to his neck in the shark bite incident in waters off Yeppoon, the second in Central Queensland within the past month, according to Brisbane-based The Courier Mail daily newspaper.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the man had been fishing with family members when he was bitten by a shark. The incident occurred about 4:37 p.m. Saturday.

The man suffered life-threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries just before 6 p.m., the police spokesman said.

There have been at least four other shark attacks in Australian waters so far this year, the newspaper reported, quoting the Australian Shark-Incident Database. 
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abhisheksahas BHPian

Join Date: Dec 2024 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 47 Thanked: 190 Times

Re: Hyundai Kona : Official Review

It's not that a perfect car, but I believe that most online review have spread false narratives, in what is clearly, a very good car.





Overview of my recent trips:

A solo drive from Bangalore to Coimbatore, a distance of approximately 410 km and I was able to complete this drive without any stops for charging.

A solo drive from Coimbatore to Chennai, a distance of 525 Kms,which I was able to complete this trip with a single 30 minute charging break on a ZEON fast charger., during which I topped up 20 kW

All of my drives were done in eco mode, while staying within the prescribed speed limits.The AC set at 24C and seat ventilation / heating enabled. I use cruise-control for 80%-90% of the time, with region mode set to 0.





Ownership experience

Advaith Hyundais service center on outer ring road has offered a fuss free experience.

Got PPF done for the entire vehicle from Detailing Bulls for Rs 65,000 right after purchase. Since then, got quite a few nicks on the car. For now, I am happy to live with them.

The AC compressor stopped working, apparently a known issue with CKD Konas and was replaced by Hyundai under warranty.

The AC vent adjuster for the right side AC broke, and was replaced under warranty. This part apparently costs 5K - 10K.

The 30,000 service ( done in the 3rd week of Dec 2024 ), cost approximately 12,000 - including wheel balancing, coolant top up, AC disinfection, AC intake filter, and brake cleaning.

The overall range is about 330-380 Kms on a single charge, and I have a AC charger in my vehicle parking area, bringing the cost per Km to be < Rs 1.

The car continues to deliver tax benefits under section 80EE.

Seat ventilation is a great, but seat heating feels amazing during the last phase of long drives.Electronic lumbar adjustment relives stress on lower back towards the end of long rides.

When the vehicle is full. the tall speed breakers are impossible to escape.

Ground clearance is a major issue.. The car once got stuck on a poorly designed ramp leading to a basement car parking area. Had to take help from 5-6 people to get the vehicle dislodged.

Disabled the lock /unlock chiming speaker by unplugging the cable. Alternately, one can also cover the speaker vents with insulation tape to reduce its sound.

The suspension has been tuned really well. Its amazing for the pot holes in the city, very few being felt, and quiet too. The highway manners are commendable too.

The steering is dull and lifeless, and its probably the only fly in the ointment.

The 400 NM torque in sports mode still brings a smile every time I switch it ON.

Installed the 70Mai Dash Cam on the front as well as the rear.

Installed the CarlinkKit dongle for Wirless CarPlay and it works flawlessly.

There is enough place for a frunk, but there isn't one. I have been exploring designs that are available on the web, they need to be be 3D printed, but I have stayed away from it fearing damage to the drivetrain or warranty.

The tyres have held up okay, with 3 punctures in 3 years and they have been holding up okay. I am hoping to continue using them for an additional 20,000 Kms.

The boot is plenty spacious (> 350 Lts) for a weekend trip. But, I have found a lot of usable space for knickknacks under the false boot floor.

The quality of materials for the interiors seem like they would last for a really long time.

Hyundais lack of BlueLink is sorely missed. ADAS and 360 camera would have been welcome additions, but not missed. After 30,000 Km in my 2 year old Kona, my thoughts that the Hyundai Kona EV is one of the most underrated cars that's ever sold in India, have been reinforced.It's not that a perfect car, but I believe that most online review have spread false narratives, in what is clearly, a very good car.Overview of my recent trips:All of my drives were done in eco mode, while staying within the prescribed speed limits.The AC set at 24C and seat ventilation / heating enabled. I use cruise-control for 80%-90% of the time, with region mode set to 0.Ownership experience Last edited by ampere : 27th December 2024 at 18:56 .
KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were wounded after an explosion occurred near Kabul airport in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday morning, Khalid Zadran, spokesman of the Kabul police chief, told local media. 
GTO Team-BHP Support



Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 72,864 Thanked: 319,212 Times

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re: JSW in talks with Chinas Geely for Electric Car JV | Supposedly unhappy with 50% stake in MG-SAIC Whoa! JSW's ambitions in the auto industry are strong, but isn't this a rare time we are seeing this happen in India? They only recently had a big-bang partnership with MG / SAIC, and are already in talks with a major competitor for another JV? It's like Maruti-Suzuki partnering with Honda for a separate JV to give them rebadged Marutis, despite having a strong bond with Toyota. Imagine how miffed Toyota would be.



Or is this a pressure tactic to push MG-SAIC into giving them a majority stake? I think MG was pushed into a corner. The government wouldn't allow them to invest more money in India unless there was an Indian partner, and now they are being pushed into a corner again by JSW.



MG is a sure thing and already has a strong brand + good reputation + great cars on sale. JSW should support them fully. Geely, on the other hand, is a complete unknown. But don't underestimate Geely = they are a top carmaker & have proven their mettle with the way they bought & handled Volvo.



On a related note, BYD India needs a partner too. Great cars & great company (worldwide), but their Indian operations are clueless. BYD wants to invest big in India - the government refused. But again, JSW would want majority stake which BYD will never give. BYD needs a 50% (or lesser) stake partner in India with strong lobbyists in Delhi, unless the geo-political situation improves (unlikely in the near future). Last edited by GTO : 27th December 2024 at 13:05 . Reason: One more thing
In brief: The US Federal Trade Commission has spent weeks investigating Microsoft's cybersecurity deals with the federal government. Although the case's fate under the incoming Trump administration remains uncertain, the Commission continues to pursue it, illuminating the tech giant's alleged strategy of locking government customers into its products to block competition.

Microsoft has received a subpoena to turn information over to the US Federal Trade Commission amid accusations of anticompetitive behavior. The company's wide-ranging cybersecurity agreement with multiple federal agencies may violate antitrust law.

The investigation follows a ProPublica report detailing how the firm convinced the government to convert much of its digital infrastructure to Microsoft products after the 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack. The company is accused of bypassing the traditional contract bidding process, sticking federal customers with expensive subscription fees, and rendering migration to competitors like Google or Amazon prohibitively difficult.

Following SolarWinds, the White House summoned the heads of Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and other big tech names to discuss strategies for improving US cybersecurity. In response, Microsoft offered to help various government sectors upgrade to its highest-quality security products.

Although using Microsoft's cybersecurity systems was initially free, steep subscription prices were triggered once the trial periods ended. By this point, the numerous divisions using Microsoft's products, including the military, had become so accustomed to them that they paid instead of switching.

As reported last month, Microsoft's cloud business, Azure, is a primary focus of the FTC's investigation. Federal divisions that switched to the company's platform eventually bought more products that ran on Azure. A former Microsoft salesperson compared the process to getting a customer addicted to crack.

Critics argue that the arrangement makes the government too dependent on Microsoft, locking out competitors and increasing the potential for a cascade of security failures. A traditional round of bidding followed by a heterogeneous security policy might have lowered prices and boosted cybersecurity resilience.

Moreover, the SolarWinds hack occurred due to a vulnerability in Microsoft's software. The company claimed that its higher subscription tiers would have prevented the incident, but it had ignored warnings about the flaw years earlier.

Some suspect that Microsoft's free trials might amount to illegal gratuities, but the company considers it a "100 percent discount" added to pre-existing contracts. Assuming the FTC's investigation survives into the oncoming administration, clearly defining the terms of the deal could prove to be a focal point of the case.
Dubbed the "godfather of AI," Professor Geoffrey Hinton has changed his projection on the potential for artificial intelligence to become humanity's causative destructive end.

Talking on BBC Radio 4's Today program, he says his former estimate of a 10% chance of AI wiping out humanity has increased to as high as 20%.

The Scary Forecast About AI Takeover

According to The Guardian, when asked if his stance had changed since earlier comments, Hinton replied, "Not really, 10 to 20 [percent]." The program host noted the alarming shift, highlighting the increased odds.

Hinton, later, made an analogy. He pictured that there are only a few examples of a "less intelligent thing" controlling a more intelligent entity. He exemplified a mother and a baby.

Referring to humanity's position in this equation, Hinton told the listeners to imagine themselves and a three-year-old. He said that all of us will be three-year-olds by that time.

A History of Concerned Advocacy

Hinton has long been a vocal critic of uncontrolled AI development. Earlier this year, he resigned from his position at Google to freely express his concerns.

The idea that this stuff could actually get smarter than people  a few people believed that," Hinton said after he announced his resignation.

The Godfather of AI said that most people thought that the transition was way off. He added that it could happen 30 to 50 years from now or even longer.

Hinton on OpenAI's Safety Debacle

Hinton also addressed the internal struggles at OpenAI, notably the recent ousting of CEO Sam Altman. He praised his former student, Ilya Sutskever, one of the figures behind the boardroom coup.

"I am particularly proud of the fact that one of my students fired Sam Altman," Hinton said in October 2024, declining to say more.

He later explained Sutskever's reasons, insisting on the need for AI safety. According to the 2024 Nobel Prize awardee, OpenAI was set up with a big focus on safety. However, over time, it appeared that Altman only cared about profits and not safety, stating that it was a very "unfortunate" scenario.

A Call for Caution

Just by looking at the stature and experience of Hinton, his warnings are an alarm call to tech leaders and lawmakers alike. Considering that AI is changing rapidly, his revised odds underline how urgent it is to implement stringent controls and ethical guidelines to safeguard the future of humanity.

Last week, Tech Times reported that China's AI ambitions are slowly coming to life. Compared to their US counterparts, Chinese open-source models are rapidly progressing, making them a good if not better alternative to their competitors.

With the emergence of large language models or LLMs, local tech giants like Alibaba and DeepSeek are taking advantage of the data sets used in making chatbots or any AI-related creations.

In the long run, China sees this as its advantage over other nations. This way, the country also effectively addresses the controversial US chip ban, proving that it's not the end of the world even if it happens. In fact, it's only the beginningof the ongoing AI chip war.
In response to growing fears of mass deportations by the US since the Donald Trump takeover, Mexico is creating a useful mobile app that will assist migrants in alerting their families and consulates in real time. This initiative, initiated by Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Juan Ramon de la Fuente, will provide migrants with a digital tool for safety and rapid communication.

This "panic button" app can be as simple as the user's ability to send instant messages regarding the suspicion that they would soon be detained by the US immigration authorities to selected relatives and the closest Mexican consulate.

A Preventive Action Against Rising Deportation Worries

CNN wrote that the app was developed after aggressive rhetoric from then-President-elect Donald Trump, who promised mass deportations once he got into office. De la Fuente disclosed that the app is currently being tested on a small scale and is going to be fully launched in January.

"This app provides migrants with a way of communicating quickly and making sure their families and consulates are informed during critical moments," De la Fuente said.

How the Migrant Alert App Works

The application is user-friendly, with an alert system where one tap will automatically alert pre-selected contacts and consulates. More importantly, the application has a feature to cancel an alarm in case the user is not detained. It's also significant because it guarantees the rights of migrants, together with ensuring that legal aid comes within reach during detention events.

Improved Support Mechanisms for Migrants

To complement the app, the Mexican government has also set up a 24/7 call center to answer migrants' questions and concerns. In addition, Mexico has strengthened its consular services throughout the United States by hiring more staff and legal resources to help migrants in deportation-related legal processes.

Millions of Migrants at Risk

Mexico estimates that about 11.5 million Mexican nationals are living in the U.S. with some form of legal status, while 4.8 million lack proper documentation, Click on Detroit reports.

For these undocumented individuals, the risks of detention and deportation are significant, making this app a timely and vital resource.

A Critical Tool in Uncertain Times

The mobile app means a lot of Mexicans who feel that they are not fully protected on the US grounds. Fortunately, the Mexican government had to step up to make sure its citizens overseas were secured.

This application could be a lifesaver to millions of migrants during heightened enforcement, especially when their rights have to be protected while still in touch with family.

Mexico is leading in how countries can utilize technology for the protection of the vulnerable by merging it with advocacy, ensuring that there is no migrant who faces the challenge of detention and deportation without being accompanied.

A week ago, Tech Times reported that Trump assigned Jared Isaacman, a space billionaire to be the new NASA head. The latter, a tech mogul is also a known crypto advocate.

With Isaacman at the helm of crypto and space exploration, we might see a lot of collaborations between these two industries soon.
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Cambodian government on Saturday decided to reduce e-visa fees for tourists and business or ordinary people, taking effect from Jan. 1, 2025.

The government said in a news release that the fee for tourist type (e-visa T) would be slashed to 30 U.S. dollars from the current 36 dollars, while the fee for regular type (e-visa E) would be lowered to 35 dollars from the current 42 dollars.

The move aimed to attract more tourists and investors to the Southeast Asian country.

Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia chapter, said the reduction was unlikely to significantly boost the tourism industry.

"To attract more tourists, we urge the government to consider implementing visa incentives for travelers from some of top 20 arrival countries to enhance Cambodia's tourism appeal," he told Xinhua.

Cambodia recorded 6 million international tourists during the January-November period of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent.

Top five international tourist arrivals to the kingdom are Thailand, Vietnam, China, Laos and the United States.

Tourism is one of four pillars supporting Cambodia's economy, in addition to garment, footwear and travel goods export, agriculture, and construction and real estate.

The country received 5.45 million international tourists in 2023, generating a gross revenue of 3.08 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Ministry of Tourism. 
Peru closes ports as giant waves batter coast



Lima, Dec 28 (AFP) Dec 28, 2024



Peru closed three quarters of its ports on Saturday as giant waves up to four meters (13 feet) high pummeled its coast, damaging boats and shops, officials said.

Many beaches along the central and northern stretches of the Peruvian coastline were closed to prevent risk to human life, local authorities said.

There were no reports of casualties.

The waves submerged jetties and public squares, sending residents fleeing to higher ground, according to images on local media.

The country closed 91 of its 121 ports until January 1, the National Emergency Operations Center said on its X social media account.

The municipality of Callao, close to the capital Lima and the location of the country's main port, closed several beaches and barred tourist and fishing boats from venturing out.

"These waves are being generated thousands of kilometers away from Peru, off the coast of the United States," navy Captain Enrique Varea told Channel N television.

"They are waves generated by a persistent wind on the surface of the ocean that is approaching our coasts," he said.

Dozens of small fishing boats and businesses near the sea were affected, according to images broadcast on television and social networks.

axl/rmb/acb
JAKARTA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian police detained four suspects on Friday during an operation in West Java, as part of an investigation into alleged terrorist activities, local media reported on Saturday.

This operation, conducted by the National Police's counterterrorism unit, took place in the Majalengka region of the province. Officers reportedly seized several pieces of evidence, including documents and firecrackers.

Indonesia has experienced several terrorist attacks in the past, including the deadly Bali bombings in 2002 and the Makassar cathedral bombing in 2021. In response, the Southeast Asian nation has carried out counter-terrorism operations both domestically and internationally. 
Intelligent robots work on a vehicle production line in Changchun, Jilin province, on April 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]



China will continue to see stable GDP growth in the coming years as the world's second-largest economy shows strong resilience boosted by its technological and innovative capability and more supportive government policies to drive domestic demand and high-quality development, experts said on Friday.

New quality productive forces and new technologies are now being applied on a larger scale, providing a strong driving force and growth momentum for many new industrial sectors, said Wang Peng, a deputy researcher of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

Wang said the booming new energy sector advances the process of green transformation, with a trend toward sustainable economic development. China's economy is expected to enhance growth momentum through innovation and optimizing the industrial structure to achieve sustainable development.

Wang's comments came as China published the results of its fifth national economic census on Thursday, which showed that the country's economy had a solid foundation, strong resilience and enormous potential over the past five years.

"Compared to the previous results of the economic census, China's economy shows characteristics of structural optimization and high-quality development with the strong momentum of enterprise innovation, rapid development of high-tech and new energy sectors," Wang said.

The decline of total profits of industrial enterprises continued to narrow in November, showing that the Chinese economy is continuing its trend of recovery. Data released on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics show that total profits of industrial enterprises above designated size across the country realized a total profit of 6.667 trillion yuan ($913.40 billion) in the first 11 months, a year-on-year decline of 4.7 percent. In November, total profits of enterprises declined by 7.3 percent year-on-year, compared with 10 percent in October.

Strong policy support including existing policy tools and the recent launch of a package of incremental policies has led to steady growth in industrial production and a corporate revenue turnaround from decline to increase in November. The government support has also pushed the transformation of the manufacturing industry into high-end, intelligent and green development, said Yu Weining, a statistician of NBS on Friday.

The intensity of macroeconomic policy support has increased significantly since September as the government launched a string of measures to promote large-scale equipment replacement and trade-in consumption, expand fiscal expenditure and stabilize the domestic property market, said Zhou Maohua, a researcher at China Everbright Bank.

These moves are likely to further drive up domestic consumption and investment demand, the rebound of prices and the improvement of corporate profits, Zhou said.

Since the beginning of this year, the implementation of a package of incremental policies has fully embodied the convergence of countercyclical and crosscyclical adjustments, unleashing the potential for economic development while enhancing the momentum of economic development, said Wang Yun, deputy director of Xi Jinping Thought on Economy Study Center of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Looking ahead, Wang said that policy measures need to be optimized to sustain the fundamental role of consumption and the key role of investment. China needs to continue to carry out economic reform to fully unleash development potential and stimulate the vitality of economic activities.




YANGON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Naing Win Soe, 36-year-old farmer from Aung Thar village in Lewe township, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, no longer needs to make six or seven trips daily to fetch water for his family.

Thanks to a rural water supply project funded by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, Naing Win Soe can now access clean water from a tank installed in his yard. The project has eased his daily burden of carrying water over a 400-meter distance.

"In the past, the place where we had to collect water was far away. Water scarcity was a big problem, especially in summer, and drinking water was not clean. We had to wait for our turn to fetch water. Digging wells was impossible in most places here. Here, we have to dig approximately 400-500 feet to access water," Naing Win Soe, head of the four-member family, told Xinhua.

Expressing his gratitude, he said, "I'm extremely happy. I even gave some of my land for the construction of a water storage tank for the project."

Another beneficiary, Ko Hlaing Win, 38-year-old villager, said "We used to carry water in carts, which took about two hours daily. The new water supply project is very helpful."

"It not only benefits us but also our cattle. I'm grateful to those who provided this assistance," he added.

Daw Sabel, 50, another villager, explained how life has improved. "In the past, fetching water was very difficult. We had to wait in line, taking turns to collect water. Now, water flows from a tap connected to the storage tank. It's so convenient," she said.

She praised Chinese workers who built the system, saying, "The Chinese people constructed the water supply system. They are friendly. Now, we have clean water, which is very good for my family of seven."

The water supply project helps more than 300 villagers with a well, a purification system, an 8,000-gallon storage tower, three water storage tanks and a pipeline.

During a ceremony marking the completion of the project, U Hla Myint Thein, 42-year-old farmer, spoke on behalf of the villagers, "I'm grateful to those who supported the project. We will also maintain the facilities to ensure the long-term sustainability of the well, water storage tower, water storage tanks, and pipelines."

U Kyaw Soe Moe, 49, a 100-household leader in Aung Thar village, who has been in this role since 2010, reflected on the past. "As a village leader, I used to deal with the water shortage problem constantly. Now, that problem is gone," he said.

"During the construction of the water supply system, I oversaw some of the work. For bilateral friendship, the donation is good for both China and Myanmar," he added.

U Than Tun Oo, chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, emphasized broader benefits of the project, explaining the system has provided clean drinking water, improved personal hygiene and overall health of the villagers. 
Police have charged two teenagers over three armed robberies and an attempted armed robbery in Brisbanes south on Thursday and Friday nights and into Saturday morning.

Police arrested the pair, aged 17 and 18, at a Springfield residence on Saturday and charged them with five offences each, including three counts of armed robbery, one of attempted armed robbery, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

They remained in custody on Sunday after being refused bail, and were expected to appear in court on Monday.

Police and emergency crews responded to a number of serious incidents south of Brisbane overnight.

Police said the first offence occurred in South Brisbane shortly before midnight on Thursday, when the pair allegedly tried to rob a Hope Street address.
A woman has been charged with murder after she allegedly stabbed her partner to death at a house on the outskirts of Ballarat.

Police arrested the 38-year-old Mount Helen woman at the house on Park Lane in the suburb shortly before 8am on Saturday.

Police outside the Mount Helen property where a woman was arrested after a fatal stabbing. Credit: Nine News

Nine News reported the man was the womans partner, and he was allegedly stabbed in the chest while sitting on a couch inside the home.

Emergency services later found the 47-year-old man with critical injuries outside the house.
Washington: A woman with the first severe case of bird flu in the US had a mutated form of the disease that may make it more infectious to humans.

Scientists believe the virus  which has spread across bird and cattle farms in the US and caused more than 60 mild human infections  could jump more easily to people in future.

California has declared a state of emergency over the virus, which has been found in more than 600 dairy farms there in the last four months.

Colorised image showing avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles (yellow), grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells (blue). Credit: CDC via AP

The woman from Louisiana needed hospital treatment for the disease. Another severe bird flu case was reported in a teenager in British Columbia, Canada.
ISTANBUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's first domestic communication satellite has successfully reached its orbit, marking a significant milestone in the country's space program, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Saturday.

Turksat 6A has reached its 42-degree east orbit, the minister confirmed on the social media platform X.

"Our national pride will elevate Turkiye to an international player in space activities and strengthen our communication infrastructure," he said.

According to local media, the satellite reached its final "geosynchronous orbit" at 35,786 km following a final ignition at 5 a.m. local time (0200 GMT).

After undergoing additional testing in orbit, Turksat 6A is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025.

Launched from SpaceX's Cape Canaveral facility in Florida on July 9, Turksat 6A is hailed as a major achievement for Turkiye's space program. 
BMC demolishes illegal portion of under-construction building





Staff Reporter

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) continues its crackdown on illegal constructions and encroachments across the city. In a recent action, the Building Permission Department and the Anti-Encroachment Squad jointly demolished the illegal portion of an under-construction building in Laukhedi area. The demolition was carried out following instructions from Municipal Commissioner Harendra Narayan, who had directed the removal of constructions that violate building permission regulations.

As part of this action, the team demolished the illegal section of building number 52 in Aditya Avenue, located in the Bairagarh region of Laukhedi. The illegal construction involved the addition of three roofs on the external part of the building, which were removed using JCB machines and laborers. The municipal authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining compliance with building regulations and will continue their efforts to curb unauthorized constructions across the city.
Flying this holiday season? Read this...





By Milad Haghani

The holidays are coming, airports are packed and emotions are running high. Youve probably seen it or even been part of it: that tense moment when a passenger snaps at a flight attendant, or a near-meltdown over a seat reclining too far. Why does flying seem to bring out the worst in us? Airplanes are, quite literally, a pressure cooker for emotions. For many, airports and airplanes are synonymous with anxiety, which often begins well before they step into the terminal. These environments combine stress, discomfort and a loss of control, often leaving even the calmest travellers feeling on edge. Planes also make inequalities bleedingly obvious. Weve all experienced the envy of walking through first-class cabins to reach economy. Its easy to see why air rage has become so common. In fact, reported incidents have skyrocketed in recent years, exacerbated by pandemic-related anxieties. So, lets have a look at the science behind why we get so cranky when we fly. But more importantly, what we can do about it. Air rage is getting worse In recent years, reports of unruly passenger behaviour around the world have surged. Perhaps the most comprehensive indicator is the data compiled by the United States Federal Aviation Administration, which show a clear connection to the pandemic effect. In 2021, the administration recorded 5,973 incidents of unruly passenger behaviour.

This is a staggering 492% increase compared to the year before. To put this in perspective, the four-year average of such incidents for the period 20172020 was 901.75 (2017: 544, 2018: 889, 2019: 1,161, 2020: 1,009). While the numbers have decreased since their peak in 2021, they remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, the administration reported 2,455 incidents, followed by 2,076 in 2023, and 1,954 so far in 2024 (with final numbers for the year still pending). These incidents in the US alone have led to 402 enforcement actions initiated in 2023, compared to a pre-pandemic high of 83 in a single year. Since 2021, fines totalling more than US$21 million (A$32 million) have been levied as a result of such incidents. The issue is not limited to the United States (although the US seems to have a higher share of such cases). The International Air Transport Association reported an increase in unruly passenger incidents globally, with one incident per 568 flights in 2022  up from one per 835 flights in 2021. The most common types of incidents include non-compliance, verbally abusive behaviour and intoxication. Notably, while non-compliance incidents initially fell after mask mandates were removed on most flights, the frequency began to rise again in 2022, ending the year 37% higher than in 2021. Examples of non-compliance include: l Smoking cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or vapes in the cabin or lavatories l Failing to fasten seatbelts when instructed l Exceeding carry-on baggage allowances or failing to store when required l Consuming personal alcohol on board.

Whats behind the air rage phenomenon Scholarly research has highlighted that the phenomenon arises from an interplay of stressors unique to aviation. Environmental stressors Research consistently identifies the physical environment of airplanes as a significant contributor to passenger frustration and antisocial behaviour. Factors such as cramped seating, limited personal space and high-density cabin configurations exacerbate discomfort and feelings of confinement. Psychological factors such as anxiety, claustrophobia and aviophobia (fear of flying) can also trigger an unusual behaviour that the passenger may not show in other social contexts. In some studies, physical discomfort, such as encroachments into personal space, has been found the leading trigger for anger among passengers. Emotional triggers such as frustration over delays, long queues at the security check or unmet service expectations, can escalate minor grievances into disruptive outbursts. Noise and hunger could further compound the situation.

It can create a volatile atmosphere even before passengers acted out. Research has also suggested that low-cost carriers, while not directly responsible for air rage, create environments conducive to disruptive behaviour due to reduced service levels, inadequate facilities and passenger stress from automation and cost-cutting measures. Social stressors The role of inequality within the cabin environment is another potent factor. Research shows that airplanes serve as a microcosm of class-based society, with physical inequality (the presence of first-class cabins) and situational inequality (boarding through first-class sections) increasing the sense of frustration. Interestingly, situational inequality can even affect first-class passengers, by highlighting their privileges, sometimes fostering a sense of entitlement that may lead to antisocial behaviour. Alcohol use and nicotine withdrawal Alcohol is a dominant precipitant of air rage incidents. Some studies have found that more than half of reported air rage cases involved alcohol intoxication, often fuelled by liberal airport alcohol policies and in-flight consumption. Similarly, nicotine withdrawal was another factor, with nearly 9% of incidents attributed to smokers unable to satisfy their cravings during long flights. Sociodemographic influences Data suggest sociodemographic factors play a significant role in air rage incidents.

One study examining 228 air rage cases found nearly 90% of incidents involved male passengers, with younger adults, particularly those aged 3039, being the most frequently implicated. Cultural norms and expectations around air travel also influence behaviour. They shape how passengers respond to delays, discomfort, breaches of etiquette or perceived inequities. What can be done? In the UK, airlines and airport authorities have implemented measures, such as Edinburghs No Excuse for Abuse campaign, to address the rise in disruptive behaviour. Such initiatives remind passengers to treat staff and fellow travellers with respect, while emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to aggression. But tackling air rage requires more than just slogans. De-escalation techniques and early recognition of disruptive behaviour can help diffuse situations before they escalate. Studies suggest experienced and well-trained crew members are better equipped to handle such incidents. There are also simple things you can do to improve the flying experience. You may choose to avoid overindulging in alcohol before or during the flight, even if it feels like a way to relax. Staying hydrated and opting for non-alcoholic beverages can help keep emotions in check. Be mindful of others when reclining your seat, storing baggage, or navigating the aisle. A little courtesy can go a long way. Reduce stress by arriving early, ensuring your documents are in order. Avoid rushing through the airport, which is often a recipe for heightened anxiety and irritability. Travel can be stressful for everyone. Showing empathy and being polite, even in frustrating situations, can help de-escalate potential conflicts. Ultimately, it may be helpful to remember that air travel isnt always glamorous. Acknowledge that delays, discomfort and inconveniences are often part of the experience and accepting this reality can help reduce frustration. n
Nine health centres in CG awarded national quality assurance standard certificates





Staff Reporter RAIPUR

In recognition of their exceptional health services and patient care, nine health institutions in Chhattisgarh have been awarded prestigious National Quality Assurance Standard (NQAS) certificates by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These institutions, located across Janjgir Champa, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Durg, and Bilaspur districts, met stringent quality assurance standards to achieve this national honor. Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal extended his heartfelt congratulations to the doctors and medical staff of these health centers, praising their dedication to providing high-quality care. He attributed this achievement to the continued efforts under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, aimed at expanding and improving health services across the state. The evaluations were conducted in November and December 2024 by a team from the Central

Health Ministry, which assessed the quality of services and sought feedback from patients. Each health center underwent rigorous testing on parameters including service availability, patient rights, clinical services, infection control, and quality management. Performance Highlights: Surajpur District: Ayushman Arogya Mandir Primary Health Center Chungari 86.65 per cent, Sub Health Center Pakni 86.43 per cent, Sub Health Center Palda 84.11 per cent and Sub Health Center Jajawal 80.44 per cent. In Janjgir Champa District: Primary Health Center Tilai 88.22per cent and Ayushman Arogya Mandir Sub Health Center Sukulpara 88.57 per cent. In Mahasamund District: Sub Health Centre Sonasilli 87.32per cent, in Durg District: Sub Health Centre Kodia 82.50 per cent and in Bilaspur District: Ayushman Arogya Mandir Sub Health Center Lufa 83.83 per cent. The NQAS certificates are issued only after thorough evaluation by expert teams. The process assesses hospitals based on several parameters, including service availability, support services, infection control, quality management, and patient satisfaction. The certificates reflect a health centres ability to provide reliable and quality care. Health Minister Jaiswal expressed hope that these hospitals would continue to set benchmarks for others in the state and inspire them to achieve similar recognition. This accomplishment is a testament to our commitment to delivering world-class health services to every citizen in Chhattisgarh, he added.
Robin Hood Army tackling food wastage





By Vaishnavi Pillay

There is an ingrained value in Indian society where serving food to others is seen as a way to celebrate achievements, honour religious traditions, or as an act of service. Be it any kind of event, there is a strong cultural habit of preparing enough food to ensure no one goes hungry. The intention is good, but it often leads to excess food, which ends up being wasted. This contrast between the traditional values and the cultural habit of preparing sufficient food leads to wastage of food. To bridge the gap between surplus and scarcity, the volunteers of Robin Hood Army, an NGO, have taken up a noble initiatives on city streets. When event venues or banquet halls wrap up their celebrations, they crisscross neighbourhoods, distributing leftover to those in need. The NGO, which began in Delhi in 2014, has spread across the country and launched its Nagpur Chapter in 2016. Currently, it operates with a network of around 150 active volunteers in the city. Nishchay Shende and Hari Baheti, two of the volunteers of Robin Hood Army Nagpur, shared with The Hitavada that they followed a hyperlocal model, like if the food was in Dharampeth area, they distribute it to the needy in or around Dharampeth, and ensured the food is fresh and gets distributed quickly. In recent years, it is observed that with improvement in peoples lifestyle, food wastage has also increased. People tend to prepare excess food for events. If 500 guests are expected, they will usually cook for 700. But the turnout is often much lower. In Nagpur, almost every wedding ends up with enough leftover food to feed at least 200 people, mentioned Nishchay. Contd from page 1

The volunteers consider several factors while distributing food including weather and time the food was cooked. During summer time or humid weather, the food can spoil quickly, so we follow strict guidelines by not collecting food that has been cooked more than six hours prior, except during winters, and distribute it within two hours after collection, stated Nishchay. Before collecting, they ask necessary questions about the foods freshness and even taste it to ensure it is completely safe for consumption. Robin Hood Army is a completely zero-fund organisation and all the work is done voluntarily. They conduct awareness drives once a year, where they meet managers of banquet halls, caterers, and institutions with mess facilities. These are key partners from whom they receive leftover food. The volunteers noted that people are generally happy to donate leftover, but the real challenge is encouraging them to cook mindfully in the first place as many do not embrace the idea of preparing just the right amount, which could prevent wastage altogether. Hari remarked, There is limited awareness and participation from donors, and ensuring food safety and quality during redistribution.

Also, wealthier societies tend to waste more due to over-purchasing. They shared that apart from weddings, a large quantity of food is prepared in religious events to serve thousands or even lakhs of people. While the intention is good, it often leads to a massive leftover food. Every year, we get calls with food left for thousands of people. Unfortunately, on such religious days, we cannot help much as people already take their meals from similar events across the city, mentioned Nishchay. Hari emphasises the need to promote portion control and awareness campaigns. There should be policies for restaurants and caterers to donate surplus food, and use of technology can connect donors with recipients, he added. Nischay and Hari say that in the time of instant gratification, some mindful efforts may not give one instant validation of seeing their donation put to use immediately, but in the long run, it will have a much greater impact on someones life. It is purely about giving back to society without any personal gains. This selfless model sometimes makes it tricky to manage logistics, but we keep going for the love of the cause, they expressed.
Turning out to be a game changer





By Ram Dhangar

Known to be one of Maharashtras Aspirational Districts, Washim is witnessing a revolution of sorts in agriculture. The district, where most farming relies on dryland methods, has long struggled with unpredictable weather and low productivity from traditional crops. However, an innovative initiative by the Agriculture Department has brought a promising alternative to the forefront in the form of chia cultivation. Chia seeds, derived from the Salvia Hispanica plant, are globally recognised as superfood. Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and essential minerals, these tiny seeds are highly sought-after for their health benefits, including improved digestion, weight management, and cardiovascular health.

Recognising this demand, Washim District Administration has introduced chia farming as a sustainable and profitable crop. Last year, under the guidance of District Collector Bhuvaneshwari S, Agriculture Superintendent Arif Shah and ATMA Project Director Anisa Mahabale, as many as 2,175 farmers planted chia across 870 hectares. The results were transformative with farmers reporting increased incomes and minimal challenges in cultivation. Chia is a game-changer, says Madhav Zamre, a farmer from Kondala Zamre.

It grows well in moderate temperatures, is naturally resistant to pests and animals due to its hairy leaves and unique smell and requires only 110 to 115 days to mature. We have seen yields of 5 to 6 quintals per acre, which is much more profitable compared to traditional crops, he said. Farmers like Zamre, Datta Bundhe and Vasantha Ingole share similar success stories, emphasising how chia has brought stability to their otherwise unpredictable income. The crops low maintenance and high market demand, both domestically and internationally, have added to its appeal. The cultivation process involves planting the crop, uprooting it at harvest, drying, and threshing to separate the seeds. Given its resilience and adaptability, chia can be grown across most parts of India, barring cold and hilly regions. This project not only highlights the importance of diversification in agriculture but also demonstrates the potential of smart crop selection in empowering farmers. With the continued support of the district administration and Agriculture Department, chia farming is poised to become a cornerstone of Washims agricultural transformation. The success of this initiative underlines how innovation and administrative resolve can drive positive change, even in challenging environments. Washim is leading by example, showcasing a sustainable path to prosperity for farmers.
by Xinhua writers Xia Yuanyi and Liu Yuxuan

WARSAW, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Weekday mornings hum with urgency at the shopping complex GD Poland on the outskirts of Warsaw. Electric scooters laden with crates of Chinese goods dart between warehouses and loading docks, as merchants race to load shipments - hauled thousands of kilometers by China-Europe freight trains - into vans bound for stores across Central and Eastern Europe.

What appears to be a chaotic delivery hub is, in reality, the final stop in an intricate supply chain connecting Chinese factories to European storefronts. A network that turns global trade routes into local livelihoods, fueling cross-continental cooperation.

MERCHANTS ON SCOOTERS

Among the swift-moving scooters at GD Poland is Lin Jiangliang, a Chinese merchant who, alongside his wife Hong Meili, has spent the past decade running a lingerie business there.

Drawn to Poland in 2014, three years after the launch of China-Europe freight trains, the couple saw opportunity in a country fast becoming Europe's logistical gateway, as most trains entering the European Union (EU) pass through Malaszewicze, a critical border town in Poland.

"We realized soon that reselling factory-made products wouldn't set us apart," Hong said. Instead, they created their own brand, designing styles based on emerging fashion trends and customer preferences.

China-Europe freight trains quickly became the backbone of their operation. Digital sketches sent to factories in China are transformed into samples and shipped within two weeks, allowing their shelves to stay stocked with the latest designs.

To meet growing demand, Lin hired a local porter and a salesperson, relying on scooters to shuttle goods. Orders averaging dozens of kilograms per shipment are packed and delivered with speed, demonstrating the resourcefulness and hard work that small-scale merchants need to survive and thrive.

Their story mirrors a broader picture of commerce at GD Poland, where about 900 businesses specialize in textiles, appliances, and household goods - 90 percent of which are sourced from China, according to Wang Qi, the center's deputy general manager.

Similar trading hubs have flourished across Europe over the past few decades, from Aubervilliers in France to Fuenlabrada in Spain. In 2023 alone, China exported 169 billion U.S. dollars worth of light industrial products to the European Union and Britain, supplying affordable goods to consumers while supporting jobs on both sides of the supply chain.

"What keeps me optimistic about the future is how connected we are - suppliers, distributors, and us. It's not just business; it's a shared rhythm that keeps products and ideas moving," Lin said.

TRADE ON TRAINS

Thirteen years ago, the idea of freight trains crossing the vast Eurasian continent seemed "crazy" to many, recalled Markus Bangen, chief executive officer (CEO) of Duisburger Hafen AG (Duisport). Today, it is a reality reshaping cross-continental trade and logistics.

Since 2011, when the first China-Europe freight train left the southwestern Chinese city Chongqing, for Duisburg in Germany, the network has grown to connect 227 European and 100 Asian cities. Over the past 13 years, more than 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods worth more than 420 billion dollars have passed through these tracks.

In Duisburg, a former industrial stronghold, freight rail has spurred reinvention. The port now handles 4 million containers annually, with over 100 Chinese logistics and e-commerce firms establishing operations around it. Similar transformations have turned Poland's Malaszewicze and Spain's Valladolid into thriving logistic hubs.

The network continues to grow. In November, a shipment of electric vehicles made its way from China's Chengdu to Georgia's Tbilisi via rail, sea, and road, traversing Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea. This new route launched in July runs through the Middle Corridor - a vital trade link across Central Asia and the South Caucasus - providing a reliable alternative to traditional shipping lanes amid geopolitical uncertainties.

For Fan Yuliang, a warehouse manager of AUKLogis GmbH, a German subsidiary of Chinese logistics firm Western Post, the China-Europe freight trains have redefined what's possible. "I thought I'd handled all kinds of cargo, but seeing an entire vehicle loaded into a shipping container still amazed me," he recalled.

By 2023, China-Europe freight trains had transported more than 50,000 types of goods, ranging from Chinese exports like textiles and industrial machinery to European exports such as motorcycles, medical equipment, and agricultural produce.

Bangen described the service as a transformative transportation model that replaces traditional shipping routes and unlocks trade opportunities once out of reach.

INNOVATION ON EV WHEELS

As freight trains bridge continents, Chinese and European firms are joining forces to shape the future of mobility -- this time, on wheels of electric vehicles (EVs).

In Berlin, Chinese EV manufacturer NIO has established a research center focused on smart driving technologies and energy solutions. Its engineers are working on adaptive driving systems, battery-swapping infrastructure, and integrated power grids to meet European standards.

"Our goal is to adapt rapidly to European markets while driving the next wave of innovation," Wei Hezeng, head of NIO Europe's Smart Driving Technology Center, told Xinhua.

His vision is echoed by Patrick Stumfol, senior system engineer at NIO Europe. "The combination of German engineering precision and Chinese tech innovation creates a very dynamic environment here," Stumfol said.

Though the EU seeks to shield its market with protectionist tariffs, European carmakers are opting for collaboration over confrontation.

The collaborative momentum extends beyond Berlin. In Spain, Chery has teamed up with Ebro to develop EVs, while BYD is building manufacturing plants in Hungary. European automakers are embracing the trend likewise: Volkswagen has invested 700 million dollars in XPeng for joint EV development, and Stellantis committed 1.5 billion euros (1.56 billion dollars) to Leapmotor for research, production, and overseas expansion.

Carlos Tavares, Stellantis' former CEO, captured this partnership approach, saying the best way to compete with China was to partner with their automakers and "hop on their train." (1 euro = 1.04 U.S. dollar) 
WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the implementation of a law that would ban social media app TikTok or force its sale until his administration can pursue a "political resolution" to the issue. 
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A photo illustration depicting a satellite view of 9050 Farm-to-Market 157 in near Waxahachie, south of Dallas Fort-Worth (Getty, Google Maps)

The data center boom has heads turning to land south of Dallas-Fort Worth.

About 5,900 acres is on the market near Waxahachie, just south of the metroplex. Several parcels are for sale. Two adjacent sites span about 2,200 acres about a 40-minute drive from downtown Dallas. Another 3,700 acres is on the market near Midlothian in Ellis County and Venus in Johnson County, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

The vast majority of Ellis and Johnson County parcels is owned by rancher, landowner and oilman Richard Miskimon, the outlet reported, citing public records. Miskimon owns several parcels throughout North Texas and sells Brahman cattle at the Miskimon Ranch in Southern Oklahoma.

The land, most of which was listed in the last month, is marketed as ideal for data centers and energy companies, said Roxanne Marquis of data center-focused commercial real estate firm 8888cre.com in Dallas. Companies are showing interest in developing on 400 acres or more, she said.

Two high-voltage powerlines run near the Midlothian land, with the Venus substation and 1,650-megawatt Midlothian Energy facility off U.S. Route 67.

Dallas-Fort Worth is the second-biggest data center market in the nation, behind northern Virginia.

Google built a $600 million data center close to the land near Midlothian in 2019. The tech giant invested $1 billion in Texas data center and cloud infrastructure projects this year, including a $600 million data center in Red Oak, also in Ellis County.

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Dallas-based Compass Datacenters is building a $100 million, 250,000-square-foot facility on a 200-acre tract east of Interstate 35, while Dallas-based DataBank is building out its 292-acre data center site for $256 million, both in Red Oak.

 Judah Duke

This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.
Muivah condoles

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DIMAPUR, Dec 28 : On the passing away of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, NSCN (IM) general secretary Th Muivah said today that the "Naga people have lost an important Indian leader who not only comprehended our history but was also sincere in addressing our rights," reports NNN.

Th Muivah said that Dr Manmohan Singh was a leader of great vision and integrity, instrumental in advancing the Indo-Naga peace talks. According to the NSCN (IM) leader, under Dr Manmohan Singh's leadership, a team from his council of Ministers was tasked with engaging the NSCN (IM) leadership, reflecting his (Dr Manmohan Singh) genuine commitment to resolving the Naga issue.

Muivah recalled that, in the year 2010, he (Muivah) had the privilege of heading an NSCN (IM) delegation to meet Dr Manmohan Singh. "Aware of the complexities of the Naga political issue, he (Dr Manmohan Singh) thoughtfully remarked, 'The Naga political issue can be solved outside the box', showcasing his profound understanding and willingness to explore innovative solutions", Muivah added.

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of India. May his soul rest in eternal peace," Muivah added.
In a determined effort to address the aspirations and long-pending demands of the Indian Gorkha community, Neeraj Tamang Zimba, Member of the Legislative Assembly (Darjeeling) and secretary general of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), has made an earnest appeal to Union home minister Amit Shah. He has urged the minister to convene a tripartite meeting to revive the stalled dialogue process on critical Gorkha issues.

In his formal letter to the ministry of home affairs, Mr Zimba emphasised the urgency of resolving key demands, including the permanent political solution (PPS) and the granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to 11 left-out Gorkha sub-tribes.

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As a committed member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Mr Zimba reiterated the alliances core values of inclusivity and justice under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Highlighting the BJPs 2019 election manifesto, he stated, The manifesto reflects a commitment to PPS. The dreams of the Gorkhas are deeply tied to the promise of recognition, justice, and inclusion within Indias democratic framework.

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He further underscored the communitys contributions to the nation, stating, The Indian Gorkhas have always been a symbol of valour and sacrifice. Prime Minister Modis words, Gorkha ka swapna, mera swapna, resonate deeply in every Gorkha heart. However, these dreams remain unfulfilled.

The BJP MLA pointed out that the NDAs track record of delivering on promises evident in regions like Ladakh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and the Bodo areasshould extend to the Gorkha community. It is time for justicejustice that honours the NDAs legacy and fulfills its commitments, he concluded in his appeal to the Union home minister.
The Tata Group plans to create 500,000 manufacturing jobs over the next half-decade in sectors like battery, semiconductors, electric vehicles and solar industries, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said on Thursday.

In his annual letter to group employees, Chandrasekaran said these jobs will come in part from facilities across India  factories and projects that will produce batteries, semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar equipment and other critical hardware destined to play a central role in the economy of tomorrow.

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This is in addition to the many services jobs we expect to introduce across retail, tech services, airlines, and hospitality, among other sectors, he wrote.

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In a recap of 2024 for the salt-to-software conglomerate, Chandrasekaran highlighted key milestones like groundbreaking ceremonies at over seven new manufacturing plants, including Indias first semiconductor fab at Dholera in Gujarat and an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test facility in Assam.

Ground-breaking ceremonies and construction began at over seven new manufacturing plants in 2024, including Indias first semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat and a brand new semiconductor OSAT plant in Assam.

There is the electronics assembly plant in Narasapura, Karnataka, an automotive plant in Panapakkam, Tamil Nadu and new MRO facilities in Bengaluru, Karnataka. We also have new battery cell manufacturing factories in Sanand, Gujarat, and in Somerset, UK. We inaugurated the C295 final assembly line (FAL) in Vadodara, Gujarat, and began solar module production in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, he said.

This year, TCS and Tejas Networks delivered the first indigenous 4G mobile telecom stack for BSNL, and stand poised for 5G.

Our retail companies continue to scale up. Air India has brought together four airlines to create one integrated airline group to serve India and the world. And Indian Hotels Taj brand continues to be the worlds strongest hotel brand, Chandrasekaran told the employees.

Stressing that sustainability remains a focus of growth plans, he mentioned that in Bhutan, we began our hydroelectric power initiative, with a commitment to developing five GW renewable capacity.

With the UK government, we announced 1.25 billion pounds of investment in the transition to high-quality, low-CO2 steel production in South Wales, the Tata Sons Chairman noted.

While AI-led breakthroughs in healthcare and mobility can help the whole of humanity, manufacturing has the potential to transform our economy in India.

Global supply chains continue to shift in Indias favour as the worlds largest businesses strike a new balance between resilience and efficiency, he said.
Twinkle Khanna decided to pursue her education at 49 and subsequently moved to the UK to do so. The successful author and producer moved countries with her daughter Nitara. Talking about it, Twinkle expressed gratitude to her husband Akshay Kumar for supporting her decision. While she wouldve moved even without his support, however, Akshays response made it easier for her.

Speaking at a FICCI FLO event, Twinkle Khanna reflected on her upbringing. She iterated that seeking permission was not a norm in her household. Moreover, Akshay Kumar has an understanding nature, she was relieved when the actor supported her decision. I grew up in a family which was not the conventional family. So, the whole system and the hierarchy of asking people for permission never existed. There was no one to ask permission from.

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Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Twinkle Khanna (@twinklerkhanna)



Moving ahead, the author talked about how her family and Akshay were instantly on board with her decision. I was very lucky that my family supported me. My husband was fine with the fact that I am moving countries and taking my younger one. But, even if he would not have been fine, I would have still done it. But it would have been very difficult and traumatic. There would be a lot of yelling and screaming but he was okay with it.

Also Read: Priyanka Chopra reportedly joins Mahesh Babu in SS Rajamoulis next

Meanwhile, following Twinkle Khannas graduation, Bollywoods Khiladi penned a heartfelt note for her. Two years ago when you told me you wanted to take up studies all over again, I wondered if you meant it. But the day I saw you work so hard and perfectly manage a full-fledged student life along with home, career, me and kids, I knew I had married a superwoman. Today on your graduation, I also wish I had studied a bit more to know enough words to tell you how proud you make me, Tina. Congratulations and all my love.
Gothams masked vigilante will now make his return in 2027 instead of 2026. As per a report by Variety, Matt Reeves Batman 2 has been pushed forward by a year. Meanwhile, the sequel title of Vengeance was originally going to hit theatres on October 2, 2026.

The change in schedules has left an opening for Alejandro G. Inarritu and Tom Cruises untitled project. The awaited film is now going to hit theatres in 2026, just as the awards season race begins. Moreover, Warner Bros. has also made some additional tweaks to its upcoming release slate. The banner has swapped the openings of Bong Joon Hos Mickey 17 and Ryan Cooglers Sinners. Now, Mickey 17 led by Batman Robert Pattinson will open on March 7, 2025. On the other hand, Sinners, which reunites Coogler with his Black Panther co-star Michael B. Jordan, will now release on April 18, 2025.

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This isnt the first time that the return of the caped crusade has been pushed. Meanwhile, earlier, co-writer Mattson Tomlin shared updates on the film. In a conversation with Screen Rant, he said, Its shooting next year. Were gearing up, and I will say that the bar just couldnt be higher. Its the sequel to the first one. But also, Matt is like no other. In the five years now that Ive been working with him as closely as I have, Ive tried to absorb as much as humanly possible from him.

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Meanwhile, the 2022 film focused on Batmans (aka Bruce Wayne) second year fighting crime in Gotham City. He embarks on a quest to uncover corruption tied to his own family. Moreover, he pursues the antagonist, the Riddler, a mysterious serial killer targeting Gothams elite. The movie starred Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, and Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/Riddler. Joining them in key roles were Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell.

Also Read: Year-ender 2024: A year made of sequels- Hollywood edit

Moreover, recently, the makers dropped a spin-off series titled Penguin. The show chronicles the narrative of the DC villain. Following the success of the first film, fans have high expectations for the upcoming spin-off series and the film
By Suzanne McGee

(Reuters) - U.S. tech investor Cathie Wood is calling on Donald Trump's incoming administration to boost economic growth and policy certainty by backdating promised corporate and personal tax cuts to Jan. 1, 2025, she told Reuters.

A laggard in recent years, Wood's flagship ARK Innovation exchange-traded fund has surged 17% since Trump's victory, which is expected to bring policy changes that will benefit the fund's holdings.

Two of its stocks, electric carmaker Tesla (TSLA) and crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN), are already up 54% and 7% respectively since Nov. 6, while the S&P500 (^GSPC) has risen about 1.7% in that time.

ARKK's other top holdings include Robinhood (HOOD) and Block, both of which could also benefit from friendlier crypto and AI policies.

Wood has publicly backed Trump's economic platform, arguing that his plan to unleash deals, promote innovation in crypto and artificial intelligence, and cut red tape and government costs will make life easier for corporate America.

Tax policy was also central to the election race, with Trump pledging to cut the rate paid by companies that make goods in the United States and to extend individual tax cuts Congress passed in 2017 that are set to expire next year.

That's a key area where Wood said she's pushing for more clarity.

"I see them saying, okay, we're going to cut taxes but we will make them retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025. That would be very helpful, I think, in terms of providing certainty for the markets," Wood said in an interview.

"If they don't, you're going to get companies and individuals perhaps holding back. ... I'm trying to communicate that pretty regularly to anyone who will listen."

While Wood said she does not generally support tariffs, which act as a tax increase on goods, Trump's threat to hike them on major trading partners appears to be a negotiating strategy.

Tax reform

Analysts expect the new Republican-controlled Congress to pursue tax reform next year, but Trump will kick start other key policies with executive orders upon his Jan. 20 inauguration. He has also announced new regulators who can start to implement his pro-innovation agenda.

Campaign finance records indicate that Wood did not financially back Trump in the 2024 election cycle.

She told Reuters that she has only met Trump once, earlier this year at his Florida home, but is in contact with Tesla boss and billionaire Trump backer Elon Musk and crypto enthusiast Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, both of whom are helping to shape Trump's policies.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the Additional Director General of CID Maharashtra on Saturday to immediately cancel the gun licenses of those accused in the village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case as well as confiscate their properties. He has also ordered the Beed Superintendent of Police to immediately conduct a review of all gun licenses issued in Beed so far.

The CMs action is seen as a reaction to a series of tweets with photographs and videos uploaded by anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania on her X handle featuring the accused as well as associates of those accused in Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case.

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Fadnavis has also ordered cancellation of the licenses of all those who feature on the photographs carrying guns, uploaded by anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania, if the guns are indeed real.

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Notably, since the past several days, anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania has been tweetbombing the gun culture of Beed district through her X handle and she has uploaded several photographs and videos showing guns are seen in the hands of very young men in Beed.

She also posted on X, a photograph of the son of absconding extortionist Valmik Karad, who is the main accused in the Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, with a gun on his waist.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) too has been alleging that Beed district has become Bihar even as anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania claimed that Beed has the highest number of weapons licenses in Maharashtra.

According to Anjali Damania, the highest number of licenses have been issued in Beed, Parbhani and Amravati and as many as 1,281 people in Beed district have arms licenses.

Gun licenses are issued only after doing all sorts of verification and the criminal background of applicants is also supposed to be verified.

However, the videos uploaded by Anjali Damania shows young boys walking around in Beed district with guns on their waists. She has uploaded a video of one Kailash Phad who was arrested in Beed three days ago, firing in the air with his gun. The video has gone viral.
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours at the Nigambodh Ghat here on Saturday.

The mortal remains of Dr Singh, the key architect of Indias economic liberalisation, were consigned to flames as per Sikh rituals, in presence of family members, friends, colleagues and dignitaries.

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Prior to cremation, Sikh priests and family members of the former Prime Minister recited verses Gurbani.

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President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects to Dr Singh by placing a wreath near his mortal remains.

After paying his last respects to Dr Singh, who had served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Modi said Dr Singhs service to the country will always be cherished.

Paid last respects to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Ji. His service to India will always be cherished, the Prime Minister wrote on X.

Among others who offered their tributes included Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, LoK Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, and several leaders from the Congress.

Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and foreign dignitaries including King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Foreign Minister of Mauritius, Dhananjay Ramful also paid tributes to Dr Singh.

The final journey of the 14th Prime Minister began from Congress headquarters to the cremation ground at Nigambodh Ghat.

Earlier, this morning the mortal remains of the former Prime Minister were brought to the Congress headquarters, where Gursharan Kaur, Dr Singhs wife, led the family in paying their respects.

Other prominent Congress leaders, including Kharge, Sonia, Rahul, KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DK Shivakumar, Ashok Gehlot, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, paid their last respects to the veteran Congress leader.

As the funeral procession moved through the streets, throngs of Congress leaders, workers and supporters followed, chanting Manmohan Singh Amar Rahe in a demonstration of admiration and respect for the visionary leader.

Dr Singh, one of the most renowned economists, passed away at 9.51 pm at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national Capital on Thursday at the age of 92.

As Finance Minister in the early 1990s, Dr Singh was the architect of Indias economic liberalisation. He initiated a series of reforms that not only saved the nation from a balance-of-payments crisis but also opened the doors to global markets. Through his policies of deregulation, privatisation, and the encouragement of foreign investment, he laid the foundation for Indias rapid economic growth.

Under his stewardship, India emerged as one of the worlds fastest-growing economies, a testament to his brilliance and vision.
Accusing Congress of trying to politicise the demise of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, BJP National President and Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Saturday alleged that the grand old party never showed respect to the former prime minister when he held the office.

The reaction of Nadda came after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

accused the Union government of insulting former Prime Minister Dr Singh by performing his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated memorial site for national leaders.

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Slamming the Congress, Nadda said It is indeed very unfortunate that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and current Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are not refraining from doing politics even on the sad demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Congress, which never gave respect to Dr. Manmohan Singh while he was alive, is now doing politics in the name of his respect.

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Addressing the media, the BJP National President hit out at the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, saying that Rahul Gandhi had insulted the former PM Dr Manmohan Singh by tearing the ordinance, and today the same Rahul Gandhi is doing politics over the veteran Congress leaders demise.

Nadda also criticised the Gandhi family for not showing respect to other prominent leaders of the country, citing examples of Dr BR Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, and others.

The BJP National President pointed out that the PM Modi government had established a memorial for former PM PV Narasimha Rao in 2015, despite former Congress president Sonia Gandhis earlier rejection of the proposal, and highlighted the lack of respect shown by Congress after the death of Dr. Pranab Mukherjee in 2020.

The Gandhi family has neither given respect to any big leader of the country nor done justice to them. Whether it is from the Congress party or the Opposition, whether it is Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the countrys first President Rajendra Babu, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, PV Narasimha Rao, Pranab Da, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said.

Adding further, Nadda said, The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given place for PM Manmohan Singhs Samadhi and has also informed the family. Still, Congress is spreading false news.

It is necessary to remember the history of Congress. After the death of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, there was a demand to build a Samadhi Sthal in Delhis Rajghat complex. But at that time Sonia Gandhi had rejected it. It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who established a memorial for him in 2015. When former President Bharat Ratna Dr. Pranab Mukherjee passed away in 2020, the Congress Working Committee did not even bother to call a condolence meeting, the BJP National President

said.

Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders should refrain from such cheap politics, Nadda said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks in Washington with Mr Michael Waltz, US President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for the post of National Security Adviser.

Delighted to meet Rep. @michaelgwaltz this evening. Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him, the Minister said in a social media post on X last night.

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He also concluded two-day discussions with Indian consul generals posted in Washington. Concluded a very useful two day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC today. Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the ndia-US partnership will be accelerated, he wrote on X.

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The meeting was attended by Indian consul generals based in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and Atlanta. It discussed opportunities for deepening India-US partnership, focusing on technology, trade and investments. The consul generals also shared with Mr Jaishankar their views on better serving the Indian community in the US. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra were present at the meeting.

Mr Jaishankar is currently on a five-day visit to the US to meet top officials in the Biden administration as also to interact with key aides of President-elect Trump.
The year 2024 has seen the Ministry of Minority Affairs adding many feathers to its cap with a slew of schemes and programmes for the minorities. During the Financial Year 2023-24, National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) released concessional credit to the tune of Rs 765.45 crore covering over 1.84 lakh beneficiaries.

Further, since inception, it has disbursed more than Rs 9,228.19 crore covering over 24.84 lakh beneficiaries out of which more than 85 per cent beneficiaries are women.

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The Haj Suvidha App was launched to leverage information technology for enhancing the pilgrimage experience. The app provides an administrative interface for deputationists and Khadim-ul-Hujjaj, assists in real-time monitoring and emergency response, and ensures better coordination and accountability. Pilgrims can use the app to access training content. Over 4,557 female pilgrims undertook the pilgrimage without a Mehram (Ladies Without Mehram), marking the highest number to date.

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As part of its 100-day action plan, the Ministry of Minority Aairs organised the Lok Samvardhan Parv from 16th to 31st July here, bringing together minority artisans from across India. The platform oered artisans a unique opportunity to showcase their indigenous arts, crafts, and rich cultural heritage. The event was designed not only to promote the traditions of minority communities but also to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

To enhance their skills in areas like marketing, export & online business, design, GST and sales, daily workshops were conducted by the Ministry with support from the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), ensuring a holistic approach to empowering their talent. Prominent knowledge partners of the Ministry viz. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and National Institute of Design (NID) also participated and showcased the artisans and their crafts, supported by them under various schemes of the Ministry. The Parv showcased over 70 exquisite handicraft and handloom products from various States made by 162 artisans belonging to various minority communities.

According to a survey conducted during the event, 78 per cent of the respondents reported having a positive or excellent experience at the Parv, while approximately 97 per cent expressed their interest in participating in such future events conducted by the Ministry. NMDFC has launched MILAN (Minority Loan Accounting Software for NMDFC) app to digitise loan accounting processes between applicants, SCAs & NMDFC, including integration of the MIS portal of NMDFC on which data of 14.57 lakh beneficiaries is available. The Android and IOS version of MILAN Mobile app has also been launched. The Centre, with active support and cooperation from the people and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has developed a robust, eective, and efficient system of pilgrimage management over the years. During Haj 2024, Ministries of Minority Aairs; Health and Family Welfare; External Aairs and Civil Aviation, along with the Haj Committee of India, and other stakeholders, collaborated seamlessly to ensure the success of the operations. Some of the Haj 2024 highlights include providing accommodation and flight details, baggage information, an emergency helpline (SOS), grievance redressal, feedback, language translation, and miscellaneous information related to the pilgrimage. Over 9,000 grievances and more than 2,000 SOS cases were resolved this year. As many as 264 admin deputationists, 356 medical deputationists, 1500 seasonal staff, and 641 Khadim-ul-Hujjaj were deployed to serve the pilgrims. The number of KuH and deputationists have been increased substantially to improve the overall Haj experience of Indian pilgrims. Pilgrims also were catered by 564 Haj Group Organizers. The medical mission has been particularly impactful, with 3,74,613 cases treated, 3,51,473 OPD cases managed, and 19,962 mobile visits conducted. Additionally, in-treatment care to 3,178 pilgrims was provided.Medical mission infrastructure in Saudi Arabia included 14 branch dispensaries and 3 hospitals in Makkah, and 2 branch dispensaries and 1 hospital in Madinah, 24 ambulances were available round the clock to transport pilgrims, along with dedicated facilities for female pilgrims and those without a Mehram. A special task force was deployed for high-risk groups and single pilgrims. The ministry introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 this August in the Lok Sabha. Subsequently, it has been referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC). The mandate of the JPC is to examine the Bill and make a report on the bill to the Parliament by the last day of the Budget session. For Parsis, Jiyo Parsi is a unique Central Sector Scheme for arresting the population decline of the Parsi community. The scheme was launched in 2013-14. The objective of the scheme is to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions, stabilize their population and increase the population of Parsis in India.The schemes components include Medical Assistance: to provide financial assistance to deal with fertility issues; Health of the Community: to provide financial assistance to Parsi couples to take care of their dependent elderly family members and children; Advocacy: for conducting counselling and outreach activities among the Parsi community. The Ministry has launched a portal for Parsi couples seeking financial assistance under medical components. The portal provides convenience and access for beneficiaries to apply for benefits and track their applications. The portal enables swift decision-making. The portal may be accessed through the Ministrys website. To further protect minority rights, the Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Five religious communities  Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Parsis and Sikhs were initially notified as minorities, and in 2014, Jains were also included.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the BJP government of not allocating a place for cremation and memorial of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and called it an insult to the departed leader.

Attacking the government, Gandhi in a post on X wrote, The present government has completely insulted Dr Manmohan Singh, the great son of Mother India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, by conducting his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat today.

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Pointing out that Singh was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House said during his tenure, the country became an economic superpower and his policies are still supporting the poor and backward classes of the country.

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Till date, respecting the dignity of all the former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised sites so that every person could pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to his great son of the country and his proud community, he said.

Notably, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging that the cremation of the former Prime Minister take place at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy.

Earlier in a post on X, Yadav said, The tradition of respect should be followed in the context of the Samadhi of the former Prime Minister of the country. There is no need for any politics on this issue, nor should there be. Dr Manmohan Singh jis Samadhi should be built at Rajghat only.

The SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister asserted that BJP should not present an inappropriate example of its narrow mindedness. History will never forgive the BJP for its negative attitude.

Echoing similar sentiments, Kejriwal said, The last rites of former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh were performed at Nigambodh Ghat. Before this, the last rites of all the Prime Ministers of India were performed at Rajghat.

The BJP government could not even give 1,000 yards of land for the last rites and memorial of Dr Manmohan Singh, who came from the Sikh community and was famous all over the world and was the Prime Minister of India for 10 years, the former Delhi chief minister said in a post on X.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh asserted that by denying space at Rajghat for Dr Singhs funeral, the BJP has insulted the Sikh community.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday that the government has decided to allocate space for a memorial for former Prime Minister late Dr Manmohan Singh.

Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial, the ministry has said.

It, however, added that the cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will take the oath of office as the Governor of Kerala on January 2. The Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, will administer the oath to Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan Auditorium on Thursday.

Arlekar will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday and will stay at the Raj Bhavan guest block.

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The outgoing Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan, who is set to replace Arlekar as the Governor of Bihar, is also expected to take charge on Thursday. Although Governor Arif Mohammed Khan was scheduled to be honoured at a farewell event at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, the programme, organised by the Raj Bhavan staff, has been postponed due to the seven-day national mourning period following the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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Arif Mohammed Khan is demitting office amid a prolonged stand-off between the Raj Bhavan and the LDF government, marking the culmination of an eventful tenure at Raj Bhavan.
Poster war has again erupted in Lucknow with the Samajwadi Party targeting the ruling BJP. A poster has been put up outside the Samajwadi Party office in the Uttar Pradesh capital on Saturday which says Haq hai dum hai, Ambedkar hain toh hum hain (We have the right and strength, if Ambedkar is there then we also exist).

This poster has been put up by Tauqad Khan Gujjar, Vice-President of National Lohia Vahini. The poster is linked to the statement given by Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on Baba Saheb.

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Earlier, various political parties including the SP had protested against the Home Ministers statement on Dr Ambedkar. Opposition parties are continuously attacking the BJP on this issue.

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After this poster was put up outside the Samajwadi Party office, the Home Ministers statement is once again in the news.

Earlier, poster war was seen in UP during the by-elections and it was a new trend for political parties to attack each other by putting up posters and getting their point across to the public.

The posters that started being put up during the by-elections on CM Yogi Adityanaths statement of Batenge to Katenge are still being put up.

Countering the CMs statement, almost every party tried to convey its message to the public by writing slogans on posters.

Meanwhile , the SP has postponed its PDA conferences which commenced from December 26. The PDA conferences were scheduled to be held in all the 403 assembly segments of the state and till now, it had covered several constituencies in the past three days.

SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary said here on Saturday that now these PDA conferences will commence from January 27. However the party did not give any reason for postponing the conferences.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav has pushed the PDA (Pichda, Dalit and Minority) pitch of the party during earlier elections also.
Paying rich tributes to Dr Manmohan Singh, US President Joe Biden has said that the unprecedented level of cooperation between his country and India today would not have been possible without the former Prime Ministers strategic vision and political courage.

From forging the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted path-breaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nationsand the worldfor generations to come. He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person, he said in a statement released by the White House.

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President Biden recollected that he had a chance to meet Dr Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during his official state visit to the US in 2009. He said Dr Singh also graciously hosted him in New Delhi in 2013. As we discussed then, the US-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people, he added.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also offered sincere condolences to the Indian government and people, as well as to the family of Dr Singh.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Dr Singh was a senior politician and renowned economist in India who made positive contributions to the development of China-India relations.

During his tenure as PM, the two countries announced the establishment of a strategic cooperative partnership aimed at peace and prosperity, and reached an agreement on the political guiding principles for resolving border issues, the Chinese spokesperson said.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a shockwave-based needle-free syringe that ensures painless and safe drug delivery with lesser damage to the skin and lower risk of infection.

The novel needle-free shock syringes may help people with needle phobia, many of whom miss out on vaccinations and other medical treatments. It can also be beneficial for patients who have diabetes and require frequent insulin injections.

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The team, from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Bombay, explained that, unlike syringes with needles, the shock syringe doesnt rely on piercing the skin with a sharp tip. Instead, it uses high-energy pressure waves (shock waves) that can travel faster than the speed of sound to pierce the skin.

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These waves, when generated, compress the surrounding medium (such as air or liquid) through which they travel, the team said in their study published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials & Devices.

The shock syringe is designed to deliver the medication rapidly. However, if a regular syringe is inserted too quickly or with excessive force, it can cause unnecessary trauma to the skin or underlying tissues, said lead author Priyanka Hankare, a research scholar at the varsity.

To minimise tissue damage and ensure consistent and precise drug delivery, the pressure in the shock syringe is continuously monitored and rigorous testing on tissue simulants (such as synthetic skin) helps to calibrate the force and speed of jet insertion, ensuring safety and comfort, Hankare said.

In addition, the researchers optimised the nozzle design to have an opening of just 125 m (roughly the width of a human hair).

This ensures it is fine enough to reduce pain during insertion but strong enough to handle the mechanical forces needed for quick deployment of microjet, Hankare said.

To test how efficiently the shock syringe delivers the medication, the researchers conducted three different tests in which they injected three different types of drugs into the rats.

They measured the drug levels in the blood and tissues to monitor drug distribution and absorption in the body using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.

When an anaesthetic (Ketamine-Xylazine) was injected through the skin of the rats for the tests, the shock syringe achieved the same effect as needles. In both cases, the anaesthetic effect started three to five minutes after injection and lasted up to 20-30 minutes.

This proves the suitability of the shock syringe for drugs that require slow and sustained release. For viscous drug formulations, such as an antifungal (Terbinafine), the shock syringe outperformed regular needles.

The rat skin samples showed that the shock syringe deposited more terbinafine deeper into the skin layers than needle delivery. When insulin was administered to diabetic rats, the researchers observed that the blood sugar levels were lowered effectively and maintained at the lower level for a longer time when using a shock syringe compared to needles.

Further, tissue analysis revealed that the shock syringe caused less damage to the rats skin than syringes.

As shock syringes cause less inflammation, they allow the wound at the injection spot to heal much faster.

The development of a shock syringe promises more than pain-free injections.

Shock syringes are designed to perform multiple drug delivery shots (e.g., over 1,000 shots tested), offering reliability and cost-effectiveness over time at the expense of nozzle replacement, Hankare added.
America is preparing to say goodbye to another big name retail chain.

Big Lots is planning to shutter all of its locations following months of store closures and a September filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The retail chain is launching "going out of business" sales to "protect the value of its estate," a Thursday press release stated. The company did not offer a timeline for how long the sales will last but promised to serve customers in-store and online.

CEO Bruce Thorn said the closures could be reversed if a company sale is completed. More than 400 stores have already shuttered this year.

"We all have worked extremely hard and have taken every step to complete a going concern sale. While we remain hopeful that we can close an alternative going concern transaction, in order to protect the value of the Big Lots estate, we have made the difficult decision to begin the GOB process," Thorn said in the release.

A Big Lots in San Angelo, Texas on Dec. 20, 2024.

Big Lots stores closing

Search the database below to find the list of Big Lots store locations in your city or state, according to the company's website. All locations are set to have "going out of business" sales in the coming days.

Bankruptcy and store closures at Big Lots

Back in September, Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection weeks after announcing plans to close 340 stores across the United States.

The company said at the time that the closures were part of a sale agreement with an affiliate of Nexus Capital Management LP, according to a news release. Hope was on the horizon for the company as it announced the approval to sell most of its assets and business operations to Nexus.

That hope was dashed by December, however, when the sale failed to go through.

Founded in 1967, Big Lots began in Columbus, Ohio selling a variety of retail products from furniture and electronics to toys and home decor.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big Lots plans to close all stores: See full list of locations
The number of dengue cases in Laos has surpassed 20,000, with 11 deaths reported so far this year, according to the Lao Ministry of Health on Friday.

According to a report of the ministrys Center of Information and Education for Health, the highest number was reported in the capital Vientiane with 5,761 cases.

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The dengue fever has caused 11 deaths, including four in Luang Prabang province, three in the capital, two in Sekong province, and one each in Luang Namtha and Vientiane province.

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The health ministry urged people to remain vigilant and help control the spread of the mosquito-borne viral disease, Xinhua news agency reported.

In addition, the ministry called on health officials and medical staff across Laos to improve the management of dengue fever to prevent a serious outbreak.

Earlier on October 31, Xinhua news agency reported that the cases of dengue fever in Laos had reached 18,105 since January, including 11 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

A report issued by the ministrys Centre of Information and Education for Health stated that the highest number of cases occurred in Vientiane, where 5,170 cases were reported, while 3,953 cases were recorded in Sekong province, and 1,769 in Luang Prabang province.

The dengue fever caused 11 deaths, including four in Luang Prabang province, three in the national capital, two in Sekong province, and one each in Luang Namtha and Vientiane province.

The ministry had called on health officials and medical staff across Laos to improve the management of dengue fever cases to prevent a serious outbreak.

Medical staff at provincial and district hospitals and health centres had been urged to broaden their knowledge and ensure the provision of effective services to all people, according to the ministry.

Dengue is a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti species. It is common in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash, and nausea. In some cases, it can lead to severe complications like dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome, which can be life-threatening. There is no specific treatment for dengue, but supportive care, such as fluid management, can help manage symptoms. Prevention focuses on controlling mosquito populations and avoiding bites through the use of repellents, nets, and eliminating breeding sites.
The Netherlands is planning to provide an additional 6 billion euros (some $6.24 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, Dutch Ambassador to Ukraine Alle Dorhout has said.

Over the past three years, the Netherlands has delivered 3.8 billion euros (about $3.96 billion) in defence support for Ukraine, including F-16 fighter jets, Patriot air defence systems, armoured vehicles and artillery, Dorhout said, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Ukrinform news agency.

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In addition to military aid, the Netherlands has provided Ukraine with humanitarian, reconstruction, and economic support, Dorhout said.

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The ambassador emphasised that the energy sector is among the priorities for future assistance.

Earlier on October 6, the Netherlands provided 400 million euros (about $440 million) to help Ukraine develop drones, the Dutch Ministry of Defence announced.

The Netherlands and Ukraine collaborated to develop advanced drones and accelerate the production of successful prototypes, the ministry said in a statement. Nearly half of this production took place in the Netherlands.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans made the announcement during a visit to the city of Charkov in northeastern Ukraine.

We invested 400 million euros in an action plan for drones, which focused on various types of advanced drones designed for reconnaissance, defence, and attack missions, Brekelmans was quoted in the statement. These drones were used primarily in the air, but also on land and at sea.

In addition to the drone development plan, Brekelmans said that the Netherlands had provided 3.76 billion euros in military support to Ukraine so far.

He also confirmed that the first units of the 24 promised Dutch F-16 fighter jets had been delivered to Ukraine.

Earlier on December 19, the United Kingdom announced an additional 225 million pounds ($283 million) of military support for Ukraine to upgrade its defence the following year.

The announcement was made during UK Defence Secretary John Healeys visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The new support package included a 186-million-pound package of key military equipment through the International Fund for Ukraine and 39 million pounds to provide more than 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems and for joint procurement of respirators and equipment to enhance the protective capabilities of Ukraines Armed Forces, according to a statement on the British government website.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday extended his condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a statement, the Russian President described the former PM as an outstanding statesman who made significant contributions to Indias economic development and its global interests.

Putin also highlighted Singhs role in strengthening India-Russia relations by elevating them to the level of a special privileged strategic partnership.

Manmohan Singh was an outstanding statesman. As Prime Minister and when serving in other high-ranking positions, he accomplished a lot in promoting Indias economic development and asserting its interests on the world stage. He also made a major personal contribution to strengthening friendly ties between our two countries by elevating them to the level of a special privileged strategic partnership, Putin said in the statement.

President Putin further noted that he had the opportunity to speak with Singh on several occasions and expressed that his memory would be cherished.

I had the occasion of talking with this remarkable man several times. We will cherish the memory of him, he further stated.

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Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi.

Manmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932. Apart from being an economist, Manmohan Singh served as the Reserve Bank of India governor from 1982 to 1985. He was the 13th PM of India, with his tenure from 2004-2014.

Following his demise, world leaders and diplomats poured in their condolences and expressed their sorrow over the former PMs passing.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya remembered the former PM for his endeavours, which built the foundation for the development of bilateral relations between the two nations.

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Following the passing of H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India, on December 26, PM ISHIBA and FM IWAYA respectively sent letters of condolences to H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, and H.E. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, expressing sincere condolences and paying tribute to Dr. Singh for his endeavours, which built the foundation for the development of Japan-India relations of today, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel have also condoled the former PMs demise.

Macron said that India has lost a great man and France a true friend and offered condolences to Singhs family and the people of India.

In a post shared on X, Macron stated, India has lost a great man, and France a true friend, in the person of Dr. Manmohan Singh. He had devoted his life to his country. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of India.

Ramchandra Paudel called the former PM a visionary leader of India and extended sympathies to the government and people of India and the bereaved family members.

We are profoundly saddened by the passing away of former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh. Dr. Singh was a visionary leader of India.I extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the government and people of India as well as the bereaved family members, Paudel posted on X.

President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also expressed his condolences in a post on X, extending sympathies to Singhs family and his admirers worldwide.

On behalf of the people of Sri Lanka and myself, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Republic of India, Dr Manmohan Singhs family, and his countless admirers worldwide. A visionary leader, Dr Singhs influence transcended national boundaries, Dissanayake wrote.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that he was deeply saddened by the passing of Manmohan Singh and called him a visionary leader. He said Nepal will forever remember Dr Manmohan Singhs support for democracy and lasting friendship.

Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, former PM of India. A visionary leader, his wisdom, humility, and dedication shaped India and inspired the region. Nepal will forever remember his support for democracy and lasting friendship, Oli posted on X.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also condoled the demise of former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Ibrahim described Singh as a cherished friend and a towering figure in Indian economic reform.

Anwar reflected on the life of Singh, recalling his leadership during Indias transformative economic era.

The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh. Obituaries, essays, and books plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of Indias economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of Indias emergence as one of the worlds economic giants, he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed deep condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, hailing him as a key figure in strengthening US-India relations.

Blinken praised Dr. Singh for his leadership and said that he played an important role in advancing economic reforms in India, fostering the US-India strategic partnership, and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together, including the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

In a statement, Blinken said, The United States offers our sincere condolences to the people of India for the passing of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, also honoured Singhs legacy, stating, Remembering the selfless contributions of our dear friend and former prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, who set in motion an historic chapter in US-India relations. His dedication to Indias growth and prosperity continues to inspire us. Grateful for his leadership and vision.

Russian Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, reflected on Singhs contributions to bilateral relations, sharing, It is a moment of poignant sorrow and grief for India and for Russia. Dr Manmohan Singhs contribution to our bilateral ties was immeasurable Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Dr Manmohan Singh ji and the Indian people.

German Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Philipp Ackermann, expressed his sorrow on X stating: Saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh. A truly visionary politician, he opened India to the world and shaped the countrys future for decades to come. Together with Chancellor Angela Merkel, he raised the strategic partnership between India and Germany to new heights.
A 30-year-old man recently returning from West Africa was confirmed as a new case of mpox in Serbia on Friday. He is also the first confirmed mpox case in the Kosovo region, according to the regional Institute of Public Health.

The institute stated that the patient was hospitalised on December 24, with symptoms including fever, chills, and skin lesions on his face and hands. His condition is stable.

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Authorities have traced all close contacts of the patient and issued infection control guidelines to prevent potential transmission, the institute said.

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Serbia confirmed its first mpox case in June 2022. The World Health Organization continues to classify the mpox outbreak as a public health emergency, Xinhua news agency reported.

In August, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Europe will probably see more imported cases of mpox but the likelihood of sustained transmission in Europe remained very low.

According to the ECDCs latest surveillance and monitoring report released this month, Germany on December 15 reported a cluster of four mpox cases, while Belgium on December 18 reported its first confirmed mpox case due to mpox virus clade Ib in an individual returning from one of the countries affected by the epidemic in Africa.

Mpox is an infectious disease that can lead to symptoms such as a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and fatigue. While most people recover completely, some may experience severe illness.

Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family. This family also includes variola, cowpox, vaccinia, and other viruses. The virus exists in two main clades: clade I (with subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (with subclades IIa and IIb). Mpox primarily spreads from person to person through close contact with an infected individual, including within households. Close contact can involve skin-to-skin interactions (such as touching or sexual activity), as well as mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact (such as kissing). It can also spread through face-to-face interactions, where breathing or talking close to one another may generate infectious respiratory particles.
South Koreas Acting President Choi Sang-mok said on Friday the government will do its utmost to focus on stabilising state affairs amid ongoing political turbulence stemming from the short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month.

Choi, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Minister, stepped into the interim leadership role following the suspension of acting President Han Duck-soos duties by the National Assembly earlier in the day.

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Han was impeached less than two weeks after he took over for President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 14, who was impeached for his mishandling of martial law.

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In a written statement addressed to the nation, Choi emphasised the importance of minimising the confusion in state affairs, Yonhap news agency reported.

The government will do its best to ensure national stability, Choi said

Choi also offered an apology as a member of the Cabinet for contributing to the current chaos. He has faced pressure over his attendance at a Cabinet meeting held shortly before Yoon declared martial law on December 3.

Separately, the new acting President reaffirmed the strong alliance between South Korea and the United States during a phone call with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to the Finance Ministry.

Choi urged the military to remain on high alert, citing the possibility of provocations from North Korea.

Readiness posture should be maintained to prevent North Korea from making any rash moves and uphold a firm security stance based on the strong South Korea-US alliance, he ordered.

Choi also instructed Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul to maintain close communication channels with partner countries.

He also emphasised the importance of reassuring other countries that South Koreas foreign policy will remain unchanged, and that international exchanges and trade will not be disrupted.

Additionally, Choi urged the acting Minister of the Interior and Safety to ensure public order while strengthening disaster response systems.

Choi also ordered Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong to prioritise emergency medical plans for winter, ensuring that emergency medical systems operate smoothly.

Later in the day, Choi also convened the National Security Council, his office said.

Chois tenure as acting President is expected to face challenges from the opposition-controlled National Assembly.

The main opposition Democratic Party has urged Choi to promptly appoint three Constitutional Court justice nominees to deliberate on Yoons impeachment trial.
The latest development in the Indian telecom sector is a battle of statements between market runner-up Airtel and a central GST commissioner. It all began on Friday when the office of the commissioner of the central goods and services tax (GST) at the Delhi South Commissionerate slapped a penalty order on Bharti Airtel to the tune of Rs 2.11 crore under the CGST Act 2017. The carrier responded with a regulatory announcement on Saturday.



Airtel, in the announcement, said that the penalty was issued alleging irregular input tax credit from FY 2017-2018 to FY 2020-2021.

The company mentioned that it does not agree with the order and will take appropriate action(s) for the same, assuring that such a fine would have no material impact on Airtels financials, operations, and other activities.

Input tax credit issue mars one more major Indian companyMahindra

Airtel was not the only major name in the Indian stock market that GST officials took aim at on Friday. GST state tax officer in Tamil Nadu, along with other officials, conducted an inspection of the records of Mahindra and Mahindra in Chennai and advised the automaker to submit the necessary documents for reconciliation.

Based on the companys initial assessment, [Mahindra and Mahindra] does not reasonably expect the outcome of the proceedings to have any material impact on the company, it announced through a regulatory statement.

Among the records that GST officials demanded were also input tax credit claims by Mahindra and Mahindra, along with those pertaining to transactions of supply of goods or services, including payment under reverse charge, it stated.
INS Tushil, the newly-commissioned multi-role stealth guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy, arrived at Casablanca of Morocco, a maritime nation that holds a unique geographical position with coastlines along both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.

According to defence ministry, the visit of INS Tushil to Morocco is part of the efforts to strengthen the bilateral relations and naval cooperation between the two countries.

In the past 12 months, three Indian Navy shipsTabar, Tarkash and Sumedhavisited Casablanca, highlighting the mutual trust and interoperability between navies of India and Morocco. The visit by INS Tushil seeks to further explore avenues for collaboration between the two sides.

ALSO READ: Eyeing Indian Ocean supremacy, Indian Navy stealth guided missile frigate INS Tushil begins journey home from Russia

During this two day visit, crew of Tushil would engage with the Royal Moroccan Navy personnel at the functional level, and host senior officials and other guests aiming to strengthen naval cooperation, diplomatic ties and foster goodwill.

"Both the navies will engage in a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) at sea to improve interoperability and share the best practices," a release by the ministry said.

The warship, commanded by Captain Peter Varghese, and supported by a team of 250 personnel, will participate in collaborative exercises with friendly foreign navies, further promoting Indias maritime diplomacy with nations in the region as its journey towards its home port in Karwar.
The year 2024 saw some major inductions and commissioning of various defence platforms, enhancing the capabilities of India's armed forces. These included the commissioning of INS Arighaat, the second Arihant-Class submarine.

INS Arighaat

The second Arihant-Class submarine INS Arighaat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on August 29 at Visakhapatnam. According to defence ministry, the construction of INS Arighaat involved the use of advanced design and manufacturing technology, detailed research and development, utilisation of special materials, complex engineering and highly skilled workmanship. The submarine is equipped with indigenous systems conceptualised, designed, manufactured and integrated by the Indian scientists, industry and Naval personnel.

INS Tushil

The latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 09, 2024. It is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of the Project 1135.6 of which, six are already in service  three Talwar class ships, built at Baltiysky shipyard, St. Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad. INS Tushil, the seventh in the series, is the first of the two upgraded additional follow-on ships, the contract for which was signed in October 2016 between JSC Rosoboronexport, the Indian Navy and the government of India. Armed with a range of advanced weapons, it is designed for blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensionsair, surface, underwater and electromagnetic.

LCH Prachand

The induction of all Light Combat Helicopters LSP was completed in February 2024. IAF personnel were vigorously trained on the system and the LCH successfully participated in Ex Gagan Shakti in April 2024, the defence ministry stated.
The 1,643-km Indo-Myanmar border (IMB) runs from the trijunction with Tibet in the north to the trijunction with Bangladesh in the south. It is perhaps one of the most remote and challenging boundaries running along the Great Himalayan range in the North and its offshoot, the Patkai to the South. The entire border is a dense forest with thick secondary vegetation, making it extremely difficult to negotiate. Road, rail, air, telecommunications, and logistics infrastructure are almost non-existent.



It is inhabited by the various sub-tribes of Mishmi, Naga, and Zomi who are spread in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram which share this border with Myanmar. All these states have been afflicted with insurgency and inter-tribal conflicts at some or other time, making this region insecure for meaningful development activity. The IMB is guarded by nearly 20 battalions of Assam Rifles, many of which also perform dual roles as they are deployed on the counter-insurgency grid under the operational control of the Indian Army.



The IMB, in its present form, was created in 1937 when India and Myanmar were partitioned by the British. This partition created a boundary along the Patkai and divided the closely knit tribal populations with deep ethnic and family connections between the two countries. After the formal delineation of the IMB In 1968, the government of India, to facilitate the movement of populations on the two sides, declared a 40-kilometre free movement regime (FMR) for the people of the bordering areas. Subsequently, in 2010, it was reduced to 16-kilometer on both sides. This provision has been extensively used by people from both countries to move to and from and maintain relations and contact. In 2018, the FMR arrangement was formalised by both countries as the Land Border Crossing Agreement (LBXA).

ALSO READ: Defence ministry year-end review: 'LAC tensions ease, but region continues to be sensitive'

The critics of the FMR consider this provision as the major factor for trans-border smuggling of drugs and weapons, and the movement of refugees and armed insurgents. While it is true that the IMB is exploited by the insurgents and other criminal elements to move people, weapons, drugs and other contraband, it is also a fact that a significant quantity of heroin and methamphetamine produced in the golden triangle is moved into India through the rebel-controlled areas of Myanmar.



Although the FMR is not responsible for this because the IMB is extremely porous and Assam Rifles is so thin on ground that anti-national and criminal elements do not require the provisions of FMR to move across the border. They can easily circumvent the border guarding outposts, taking cover of thick vegetation and inclement weather.



In February 2024, the Indian government took a long-awaited decision to fence the IMB and improve its surveillance. This decision came after the violence in Manipur, during which it was believed that the porous border had facilitated the influx of a large number of Myanmar nationals. While the decision to fence the IMB was a welcome step, the news of the ending of the FMR came as a surprise. Most security experts know that the FMR provisions do not contribute significantly to this illegal influx. The ending of the FMR also annoyed the tribal populations of the Northeast who felt that the government was not displaying sensitivity towards them by taking this decision.



The ministry of home affairs has now introduced a fresh protocol to regulate the movement of people living within 10 kilometres on either side of the international border. According to the new guidelines, a citizen crossing the border from India to Myanmar will be given a 'border pass' by the Assam Rifles for a stay up to seven days in Myanmar. For entry into India from Myanmar, individuals will have to report at the designated border crossing points where the Assam Rifles will carry out the requisite documentation at the time of entry and exit. The period of stay under the FMR for Myanmar nationals is also kept at seven days.



The continuation of the FMR with stricter protocols is a positive development which should assuage the feelings of the people of the Northeast and at the same time address the security concerns of the country. The government, however, will have to empower the Assam Rifles with more resources to ensure that the improved provisions of the FMR are implemented properly.



The government should also expeditiously take steps to strengthen the border guarding mechanism on the IMB. The fencing of the IMB must commence immediately. However, being capital-intensive, it will take a long time to be completed. In the meantime, the government should consider increasing the satellite coverage in the region combined with the induction of unarmed aerial vehicles for effective surveillance. The number of border guarding units of Assam Rifles should also be increased because the current number is just not enough to carry out effective patrolling and management of the border.

(The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. He commanded a mountain division on the India-China border.

Views expressed in the column belong to the author and not the organization)
Tributes continued to pour in for former Indian prime minister and the country's economy architect Manmohan Singh, who passed away late on December 26 at the age of 92. He breathed his last at the AIIMS, Delhi.

From world leaders to dignitaries and celebrities, all paid glowing tributes to Singh, hailing him as the father of economic liberalisation in India, and a statesman par excellence.

Singh's funeral will be held at 11.45am today at the Nigambodh Ghat with full State honours. Late last night, the Union government agreed to allocate space for a memorial, after a controversy over it broke out yesterday.

'Bharat Ratna for Manmohan Singh'

With the passing away of Singh, the demand for Bharat Ratnathe highest civilian Award of the countryfor the former prime minister is getting louder. The award, which was instituted in 1954, is given in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.

ALSO READ: What made Manmohan Singh the economy architect of India

Chandigarh Pradesh Congress urged the Union government to confer Singh with the Bharat Ratna for his remarkable services as the governor of Reserve Bank of India, finance minister and prime minister of India. Nagarkurnool Congress MP Mallu Ravi, too, demanded the Centre award Singh the Bharat Ratna. In October this year, Sikh body Namdhari Sangat Sewa Samiti, too, had requested the Union government to honour Singh with the Bharat Ratna.

Singh went to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics, and followed it up with a DPhil in Economics from Nuffield College of Oxford University.

He was the chief economic adviser in 1972, and later became the finance secretary. Singh was also in the planning commission from 1980 to 1982, before being appointed the RBI governor.



As finance minister in the P.V. Narasimha Rao government in 1991, Singh brought about a slew of economic reforms, which have, over time, proved to be revolutionary.

As the 13th prime minister of India, he played a key role in several strategic measures that shaped India's future. His UPA government introduced path-breaking initiatives such as the Right to Information Act, Right to Education Act and the MNREGA, along with National Food Security Act and Land Acquisition Act. It also inked the historic Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal.

Interestingly, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the Narendra Modi government had awarded the Bharat Ratna to former prime ministers Rao and Charan Singh, along with other personalities. It was widely believed that the honour for Congressman Rao was aimed at sending a message to people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ahead of the polls.
The Tamil Nadu government must pay Rs 25 lakh to the Anna University student as interim compensation for the trauma she suffered following the leakage of the FIR, the Madras High Court said on Saturday. The sexual assault survivor, however, is not barred from claiming further compensation, the vacation bench pointed out.

READ HERE | Anna University engineering student sexually assaulted inside campus; search on for two suspects

The High Court directed that Anna University not demand any fee from the girl and ensure she successfully completes the course. The bench said she should be exempted from not just the regular tuition fee but also the exam fee and hostel fee.

The Tamil Nadu Police was asked to provide interim security to the family of the second-year student, who was sexually assaulted at a secluded part of the campus on the night of December 23. The High Court also directed the DMK-led state government to take appropriate action against Chennai City Police Commissioner A Arun for holding the controversial press conference.

Commissioner Arun's decision to hold the press meet before the consent of the government led to the leaking of important details and facts about the probe to the media, the court reportedly said, which affected the inquiry. The vacation bech consisting of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan also appointed a special investigation team comprising three women IPS officers to investigate the case, DT Next said in a report.

ALSO READ | TN BJP chief Annamalai whips himself, vows not to wear sandals condemning DMK over Anna University sexual assault case

Another important observation made by the bench said that the society got no right to dictate how a woman should live. It was ultimately her life, her body, and her right, DT Next quoted Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan as saying.

NCW to visit Chennai on December 30

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women on Saturday constituted a two-member fact-finding committee to investigate the alleged sexual assault. The commission's chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has set up the panel comprising member, NCW, Mamta Kumari, and retired IPS officer and former DGP of Maharashtra, Praveen Dixit, to "investigate and recommend action," a statement said.

The fact-finding committee is likely to visit Chennai on December 30, 2024.

The 19-year-old student was sexually assaulted on the campus of the premier technical varsity recently, prompting widespread outrage from opposition parties and civil society. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing it of trying to stop the 'Mahila Samman Yojana' launched by the Aam Aadmi Party government.

Kejriwals reaction came after Lt Governor V.K. Saxena ordered a probe into the scheme under which eligible women will get Rs 2100 per month.

He said the L-G ordered a sham investigation at the behest of the BJP. "We announced Rs 2,100 per month to all eligible women in Delhi under Mahila Samman Yojana and free treatment of the senior citizen under Sanjeevani Yojana, after forming government in Delhi. What are they going to enquire?" Kejriwal asked.

"What is there to investigate? We are not collecting any money. We are only asking people who wish to avail of these schemes after the elections to come and register. In the name of this investigation, they want to shut down these schemes that haven't even started yet, he further alleged.

The AAP convenor claimed that long queues had formed everywhere after the AAP started the registration process, which showed the schemes were beneficial to people.

"The BJP was panicked and lost sleep over it. They sent their goons to the camps where registrations were happening and tried to dismantle the camps. They also sent police, who also tried to dismantle them," he said.

He further warned the people of Delhi that if the BJP came to power, they would schemes like Mahila Samman Yojna, Sanjeevani Yojna, free electricity and bus rides for women.

The L-Gs office has ordered an investigation against private persons for allegedly collecting personal details of women in the name of the Mahila Samman Yojana. The inquiry was ordered based on a complaint by Congress leader and party's New Delhi Assembly seat candidate Sandeep Dikshit.

"Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor has desired the Chief Secretary to get an inquiry conducted through Divisional Commissioner in the matter of collection of personal details and forms by non-government people, said a letter by LG's principal secretary.

Claiming that the alleged canvassing happened ahead of the elections, the L-G said he may bring the matter to the knowledge of the Election Commission.
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In September 2022, eight cheetahs were brought to India for the first time as part of the government's 'Project Cheetah' and released in the Kuno National Park. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself released the big cats in the Kuno forest by opening their cages.

The project's launch coincided with Modi's 72nd birthday. In his address, the prime minister said: Decades ago, a vital link in our biodiversity was broken and lost. Today, we have the opportunity to restore it. The cheetah had returned to the soil of India.

In February 2023, 12 more cheetahs arrived from South Africa and they later gave birth to 12 cubs. Unfortunately 11 cheetahs, including cubs, have died so far, raising concerns about their survival in Indian weather condition. There were complaints that these wild animals could not adapt to the Indian climate. Unlike the dry savannahs of Africa, Madhya Pradesh's monsoon climate is more susceptible to infection.

However, the Narendra Modi government plans to import 20 more cheetahs from South Africa in the new year, according to the Madhya Pradesh forest department sources. Instead of Kuno National Park, these cheetahs will stay in Gandhi Sagar, another forest of the state. The government hopes this new location will improve their chances of survival. In the first phase, a mother cheetah and her two cubs from Kuno will be moved to Gandhi Sagar, a six-hour drive away. The Madhav National Park, in Shivpuri district, lies between Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.

According to the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, the work of making a part of the Gandhi Sagar National Park suitable for cheetahs is almost over. A 368 square kilometer habitat has been created, with an additional 2,500 square kilometres as a buffer zone. A herd of antelopes has been brought to feed the African guests.

Several wildlife experts have been consulted to address the issues surrounding the survival of the cheetahs in their new environment. Despite the adverse circumstances, authorities have been making every effort for the success of this ambitious project.

Asiatic cheetahs, the native species of cheetah in India, had prowled the country's grasslands for many centuries until they were hunted into oblivion. A favourite hunting target of princely rulers and British colonisers, these big cats were officially declared extinct in India in 1952. Since then, successive governments have been making efforts to reintroduce these animals in the subcontinent's ecosystem and holding discussions with several countries, including Iran and Kenya.

In 2009, the Indian government formally proposed bringing African cheetahs. However, in 2012, the Supreme Court put the plan on hold after some wildlife experts argued that importing African species conflicted with international conservation standards. The court reversed its decision in early 2020, permitting the import of cheetahs on a limited and experimental basis.
The Union government has agreed to allocate space for a memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away late on December 26 at the age of 92. The decision has been communicated to Singh's family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

In a late-night release titled "Facts of the matter regarding memorial for Former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh", the home ministry said it had received the request to allocate space for a memorial for Singh from Kharge, and that the decision was taken and communicated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately after the Cabinet meeting.

ALSO READ: Mystery of Manmohan Singh's blue turban

However, the cremationwith full State honours at 11.45am todayand other formalities will be held as scheduled because a Trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it for the memorial.

Row over Manmohan Singh's memorial

Singh, who was India's prime minister between 2004 and 2014, was hailed as the architect of India's economic reforms, especially during his stint as finance minister in the 1990s.

ALSO READ: What made Manmohan Singh the economy architect of India

Kharge had written to PM Modi urging the Centre to have Singh's cremation at a place where his memorial can be built, keeping with the tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former PMs at the place of their funerals.

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial of a person of such high stature was a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, too, expressed shock over the Centre not acceding to the request of Singh's family for cremation at a place where an "appropriate and historic memorial" may be built to commemorate his "unparalleled services to the nation".

ALSO READ: Manmohan Singh's pillar of support

BJP, however, responded by saying that the Congress-led UPA government never built a memorial for former prime minister Narasimha Rao, who passed away in 2004. Party national spokesperson C.R. Kesavan also added that it was the Narendra Modi government which built the memorial and honoured him with a Bharat Ratna.
The CBI court in Kochi found 14 accused in the Periya twin murder case guilty, while 10 have been acquitted. Charges of murder were proven against the accused numbered one to eight.

The conviction of former MLA and CPI(M) district secretariat member K.V. Kunhiraman in the case has placed the CPI(M) on the defensive. Additionally, six of those convicted are either active members of the CPI(M) or held party responsibilities.

The quantum of punishment will be announced on January 3. Besides Kunhiraman, those found guilty include Peethambaran (former Periya local committee member), Saji C. George, K.M. Suresh, K. Anil Kumar, Jijin, R. Sreerag, A. Ashwin, Subeesh, A. Murali, Ranjith, K. Manikandan (former Uduma area secretary and Kanhangad block panchayat president), A. Surendran, Raghavan Velutholli (former Pakkam local secretary), and K.V. Bhaskaran.

The verdict pertains to a case in which the state government spent lakhs and even approached the Supreme Court to oppose the CBI investigation.

Case history

The case involves the murder of Youth Congress workers Kripesh (19) and Sarath Lal P.K. (24) allegedly by CPI(M) workers on February 17, 2019, at Periya in Kasaragod district. Initially investigated by the Kerala Police, the case was later transferred to the CBI amid allegations of bias. The trial, spanning over two years, included testimony from 154 prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses. The charges against the accused include murder, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.

The CBI argued in court that the twin murders stemmed from politically motivated attacks and counterattacks between CPI(M) and Congress workers in the area. Prior to the murder, Peethambaran, and co-accused Surendran, were assaulted by Sarath Lal and others on January 5, 2019, at Kalliot, following a clash between political activists from Congress and CPI(M).

The Crime Branch of the Kerala Police had apprehended the first accused, Peethambaran, and others directly involved in the act, while the CBI concentrated its investigation on the conspiracy behind the crime. This investigation led to Kunhiraman being included as an accused. Other CPI(M) leaders, including Manikandan, and party leaders Raghavan Velutholli, N. Balakrishnan, and Bhaskaran Velutholli, were subsequently named as accused. The trial began in the CBI court in Kochi on February 2, 2023.

Ahead of the verdict, police have intensified security in Periya and Kalliot. A route march involving around 100 officers was conducted in Kalliot to prevent any potential clashes.

Following the verdict, Congress leaders strongly criticised the CPI(M) and the Pinarayi Vijayan government. Congress MP Shafi Parambil stated that the court's ruling in the Periya twin murder case is a significant setback for the CPI(M). He expressed disappointment over the acquittal of 10 individuals accused of being involved in the conspiracy, asserting that they too should be punished. Parambil further stated that the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is acting as the protector of the accused.

Meanwhile, Kripeshs mother alleged that the state government attempted to derail the investigation in the case.
On a day when former prime minister Manmohan Singhs mortal remains were consigned to flames, a war of words erupted between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the cremation site.

The opposition party accused the Narendra Modi government of insulting Singh, Indias first Sikh prime minister, by conducting his funeral at Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated memorial site.

Singh was totally insulted by the government, said Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The great son of Mother India and the first prime minister of the Sikh community, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites at Nigambodh Ghat, the Congress leader said in a post on X.

The Raebareli MP described Singh as a leader whose policies elevated India to an economic superpower and provided critical support to the underprivileged.

Till date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorised burial sites so that every person could have the last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr. Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community, he said in post in Hindi.

                               



        ,                Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 28, 2024

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the Centre failed to do justice to the dignity of Singhs post, his personality and his legacy, by denying an appropriate place for his cremation.

All former prime ministers had been given the highest honour and respect, she said.

"Dr Manmohan Singhji deserves this honour and a Samadhi Sthal. Today, the whole world is remembering his contributions. The government should have thought beyond politics and narrow-mindedness in this matter," the Wayanad MP wrote on X.

"This morning, I felt this when I saw Dr Manmohan Singhji's family members struggling for a place at the funeral site, trying to find a place in the crowd, and the general public getting troubled due to the lack of space and paying tributes from the road outside," she further said.

On Friday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a designated site to set up a memorial for the late PM. The government has agreed to allot a space for a memorial for Singh, but decided to conduct the last rites as scheduled at Nigambodh Ghat because a Trust has to be formed for finding a new place.

BJP hits back

The BJP, meanwhile, accused the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi of indulging in politics over the funeral of Singh.

"It is unfortunate that the BJP has to address a press conference on the subject relating to the funeral of Dr Singh... since his death, the Centre has been preparing to construct a memorial for him," said BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra.

"A cabinet meeting was called and a condolence message was issued. It was also decided to pay proper respects to the former PM befitting to his stature. The cabinet has informed both Dr Singh's family and the Congress that a memorial will be built so that everyone can remember his positive contribution. However, time is needed for land acquisition, forming a trust and other formalities. At the same time, cremation should be done as it cannot wait," he said.

Patra also alleged that the Congress had "insulted" former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and ex-president Pranab Mukherjee in the past.
Flight operations at Srinagar Airport were disrupted due to heavy snowfall on Saturday, leading to the cancellation of all scheduled flights for the day.



Airport officials reported that poor visibility made landings impossible. Initially, 80 per cent of flights were cancelled, with the remaining 10 per cent placed on standby. However, worsening weather conditions resulted in the cancellation of all flights.



Passengers have been advised to stay in contact with their airlines for rescheduling or refund options.



The snowfall has also impacted road traffic across Kashmir, particularly affecting major routes such as the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Mughal Road, and Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri Road.



Accumulated snow and slippery conditions caused road closures and delays.

READ MORE: Kashmir plains receive season's first snowfall; traffic disrupted

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intervened to assist vehicles stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. He contacted the deputy commissioner of Anantnag, directing him to prioritise aid for those affected.



Pulwama Police responded swiftly to distress calls during the heavy snowfall. In one instance, officers facilitated the transportation of a deceased individual from Wahibugh to Qazipora Budgam for final rites after snow blocked the roads. Police carried the body on foot, ensuring the bereaved family could conduct the funeral.



In another incident, Pulwama Police rescued two women needing medical attention near Turkawagan Bridge. Braving severe weather, they transported the patients to District Hospital Pulwama, where they received the necessary treatment.



Pulwama Police urged the public to exercise caution during the severe weather and assured that assistance would be provided to those in need.



Despite the disruptions, the snowfall brought joy to tourists visiting the region. Tourists enjoyed the snow along Dal Lake, capturing photos and videos. The picturesque, snow-covered landscape offered a rare delight amidst the challenges.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti extended the bandh by 72 hours after the initial three-day bandh ended last evening, in Katra.

The Samiti has demanded the cancellation of the proposed ropeway project in the Trikuta hills, citing concerns that it will deprive porters, pony wallahs, shopkeepers, and hoteliers of their livelihoods.

The Vaishno Devi shrine attracts devotees throughout the year.

ALSO READ: Why are locals upset with Vaishno Devi ropeway project?

Last year, more than 1.60 crore devotees visited the shrine, providing a source of income for hundreds of porters, pony wallahs, shopkeepers and hoteliers.

Last month, the Shrine Board announced a Rs 250-crore project to improve access to the temple for senior citizens and children.

To minimise disruption to the yatra, the board set up langars and lodging facilities. However, pilgrims complained about the lack of food and transport services.

Protesters believe that with the completion of the ropeway project, devotees will no longer need their services.

The Samiti, comprising all stakeholders, has also called for the release of all those detained by the authorities.

Due to the bandh, Katra observed a strike for the third consecutive day. Many women and children joined the dharna, while some youths continued a hunger strike.

Former minister Jugal Kishore Sharma stated that all parties, including political groups, support the agitation. He warned of intensifying protests in the coming days.

The shutdown resulted in the closure of shops, restaurants, and transport services. Black flags were displayed throughout the town.

According to sources, the protests against the ropeway project has also put the BJP leaders on the backfoot as many of them believe that the protesters concerns were genuine. However, they have not spoken on record.

The business community in Katra fear that once the train from Katra to Srinagar becomes operational in January, it will further dent the business as the pilgrims will then head to Kashmir for sightseeing.
In retaliation to Pakitan's airstrikes, Afghan Taliban forces have attacked several areas in neighbouring Pakistan. Afghanistan's defence ministry in a statement on Saturday said that the strikes were conducted "beyond the 'hypothetical line'".

No casualties have been reported so far reported.

However, the ministry did not specify that the attack was carried out against Pakistan.

"Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country," the ministry said.

On asked whether the statement referred to Pakistan, spokesperson Enayatullah Khowarazmi said they don't consider it to be the territory of Pakistan but the strikes were launched on the other side of the hypothetical line.

The strikes were launched at the long disputed border areas, which is referred to as the 'hypothetical line' by Afghanistan. The country has for decades rejected the border, known as the Durand Line, the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan established in 1893 as the border between British India and the Emirate of Afghanistan.

Pakistan's airstrikes in the Paktika province of Afghanistan have resulted in the deaths of 46 people. The attack has heightened the cross-border tensions with the Afghan Taliban vowing retaliation.

Paktika province borders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The region has been a hotspot for insurgent activity for years.
The first US administration led by Donald Trump restricted the H-1B visa programme in 2020 but the upcoming government led by him might tweak the policy, thanks to his advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Musk, who has hired skilled employees using H1-B programme, said there is a permanent shortage of engineering talent in the Silcon Valley. On the other hand, Ramaswamy claimed that the American culture has "venerated mediocrity over excellence" and failed to produce the best engineers.

America rose to greatness over the past 150 years, because it was a meritocracy more than anywhere else on Earth.



I will fight to my last drop of blood to ensure that it remains that land of freedom and opportunity.



 https://t.co/IYfbxzwOMm  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 28, 2024

This came after right-wing influencer Laura Loomer slammed Trump's AI policy adviser pick Sriram Krishnan who wants to remove country caps on green cards for skilled immigrants. Loomer said Krishan's nomination is "deeply disturbing."

Besides Ramaswamy and Krishnan, other Indian-Americans tapped for Trump's cabinet include Kash Patel as FBI director, Harmeet Dhillon as assistant attorney general for Civil Rights and Jay Bhattacharya as director of the National Institutes of Health.

The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over native Americans isnt because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if  Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024

Loomer's comments saw sharp reactions from Indian Americans, including Joe Biden's director for the US Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden. Pointing out that she was born in the US, she said "the Democratic Party sees me as American and a large part of the base of the Republican Party does not".

Urging Indian Americans to remember this moment in the next election, she said, "They dont see you as one of them. And never will. You thought they just hated other immigrants. But it turns out theres no exception for you. As many of us have been telling you."

Replying to the post, Musk called out "hateful, unrepentant racists" within the Republican Party, calling for the removal of "contemptible fools" in the GOP.

However, some users were offended by Musk's remarks and the Tesla CEO clarified that he was referring to those in the Republican Party who will be the downfall of the party if not removed.

Following this, several H1-B critics lost their verification on X over racist remarks on Indians and personal attacks on Ramaswamy. Besides Loomer, New York Young Republican Club president Gavin Wax and InfoWars host Owen Shroyer also faced limitations in their X accounts.
Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County of New York has become a talking point across the United States after body camera footage on Friday showed guards beating an inmate to death.

Correctional Association of New York (CANY) Statement on the Death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facilityhttps://t.co/oOmyY3h0cz pic.twitter.com/nsKx9jfrAm  Correctional Association of New York (@CANY_1844) December 23, 2024

The inmate identified as 43-year-old Robert Brooks, was forcefully yanked from the bed by his shirt collar, punched and kicked repeatedly while handcuffed on an infirmary bed by correctional officers, the body camera visuals showed. Brooks, who was seen bleeding profusely following the assault, died the following day while undergoing treatment, US media reports said.

Who was Robert Brooks?

Robert Brooks was handed a 12-year rigorous imprisonment in 2017 for first-degree assault of his girlfriend. Brooks, who was originally being transferred from the Mohawk Correctional Facility, was taken to Marcy Correctional Facility on December 9.

How did Robert Brooks die?

Preliminary findings show concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being due to actions of another, media reports claimed a state corrections office investigative report as saying.

Late this afternoon, I spoke with the attorney for the family of Robert Brooks who was beaten by corrections officers at Marcy Correctional Facility and died the next day. His family lives here in Rochester and was shown the BWC on Monday. He will be laid to rest this weekend. pic.twitter.com/VaocWwe5RC  Jennifer Lewke (@WHEC_JLewke) December 27, 2024

The events that led to his demise the following day unfolded at the medical exam room before 9:30 pm local time, NorthJersey.com said. Brooks was carried into the room hanging upside down.

The incident is being investigated by state Attorney General Letitia James following the video was made public. The heartbreaking video captured a correctional officer pressing his foot down on Brooks before he was mercilessly punched by two. He was handcuffed behind his back the whole time, leaving him helpless.

Where is Marcy Correctional Facility located?

Marcy Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison, opened in Oneida County in 1989 to hold medium-security prisoners. It remains unknown what led to Brooks being transferred from one Oneida County to another.

Why the body cam visuals had no audio?

Since the officers had not activated their body cameras, the audio was not recorded. 30 minutes of recording was received as they were on standby mode. As a result, nobody knows what was being said between Brooks and his tormentors and anything he said in particular resulted in him getting assaulted.

Meanwhile, an NBC News report pointed out that the the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision was asked to begin the process of firing 14 workers including correctional officers, sergeants and a prison nurse at the Marcy Correctional Facility.
After the Azerbaijani airline crash in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijan counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

The Kremlin has termed the incident as 'tragic' in Russian airspace. The plane was flying on Wednesday from Azerbaijan's capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, when it turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed while attempting to land.

As many as 38 people were killed in the incident and there were 29 survivors.

Also read | Is Russia behind Kazakhstan plane crash? Azerbaijan Airlines hints at possible 'external interference'

In an official statement, Russia said its air defence systems were firing near Grozny, where the aircraft attempted to land, due to a Ukrainian drone strike.

"During this time, Grozny, (the town of) Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones and Russian air defence was repelling these attacks, the Kremlin said Putin told Aliyev.

Also read | 'Loud boom, black fumes': Indian man who witnessed Kazakhstan flight tragedy recollects how Azerbaijani Airlines crashed

Russia, however, did not mention that its air defence system hit the plane. Earlier there were reports blaming the crash on an external weapon.

During the phone call with Putin, Azerbaijan's president emphasised that "Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane encountered external physical and technical interference while in Russian airspace, resulting in a complete loss of control."

Multiple holes were spotted in the aircraft's fuselage and injuries to the passengers and crew were due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight, he added.

The assessments carried out by Rashan Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby blamed Russian air defence systems behind the crash.

Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's minister of digital development and transportation, told Azerbaijani media that preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact, as does witness testimony.

Survivors recalled the crash and told media that they heard loud noises outside the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.
BEIJING (Reuters) -China's industrial profits fell at a slower clip in November, official data showed on Friday, but the annual decline in earnings this year is expected to be the worst in over two decades due to persistently soft domestic consumption.

The world's second-largest economy has been struggling to mount a strong post-pandemic revival, as business and household appetites for spending and investment remain subdued amid a prolonged housing downturn and fresh trade risks from the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Industrial profits fell 7.3% in November from the same month last year, following a 10% drop in October, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed.

The narrower decline in November pointed to improved profits as recent economic stimulus measures start to have an effect, said Zhou Maohua, a macroeconomic researcher at China Everbright Bank.

The profit numbers were also in line with a slower decline in factory-gate prices in November. The producer price index fell 2.5% year-on-year versus the 2.9% drop in October.

The World Bank on Thursday revised up its 2024 economic growth forecast for China slightly to 4.9% from its June forecast of 4.8%.

Still, in the first 11 months of 2024, industrial profits declined 4.7%, deepening a 4.3% slide in the January-October period, reflecting still tepid private demand in the Chinese economy.

China's full-year industrial profits are set to show their biggest drop in percentage terms since 2011. However, when smaller companies are included under a previous compilation methodology, this year's profit decline is expected to the worst since at least 2000.

A spate of economic indicators released this month pointed to mixed results, with industrial output accelerating in November while new home prices fell at the slowest pace in 17 months.

The industrial sector is undergoing an uneven recovery amid insufficient demand, Zhou said, pointing to difficulties facing real estate and some related industries as evidence of this malaise.

China's leaders vowed in a key policy meeting this month to raise the deficit, issue more debt and loosen monetary policy to maintain a stable economic growth rate. The government also recently pledged to step up direct fiscal support to consumers and boosting social security.

Beijing has agreed to issue a record $411 billion special treasury bonds next year, Reuters reported.

Profits at state-owned firms fell 8.4% in the first 11 months, foreign firms posted a 0.8% decline and private-sector companies recorded a 1% fall, according to a breakdown of the NBS data.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has finally opened up about the North Korean prisoners of war captured by his forces, saying several of them were seriously wounded and died of injuries.

Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian soldiers took them prisoner but they were injured critically and could not be resuscitated.

Today, I held a Staff meeting. There was a report from Commander Syrskyi on the situation at the front. The Donetsk directions remain the toughest, with updates from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions as well. There are details regarding the situation in the Kursk region: pic.twitter.com/teZXivUaeZ  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) December 27, 2024

The Ukrainian leader said the North Korean soldiers were sent to the battlefield with "minimal protection", alleging that the Russian military and the North Korean supervisors are not taking any measures to ensure the survival of these soldiers.

The North Korean troops suffered heavily while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region.

However, there is no clarity on how many North Korean solidiers were captured by Ukraine and how many of them were dead. Ukraine believes that over 3,000 of them have been killed or injured in Kursk.

The intelligence estimates by the Ukrainian and South Korean agencies have pegged the total number of soldiers on the North Korean side at around 12,000.

Earlier, the South Korea's National Intelligence Service revealed that one of the wounded North Korean soldiers died from his injuries under Ukrainian custody.

However, Russia and North Korea have denied the presence of these soldiers.

Ukrainian authorities said the North Korean soldiers were given fake Russian IDs. Russian troops allegedly burnt the faces of the deceased North Koreans to hide their identities.

Reports suggest that many of the soldiers deployed to Russia are among the best from North Korea's Storm Corps, who are skilled in infiltration and assassination.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam to discuss India Post's path to profitability, an official release said on Saturday.

Scindia, along with officials from the Department of Posts, presented their capital expenditure demands to the finance minister to make it a profit centre by 2029.

Scindia aims to make India Post globally competitive and has been leading Department-wide efforts to drive higher customer acquisition, retention and operational efficiency.

During the meeting with the finance minister, Scindia presented a new development plan for India Post and said the department is working on rationalising costs and aiming to make most processes digital.

The minister hopes to make the department a profit-making logistics company with a focus on customer satisfaction, as per the release.

He also mentioned that the ongoing Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) exercise will benefit a lot from the investment from the finance ministry. He shared that the BPR exercise will focus on launching more attractive B2B and B2C services.

In the meeting, Scindia said that with the investment from the finance ministry for the said capital expenditure, the focus would be on infrastructure development and renovation of post offices and staff housing quarters across the nation.

Further, Scindia said the department will work to automate processes to make them efficient and future-ready.

It is pertinent to mention that Scindia, as a Minister of State in 2007, standardised the look and feel of post offices and helped Dak Sewaks get office equipment.

Within six months of his taking charge of the department in 2024, Scindia asked the India Post team to get exposure to international best practices and come up with innovative strategies.

Scindia firmly believes in India Post's potential to raise market share for most of its products, increase revenue and compete in the industry in the next 5-7 years. He mentioned that the focus will be on expanding the market share in mail and parcel verticals.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 27: The National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) organized the Palasamudram National Painting Camp in association with the Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design. This prestigious event brought together 25 renowned artists from contemporary Indian art, all distinguished alumni of the Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture, and Design. The camp was organized as part of the beautification through the creation of unique and meaningful artworks.



The painting camp hosted its closing ceremony on at the NACIN campus. Over this period, the celebrated artists contributed their exceptional talents to transform the campus into a vibrant space that reflects the rich cultural heritage and creativity of India. The initiative not only aimed to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the campus but also to provide a platform for fostering artistic exchange and collaboration. The renowned artists - Anil Naik, Dipak Shinde, Vilas Shinde, Jyotsna Kadam, and Suhas Bahulkar made remarkable contributions to beautification by crafting unique and meaningful artworks.



The event was curated and implemented with the joint efforts by Mr. Shashikant Kakade, Registrar, Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design, Mumbai and Prof. Rajanish Kamat, Vice Chancellor, Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design, Mumbai of the institute. Mr. Kakade also graced the event by his august presence.



The artists from Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design showcased a remarkable confluence of art, culture, and creativity to witness the transformation of the Palasamudram campus into a masterpiece of collective imagination.



Shri Gaigongdin Panmei, Principal Director General, NACIN, Palasamudram said, This painting camp is a unique fusion of art and purpose, symbolizing the power of creativity to inspire and transform spaces. We are honored to host such a talented group of artists who will leave a lasting legacy on our campus.



Prof. Rajanish Kamat, Vice Chancellor, Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design, Mumbai said, We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the participating artists and organizers for their dedication to this initiative. The National Painting Camp at Palasamudram is not only a celebration of artistic excellence but also a testament to the enduring partnership between NACIN and the Sir JJ School of Art.



The artworks created during this camp will become an integral part of the NACIN Palasamudram campus, enriching the environment for trainees and visitors alike. The initiative reflects Sir JJ School of Arts commitment to promoting art, culture and education in harmony. Through this event, we aim to establish Palasamudram as a hub of artistic and intellectual inspiration, paving the way for future collaborations in the field of art and design.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has sought funds from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the Department of Posts to make it profitable by 2029, according to official sources.

The Department of Posts (DoP) is working on plans to leap as a logistics company.

"Minister (Jyotiraditya Scindia) met with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam in New Delhi to discuss India Post's path to profitability. He and his team at the Department of Posts presented their capital expenditure demands to the FM on Friday to make the Department a profit centre by 2029," an official source said.

The source did not share the capex sought by the postal department to chalk out its path to profitability.

Another official said the postal department officers presented their capital expenditure demands to make India Post a profit-making logistics company with Scindia emphasising that the department aims to achieve higher customer acquisition, customer retention and operational efficiency.

"He also talked about the ongoing Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) exercise which will benefit a lot from the fund infusion from the Finance Ministry. He shared that the BPR exercise will also focus on launching more attractive B2B and B2C services," the source said.

In the meeting, Scindia shared that the capital expenditure will focus on infrastructure development and renovation of Post Offices as well as staff housing quarters across the nation.

The minister said that the postal department will work towards automation of processes to make them efficient and future-ready.

This is the second stint of Scindia at the Communications Ministry.

He was a Minister of State under the UPA government in 2007 when he steered Project Arrow for modernization of the postal department and helped Dak Sewaks get office equipment. Scindia in six months of taking charge of the department in 2024, asked the India Post team to get exposure to international best practices and come up with innovative strategies for the department.

Scindia during the meeting with Sitharaman assured that the postal department will be globally competitive by 2028-29.

Scindia said that he believes in India Post's potential to increase market share for most of its products, increase revenue and compete in the industry in the next 5-7 years.

He shared that the focus will be on expanding the market share in mail and parcel verticals.
New Delhi [India], December 27: Mutual funds have become a crucial part of investments, wealth building, and regular savings. Despite the growing awareness of mutual funds, it is estimated that only 3% of India's population has invested in mutual funds, as per the Association of Mutual Funds In India (AMFI). Further, the mutual fund penetration is also significantly lower than other countries' penetration rates when seen as the ratio of mutual fund AUM to the GDP ratio, where Indias standing is at a mere 15.90%, compared to the US, Singapore, and the UK's 148.90%, 179.90%%, and 74.80%%, respectively (Source:- Cafemutual, March 2022).



The number of mutual fund distributors in India is also a matter of concern. Currently, there are close to ^1.70 lakh distributors, which means less than one distributor for every 10,000 individuals (AMFI, 2024). NJ Wealth, one of the largest mutual fund distributors in India, has been playing an active role in getting more people to join the mutual fund distribution business and see it as a promising business opportunity. Today, NJ Wealth has 42046 active distributors spread across India who are working towards spreading financial awareness and providing access to mutual funds to the masses.



The geography, diversity, and disparity in terms of financial literacy and access to new-age financial products are a big challenge in India. However, this is also an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs and the youth of the country to become mutual fund distributors and promote financial inclusion to potential investors. Today, India is poised to take a giant leap in transforming its economy and the markets, with the vision of Amrit Kaal extending to how people will save and invest. The encouraging growth of the industry in recent years is just the beginning. What is needed today is for more youth to see the opportunity in the transformation waiting to unfold in the coming decades and pursue mutual fund distribution as a career opportunity. For investors, the stage is already set, and we only hope to see more and more people participating in Indias growth story with mutual funds. After all, mutual funds sahi hai isnt it?



(Source:- Cafemutual, March 2022:- https://cafemutual.com/news/industry/28209-indian-mf-industry-is-highly-underpenetrated



* Source:- CAMS - June 2024 ^As on 31st October 2024



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, CR Patil, Chirag Paswan, K Ram Mohan Naidu and Jayant Chaudhary, alongside three chief ministers -- Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrababu Naidu and Revant Reddy, will join hundreds of government and business leaders from across the globe in Swiss ski resort town Davos next month for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu will also be joined by his son and senior minister in his state Nara Lokesh, while Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa and Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Khanna will also be there for the five-day annual congregation of the world's rich and powerful, starting January 20, 2025.

Actor Bhumi Pednekar, known for films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Badhai Do and Saand Ki Aankh, would also be there.

Besides over 50 Presidents and Prime Ministers from across the world, top officials of international organisations like the United Nations, IMF, World Bank, Interpol, NATO, European Central Bank and WTO are also expected to be in Davos for the WEF Annual Meeting 2025.

Senior ministers from Pakistan and Bangladesh, including Bangladesh Government's Chief Adviser and head of the interim government Muhammad Yunus would also be present.

Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & IT, had also attended the last WEF annual meeting, alongside Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri from the Union Council of Ministers.

This time, Vaishnaw will be joined by Jal Shakti Minister Patil, Food Processing Industries Minister Paswan, Civil Aviation Minister Naidu and Minister of State for Skill Development and Education Chaudhary.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also attended the meeting in the past, but there is no official word so far about his participation in the high-profile summit, for which the main theme this time will be 'collaboration for the intelligent age'.

Expected to be attended by nearly 50 heads of state and governments from across the world, the annual meeting would take place against the backdrop of a change of regime in the US and various geopolitical and macroeconomic issues, including the Ukraine war and continuing West Asia crisis.

Both Modi and Donald Trump attended the WEF Annual Meeting in 2018 for the first time as India's Prime Minister and the US President, respectively.

While Modi became Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term earlier this year, Trump is set to assume office for the second time on January 20, and his return is expected to be among the key topics of discussion at Davos.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu have been to Davos multiple times, while Telangana Chief Minister Reddy attended the WEF Annual Meeting in January 2024 as well.

Besides government leaders and civil society members, the Indian presence would comprise top executives of business conglomerates like Reliance, Tata, Adani, Birla, Bharti, Mahindra, Godrej, Jindal, Bajaj and Vedanta groups.

Besides Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, the next-generation leaders from their groups are also expected to be present, while technology leaders, including Salil Parekh of Infosys, Rishad Premji of Wipro, as also Sumant Sinha of ReNew, Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm and Adar Poonawalla of Serum Institute are expected in the Swiss Alpine resort town.

Geneva-based WEF, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation, will convene leaders from government, business and civil society as well as scientific and cultural thinkers for its 55th annual meeting under the theme of 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age'.

According to the WEF, the meeting will serve as a trusted global platform for dialogue and cooperation, bring together a diverse community of stakeholders, seek to connect the dots in an era of complexity and be firmly future-oriented -- both in terms of insights and solutions.

Several sessions are expected to be attended by Indian leaders, including one on 'India's Economic Blueprint'.

As one of the world's fastest-growing major economies, India has been growing at over 8 per cent, and this growth has been buoyed by a focus on promoting local innovation and startups in technology and manufacturing, representing a departure from traditional export-oriented models.

The leaders would deliberate how India has capitalised on this new blueprint and to what extent it can continue to drive global growth.

According to the WEF, the annual meeting will take place at a time when geo-economic fragmentation, geopolitical polarisation and divisions over values continue to impact countries and communities across the world.

At the same time, exponential innovation and deployment around whole sets of inter-connected technologies -- from AI and quantum to energy tech, biotech and health tech -- offer an unprecedented opportunity to increase productivity and hence, standards of living.

Reviving and reimagining growth is critical to building stronger and more resilient economies, and the meeting would seek to discuss how to avoid an Age of Fragmentation and instead work together on a can-do, people-centred agenda for an Intelligent Age.

The global leaders would also deliberate on how to reinvent the muscle of collaborative innovation to get out of the current low-growth, high-debt world economy and address common challenges from climate change to the ethical use of AI.
Singapore, Dec 28 (PTI) Former prime minister Manmohan Singh "reshaped" India's economy and set the stage for its "remarkable growth", Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Saturday as he expressed his condolences.

Singh died on Thursday at the age of 92. He was the first Sikh to lead India and was prime minister for two terms from 2004 to 2014.

"Singh was a statesman who reshaped and liberalised Indias economy through his vision and determination. This set the stage for Indias remarkable growth and emergence as a key regional and global player," Wong said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Wong added that Singapore-India relations grew significantly under Singh, noting that the landmark Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was signed during his tenure.

"It was a milestone in our relations and laid the foundation for the strong economic partnership we enjoy today," Wong wrote.

He also said Singh played an important role in strengthening Indias engagement with ASEAN. Under his leadership, India joined the East Asia Summit in 2005 and actively supported ASEANs efforts in building a stronger regional architecture.

"Our thoughts are with the people of India during this period of grief," Wong wrote in the letter.

His mortal remains were consigned to flames at the Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday amid the chanting of religious hymns. The funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter Upinder Singh.

India has declared seven days of state mourning. On Saturday, a state funeral with military honours, complete with a gun salute was accorded to Singh.

The former prime minister is credited with steering India to unprecedented economic growth and lifting hundreds of millions out of dire poverty.

During his first term in office, he guided the economy through a period of 9 per cent growth and sealed a landmark nuclear deal with the US that he said would help India meet its growing energy needs.

He was called one of Indias "most distinguished leaders" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Former prime ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Goh Chok Tong have also expressed condolences, recalling the times of having worked with Singh.

Singapore and India have a longstanding relationship. As PM, I worked with Singh to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation, said Lee.

Singh was a wise yet humble man of principles, added Goh.

We both believed that India should be a key pillar of growth within a rising Asia, he said.
Los Angeles, Dec 28 (PTI) Hollywood veteran Tim Allen says the upcoming fifth chapter of the "Toy Story" franchise has a "clever story" and he recently completed recording his first session for the movie.

Allen, known for voicing the fan-favourite character of Buzz Lightyear in the animated franchise, said he is confident that "Toy Story 5" will be another successful entry.

"I just did the first five-hour session for Buzz, probably a week ago. Its really, really weird to get back in it. I cant tell you anything," the 71-year-old actor told Collider during an interview.

"Its a very, very clever story. I dont really believe its about the money. Im sure they want it to be a success, but thats not why they did it. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldnt have done it and they wouldnt have called me and Tom (Hanks). Its really clever," he added.

Allen has been a part of the franchise since the 1995 movie "Toy Story", which revolved around a diverse group of toys, led by Sheriff Woody, a classic cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a futuristic spaceman action figure.

Veteran actor Tom Hanks voices Woody in the movie series, which also includes "Toy Story 2" (1999), "Toy Story 3" (2010), "Toy Story 4" (2019), and the 2022 spin-off film "Lightyear".

Allen said voicing Buzz Lightyear has been nothing short of a blessing for him.

"Its gonna be fun. I think were a year out. Ive gotten up to the third act. Well do the third act. And then, well go back and clean it. And then, Ill do it about five more times. Its a really good story, guys. Its really good," he added.

Produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Disney, "Toy Story 5" is written and directed by Andrew Stanton, who worked as a writer on the previous four films.

The film will be released in US theatres on June 19, 2026.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Actor Manoj Bajpayee on Saturday said he has completed shooting for the third season of his critically-acclaimed series "The Family Man".

The actor shared the news in a post on his Instagram Stories where he posted a photo of a clapperboard.

"Shooting wrapped!! For 'Family Man 3'! Aur thoda intezar...," he captioned the photo.

Created and directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the Prime Video action thriller series will bring back original cast members, including Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Ashlesha Thakur, and Vedant Sinha.

Written by Suman Kumar and Raj & DK, "The Family Man" season three will see Bajpayee reprise his character of Srikant Tiwari, a "middle class guy and a world-class spy".

In the forthcoming third season, Srikant will expertly confront the looming threat to national security, while balancing the demands of family life and desperately working to mend his relationship with his wife Suchitra, played by Priyamani.

"As Srikant races against time, the stakes escalate as he needs to outmaneuver a formidable adversary and protect his country and its sovereignty," read the official logline for season three.

The first season of "The Family Man", which debuted on Prime Video in late 2019, received glowing reviews. The second season, also starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu, premiered in 2021 and was also praised by the critics.
Singapore, Dec 28 (PTI) The High Commission of India here will open a condolence book for Singaporeans to pay their respects to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The condolence book will be available for signing on December 30 and 31, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm, the High Commission has said.

Singh, who was Indias prime minister for 10 years from 2004 to 2014 died in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92.

Meanwhile, Malminderjit Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Advisory Board, expressed his condolences on the passing of the former prime minister. He highlighted Singh's enduring legacy, stating that he inspired generations of Sikhs around the world and will continue to do so.

Recalling a meeting with Singh in 2012 as part of a delegation accompanying the then Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to India, Malminderjit described Singh as soft-spoken, patient, and kind in his interactions.

Dr Singhs intellect was evident in all his responses and engagements. He had a clear vision on policies, particularly those related to economic growth and development. To many, he is the architect of India's economic liberalisation, which laid the foundation for its modern economy, he said.
Earlier this month, Quanterix announced that it will acquire Emission, a smaller peer in the field of immunoassay testing. The transaction is expected to close in January of 2025, and will cost Quanterix as much as $70 million. Of that total, $10 million will be paid up front, $10 million on completion of certain technical milestones, and as much as $50 million will be contingent on meeting certain performance milestones. The deal is expected to be accretive to revenues starting in 2026. Quanterix is said to be using cash on hand for the initial payments.

Using its proprietary Simoa technology, Quanterix has created a commercial brand, Lucent Diagnostics, that is designed to support the earlier detection of cognitive diseases. This class of disease is difficult to diagnose, especially early, but early diagnosis is imperative, as treatments are also difficult  and are more effective when started earlier.

Well start in the field of life sciences with Quanterix. The company is working to digitize biomarker analysis, with a stated objective of improving the science of precision health. Quanterix publicizes that its technology can support earlier disease detection, better prognosis and precise treatment methods. The company works in the fields of oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious diseases.

Identifying stocks that feature both low share prices and solid fundamentals relies on both reliable data and sound judgement. Using the TipRanks platform , weve found two of these stocks, each down more than 60% this year, that are worth a closer look. A number of Wall Street analysts say that we should expect them to rebound in 2025  lets give them a closer look to find out why.

Indeed, there are wide range of reasons that share prices can be down, ranging from simple bad luck to fundamental issues with the company. Its okay to buy a stock that has simply taken a beating due to market conditions  but its best to avoid stocks that have earned their low prices. The trick is learning to spot the difference.

Building up a strong portfolio requires a sharp eye for bargains. Investors have to know how to find the right stocks, at the right price  i.e. shares that are priced relatively low, but have sound prospects for sustained growth. In other words, to learn how to shop effectively at the discount racks of the equity world.

Story Continues

Turning to financial results, we find that Quanterix had a loss of -$11.2 million in Q3 2024. The company registered this net loss even as revenues marked the sixth quarter in a row of double-digit growth. The companys top line in 3Q24 came to $35.7 million, up 13% year-over-year and a cool $1.5 million above forecasts. And yet, this didnt provide much of a bump, and in fact share prices have sunk lower in the month and a half since the Q3 print. All told, Quanterix is down 61.5% this year.

Covering this stock for Canaccord Genuity, analyst Kyle Mikson describes the shares as undervalued. Looking ahead, he sees the companys continued development of new products, and its expansion of the Lucent brand, as accretive, and writes, We continue to view the stock as undervalued following the companys consistent execution in 3Q24, recognizing the financial contribution from diagnostics may be immaterial in the relative near term The company remains on track to launch 20 new assays in 2024, and Quanterix appears poised to announce a new higher multiplex protein detection platform in 2025. The companys LucentAD Complete multi-analyte test for Alzheimers Disease (AD) detection appears promising as well. Although capital constraints could impact QTRXs near-term performance, we believe the company should benefit from multiple factors that should drive double-digit revenue growth and help boost the shares over time.

This translates to a Buy rating for the stock, and Miksons $20 price target implies a one-year upside potential of 90%. (To watch Miksons track record, click here)

While there are only 4 recent analyst reviews for this stock, with 3 Buys and 1 Hold, QTRX enjoys a Strong Buy consensus rating. The stock is currently trading for $10.52 and the average price target, $22.25  even more bullish than Miksons  would translate into gains of 111.5% next year. (See QTRX stock forecast)

Green Plains, Inc. (GPRE)

The second company well look at, Green Plains, works in bio-refining, as a developer and producer of biofuels. This is a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels, used to power existing transportation technologiesmeaning its added to vehicle fuel mixtureswhile bringing the advantage of reduced pollutant emissions. Green Plains is a major producer of low-carbon biofuels. By the numbers, the company has 10 biorefinery facilities in the US, processing 300 million bushels of corn annually and boasting a capacity to produce one billion gallons of biofuel every year, along with 290 million pounds of renewable corn oil and 2.5 million tons of distillers grains.

While biofuels may be the most prominent part of Green Plains product line-up, it is still only part of the whole. The company also produces proteins and ingredients found in pet foods; renewable corn oils as feedstock for biofuel refining; and a range of glucose and dextrose syrups for use in fermentation and catalytic conversion. The company also operates a comprehensive transportation and logistics segment, which includes storage for grain and biofuels, fuel terminal facilities, and fuel transport services. The company has 32 storage facilities capable of holding approximately 32 million gallons of biofuel and is equipped to load both railcars and tanker trucks. The company leases a railcar fleet with a capacity to move 75 million gallons in aggregate.

Green Plains is based out of Omaha, Nebraska, in the heart of North Americas richest corn-growing region. The companys 10 biofuel refining facilities are located in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas.

The companys financial results in the last reported quarter, 3Q24, showed a swing and a miss on revenue even as earnings beat expectations. The companys top-line, $658.7 million, was down 26% year-over-year and came in $8.2 million below the forecast; the bottom-line earnings, at 69 cents per share, were 57 cents per share better than expected. We should note here that GPRE shares are down 63% so far this year.

Truist analyst Jordan Levy covers this stock, and in his view, the company is beginning an acceleration toward stronger performance. Levy writes of GPRE, Following some operational hurdles earlier this year, GPRE began to hit its stride in 3Q amidst a much improved quarterly crush spread environment as seen by solid plant utilization & product yields. While we expect EBITDA to step down in 4Q as crush spreads have recently contracted, the most important factors for GPRE shares at this point in the story are demonstrating consistent operations & showing progress on Sequence sales, CST ramp, and (perhaps most importantly near-term) Nebraska CCUS.

These comments support Levys Buy rating on Green Plains, while his $18 price target indicates his belief in a 95% upside for the coming year. (To watch Levys track record, click here)

This is another stock with 4 recent analyst reviews, also with 3 Buys and 1 Hold. GPRE has an average 12-month price target of $18, matching the Truist view, which would be good for gains of 95%. (See GPRE 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.
Brisbane/Sydney, Dec 28 (The Conversation) Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates globally, with nearly 19,000 Australians diagnosed with invasive melanoma  the most lethal type of skin cancer  each year.

While advanced melanoma can be fatal, it is highly treatable when detected early.

But Australian clinical practice guidelines and health authorities do not recommend screening for melanoma in the general population.

Given our reputation as the skin cancer capital of the world, why isnt there a national screening program? Australia currently screens for breast, cervical and bowel cancer and will begin lung cancer screening in 2025.

It turns out the question of whether to screen everyone for melanoma and other skin cancers is complex. Heres why.



The current approach



On top of the 19,000 invasive melanoma diagnoses each year, around 28,000 people are diagnosed with in-situ melanoma.

In-situ melanoma refers to a very early stage melanoma where the cancerous cells are confined to the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis).

Instead of a blanket screening programme, Australia promotes skin protection, skin awareness and regular skin checks (at least annually) for those at high risk.

About one in three Australian adults have had a clinical skin check within the past year.



Why not just do skin checks for everyone?



The goal of screening is to find disease early, before symptoms appear, which helps save lives and reduce morbidity.

But there are a couple of reasons a national screening program is not yet in place.



We need to ask:



1. Does it save lives?



Many researchers would argue this is the goal of universal screening. But while universal skin cancer screening would likely lead to more melanoma diagnoses, this might not necessarily save lives. It could result in indolent (slow-growing) cancers being diagnosed that might have never caused harm. This is known as overdiagnosis.

Screening will pick up some cancers people could have safely lived with, if they didnt know about them. The difficulty is in recognising which cancers are slow-growing and can be safely left alone.

Receiving a diagnosis causes stress and is more likely to lead to additional medical procedures (such as surgeries), which carry their own risks.



2. Is it value for money?



Implementing a nationwide screening program involves significant investment and resources. Its value to the health system would need to be calculated, to ensure this is the best use of resources.



Narrower targets for better results



Instead of screening everyone, targeting high-risk groups has shown better results. This focuses efforts where theyre needed most. Risk factors for skin cancer include fair skin, red hair, a history of sunburns, many moles and/or a family history.

Research has shown the public would be mostly accepting of a risk-tailored approach to screening for melanoma.

There are moves underway to establish a national targeted skin cancer screening program in Australia, with the government recently pledging $10.3 million to help tackle the most common cancer in our sunburnt country, skin cancer by focusing on those at greater risk.

Currently, Australian clinical practice guidelines recommend doctors properly evaluate all patients for their future risk of melanoma.



Looking with new technological eyes



Technological advances are improving the accuracy of skin cancer diagnosis and risk assessment.

For example, researchers are investigating 3D total body skin imaging to monitor changes to spots and moles over time.

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can analyse images of skin lesions, and support doctors decision making.

Genetic testing can now identify risk markers for more personalised screening.

And telehealth has made remote consultations possible, increasing access to specialists, particularly in rural areas.



Check yourself  4 things to look for



Skin cancer can affect all skin types, so its a good idea to become familiar with your own skin. The Skin Cancer College Australasia has introduced a guide called SCAN your skin, which tells people to look for skin spots or areas that are:



1. sore (scaly, itchy, bleeding, tender) and dont heal within six weeks



2. changing in size, shape, colour or texture



3. abnormal for you and look different or feel different, or stand out when compared to your other spots and moles



4. new and have appeared on your skin recently. Any new moles or spots should be checked, especially if you are over 40.

If something seems different, make an appointment with your doctor.

You can self-assess your melanoma risk online via the Melanoma Institute Australia or QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. (The Conversation) NSA

NSA
Dhaka, Dec 28 (PTI) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday said that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus suggestion to set the minimum voting age at 17 would put pressure on the Election Commission and could delay the election process.

Yunus, 84, who was sworn-in to lead the interim government after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August, on Friday suggested that the minimum voter age should be lowered to 17 years, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

In a video message played in an election dialogue, Yunus said, To give their (youth) opinion on their own future, I think the voting age for them should be fixed at 17 years."

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, during a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club here, said the chief advisers suggestion to lower the voting age to 17 means a new voter list would have to be prepared.

"Now, people will fear that even more time will be wasted and further delays will occur, he was quoted as saying.

Alamgir said there is an impression among the people that the interim government is deliberately trying to delay the election process. But that is not my perception, he added.

The BNP leader said the chief adviser should not have raised the issue without first consulting the stakeholders.

You are the chief executive, and you said that 17 years is better. When you say this, it becomes binding on the Election Commission, he said.

Alamgir said the government should have left the matter to the Election Commission, allowing it to make a decision.

He said that the current minimum age of 18 for becoming a voter is acceptable to all.

If you want to reduce it by one year, then let the new Election Commission propose it and engage in discussions with the political parties, the BNP leader said.

During his Victory Day speech on December 16, Yunus indicated that elections might be held by early 2026.

"Broadly speaking, the election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026," he said.

Yunus said that the elections would be held after updating the voters list.
London, Dec 28 (PTI) Britains Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Lammy has hailed the bold economic reforms of Dr Manmohan Singh as a legacy which continues to shape modern India.

In a social media tribute to the former prime minister who was cremated in New Delhi on Saturday, Lammy also credited Singh for laying the foundations of the thriving bilateral partnership between India and the UK.

Dr Manmohan Singhs bold economic reforms transformed Indias economy, Lammy said in a post on X on Friday evening.

His legacy continues to shape modern India, and his vision laid the foundations for todays thriving UK-India partnership. My deepest condolences to his family and the Indian people, he said.

Manmohan Singh, who was prime minister between 2004 and 2014 and finance minister before that, has been widely hailed the world over as the architect of India's economic liberalisation.

He died aged 92 and was laid to rest with full state honours in a ceremony attended by leading political dignitaries and included a 21-gun salute.

Following his death on Thursday night, the government declared seven days of national mourning.

Earlier, British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron took to social media to pay tribute to a great Prime Minister, Finance Minister and global statesman who advanced Indias interests through bold economic reforms and played a key role in putting India in its rightful place on the world stage and stabilising the global economy after the financial crisis.

The UK will always be proud of his invaluable partnership with three UK Prime Ministers, and proud of him as an alumnus of two of our great universities. My thoughts and wishes are with his family and the people of India, she said.

Singhs tenure overlapped with Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and Conservative David Cameron, who later wrote in his memoir that he got on well with this saintly man who was robust on the threats India faced.

On a later visit he told me that another terrorist attack like that in Mumbai in July 2011, and India would have to take military action against Pakistan, notes the former UK PM in For the Record, published in 2019.

The Guardian newspaper referenced Singhs trademark sky-blue turbans and home-spun white kurta pyjamas in its obituary.

Singh, called Indias reluctant prime minister due to his shyness and preference for being behind the scenes, was considered an unlikely choice to lead the worlds biggest democracy. But when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi led her party to a surprise victory in 2004, she turned to Singh to be prime minister, the newspaper notes.

The BBC, in its obituary, hailed Singh as one of India's longest-serving prime ministers who was considered the architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance minister.

In his maiden speech as finance minister he famously quoted Victor Hugo, saying that no power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come. That served as a launchpad for an ambitious and unprecedented economic reform programme: he cut taxes, devalued the rupee, privatised state-run companies and encouraged foreign investment, reads the report.
Toronto, Dec 28 (AP) Two Canadian Cabinet ministers met with President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for commerce secretary at Mar-a-Lago on Friday as Canada tries to avoid sweeping tariffs when Trump takes office.

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, as well as North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trump's pick to lead the Interior Department.

Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian products if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States  even though far fewer of each cross into the US from Canada than from Mexico, which Trump has also threatened.

Minister LeBlanc and Minister Joly had a positive, productive meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum, as a follow-up to the dinner between the Prime Minister and President Trump last month, said Jean-Sebastien Comeau, a spokesman for LeBlanc.

Comeau said both ministers outlined the measures in Canada's billion-dollar plan to increase security at the border and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives.

Comeau said Lutnick and Burgum agreed to relay the information to Trump.

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Further discussions are expected in the coming weeks. Joly will also have dinner with US Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday.

Trump has been trolling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media in recent weeks by calling him the Governor of the 51st state.

Flows of migrants and seizures of drugs are vastly different at the US' two land borders. US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.

Most of the fentanyl reaching the US  where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually  is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia.

On immigration, the US Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time.

Trump has also made an issue of the US trade deficit with Canada, erroneously calling it a subsidy.

Canada's ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, has said the US had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year. But she noted a third of what Canada sells into the US are energy exports and said there is a deficit when oil prices are high.

About 60% of US crude oil imports and 85% of US electricity imports are from Canada. Alberta alone sends 4.3 million barrels of oil per day to the US which tends to consume about 20 million barrels a day.

Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states.

Trudeau has told Trump that Americans would also suffer if the president-elect follows through on a plan to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. (AP) SCY

SCY
Mumbai, Dec 28 (PTI) Actor-producer Prajakta Mali on Saturday slammed BJP MLA Suresh Dhas for dragging her name in his attempt to target NCP minister Dhananjay Munde in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case.

Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog, was abducted, tortured and murdered in Beed on December 9 for attempting to thwart an extortion bid on an energy firm. While several persons have been arrested so far, a political tussle is underway over Walmik Karad, an accused in the extortion case linked to the murder and who is reportedly a close aide of Parli MLA Munde.

Addressing a press conference, Mali said Dhas' comments were in bad taste, entirely baseless and asserted women, especially actors, should not be made soft targets.

Mali said her silence over video clips and fake news circulating over the past one-and-half months on social media pertaining to her visit to Parli for a cultural event should not seen as "my consent".

"Artistes choose to stay away from such mudslinging. But Suresh Dhas is an elected representative and what he says and the manner in which he says it have to be taken seriously. Dhas' remarks are false and baseless. His remarks linking me to Dhananjay Munde are derogatory," the actor emphasised.

She said her family and friends believed in her when such negativity was being spread on social media but it needs to be taken seriously when an MLA makes such comments.

Mali said she has sought a public apology from Dhas and is contemplating legal action against the Ashti MLA.

"I had been to Parli for a cultural event, an award function. Artistes like me travel to several cities to entertain audiences. Why name just women? Haven't male actors attended such programmes organised by politicians? Dhas has used my name for his selfish interests," she said.

Asserting that such comments not only malign women but also show a person's mindset, Mali informed that she has lodged a complaint with the Maharashtra State Women's Commission.

"(Women) actors are soft targets. Don't misuse them for your TRP (viewership). To what extent can you go to boost TRPs? Don't you think she (the target of such attacks) can slip into depression and commit suicide?" she said questioning the media.

Mali also informed that she had sent a notice to Munde's wife Karuna over some social media comments, following which the latter stopped making such utterances.

"Karuna Munde, do not speak without clarifying. Your information is wrong," Mali said.

The actor said she will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking that social media platforms, portals and media be held accountable for maligning women.

Incidentally, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule has asked Dhas to desist from publicly attacking Munde over the sarpanch murder case.

"I will ask Dhas to share any information he possesses directly with the chief minister rather than going public. I will tell him not to make any comments which will hamper the (murder) probe, " Bawankule told reporters on Friday.
Dhar (MP), Dec 28 (PTI) A show-cause notice was served to the in-charge warden of a government school hostel on Saturday over a celebratory event amid the state mourning in honour of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, an official said.

Madhya Pradesh declared seven-day mourning after senior Congress leader and ex-PM Singh, who introduced reforms to make India an economic powerhouse, passed away in Delhi on Thursday night.

The alleged colourful function was held at a government girls residential school hostel in the Dhar district of the BJP-ruled state, said the official.

We have learnt through social media that the Kasturba Gandhi Girls Residential Hostel organised their annual festival amid state mourning, assistant project coordinator for girls' education Ramesh Nigwal told reporters.

In a video of the event which has gone viral, the students and staff can be seen dancing to film songs at the hostel in the Dharawara area, about 11 km from the district headquarters.

A show-cause notice has been issued to the warden concerned. If a satisfactory answer is not received within three days, action will be taken as per the orders of senior officials, Nigwal said.
Mumbai, Dec 28 (PTI) Domestic carrier IndiGo on Saturday said it has arranged an alternative aircraft to fly the stranded passengers after its Mumbai-Istanbul flight of December 28, scheduled to depart at 6.55 am, had to be cancelled due to a technical glitch.

The long delay prompted some of the passengers to vent their anger on social media. No food or even water was served and there was no representative from the airline willing to listen to their grievances, some passengers claimed.

The alternative aircraft will depart for Istanbul at 11 pm, the airline said in a statement.

"We regret that our flight 6E17, originally scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a delay due to technical issues. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to rectify the issue and dispatch it to the destination, we eventually had to cancel the flight," IndiGo said in a statement.

"Mumbai to Istanbul journey suspended after 10 hours waiting by passengers. Information that there are around 100 passengers in this journey and the number of students is large. Kids are crying at the airport, no resolution from authorities," said a passenger in his post on X, also tagging Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.

"There are 500 passengers who have been scammed by continuous delays and eventual cancellation. All passengers have not been served any food or water. There is no representative from indigo willing to listen to grievances," said another passenger in his post.



IndiGo, however, said its teams were "working hard" to provide support to the affected customers, keeping them informed and arranging accommodation, meal vouchers and full refunds.
Bhubaneswar, Dec 28 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi of indulging in politics over the funeral of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra came down heavily on Gandhi for stating that the Narendra Modi government disrespected Singh by conducting his funeral at Nigambodh Ghat, whereas for other former prime ministers the last rites were performed at sites where memorials were authorised to be built later.

"It is unfortunate that the BJP has to address a press conference on the subject relating to the funeral of Dr Singh... since his death, the Centre has been preparing to construct a memorial for him," Patra said.

"A cabinet meeting was called and a condolence message was issued. It was also decided to pay proper respects to the former PM befitting to his stature. The cabinet has informed both Dr Singh's family and the Congress that a memorial will be built so that everyone can remember his positive contribution. However, time is needed for land acquisition, forming a trust and other formalities. At the same time, cremation should be done as it cannot wait," Patra said.

The BJP leader also alleged that the grand old party had "insulted" its leaders -- former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao and ex-president Pranab Mukherjee -- in the past.
Imphal, Dec 28 (PTI) Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday strongly condemned the indiscriminate firing by militants in Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi areas of Imphal East district in which four persons were injured.

The CM in a post on X said, "Strongly condemn the indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East, which injured civilians and security personnel. This cowardly and unprovoked attack on innocent lives is an assault on peace and harmony."

Singh said additional security forces have been rushed to the affected areas and called for calm and unity in the wake of such challenges.

"Adequate security personnel have been rushed to the affected areas. The injured are receiving necessary medical assistance, and the government calls for calm and unity in the face of such challenges. Central forces and state police should have proper coordination and understanding when dealing with such situations" Singh added.

A video journalist was injured in firing by armed men from the hills in Manipur's Imphal East district on Saturday morning, police said.

L Kabichandra, a video journalist of a private TV channel, sustained bullet injuries on his left thigh and was rushed to a hospital, they said, adding that he was hit by a bullet fired likely by a sniper.

Kabichandra was reporting the attack by armed men at Thamnapokpi village since Friday.

Security forces also retaliated the fire, they said.

On Friday night firing by militants towards Thamnapokpi in Imphal East district from the surrounding hills of Kangpokpi district an elderly woman was injured. She was rushed to Yaingangpokpi Primary Health Centre for treatment and is out of danger.

Earlier on Friday, two persons including a security personnel were injured in firing at Sanasabi.
Imphal, Dec 28 (PTI) Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said the case of 56-year-old Laishram Kamalbabu, who allegedly went missing from the Army camp at Leimakhong on November 25, would be handed over to the CBI.

The decision was taken following a meeting of the state cabinet, he said.

"Chaired a cabinet meeting at the cabinet hall of my secretariat to deliberate on the means to address the pressing concerns and prevailing situation in the state," he said in a post on X.

"The case of Laishram Kamalbabu who had gone missing from the Leimakhong Army camp, will be handed over to the CBI," he added.

Kamalbabu, a native of Assam's Cachar district who lived in Khukrul in Imphal West, was a works supervisor for a contractor working with the Military Engineering Services (MES) in Leimakhong Military Station of the 57th Mountain Division, according to the Army.

Police had earlier said that over 2,000 security personnel were deployed to search for Kamalbabu, who belongs to the Metei community.

Amid protests over his disappearance, state Social Welfare Minister Heikham Dingo had said that all documents related to Kamalbabu were sent to the Prime Minister's Office as well as the offices of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, the CM said the cabinet also decided that the national flag will be flown at half-mast till January 1 to mourn the death of former PM Manmohan Singh.
https://www.tipranks.com/news/the-fly/ck-hutchison-to-sell-panama-ports-to-blackrock-in-22-8b-deal

The latest announcement is out from Embraer SA ( (ERJ) ).

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Embraer announced a new contract for two C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft with an undisclosed customer, including a comprehensive training and support package. This marks the tenth nation to select the C-390, reinforcing its position as a versatile military airlift solution. The aircrafts capabilities in tactical transport, humanitarian aid, and disaster management highlight its competitive advantage in the defense aviation market. The C-390 has demonstrated high performance and reliability with a mission completion rate above 99%, further solidifying its growing international interest.

More about Embraer SA

Embraer is a global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, specializing in manufacturing aircraft for Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security, and Agricultural sectors. It also provides after-sales services and support through a global network. Founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered over 9,000 aircraft and is a leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats, as well as a major exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil.

YTD Price Performance: 97.29%

Average Trading Volume: 1,157,930

Technical Sentiment Consensus Rating: Sell

Current Market Cap: $6.71B

Find detailed analytics on ERJ stock on TipRanks Stock Analysis page.

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Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Dec 28 (PTI) Poppy straw and spirit worth a total of Rs 3.4 crore have been seized in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district in separate incidents and eight people arrested, police said on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, police nabbed two peddlers and seized over six quintals of poppy straw, estimated to be worth Rs 1.9 crore, from a truck on NH-33 near Charhi Ghati on Friday night, a senior police officer said.

The consignment was being taken to Rajasthan from Bundu forest in Ranchi for manufacturing opium, he said.

Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Singh said a checking drive was launched on Friday night, when police intercepted a truck bearing Rajasthan registration number and seized 606 kg of poppy straw from it.

Two persons, identified as Ramesh Kumar from Rajasthan's Barmer and Suresh Bishnoi from Pali, were arrested.

A case under sections of NDPS act was registered with Charhi police station area.

In another raid in Charhi police station area on Friday night, police seized a large quantity of spirit and arrested six persons hailing from Punjab, Jharkhand and Bihar.

The spirit, estimated to be worth at 1.50 crore, was being taken from Hazaribag to Bihar for manufacturing liquor in the dry state. A case was registered in this regard, the SP added.
Hazaribag, Dec 28 (PTI) A case was filed against SDO of Hazaribag Sadar Ashok Kumar after his wife Anita Devi, who allegedly set herself on fire, succumbed to burn injuries, police said on Saturday.

Anita Devi had allegedly set herself on fire at their official residence in Hazaribag's Lohsinghna on Thursday, they said.

She was rushed to the burn unit of the Bokaro General Hospital before she was shifted to the private hospital in Ranchi, where she breathed her last on Friday.

Addressing a press conference here, Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Singh said a case was registered against the SDO, his father Duryodhan Sahu, younger brother Shivnandan and his sister-in-law Rinku Devi on the basis of the statement of Anita Devi's brother Rajkumar Gupta.

In his statement, Gupta claimed that since Kumar was promoted, there was a lot of change in his behaviour towards his wife.

The differences between Kumar and his wife further deteriorated after she learned that he was having an extramarital affair, he claimed.

The SP said Sub-Divisional Police Officer (HQ) Amit Kumar Anand has been directed to investigate the case.

Action against those named in the FIR will be taken only after their statements are recorded, he said.

The SDO, however, claimed he had no hand in the death of his wife.

He said that when he came to know about his wife setting herself on fire, he tried to save her and received burn injuries.

He said that he was even admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Kumar got married to Anita Devi in 2011, and they had a nine-year-old son and four-year-old daughter.

The SP said no favour will be shown to the SDO during the investigation.

"Nobody is above the law and SDO Ashok Kumar will also have to meet the same fate if the allegations against him are proven to be correct," he added.

However, no arrests have been made yet.

Meanwhile, the woman's family members gheraoed the police station along with her body, demanding immediate action against the SDO.

Police said they have also recorded the statements of the staff of the SDO's official residence.
Sasaram (Bihar), Dec 28 (PTI) A man died while another person was critically injured after being shot by unidentified assailants in Bihars Rohtas district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place between 10.35 pm and 10.45 pm on Friday near Kargahar More under the jurisdiction of Town police station, they said.

The deceased has been identified as Badal (32).

When police reached the spot, it was found that Badal and the other person suffered bullet injuries. Both were taken to the nearest hospital where Badal died. The injured person is undergoing treatment his condition is reported to be out of danger, SP (Rohtas) Raushan Kumar said.

Family members of the deceased, meanwhile, have alleged that Badal fell victim to a police bullet, calling for stringent action against the culprits.

The matter is being investigated as per the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Evidence from the spot has been collected by forensic experts, and statements of all sides are being recorded. The exact cause of the incident and how it happened will be known only after completion of the probe, Kumar said.

He also said that an air gun was recovered from the spot.

According to locals, a traffic police team had reached the area after that, some commotion reportedly took place resulting in the death of Badal. Two other persons, including a police constable, also suffered bullet injuries. Both are out of danger now, the SP said.
Lucknow, Dec 28 (PTI) Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati have urged the central government to avoid any political controversy over the funeral and memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

The architect of India's economic reforms and a consensus builder in the rough world of politics, Singh died at AIIMS, Delhi, late on Thursday. He was 92. His last rites will take place with full state honours at the Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi at 11.45 am.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have Singh's funeral at a place where his memorial can be built.

In a post on X on Friday night, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said, "The tradition of honouring the country's former prime ministers must be upheld. There is no need for politics on this issue nor should there be any.

"Dr. Manmohan Singh's memorial should be constructed at Rajghat. The BJP should refrain from presenting an inappropriate example of its narrow-minded thinking. History will never forgive them for this negative approach," he said.

BSP president Mayawati said the wishes of Singh's family should be respected.

"The central government should ensure that the funeral and memorial of Dr Manmohan Singh, the country's first Sikh prime minister, are conducted at a location preferred by his family. No politics should be done on this matter and the government must honour the sentiments of Singh's family and the Sikh community."

In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs assured that a place would be allocated for Singh's memorial and that his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had been informed.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory about the arrangements and restrictions that will be in place on the eve of New Year celebration across the national capital, especially Connaught Place, an official said.

A senior officer said traffic personnel will be deployed in adequate strength at various areas of the city. The main focus will be at the markets, near malls, and the areas where people come for the celebrations like Connaught Place, Hauz Khas etc.

Delhi traffic Police has made special traffic arrangements for the areas in the vicinity of Connaught Place area as huge crowd is expected to visit the area to celebrate the eve of New Year, another officer said.

Restrictions shall be imposed from 8 pm onwards on Tuesday in the area of Connaught Place till the end of New Year celebrations. It will be applicable to all private and public transport vehicles, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Dhal Singh said.

The DCP said strict action shall be taken against drunken driving, over speeding, stunt biking, reckless driving, zig-zag and dangerous driving, etc.

Vehicle shall not be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond round about Mandi House, round about Bengali Market, North foot of Ranjit Singh Flyover, Minto Road  Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg crossing, RK Ashram Marg-Chitragupta Marg Crossing, round about Gole Market, round about GPO, Kasturba Gandhi Road, etc., the police said.

Vehicular traffic shall not be allowed in inner, middle or outer circle of Connaught Place except for those that are carrying valid passes, Singh said.

Motorists can park their vehicles near Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk on Rakab Ganj Road behind AIR, Mandi House on Copernicus Marg upto Baroda House, Minto Road on DD Upadhaya Marg and Press Road area, Panchkuian Road on RK Ashram Marg, KG Marg-Ferozshah Road Crossing on Copernicus Lane, Windsor Place, the police said.

Limited parking space will be available near Connaught Place on first come first serve basis. Unauthorised parked vehicles shall be towed away and prosecuted, they added.

Elaborate arrangements have been made at and around India Gate for regulation of traffic for both pedestrian and vehicular, they said.

In case of heavy pedestrian movement, vehicles may not be allowed to go through C-Hexagon, India Gate area and diverted from Q-Point, round about Sunheri Masjid, Rajpath Rafi Marg, round about windsor place, round about Rajindra Prasad road-Janpath, KG Marg-Ferozeshah Road, round about Mandi House, Mathura Road-Purana Qila road etc., the officer said.

Visitors are advised to use public transport as there is shortage of parking space at India Gate, he said.

In view of large gathering expected at Delhi Zoo resulting in congestion on Mathura Road, the motorists are advised to avoid Bhairon Road/Mathura Road between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pragati Maidan, the officer said.
Jammu, Dec 28 (PTI) Kashmiri pandits on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led central government for not acknowledging their displacement from Kashmir over three decades ago as genocide and reiterated their demand for the implementation of 'Margdarshan resolution'.

Observing the 33rd homeland day anniversary here, the displaced community also demanded enhancement of relief measures, adequate security for PM-package employees working in the valley and ample employment opportunities for the youth of the community in Jammu.

The Kashmiri pandits highlighted the demands in two resolutions passed at the 33rd National Homeland Day Convention, hosted by Panun Kashmir, one of the leading organisations representing Kashmiri migrant pandits, a spokesperson of the group said.

He said the event, themed Kashmiri Hindus caught between Jehad (holy war) and denial of genocide, marked 33 years since the Margdarshan resolution, which was passed by the community on this day in 1991 after mass migration from Kashmir.

The spokesperson said the first resolution strongly condemns the denial of the genocide and calls for urgent measures to address the frequent terrorist attacks targeting the community in the valley.

"It reaffirms the commitment to the Margdarshan resolution, demanding the creation of a separate Union Territory for the permanent rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus, he said.

He said the second resolution deals with the alleged states apathy towards displaced Kashmiri Hindus, urging the Indian government to withdraw the humiliating "migrant" label and to take immediate action to enhance relief measures, provide security for Prime Minister-package employees working in the valley, and create employment opportunities in Jammu.

Earlier in his address, a prominent Kashmiri pandit leader, Tito Ganju acknowledged the significant contributions of all those who have fought for the cause of Kashmiri Hindus and reaffirmed the collective resolve to not rest until justice is served.

"The road ahead may be long, but we will continue our fight for justice, dignity and a secure homeland. We are united in our cause, and together, we will make our voices heard, Ganju said.

Amidst the solemn reflections and speeches, the convention also featured remarkable cultural performances, underscoring the strength and unity of the Kashmiri Pandit community.

A soulful rendition of Kashmiri folk songs - transporting the audience to a time before exile and traditional Kashmiri music filled the atmosphere with energy and vibrancy during the event, the spokesperson said.

Chairman of Panun Kashmir, Ajay Chrungoo condemned what he called denial of the genocide faced by Kashmiri Hindus, criticising both the states indifference and the worlds silence.

"The fight for justice was not merely about land but about acknowledging the pain and suffering that the community has endured, he said. He reaffirmed the Margdarshan Resolution for the permanent rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus.

He said such a move was not just an aspiration but a necessity, given the continuing terror threat and the alleged inability of the current political establishment to address the communitys plight.
New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister on Saturday lauded the growing involvement of parents in their children's education, saying "It's encouraging to see parents actively engaging."

The Delhi Government organised 'Mega Parents-Teacher Meetings' (Mega PTMs) across all 1,500 governmnet schools. Despite rain, the event witnessed significant parent participation, a statement issued here said.

The chief minister visited Sarvodaya Co-ed School in Kalkaji, highlighting the increased confidence among students in Delhi Government schools with many now fluent in English.

"Parents are thrilled that the quality of education once limited to top private schools is now available in Delhi Government schools," she said.

Atishi also praised the rising awareness among parents emphasising that collaboration between teachers and parents plays a key role in children's progress, the statement said.

Parents attending the PTM expressed their satisfaction with improvements in education and infrastructure in Delhi Government schools, it said.

Parent of a Class 10 student said, "Teachers go above and beyond, even helping children after regular school hours."

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who also attended the Mega PTM, interacted with parents and students and stressed on the importance of parental involvement.

"When parents are engaged, children perform better," he said. Students also shared their aspirations with Kejriwal.

A Class 12 student, Aashna, who wants to pursue an information technology course, expressed an interest in a career in the stock markets.

Aashna's mother said once hesitant in mentioning that their children attended government schools they now take pride in the education their children are receiving.

Manish Sisodia, senior AAP leader wrote about the event in a post on X, saying, "The changes happening in education are not just about buildings but also about touching hearts and dreams."
Kanpur (UP), Dec 28 (PTI) The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has terminated the PhD programme of the then Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mohd Mohsin Khan, who allegedly raped a 26-year-old IIT-K research scholar, an official said on Saturday.

The action to cancel the PhD programme of Mohsin Khan, a 2013 batch PPS officer, has been taken after a recommendation from DGP headquarters.

Mohsin Khan was pursuing his PhD in cybercrime and criminology from IIT-K.

Director of IIT Kanpur Manindra Agarwal said that they have received a letter from the police department stating that the NOC (No Objection Certificate) issued for Khan to pursue the PhD programme has been cancelled.

"Soon after getting the letter, the institute also terminated the PhD programme of Mohd Mohsin Khan, the then ACP Kanpur. The written communication has been made regarding termination," Agarwal told PTI.

The IIT-K student lodged an FIR against Khan on December 24 on charges of criminal intimidation and defaming her.

IIT-Kanpur's PhD student had stated in her FIR that Khan threatened her with serious life consequences and made objectionable posts with the intent to defame her by levelling fake charges.

The ACP and his lawyer allegedly made a tweet and shared objectionable posts on social media platforms with the intent to defame her, the Assistant CP (Kalyanpur) Abhishek Pandey said.

After receiving threats from Khan, the student told the police that she had confined herself to her hostel as she was scared of the consequences. She also told the police that Khan befriended her by falsely claiming to be unmarried and established a relationship with her. He later pressured her for physical intimacy under the pretext of marriage, Pandey said.

She further told the police that every time she would bring up marriage, Khan would harass her. Unable to endure the distress, she approached the IIT-K's administration, including the director and professors, who assured her support.

Based on her complaint, 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," Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankita Sharma had earlier said.

Meanwhile, the SIT has given 48 hours to Mohsin Khan to record his statements in the case, an official associated with the SIT requesting anonymity said.
Lucknow, Dec 27 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday stressed the importance of constructing integrated complexes for offices directly connected to the public at district and divisional headquarters, the UP government said in a statement.

During a review of ongoing construction works under the Revenue Department, he highlighted that integrated complexes are already being developed for administrative offices in Gorakhpur and Varanasi.

He called for similar complexes to be constructed in all districts, stating, "This will ensure that all major officers are located within the same complex, saving the common man from unnecessary hassle."

He instructed that the proposed collectorate offices in Bulandshahr and Sambhal should be developed as integrated complexes.

While reviewing the current status of construction projects, the chief minister emphasised the need for high-quality standards. He pointed out a shortage of expert engineers in the PWD and other implementing agencies and suggested, "It would be appropriate to engage retired experienced or skilled professionals from reputed technical institutions."

"Whether it is budget or manpower, there will be no shortage," he affirmed. He directed all implementing agencies to conduct weekly reviews of their projects, with fortnightly reviews to be carried out by a secretary-level officer.

Adityanath set a two-month deadline to complete the construction of non-residential buildings for the Shamli district Collectorate. He warned that any delays beyond this timeframe would result in action against the concerned officials.

He also called for the physical verification of residential buildings in newly established tehsils, including Baldirai in Sultanpur, Govardhan in Mathura, and Nighasan, Gola Gokarnath, and Dhaurahra in Lakhimpur, following the completion of their construction, the statement said.
New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) A fire broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Godavari Hostel on Friday, fire officials said. There were no injuries reported in the blaze.

Videos shared by the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) showed flames and smoke billowing from an electrical panel board.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said a fire broke out in an air-conditioning unit. "We received a call at 10.18 pm. It was a minor fire in electrical equipment. One fire tender was rushed to the site, and it took 15 minutes to douse the flames," a DFS official said.

There was no immediate response from the JNU administration.

In a post on X, JNUSU president Dhananjay blamed the incident on "poor safety measures" at the hostels.

"The JNU administration and vice chancellor have pushed JNU students into the jaws of death. The fire in Godavari Hostel is proof of this," he said.

"The JNUSU has repeatedly raised concerns about the safety and renovation of hostels with the administration, but the response has always been that the government is not providing funds. This RSS-backed administration and government have driven JNU into a state of deterioration, the students' union president said.

Ignoring the voices of students will prove to be a costly mistake for the administration, he added.
(Bloomberg) -- Nidec Corp. is offering 257.3 billion ($1.6 billion) to take over machine tool builder Makino Milling Machine Co., initiating a rare unsolicited takeover of a Japanese company.

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The Kyoto-based maker of precision and automotive motors said its offering 11,000 per share for Makino Milling, a 42% premium to the companys Thursday close. Makino Millings shares went untraded Friday morning because of a glut of buy orders. Nidecs stock rose as much as 5.3% after announcing the tender offer, which was reported earlier by the Nikkei as a hostile bid.

Nidec, the worlds top maker of mini motors, is fighting both lackluster demand for hard drives and cut-throat prices in Chinas electric-vehicle market. Its been seeking entry into higher-margin areas of growth under new leadership. Eighty-year-old founder Shigenobu Nagamori stepped aside in April, tasking Mitsuya Kishida to advance the companys push into EV motors as chief executive officer.

Nagamori has said hes staying on to drive the groups acquisitions and that hes prepared to spend as much as 1 trillion to reach 10 trillion in sales by March 2031. Since 1984, Nagamori and his hand-picked M&A team have spearheaded more than 70 deals. If successful, a Makino Milling deal would mark Nidecs single largest deal and would be at least the second time the 51-year-old company has initiated an unsolicited takeover attempt.

Founded in 1937, Makino Milling supplies machine tools to aerospace, automotive, semiconductor and construction industries. Its customers include robot makers Daifuku Co. and Fanuc Corp., as well as Toyota Tsusho Corp. and Nikon Corp., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Nidec said it hasnt held discussions with Makino Milling yet. While it will try to win the companys board over, it plans to go through with its tender offer if certain conditions are met, it said in a statement. It expects its tender to begin on April 4.

Many Japanese machinery companies are priced cheaply, in part due to their deep ties to carmakers, according to Hideyuki Suzuki, a general manager at SBI Securities. With a price to book value ratio of less than 1, Makino Milling may be due for a reevaluation of its capital policies, he said.

Its not the first time Nidec has attempted a potentially hostile takeover, in a country where such deals are usually agreed-upon beforehand. Last year, it announced an unsolicited bid for Takisawa Machine Tool Co., which eventually consented to the deal.
Jammu, Dec 28 (PTI) The Jammu-Srinagar highway has been closed for vehicular traffic following heavy snowfall, leaving around 200 vehicles, including small and large ones, stranded along the route, officials said on Saturday.

Efforts are underway to clear the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.

The road has been blocked at several places between Nashri and Banihal areas, officials said.

"The Jammu-Srinagar highway is closed. Clearance work is being hampered due to heavy snowfall in the NAVYUG Tunnel area. Men and machinery are on the job to clear snow from the highway," a traffic police officer said.

He also advised commuters to avoid travel until the weather improves and the road is cleared.

Traffic authorities are not allowing Kashmir-bound vehicles from Nagrota and Udhampur due to the closure of the highway, officials said.

The Mughal Road, which serves as an alternative link to the Kashmir Valley from Poonch district in Jammu region, was also shut due to snow accumulation, officials said.

Similarly, the Sinthan Pass in Kishtwar has also been shut for vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall.
Chennai, Dec 28 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday accused the Centre of "denying" Manmohan Singh's family the right to perform his last rites at a befitting site for his memorial and alleged that it was an insult to the departed leader's towering legacy and the Sikh community.





In a post on 'X', Stalin said: "The BJP governments decision to deny Dr. #ManmohanSinghs family the right to perform his last rites at a befitting site for his memorial is a direct insult to his towering legacy and the Sikh community. Refusing the familys request and relegating a two-term Prime Minister to Nigambodh Ghat reeks of arrogance, bias and a deliberate attempt to erase his immense contributions from public memory."







Further, he said: "Dr Manmohan Singhs leadership transformed Indias economy and lifted millions out of poverty. To disrespect a statesman of his stature is to disrespect Indias progress itself. The stain of dishonouring great leaders never fades from history!







Stalin-led DMK is a key ally of the Congress party, which has accused the Centre of insulting Manmohan Singh, the country's first Sikh prime minister, by carrying out his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat instead of a designated spot that could later become his memorial.
Kochi, Dec 28 (PTI) A CBI court here on Saturday found 14 accused including a CPI(M) former MLA guilty in the murder of two Youth Congress workers - Kripesh and Sarath Lal at Periya in Kasaragod district of Kerala five years ago.

Of the 24 accused, the court found the first eight accused guilty of murder and conspiracy charges and another six guilty of conspiracy, destruction of evidence and providing assistance for operating the crime, while remaining 10 accused have been acquitted in the case.

The court will pronounce the sentence on January 3.

The case pertains to the murder of Youth Congress workers Kripesh, 19, and Sarath Lal P K, 24, allegedly by CPI(M) workers on February 17, 2019.

The accused found guilty include former MLA and CPI(M) district leader K V Kunhiraman, Kanhangad block panchayat president K Manikandan, former CPI(M) Periya local committee member A Peethambaran, and former Pakkam local secretary Raghavan Velutholi.

According to the prosecution, the twin murders were carried out after politically motivated attacks and counterattacks between the workers of CPI(M) and Congress in the area.

The CBI filed the charge sheet in this case against 24 persons including six CPI(M) workers under various charges such as murder, criminal conspiracy, and unlawful assembly.

The central agency had taken over the investigation from the Kerala Police on October 23, 2019 on the directives of the Kerala High Court.

The crime branch of the state police had filed a charge sheet on May 20, 2019 against 14 accused, but the parents of the victims moved the high court, seeking quashing of charge sheet expressing anguish over the findings of the police.

The Kerala government opposed a CBI probe in the high court and later at the Supreme Court, but the apex court allowed the central probe agency to carry on with its investigation, officials said.

Sathyanarayanan, the father of the deceased Sarathlal, expressed satisfaction with the verdict but added that the legal fight would continue until all the accused are brought to justice. "Ten accused have been acquitted, and we will pursue legal action after consulting with the prosecutor," he said.
Bengaluru, Dec 28 (PTI) Four people, including the manager of a private bank, were arrested for allegedly siphoning off Rs 12.51 crore by stealing sensitive data from a company, police said on Saturday.



The matter came to light after the director of Dream Plug Pay Tech Solutions Private Limited (CRED) approached the police in November, alleging the siphoning of Rs 12.51 crore from the companys accounts.

According to the police, the director alleged that the companys nodal and current bank accounts were with the Indiranagar branch of Axis Bank in Bengaluru and that some unknown persons had gained access to the email addresses and contact numbers associated with these accounts.

Investigation revealed that the accused stole the company's data, forged CIB forms, and duplicated signatures and seals to facilitate the transfer of Rs 12.51 crore to 17 different bank accounts in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that by using the phone number and email ID linked to the private company's Axis Bank account, the accused faked corporate Internet banking forms and seals, enabling the transfer of Rs 12.51 crore to various accounts.

Bengaluru East CEN police investigated the case and arrested four people, including an Axis Bank manager in Gujarat.

"Rs 55 lakh that was transferred to 17 accounts has been frozen, and Rs 1,28,48,500 has been recovered from the accused along with two mobile phones. More accused are still at large, and the police are working to identify them," he added.
Chennai, Dec 28 (PTI) Vijayakanth, popular yesteryear Tamil actor and DMDK founder, was fondly remembered by his party workers and ardent fans, on the occasion of his first death anniversary on Saturday and they paid floral tributes at his memorial here.

Cadres and fans, led by party top leader Premalatha Vijayakanth, gathered in very large numbers at the party headquarters here and paid homage at the memorial. Heavy traffic congestion was witnessed in and around Koyambedu locality in view of the anniversary function.

Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu were among the leaders who visited Vijayakanth's 'samadhi' on the DMDK headquarters premises here at Koyambedu and laid wreaths.

VK Sasikala, confidante of late Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK leaders D Jayakumar and P Benjamin, BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai, senior Saffron party leader Tamilisai Soundararajan and NTK leader Seeman, paid homage to Vijayakanth (1952-2023), hailed as 'captain' by his admirers.

The DMDK founder leader died here on December 28, 2023.
Gurugram, Dec 28 (PTI) Police have arrested three people for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 50 lakh from a businessman here, officials said on Saturday.

The complainant told the police that he got a call from an unknown number on December 16 asking for Rs 50 lakh and threatening to kill him and his family, they said.

Fearing for life, the complainant paid Rs 5 lakh to the accused. On December 18, the accused called him again and demanded the rest of the money. Following this, the complainant, a broadband businessman, approached the police.

Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered at the Rajendra Park Police Station. The accused -- Ravi, Mohit Kumar and Amit -- were arrested from Bhagpat district in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

During the interrogation, the accused revealed that Ravi knew the businessman and believed that he had a lot of money. Following this, Ravi and his associates planned to extort money, a Gurugram police spokesperson said.

Further investigation is underway, the officer added.


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The future of one of the City's biggest and most profitable markets - trading and clearing derivative contracts - could come under threat next year unless the UK can carve out a new deal with the EU.

In the first half of 2024, the London Clearing House (LCH), part of the London Stock Exchange Group, cleared $799tn (630tn) of transactions, up 15pc on the same half of the previous year.

The strength of the LCH has confounded critics of Brexit, who expected wholesale trading of financial contracts focused on London to fracture and move to centres such as Frankfurt and Paris.

The unwillingness of German and other regulators to take on the risk of dealings on less developed platforms meant the exodus never happened.

The right of London to trade derivative contracts generated by financial institutions based in the EU rests on a temporary waiver by Brussels and European financial regulators.

That deal expires in June. If there were a hiatus in talks on 'equivalence', European banks would be able to access derivative clearing using 'active account requirement'. These largely backup accounts allow commercial firms to use a European clearing house.

Post-Brexit talks: Negotiations between London and the EU are ongoing over a 'waiver' on derivatives trading that runs out in June

'The market has been growing, so has the number of participants, clients and members. That business continues to do very well,' a London Stock Exchange Group source told the Daily Mail.

Nevertheless, to secure the LCH's future, Britain will need a more permanent 'equivalence' deal with the EU to allow European-based banks and financial groups to retain access to LCH trading.

The importance of derivative trading to London is hard to calculate. But it means banks from across the globe deploy trading teams in the Square Mile to close deals and manage the risk on their books.

Negotiations between London and the EU are ongoing, with the Bank of England, which is responsible for maintaining financial stability, in the forefront of the talks.

Officials hope the issue of equivalence - where European regulators deem UK regulation to be equal to that on the Continent - can be resolved.

But some Continental financial centres regret UK domination of derivatives. Another fear is that negotiations in this highly technical area could be caught up in broader efforts by Keir Starmer's Government to have close economic ties to our former EU partners.
By Kantaro Komiya and Rocky Swift

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese manufacturing giant Nidec said on Friday it planned to launch a 257 billion yen ($1.6 billion) bid for Makino Milling Machine, a surprise unsolicited takeover offer in a country better known for agreed deals.

Nidec said Makino's board had not agreed to the 11,000 yen per share offer, a 42% premium to Thursday's closing share price, as it had not proposed the bid before announcing it.

The world's top manufacturer of precision motors said it plans to clear regulatory processes by early April and launch the tender offer on April 4, even without Makino's consent.

Makino said in a statement it was not made aware of Kyoto-based Nidec's proposal before the announcement, and that it would release its opinion after examining the offer.

Shares in Makino surged by their daily limit, closing 19% higher, after going untraded during the session amid a glut of buy orders. Nidec's stock jumped 4.1%.

"The deal looks like a rare win-win," said Mike Allen, an equity research director for Tokyo-based Azabu Research.

"The price-to-book ratio for Makino is very low, but return on equity is consistently below 6%, so they need to create synergies. Nidec is also dirt cheap."

"Insiders' control of Makino is very low, so this can easily work," he added.

Nidec, led by founder Shigenobu Nagamori, backed Japanese guidelines issued last year to promote mergers and acquisitions and remove a long-held stigma around unsolicited bids.

A reform push by the Tokyo exchange has also sparked a slew of share buybacks, unwindings of cross-shareholdings and management buyouts.

Nidec last year acquired Takisawa Machine Tool after making a 16.6 billion yen unsolicited takeover offer.

Nagamori told the Nikkei newspaper this month that Nidec was on the hunt for a purchase as big as 1 trillion yen and was eyeing three potential targets in Europe and the United States.

Since it began in 1973 with just three workers, Nagamori has boosted Nidec's market value to nearly 3.4 trillion yen, larger than Olympus or Kyocera, placing its products in everything from cars and smartphones to AI data centres.

Makino would be Nidec's largest acquisition to date, according to LSEG data, eclipsing its $1.2 billion takeover of France-based motor maker Leroy-Somer in 2016.

($1 = 157.7400 yen)

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Rocky Swift; Editing by Jamie Freed and Alexander Smith)
(Bloomberg) -- A co-founder of Solana, one of the biggest blockchain platforms in the world, is locked in a legal battle with his former wife over the gains from a cache of lucrative SOL tokens.

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Stephen Akridge was accused by his ex-wife, Elisa Rossi, in a lawsuit of stealing millions of dollars in income yielded from her digital wallet holdings of Solana, the sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market value.

Akridge took advantage of the significant disparity in expertise in cryptocurrencies and blockchain that he possessed and surreptitiously reaped Rossis so-called staking rewards, according to a complaint she filed this week in San Francisco Superior Court. Staking refers to the practice of pledging crypto assets to validate blockchain transactions and earning more tokens.

Solana has recently been one of the hottest digital assets. It was once closely associated with now-disgraced entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and his trading firm Alameda Research, and saw its prices fall to below $10 after the collapse of FTX exchange. But Solana has since reemerged as one of the top performers among cryptocurrencies.

The value of the tokens at issue is blacked out in the suit, though Rossi referred to significant sums in a request to the court to keep portions of the complaint confidential.

Solana Labs, the developer of the blockchain platform, and attorneys for Akridge and Rossi didnt respond to requests for comment. Akridge didnt respond to a request for comment sent to Cyber Grant Inc., a California-based cybersecurity company that announced his appointment as chief executive officer in October.

Akridge, who came from Qualcomm Inc. according to Rossis complaint, served as Solanas principal engineer and worked alongside other co-founders of the platform, Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal.

The dispute began after Akridge and Rossi filed for a divorce in February 2023 after 10 years of marriage, according to the complaint. In the lawsuit, Rossi accused Akridge of stealing her staking rewards, and is seeking damages for claims including breach of contract, unjust enrichment and fraud.

She says that from early March to mid-May the accounts were being operated and controlled by Mr. Akridge who was receiving 100% of the commission on the SOL tokens allocated to Ms. Rossi.
The HSE has issued an urgent update amid a spike in flu cases with almost 800 people hospitalised with the virus over Christmas.

There were 742 people hospitalised with flu as of Friday, December 27, as pressure increases on acute hospitals in the post-Christmas period, according to the HSE.

While the HSE had expected and planned for a surge in hospitalisations at this time, the numbers so far are "at the upper end of what they had predicted," a spokesperson said.

According to HSE CEO Bernard Gloster: The healthcare system and in particular our acute hospitals have been working well over the Christmas period, with senior clinical staff on site ensuring patients are discharged when possible, and ensuring efficient patient flow through Emergency Departments.

"We expect pressure to continue over the coming days and we would urge the public to use alternative healthcare services for treatment such as GP, GP Out of Hours, injury units and pharmacies when appropriate. But if patients are very sick and in an emergency situation, they should of course come to their nearest Emergency Department.

A HSE statement added: "Emergency Departments are always available to treat seriously ill patients and the sickest patients are seen first. People with less severe injuries and symptoms may have to wait to be seen.

READ NEXT: Festive pillow stocked in Irish stores across the country recalled over choking hazard

"Please also be aware of any hospital visiting restrictions due to circulating infections, and for infection prevention and control purposes, which can be found on the HSE website.

"From today, additional Daytime GP expanded clinics are available from some practices and patients should check if their GP is participating in this arrangement. Additional supports for GP OOH services are also being provided.

"Its still not too late to get vaccinated and flu and COVID-19 vaccination for target groups remains available - 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."

Further healthcare information:

- Visit your local pharmacy for treating the common cold.

- Contact your family doctor as necessary.

- The GP out-of-hours service is a high quality clinical service for urgent care. Know the Christmas opening arrangements.

- Emergency Departments treat seriously ill patients. Those with less severe injuries and symptoms may have to wait to be seen in Emergency Departments. However, injury units treat injuries that are unlikely to need hospital admission. For example, broken bones, dislocated limbs, sprains and minor burns. Find out what injury units can and cannot treat.

- Patients who may need regular prescriptions are urged to get them filled by their own pharmacy.

- People are advised to check their first aid boxes are well stocked to treat minor ailments at home e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen, calpol, neurofen, dioralyte and a thermometer.

- People should also check the HSE website for useful advice on common illnesses such as colds, coughs, flu, earache and sore throats

- In terms of advanced care planning, if you are caring for someone that is terminally ill, please have medicines that are recommended by your Palliative Care team or GP for situations that could arise.

- A lot of respiratory illnesses are likely to occur in children over the Christmas holidays, most of these illnesses can be managed at home with over-the-counter medications. Good advice on self-care is available from How to keep well in winter.

- Most of the time you do not need to visit your GP. But trust your instincts. Bring your child to your GP if you are worried about them.
Ireland looks set to be plunged into freezing temperatures early in the New Year despite mild and largely dry weather over Christmas period.

That's according to Met Eireann who is predicting a major dip in temperatures during the first week of 2025. In their extended forecast for the week commencing on December 30, they say "a change to colder, more unsettled conditions is expected to take place in the first week of the new year as colder air dips over the region, with the dry conditions experienced for the Christmas period giving way to more rainy weather."

Between now and then, our weather will trend towards that unsettled track with Saturday predicted to see "outbreaks of rain affect northern and western areas this morning. The rain will become patchier as it slowly moves southeastwards during the day with minimal amounts over Munster and Leinster. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in light to moderate southwest winds.

"Overall dry [on Saturday night] with clear spells apart from the odd shower across western and northern counties. Colder than recent nights with lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees. Moderate southwesterly winds will freshen towards morning."

READ NEXT: Illness warning as almost 1,000 people hospitalised in Ireland over Christmas

Met Eireann forecast continues for Sunday and the early days of next week.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29:

Mostly dry, and rather breezy with some sunny spells and scattered showers for the north and west. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds. Breezy overnight with rain in the northwest and well scattered showers across Atlantic counties. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees in fresh to strong southwest winds.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30:

Staying breezy with outbreaks of rain across Ulster and Connacht, possibly turning heavier through the day. Mostly dry elsewhere with sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in fresh to strong southwest winds. Becoming mostly cloudy overnight with outbreaks of rain becoming more widespread. Parts of the south and southeast may hold dry. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees.

TUESDAY (NEW YEAR'S EVE):

Wet and windy with outbreaks of rain becoming lighter and patchier through the day. Fresh to strong southwesterly winds will moderate through the day, increasing strong again overnight. Highest temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees.

WEDNESDAY (NEW YEAR'S DAY):

Some uncertainty with current indications suggesting that it'll turn very windy with strong southwesterlies, and widespread outbreaks of rain.

Meanwhile, Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel says a storm could also hit for the New Year.

He posted an update to followers on Saturday: "The latest updates from all of the major weather models are beginning to agree about the potential for a potent Atlantic storm developing close to Ireland on New Year's Day with a risk of damaging winds in some locations in what would certainly be a named storm.

"There are differences however in the exact track and depth of the low pressure system which are still being worked out by the models. In some scenarios the low tracks just to the south of Ireland with the risk of snow then for many parts of the country, however in some it tracks further to the north.

"If tracking further to the north the system deepens more rapidly, leading to damaging winds in some or potentially all areas for a time, but if it tracks to the south then heavy disruptive snow would be a real possibility as cold air digs in south along the northern edge of the low pressure system.

"In either scenario it appears as though theres growing confidence in a period of particularly cold weather developing for the first week of January with sub zero temperatures by day, bitterly cold conditions by night and with the possibility of some flurries of snow for some coastal areas.

"Theres still uncertainty, the weather models will continue to change elements of the forecast, but we do need to pay close attention to the real possibility of disruptive weather occurring during New Year's Day. 2025 could well be kicking off with a considerable bang," he concluded.
The aftermath of gunfire on local streets isn't always apparent in the immediate aftermath.

Accordingly . . . We wanted to share this update as this year's homicide count is lower but there's not real semblance of "progress" in the struggle to curb local violence. In fact, there's a strong indication that this year's slump in stats is nothing more than a statistical anomaly mostly caused by an extremely cold January.



Here's the word . . .



KCPD says that just before 5 p.m. on December 10, officers were called to the 100 block of North Lawn Avenue on a shooting. When those officers arrived, they found an adult male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds near the doorway of an apartment complex.



December 26, KCPD says that VICTIM succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.



Homicide detectives are currently investigating the case. If anyone has any information on this incident, theyre urged to contact detectives at 816-234-5043 or use the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Victim of Dec. 10 Indian Mound Gun Fire Suffers Late Death, Thursday Afternoon - Northeast News Admin BREAKING- Just after 5 p.m., Dec. 10, the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) was dispatched to the 100 block of N. Lawn Ave., on a reported shooting call.

Man dies weeks later in deadly Northeast Kansas City shooting The Kansas City Police Department released that one man has died after a shooting that occurred on December 10.

Developing . . .
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday largely rejected Starbucks (SBUX)' appeal of a National Labor Relations Board finding the coffee chain illegally fired two Philadelphia baristas because they wanted to organize a union.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Starbucks lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of NLRB administrative law judges, in a possible setback for companies such as Amazon.com, Trader Joe's and Elon Musk's SpaceX that have sought to limit the agency's enforcement powers.

Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro wrote for a three-judge panel that substantial evidence supported the NLRB's conclusion that Starbucks engaged in unfair labor practices by firing Echo Nowakowska and Tristan Bussiere from their South Philadelphia store, and reducing Nowakowska's hours.

The court also found substantial evidence that Starbucks knew before the firings that the baristas had recorded meetings with supervisors without their consent, and rejected Starbucks' claim it need not rehire the baristas with back pay because it discovered the improper recordings only later.

But the Philadelphia-based court said the NLRB exceeded its authority by ordering Starbucks to pay the baristas' foreseeable expenses stemming from their firings. These might have included costs of finding new jobs and out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Starbucks said it fired Nowakowska in January 2020 because she performed poorly and mistreated customers and fired Bussiere the next month because he spread a false rumor that another barista would be fired.

Neither Starbucks nor its lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment. An NLRB spokesperson declined to comment.

Many Starbucks workers have accused the Seattle-based company of unfair labor practices, which it has denied, amid a campaign by workers to unionize stores nationwide.

That campaign included strikes this month at more than 300 stores, according to Starbucks Workers United.

The case was the first time a federal appeals court considered broader challenges to NLRB enforcement powers, including whether its administrative law judges were unconstitutionally shielded from presidential removal.

Ambro said Starbucks lacked standing to challenge the removal protections because it could not demonstrate harm.

The cases are NLRB v Starbucks Corp, 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 23-1953; and Starbucks Corp v NLRB in the same court, No. 23-2241.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Howard Goller)
Right now seems like as good of a time as any to catch up on local reports of ALLEGED MISDEEDS, court cases, victim testimony and just a bit of community outreach hope.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

West Bottoms sees string of car break-ins the morning after Christmas A string of car break-ins in the West Bottoms leave dozens of cars vandalized.

Missouri man indicted for federal hate crime after threatening NAACP chapter Darryl Jaspering of Warrenton wrote a threatening message on the St. Louis NAACP's contact page, tried to intimidate employees and threatened use of a weapon, alleges the indictment.

2 arrested after stolen vehicle leads Kansas City Police on high-speed chase Two men who led police on a high-speed chase through Kansas City in a stolen vehicle have been charged in connection to another stolen vehicle.

'The most excruciating pain': Kansas City moms share their stories of losing children to gun violence As of Dec. 27, Kansas City, Missouri police reported that the city had 143 homicides this year, almost all of them committed with a gun.

Judge allows more public access to records in case of Kansas toddler killed by Joplin sniper The case hinges on whether Sniper 1's safety outweighs the public's interest in knowing the name of the Joplin, Missouri, police officer who killed two-year-old Clessie Crawford in Baxter Springs, Kansas.

Pursuit ends in deadly crash in Wyandotte County A driver who investigators say fled from a traffic stop in a stolen truck died in a crash where they lost control on the Kansas Turnpike.

Judge rules redaction law unconstitutional, agrees with Missouri Broadcast Association (JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) A Moniteau County judge ruled a Missouri law passed in 2023 that required a blanket redaction rule for witness and victim names in court filings unconstitutional.

Kansas has millions to help youth in the criminal justice system. But little is being used Kansas created an evidence-based fund to help minors avoid the criminal justice system. With some community groups struggling to access the money, lawmakers are looking to make more changes.

'Inattention' a leading factor in deadly Missouri crashes: MSHP If you've driven down a Missouri highway recently, you've likely seen the messaging in regard to the hands-free law and when enforcement for it begins.

Longest-serving female inmate in Missouri has sentence commuted Patty Prewitt, the longest-serving female prison is Missouri will be freed.

Ex-convict pardoned by Missouri governor, wants to continue helping former prisoners get fresh start The new year is less than two weeks away and a community advocate is already celebrating. Kevin Morgan got a pardon from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson this summer.

Go Fund Me page set up for Martin City woman who lost her life to domestic violence Tiffany Chrisman, age 39, lost her life during a domestic abuse altercation that turned physical on December 26. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help her children.

Kansas City-area K-9 sniffs out creative hiding place, investigators say Clay County Sheriff's Office said a K-9 discovered a gun and drugs hidden under a hood of a suspect's car.

Developing . . .
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Israeli forces burn Gaza hospital; Kidnap director, other staff

The Israeli Occupation Forces Friday December 27, 2024 set on fire part of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and kidnapped its Director and other staff members

Saturday December 28, 2024 5:13 PM , ummid.com News Network

Gaza Strip: The Israeli Occupation Forces Friday December 27, 2024 set on fire part of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and kidnapped its Director and other staff members.

The Israeli occupation forces also shot dead a Palestinian civilian, despite him raising a white flag near Kamal Adwan Hospital, eyewitnesses told Al Jazeera.

Gaza Health Ministry has described as barbaric while the World Health Organisation (WHO) directly blamed the Zionist regime and accused it of systematic dismantling the Strips healthcare system.

"Heavy smoke billows from the Kamal Adwan Hospital and its surroundings after Israeli forces forcibly evacuated patients, injured individuals, medical staff, and accompanying persons, setting the facility on fire", Quds News Network said in a social media post.

"Israeli military forces kidnapped the Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, and most of the paramedics after raiding the facility this morning", it added in another post.

This is how the story of Kamal Adwan Hospital ended.



The medical staff was arrested, oxygen was denied to the patients, and everyone in the hospital was stripped of their clothes, dragged, and tortured.



I am very worried about Dr. Hossam Abu Safia. You are a hero.



Merry pic.twitter.com/kDMEtiywvX  Omar Hamad |   (@OmarHamadD) December 27, 2024

Video footages that appeared after attack showed the Israeli forces stripping and detaining the Kamal Adwan Hospital staff.

"Systematic dismantling"

The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned Israels attacks on Gazas healthcare infrastructure, stating that these actions are systematic dismantling of the health system.

The WHO expressed deep concern for the safety of those still in the hospital, highlighting that these attacks are part of a broader pattern of Israeli hostilities that have repeatedly targeted or occurred near the facility since early October.

The organization warned that the continued destruction of Gazas health system is putting the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians at risk. The UN body called for an immediate ceasefire, stressing that healthcare must be protected in accordance with international law.

Condemning the Israeli attack on the hospital, Member of Parliament of the UK Jeremy Corbyn, We have witnessed the total decimation of Palestinian healthcare, met with silence from political leaders who refuse to acknowledge the horrors they have enabled. This is the dehumanising reality of genocide.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar have also condemned the Israeli forces burning of the Gaza hospital, and the forced removal of patients and medical staff.

The Arab states called on the international community to work urgently to provide protection for hundreds of patients, wounded and medical staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital, and to compel the occupation authorities to stop their plan to forcibly evacuate it.

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Parker Solar probe sends 'historic beacon' post closest ever Sun flyby

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Friday December 27, 2024 sent beacon signaling it is safe and in action after the historic closest ever Sun flyby

Saturday December 28, 2024 12:01 PM , ummid.com News Network

Washington: NASA's Parker Solar Probe Friday December 27, 2024 sent beacon signaling it is safe and in action after the historic closest ever Sun flyby.

The Parker Solar Probe came closest ever to the biggest and only star of our solar system on December 24, 2024 or Christmas Eve when it was just 6.1 million km or 3.8 million miles.

The solar probe sent Friday December 27, 2024 a beacon, and confirmed it is safe and in action after the closest ever Sun flyby.

Parker Solar Probe is a NASA robotic spacecraft en route to probe the outer corona of the Sun. Launched in 2018 , the car-size Parker Solar Probe, was developed as part of NASAs Living With a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society.

The Living With a Star program is managed by the agencys Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed, built, and operates the spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA.

'Parker Makes History'

The Parker had made last contact with the communication centre back here on December 20, and resumed contact on December 27 - after seven days of silence as it approached closest to Sun on December 24.

"Operations teams have confirmed NASAs mission to touch the Sun survived its record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface on Dec. 24, 2024.

"After seven days of silence, Parker has resumed communication with Earth, confirming it's healthy after soaring just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface  the closest a human-made object has ever been to a star", NASA said.

On Christmas Eve, Parker broke its previous record by flying just 3.8 million miles above the surface of the Sun, NASAs Parker Solar Probe hurtled through the solar atmosphere at a blazing 430,000 miles per hour  faster than any human-made object has ever moved.

"Flying this close to the Sun is a historic moment in humanitys first mission to a star, said Nicky Fox, who leads the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

By studying the Sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth and in space, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe to aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet", she said.

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Colorado's second-highest court put attorneys and litigants on notice for the first time on Thursday that they will face consequences if they use artificial intelligence to submit filings with fake citations.
KUWAIT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Dec, 2024) The State of Kuwait condemned the heinous crime the Israeli occupation forces committed by burning down Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, which resulted in the evacuation of patients and medical staff, in a grave breech of international humanitarian law and all international conventions and norms.

In a statement on Saturday, carried by Kuwait news Agency (KUNA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed Kuwait's call on the international community to end such violations immediately, bring perpetrators to accountability, and protect civilian properties and medical and humanitarian aid staff.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Dec, 2024) The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the diplomatic efforts of the brotherly Republic of Turkiye to resolve the ongoing crisis in Sudan, which also represents a priority for the UAE.

The UAE emphasised that these efforts reflect Turkiyes steadfast commitment to promoting regional peace and stability, and contributing to the strengthening of international relations.

The UAE is fully prepared to cooperate and coordinate with the Turkish efforts and all diplomatic initiatives to end the conflict in Sudan and find a comprehensive solution to the crisis.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed the UAEs steadfast position in relation to the crisis, stressing that the Primary focus remains on reaching an immediate ceasefire and an urgent cessation of hostilities in the internal fighting in Sudan between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, while also addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis through the provision of urgent relief aid to the brotherly Sudanese people.

The Ministry emphasised that the UAE is working with all relevant parties, regional partners, and the international community to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, in an effort to stop the escalation, achieve a ceasefire, and begin an intra-Sudanese dialogue that involves all political factions and the warring parties to fulfill the aspirations of the Sudanese people for development, security, and prosperity.

Moreover, the UAE stresses the importance of the warring parties respecting their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, and the mechanisms proposed by the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Group.

The Ministry highlighted that the absence of the Sudanese Armed Forces from the latest peace talks  which the UAE participated in, alongside several countries and regional and international organisations, as part of the ALPS Group in Geneva  demonstrates a blatant disregard for the suffering of the brotherly Sudanese people, and reflects their strong unwillingness to cooperate and engage in peace talks aimed at resolving the crisis and achieving lasting peace.

Furthermore, the UAE underscored the importance of dialogue and negotiations as the only path to resolve the conflict and secure a political process and national consensus towards a civilian-led government.

The UAE continues to call on all the concerned parties to return to negotiations and actively engage in efforts to achieve peace in Sudan.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, reaffirmed his commitment to addressing public grievances during a Khuli Katchery (open court) held at the Central Police Office, on Saturday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Dec, 2024) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, reaffirmed his commitment to addressing public grievances during a Khuli Katchery (open court) held at the Central Police Office, on Saturday.

A public relation officer told APP that during the khuli katchery, IG listened the issues of citizens and police officers and issued directives to senior police officers on the spot for timely resolution of their concerns.

IG Rizvi said that resolving citizens' issues on merit is our top priority. Negligence and carelessness in duties will not be tolerated. Citizens facing any issue related to the police can come to the Khuli Katchery.

My office is always open for my citizens, he said.

Rizvi further directed the officers to resolve the citizen grievances on merit within the stipulated time frame and report back to the Central Police Office. He directed all SDPOs and SHOs to adhere to the designated office hours and prioritize resolving citizens' issues.

On this occasion, the IG Rizvi said that the Islamabad Police are taking various measures for the facilitation of citizens. The daily holding of Khuli Katchery helps in resolving issues on a priority basis, he added.

Moreover, all zonal officers and SHOs are directed to meet citizens during the designated office hours and resolve their issues promptly and on merit.
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MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Dec, 2024) The Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) Multan Region on Saturday conducted the B-1 promotion exam for constables, ensuring that only eligible candidates were considered for promotion.

According to a spokesperson,superintendent patrolling police, Multan,SP Muhammad Saleem Khan Niazi emphasized that no individuals rights were overlooked and promotions were granted solely on merit.

Under the directions of Additional IG Punjab,Rao Abdul Kareem and DIG Punjab Dr. Athar Waheed, the examination was held at degree college Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony,Multan.

Out of 208 candidates competing for 65 positions,84 constables passed the written examination,while no driver managed to qualify for the written test.

The positions included 59 for constables and 6 for drivers.

The examination board,chaired by SP Muhammad Saleem Khan Niazi, included DSP headquarters Lahore Muhammad Shahid,DSP Amjad Hussain Khan from Multan district,DSP Khalid Muhammad from Lodhran district, and DSP Imtiaz Ahmad from Khanewal district.

Speaking on the occasion,SP Saleem stated,The B-1 promotion exam was conducted with the utmost professionalism and integrity. The process was entirely merit-based, ensuring that only qualified and deserving constables are promoted. Written exam qualifiers have been called for interviews, and promotions will only be awarded to those meeting the required criteria.
(@FahadShabbir)

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday vowed to keep up the Bhutto family's legacy of public service, dedicated to improving the socio-economic well-being of the nation. He hailed the establishment of Dr Ziauddin Hospital Sukkur Campus, adding that it will provide quality healthcare services to the people of Sukkur.

SUKKUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Dec, 2024) President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday vowed to keep up the Bhutto family's legacy of public service, dedicated to improving the socio-economic well-being of the nation. He hailed the establishment of Dr Ziauddin Hospital Sukkur Campus, adding that it will provide quality healthcare services to the people of Sukkur.

The President expressed these views while addressing the inauguration of Ziauddin Hospital in Sukkur. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, Dr Asim Hussain, Sindh provincial ministers, MNAs, MPAs, hospital establishment, and people from different walks of life attended the event.

Speaking at the event, President Asif Ali Zardari hailed the inauguration of the state-of-the-art hospital as a transformative moment for Sukkur and its surrounding areas. He praised Dr Asim Hussain and the Ziauddin Hospital management for their efforts in establishing a facility equipped with cutting-edge technology and a team of highly skilled professionals.

The President reflected on his personal involvement in encouraging Ziauddin Hospital to invest in Sukkur, highlighting the need for such initiatives to uplift healthcare standards in underserved areas. He said that the Government of Sindh would also bear the expenses for the establishment of a university at the Ziauddin Hospital Sukkur Campus.

He stated that he had also donated his personal land for establishing Dr Ziauddin Hospital's campus in Hyderabad.

The President also highlighted that Rohri canal was being lined from its beginning and Rs 15 billion would be spent annually in this regard. He said that the funds generated from the trading of carbon credits in the international market were being used for the lining of the Rohri Canal project.

The President said that the hospital exemplified Dr Asim Hussain and his familys unwavering commitment to providing quality healthcare services to the people. He highlighted that Dr Ziauddin was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly before Pakistan's independence and an associate of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and now his family was carrying forward his legacy.

President Asif Ali Zardari highlighted the significance of the university campus, where medical students can pursue higher education. He emphasized that providing top-notch healthcare facilities to the public was a top priority and reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the people of Pakistan have access to quality medical care.

APP/mnr-jml
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Dec, 2024) Security Forces successfully foiled multiple infiltration attempts by Khawarij terrorists and Afghan Taliban at Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

On the night of December 27 and 28, a group of 20 to 25 Fitna-al-Khawarij terrorists attempted to cross into Pakistan from two locations in Kurram and North Waziristan by using Afghan Taliban border posts. However, Pakistani security forces acted promptly and foiled their infiltration attempt sources said.

The terrorists again attempted to enter into Pakistan in wee hour of Saturday by using the Afghan Taliban border posts and upon their failure resorted to unprovoked firing with heavy weapons on Pakistani border posts, they said.

In retaliation, Pakistan's security forces swiftly responded back with full force. The sources conformed heavy losses on the Afghan side, with casualties of over 15 terrorists and Afghan Taliban fighters and several others injured.

Due to the effective prompt action and shelling, Afghan Taliban forces fled while abandoning their six posts, the sources ssid.

No fatalities were reported among Pakistani security personnel, while three soldiers sustained injuries during the exchange of fire.

The sources said that Pakistan has repeatedly urged the interim Afghan government to prevent terrorists from using Afghan soil for anti-Pakistan activities. However, the Afghan Taliban have allegedly continued to support these elements instead of suppressing them. The terrorists operate freely within Afghanistan, carrying out terrorist activities against Pakistan, the sources said.

Pakistani security forces are fully capable of giving a decisive response to any act of aggression.
MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Dec, 2024) The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) UFG Control Task Force, under the directions of the General Manager, continued its rigorous operation against illegal gas usage and disconnected seven more meters over violations.

The activities aimed at improving gas pressure and swiftly addressing consumer complaints.

According to the details, one domestic meter was cut off over use for commercial purposes.

Likewise, two meters were disconnected for using compressors for getting gas illegally. Two meters were recovered from consumers and seized to avoid their illegal use. One meter, which was installed upside down, was also disconnected. Another meter whose seal was tampered was also cut off.

The door-to-door checking of 80 consumers was carried out.

The measures were part of the companys commitment to combating gas theft and ensuring high-quality, uninterrupted service for all consumers.
Kenyan rights groups, lawyers and politicians voiced grave concern Friday over a fresh spate of abductions targeting government critics.

A small protest was organized in northeastern Embu town, where a 24-year-old man, Billy Mwangi, disappeared last weekend.

Security forces in the East African nation have been accused of carrying out dozens of illegal detentions since youth-led anti-government demonstrations in June and July.

The latest disappearances have been primarily young men who have criticized President William Ruto online.

Police have denied involvement, but activists have questioned why they appear not to be investigating the disappearances.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said recent denials by the inspector-general of police were "insufficient," calling for him to take clear action against the kidnappers or resign.

"If indeed the police are not complicit," LSK said, they must immediately "investigate and prosecute those responsible."

Human Rights Watch said earlier this year that its research pointed toward a unit drawn from multiple security agencies.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was ousted after clashing with Ruto over the protests, also alleged on Friday that a secret unit was behind the disappearances.

"Abducting these children and killing them is not a solution. ... This is the first administration in the history of this country to target children for repression," Gachagua said at a press conference.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said Thursday that there had been 82 abductions carried out "clandestinely, with unidentified armed persons" since June, with 29 still missing.

It listed seven people who had been abducted since December 17.

Two of them  Mwangi and Peter Muteti  were taken shortly after sharing AI-generated images of Ruto dead.

The Kenyan judiciary said this week that "abductions have no place in law and indeed are a direct threat to the rights of citizens."

In a post on X on Thursday, it urged "security agencies and all connected entities to adhere to the law to safeguard fundamental rights and freedoms."

The anti-government demonstrations earlier this year were sparked by proposed tax hikes, triggering the worst crisis since Ruto took power in 2022.

While large-scale rallies have mostly stopped, anger against the government has simmered, fueled by a cost-of-living crisis and continued allegations of brutality by the security forces.
The overthrow of Syrias Bashar al-Assad regime has opened the door to new dynamics in the Middle East, regional analysts say, with Turkey likely gaining superiority, Iran reeling and, with that, Iraq gaining more freedom from Iranian pressure.

The Assad government in Syria spanned 54 years in power  first with the elder Hafez al-Assad and later with son Bashar of the minority Alawite community, a branch of Shiite Islam. Regional analysts say its fall marks a seismic shift in Middle East politics.

Sinan Ulgen, a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe speaking during a Carnegie Middle East Center webinar on Dec. 19 in Beirut, called it a political earthquake with far-reaching regional implications.

Fundamentally, we now see the emergence of a government in Syria that maybe after 50 years really is likely to be more pro-Turkey than pro-Iran, Ulgen said. This is a lasting change in the regional power constellation, which is another reason why the fall of Assad has been welcomed with such zeal in Ankara, the capital of Turkey.

Ellie Geranmayeh, the deputy head of the Middle East program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Israels attacks on Irans assets in Syria and its Hezbollah proxies in neighboring Lebanon, as well as Israeli military strikes in the heart of the Iranian capital, Tehran, present a moment of regional reckoning for Iran.

It [Iran] is definitely on the backfoot, she said. There is now a strategic rethink ... happening in the establishment about where their policies  both at home and abroad  go from here.

Geranmayeh said prominent figures in Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps are likely to be replaced with others, given the nations demoted regional status and the near demise of its so-called axis of resistance in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

She said that Iran likely will spin a narrative that the late Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimanis regional project to surround Israel with a so-called ring of fire has been accomplished, and that Iran will look to devise other plans to deal with the new reality it faces.

Harith Hasan, a nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, said, Iraq is the last stronghold for Irans axis of resistance, but that, too, could be changing.

So, Iran might try to strongly defend that influence, Hasan said. But as we see, the balance of power has shifted a lot, and the Iraqi government gained more freedom to be able to resist some of the pressure coming from Tehran.

Hasan said concerns about a possible Islamist-led government in Syria is giving cause for concern to its neighbors, as well as to regional political influencers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

That, he said, could give Iraq new leverage because of its long border with Syria and strong cross-border ties between the two countries.

Hasan said that also may give Iraq a way out from under Irans influence, as developments in the region continue to unfold.
Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk, a region some want to hold at all costs while others question the value of having gone in at all.

Battles are so intense that some Ukrainian commanders can't evacuate the dead. Communication lags and poorly timed tactics have cost lives, and troops have little way to counterattack, seven frontline soldiers and commanders told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity so they could discuss sensitive operations.

Since being caught unaware by the lightning Ukrainian incursion, Russia has amassed more than 50,000 troops in the region, including some from its ally North Korea. Precise numbers are hard to obtain, but Moscow's counterattack has killed and wounded thousands and the overstretched Ukrainians have lost more than 40% of the 984 square kilometers of Kursk they seized in August.

Its full-scale invasion three years ago left Russia holding a fifth of Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hinted that he hopes controlling Kursk will help force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. But five Ukrainian and Western officials in Kyiv who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss sensitive military matters said they fear gambling on Kursk will weaken the whole 1,000-kilometer front line, and Ukraine is losing precious ground in the east.

"We have, as they say, hit a hornet's nest. We have stirred up another hot spot," said Stepan Lutsiv, a major in the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade.

Border raid turned occupation

Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said that Ukraine launched the operation because officials thought Russia was about to launch a new attack on northeast Ukraine.

It began on August 5 with an order to leave Ukraine's Sumy region for what they thought would be a nine-day raid to stun the enemy. It became an occupation that Ukrainians welcomed as their smaller country gained leverage and embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Gathering his men, one company commander told them: "We're making history; the whole world will know about us because this hasn't been done since World War II.

Privately, he was less certain.

"It seemed crazy," he said. "I didn't understand why."

Shocked by the success achieved largely because the Russians were caught by surprise, the Ukrainians were ordered to advance beyond the original mission to the town of Korenevo, 25 kilometers into Russia. That was one of the first places where Russian troops counterattacked.

By early November the Russians began regaining territory rapidly. Once in awe of what they accomplished, troops' opinions are now shifting as they come to terms with losses. The company commander said half of his troops were dead or wounded.

Some frontline commanders said conditions are tough, morale is low, and troops are questioning command decisions, even the very purpose of occupying Kursk.

Another commander said that some orders his men have received don't reflect reality because of delays in communication. Delays occur especially when territory is lost to Russian troops, he said.

"They don't understand where our side is, where the enemy is, what's under our control, and what isn't," he said. "They don't understand the operational situation, we so act at our own discretion."

One platoon commander said higher-ups have repeatedly turned down his requests to change his unit's defensive position because he knows his men can't hold the line.

"Those people who stand until the end are ending up MIA," he said. He said he also knows of at least 20 Ukrainian soldiers whose bodies had been abandoned over the last four months because the battles were too intense to evacuate them without more casualties.

Russia doubles down



Ukrainian soldiers said they were not prepared for the aggressive Russian response in Kursk, and cannot counterattack or pull back.

"There's no other option. We'll fight here because if we just pull back to our borders, they won't stop; they'll keep advancing," said one drone unit commander.

Ukraine's General Staff told The Associated Press in a written response to questions that Ukrainian combat units are inflicting losses to Russian personnel and military equipment on a daily basis, and they are provided with "everything necessary" to carry out combat duties.

"Troops are managed in accordance to situational awareness and operational information, taking into the account the operational situation in areas where tasks are performed," the response said.

American longer-range weapons have slowed the Russian advance and North Korean soldiers who joined the fighting last month are easy targets for drones and artillery because they lack combat discipline and often move in large groups in the open, Ukrainian troops said.

On Monday, Zelenskyy said 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed and wounded. But they appear to be learning from their mistakes, soldiers added, by becoming more adept at camouflaging near forested lines.

One clash took place last week near Vorontsovo tract, a forested area between the settlements of Kremenne and Vorontsovo.

Until last week, the area was under Ukraine's control. This week part of it has been lost to Russian forces and Ukrainian troops fear they will reach a crucial logistics route.

Eyeing frontline losses in the eastern region known as the Donbas  where Russia is closing on a crucial supply hub  some soldiers are more vocal about whether Kursk has been worth it.

"All the military can think about now is that Donbas has simply been sold," the platoon commander said. "At what price?"
South Koreas opposition-controlled National Assembly has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo. We talk with Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And, After years of working from the comfort of home, workers are being told its time to return to the office full-time for the first time since the pandemic. We talk with Evan Starr a professor of management & organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
South Koreas opposition-controlled National Assembly has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo. The assembly approved the impeachment motion in a 192-0 vote on Friday. Governing party lawmakers boycotted the vote. Han, who is also prime minister, had been acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the assembly over his short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month. We talk with Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
2024 was a brutal year for the Amazon rainforest, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought ravaging large parts of a biome that's a critical counterweight to climate change.

A warming climate fed drought that in turn fed the worst year for fires since 2005. And those fires contributed to deforestation, with authorities suspecting some fires were set to more easily clear land to run cattle.

The Amazon is twice the size of India and sprawls across eight countries and one territory, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet. It has about 20% of the world's fresh water and astounding biodiversity, including 16,000 known tree species. But governments have historically viewed it as an area to be exploited, with little regard for sustainability or the rights of its Indigenous peoples, and experts say exploitation by individuals and organized crime is rising at alarming rates.

"The fires and drought experienced in 2024 across the Amazon rainforest could be ominous indicators that we are reaching the long-feared ecological tipping point," said Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the rainforest. "Humanity's window of opportunity to reverse this trend is shrinking, but still open."

There were some bright spots. The level of Amazonian forest loss fell in both Brazil and Colombia. And nations gathered for the annual United Nations conference on biodiversity agreed to give Indigenous peoples more say in nature conservation decisions.

"If the Amazon rainforest is to avoid the tipping point, Indigenous people will have been a determinant factor," Miller said.

Wildfires and extreme drought



Forest loss in Brazil's Amazon  home to the largest swath of this rainforest  dropped 30.6% compared to the previous year, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. The improvement under leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva contrasted with deforestation that hit a 15-year high under Lula's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies.

In July, Colombia reported historic lows in deforestation in 2023, driven by a drop in environmental destruction. The country's environment minister, Susana Muhamad, warned that 2024's figures may not be as promising because a significant rise in deforestation had already been recorded by July due to dry weather caused by El Nino, a weather phenomenon that warms the central Pacific. Illegal economies continue to drive deforestation in the Andean nation.

"It's impossible to overlook the threat posed by organized crime and the economies they control to Amazon conservation," said Bram Ebus, a consultant for Crisis Group in Latin America. "Illegal gold mining is expanding rapidly, driven by soaring global prices, and the revenues of illicit economies often surpass state budgets allocated to combat them."

In Brazil, large swaths of the rainforest were draped in smoke in August from fires raging across the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland and the state of Sao Paulo. Fires are traditionally used for deforestation and for managing pastures, and those man-made blazes were largely responsible for igniting the wildfires.

For a second year, the Amazon River fell to desperate lows, leading some countries to declare a state of emergency and distribute food and water to struggling residents. The situation was most critical in Brazil, where one of the Amazon River's main tributaries dropped to its lowest level ever recorded.

Cesar Ipenza, an environmental lawyer who lives in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, said he believes people are becoming increasingly aware of the Amazon's fundamental role "for the survival of society as a whole." But, like Miller, he worries about a "point of no return of Amazon destruction."

It was the worst year for Amazon fires since 2005, according to nonprofit Rainforest Foundation U.S. Between January and October, an area larger than the state of Iowa  about 15.1 million hectares of Brazil's Amazon  burned. Bolivia had a record number of fires in the first 10 months of the year.

"Forest fires have become a constant, especially in the summer months and require particular attention from the authorities who don't how to deal with or respond to them," Ipenza said.

Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana also saw a surge in fires this year.

Indigenous voices, rights made headway

The United Nations conference on biodiversity  this year known as COP16  was hosted by Colombia. The meetings put the Amazon in the spotlight and a historic agreement was made to give Indigenous groups more of a voice on nature conservation decisions, a development that builds on a growing movement to recognize Indigenous people's role in protecting land and combating climate change.

Both Ebus and Miller saw promise in the appointment of Martin von Hildebrand as the new secretary general for the Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organization, announced during COP16.

"As an expert on Amazon communities, he will need to align governments for joint conservation efforts. If the political will is there, international backers will step forward to finance new strategies to protect the world's largest tropical rainforest," Ebus said.

Ebus said Amazon countries need to cooperate more, whether in law enforcement, deploying joint emergency teams to combat forest fires, or providing health care in remote Amazon borderlands. But they need help from the wider world, he said.

"The well-being of the Amazon is a shared global responsibility, as consumer demand worldwide fuels the trade in commodities that finance violence and environmental destruction," he said.

Next year marks a critical moment for the Amazon, as Belem do Para in northern Brazil hosts the first United Nations COP in the region that will focus on climate.

"Leaders from Amazon countries have a chance to showcase strategies and demand tangible support," Ebus said.
Law enforcement in Hattiesburg, Miss., found the 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck connected to a missing persons case in El Paso County early Saturday morning, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

But investigators are still searching for two people they described as persons of interest in the case.

During a call for service on Dec. 19, deputies found large quantities of blood throughout a residence in the 1800 block of Pima Drive in Cimarron Hills, an unincorporated area of El Paso County.

Deputies identified two men possibly associated with the house and the blood as Johnny Rankin Morris, 46, and Stephen Walker, 37. This discovery led to deputies creating missing person reports for the two.

The case became a death investigation on Dec. 24 when a check the welfare call came into the Park County Sheriffs Office and deputies responded to a residence in the 1500 block of Campfire Road in unincorporated Park County.

Deputies from the Park County Sheriffs Office patrol unit searched the residence and discovered a deceased man, later identified as 65-year-old Timmy L. Huston.

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Law enforcement said in a news release that the known occupant of the residence in Park County had indirect ties to the Dec. 19 missing persons case in El Paso County.

The El Paso County Sheriffs Office then started looking for a blue 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck, now found, that they believed was en route to Mississippi.

Authorities are still searching for Hailey Cole, 43, and Morris in the Mississippi area, as they are both people of interest in the case.

Law enforcement is asking anyone with information about the case to call 719-390-5555 or 911.

Both Morris and Cole are considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached if seen. If spotted, call 911 to reach the local law enforcement. Walker is still considered a missing person, as opposed to the other two.

 Morris is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has short-cut brown and gray hair, blue eyes and a tattoo on his right ear.

 Cole is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 145 pounds and has brown medium-length hair and blue eyes.

 Walker is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has black hair, brown eyes and tattoos on his right arm.
A former engineer at a semiconductor manufacturer pleaded not guilty Friday to U.S. charges that he illegally procured technology for an Iranian firm that made a key component of a drone used in a January attack by Iran-backed militants in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members.

Mahdi Sadeghi, who was fired by Analog Devices after his Dec. 16 arrest, pleaded not guilty during a hearing in federal court in Boston to charges that he engaged in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

He entered the plea nearly two weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against the dual U.S.-Iranian citizen and the head of an Iranian navigation systems manufacturer, Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested in Italy.

Prosecutors said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was the primary customer of Abedini's company, San'at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co, which made the navigation system used in its military drone program.

Prosecutors say that system was used in an unmanned drone that struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan called Tower 22, near the Syrian border, in an attack that killed three Army Reserve soldiers from Georgia and injured 47 others.

The White House has said the attack was facilitated by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization of hardline Iran-backed militant groups.

Iran has denied involvement in the attack, and its Foreign Ministry was quoted in Iranian media Saturday saying the arrests of Sadeghi and Abedini, an Iranian citizen, violated international law.

Prosecutors said that in 2016, Sadeghi, a resident of Natick, Massachusetts, traveled to Iran to seek funding from a governmental organization for a fitness wearables company that he had co-founded.

Through an affiliated Iranian company he established, Sadeghi began helping procure U.S.-origin electronic components on behalf of Abedini, who is also known as Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, prosecutors said.

After taking a job at Massachusetts-based Analog Devices in 2019, Sadeghi helped a Switzerland front company for Abedini's Iranian firm enter into a contract with Analog Devices and assisted Abedini in procuring U.S. technology, prosecutors said.

The electronic components Abedini obtained included the same type used in the navigation system found in the drone, prosecutors said.

Sadeghi has been detained since his arrest. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell set a Jan. 2 hearing to potentially grant his release after a defense lawyer reported progress in talks with prosecutors on acceptable bail conditions.
Nomadic shawl vendors from the Indian side of Kashmir told VOA Friday that extremist Hindu groups have been harassing, threatening and obstructing them from selling their goods in Himachal Pradesh, a northern Indian state. Hindu groups claim that the local shopkeepers lose business when nomadic vendors sell their wares nearby.

Sandeep Dhawal, police superintendent in the Bilaspur district, quoted in Fridays edition of the Indian Express, a leading Indian newspaper, acknowledged that more than a dozen shawl vendors filed a complaint at the Ghumarwin police station.

Dhawal said a similar dispute arose last year between Kashmiri hawkers and local shopkeepers, who claimed financial losses because of the vendors.

No physical assault has been reported, he told the Indian Express. We have requested the Deputy Commissioners office in Bilaspur to mediate and resolve the issue amicably. A meeting between both parties is expected within the next day or two.

The Indian Express reported that senior officials attributed the harassment claims to business rivalry between the Kashmiri vendors and local shopkeepers affiliated with the Ghumarwin Beopar Mandal. A police investigation is under way.

The traders said they have been visiting the region for more than 30 years but are facing threats and pressure this year to leave the state, where they stay for a few months annually.

Kashmir vendors sell leather jackets, socks, bags and Kashmir-handmade Pashmina shawls. They also sell ladies suits. They move to different states of India to sell these items in the beginning of November and return after March. They carry their goods on their shoulders and sell them anywhere they find customers.

For the past three days we have been forced by some Hindu extremist groups to stop selling our goods. They tell us to pack up our belongings and go back to Kashmir, a trader currently residing in the Ghumarwin area of Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, said to VOA on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

These threats and intimidations used to happen occasionally, but this year when we go to the market to purchase food and other essentials, we are mistreated there as well, he said. He noted it has become difficult for them to even step out of their rented accommodations.

The trader said he and his fellow vendors asked the Hindu groups whether they considered Kashmiris less Indian.

We also told them, If people from other parts of India can work in Kashmir, then why we cant work here? the trader said. Instead of apologizing, they threatened us with dire consequences if we dont leave Himachal Pradesh. They also accused us of being anti-nationals and terror sympathizers.

Thousands of Kashmiris travel every winter to various Indian states to sell handmade goods such as shawls, suits and leather jackets door-to-door or street-to-street. They say they sometimes face difficulties  verbal abuse, physical assault and boycott calls  because of their regional identity and the growing communal tensions in India.

The traders say such incidents were rare before 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.

Before 2014, only an insane person would make such statements or resort to violence, but today it has become common, Peerzada Mohammad Shafi Shah, a leather jacket vendor, told VOA from Salt Lake City, West Bengal.

Muslims, particularly Kashmiris, are seen as enemies in almost every part of India. There are three to four states where communalism is so high that the majority of Kashmiris have stopped going there, Shah said. Had the government of Jammu and Kashmir, or J&K, taken action in the beginning, things could have been much better.

The traders in Himachal Pradesh claimed people affiliated with Hindu extremist groups have threatened them and the owners of buildings where they stay, either individually or in groups.

We are being warned that they are being polite now, and if we do not comply, they will return and their language will be different, another Kashmiri shawl seller told VOA, on the condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

No one else has issues with us except them. They give absurd reasons, like claiming that local shopkeepers in Himachal Pradesh suffer because of us, even though their line of work is entirely different from ours, he said.

Maqsood Khan, one of the traders, said that following the police complaint, the deputy superintendent of the Ghumarwin police department visited them. He said the police officer spoke with representatives on both sides of the disagreement and instructed the accused persons not to harass the Kashmiri traders.

The deputy superintendent of police told the opposing party that we, too, have the right to sell our products, just like the local shopkeepers in the area, he said. This has eased temporarily, but the situation will be remedied only after the representatives of both sides will express each others concerns in front of [the] deputy commissioner. Meanwhile, Ifra Jan, the spokesperson of J&Ks ruling party, National Conference, told VOA by phone the lives and security of Kashmiri traders across India is crucial to her party.

When we got to know about the harassment case, when these people were mishandled and abused and threatened, the Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah immediately got in touch with chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jan said. The Himachal Pradesh government has now taken cognizance of the matter, and his office is ensuring a safe and secure environment for the Kashmiri traders and students living there.

VOA contacted the Ghumarwin police department about the latest developments in the situation, although officers there said only higher officials can speak about the matter, and they were not available for comment.

Earlier in November, a female official from a Panchayat, a local self-government body in Indian villages, told Kashmiri shawl sellers not to trade in Himachal Pradesh. In a video, she told them to leave the village and chanted hail Lord Ram  one of the revered deities in Hinduism. She later apologized for those comments after being summoned to the Himachal Pradesh police station.

We want to put an end to this unwanted controversy and live happily and peacefully alongside [our] Hindu brethren in the state, Khan the trader said. We urge governments of both regions to do the needful and take steps to end the harassment, to address the issue once and for all.
Mozambique's capital, Maputo, is limping back to normal but residents are still fearful because of widespread looting and vandalism sparked by confirmation that the ruling party won contested elections.

Food, fuel and medicine are running low for the city's inhabitants while the daring escape of more than 1,000 inmates from a maximum-security prison is fueling wild rumors and prompted the creation of neighborhood patrols.

"My neighbor woke me up, telling me that men armed with machetes were walking around," Maria Amelia, 55, a cleaner who lives in Matola, near Maputo, told AFP.

"When I went out, I saw my neighbors, armed with knives to defend themselves against these invaders. But I didn't see anyone. I was terrified."

Maputo bank worker Armand Tembe, 40, was also dragged out of bed before dawn.

"I haven't seen any criminals outside. But it's starting to get scary. I don't know where the country is going," he said dejectedly.

"We stayed up until 4:30 in the morning and patrolled for something we only heard about and that no one saw," said another woman, who wanted to remain anonymous.

"It was just hearsay. It makes it seem like a macabre plan."

Borges Nhamirre, a Pretoria-based Mozambican researcher, said that so far, "there have been no verified reports of attacks of this kind."

But the fact that the police chief, speaking to reporters Wednesday evening, "announced that detainees could 'visit' houses has fueled concern," he added.

"The prevailing sentiment in the conversations suggests that the government may have invented this crisis to control the ongoing social unrest," he said.

'Manipulation'

Venancio Mondlane, Mozambique's main opposition leader, has denounced the October 9 election results as rigged.

On Monday, the country's highest court confirmed victory for the ruling Frelimo party, which has been in power for half a century.

That set off riots that left more than 125 dead over several days, according to the local NGO Plataforma Decide.

"We know who the real bandits are. It's Frelimo," Mondlane said on social networks on Friday.

On the streets of Maputo, makeshift barricades were slowly being dismantled, while the army was clearing some roads, according to AFP reporters on the ground.

Residents were cautiously leaving their homes to look for basic necessities.

"I'm looking for bread," said Isabel Rocha, 29, in the Laulane district of the city, after a sleepless night because of security fears.

"The bakeries have been closed for four days. In fact, we lack everything. Even the small grocery stores are closed."

Lina Chauque, 47, sat despondently on the pavement with a large bundle containing heads of lettuce and cabbage next to her.

She had been waiting for two hours with several other women for a bus to arrive to sell her products at market.

"We tried to ask for help from some trucks that passed but the drivers did not want to take us," she said.

A short distance away, cars queued patiently outside a gas station where only one pump still had fuel.

"I am looking for medicine for me and my mother," said Tomas Panguene, 65, who suffers from knee pain.

"Yesterday I went out to find a pharmacy but the streets were still barricaded. I found what I needed this morning."
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early Saturday, a day after the Houthi-held capital Sanaa was hit by fresh airstrikes.

Sirens sounded in areas of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea on Saturday as "a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted ... prior to crossing into Israeli territory," the Israeli military said.

The day before, a fresh airstrike hit Sanaa, which Houthi rebels blamed on "U.S.-British aggression" though it remains unclear who was behind it.

There was no comment from Israel, the United States or Britain.

"I heard the blast. My house shook," one Sanaa resident told AFP late Friday.

The Iran-backed Houthis control large parts of Yemen after seizing Sanaa and ousting the government in 2014.

Since the eruption of war in Gaza in October last year, the Houthis -- claiming solidarity with Palestinians -- have fired a series of missiles and drones at Israel.

They have stepped up their attacks since November's ceasefire between Israel and another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has also struck Yemen, including targeting Sanaa's international airport on Thursday in an attack that came as the head of the World Health Organization was about to board a plane.

The Houthis have also attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, prompting reprisal strikes by the United States and sometimes Britain.

Earlier Friday, before the strike on Sanaa, tens of thousands of people gathered to protest and express solidarity with Palestinians.

"The equation has changed and has become: (targeting) airport for airport, port for port, and infrastructure for infrastructure," Houthi supporter Mohammed al-Gobisi said.

"We will not get tired or bored of supporting our brothers in Gaza."

The war in Gaza was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages.

Gaza health officials say Israels counteroffensive has killed at least 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, while Israel says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas combatants.

Hamas has been designated a terror group by the United States, the U.K. and other Western countries.

Airport damaged

Israel's strike on the Sanaa international airport on Thursday shattered windows and left the top of the control tower a bombed-out shell.

A witness told AFP that the raids also targeted the adjacent Al-Dailami air base, which shares the airport's runway.

"The attack resulted in four dead until now and around 20 wounded from staff, airport and passengers," Houthi Deputy Transport Minister Yahya al-Sayani said.

It occurred as the head of the U.N.'s World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was preparing to fly out, and left one U.N. crew member injured.

Tedros was in Yemen to seek the release of U.N. staff detained for months by the Houthis, and to assess the humanitarian situation. He later posted on social media that he had safely reached Jordan with his team.

He said the injured member of the U.N.'s Humanitarian Air Service "underwent successful surgery and is now in stable condition."

Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they knew at the time that the WHO chief was there.

An Israeli statement said its targets included "military infrastructure" at the airport and power stations in Sanaa and Hodeida -- a major entry point for humanitarian aid -- as well as other facilities at several ports.

Houthis use these sites "to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials," the statement said.

But U.N. humanitarian coordinator Julien Harneis said the airport was "a civilian location" which the UN also uses, and the strikes took place as "a packed civilian airliner from Yemenia Air, carrying hundreds of Yemenis, was about to land."

Although the plane "was able to land safely ... it could have been far, far worse," Harneis said.

In his latest warning to the Houthis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's strikes would "continue until the job is done."

"We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil," he said in a video statement.

Despite the damage, flights at Sanaa airport resumed at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Friday, deputy transport minister Sayani said.

Yemenis depend on aid

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the escalation in hostilities and said bombing transportation infrastructure threatened humanitarian operations in Yemen, where 80% of the population depends on aid.

The United Nations has called Yemen "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world," with 24.1 million people in need of humanitarian aid and protection.

The airport is "absolutely vital" to continue transporting aid for Yemen, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Harneis said.

"If that airport is disabled, it will paralyze humanitarian operations."

After the attack on Sanaa airport, Houthis said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv and launched drones at the city and a ship in the Arabian Sea.

The Israeli military said the same day a missile launched from Yemen had been intercepted.

Israeli "aggression will only increase the determination and resolve of the great Yemeni people to continue supporting the Palestinian people," a Houthi statement said Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a tragic incident following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people.

The Kremlin said in a statement that air defense systems were firing near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, due to a Ukrainian drone strike as the plane attempted to land Wednesday. It stopped short of saying the plane was shot down by Russian air defenses.

According to a Kremlin readout of the call, Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.

The plane was flying from Azerbaijans capital of Baku to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed while trying to land. There were 29 survivors.

On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon.

Fridays assessments by Rashan Nabiyev and White House national security spokesperson John Kirby echoed those made by outside aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. Neither Kirby nor the Azerbaijani minister directly addressed the statements blaming air defenses.

Kirby told reporters Friday that the U.S. has seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems, but he refused to elaborate, citing an ongoing investigation.

Nabiyev, Azerbaijans minister of digital development and transportation, told Azerbaijani media that preliminary conclusions by experts point to external impact, as does witness testimony.

Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russias civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic.

Yadrov said that after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau in Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea.

He didnt comment on statements from some aviation experts who pointed out that holes seen in the planes tail section suggested that it could have come under fire from Russian air defense systems.

Earlier this week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed physical and technical interference and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didnt say where the interference came from or provide any further details.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said Saturday it would suspend gas exports to Moldova from 0500 GMT on Jan. 1 due to unpaid debt by Moldova, which is bracing for severe power cuts.

It said the company reserved the right to take any action, including terminating the supply contract with Moldova.

Russia supplies Moldova with about 2 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which is piped via Ukraine to the breakaway region of Transdniestria, where it is used to generate cheap power that is sold to government-controlled parts of Moldova.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned the Russian decision, which is a precursor to a total shutdown of Russian gas exports via Ukraine and to Europe, where it flows farther to Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Italy, once a current transit deal with Ukraine expires on Dec. 31.

Moldova will be hit the hardest by the shutdown.

"This decision confirms once again the intention of the Kremlin to leave the inhabitants of the Transdniestrian region without light and heat in the middle of the winter," Recean wrote on Facebook, accusing Russia of using energy as a political weapon.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed those allegations.

Difference over debt

Russia, which is critical of Moldova's West-leaning central government, has said Moldova should pay a debt on past supplies. According to Russian calculations, the debt stands at $709 million. Moldova has put the debt at $8.6 million.

Gazprom has said previously it wants Moldova to pay the debt before it starts to pump gas to the country via alternate routes.

Transdniestria and the government in Chisinau agreed in 2022 that all Russian gas received by Moldova would flow to the breakaway region, which traditionally does not pay for fuel.

Without gas supplies, the power-generating plant could stop working and Moldova and Transdniestria would face hourslong blackouts like those experienced by Ukraine due to Russia's attacks on its energy infrastructure in their war.

Recean said Moldova had diversified sources of gas supply "in order to reduce dependence on a single supplier."

"Our country is prepared to handle any situation that arises following the Kremlin's decision," he said.

Moldova's population of 2.5 million has been preparing for long power cuts since Ukraine's government said it will not extend its transit contract with Gazprom.

Moldova and Transdniestria have declared states of emergency over the threat of disrupted gas supplies, and Moldova said Friday it will curb power exports and introduce measures to reduce consumption by at least a third beginning Jan. 1.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has accused Gazprom of provoking an energy crisis, saying it was refusing to supply gas through an alternate route.
As Mozambique grapples with a political crisis following a disputed national election and violent protests, the situation at its southern border with South Africa is increasingly volatile, affecting trade and travel.

The violence in Mozambique forced trade and travel to be diverted from South Africas Leebombo Border Post to Eswatinis Mananga Border Post, with Mananga serving as a makeshift lifeline for those seeking passage from Mozambique.

Michael Masiapato, commissioner of South Africas Border Management Authority, told VOA that although authorities are managing the crisis, it continues to pose significant challenges.

"Even ... when they deploy the military and when they deploy police officers on the corridor [between the capital, Maputo, and the border], it is not able to cover each and every area, he said.

The protests, he said, are very much sporadic and "very much widespread.

Following presidential candidate Daniel Chapo's controversial election victory Monday, Mozambique plunged into turmoil, leaving scores dead amid violent protests.

Some analysts expressed concern that continued political violence could destabilize regional security and impede economic development, sparking weapons proliferation and criminal activity.

Solomon Mondlane, a political analyst in Mozambique, told VOA he is cautiously optimistic that South African and European efforts can help calm the situation.

"The situation is volatile, Mondlane said. The good news is we're hearing more calls from different countries  from South Africa, from other European countries  calling for more dialogue. South Africa has come out to say they are willing to facilitate a dialogue.

We know that South Africa's ANC-led government has been in support of Frelimo, the ruling political party, he said. They were the first to congratulate Frelimo for winning these rigged elections. But we are happy that they are adhering to the calls now to say we are willing to facilitate dialogue between the opposition in Mozambique and the ruling party."

Levy Ndou, a South African political analyst and lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology in Johannesburg, said he believes regional players efforts at dialogue with the Mozambican government are encouraging signs that many in the region are seeking peace and stability.

"Of course, if the situation gets out of hand, it will therefore require the intervention of SADC in order to ensure that there is peace, there is stability and, indeed, there is economic activity that is going on," Ndou said, referring to the Southern African Development Community.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the SADC chair, has said the regional bloc is ready to assist Mozambique.
A delegation from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish DEM party is due on Saturday to visit jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence on a prison island off Istanbul, a party source said.

"The delegation left in the morning," the source told AFP, without elaborating how they would travel to the island for security reasons.

The visit would be the party's first in almost 10 years.

DEM's predecessor, the HDP party, last met Ocalan in April 2015.

On Friday, the government approved DEM's request to visit Ocalan, who founded the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, nearly half a century ago and has languished in solitary confinement since 1999.

The PKK is regarded as a terror organization by Turkey and most of its Western allies, including the United States and European Union.

The DEM party delegation is made up of two lawmakers  Sirri Sureyya Onder and Pervin Buldan. They are not expected to make a statement after the visit, the same source told AFP.

Detained 25 years ago in a Hollywood-style operation by Turkish security forces in Kenya after years on the run, Ocalan was sentenced to death.

He escaped the gallows when Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004 and is spending his remaining years in an isolation cell on the Imrali prison island south of Istanbul.

Saturday's rare visit became possible after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's nationalist ally Devlet Bahceli invited Ocalan to come to parliament to renounce "terror" and to disband the militant group.

Bahceli, who heads the ultra-nationalist MHP party, is fiercely hostile to the PKK.

Erdogan backed the unprecedented appeal as a "historic window of opportunity."

"My dear Kurdish brothers, we expect you to firmly grasp [Bahceli's] sincerely outstretched hand," he said in October, urging them to join in efforts to build what he called the "century of Turkey."

Soon after Bahceli's call, Ocalan was allowed his first family visit since March 2020, prompting DEM to make its own request to the Justice Ministry to visit the 75-year-old militant.

PKK militants subsequently claimed responsibility for an attack in October on a Turkish defense firm that killed five. That delayed the government approval of DEM's request.

For several years up to 2015, Ocalan was engaged in talks with authorities, when then-Prime Minister Erdogan called for a solution for what is often called Turkey's "Kurdish problem."

The peace process and a truce collapsed in 2015, sparking the resumption of violence, especially in the Kurdish-majority southeast.

The government's surprise olive branch to the Kurds comes after rebels in neighboring Syria overthrew strongman president Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8.

Turkey routinely targets Kurdish fighters in northern Syria and Iraq.
A U.S. appeals court has halted enforcement of an anti-money laundering law that requires corporate entities to disclose the identities of their real beneficial owners to the U.S. Treasury Department ahead of a deadline for most companies to do so.

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated late Thursday a nationwide injunction that had been issued this month by a federal judge in Texas who had concluded the Corporate Transparency Act was unconstitutional.

The order marked a change of course for the court. On Monday, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit at the urging of the U.S. Department of Justice put the injunction on hold while the government appealed the Texas judge's decision.

But a different panel will ultimately decide whether to uphold the judge's ruling, and in Thursday's order, the court said it decided to keep enforcement of the law paused "to preserve the constitutional status quo while the merits panel considers the parties' weighty substantive arguments."

Those arguments will be heard on March 25, the court said Friday. Before Thursday's order, most companies had faced a Jan. 13 deadline to submit their initial reports to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

The injunction had been obtained by the National Federation of Independent Business, which along with several small businesses challenged the law through lawyers at the conservative Center for Individual Rights.

"Given that we have established that the CTA is likely unconstitutional, this intrusive form of government surveillance should be halted until the law's fate is finally resolved," Todd Gaziano, the Center for Individual Rights' president, said in a statement.

FinCEN did not respond to requests for comment.

Under the law, which was enacted in 2021, corporations and LLCs were required to report information concerning their beneficial owners to FinCEN, which collects and analyzes information about financial transactions to combat money laundering and other crimes.

The measure's supporters said it was designed to address the country's growing popularity as a venue for criminals to launder illicit funds by setting up entities such as limited liability companies under state laws without disclosing their involvement.

U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant in Sherman, Texas, on Dec. 3 ruled Congress had no authority under its powers to regulate commerce, taxes and foreign affairs to adopt the "quasi-Orwellian statute" and that it likely violated states' rights under the U.S. Constitution's 10th Amendment.
An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuelas attorney general said Friday.

In a statement published on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the officer, Nahuel Gallo, of being part of a group of people who tried to commit destabilizing and terrorist acts [in Venezuela] with the support of international far-right groups.

In a news conference Friday, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich described the charges as another lie by Venezuelas government and said that Gallo should be returned to Argentina immediately.

The case has ramped up tensions between Venezuelas socialist government and the right-wing administration of Argentine President Javier Milei, whose embassy in Caracas is sheltering five high-profile opposition activists and is surrounded by Venezuelan security forces.

Gallo, a corporal in Argentinas Gendarmerie security force, was detained by Venezuelan officials on Dec. 8 after he showed up at an immigration office along Venezuelas border with Colombia and sought permission to enter the country.

Gallos relatives said that he had traveled to Venezuela to visit his wife, who is Venezuelan, and was in the country to spend some time with her mother. They have published an invitation letter that was sent to Gallo, and said he was on vacation at the time of his arrest.

Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with Argentina in August after Milei and several other Latin American leaders refused to recognize the reelection in July of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Argentinas diplomats were expelled, but the five opposition activists, who had sought refuge at the ambassadors residence to avoid arrest, remained in the building after they were denied safe passage out of Venezuela.

The activists, who have been holed up in the embassy since March, recently said that Venezuelan security forces have cut off electricity and water to the residence in a bid to pressure them to leave the building.

Venezuela officials have denied those accusations and said that the activists used the Argentine Embassy to plan terrorist acts.

The Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal said earlier this week that 19 foreigners are being held in Venezuela as political prisoners.

In September, two Spanish citizens who were on vacation in the south of Venezuela were arrested and accused of being part of a plot to overthrow Maduro. They were arrested just days after Spains parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election.
An atmospheric river  a long plume of unusually wet and concentrated Pacific moisture, has been impacting Colorado for the last 24 hours.

Currently the plume of moisture extends from the central Rockies, through Oregon and out into the Pacific. This is leading to a combination of issues across the state.

Locally, it's leading to high clouds this morning similar to what we've seen over the last couple of days. For the mountains, it's leading to plenty of beneficial snowfall.

As of 12:00 AM this morning, USDA and NWS data show snowpack statewide back to 90%. Today, you can expect a mix of these high clouds and sunshine across the Pikes Peak Region, with the precipitation largely being wrung out by the Rockies. Highs will reach the low 50s, slightly warmer than Friday as high-pressure noses in from the south. Winds should be light throughout the day, out of the northwest in the morning and southwest during the afternoon.

Be careful if traveling to the high country today. You can expect significant winds throughout the mountains, and new snow falling over the central and northern peaks. Avalanche Warnings are in place, check the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website for details.

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EXTENDED:

Sunday will be the warmest day of the week ahead. Partly sunny skies and downslope breezes will push highs to the upper 50s, about 15 degrees above average.

Monday will be very windy with gusts in the 40-50 mph range. If you have inflatable decorations still up, keep this in mind  they'll likely blow down with these winds. The winds are associated with a cold front expected to arrive in the evening. Highs will be in the upper 40s to low 50s, with a dramatic cooldown overnight to the teens heading into New Year's Eve.

Tuesday itself will be chilly, and our first below average temperature day in over a week with highs struggling to climb to the mid 30s. Clouds will be around as we near midnight, which could impact visibility of the AdAmAn fireworks. A couple minor snow showers are possible.

The rest of the week will warm each day with dry conditions.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the rebel group now in control of Damascus, has bolstered its military presence in the Syrian cities of Homs, Tartus and Latakia following recent protests against the burning of a holy Alawite shrine in Aleppo. Experts warn that tensions could deepen sectarian and ethnic divisions in the country, causing further fragmentation of Syria's diverse population.



Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that he was not sure he was going to survive an airstrike on Yemen's main airport carried out by Israel a day earlier during a series of attacks on the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

Speaking at the Sanaa International Airport on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the explosions that rocked the building were so deafening that his ears were still ringing more than a day later.

Tedros said it quickly became apparent the airport was under attack, describing people "running in disarray" through the site after about four blasts, one of them close to where he was sitting near the departure lounge.

"I was not sure actually I could survive because it was so close, a few meters from where we were," he told Reuters. "A slight deviation could have resulted in a direct hit."

Tedros said he and his colleagues were stuck at the airport for the next hour or so as what he thought were drones flew overhead, feeding concern they could open fire again. Among the debris, he and colleagues saw missile fragments, he said.

"There [was] no shelter at all. Nothing. So, you're just exposed, just waiting for anything to happen," he said.

The Israeli strikes on Yemen came after Houthis repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said afterward that Israel was "just getting started" with the Houthis.

The Houthi-controlled Saba News Agency said three people died in the strikes on the airport and three were killed in Hodeidah, with 40 others wounded in the attacks.

Speaking by telephone from Jordan, where he flew to Friday, helping to evacuate a U.N. colleague seriously injured at the airport for further medical treatment, Tedros said he had received no warning Israel could be about to strike the airport.

The injured man, who worked for the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service, was now "OK" and in stable condition, Tedros said.

Tedros traveled to Yemen to try to negotiate the release of U.N. staff and others held there. He acknowledged that he and colleagues knew the trip was risky in light of high tension between Israel and the Houthis.

But such was the window of opportunity to work for the release of the U.N. personnel that they believed they had to take it, said Tedros, a former Ethiopian foreign minister.

He said talks with Yemeni authorities had gone well and that he saw a chance that the 16 U.N. staff as well as employees of diplomatic missions and NGO workers held there could be freed.

He declined to engage in recriminations over the attack but said his itinerary had been shared publicly and expressed surprise that civilian infrastructure should have been targeted.

"A civilian airport should be protected, whether I am in it or not," he said, before observing there was "nothing special" about what he had faced in Yemen. "One of my colleagues said we narrowly escaped death. I'm just one human being. So, I feel for those who are facing the same thing every single day. But at least it allowed me to feel the way they feel.

"I'm worried about our world, where it's heading," Tedros added, urging world leaders to work together to end global conflicts. "I have never ... as far as I can remember, seen the world really being in such a very dangerous state."
Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Olivia Hussey, the actress who rose to fame as Juliet in Franco Zeffirellis 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has died at 73, filmmaker and event organizer Marc Huestis confirmed to Vulture. (Huestis, who interviewed Hussey for a Romeo and Juliet tribute that he hosted at the Castro Theatre in 2008, said he was directly informed of her death by Lynn Whiting, the wife of Husseys Romeo and Juliet co-star Leonard Whiting.) The news was also confirmed to Vulture by a representative for Hussey and shared in a statement on Husseys Instagram page. It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who went peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on December 27th, the statement said. Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.

Born in Argentina in 1951, Hussey moved as a child to England, where she attended the Italia Conti Academy drama school for five years. When she was 15 years old, she was scouted and cast in Zeffirellis Romeo and Juliet, which shot her to international fame and earned her a Golden Globe for New Star Of The Year. Hussey is also known for playing Jess in the 1974 cult classic slasher Black Christmas and the Virgin Mary in the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. Her other credits include the 1978 adaptation of Death on the Nile, Psycho IV: The Beginning, The Cat and the Canary, and more. Her last onscreen credit was in 2015s Social Suicide, a modern take on Romeo and Juliet in which she and Whiting reunited to play the Capulet parents.

In December 2022, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount over allegations that Zeffirelli had pressured them into doing a nude scene for Romeo and Juliet. Hussey later told Vulture in 2023 that the lawsuit was in Gods hands and the she would be okay even if it failed. Most people on their deathbeds, even the most evil people, have to say, What have I done? And what was wrong? And what did I do right? she said. Im not afraid to die because Im not scared of my reckoning. The original complaint was ultimately dismissed, and a judge later dismissed a second lawsuit tied to the claims in October 2024.
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

TikToker and president-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay the TikTok ban deadline, at least until after hes in office and can try handling this himself. In a December 27 filing obtained by NBC News, Trumps lawyer, D. John Sauer, argued that the former Apprentice host is the only person who can negotiate a resolution that will save the app while also addressing the national security concerns about it. Under an act that President Biden signed into law in April, TikTok is currently set to be banned in the U.S. on January 19 the day before Trump will be sworn in unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake in the platform.

TikTok has filed an appeal to challenge the divest-or-ban legislation, calling it an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights. The Supreme Court is expected to hear two hours of oral arguments for that case on January 10. President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute, Sauer noted in his Friday filing. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Acts deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trumps incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case.

Trump previously tried to get TikTok banned during his presidency in 2020, but recently said that he has a warm spot in his heart for the app due to support from young voters. Earlier this month, he met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago. Well have to wait and see whether the app will live on in America, or whether it will end up as a lesson to ask not what your country can do for your For You page.
Young Australians are all in on generative AI and are embracing tools like ChatGPT in the workplace at speed, according to new research, amid calls for workplace leaders to introduce guardrails for the nascent technology.

The study of 1200 Gen Z Australians found that 58 per cent of them are already using and embracing tools like ChatGPT and Googles Gemini in the office, and almost all (93 per cent) are not worried about it threatening their job.

Hatch co-founders Chaz Heitner and Adam Jacobs with investor Taryn Pieterse. Credit: Steven Siewert

Young workers are ramping up their use of the chatbots despite the highly publicised risks associated with the technology, including hallucinations  faulty or misleading responses  and security risks associated with feeding sensitive workplace data into the large language models.

The research was conducted by Hatch, an online jobs marketplace described as Seek for Gen Z. Hatch CEO Adam Jacobs, a co-founder of The Iconic, said Gen Zs keenness to embrace AI technologies should be viewed as an asset to businesses.
Its no secret that the performing arts have been on the rocks trying to bounce back from the pandemic shutdown. The year 2024 saw at least five Colorado theater companies go dead or dormant, and it ends with several more on the ropes. (On the bright side, nine foolish (I mean fearless) small startup groups entered the turbulent theater ecology.)

But what was true in 1600, 1800 and 2000 remains true today: The way for any theater company to stay relevant is to  stay relevant. While producers tend to get creatively cautious during times of retrenchment, several bold artistic troubadours forged on with meaningful plays that were challenging, original, illuminating, infuriating, or, in some cases, just plain fun. They each, in their ways, were high-impact.

Im not saying An Enemy of the People was the best play of 2024 (that was the Denver Centers The Lehman Trilogy by two continents and three centuries), but it was perhaps the play that made the highest impact. On me, anyway.

No one wanted to see political theater in the run-up to the election. Too much piling on to our real daily lives. Still, the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company's Mark Ragan smartly adapted Henrik Ibsens masterpiece into an allegory for our times, and with just enough distance that it was both plain and palatable for us to fully see that whats happening today has always been happening somewhere.

Pull Quote ENEMY 'People will eagerly embrace lies. They will fall headlong in love with them  and the people who tell them.'  From Mark Ragan's adaptation of 'An Enemy of the People'

Ibsens story centers on a doctor who discovers that his towns bathhouse (its primary economic generator), is teeming with potentially deadly bacteria. When the doc tries to close it down and declare a morally imperative health emergency, he is vilified by politicians, libeled by the corrupt local newspaper and shunned by a gullible, greedy citizenry  most all of whom place profit and self-interest above the value of human life.

Ragan calls the play a slow-motion horror story of how fascist societies are born. The resounding line of dialogue from the play:

You believe that people will make the right decision when presented with the facts. But now you know another truth: People will eagerly embrace lies. They will fall headlong in love with them  and the people who tell them.

Ibsens infuriatingly relevant story was written in 1882. But anyone who didnt think it said everything about our world since the shutdown had their heads buried in a bucket of toxic slime.

Truth, it seems, is utterly meaningless.

Meanwhile, adventurous companies like Boulders The Catamounts continued to heed the call of audiences who want out of the traditional theater box and into the wild by staging three original and very different outdoor experiences. The most ambitious was Impossible Things, Jessica Austgens commissioned tribute to Alice in Wonderland. It was staged at the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Marjorie Park  which made for a meaningful memorial tribute to park founder John W. Madden Jr., who died Jan. 19.

In addition to An Enemy of the People, here are our representative picks for high-impact plays from the year, listed alphabetically by title:

Curious Theatres 'Cullud Water'

You have to hand it to Curious Theater Company, Denvers most substantial homegrown company of the past 30 years, sticking so insistently to its social justice mission at a time when it is in a financial fight for its very life. Erica Dickerson-Despanzas Cullud Water, which takes a devastating look at the impact of the ongoing Flint (Mich.) water crisis on one lower-income, multi-generational Black family in Michigan, is not the kind of story that will break attendance records at any theater in Denver. But this staging made for a bold statement from Artistic Director Jada Suzanne Dixon that if Curious is going down, it is going down on point  and on principle.

Onstage Colorado Editor Alex Miller rightly called this powerfully performed story a solid production of a play instantly recognizable as the kind of story Curious likes to tell.

It was a play about a community  and by a theater company  both demonstrating strength through adversity at once.

Miners Alley Playhouses 'A Jukebox for the Algonquin'

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The sleeper hit of the year was this surprisingly affecting new play by Paul Stroili about residents of a senior-care Center who really, really want a jukebox. What begins as an expectedly precious introduction to a lovable group of older folks grows into a moving rumination on meaningful seniors who are not walking out the door  theyre taking center stage. And Len Matheos cast gave us some of Denvers most seasoned pros at their peaks, including Edith Weiss, Chris Kendall and Dwayne Carrington.

At its heart, Jukebox isnt about a jukebox, or aging or death or illness  although theyre all part of it, Miller wrote. Its about friendships, passion, regret and hope.

Denver Center Theatre Companys 'The Lehman Trilogy'

The best play you could see anywhere in Colorado in 2024 was The Lehman Trilogy, the 2022 Tony Award-winning best play about the rise and fall of the famous family and its investment firm. There are more than 50 characters in playwright Stefano Massinis epic masterpiece dating back to 1840s Alabama  but, as the title suggests, only three actors played them. We followed them with awe for more than three hours as they deftly told us the story of three German-Jewish immigrant brothers who navigated fire, flood, war and panic to build the financial behemoth that ultimately collapsed in the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis.

Margot Bordelons staging was all the more impressive the night I attended, as the trio stopped to accommodate an audience member having a medical emergency.

Colorado Shakespeare Festival's 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'

Shakespeares trifling tale of a pair of wives who punish a pompous lech for his unwelcome bravado is essentially a sit-com. And for this telling, thats exactly how director Kevin Rich cleverly presented it. Set in the 1970s and embracing all of the eras retro fashion and zany TV tropes, Rich produced a comedic gem that made Shakespeare feel uncommonly familiar and accessible to anyone who spent their childhood absorbing Threes Company on the living-room shag carpet. His expert ensemble of clowns, led by Jacob Dresch, Sean Scrutchins, Jessica Robblee and Shunte Lofton, turned what might have come off as a bland TV dinner into a five-course comedy meal.

Miners Alley Playhouses 'Misery'

Several companies have staged William Goldmans 2015 Broadway adaptation of Stephen Kings classic thriller about the novelist who is trapped, tortured and loved on by his No. 1 wackadoodle fan. On paper, Stephen Kings bloody-good horror novel, somehow miraculously adapted to film, should not work on a boxed, one-room theater stage. How can you possibly replicate the urgency? How can you possibly give the poor guy playing lame author Paul Sheldon anything to do but scream in pain?

And yet Warren Sherrills delicious production, which should have come with popcorn, worked for all sorts of reasons. Sherrills direction and, more specifically, his casting of the pinchably malevolent Emma Messenger as a fully understandable Annie Wilkes, the great Torsten Hillhouse as our (literally) tortured artist, and poor Mark Collins as the sheriff who, well  if you know, you know. It worked because of John Hausers thunderous sound working in concert with Vance McKenzies evocative lights that made you feel like you were trapped in the cabin, too. Sometimes the greatest testament to the importance of live theater in our daily lives is that it can be such an uproariously good time.

Honorable mention: Other 2024 impact plays of note

High-Impact New Play: Stockade, by Andrew Rosendorf, Local Theatre Company

High-Impact Immersive Experience: Breathing Healing into the Banks of Sand Creek, Control Group Productions

High-Impact Honorable Mention: Aurora Foxs Art, TheatreWorks' Dream Hou$e, Little Theatre of the Rockies Every Brilliant Thing (Greeley); Buntport Theaters Eyes Up, Mouth Agape, Theatreworks Henry IV & V, Vintages The Hombres, OpenStages Sweat (Fort Collins), Benchmarks You Got Older.

Note: The True West Awards, now in their 24th year, began as the Denver Post Ovation Awards in 2001. Denver Gazette Senior Arts Journalist John Moore celebrates the Colorado theater community by revisiting 30 good stories from the past year without categories or nominations.

Unsung heroes of the day

Volunteers are the backbone of the entire nonprofit industry but Artistic Director Ben Raanan says without them, the disability-affirmative Phamaly Theatre Company would crumble.

Phamaly relies on about 25 volunteers throughout any given year just to help special-needs actors with whatever assistance they might need, which can range from help putting on costumes to applying makeup to offering comfort at a time of panic.

Phamalys volunteer heroes include Denise Cameron, who is now completing her tenure as the companys head volunteer, Virginia Nystrom and Kathryn Jonas.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts relies on more than 300 volunteers. Town Hall Arts Center has about 125. Heres a shoutout to anyone who lends their time and caring to a nonprofit theater.
The Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) Heritage, Environment, Language and Culture Working group, in partnership with Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Mayo, recently held a seminar on 'The Big House: Past, Present and Future'.

The seminar on November 23rd last was hailed as insightful, engaging and educational.

The event brought academics, authors, historians, interested groups and individuals together to hear from some of the experts in relation to the past, present and future of our big houses in Mayo. Speakers included: Dr Ciaran Reilly (Maynooth University), Dr Michael OConnor (Independent scholar), Dr Fiona White (ATU, Mayo), Noel Campbell (National Museum of Ireland), Chris Huxley (Lough Carra Catchment Association), Kate McAney (The Vincent Wildlife Trust) and Robert Coyne (Mayo County Council) who spoke on a variety of topics from landlords connections with the slave trade to modern-day projects of success like the future of Moore Hall.

This was an extremely valuable event, said Justin Sammon, Chairperson of the Mayo Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) Heritage, Environment, Language and Culture working group. Speakers brought great life and purpose to the history and future of the Big House e.g. Moore Hall and Turlough House. The packed lecture room indicated the level of the interest in our Big Houses here in Mayo.

The seminar gave an opportunity for speakers and attendees to engage through a questions and answers forum chaired by Cllr Al McDonnell and Justin Sammon. Speakers highlighted the rich and sometimes controversial historical significance of these sites, their reuse in the present as sites of education and public service and the incredible biodiversity that can be found inside the house and their surrounding environs.

Some of the attendees at the 'Big House' seminar.

Dr Fiona White (Programme Chair of the BA (Hons in History and Geography, ATU Mayo), said: "The seminar highlighted the importance of the Big House in Ireland as a place of significant architectural, cultural and natural heritage. The fact that the event was fully booked demonstrates the publics interest in the topic and supports the argument for further funding and protection of these sites for future generations to enjoy."

The event served as a vital platform for attendees to meet experts, ask questions, and gain insights into the role of the Big House in our communities past, present and future.

Cllr Al Mc Donnell said: Mayo County Council has been involved in the reimagining of Moore Hall and Turlough House and it was wonderful to see and hear the wonderful development stories of these projects. I was delighted to be part of the restoration project in relation to Moore Hall and to support this important informative event as an elected member of Mayo County Council and of the working LCDC group.

Cllr McDonnell thanked Dr Fiona White for her contribution towards this unique event as well as all the LCDC working group members including Anne Ronayne of Mayo County Council and Sharon Horkan of Mayo North East for event organisation.

Members of the LCDC group are Justin Sammon Mayo North East; Cllr Al Mc Donnell, Mayo County Council; Anne Ronayne, Mayo County Council; Bernard Joyce and Billy Freeley, Mayo LCDC; and Tim Roderick, National Parks and Wildlife.
There have been times in my life when I have seriously doubted my own sanity, wondering why I chose to do the most stupid thing when the easier path was clearly better and way more sensible.

One winter evening, en route west from Naas where I was working, I deliberately ignored the road closed signs before my Landcruiser got stuck in a snow drift in the Slieve Bloom mountains. I spent a frozen eternity berating myself with no idea what to do and could only shout into the gloomy conifers.

With petrol running low, I rang mountain rescue who were less than enamoured by my stupidity. Apparently two other idiots had gotten lost on the Kinnitty side and they were busy looking for them. The gruff Midland voice advised me to stay put and they would get to me in some hours. He didnt sound too pushed and I didnt blame him.

More in embarrassment than need, I decided I would find a way down on my own and rang a friend who advised me to urinate on the snow to free the tyres. That ploy failed for multiple silly reasons. However, his advice to throw whatever I had under the wheels for grip worked better and I jolted the SUV back onto the road using the contents of my overnight bag. With most of my clothes now buried in the Slieve Bloom snowy darkness I made my way down the mountain, coming perilously close to sudden drops that would periodically open in front of me.

After an eternity I could feel the tyres on the gravel again and passed a few houses before finally coming to another road closed sign manned by a Kinnitty native smothered in a padded jacket and floppy cap. Doing my best, nonchalant attitude I rolled down the window.

"Well," I said.

"Well," he replied, squinting at me. "Youre not trying to go over the mountain?"

I laughed.

"No, sure isnt it closed!"

"True enough," he replied, "but there is some fool stuck up there  he rang us earlier squealing for help."

There was a silence and I cheerfully nodded.

"Arent they everywhere!" I ventured.

My interrogator maintained his suspicious glare under his hat.

"Yeah, anyway youll have to go around."

I agreed and waved a little too vigorously before driving off into Kinnitty village. There I called again 999 to quickly inform them that the eejit had made it off the mountain, before going into a bar and having a strong whiskey. The road back to Galway was uneventful, except for a brief period of cursing when I remembered my best suit was also now forever buried in the Laois-Offaly mountains.

A decade ago, aside from non-union actors working mainly in commercials, there were an estimated 100,000 actors in Los Angeles with only about one-fifth of them working at any one time. Since then, the lot of actors here is believed by many in the industry (there is only one industry in Los Angeles  the film industry) to have deteriorated.

The effective shuttering of studios and the shut-down of filming during Covid-19, with the subsequent strikes by the actors union (SAG-Aftra) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has resulted in production work moving out of state or even overseas (including Ireland). Attractive tax credits and monetary incentives have not been adequately matched by the Californian authorities, so not alone are production companies slow to return to Tinseltown, many are doubling down on their out-of-state investment. With a major reset happening among online streaming companies such as Netflix, 2024 has been one of the slowest years for the industry in Los Angeles, with high unemployment among actors, crew and casting professionals. Survive till 25 has been the mantra echoing throughout casting workshops and online chats, hoping that next year would see some sort of return of work to Hollywood.

All this means that my wife and I picked one of the worst times to move to Los Angeles. Fortunately, both of us have other non-industry incomes but I needed to establish relationships and get a good agent if I aspired for an acting career here. In the absence of available auditions, the best way for an actor to meet with casting directors, agents or managers is to do the workshop circuit.

Officially, pay to play is a controversial practice where aspiring actors are asked to pay a fee for an audition, role, or other opportunities. This practice is illegal in California and is considered exploitative. Thus, workshops are solely opportunities for actors to learn about the industry and audition techniques from industry professionals. I have found them exhilarating, being able to perform a live scene in front of a casting professional and get feedback  in a world where almost all auditions are now being done by recording yourself at home and then submitting the self-tape file to production. Aside from meeting casting directors, these workshops also feature agents who are licensed to obtain work for their clients (hopefully me) and are seeking new additions to their talent rosters. In a world of diminishing acting opportunities, getting an agent is vital.

Yet a month ago, I found myself again doing a Kinnitty and self-imploding as I auditioned for an agent with one of the largest agencies here. My best performances for industry people tend to feature the charming or witty Irish priest/cop/lawyer/teacher. However, for some mad reason, in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trumps election win, instead of the easy path, I decided instead to act out a scene from the iconic play 12 Angry Men, which I had performed in Galway theatre. In particular, I re-enacted a monologue from a vile, racist character who ranted against a minority ethnic group whom he saw as sub-human.

I think the same impulse to push the limits of playing safe that drove me into the Midland mountains a decade ago now pushed me to show this agent I could also play darker roles. However, as I launched into my spiel, becoming angrier and more bitter in my attempt to convince my fellow jurors that those people were only murderous animals, I glimpsed at the agents face and saw something in his look. As I concluded, wiping the spit from my mouth, he stared at me for what seemed like three midnight masses, before slowly uttering: "Why would you pick... that scene?"

I turned his name around in my head, horrifyingly realising that he may be Jewish and perhaps thought I chose this scene because of that. A rising panic quickly found my mouth telling him about the Weimer Republic and how even in 1930s Germany, the arts were flourishing. My brain looked on in shock, as I began second-guessing he had seen an antisemitic, Irish-accented rant disguised as an actors audition.

I rambled on about how it was important to understand a racists motivations in utterly failing to get out of the hole I was digging for myself. Finally, as I eventually ran out of words, there was a long pause and the agent leaned forward.

"Thank you for explaining all that to me now let me advise you to never, never.never do that scene again in a session like this."

Stutteringly, I agreed but just before I exited, my brain had one last self-emasculating burp as I asked:

"Can I send you on my materials for consideration?"

He reacted as if I had stung him with a confused wasp.

"I think you just did," he replied.

Later, I had another strong whiskey, but at least I didnt have to call mountain rescue this time.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Any morning clouds give way to partly sunny skies; a milder afternoon with highs back above the 60-degree mark. .

Tonight

Becoming cloudy overnight with some patchy fog and drizzle possible late at night.
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...
BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua)  "The reply from President Xi was the greatest surprise of the year to me," said Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Moshi is one of the 63 scholars from 50 African countries who received a reply from Chinese President Xi Jinping in late August ahead of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit. Prior to that, they wrote a joint letter to Xi, in which they extended their warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Letters have in recent years become a unique way for the Chinese leader to communicate with friends from all over the world and to promote exchanges between the Chinese and people of other countries.

In 2024, Xi has sent more than 30 replies and congratulatory letters to long-time friends across the Pacific, young admirers of Chinese culture, as well as events hosted by think tanks and media groups. Those messages have become a key venue to express China's readiness for cooperation and common development.

'Tomorrow Will Be Even Better'

Among those who received Xi's letters this year are those in many parts of the world who have participated in and benefitted from Belt and Road cooperation.

On Jan. 17, Xi replied to a letter from representatives of Kenyan students and alumni at Beijing Jiaotong University, encouraging them to continue contributing to the friendship between China and Kenya and between China and Africa.

"Looking ahead, the magnificent picture of the Belt and Road Initiative and the grand blueprint of the China-Kenya comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership need more promising young people to realize," Xi wrote.

After reading the words, Vicky Wangechi Wangari and Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki, two of the writers of the letter to Xi, have become more hopeful about a better future.

Currently pursuing her PhD in China, Wangechi returns to Kenya every holiday to intern with Chinese construction companies in Kenya. She hopes to design smarter and more efficient railways and bridges for her country in the future.

Kariuki, who came to China twice to study railway management, worked on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, a flagship project of China-Kenya Belt and Road cooperation. He witnessed firsthand how this modern railway brought development and prosperity to his hometown.

"With the acceleration of China-Africa practical cooperation, I believe more projects will be implemented in Kenya, and my professional skills will certainly contribute to the common development of Kenya and China," he said.

Nenad Cvetanovic from Serbia is also among those who received Xi's encouragements. Cvetanovic is a veteran employee of the Smederevo Steel Plant in Serbia. He can still recall the moment when the Chinese leader told workers at the steelworks in a 2016 visit that the plant "will surely be revitalized."

The Smederevo Steel Plant, founded in 1913, experienced difficulties and was acquired by China's HeSteel Group in April 2016. Thanks to the joint efforts by the Chinese and Serbian management teams and the plant's workers, the steel plant has undergone a remarkable transformation since then.

This spring, upon hearing that Xi would visit Serbia again, 30 Serbian employees wrote a letter to him. "We want President Xi to see for himself that we have realized the vision he shared with us eight years ago," said Cvetanovic.

In his reply, Xi encouraged the steel plant's employees to "make new and greater contributions to the socio-economic development of Serbia and the consolidation of the China-Serbia friendship."

Back in 2016, Zlatan Bankovic, another veteran employee of the steel factory, used steel produced at the plant to make a commemorative plaque with the plant's silhouette engraved on it. The plaque was given to Xi as a gift during his visit.

This year, Bankovic crafted another plaque, this time featuring silhouettes of some newly built modern facilities. "The steel plant is changing rapidly, workers' lives are becoming happier, and everyone believes that tomorrow will be even better," he said.

Greater Global South Cooperation

To boost cooperation among Global South countries is another key message Xi's letters try to convey.

Ahead of his state visit to Brazil last month, Xi replied to letters from friendly personages from all walks of life in Brazil, encouraging them to continuously contribute to the China-Brazil friendship.

Enrique Teixeira, former deputy mayor of Campinas, Sao Paulo State, is among those who received the letter. He said Xi's reply is not only an encouragement to him but also a recognition of the enduring friendship between Brazil and China.

Teixeira said his parents visited China and were struck by its "rich culture and welcoming people." Back in the days when he was still serving as deputy mayor, Teixeira made several trips to China as well. He recalled visits to cities like Fuzhou and Shenzhen, where he witnessed firsthand the growing exchanges and collaboration between China and Brazil.

Cooperation between the two countries, both key players in the Global South, in fields like agriculture, technology, and infrastructure is not just a win for both nations but also an inspirational model for other developing countries, as well as part of a blueprint for South-South cooperation, which could inspire and accelerate progress across the Global South, he said.

During Xi's visit, China and Brazil announced an elevation of bilateral ties to a "community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet." The two sides also agreed to align the Belt and Road Initiative with Brazil's key development strategies with the aim to modernize Brazil's infrastructure and strengthen regional connectivity.

Also in November, the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the purpose of promoting the Global South's common interests and continuously boosting its voice and influence in global affairs.

In his congratulatory message to the event, Xi emphasized that in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries and the common issues of the times for Global South media and think tanks.

Mucio Aguiar, president of Pernambuco Press Association in Brazil, said that as Xi has advocated, on the path to jointly pursue modernization for the Global South, media outlets need to work together to amplify the voice of the Global South and contribute to achieving global peace and equitable development.

Future Lies in Youth

Fatma Bastaki, project manager of the "Hundred Schools Project" of Chinese language education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said they would bring 40 Emirati students to China next April for study tours. "The students can't wait to experience Chinese culture," she said.

This year, 40 students from the Hamdan Bin Zayed School and the Yas School, two demonstration schools of the "Hundred Schools Project," wrote letters in Chinese to Xi, expressing their love for Chinese culture and their yearning to be ambassadors of the UAE-China friendship.

"I have read each letter from you," Xi wrote in his reply. He said the students are welcome to visit China to see pandas and climb the Great Wall, and study at Chinese universities when they grow up. The Chinese president also encouraged more UAE teenagers to learn Chinese and know more about China, hoping that they and their Chinese counterparts can exchange with and learn from each other.

Teachers participating in the project said that Xi's encouragement boosted the students' enthusiasm to learn the Chinese language. More and more students are eager to join the project, with many now aspiring to study in China in the future, they added.

Lamont Repollet, president of Kean University in the United States, strongly agrees with Xi's emphasis on the power of the youth in advancing people-to-people friendship.

"Xi's call for universities in the United States and China to strengthen exchanges and provide students with opportunities to build cultural bridges resonated with me," he said.

Earlier this year, Repollet wrote a letter to Xi to expound on the situation and achievements of cooperative education at Wenzhou-Kean University. He said the faculties and students at Kean University were inspired to engage in more active exchanges with China.

Over the past years, Xi has repeatedly pointed out that the future of China-U.S. relations lies in the young people. When attending the APEC summit in San Francisco late last year, Xi announced the decision to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. During the past year, about 14,000 American youths have visited China for exchange and study.

Kean University encourages its students to "embrace opportunities in China," said Repollet. Immersing them in China's diverse and dynamic culture, expanding their personal and professional horizons, and nurturing cross-cultural ties are "essential to fostering bilateral friendship between China and the United States," he added.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the three governments to promote regional connectivity, prosperity and stability.

Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the railway project.

Noting that the construction of the railway reflects the shared aspiration of the three countries to open up this strategic corridor, Xi said that the commencement ceremony marks the transition of the project from conception to implementation, taking a critical step toward the goal of completion and operation.

Xi emphasized the need for close collaboration among the relevant departments and enterprises of the three countries to ensure high standards and high-quality progress in the construction of the railway.

Xi said that efforts should be made to build the railway into a new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to better contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people's well-being in the region along the route and to inject new momentum into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, attending the ceremony held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, said that the railway is not only a transport corridor, but also an important strategic bridge connecting countries of the East and the West.

The project will strengthen Kyrgyzstan's status as a transportation hub, create a large number of jobs, and promote the development in fields including trade, tourism and industries, Japarov said, adding that he believes the three countries will complete the project with high quality, so as to open up new broad prospects for common development in the region.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in a congratulatory letter to the ceremony, said that the commencement of the railway project is an important measure in implementing the consensus of the three heads of state, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, and advancing Belt and Road cooperation, which has great historic significance.

The railway will help promote regional trade and integration, promote personnel exchanges and cultural ties, build an important bridge for mutual learning among civilizations, and benefit countries and peoples in the region, he added.

The ceremony was jointly held by the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
Weather Alert

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /2 PM EDT/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM CDT /5 AM EDT/ SATURDAY... * WHAT...South winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts 45 to 50 mph expected. Locally higher gusts in excess of 50 mph are possible. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 1 PM CDT /2 PM EDT/ this afternoon to 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. &&
Following the overthrow of the Russian- and Iranian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria by Islamist proxies of NATO powers, there has been a great deal of anxiety and fear, particularly among religious and sectarian minorities.

On December 8, 2024, jihadist forces led by the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power, creating new threats to the rights and lives of Christians, Alawites and other minorities.

According to the Art Gercek and the Mesopotamia Agency in Turkey on Wednesday, complaints of house raids, looting, harassment of women and executions have increased, especially in areas where Alawites live, since jihadists led by the HTS took power.

After two churches and a patriarchate were reportedly attacked, on December 18, in Hama, central Syria, masked and armed men set fire to a giant Christmas tree in the Christian-populated city of al-Suqaylabiyah on Tuesday. Those who tried to extinguish the tree and prevent the attack were reportedly threatened at gunpoint.

The circulation of a video on social media showing the burning of the Christmas tree in al-Suqaylabiyah sparked outrage among Christian and other communities across Syria.

Christians in Hama, Damascus and Homs took to the streets carrying crosses and protesting jihadist groups in solidarity with the people of Suqaylabiyah. The protesters formed long convoys of vehicles and demanded that minority-populated areas be cleared of jihadists.

Syrian Christians carry crosses and shout slogans in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, December 24, 2024, as they march during a protest after a Christmas tree was set on fire in Hamah city on Sunday [AP Photo/Hussein Malla]

Hundreds of people took to the streets in the Bab Tuma neighborhood of Damascus, chanting Protect the rights of Christians.

Andrew Bahi, a priest living in Damascus, told DPA (German Press Agency) that We have the right to be afraid. Over the years, the [Christian-dominated] neighborhoods of eastern Damascus have been hit by hundreds of shells and we endured in our homes, but now the atmosphere remains ambiguous. There is a conflict and contradiction between words and actions.

Samer Elias said, Everyone chanted demanding the protection of Christians in Syria.

The leader of the new regime, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani (Ahmed al-Sharaa), claimed that those who burned the Christmas tree were foreign fighters and would be punished. But these and similar statements lack credibility in the face of increasing harassment and attacks by jihadist gangs.

A day after these demonstrations, protests took place in Tartus, Latakia, Hama and Homs after a video went viral of a December 5 attack on an Alawite shrine in Aleppo that houses the tomb of Hussein bin Himden al-Hasibi, considered an historical leader of the Arab Alawites. In a video allegedly made by jihadists, five civilians responsible for maintaining the shrine are killed and the shrine is set on fire during the attack. The jihadists then pose on the bodies of the mausoleum servants they killed.

Government officials appointed by the HTS have tried to appease the angry masses by saying that the attack on the shrine was not new, but took place during the capture of Aleppo in early December.

Euronews reported that the killing of three Alawite judges and an officer who served under the Assad regime in Hama on Tuesday also contributed to spark mass protests in Homs, Hama, Tartous and Latakia on Wednesday.

According to the London-based anti-Assad Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), HTS forces killed an Alawite demonstrator during a protest in Homs, further escalating tensions. Following these incidents, a curfew was announced in the city.

The official SANA news agency announced that the HTS government launched an operation against pro-Assad forces in the countryside of Tartus. During the operation, 14 security officials from the new Interior Ministry were reportedly killed.

Alawite sheikh Ali Dareer, who lives in a predominantly Alawite neighborhood in Damascus, told Reuters: Thousands of people are filled with resentment, anxiety, and their dignity is offended, before adding that However, we must remain committed to peace.

He said that homes had been vandalised and people beaten because of their religious identity, despite HTS promises the sect would be treated with respect.

Dareer then described an incident that allegedly took place on Thursday, when people were reportedly taken off a bus and beaten because they were Alawites.

These remarks underscore the tense atmosphere in the community and the danger that the new al-Qaeda-linked ruling forces could exacerbate sectarian tensions.

In the face of the repressive policies of the HTS regime, the imperialist and regional powers that brought it to power have largely remained silent. Instead, they are doing their best to eliminate Irans influence in Syria, plunder its resources and increase their influence in the country.

Washington lifted its bounty on al-Jolani, paving the way for a rapprochement with the new regime. Representatives of France and Britain also met with HTS officials in Damascus. The NATO powers and their allies are trying to use HTS, which they still consider a terrorist group on paper, as a tool for their geostrategic interests.

While the US and Israel have severely crippled Syrias military infrastructure through intensive air strikes and sought to create a compliant puppet regime in Damascus, the Israeli army has expanded its occupation and influence in the country.

As Turkey seeks to suppress Kurdish forces in northern Syria and increase its influence in the country, it has turned to more open relations with HTS. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged military and logistical support to the new regime, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan became the highest-ranking NATO official ever to visit Damascus, embracing al-Jolani. The HTS leader also pledged a strategic relationship with Turkey.
Postal workers have condemned the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and its endorsement of the Labour governments rubber stamping of the 3.5 billion takeover of Royal Mail by billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

The WSWS article The CWUs framework agreement backs Kretinskys Royal Mail takeover subjected to close scrutiny the 12-page document drawn up after months of private talks between CWU leader Dave Ward and EP Group executives, as well as the Labour governments own Deed of Undertakings to approve the takeover.

This exposed as worthless the official claims about employee protections and securing the long-term future of the mail service. If the Starmer government and CWU officials have their way, the takeover will set the stage for a further restructuring of Royal Mail at the expense of postal workers jobs and conditions and the mail service. This is to complete its conversion into a gig economy parcel business as part of the global operations of parent company International Distribution Services (IDS). The article highlighted how the CWU has agreed to trial Royal Mails plans to gut letter delivery and sanctioned a raid on postal workers pensions.

The alignment of the Labour government and CWU with Kretinsky and his takeover vehicle EP UK Bidco Ltd is based on establishing a corporatist set-up. The groundbreaking part of the agreement with Kretinsky is that Ward and his fellow CWU bureaucrats will be provided a seat at the boardroom table to drive up exploitation and police all opposition among postal workers.

In opposition to this official conspiracy, the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee (PWRFC) has called its next online meeting for Sunday 5 January at 7pm.

Register here to discuss the takeover and its implications and a strategy to fight it. The meeting will also hear from postal workers internationally faced with similar attacks by the corporate oligarchy and capitalist governments.

Steve, a delivery driver in central Scotland at the Parcelforce division of Royal Mail, was scathing.

The whole reason for our strike two years ago was to prevent this happening, now Ward is doing deals with the guy. Its no surprise to anyone anymore, because its just fabricated what the CWU talk at all levels. Theyll spin this as a great and groundbreaking achievement and tell their minions to spread the word to us members, telling us how great this could be if we put the effort in. This means youve got to work harder and quicker than youve been doing. Well, were not buying this anymore. Youve sold us down the river more than once and were sick of being underpaid and overworked because of your s*** deals that you keep agreeing tomodern day slavery.

Chris, a new delivery worker in the Midlands, refuted the hype that the Framework Agreement would mean a levelling up for him and some 20,000 new entrants on inferior pay and terms.

When I started working for Royal Mail as a new entrant, I expected to be slightly worse off than people on older contracts. However, I wasnt prepared for the full extentits a real indictment of the sellout deal by the CWU last July. No paid breaks, none of the various supplements and uplifts. Sunday working and a level of flexibility that means at a days notice your shifts can be switched, changed to any time Monday to Sunday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Overtime on a 30-hour contract only paid after 40 hours at 1.25 the hourly rate. Ive been on zero hours contracts before but at least I accrued annual leave equivalent to how many hours I did. Not here, annual leave remains the same as if you did your basic hours no matter how much overtime you do.

As Dave Ward talks about equalising the pay, terms and conditions of new entrants, the lack of the words raising and improving are notably absent. Thats because the reality is they will only be levelled down and not up as soon as possible for the whole workforce so that everybody is on these terrible contracts that ensure the necessary flexibility. Why is he not demanding improvements to pay, terms and conditions instead of adopting a tone of acceptance and obedience? When considering this equalisation, Ward should be asking himself questions about the astonishing merger between the leaders of the CWU and Kretinsky and his kleptocracy.

The minimum wage rises to 12.21 in April 2025, we will only be 33 pence above it, with no shift allowance for late or weekend working. There are clearly some people within the CWU doing a great job standing up for their members daily, but I was surprised at how tepid and toothless the union is overall. When I found out about the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee on the World Socialist Web Site it was a relief to find other voices not prepared to give up and shrug their shoulders but instead prepared to organise, highlight and challenge what is going on.

Members of the PWRFC also encouraged fellow postal workers to attend the online meeting on January 5.

Ray a delivery worker in London, said:

The WSWS article on the CWUs framework agreement backing Kretinskys Royal Mail takeover is concise and spot-on. It is a culmination of months of analysis provided by WSWS on the current betrayal by the Communication Workers Union.

The CWU has become an open mouthpiece of Royal Mail and Kretinsky himself. Since the betrayal of the last postal strike, the union has worked around the clock to pave the way for the takeover of Royal Mail by Kretinsky.

As the WSWS article explains:

The CWUs deal with Kretinsky, Rebuilding Royal Mail: A Framework Agreement between EP Group and CWU, was unanimously endorsed by the CWU Postal Executive Tuesday. It sets out the unions corporatist partnership with EP Groups investors and gives union officials a seat at the boardroom table.

It goes on:

Ward claimed the agreements with Kretinsky give us the best chance of rebuilding Royal Mail. Nothing could be further from the truth. The agreements seek Royal Mails transformation into a gig-economy parcel business to compete with Amazon. It is part of a global restructuring of the post and logistics sector, using AI and automation to slash thousands of jobs.

Ray continued, Now, compare this Marxist analysis to that peddled by the UK Socialist Workers Party [SWP]. In a recent article (which it must be said is the only analysis the SWP has made in over five months at the least), Unions Should Battle on after Royal Mail sell-off, the SWP takes obfuscation to a new level.

They write, The postal workers CWU union is positive about the deal. It insists that Kretinsky has signed up to significant protection against asset stripping and breaking up the company. And it says that it and the government now have a greater say in how the firm will be run. This is a lie and completely disarms postal workers as to the true nature of the CWU, the Labour government and Kretinsky.

The SWP has become not only a cover for the treachery of the CWU but has become a mouthpiece for Kretinsky, writing that he pledges that he wants to invest in Royal Mail for the long term. Kretinsky says he has no plans for compulsory redundancies and instead wants to expand the workforce. Again, this is a direct lie. It is clear to anyone that the SWP is now a junior partner of not only the CWU bureaucracy but also a mouthpiece of the Labour government and Kretinsky himself.

Postal workers wishing to fight the CWUs open betrayal should join the Postal Workers Rank-and File Committee/IWA-RFC and attend the PWRFCs next online meeting on Sunday, January 5, at 7 pm. It will discuss the takeover agreed upon between Kretinsky, the Labour government and the CWU and a strategy to fight back.

George, a delivery worker in Glasgow, told us, Last week I watched the CWU Live promoting the takeover with anger and disgust at a time of year when postal workers are working in near impossible conditionsand a longer working week thanks to the deal reached by Ward last year.

CWU General Secretary Dave Ward speaking at the CWU Live "Rebuilding Royal Mail" online meeting, December 18, 2024 [Photo: screenshot: CWU Live/YouTube]

We are witnessing in real time the sellout of the remaining terms and conditions. The CWU bureaucracy try and hide their collusion through these slickly produced livestreams, burying all the bad news in amongst exclusive announcements such as there will be a review of, or another we will look at: deliberately vague promises that they think will sell this surrender document mark two to the membership.

Also buried with a brief announcement was a scandalous promise to give away the over one billion pension surplus to Royal Mail. But this money belongs to the pension fund members who contributed to it. Im old enough to remember when arch criminal Robert Maxwell stole from the Mirror Group pension fund. Dont let Ward and Walsh become accomplices in this latest scandal.

The meeting on January 5 will give Royal Mail workers an opportunity to find out firsthand about the struggles of postal workers around the world, information they are denied by the mainstream media and CWU.

Workers are beginning to realise they are up against a billionaire class who are stealing the wealth they create, mostly in collusion with the union hierarchy, who are willing participants. Whether it be Germany or Brazil, or most recently at Canada Post where the workers were standing up for their jobs and conditionsonly to be criminalised by the strikebreaking Labour Code, meekly surrendered to by the union apparatus despite the will to fight amongst the grass roots.

We are in the same fight here in the UK with an ongoing smash-and-grab on the jobs, pay and conditions of Royal Mail workers by the predatory EP Group led by Daniel Kretinsky, while the CWU meekly roll over and again participate in the theft for a promise (for them) of a seat at the top table.

Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee (PWRFC) next online meeting is on Sunday 5 January at 7pm. Register here to discuss the takeover and its implications and a strategy to fight it.
Israel launched a wave of air strikes against Yemen on Thursday, several of which struck the countrys main airport, where Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was preparing to board a flight. One member of the UN airplane crew was injured, and at least six people were killed in the air raids.

A man looks at the damage in the control tower of Sana'a International Airport following Thursday's Israeli airstrikes on Yemen, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. [AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman]

There are only two possible explanations for the air assault on the Yemen airport while Tedros was present there. Either Israel deliberately tried to assassinate him, or the Zionist regime was indifferent to his possible death and considered it acceptable collateral damage.

The air assault on Sanaa International Airport, where a United Nations delegation including Tedros was getting ready to leave the country, also takes place within the context of continuous denunciations of the UN by Israel, as well as repeated military attacks on UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon.

Speaking to Reuters, Tedros said the UN delegation was about to board a plane when the Israeli attacks began. Tedros said he was not sure he would survive when missiles struck the terminal just meters from where he was standing.

He said the explosions rocked the building and were so deafening that his ears were still ringing more than a day later.

The Reuters report continued:

Tedros said it quickly became apparent the airport was under attack, describing people running in disarray through the site after approximately four blasts, one of them alarmingly close to where he was sitting near the departure lounge. I was not sure actually I could survive because it was so close, a few meters from where we were, he told Reuters. A slight deviation could have resulted in a direct hit. Tedros said he and his colleagues were stuck at the airport for the next hour or so as what he thought were drones flew overhead, feeding concern they could open fire again. Among the debris, he and colleagues saw missile fragments, he said. There (was) no shelter at all. Nothing. So, youre just exposed, just waiting for anything to happen, he said.

Al Jazeera reported that the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said three people were killed at the airport, and another three were killed after Israel hit the key port city of Hodeidah, a city on the Red Sea about 240 kilometers (149 miles) southwest of Sanaa. The news agency also reported 40 others were wounded in the Israeli attacks.

Israels military said it carried out intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime on the western coast and inland Yemen.

Israel also claimed Sanaa airport, as well as the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, and sites in the Al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Kanatib ports on the west coast, were all used to smuggle Iranian weapons and senior Iranian officials into the country.

The Al Jazeera report said Ghebreyesus and his staff were evacuated out to safety in Jordan. UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told reporters in New York that the delegation had just concluded discussions on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and were negotiating the release of detained UN staff members.

Tremblay said, The secretary-general emphasizes that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected at all times, and he appeals to all to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and added, Humanitarian relief personnel also must not be targeted and must be respected and protected at all times.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthis supreme revolutionary committee, called the strikes on Yemen barbaric and aggressive. He also said confrontations with American and Israeli arrogance will continue until the conflict in Gaza stops.

Responding to the escalation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes especially alarming. Writing on Twitter/X, he said, I regret the recent escalation between Yemen and Israel, and remain deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region.

The brutal strikes on Yemen, which were reported to be carried out by 25 Israeli jet fighters and coordinated by the US and UK, are a significant intensification of the imperialist war drive throughout the Middle East focused against Iran.

The escalation against Yemen follows the overthrow of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad by the imperialist-backed and al Qaeda-linked group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant three weeks ago.

The air attack on Thursday came five days after the US conducted a series of its own precision missile strikes on facilities in the capital city of Sanaa. At the time, the US militarys central command said the purpose of the strikes was to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations as part of an ongoing commitment to protect US and coalition personnel, regional partners and international shipping.

The public relations verbiage from the Pentagon cannot conceal the fact that behind the expanding war in the Middle Eastof which the Israeli genocide in Gaza is the linchpinis the strategic goal by US imperialism to subordinate the entire region to its hegemonic interests.

In comments shortly after the strikes on Thursday, Israels fascist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Zionists would continue to cut off the terror arm of the Iranian axis of evil until we complete the job, adding, We are only just starting with [the Houthis].

Iran described the strikes as a clear violation of international peace and security. Houthi rebels have attacked Israel since the first months of the Gaza genocide that began in October 2023. A week ago, a Houthi missile strike injured more than a dozen people in Israel.
At least 38 people were killed on Christmas Day, when Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, scheduled to fly from the Azeri capital of Baku to Grozny in Russia, crashed at Aktau in Kazakhstan. Rescue workers pulled 29 survivors from the wreck of the jetliner, though at least one of the survivors is still in critical condition, fighting for life. There were 37 Azeri, 16 Russian, six Kazakh and three Kyrgyz citizens aboard.

The front of the airplane burst into flames on impact, as it crashed 3km short of Aktau airport, but passengers in the back of the plane survived, though many with terrible injuries.

The cause of the tragedy remains unclear, and officials in Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are calling for caution in drawing conclusions. Initially Russian officials claimed the plane crashed after colliding with a flock of birds. Yesterday, however, Azerbaijan Airlines issued a statement declaring that preliminary results of the investigation of the crash indicate an external, physical and technical interference.

Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said even the preliminary cause cannot be determined yet, as specialists are needed for that. They will conduct the work, and then it will be clear. Bozumbayev said it would take approximately two weeks to fully read the black box flight recorders from the plane, an Embraer 190, which have been recovered. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to promise that the causes of the accident will be examined in detail.

Initial accounts make clear however that whatever the direct cause of the crash, the conditions in which it occurred were created by the NATO-Russia war in Ukraine. Ukraine is now waging drone warfare across much of Russia, while Russian electronic warfare and air defense systems are on high alert. There are growing accusations by Ukrainian and NATO officials that a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system fired on and crippled the jetliner near Grozny.

Aviation experts who reviewed pictures of the jetliner said holes in its fuselage are consistent with shrapnel damage from a nearby missile explosion, although it is impossible for now to say precisely which or whose missile hit the aircraft.

The head of Russias Federal Air Transport Agency, Dmitry Yadrov, told Interfax that the jetliner crashed after Russian authorities closed Grozny air space due to Ukrainian drone attacks. This forced the pilot to abort the landing in Grozny and trying landing elsewhere, ultimately crossing the Caspian Sea to try to land in Kazakhstan.

Ydrov said, The situation on that day and at that time in the area of the Grozny airport was very difficult. At that time, Ukrainian combat drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz. In connection with this, the Carpet regime was introduced in the area of the Grozny airport, which provided for the immediate departure of all aircraft from the specified area.

As a result, the plane flew blind throughout much of its flight path. The Carpet regime includes powerful electronic jamming to disorient Ukrainian drones flying into Russian airspace. According to several reports, the Fight 8243 was subject to electronic jamming and had no GPS signal throughout much of the flight. Moreover, on that day, Yadrov said, there was dense fog, and there was no visibility at an altitude of 500 meters.

As a result, Yadrov said, The commander [of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243] made two attempts to land the plane in Grozny, which were unsuccessful. The commander was offered other airports, but he decided to go to Aktau airport.

The BBC quoted a passenger on the flight who largely corroborated Yadrovs account, saying the pilot tried to land in Grozny twice in dense fog, but the third time, something exploded  some of the aircraft skin had blown out. It added that in recent weeks, there have been multiple Ukrainian drone strikes across the region, in the Russian republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia. One woman was killed when a drone crashed into a shopping center in nearby North Ossetia.

Justin Crump, an intelligence and security analyst, told the BBC that the jetliner being fired at by Russia is the best theory that fits all the available facts that we know of. He said Russian air defenses were active in Grozny when the plane was damaged. I dont think this is deliberate at all, he continued, adding that Russia is very worried about Ukrainian drones that are very often not getting shot down.

On December 26, Reuters cited anonymous Azeri officials involved in the investigation as saying that they believed Russian air defenses had damaged the jetliner. One said, No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azeri aircraft.

Azeri lawmaker Rasim Musabayov has given multiple interviews to US and European press outlets, blaming the tragedy on Russia and threatening serious damage to Russian-Azeri relations. If someone thinks that we are allies with Russia and therefore we would close our eyes on everything, then they are mistaken, Musabayov said. There arent that many countries that are on good terms with Russia now  If Moscow doesnt make the right steps in this situation the list might get shorter.

If a Russian air defense system did indeed mistake the jetliner for a Ukrainian drone and damage it with a missile, the question would remain what caused the plane to crash in Kazakhstan. Indeed, the plane flew some distance, across part of Russia and the entire Caspian Sea, before crashing near Aktau.

The New York Times reviewed data from live flight tracker FlightRadar24 and said it oscillated vertically more than 100 times in the last 74 minutes of the flight. You see an airplane flying wild, wild maneuvers with strong fluctuations in the course and in the flight altitude, Heinrich Grossbongardt, a Hamburg aviation industry expert, told the Times, which concluded: the plane probably was rendered uncontrollable because its electrical and hydraulic systems had been severely damaged.

Ukrainian officials and major press outlets in the NATO countries have now launched a political campaign, demanding that full blame for the crash be pinned on Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: Every human life is valuable, and every loss of life deserves a thorough investigation to establish the truth. We can see how the clear visual evidence at the crash site points to Russias responsibility for the tragedy.

Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said that Russia must be held responsible for shooting down the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, while Ukrainian National Security Council official Andriy Kovalenko tweeted: Russia should have closed the airspace over Grozny but failed to do so.

In reality, not only Russian but also Ukrainian and NATO officials bear direct responsibility for the continuing war in Ukraine and the escalation of drone warfare across the region that created the disastrous conditions in which Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed.
Starbuck workers picket outside of a closed Starbucks on Friday, December 20, 2024, in Burbank, California. [AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes]

Thousands of Amazon and Starbucks workers returned to work this week after launching nationwide strikes. Thousands of Amazon drivers ended their week-long strike on Thursday, while an estimated 5,000 Starbucks workers ended a five-day strike on Christmas Day.

The Amazon strike mobilized thousands of drivers at 10 warehouses and delivery stations from California to New York City. The strike involved DBK4 in Queens, New York; DGT8 in Atlanta, Georgia; DFX4, DAX5 and DAX8 near Los Angeles; DCK6 in San Francisco and DIL7 in Skokie, Illinois. Pickets supporting the strike were also set up at Amazon facilities around the country.

Drivers, organized under the Teamsters, are not considered employees by Amazon management. Instead they are considered the employees of over 4,000 independent contracting companies called delivery service partners (DSPs). Around 10,000 Amazon delivery drivers nationwide out of nearly 400,000 are Teamster members.

Striking workers raised the central demands of forcing Amazon to recognize their decision to join a union, which the corporate giant has refused to do. It is currently challenging the unionization drives in court, and to be recognized as Amazon employees. Despite having voted to unionize up to two years ago, workers are still without a contract with the company, and management insists that there is no union representation at Amazon.

As contractors, DSP drivers receive low pay, no overtime, unsafe working conditions and no benefits. In Queens, New York, drivers are paid around $15 an hour in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

They also contend with an oppressive evaluation system that operates like a score for Uber drivers. Drivers and DSPs with higher scores can get more routes assigned by Amazon, but if the score is reduced for any reason the company deems fit, a driver could be penalized. This means drivers can be denied a full 40 hours of work in a week,or they could work over 40 hours and not be paid an overtime rate.

Warehouse workers were not called out for the first few days of the strike, even though warehouse workers at JFK8 in Staten Island were among the first to unionize at Amazon in the United States and have also been without a contract for two years. Warehouse workers at JFK8 and DBK4 in Queens, as well as workers at Amazons San Bernardino, California, air hub walked off the job on Saturday to join striking drivers.

The Teamsters claims 5,500 members at JFK8 but did not report on how many workers had joined the picket lines. A reporting team from the WSWS last Saturday found the warehouse operating normally, with a small picket outside dominated by union officials.

Starbucks workers are facing a similar situation. While the company does recognize the Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), it has also not agreed to a contract since the first locations began unionizing in 2021. SBWU launched numerous strike actions in the first years of its organizing, but this is the first and only strike of 2024.

Johnnie Kallas, professor of labor relations at University of Illinois, told ABC News the union conducted around 100 strikes in both 2022 and 2023 but pivoted toward a more cooperative approach amid negotiations this year.

This year has reportedly seen more cooperation between the union and the company, conducting at least nine bargaining sessions and reaching 30 separate agreements, according to Starbucks.

The striking workers at more than 300 stores also demanded better pay, benefits and a collective bargaining agreement. The SBWU website includes demands for a base pay of $20 an hour plus increased hourly rates for more expensive areas and an agreement from management to cease its efforts to block unionization at the companys thousands of locations. Starbucks employs 200,000 people in the US across 10,000 stores. Like Amazon it has worked to block unionization drives and has used intimidation and firings to clamp down on organizing.

Starbucks reportedly offered no immediate wage increase and just a 1.5 percent wage increase in future years. The company claimed that the union was demanding a 77 percent wage increase over the life of the contract, but the union criticized management for supposedly mis-characterizing its demands, although such a wage increase would be entirely justified.

Both strikes have left the demands of workers unresolved. Amazon continues to disregard the unionization of workers under the Teamsters, and both companies have refused to budge on their demands.

While workers are determined to fight against low wage exploitation, the union officials called the strikes to bolster their own credibility. The Teamsters have carried out several major sellouts in the past few years; notably the cancellation of the strike action of rail workers in 2022, the push through of a contract at UPS in 2023 that has allowed the company to move forward with plans for tens of thousands of layoffs and the abandonment of 22,000 Yellow truck drivers last year.

Starbucks Workers United is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which is closely integrated into the Democratic Party and has sold out several significant struggles, including sellouts at the end of 2023 of 100,000 California state employees, tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers and 30,000 Los Angeles school workers.

This struggle cannot be left in the hands of the trade union bureaucrats, who called off strike action before any demands were met and refused to call on the broader working class in the warehouses and non-unionized locations to join them.

Exemplifying the bankrupt politics of the union bureaucracy, Teamsters President Sean OBrien spent his time while Amazon drivers are struggling to talk with far-right media personality Tucker Carlson, formerly of Fox News, where he spent most of his time bemoaning how the Democratic Party had gone down the social justice warrior path and defending Trump as a pro-labor president. OBrien is attempting to cozy up with fascistic forces to demonstrate his essential role in upholding labor peace as Trump and the Republicans prepare for a historic assault on the working class. Despite this, the Teamsters and SBWU cannot even win recognition and a contract from management.

These struggles are not over, and Amazon and Starbucks workers will see their fight intersect with a deepening political crisis and broader class struggle under a second Trump administration.
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Migrant children at a detention camp in Homestead, Florida, Feb. 19, 2019 [Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File]

In a series of recent interviews, Donald Trumps border czar Tom Homan has brought the incoming administrations nightmarish mass deportation plans into focus. Despite the muted response among the Democratic Party and its allies in the corporate media, Homans statements make clear that the administration is planning a social crime of historic proportions.

Speaking to CNN last week, Homan said the administrations immediate plans consist of constructing facilities with at least 100,000 beds to detain immigrants slated for deportation. This figurenearly triple the current national detention capacitywill require the construction of a network of internment camps located throughout the country, though these will be built primarily in the uninhabitable Southwestern desert.

The military, Homan said, will initially be responsible for establishing the vast logistical network that will be required to carry out the administrations plans. He mentioned that military transport planes will be used to fly immigrants out of the country, but transporting tens of thousands of families to tent cities in the desert will also likely require commissioning ground vehicles like busses and trains, with depots and assembly centers in major urban areas. Use of the military to engage in law enforcement activities beyond transport would require invoking the Insurrection Act or Alien Enemies Act, which would abolish posse comitatus and place the country under a form of martial law.

Homan also confirmed that the administrations plan entails mass arrests of entire families, including US citizens. Were going to need to construct family facilities, Homan told the Washington Post in an article published Thursday. Summarizing Homans comments, the Post reported that immigration authorities will look to hold parents with children in soft-sided tent structures similar to those used by US border officials to handle immigration surges. The government will not hesitate to deport parents who are in the country illegally, even if they have young US-born children, he added, leaving it to those families to decide whether to exit together or be split up.

Homan was asked by NewsNation what the incoming administration will do with the US citizen children of immigrants who remain in the country when their parents are deported. Theyre going to be put in a halfway house, Homan said. There are 4.4 million citizen-children with at least one undocumented parent, and the proposal for the construction of a network of state-run child prisons/orphanages for masses of US citizen-children has gone almost without comment in the corporate media.

The closest historical parallel for such policies is the Japanese Internment, when the Democratic administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt removed 120,000 Japanese immigrants and American citizens of Japanese descent from their homes and businesses and relocated them into a network of internment camps in isolated parts of the Southwest and Mountain West. Trump himself has also referred favorably to Operation Wetback, the 1954 military-style operation which resulted in the removal of an estimated 1 million Mexican immigrants, including thousands of US citizens.

But conditions at the tent cities that will house todays targets will likely be even worse than the abysmal conditions in which World War Two internees were detained. According to a report on conditions in one smaller tent-based internment camp constructed in 2018:

The facility is made up of ten large tents, each of which is designed to house 200 individuals. The tents are completely windowless and the lights are on around-the-clock, making it difficult for detainees to sleep. No partitions exist to separate the showers, toilets, sinks and eating areas, and detainees report that they are occasionally forced to eat with their hands because no utensils are provided. When detainees are permitted to go outside of the tents for recreation, they do not appear to be provided with warm weather clothing. Detainees who are sent to this remote facility near the southern border may have been transferred from places as far away as Boston, New York and Florida. As a result of the transfer, detainees are not only separated from their loved ones, but may also find it impossible to obtain legal representation.

The amount of money required to establish these camps and fill them with families will be astronomical. According to Homan, the initial price tag will be $86 billion. Congress needs to fund this deportation operation, Homan told CNN. Its going to be expensive, and everybody is focused on how expensive its gonna be.

This sum is more than four times the average annual federal expenditure on immigration enforcement over the past 20 years. It exposes the lie that the Trump administrations attack on immigrants is aimed at improving the living standards of workers who live in the United States and happen to be citizens. Eighty-six billion dollars could be used to provide housing to every homeless person in the United States or to pay off the medical debt of some 10 million Americans.

Instead, Trump plans to direct resources away from the working class to terrorize immigrant workers and their citizen-family members. The impact of mass deportation on the non-immigrant population would be devastating. A report from the American Immigration Council estimates that removing 1 million immigrants would generate a GDP decline of between 4.2 and 6.8 percent.

The Democratic Party has responded to these plans by pledging to collaborate with Trumps attack on immigrants. Earlier this month, the New York Times published an article titled, Resist Trump? On immigration, top Democrats see room for compromise, which noted that leading Democratic governors like Gavin Newsom (California), Kathy Hochul (New York) and Phil Murphy (New Jersey) showed a surprising willingness to work with Trump. By the end of his term, Biden will have deported 1.6 million immigrantsslightly more than Trump did in his first term. Kamala Harris ran a right-wing campaign that touted her willingness to get tough at the border.

Trumps plan is the spearhead of an assault on the democratic rights of the entire population. Immigrant workers comprise a critical section of the working class in the United States and make up either majorities or substantial minorities of the total labor force in agriculture, textiles, meatpacking, construction and hospitality. The defense of the rights of immigrant workers is a strategic necessity for workers of all nationalities and immigration statuses.

The American ruling class, reeling from one imperialist war to another, is attempting to introduce dictatorial methods of rule to tame the working class and subordinate every aspect of social and economic life to the needs of its war efforts. Taking a page from Hitlers playbook, the administration aims to scapegoat immigrants for social ills and distract social anger away from the corporations and the capitalist system.

Homan and the incoming administration are keenly aware that the provocative policies will generate massive outrage within the population at large, including among many who voted for Trump. We cant lose the faith of the American people, Homan told the Washington Post in a telling remark.

What both the Trump and Democratic factions of the American ruling class fear most of all is that opposition will emerge to defend immigrant workers and basic democratic rights, and that it will develop into a self-conscious movement based in the working class against imperialist war and the capitalist system. Those interested in building such a movement should join the Socialist Equality Party today.
When taking the pulse of Danvilles health, the numbers are grim.

Each year, a national health ranking paints a broad picture of outcomes and drills down into data for each locality.

The program from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute no longer provides a numerical comparison score plotting an area with neighbors.

The last time it did, Danville landed near the bottom at No. 127 out of 133.

Now, the official ranking just labels the city as faring worse than average.

The data bottom line is simple: More people in Danville are obese, face chronic medical issues and live shorter lives.

Its one of the reasons a community health worker program was born nearly a decade ago in the hopes of turning the tide and putting the region on a better track for health. While working with residents, these workers exposed the underlying reason Danville is in such bad shape.

Known as social determinants, factors outside of the medical sphere shape the health of a community far more than just someone keeping a check on his or her blood sugar.

Where you live can control your health, Kitt Mayo, the Danville chair of The Health Collaborative, told the Register & Bee.

If you are stressed out about how you are going to pay your rent, you are not worried about going for a walk or exercise, she explained.

The collaborative, started by the Danville Regional Foundation, is an organizational networking group trying to get anyone involved in the health arena to talk to one another.

The community health worker program is under the umbrella of the Regional Engagement to Advance Community Health Partnership, commonly just called REACH. The institute is the grantee of the program, meaning it handles its fiscal side.

The Danville Regional Foundation provided $6 million for the REACH project.

The community health workers interact one-on-one with people and often realize that while a lack of health education may factor into issues, its other problems that provide the major hurdles.

Housing is terrible here, Mayo said of the economics of rent. She also believes the city needs more in the way of homeless shelters.

The community health workers have been instrumental in highlighting the lack of housing and the lack of stable housing in our community and how it affects peoples health, Bryan Price, a program coordinator with the Virginia Rural Health Association, told the Register & Bee last week.

In working with clients, community health workers understand its not a health issue, he said. Its the social determinants of health.

The rough definition of homelessness doesnt often match reality.

In fact, community health worker LaKendra Lipscomb said homelessness is the largest issue in the city.

Youve got two or three families in a three-bedroom home, she explained, pointing out that while someone may have a place to stay one day, having stability for the days to come is where the homeless factor comes into play.

The cheapest rent shes seeing locally is $800 a month.

If you can get in there for month one, what are you going to do for month two? she said of struggling families.

Even people with good jobs are barely able to stay above water.

Its like places are open, but nothing is in nobodys price range, she said.

When people cant even afford a place to reside, its out of reach to think about forking over money for medication to treat a chronic issue like diabetes.

Yet, it goes beyond just paying for the drugs.

Without stable housing, filling out forms is a high bar to jump.

Price explained that if someone could get medicine from a discount provider  like a three-month mail supply  they cant have it sent somewhere if they dont know where they will be living in the next week.

Where are they going to mail or where are they going to deliver your medication, he asked. That can affect a persons health.

He praised the community health workers for raising the issue so that folks know part of being a healthy person is being in a stable place to lay your head at night.

Other barriers

Cindi Poteat, who has been a community health worker from the start, said transportation also is a barrier to health in Danville.

While there may be a park where adults and children could get exercise on Memorial Drive, getting there from a nearby neighborhood is no easy task.

You still got a cross the street, she said of the four-lane busy highway.

Price said its well documented that Danville has an obesity problem.

Its sometimes thought the issue is just eating correctly or getting the right amount of food.

Some people dont realize that we have a beautiful walking trail, he said, describing the Riverwalk it as excellent and safe.

But what if you cant get there? he questioned. What if you dont have transportation to get there?

Think of someone who lives on Keen Street, he explained. The trail is just on the other side of Riverside Drive.

Would you allow your child to cross Riverside Drive, he asked, speaking of the major five-lane roadway in Danville.

And the community health workers have done a great job of raising those issues to peoples attention, Price said.

Poteat said the issue doesnt just center on children, but its seniors also.

She pointed to a lack of grocery stores in the North Main area, a place where many residents dont have means of personal transportation.

And while The Salvation Army officers a meal Monday through Friday, going from Bradley Road to Henry Street  nearly two dozen blocks  isnt an option for an elderly individual.

So you think about that as well, she said, explaining people look at these kinds of things through a narrow lens without realizing the scope of a situation.

The solution, while seemingly simple on one hand, is out of reach logistically.

Mental illness  and the stigma associated with it  is another problem plaguing Danville.

Life is real, she said forcefully, before repeating it. Life is real.

Known as a city of churches, Poteat said the answer most people give to that kind of problem is to pray about it.

Instead, she said it needs to be addressed head-on.

They dont understand, even in the Biblical times, they had to do more than just lay before God, she explained. You still got to put some work into it.

It needs to be talked about in the open, explaining that mental illness is a chronic illness by itself.

But people dont realize that life deals us some terrible blows, she said. Sometimes its not stuff that we expect.

Some fixes

For Lipscomb, its impossible to just leave her work at the office come quitting time.

When I go home, its a lot, she said. This job has made me very, very grateful for what I do have.

It also makes her realize we are all one paycheck from being homeless.

Out of every three clients who come into the community health worker program, one is without housing.

Before COVID hit, community health workers were known as superheroes.

While the title may still hold true, its a different world now with a spotlight on social determinants.

And what do you say to an elderly couple on a fixed income whose rent goes up $200 because everybodys rent has gone up? Libscomb asked.

To help with the homelessness issue, Lipscomb has been setting up tables out front of her office at the Piedmont Access to Health Services Community Pharmacy to provide essentials to those who are homeless.

One item given out is ponchos.

How do you cover up your stuff if its pouring down raining, she said.

They also give out toothbrushes and other personal hygiene items

Soup cans with pop-tops also are a go-to item to provide.

All else fails, you can pop a top with soup and a spoon and have a meal, she said.

Larger solutions

Price said the next step needed is to address the issues in Danville, of which there are many.

Theyve done the talking. Now comes the time for action.

Or are we going to talk about the problem and thats where it stops, he questioned.

Three decades ago the city was a ghost town, evident with a virtually dead downtown.

Things were moving out, he said after the demise of tobacco and textiles.

Because of the will of the people moving things forward, he said, I think its getting a little better.

But, there are issues. And they must be addressed.

Just because Danville is moving forward, we cant forget that all of Danville is not moving forward, he said.

Do we have the will to make sure all of Danville moves forward? he questioned.
Perhaps the most chilling element of director Magnus von Horn's black-and-white historical drama "The Girl with the Needle" is it's not entirely a work of fiction.

In the film, Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), an impoverished factory worker, becomes pregnant by her boss and later loses her job. With no means of supporting herself or her child, she decides to give her baby over to an older woman named Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), who offers a helping hand to disadvantaged women by operating a secret adoption agency under the guise of a candy shop. It all seems credible to Karoline, who eventually becomes a wet nurse for Dagmar, until she discovers the shocking truth behind this so-called business.

While Karoline's story is fictionalized, Dagmar's is heavily rooted in reality. More than 100 years ago, the real Dagmar Overbye manipulated impoverished mothers into leaving their unwanted children in her care, with the promise of providing them with a new home, and subsequently murdered them. It's estimated that she killed between nine and 25 children, including one of her own, between 1913 and 1920. She was sentenced to death (later commuted to life in prison) on March 3, 1921.

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The horrific true elements of the film sneak up on viewers who aren't familiar with the story, providing even more of an unsettling viewing experience, on top of the stark cinematography and the grimy reality the characters live in. In a way, that's exactly the effect director von Horn, one of Variety's 10 Directors to Watch for 2025, wants audiences to feel, as well as the connections to modern day's reproductive rights issues.

"The Girl with the Needle" has been shortlisted for the Academy Award's Best International Feature Film category, and it will screen at the 36th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, running Jan. 2 through 13.

The director spoke with The Desert Sun about his creative process, how he relates to the characters of his film and how he recreated early 1900s Denmark with his collaborators.

Desert Sun: This is one of those films that is very enjoyable, but also one you never want to see again.

Magnus von Horn: There's a whole list of films, as you say, that are absolutely worth watching but only once. I have a couple of those.

DS: Do you ever go into a film you're working on with that goal in mind?

MVH: I mean, that's never the intention because I don't think it comes from that. This story and the other feature films I made, I developed them for a long time. I very much focus on character. I'm allergic to just making something shocking or violent for the sake of provocation. For me, it's very important to ground it in character and the human story and the storytelling of the film.

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We're working a long time on the script where I feel I do most of my direction, because we're looking for locations and castings and I love to put all of that into the script. I also very much push toward storytelling that is only necessary and extremely conscious and there are no surprises, and often that results in intense storytelling. We don't have the most luxurious budgets to make these films because of the subject matter, it's very dark and intense, and it's more difficult to finance those films or to get a great big budget, and this film requires quite a lot of money. But still in the end, I always have to think about reduction and just shooting the very necessary parts for the story. That has happened in my previous films as well, and it results in a very intense storytelling.

DS: I tend to go into films with as little knowledge about them as possible. I did not expect this film to eventually be about one of Denmark's most notorious serial killers because of how immersed we are in Karoline's world. When you were working on this film, did you always want to focus on Karoline more than Dagmar?

MVH: I think that's a way which I like to work. My first film was based on a murder case in Sweden where a 15-year-old guy killed his girlfriend because of jealousy, and because of the juridical system in Sweden, he was released before he was 18. So he was a released murderer, not even 18 years old, resocializing into society. I read a lot about the true case, but for me what is interesting, it's not to make something based on real cases where I have to stick to those characters. I try to project my own emotions and humanity, believing in a way that we're all quite similar, that there are more things that connect us than disconnect us as human beings, and that comes with this dark journey. That requires imagination and basing it on myself in a way, which is very important to me. In that sense, I prefer that process.

With Dagmar Overby, I wasn't so interested in making a biopic, but rather how can I find my own story or my projection of myself in this story. It's a very challenging journey because it's 100 years ago, it's a poor woman, so it's still a lot of differences from me, but I like that a lot. You can be anyone in writing and creation, and in life also you can find a way to empathize or connect with any human being, and film gives us a second look at life. Karoline, the main character of the film, is someone I think we can relate to on a human level. With Dagmar, I think that's much more difficult and less interesting. The true story, or what we were inspired by, says a lot about the world that happened. Dagmar was not someone who kidnapped kids to kill them, women came and gave kids to her because they had no other choice, and that's the interesting story.

DS: The connections to today's society are very strong in this film. It's also interesting to hear you say you connected to these characters. How do you relate to Karoline?

MVH: Since I live in Poland since 2020, it introduced some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, and that makes this film extremely relevant. The world is moving forward, but in some parts it just feels like were moving backwards.

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What I do to connect to a main character is the active part of Karoline. It becomes relatable because shes active. Shes active in where she ends up and shes never a victim. She throws out her husband who returns because he doesnt fit into this new life shes trying to pursue. That kind of pragmatism, which doesnt always feel like the goodness of the human being, but it has a reason, I can very much relate to that. I think it comes to also a level of doubt she has over everything shes doing. Is she doing the right thing or not? She gives up her newborn child when she decides to leave her husband. Later she regrets it and wants to come back and breastfeed it, but its gone. Then she starts working to stay close to this issue and to breastfeed other babies. To me, that kind of doubt over have I done the right thing and that emotional process is very relatable.

DS: And an active character is far more interesting to watch and more relatable because we think of ourselves too in those situations.

MVH: It's the choice that's also relatable. Sometimes it's easier to have a little romance with the devil than to stand up for love and what is good. On the one hand, it's easier to live with Dagmar and be very cynical to the world and stay high and watch life pass outside the window. But real effort and life is a fight for love, a fight for believing, to do something for others, empathy.

DS: The production design and cinematography are so beautiful in this film. How did you create the world that we see?

MVH: With my cinematographer, production designer and costume designer, our ambitions were to take the audience on a time travel and to take that seriously. When I watch costume films or historical dramas, I don't really believe in what I'm watching. But it's OK, I'm very forgiving. But we wanted to make a film where we believe emotionally what we're watching. 'Schindler's List' was a big reference to us in something where we believe in the creation on the cinema screen.

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We shot the whole film in Poland except for three days in Sweden. We had no shooting days in Denmark or Copenhagen, so it's also about recreating a feeling that feels credible for the audience, but it doesn't need to be very historically correct. We built a lot of buildings that we would later scan and some of them are in the film. We built about 30 to 40 of these buildings, and we would use miniatures in that way to create this kind of feeling. That's also something quite inspired by the analog effects used at the time, miniatures and so on. So it was inspiring even behind the camera to tap into something that comes from the time to catch that atmosphere and feeling.

If you go

What: "The Girl with the Needle" screening at the Palm Springs International Film Festival

When/where: 4:45 p.m. Jan. 6 and 5:15 p.m. Jan. 8 at Festival Theaters, 789 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 8:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at 36-850 Pickfair St., Cathedral City

Cost: $20

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More info: www.psfilmfest.org

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Danish Oscar contender, 'The Girl with the Needle' director discusses his film
It's the New Year  the time of auld acquaintance.

And what better time to reacquaint ourselves with the movies that have used the New Year as a backdrop, a plot pivot, an occasion for nostalgia or sentiment, or  on occasion  dread. Even, sometimes, thought.

These movies aren't a genre, like Christmas movies. Nobody has their favorite New Year's movie.

Yet the flipping of the year, the turning of the calendar, is a charged moment  one that many films have used to their advantage. Here are some New Year's movies that should never be forgot.

Australian-born actor Rod Taylor tests his time machine in a still from the film 'The Time Machine', directed by George Pal, 1960.

'The Gold Rush' (1925)

Poor Charlie Chaplin! He's a lone prospector in the Klondike, who's fallen hard for a dance-hall girl (Georgia Hale). He's invited her to his New Year's Eve party. He's dreamt of how wonderful it would be  how his little cabin would be full of merrymakers, how he would win her over with his famous dance of the oceana rolls (one of Chaplin's most celebrated routines). But when New Year's eve arrives, no Georgia. No anybody. Charlie, alone at his table full of party favors, is left to listen to the sounds of Auld Lang Syne coming from town. A sad moment for a funny man. Available on YouTube, Tubi, Apple TV.

'Cavalcade' (1933)

Happy 20th century! Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook, typical specimens of the British upper-crust, toast the year 1900 at the beginning of Noel Coward's bittersweet timeline that takes us from the end of the Victorian age to the "present" (i.e. 1933). Spoiler alert: the 20th century isn't exactly a bed of roses. There's a little thing called World War I. Also, the Titanic. And, finally, "modern"  1930s  life with all its alienation. One of the characters actually sings a song called "20th Century Blues." Little did they know what the rest of the century was going to be like. Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple TV.

'Mystery of the Wax Museum' (1933)

Want to see what New Year's Eve in Times Square looked like in 1933? One of the odd dividends of this nifty early '30s horror film is its New Year's sequence, with all the confetti in early two-tone Technicolor. The rest of the film, which involves mad wax museum curator Lionel Atwill covering his living victims in hot wax, isn't too shabby either. Scream queen Fay Wray ("King Kong") nearly becomes his new Marie Antoinette. Available on Criterion Channel.

'Show Boat' (1936)

Captain Andy (Charles Winninger), of the showboat, is in Chicago New Year's eve. With his shrewish wife Parthy (Helen Westley) left behind in her hotel room, he goes on the town to partake of the New Year's celebrations with two ladies of easy virtue. "I left Parthy at the hotel about eight o'clock," he says. "And ever since ten o'clock I been tryin' to think of an excuse for not bein' home by nine!" When he wanders into the Trocadero nightclub, who should he see singing but Magnolia (Irene Dunne) his long lost daughter! Cue "After the Ball"  one of the few songs not written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II for this famous musical  and lots of falling balloons, hugs and kisses. Available on Amazon Prime, Roku.

'The Time Machine' (1960)

Inventor George (Rod Taylor) doesn't particularly like the century he's living in. So on New Year's eve, 1900, he sets out in his gizmo for the year 802,701 AD. Which, in H.G. Wells' famous story, is no picnic, either. Available on Amazon Prime, MGM Plus, Roku Premium.

'The Poseidon Adventure' (1972)

It's New Year's Eve on the great ocean liner S.S. Poseidon, and what could possibly go wrong? Only the little matter of a rogue tidal wave  "a gigantic wall of water"  that overturns the ship shortly after midnight, sending Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Carol Lynley, and Stella Stevens toppling over each other, and leaving them only hours to escape from the sinking ship by climbing up to the bottom. Got that? Millions of viewers did  the film grossed $84.5 million domestically. Available on YouTube, Amazon Prime, Apple TV.

'The Godfather Part II' (1974)

"Here we are, protected, free to make our profits without Kefauver, the goddamn Justice Department and the F.B. I. ninety miles away, in partnership with a friendly government." So says gangster Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) to Mafia king Michael Corleone as they prepare to set up their illegal operations in Cuba. Only the year is 1959, the friendly government is Batista's  and on Jan. 1, it falls to Castro's communists. In the epic New Year's ball sequence  the great turning point in the film  the city of Havana descends into chaos, mobs are running riot in the street, and Michael (Al Pacino) gives his famous Judas kiss to his brother (John Cazale). "I know it was you, Fredo!" Happy New Year, Fredo. There won't be many more. Available on Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Apple TV, Roku.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Year's movies to start 2025 off right
You dont have to be a francophile to appreciate Frances ability to formulate some impressive beauty goods  notably skin care products meant to support and improve the appearance of aging skin.

Its hard to not romanticize French-founded wonders and Parisian pharmacy staples like the Embryolisses Lait-Creme Concentre face cream, a truly luscious dry oil by Nuxe or a vitamin-rich serum that contains volcanic water straight from a spring in Vichy, France.

Fortunately, Amazon can serve as your exclusive supplier for some of these reviewer-loved and internationally adored French products, many of which you can shop in the list ahead.

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HuffPost and its publishing partners may receive a commission from some purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently curated by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.

A high-strength retinol cream

Amazon

A high-strength retinol cream

Time and time again, dermatologists have told us that retinoids are an essential ingredient for promoting cellular turnover and stimulating collagen production. A313 is a French pharmacy (and HuffPost) favorite cream containing three different types of retinol, each of them at an effective concentration without being overly irritating. It also features a distinctive texture that's closer to a hydrating balm.

Promising Amazon reviews: Since Ive been using A313 for about 6 months my skins general health and condition have significantly improved. It immediately and successfully lightened the sun-induced hyperpigmentation I had. My dark sun spots have faded to almost nothing, so I dont need to apply makeup to hide them. In addition, my skin appears less wrinkled and has become somewhat firmer and smoother.  Diana Duque

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$26 at Amazon

A famed moisturizing cream and makeup primer

Amazon

A famed moisturizing cream and makeup primer

This iconic and ultra-rich French face cream contains a blend of calming aloe, soy proteins, skin-softening shea and beeswax. Not only has it gone viral several times on social media platforms like TikTok, this secret bestseller also comes highly recommended by makeup artists as the perfect makeup primer for preventing foundations or powders from settling into fine lines and wrinkles.

Promising Amazon review: "This is the FIRST facial lotion I've found that worked with sensitive + combination skin!! It does NOT make me break out - which is very rare. Incredible product! I put it on at night and wake up to the most beautiful, smooth, glowing skin! I see its easing up the crows feet around my eyes, making me feel a little younger."  Kristi-Lynn

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$16.15+ at Amazon

A vitamin-rich serum for menopausal skin

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A vitamin-rich serum for menopausal skin

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick previously suggested the Vichy Neovadiol serum, a product specifically designed for peri- and post-menopausal skin. This serum combines a blend of proxylane, cassia extract, vitamins (b3, C and E), omega fatty acids and Vichy volcanic water. She believes this multi-tasking combination has the potential to improve the appearance of dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles while firming the skin and boosting hydration.

Promising Amazon review: "Any woman in perimenopause or menopause this is must have for your skin. I have experienced notable results after a month of use. Ive been using the product for six months and can certainly tell the difference. This helps fade fine lines and the hydration provides a more youthful appearance."  Roseburg, Oregon

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$39 at Amazon

A restorative day cream

Amazon

A restorative day cream

This intensive and restorative day cream by Clarins was also a former pick by Garshick for anyone with deeply dehydrated skin  a common problem that comes with age and a contributing factor to fine lines. She said it incorporates organic harungana, which works similar to retinol while also being gentle on the skin.



"It also contains the anti-pollution complex to protect the skin from changes related to pollution and blue light," she said.

Promising Amazon review: "Definitely a luxury cream for older and mature skin, affected by aging. This dense moisturizer helps with sagging jowls and dryness that develops over time. A little WILL go a long way so make this jar last by just using a nickels worth at a time!! Especially useful during dry times of the year, its like a double dose of moisturizer for dehydrated skin."  Chloe

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$134 at Amazon

A retinol-alternative lifting serum

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A retinol-alternative lifting serum

The Resveratrol-Lift serum from Caudalie claims to get its firming and elasticity-boosting power from the antioxidant resveratrol, a plant-based retinol alternative that can protect collagen in the skin. It also contains squalene and vegan collagen, which can work together to visibly firm and lift, as well as another popular hydrator, hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture into the skin.

Promising Amazon review: "Look, is this an overtly expensive serum? Yes. Is it worth the premium cost...? IMO, YES! However: this won't be for everyone as it really benefits those looking to specifically tighten and lift your cheeks, nasolabial lines and forehead over time. Or for those simply looking for great preventative aging products!

I've used many anti-aging serums, retinols and retinol alternatives but this one has supplemented them all. I love the proprietary and oil-free formula in this; it never once disrupted or caused my skin irritation or break outs from the beginning and I'm a very pale person w sensitive skin who does not wear makeup at all."  M

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$84 at Amazon

An intensive retinaldehyde cream

Amazon

An intensive retinaldehyde cream

The Avene RetrinAL intensive cream claims to target multiple signs of skin aging like loss of elasticity, sun spots and fine lines by using a specific retinol and peptide blend exclusive to the RetrinAL line. This combination works to smooth, hydrate and plump skin, while a photostable form of vitamin E can prevent premature skin aging caused by environmental stressors.

Promising Amazon review: "I am 54 years old. This product was recommended to me by my aesthetician to brighten my complexion and fade brown spots/sun damage. The product is odorless. It comes in a small pump dispenser and only dispensers a small amount of whitish cream. I apply the whitish cream to my face, neck and cleavage. The cream does not leave a film on your skin and goes on smoothly. I was instructed by my aesthetician to use this product daily as an evening routine prior to going to bed. After the first day's use of this product, I noticed my face was smooth and I didn't need moisturizer. After 1-2 weeks, I noticed a dramatic difference in the my skin texture. My skin was soft, smooth, a lot of my age spots and wrinkles virtually disappeared or began to fade. After approximately 3+ weeks, my complexion was brighter. The product leaves you with a healthy glow and your skin texture appears tighter, more firm. I continue to use this product nightly as part of my routine. I would definitely recommend it! As a precaution, use sunscreen when outside with any retinal products to avoid further sunspots/damage. The price at the dermatologist office was $20 more than Amazon."  Imani

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$63.20 at Amazon

A potent hyaluronic acid serum and skin fortifier

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A potent hyaluronic acid serum and skin fortifier

If you're desperate to target moisture loss and dryness-related wrinkles, this lightweight and fast-absorbing booster by Vichy may be able to help. The gel-like serum features a concentrated dose of hyaluronic acid, a popular humectant that draws moisture into the epidermis and helps to plump skin. It's supplemented with Vichy volcanic water meant to help strengthen the skin barrier, something that could potentially be compensated with age.

Promising Amazon reviews: "I'm 48 and am told I look about 10 - 12 years younger than that age. I've also been on the hunt for the best most effective anti aging skin care products around. I'm totally going to add this to the list. I have sensitive skin and have hormonal breakouts. This product did not add to either of these issues. It has really surprised me in how much it's moisturized my skin without irritation. I also like it because the smell it has is minimal and not strong at all. The other benefit is that it lasts a long time, you only need a little bit."  giddeup17

"I have heard about Vichy products, but have never tried them until now. I actually loved this Mineral 89 formula. Goes on light and absorbs into my aging skin quickly. I have been using it daily twice a day for the past month (in the morning and before I go to bed). My skin is actually glowing and has a more youthful appears and glow. I find this to be a great moisturizer which does not interfere with my other beauty products (i.e. sunscreen, foundation, etc). This is a reasonably priced product compared to other moisturizers out there and I think it does a much better job than most. I am sold on Vichy now and will be expanding my knowledge of the product line and bring more into my daily beauty regimen."  M.Kelly

$39.99 at Amazon

A tinted sunscreen fluid

Amazon

A tinted sunscreen fluid

After speaking with dermatologists about the ways to target and prevent thin and crepey skin, sunscreen  and more specifically, tinted sunscreen  was high up on more than one expert's list because tinted formulations can help shield skin from visible UV rays in overhead lighting.

This popular universally tinted sunscreen fluid by La Roche-Posay offers SPF 50 broad spectrum sun protection using 100% mineral filters and iron oxide pigments. This never-cakey and matte-finish screen is also enriched with antioxidants to prevent premature skin aging caused by environmental stressors.

Promising Amazon reviews: "Flawless. I was extremely happy I found this product. I'm in my 50's and I was not wanting to wear foundations that looked caked on or show all my flaws. I use the light tint which matches perfectly with my skin tone and covers flawlessly. Stays on all day with one application. One bottle has lasted me 6 months! So it is well worth the money."  Amazon customer

"I use this year round as a base coat & it helps so much with the wrinkles & keeping a youthful look. I am only 53 but everyone says I look a good 8-10 years younger. I love the product & just a couple drops does the whole face & neck. A bottle lasts me 3-4 months easily."  Robin

$37.99 at Amazon

A brightening and texture-refining vitamin C serum

Amazon

A brightening and texture-refining vitamin C serum

This vitamin C serum by La Roche-Posay may be able to brighten and improve uneven skin tone, address irregular skin texture and prevent premature skin aging. It uses a trusted and well-studied antioxidant (vitamin C) and salicylic acid to gently exfoliate dead skin and clear pores.

Promising Amazon review: "This stuff has significantly improved my skin within a short period of time. I am still on my first bottle. I started out using the red bottle, which is the Retinol 3B at night (wonderful stuff too!!!) then I thought to try the vitamin C during the day, with sunscreen of course.

I was starting to get the 40-year-old looking skin, i.e. large pores, loosening, dullness, etc. and tried a few different things to help. Some of the stuff was okay and some stuff did not work at all. After incorporating these two products (i.e. the pure Vitamin C and the Retinol 3B serums) into my day and nighttime skin regimen, I can honestly say my skin looks younger. I am still working to fade some dark spots, but again, my skin looks"  EbonyC.

$44.99 at Amazon

A radiance-boosting skin plumper

Amazon

A radiance-boosting skin plumper

Packed inside this radiance-boosting concentrate is 10% bifidus prebiotic, an ingredient that the French luxury brand Lancome claims to support the skin's moisture barrier. It also contains hyaluronic acid to help plump and enhance moisture retention and a type of vitamin C that may help to brighten and smooth.

Promising Amazon reviews: "Love, love love this! It makes my skin tighter and [pores] smaller. It really seems to brighten my skin as well. Only using about a month now but notice a difference if i miss a day. I am 60 yo and i really think this has helped to make my skin look less saggy."  Kathy

"I love it!! Because It's clearly helping me to diminish fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots, giving me a more youthful and radiant complexion. You can say goodbye to dull skin and hello to a fresh, firm, and glowing appearance. Incorporate this Anti-Aging Face Serum into your skincare routine and embrace a more youthful version of yourself!"  Carly Spring

$42.75+ at Amazon

A Vaseline-like French pharmacy

Amazon

A Vaseline-like French pharmacy "magic cream"

Consider this homeopathic ointment the French pharmacy equivalent of Vaseline or Elizabeth Arden's pricy eight-hour cream. The non-greasy and sheen-free formula can protect skin from the elements, address dry patches, fill in deep lip lines and restore dry flaky lips. Use it as an everyday lip balm, to slug the face or prep the skin for a smooth and flawless makeup application.

This price listed below is for two tubes of cream.

Promising Amazon review: "Oh yeah, France. The stuff has worked miracles on my aging lips. It works great under lipstick or by itself. Also very quickly healed some abrasions my son got on The back of his hands doing yard work. I dont know if Id recommend it all over for the face."  Sandra S.

$28.99 at Amazon

A multi-purpose dry oil

Amazon

A multi-purpose dry oil

Formulated to nourish, repair and hydrate both hair and skin, this all-over dry oil claims to moisturize skin for up to eight hours while imparting a healthy and youthful glow. It contains seven precious botanical oils and antioxidant-rich vitamin E and is scented with notes of vanilla and orange blossom.

Promising Amazon review: "Oh why didn't I discover you earlier? Amazing ! absorbs really fast. The smell does not last long for those who do not like it. Works on skin way better than any anti-age creams and lotions. A very little goes a long way. I have been testing on my forearms which were starting to look a bit crepy with sun exposure and only 3 weeks on I am already noticing a difference. I use it on my face, neck, hands, arms and hair to prevent static. Very very little for fine hair I would recommend for it might weigh it down. I tried different oils before : coconut, argan, you name it but this one works wonders for it does not stay on your skin. I am hooked ! I wish I had discovered this wonderful product before!" Amazon customer

$22.50+ at Amazon

Related...
EL PASO, Texas  They crossed the U.S.-Mexico border like beggars, tired, hungry and alone. They had no papers or names.

That was, until big-hearted border officers took in these destitute immigrants, who found new lives in America as Selma and Lieu, Petunia and Peanut, Cupid, Penelope, Selena and Floyd.

This border city sometimes called the Ellis Island of the Southwest has long been known for its generosity toward immigrants, and that spirit extends to newcomers on four legs.

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For 12 years, a Borderland nonprofit called Bridge Pups Rescue has helped foster and adopt these accidental migrants into loving homes in the United States.

Founder Ruby Montana rescued her first "bridge pup" after her brother became a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in their hometown more than a decade ago. He noticed strays wandering over the international bridge from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, into El Paso.

Ruby Montana, founder of Bridge Pup Rescue in El Paso, rescues a dog found crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Bridge Pups Rescue has so far rehomed around 100 dogs found crossing into El Paso from Ciudad Juarez.

"They were usually in terrible condition, starving or limping or covered in fleas and ticks," she said. "He would hide them; I would pick them up and find them fosters. When we got caught, we were scared the other agents were going to be angry, but they were totally on board. It became unofficial protocol."

Technically, even dogs need documentation to cross into the U.S. legally. CBP enforces the rules set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control.

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But if the dog has no human owner, there is often no one to stop a pup who follows his or her nose over the international bridge, or through the shallow water of the Rio Grande, or around the steel bollards of the border fence into U.S. territory.

"There is a poster at all the ports of entry," Montana said. "If there is a stray dog or an immigrant family with a pet, the posters say 'Please contact Ruby Montana.'"

More: The wonderful 'tail' of Camila the border-crossing wiener dog

Montana has saved dozens of migrant animals, finding forever homes  first among her own extended family, then throughout the city and the Southwest. Rescue organizations in California and Arizona have pitched in.

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El Paso CBP officers have taken in pups, and so have Army veterans. El Paso's congresswoman rescued a border dog and called her Rio; with Montana's help, they found her a home. Two former local photographers rescued border-crossing dogs; Lieu is living the good life in Austin while Gringa has ridden out two hurricanes with his family in Florida.

Sometimes there isn't a happy ending.

Montana has mourned the pups she's lost to illness or injuries. Her latest rescue, Floyd, is a senior and is suffering from a tumor that might be cancerous. A local vet is evaluating him. She posts "pupdates" to her social media for every rescue.

"Sweet, sweet Floyd is back at his comfy foster home after his vet visit," she wrote on Instagram last week. Floyd's comfort with getting into a car, and his habit of "howling" when he needs to relieve himself outdoors, gave Montana reason to believe he was dumped by his owners.

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"Those days of being unwanted are long gone because we're going to keep showing Floyd what love and care truly are!" she wrote.

Across the border, Ciudad Juarez is a tough town for a dog without a home. It's a city of extremes, where the wealthiest residents travel with bodyguards and factory workers live hand-to-mouth, scrounging pesos.

In the city's scruffy downtown  which connects to El Paso's downtown by an international bridge  strays compete for territory and food from restaurants or overflowing trash cans. The city doesn't have a catch-and-spay policy, although the municipal government opened an "animal wellness center" in 2023 where people can report mistreatment. Still, local efforts to control the stray population are under-resourced.

Sometimes dogs are dumped. Sometimes they go looking for a better life.

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"I dont check dogs' papers before I offer assistance or compassion," Montana said.

So can dogs, too, chase the American dream?

Maybe the lucky ones. Or the most intrepid.

The dog who makes it over the border and into Montana's arms soon finds a cushy bed and doggy snacks waiting on the other side.

Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These immigrants crossed into the U.S. illegally - on four legs
If you need some respite from road travel, a hearty meal, and a few souvenirs, everyone knows the one place that'll provide all that and more: Cracker Barrel. With its long front porch lined with rockers perfect for lounging in, the restaurant and gift shop chain is like a beacon along the United States' highways. All of the more than 600 national Cracker Barrel locations signal a rest stop for weary road trippers.

While the flapjacks and fried chicken are undeniably delicious and are sure to scratch that comfort food itch, let's be honest. Browsing the Old Country Store is the best part of any trip to Cracker Barrel. You have to take a quick jog through it to get to the dining room, but passing by the jam-packed displays will provide you with plenty of ideas for goodies to snag after your meal on your way out. Whether you're grabbing a couple hard candy sticks to snack on or a rocking chair for your own front porch, there's plenty to buy in the iconic gift shop, and it's got an interesting backstory too.

Read more: 7 Must-Have Canned Foods And 7 To Avoid In Your Pantry

But First, What Exactly Is A Cracker Barrel?

Two men sit at a barrel of soda crackers. - Bettmann/Getty Images

Nowadays, whenever you hear the words "cracker" and "barrel" alongside one another, an image of a restaurant resembling an old general store with a long front porch comes to mind. But the name of the iconic chain dotting America's interstates actually comes from a feature of small-town shops of yore. Throughout the early 1900s, country stores would have soda crackers shipped to them in large wooden barrels. These vessels helped prevent the crackers from getting crushed in transit, but they also served as a gathering place as customers would hang around them to chat with one another.

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Mosey on up to any Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and you're sure to spot those barrels. Though you won't be finding any soda crackers inside to munch on, the barrels still serve as a gathering spot for customers. Cracker Barrel uses them as checkerboard tables for patrons to play a friendly game while they wait for a table.

1969 Is When It All Began For The Chain

A Cracker Barrel restaurant sign. - Ken Wolter/Shutterstock

Though today there are plenty of gas stations, shops, restaurants, and even roadside attractions along the nation's major highways, that wasn't always the case. The Interstate Highway System was still in its adolescence when Dan Evins had an idea to accommodate exhausted road trippers. More than 50 years ago, Evins founded the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Lebanon, Tenn. -- a suburb about 30 miles east of Nashville.

Both a comforting slice of home and a one-stop-shop for travelers, Evins opened the very first Cracker Barrel on September 19, 1969 along Highway 109. Customers could drop in for some wholesome, home-style Southern food like turnip greens and biscuits and gravy (though now there are a variety of other tasty hidden gems at Cracker Barrel). Before or after eating, guests could browse the gift shop for road trip supplies and souvenirs. And after your belly was full, you could make sure your gas tank was, too.

Cracker Barrel Used To Be In The Gasoline Business

A closeup of a gas pump. - Supachai Panyaviwat/Getty Images

Yep, that's right. While patrons today know and love them as quintessential roadside restaurants and gift shops, the first Cracker Barrels used to sell gas as well. Before striking out on his own, Evins was a Shell Oil salesman and he transferred those skills to his shiny new business venture, but just a few short years later, the Oil Shock of the mid-1970s rocked the United States. With the price of oil nearly quadrupling and consumers feeling the impacts, Evins and his investors (who, by that time, had opened more than a dozen locations throughout the American South) decided to close their gas pumps.

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Though eliminating gasoline meant Cracker Barrel was losing one of the three key components that made it the one-stop-shop Evins envisioned when he founded the company in 1969, the move worked out in his favor. The company shifted its focus toward the business model's two remaining elements: the restaurant and the gift shop.

Axing Gas To Grow The Gift Shop And Restaurant

The inside of a Cracker Barrel gift shop. - James R. Martin/Shutterstock

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Though after the oil crisis tourists would have to look elsewhere to fill up their gas tanks, Cracker Barrel still remained a road tripping mainstay as Evins pivoted toward enhancing the restaurant menu and growing the gift shop. Even without gasoline, Cracker Barrel's business still skyrocketed. In 1977 it had 13 locations, but by 1997 it had over 300.

To this day, the two major components of every Cracker Barrel location are inextricably linked. They've become a package deal -- you'll always see the gift shop and restaurant together, and you have to pass through one to get to the other. Patrons have come to know and love this setup. And as for those weary road trippers needing a place to relax for a bit? The chain is staying true to its roots, with Cracker Barrel serving a huge number of travelers. Of its 230 million annual customers, about 40% of them are travelers.

The Antiques Are Authentic

Antiques hang on the wall of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. - 4kclips/Shutterstock

Stepping into a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store can feel like stepping back in time, and that's exactly the intention. Throughout the gift shop and restaurant, you're sure to spot decor that looks straight out of your grandmother's (or maybe even your great-grandmother's) house. Ranging from old photographs and posters to vintage cast iron skillets and everything in between, each Cracker Barrel location averages between 950 and 1,000 antiques, and every item is authentic.

In 1969, when Cracker Barrel was founded, Evins turned to local Lebanon, Tenn. antique dealers Don and Kathleen Singleton to help bring his vision to life. The Singletons sourced bonafide antiques for Evins in order to give the very first location the right atmosphere. Eventually, the Singletons were brought on as full-time designers and Cracker Barrel established its own 26,000 square-foot decor warehouse. Decorating responsibilities moved to Don and Kathleen's son Larry Singleton in 1979, who served as chief picker until retiring in 2019.

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Each Cracker Barrel location is also uniquely decorated in a way that relates to the community it's situated in. These regional antiques reflect the area's key characteristics -- like the sock-themed pieces in Fort Payne, Ala., the city known as the Sock Capital of the World. But regardless of the specific pieces, every Old Country Store is accessorized in just the right nostalgia-inducing manner.

You'll Find A Cookstove In The Gift Shop And Horseshoes Above The Doors

A horseshoe hangs above the entrance to a Cracker Barrel restaurant. - false/Shutterstock

Though the antiques may differ from location to location, there are five items you're sure to find in every single Cracker Barrel. One of those signature items is a cookstove, and many stores use it as a gift shop display. The cookstove helps evoke that old-timey feel so many Cracker Barrel fans have some to expect and appreciate.

That cozy, throwback atmosphere is enhanced by the other four key pieces. When you walk in the front door, look up. There you'll see an ox yoke (a special piece of equipment designed to allow a pair of oxen to pull farming equipment), which is commonly nailed above Southern barn doors. And above every front door exterior, you'll find a horseshoe -- a symbol of good luck. When you enter the dining room, keep an eye out for a deer head. It'll be hanging above the fireplace. And lastly, the glowing traffic light will be pointing you to the restrooms.

Thin Sticks Are A Gift Shop Crowd Favorite

A closeup of hard candy sticks. - Kelly Bowden/Getty Images

Cracker Barrel's undeniably homey feeling extends beyond the decor to many of the iconic gift shop's offerings. Walk into any Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and you'll find a huge display of sweet snacks with classics like crispy, crunchy peanut brittle and soft, chewy pecan logs. But at $0.35 cents each, the hard candy sticks are a beloved treat of Cracker Barrel patrons nationwide. With flavors ranging from root beer to lemon to peppermint, there's a variety that'll suit just about anyone's palate, and that affordable price tag encourages customers to stock up to try a few different kinds.

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The restaurant chain lovingly calls these oh-so-nostalgic sweets "thin sticks," and they're a gift shop staple. The Old Country Store sells more than 13 million of those five-inch wands of sugar annually. This makes the hard candy one of the chain's best-selling retail items, along with rocking chairs and apparel for women.

There's Plenty More To Buy In The Old Country Store

Interior of a Cracker Barrel gift shop. - Kit Leong/Shutterstock

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Beyond classic candy and other consumables like the iconic pancake syrup and biscuit mix, the Cracker Barrel gift shop also offers everything from souvenirs and knickknacks to clothes and accessories to furniture. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has roughly 6,000 retail SKUs, and that merchandise is always evolving. It updates its gift shops' seasonal displays about 40 times annually to ensure customers are seeing new products.

Nevertheless, there are a few quintessential Cracker Barrel items that will always remain on store shelves regardless of season, like the classic (but sometimes infuriating) peg game -- the little wooden triangle where you try to jump one peg over the other until only one remains. The Old Country Store sells more than 300,000 of them each year.

The front porch rocking chairs aren't just for lounging on while you wait for your table -- you can buy one for yourself. Cracker Barrel sells roughly 70,000 of them each year. The Hinkle Chair Company, which has been making rocking chairs for almost two centuries, made the restaurant chain's first rockers and still provides them for the Old Country Store today.

The Gift Shop Made A New York City Appearance

Crowd gathers at the tiny Cracker Barrel replica in New York City. - rblfmr/Shutterstock

With Cracker Barrels being fixtures along the interstate, it's not surprising that you can't find the restaurant chain in a crowded, bustling city like the Big Apple. Nonetheless, New Yorkers still had a hankering for its undeniable Southern charm, so in honor of its 50th anniversary, Cracker Barrel debuted a 269 square-foot replica at the 2019 Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade. Included in the reproduction were the iconic front porch rocking chairs, cozy dining room fireplace, and, of course, the gift shop.

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While spectators near and far got to see the replica in the televised parade, New Yorkers actually had the opportunity to step inside the tiny Cracker Barrel when it was parked in Foley Square the day prior. Though New Yorkers itching for some cornbread or catfish might have been disappointed to see that the 269 square-foot Cracker Barrel wasn't slinging any of its home-style cooking, the small yet operational gift shop undoubtedly made up for it. There, customers could browse and purchase nostalgia-laden knickknacks, treats, gifts, and more.

Unfortunately, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store hasn't made a permanent home in New York City. There are, however, well over 600 locations in operation, including a handful in New York State. But there are a few states in the U.S. without a Cracker Barrel.

Since 2013, Cracker Barrel's Been Selling Products Outside The Gift Shop

Cracker Barrel baking mix sits on a grocery store shelf. - The Image Party/Shutterstock

If you're in the mood for some of that Cracker Barrel goodness but can't make it out to an Old Country Store, fret not. Since 2013 it has been selling licensed products at grocery stores. Just know that if you're browsing the dairy aisle, you're in the wrong place. The Cracker Barrel restaurant doesn't have any relation to the cheese brand. In fact, products from the beloved chain will actually be found under the name "CB Old Country Store" rather than the moniker it's commonly known by because Kraft Foods, who owns the Cracker Barrel cheese brand (which dates back to 1954), sued the restaurant chain citing trademark infringement.

Nonetheless, it might be easier to head to the Cracker Barrel website to have those gift shop goodies shipped directly to you. The online Old Country Store features a solid grocery section with highlights like Cracker Barrel's distinctive spiced apple butter, and it's also got collections full of the same candy, home decor, and apparel you'll see in person.

Read the original article on Chowhound.
Latin America consists of the countries in the north, south and central Americas plus the Caribbean, where a Romance language is spoken, such as Spanish, Portuguese and French. The region got its name from Latin-derived languages.

The cuisine has a vibrant history and culture with Native, European and African influences. Due to its influences and numerous regional differences, Latin American food is one of the most diverse in the world.

Here are some of the best Latin restaurants in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties. And check out these other TCPalm articles for some of the best Cuban restaurants, Mexican restaurants, gourmet tacos and street tacos.

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All things food: Roundups of the latest reviews, inspections, new and best restaurants

Fun things to do: Best activities and attractions on the Treasure Coast

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY

Cafe 772

Cafe 772 was opened in the BP gas station on Oslo Road in Vero Beach by Carlos Andres and Ashley Vera. Its first location was opened in the Parkway Chevron on Rivergate Parkway in Port St. Lucie in 2021. The two also own Chef's Table Catering. It offers "Latin-American street food on steroids." They called it the "home of the birria," a Mexican dish of stewed meat seasoned with chili peppers.

1999 Ninth St. S.W., Vero Beach; 772-207-6101; Facebook

2360 S.E. Rivergate Parkway, Port St. Lucie; 772-207-6062; Facebook

La Casa de las Pupusas #2

La Casa de las Pupusas serves authentic Salvadoran, Honduran and Mexican fare. The popular items include tacos, tortas and baleada Hondurena.

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69 N. Willow St., Fellsmere; 772-666-3227; website

Latin Melting Pot

The Latin Melting Pot was opened by sisters Maritz Paulino and Gloria Lopez in 2023, serving traditional Latin dishes along with some interesting twists. The sisters are from Colombia and have owned Libellula Boutique & Fine Tailors in the same plaza for seven years. They hired cooks from Cuba, Mexico and Colombia as well as Lopez's sons, Santiago and Sebastian. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. It utilizes the Marra Fornia brick oven left over from the former Urban Brick restaurant in the same spot to make Flamenco eggs and creative Latin-flavored pizzas including the llanera with ribs, chicken, onion cilantro and barbecue sauce; the Habana with pork, plantains, black beans and pineapple sauce; and paisita with plantains, pork rinds, ground beef and garlic sauce. The buffet-style menu includes varieties of rice, sides, pasta, vegetables, meat such as pork (ribs, butt and chops) chicken, beef and fajitas. It also offers soups, salads, fresh-squeezed juices, Latin beverages, Cuban-style coffee made by the latest model of the Polaris Wega Italian espresso machines and fresh-fruit popsicles made by a local favorite Fellsmere family.

2017 Indian River Blvd., Vero Beach; 772-789-0104; website

TCPalm restaurant review

Savores Grill House

This Venezuelan restaurant serves pabellon criollo, the national dish made of juicy beef that's been slow-cooked and shredded with garlic, fried onions, bell peppers and lots of spices such as annatto, cumin, paprika and oregano. It also has lime and orange peel and a touch of tomato puree. Traditional Venezuelan beverages include papelon con limon made with rapadura (raw, hardened sugar), water, lemon and lime; and jugo de parchita, a natural passion fruit juice. The outdoor seating is in a well-ventilated pavilion with fans to keep you cool.

3700 Ninth St. S.W., Vero Beach; 772-213-3643; Facebook

TCPalm restaurant review

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

Aji Dulce Cafe Gourmet

The new Venezuelan-American restaurant with a bakery and cafe is run by a husband and wife team from Caracas, Venezuela, who wanted people to experience Venezuelan and American food. Menu items include empanadas, breakfast sandwiches, pastas, salads, pastries, breads and croissants.

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1042 S.W. Bayshore Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-353-5640; Instagram

Dale Arepa Bar & Healthy Bistro

Dale Arepa Bar & Healthy Bistro was opened by husband and wife Rens and Sandra Leijtens in 2021. It serves traditional Venezuelan cuisine and healthier options. This is the second location for the restaurant, the first opened in Miami. Popular menu items include the arepas with options including beef, egg, ham, chicken, tuna salad or black beans; the cachapas made of corn dough pancakes with soft white cheese; and the empanadas. It also serves all day breakfast, bowls, fresh juices, soups and desserts.

1758 S.E. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-353-5093; website

Delicias de la Abuela

Delicias de la Abuela servers authentic Latin American food made from recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. It has a vibrant Latin American atmosphere, live music, cocktails and an outdoor patio. Aside from Port St. Lucie, it has locations in Broward County, Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Menu items include Colombian cheese bread, Latin blood sausage with white corn cake and various corn cakes or fried plantain dishes such as The Grandmother made of white corn cakes stuffed with mozzarella, chicken, steak, pork skin and Colombian sausage; The Caribbean with tuna, tomato, onions, mozzarella, coriander and mayonnaise; The Vegetarian with tomatoes, onions and mushrooms; and The Zarzalena stuffed with mozzarella, steak and mushrooms. It also offers various steak, chicken, pork and fish dishes.

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1180 S.E. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-777-4888; website

TCPalm restaurant review

Doras

Pupusas are the star at this Salvadoran restaurant in Fort Pierce. The thick cornmeal flour cakes are soft inside and griddled for a crispy char outside. You can eat them plain or fill them with combinations of meat, cheese and vegetables. They come with curtido, a shredded cabbage slaw typically made with carrot, red onion, oregano and vinegar.

1802 Orange Ave., Fort Pierce; 772 672-1745; Facebook

La Paisita Colombian Restaurant & Bakery

This breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant serves traditional Colombian dishes, pastries and sodas. They serve everything from fast food to a beautiful whole grilled fish. They even have a kids menu. The Bandeja "La Paisa" (country platter for $15.99) is a large portion of white rice, red beans, thin-sliced grilled steak, fried egg, pork sausage (chorizo), deep-fried pork belly strip (chicharrones), sweet plantains and a corn cake.

882 St. Lucie West Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-878-7755; Facebook

TCPalm restaurant review

La Perrada del Gordo

This Florida fast-food chain specializes in "100% Colombian burgers and hot dogs." It's known for its Gordo Burger Mix, a beef patty with bacon, shredded beef, shredded chicken, cheese, chips, garlic sauce, pineapple sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and a tomato slice. Since opening in West Palm Beach in 2003, mother and son owners Elizabeth Novoa and Miguel Martinez have expanded to Wellington, Kissimmee, Boca Raton and Port St. Lucie.

1684 S.E. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie; (772) 877-3656; website

TCPalm restaurant review

Latin Star's Restaurant

Latin Star's Restaurant is a casual spot serving authentic Latin fare and celebrates the culinary heritage of the Dominican Republic. Menu items include a chimi fried green plantain sandwich, a Dominican hamburger, mangu dishes and tostones (twice fried plantains).

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2503 Indiana Ave., Fort Pierce; 845-945-1194

La Tripleta Boricua

La Tripleta Boricua is a fast-food restaurant in a Shell gas station on Cashmere Boulevard in Port St. Lucie. It serves authentic home-cooked Puerto Rican food. Menu items include La Tripleta Boricua monster sandwich with pork, chicken, ham, lettuce, tomato, a potato stick and garlic mayo; Cuban sandwich; roast pork quesadilla; empanadas; alcapurria (beef stuffed fritters); and skewer pincho with an option of pork or chicken.

119 S.W. Cashmere Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-344-8932; Facebook

Pastel Brazil Cafe

This small bakery has cafe tables, a counter and sunny interior that reflects the green and yellow colors of the nation's flag. The family affair serves traditional Brazilian food, including typical meat and rice dishes with beans and vegetables, as well as fried sweet and savory pastries.

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8275 S U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie; 954-257-4957; Facebook

Pupuseria las Delicias Restaurant

Pupuseria las Delicias Restaurant is a casual spot serving pupusas and other Salvadoran comfort food. Menu items include platano relleno con frijol, queso y crema (filled plantains with beans, cheese and cream), bistec encebollado (steak and onion), Salvadorian style bread with chicken, beef soup and pastelitos de carne con salsa y curtido (meat pies). It also offers a variety of pupusas including bean and cheese, pork and cheese, chicken, steak, shrimp and zucchini and cheese, along with baleadas including egg, steak and an "everything" with beans, cheese, egg, cream, meat and avocado.

8757 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie; 772-248-4205; website

Rumba Restaurant Bar & Grill

Rumba Restaurant Bar & Grill opened in July 2024 where the former Crabby's Land and Sea was located. It offers a mix of Peruvian, Cuban, Latin and American food with menu items including the popular Peruvian street food anticuchos (grilled meat skewers), ceviche and tostones achorados (green plantains with toppings). It has happy hour food, outdoor seating and craft cocktails.

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The Mofongo King

The Mofongo King serves authentic Puerto Rican food. It is located in the Shoppes of Victoria Square and has outdoor seating. Menu items include various mofongos, a savory mashed green plantain dish that's a staple of Puerto Rican cuisine, such as pernil (oven roasted pork), currasco (skirt steak), carne frita (deep fried pork chunks), pulpo (octopus) and mar y tierra (surf and turf) as well as chicken empanadas, mozzarella frita, sorullitos (deep fried cornmeal stickers) and queso frito (fried cheese pieces with house guava sauce).

295 S.W. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie; 772-777-4080; Facebook

Torero's Brazilian Churrascaria

Terero's Brazilian Churrascaria is a family-owned restaurant that offers Brazilian barbecue fare and specializes in rodizio style dining, native to the Porto Alegre region in Brazil. The style features guests enjoying an all-you-can-eat selection of meats made on a charcoal rotisserie and a seasonal salad bar. The menu features meats including ribeye, picanha, filet mignon, baby back ribs, bacon-wrapped chicken and leg of lamb served by the pound; picadas which are sampler plates; and rodizio meat options, including churrasco, filet mignon, choribombon Argentino, and sirloin beef.

3224 U.S. 1, Fort Pierce; 772-801-5122; website

MARTIN COUNTY

Guatemex Restaurant

As the name implies, this Indiantown restaurant serves traditional Guatemalan and Mexican dishes. Among the former is a stew made from tomatillo broth with large shreds of chicken, peas, red peppers, carrots, onion, avocado chunks, rice, and cilantro. The restaurant is colorful and playfully decorated with crisp, white tablecloths and Latin American fabric toppers. The patio tables are shaded by thatch umbrellas.

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Merengue Restaurant & Catering

Merengue Restaurant & Catering was opened by husband and wife Altagracia and Valerio Leal in 2023. Valerio is from Colombia, Altagracia is from the Dominican Republic, and the cook is from Cuba. It serves cuisine celebrating Caribbean and Latin American dishes. It is located in downtown Stuart's Publix Plaza and has a tranquil atmosphere. Menu items include mofongos, trifongos, Caribbean sirloin steak, chicharrones, Caribbean octopus, roasted pork, grilled Caribbean salmon, fried snapper and seafood rice.

Mi Guatelinda Restaurant Y Panaderia

Again, as the name implies, the restaurant serves traditional Guatemalan food and bakery items. The sunny yellow dining room is in a strip mall in Stuart.

2495 S.E. Bonita St., Stuart; 772-266-4832; Facebook

Eve Pierpont is a freelancer for TCPalm who looks out for the best things to do across the Treasure Coast. Do you have an upcoming event you want to be potentially included in this weekly roundup? Email it to her at epierpont@gannett.com. You can also upload your event to TCPalm's event page at events.tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Best Latin food in Sebastian, Stuart, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, PSL
Spain is an extremely popular destination for people worldwide, whether they come to see the sprawling plazas of Madrid or loll on the beaches and take in the Gaudi architecture of Barcelona.

The nearly 84 million visitors who chose the country for their holidays in 2024 have made Spain the second most-visited country in the world, according to several different rankings. The deluge of visitors also prompted a wave of anti-tourist protests everywhere, from Valencia and Barcelona to the Canary Islands.

 Buy 1 Year and Get 1 Year FREE on TheStreet Pro. Act now before it's gone 

State Department advisory for Spain remains at 'exercise increased caution'

But even with the millions of visitors who come home from Spain with nothing but a desire for a prompt return, the U.S. State Department still puts the country at the second level of its four-tier safety rating.

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The "exercise increased caution" advisory was reissued with a new travel advisory warning against the risk of terrorism in major cities; the ranking puts Spain at the same level as fellow European countries such as France and Germany as well as Mexico and, most recently, China.

Related: U.S. government raises warnings for two popular vacation destinations

"Exercise increased caution in Spain due to terrorism and civil unrest," the updated government advisory reads with the added warning that "terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Spain."

Similarly worded advisories are issued for countries home to global capitals such as Paris and London; meanwhile, Japan is at level one's "exercise normal precautions."

More on travel:

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The Spanish advisory goes on to warn against protests that tend to occur in central areas and tourists who can become inadvertently caught up in them without understanding local laws and customs.

"Demonstrations are common," the advisory reads. "They may take place in response to political or economic issues, on politically significant holidays, and during international events. If you decide to travel to Spain, [...] be aware of your surroundings when traveling to tourist locations and crowded public venues."

Tourists flock to a plaza in Barcelona Spain. The State Department says there's increased risk of terrorism. NurPhoto/Getty Images

These are the countries to receive new travel advisories in December

The rankings are assigned on a four-tier scale, in which level one is considered as or even safer than home while level four's "do not travel" is assigned to authoritarian governments and active war zones.

Related: Aircraft manufacturer files for bankruptcy and reveals its plans

At the start of December, the State Department lowered its travel advisory for mainland China from level three's "reconsider travel" to level two's "exercise increased caution." This came in response to the Chinese government being the first to make it significantly easier for Americans to visit by expanding its visa-free transit policy to a maximum of 10 days and, for those applying for a visa, getting rid of the requirement to have a booked plane ticket and hotel stay before it is granted.

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Other countries to receive renewed travel advisories in December include Belarus, which remains at the highest "do not travel" level due to its government's facilitation of the war in Ukraine, and Honduras and Costa Rica. The two Central American countries remain very popular as cruise ship stops but have been seeing rising levels of crime in the last year.

Costa Rica, which is also popular with tourists coming to stay at resorts and ranked at level two, has been seeing an increase in petty crime, while Honduras is at "reconsider travel" due to higher rates of drug trafficking and violent crime.

Related: The 10 best investing books (according to stock market pros)
More than 1,300 tiny, critically endangered snails that were bred in a UK zoo were released on a remote Atlantic island in a bid by conservationists to save the species.

The Desertas Island land snails were previously believed to be extinct as neither species had been spotted for over a century, Chester Zoo said.

However, a team of conservationists rediscovered a small population of two species of the snails surviving on the rocky cliffs of Deserta Grande Island, near Madeira, thus beginning the rescue mission.

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The snails were brought to zoos in the UK and France, including Chester Zoo, who said they created the perfect conditions for the snails to thrive  successfully breeding both species for the first time ever in human care.

1,329 snails raised in Chester were returned to Bugio Island as part of a reintroduction. The small island was chosen because the main threats to the snails, including invasive goats, rats, and mice, had been eradicated.

Gerardo Garcia from Chester Zoo said that the reintroduction was a major step in a species recovery plan.

If it goes as well as we hope, more snails will follow them next spring. Its a huge team effort which shows that it is possible to turn things around for highly threatened species, Garcia said.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
SOMERSET, Ky. (FOX 56)  One person was airlifted to the hospital after a crash on East Highway 80 Thursday.

The Somerset Fire Department was dispatched to East Way Marketon Highway 80for a two-car crash with a possible entrapment.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Once authorities arrived on the scene, it was determined that there were two people in need of medical attention.

Crews assisted with patient care, vehicle stabilization, and traffic control.

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The fire department said one person was airlifted from the scene and another was taken to a local hospital by ambulance.

LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS:

No other information has been released at this time.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
KENTUCKY (FOX 56)  The Kentucky Department of Health said a person has died from rabies in northern Kentucky.

Health officials said the source of the persons rabies exposure hasnt been identified and may have happened outside the U.S. during international travel.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

The patient reportedly received medical treatment in Kentucky and Ohio.

Health officials are working to ensure those who have been in contact with the person are assessed for possible exposure.

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In a news release, the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services said that before Fridays death, the last Kentucky resident with a confirmed rabies infection was in 1996.

About rabies

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 90% of reported rabies cases happen in wildlife, with contact with infected bats leading to most human rabies deaths in the United States. The CDC said raccoons, skunks, and foxes are other common carriers.

Signs of rabies include anxiety, confusion, agitation, and hallucinations, and the CDC said an infection is nearly always fatal.

ALL ABOUT KENTUCKY

To learn about Lexington-Fayette County Health Departments rabies program, visit its website.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
(WJW)  U.S. Customs and Border Protection is investigating after two backpacks full of cocaine were found abandoned in the woods near the Canadian border last week.

According to U.S. Customs, agents were patrolling the Blaine Sector on Thursday, Dec. 19, when they came across two black backpacks in a wooded area near the border in Lynden, Washington.

Explosion at Tyson Foods plant leaves 1 dead, others injured

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Border agents found 30 brick-like packages containing a white powdery substance, which U.S. Customs said was later identified as cocaine.

Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Nearly 78 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of more than $1.1 million, was seized by the Border Patrol and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Relics from murdered Dayton-born nun to be sent to Rome

Thanks to the vigilance of Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents these dangerous narcotics were prevented from reaching our communities, said Chief Patrol Agent Rosario Pete Vasquez in a press release. Our agents work tirelessly day in and day out to protect this nation, and this seizure highlights that crucial commitment.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
One person was taken to the hospital after firefighters rescued them from a burning home in Lynn on Saturday, officials said.

Firefighters responding to a report of smoke inside a three-story home at 104 Lewis Street were greeted by flames, according to Lynn Fire Chief Dan Sullivan.

As crews battled the flames, they found a resident in an apartment, began CPR, and rushed him to an awaiting ambulance, Sullivan noted.

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The victim, whose name hasnt been released, was taken to a local hospital for additional treatment. There was no immediate word on his condition.

Our crew did a great job of limiting the fire damage and giving the victim the best chance for survival, Sullivan said in a statement shared with Boston 25 News. Im very proud of our crews.

Video from the scene showed a heavy emergency presence blocking the neighborhood as firefighters worked to knock down the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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In the decades following World War II, numerous fighter pilots have emerged from the record books to belatedly receive an honor long denied them: credit for downing five enemy aircraft and recognition as an ace. Many of them were discovered and their records corrected by the American Fighter Aces Association.

Arguably, the last such man is James McCubbin, a North American P-51D Mustang pilot of the Eighth Air Force who is currently under consideration  at 103 years old.

How a WWII ace became the unlikely honoree of a submarine combat award

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McCubbin was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 5, 1921. Upon graduating from high school in Kansas City, he studied engineering at the University of Missouri.

After two years of college, however, he left school to join the United States Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet, taking most of his training in Texas. Once training was behind him, he was assigned to the 385th Squadron of the 364th Fighter Group, based at Honington, England.

Initially equipped with the Lockheed P-38J Lightning, the squadron began transitioning to the North American P-51D Mustang in August 1944.

On Sept. 23, McCubbin was promoted to first lieutenant. The original certified correct flight records for the 385th  by either the squadron operations officer, Maj. William S. Crombie Jr., or his assistant operations officer, Thomas P. Farrell  state McCubbin flew in September and October 1944 without claiming any victories.

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On Nov. 21, however, he was credited with destroying two Junkers Ju 88s.

On Dec. 2, McCuddin attacked a Messerschmitt fighter at approximately 15,000 feet over Mannheim, Germany, reporting hits around the enemys cockpit and noting, As I pulled up, I saw him hit the ground without bailing out.

Three days later, McCubbin was flying a P-51D Mustang when he had his most memorable aerial encounter with a host of Nazi Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter aircraft, as described in his combat report:

I was flying Yellow No. 3 in 385th Ftr. B Sq. As the bombers began their bombing run, we moved away from the close escort we had been furnishing. As we headed north we saw a gaggle of 50-plus enemy aircraft at ten oclock to us. They were at about 22,500; we were at 23,000 in behind the nearest e/a. I swung to the outside of the turn, picked out a target on the other side of the gaggle. I opened fire at about 700 yards dead astern. The enemy took no evasive action. I closed to 300 yards firing several bursts. The Fw 190 blew up in flames. The gaggle maintained its practice of flying straight and level.

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I picked out another target and at about 400 yards dead astern I opened fire, closing on 250 yards. I fired several bursts, obtaining numerous hits. The enemy pilot bailed out.

I immediately pulled up behind a third Fw 190, opened fire at 300 yards and closed to 200 yards. I obtained hits all over him. He appeared to be out of control and went into a ... dive heading straight down.

I got behind a fourth Fw 190 and at 200 yards I opened fire. I closed to 100 yards. I observed many hits. He split essed and I followed him. I was firing short bursts and saw his elevator come off. I was then reaching compressibility so I pulled out. He was still going straight down when I pulled out at 11,000 feet. I went down to the deck looking for more e/a, but found nothing. I then headed for home.

I claim three (3) Fw 190s dest and one (1) Fw 190 prob dest in the air.

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Ammo exp. 836 yrds, .50- cal.

The 385ths intelligence officer, 1st Lt. William J. Neafsey, gave McCubbin credit for the first two Fw 190s, counting the other two as probables. It is possible, however, that the third Focke-Wulf was upgraded to confirmed status.

Men of the 385th Fighter Squadron, 364th Fighter Group, 67th Fighter Wing, load ammunition belts in the wing of a North American P-51 Mustang in Honington, England, in1944. (National Archives)

In any case, by the end of December, McCubbins personal aircraft, the P-51D, which he dubbed Mary-Al, most likely after a girlfriend, displayed six swastikas below the cockpit, indicating him to be an ace.

On Christmas Eve, however, he was forced to crash-land Mary-Al on an abandoned German airfield near Lille, France. Rejoining his squadron and obtaining a new plane by Jan. 1, 1945, he opened the new year by shooting down another Fw 190.

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Besides seeking action in the sky, McCubbin stated that he loved strafing trains and locomotives.

On Feb. 19, 1945, however, his luck ran out.

Struck by anti-aircraft fire, McCubbin survived a crash-landing east of Bonn. After a couple of weeks walking in the woods evading capture while nabbing food off the back porches of farmhouses, he eventually was caught and sent to what he described as Frankfurt, but what was more likely the nearby Dulag Luft near Oberursel, northwest of Frankfort-am-Main.

Virtually all Allied airmen captured during WWII spent some time in solitary confinement at this processing center, followed by interrogation, to determine who were prisoners of war and who were spies planted in their midst by their captors.

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McCubbins experiences included matching wits with Obergefreiter Hanns Joachim Gottlob Scharff, noted for his subtle finesse in gaining, or at least confirming, information from more than 500 prisoners of war.

Once out-processed from Dulag Luft, McCubbin was sent to the POW camp at Moosberg, where he remained until the war ended and he joined the thousands of airmen released into freedom.

The

For his actions, McCubbin was awarded an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. To this was later added the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation and the rank of captain.

After WWII, he served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a pilot instructor and an instrument instructor while using the G.I. Bill to continue his education, receiving his engineering degree two years later.

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In the interim, he met and married his wife, Bettye, and they raised four children: Carleen, Jack, Debby and Ken.

After receiving his degree, McCubbin resigned his commission just before the Korean War in 1950. He formed a small but successful plastics company and eventually sold it. He then worked as an engineer for cooling tower manufacturer Marley Company.

After spending 12 years with his family in Mexico City as manager of Marleys subsidiary there, he returned to the U.S. at 55 years old and retired. He spent most of his time thereafter with his wife at the Renaissance Legacy Senior Living in Rome, Georgia.

After his wifes death, McCubbin made a special request to be reunited with an old friend for his 101st birthday. In response, the Commemorative Air Force flew its P-51D to Rome on June 4, 2022.

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After sitting once more in his old aircraft, he declared, It felt so good to be in that cockpit, like I did.

Editors note: A special thanks to Gilbert Ferrey, J. Ward Boyce and the McCubbin family for documentation in reconstructing McCubbins career.
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If you ever need an example of a food brand that's nailed its image, look no further than Pillsbury. The baking brand and its beloved Pillsbury Doughboy are basically synonymous with comforting bake-at-home products that are as cozy as they are affordable. So it makes it all the more surprising when Pillsbury steps out of line, and issues a product that's in some way damaged or compromised. Unfortunately, it's done so more than a few times in its history, leading to some fairly disastrous recalls -- and on those occasions, not even the cute-as-a-button Doughboy could stop folks from thinking twice about buying its food.

While some food companies tend to have to recall their products for repeated occurrences of the same reason, which can point to some long standing issue in their supply chains, Pillsbury's recall reasons are a bit more diverse. It's been plagued by bacterial scares, with E. coli and Salmonella fears prompting recalls, but it's also faced contamination from other sources -- like fly larvae. It's even had to deal with glass and plastic making its way into its products (including, rather terrifyingly, its cereals), and it has had its fair share of mislabeling events too. Even recalls that occurred decades ago still haunt Pillsbury to this day.

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Read more: What These Imitation Foods Are Actually Made Of

A Strangely Flavored Pie Crust Had To Be Recalled In 2021

Pie crust in foil tin against a white background - Mega Pixel/Shutterstock

The best pie crusts should be able to reinforce the taste of our filling without overwhelming it. What we don't want, though, is for pie crusts to taste bad -- especially if they're made by a food manufacturer. This was the case in 2021, when Pillsbury seemingly made several batches of its Refrigerated Pie Crust that had some unforeseen hiccups in the production process. These hiccups led to the chance of these crusts having an off flavor, prompting them to be recalled.

The pie crusts were distributed to stores run by the Defense Commissary Agency, with its outlets all around the country receiving the product and having to withdraw them from shelves. It's important to point out that neither the Defense Commissary Agency or Pillsbury itself stated that the strange flavor in the pie crusts didn't mean that they were unsafe to eat, and instead meant that they just weren't up to scratch on the quality front. However, they were both also notably cagey about what actually happened with their production, and why they had their weird flavor in the first place. Even without the production issues though, Pillsbury's pie crusts don't tend to rank too high against other store-bought versions.

In The 1970s, Pillsbury Cereal Was Recalled Because Of Potential Glass Contamination

Box of Pillsbury Enriched Farina Hot Wheat Cereal - Minnesota Historical Society / X, formerly known as Twitter

Glass in breakfast cereal is the stuff of horror films, and every parent's worst nightmare. Way back in 1971, though, this nightmare became a reality. Pillsbury had to issue an urgent recall of its Farina cereal after it was discovered that glass particles might have made their way into certain packages. The news was first delivered via telegram (it was the '70s, after all) to The Greenfield Recorder, a daily newspaper distributed around Franklin, Massachusetts, instructing retailers in the Western part of the state to withdraw the cereal boxes from their shelves immediately.

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While food companies can often be a little coy nowadays about how foreign contaminants like glass and plastic end up in their food, back in the 1970s it appears that they were a bit more open about things. It was revealed that the potential glass contamination was down to a shield breaking in its manufacturing plant. The breakage apparently caused glass to be dispersed in the manufacturing area, and these glass pieces then may have fallen into the cereal. We're all for a little crunch in our cereals, but this really takes things a step too far.

Pillsbury Bread Flour Was Involved In A Recall During A Multi-State E. Coli Outbreak

Two bags of Pillsbury Best Bread Flour - Pillsbury

When E. coli poisoning occurs as a result of mass-produced products, the scale of the issue can often spread far and wide. In 2019, there was yet another example of this, with E. coli being linked to one of the most innocent food products out there: flour. Multiple brands, including Pillsbury, were embroiled in a recall involving their flours, with Pillsbury's Best Bread Flour having to be recalled because of potential E. coli contamination. Aldi, King Arthur Flour, and Brand Castle Mixes were also implicated in the recall, with the outbreak starting in December 2018 and infecting a total of 21 people across nine different states.

While three people were hospitalized as a result of the E. coli outbreak, there were luckily no fatalities associated with it. The complicated thing about this specific recall was that unlike other foods that can be contaminated with E. coli or other bacteria that have a short shelf life, flour can sit in people's pantries for months or years, making the timescale of potential illnesses way longer. It was likely made even more complicated by people forgetting that flour is often a raw product that is very capable of harboring harmful bacteria, and failing to cook it properly (like using it in cookie dough recipes) can result in serious illness.

Salmonella Contamination Prompted A 2019 Flour Recall

Bag of Pillsbury Unbleached All-Purpose Flour - Pillsbury

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It's entirely possible for flour to contain Salmonella, and for that flour to cause dangerous outbreaks of illness. In 2019, it was Pillsbury's turn to reckon with this fact. Well over 12,000 cases of its Unbleached All-Purpose Flour had to be recalled after traces of Salmonella were found in the product. The flour was sold through various retailers, and while nobody had become sick at the time the recall was announced, it was still clearly a serious situation.

However, this recall was far from straightforward, and opened up a few questions about who is responsible for a recall at any given point. It appears that the first notices were posted by the retailers who sold the flour, and it took Hometown Food Co. Inc., the company that owns the Pillsbury brand, several days to put the recall on its own website. When responding to questions from Food Safety News, a Pillsbury spokesperson noted that it had let retailers know about the need for the recall "within 24 hours of determining a recall was warranted," and that its lack of immediately posting its own recall was intentional. It's arguable, though, that doing so would have reached a larger amount of customers more quickly.

Pillsbury's Hotel & Restaurant Flour Had To Be Recalled Due To An E. Coli Scare

Bag of Pillsbury Hotel & Restaurant Flour - Pillsbury

The last thing you want when you come away from a restaurant or hotel is to come down with food poisoning. Alas, that may have been slightly more likely than you think back in 2016. Several batches of Pillsbury Hotel & Restaurant All-Purpose Bleached Enriched Flour had to be recalled because of the potential presence of E. coli in the product. The recall wasn't just for Pillsbury flour either, but also involved a host of flour products under the Gold Medal brand name, and a batch of Uncle Julio's Tortilla Flour.

It's arguable that contaminated flour destined for use in hotels and restaurants may be less likely to infect people than batches used in home kitchens, given that food professionals are probably going to be more careful about cooking flour until it's completely safe. However, there's also a higher risk of cross-contamination in busy kitchens, which could lead to an increased risk of food poisoning. The good news, though, was that this recall didn't seem to be as a result of any illnesses.

Undeclared Walnuts Prompted A Recall Of Cookie Dough

Plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies - Boblin/Getty Images

Nuts are common in baked goods, and this presents a real issue for folks who have nut allergies -- especially when food companies fail to label their products properly to indicate the presence of nuts, or give them the wrong label entirely. This occurred in 1998, when a labeling mix-up almost led to disaster for Pillsbury. The company had to issue a hasty recall of its refrigerated Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookies cookie dough, after it was discovered that it had actually put its Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts dough inside the packages instead. As such, the mislabeled product posed a massive risk for people with tree nut allergies, and could have prompted a dangerous allergic response.

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The good news was that at the time of recall, that worst-case scenario hadn't happened: No one had stated that they had become ill from eating them. However, it was a real close call. Even the smallest trace of tree nuts can trigger life-threatening symptoms, and walnuts themselves don't have a hugely distinctive smell, with just a light nuttiness and fatty scent that could be easily masked by the smell of chocolate. It's not unreasonable to assume folks could have eaten them without realizing they were in there.

A Packaging Error Led To A Biscuit Recall

Tube of Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Layers Biscuits - Pillsbury

Is it so unreasonable to ask that food products are correctly labelled? We don't think so, and we're sure that food manufacturers agree -- so it's amazing how often they get this simplest of tasks wrong. In 2014, it was Pillsbury's turn to once again have to put out a fairly embarrassing recall because of a mislabeled item. It turned out that individual packages of its Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits were put into larger overwraps displaying Pillsbury's Flaky Biscuit product. Although the packages inside the overwrap did state the correct product on them, it's not hard to see how people would have missed this and just jumped straight in.

However, this recall wasn't just tricky for Pillsbury because it had put out an incorrectly labelled product. It was also tricky because that product contained milk (which of course came from the buttermilk), which wasn't flagged on the exterior. Therefore, anybody with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance may have been in for a nasty, potentially harmful surprise when eating them. In total, Pillsbury had to recall 720 cases of its biscuits, adding up to thousands of individual products.

When Plastic Potentially Made Its Way Into Pillsbury's Famous Cinnamon Rolls, They Were Recalled

Tub of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing - JJava Designs/Shutterstock

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Pillsbury's cinnamon rolls are a pure hit of nostalgia, and making them is the perfect way to kick off a long, slow weekend without having to toil for hours in the kitchen. They're only really enjoyable, though, when they don't have plastic inside them. This might not sound like that likely of a scenario, but in 2013, it could have been a reality in your home, thanks to a contaminated batch of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls with Icing making its way to market. The refrigerated rolls were apparently compromised when a piece of plastic made its way onto the production line, and then potentially into the rolls themselves.

The amount of cinnamon rolls that Pillsbury had to recall was fairly limited (although they were sold nationally, making the spread of the product wider), but that doesn't make this event any less serious. Even small pieces of plastic can pose a choking hazard, especially in kid-friendly foods like cinnamon rolls, and may also cause cuts or perforations to the digestive system. Honestly, we'd just prefer to make our own cinnamon rolls instead of risking that.

Fly Larvae Contamination Resulted In A Recall Of Frozen Spinach

Frozen cut spinach on plate - KOHUKU/Shutterstock

Of all the undesirable things that we don't want to end up in frozen spinach, we'd put fly larvae pretty high up on the list. The good news is that you usually don't have to worry about that, as much frozen spinach is larvae-free. Unless you were buying Green Giant spinach supplied by Pillsbury in 1995, that is. In June of that year, the food company put out a recall of four of its frozen spinach products, after it was found that two of them were contaminated. Apparently, a customer had found fly larvae in their product, and further testing revealed that it had got into other items too. Gross.

Pillsbury confirmed that the larvae-infested spinach had all come from one specific plant, but beyond that it was unwilling to reveal many more details. As such, it's not entirely clear how the larvae ended up there. It could have been via cross-contamination, or the larvae taking root in the spinach's environment (or, indeed, the spinach itself -- certain flies burrow their way into spinach, contaminating the leaves). Whatever the reason, it's not something you want to find in a healthy side dish.

A 2011 South African Recall Occurred Due To A Nut Scare

Three lemon and poppyseed muffins - Studio952/Shutterstock

Pillsbury's recall woes haven't just been isolated to its products in the United States: It's also faced trials overseas. In 2011, the brand was involved in a recall put out by General Mills South Africa after it was discovered that its products could contain nuts. Pillsbury Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Mix was apparently contaminated with nuts, which weren't included on the ingredients label (which isn't that surprising, given that you wouldn't expect them to have nuts in the first place). As such, several batches of the item had to be tracked down before they could cause harm.

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It's worth pointing out that while poppy seeds and nuts are different things, and folks who have tree nut allergies may safely enjoy seeds, there is some cross-reactivity in the other direction. A study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice found a correlation between poppy seed allergies and allergic responses to tree nuts. However, this cross-reactivity still doesn't explain how nuts had potentially made it into the muffins in the first place.

When Milk Wasn't Listed On The Product Label, Pillsbury's Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix Had To Be Recalled

Chocolate chip muffins on white tray - Nungning20/Shutterstock

Milk is one of the most common ingredients in baked goods and can show up in loads of different places and as a sub-ingredient in multiple additions. In 2002, this tendency prompted a recall from International Multifoods Corp., the company that owned the Pillsbury brand at the time. International Multifoods had to recall just over 750 cases of its Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix after it was found that the chocolate chips in the mix had milk in them. This milk wasn't declared anywhere on the product label, therefore posing a serious allergic risk to anybody who ate them.

While it might be obvious that chocolate chips have milk in them to some, this doesn't change the fact that milk should be listed on the ingredients label. Plus, it's worth remembering that it's entirely possible for chocolate chips to be milk-free. This of course isn't the case with milk chocolate chips, but semi-sweet chocolate chips may not have any milk at all, and can instead be a combination of dark chocolate and sugar. It could be the case that its supplier inadvertently switched its chips without realizing, or this recall could be down to a printing error.

Plastic Contamination Prompted A 2001 Recall Of Frozen Biscuits

Basket of Southern-style biscuits - Jupiterimages/Getty Images

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Most of us get through enough plastic each day without having to worry about it getting into our food. As such, it's always a nasty surprise when a food brand puts out an item that has plastic contamination. This happened in 2001, when Pillsbury were responsible for unleashing thousands of cases of its frozen biscuits on the unsuspecting public, and they were contaminated with plastic strands. Eating the Southern-style biscuits could have put consumers at risk of choking, and as such, a recall had to be issued.

It was a big recall too, people. While Pillsbury has often gotten away with limited recalls of just a few batches of its items, this time it had to recall approximately 30,000 cases of the frozen biscuits. These cases were distributed across the country, and combined with the sheer quantity of the items, it was clearly a pretty big job for Pillsbury to get them all back. Where the plastic strands came from wasn't totally clear, but as with so many sources of plastic contamination, it could have been down to faulty or old production equipment being used or good old human error.

When Its Sugar Cookie Dough May Have Contained Peanut Butter, It Sparked A Recall

Sugar cookies on white plate - Bwfolsom/Getty Images

The taste of standard sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies are pretty different, and they usually have one distinct difference: One has peanut butter in it, and one doesn't. We hate to state the obvious with that one, but it's worth flagging these facts to point out how wild it was that nobody at Pillsbury noticed back in 1997 when its sugar cookie dough got peanut butter in its batch. When these cookies went out to market without peanut butter listed on the label, it prompted a recall of the products, which were sold in Houston and San Antonio, Texas, and Grand Junction, Colorado, regions.

Of course, it may well have been the case that these were peanut butter cookies made with a sugar-based dough -- but if that was the situation, they still should have had peanut butter on the label. Given that peanut allergies could affect up to 2% of the population, there was clearly a pressing need to get this recall over with as quickly as possible.

A Packaging Mix-Up Led To A Wide Recall Of Pizza Rolls

Pepperoni pizza rolls with marinara dipping sauce - Lauripatterson/Getty Images

In 1994, Pillsbury fell foul of yet another packaging mishap, which led to the issue of a nationwide recall. At the time, the company owned the Jeno's and Totino's pizza roll brand, and was shipping its Pepperoni & Cheese flavor pizza rolls to supermarkets across the country. At some point, though, things got a little mixed up at the packing plant where the pizza rolls were boxed, and egg rolls started being funneled into the Jeno's and Totino's packages instead.

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These egg rolls started being shipped around the country, leaving unsuspecting customers with the wrong product. Naturally, this was probably pretty devastating to anyone hoping for their pizza roll fix. However, it was also a very serious issue for folks who had shellfish allergies, as eating the rolls could cause an allergic response. Some pizza rolls don't look that different from egg rolls, after all, and so it would be easy to take a bite without realizing they were the wrong product.

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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: Carrol June Chip Fields. Image courtesy Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.

We want to remember Carrol June Chip Fields, while honoring those who survived and thanking those changed forever.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Within 48 hours, two human legs and a femur were found washed up on the California shoreline.

On Christmas morning, officers responded to the shoreline near the 800 block of Paseo Del Mar regarding a call about a human leg being found, Palos Verdes Estates Police Capt. Aaron Belda tells PEOPLE.

While searching the Palos Verdes Peninsula a day later, on Thursday, Dec. 26, officers and coroner investigators recovered a femur and a second human leg, Belda confirmed to PEOPLE. The condition of the remains was not disclosed.

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Related: Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Survivor Recalls Moment He Realized He Was Alive: 'I Thought That Was My Last Prayer'

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Belda tells PEOPLE that no additional remains were found after a search by a cadaver dog. According to The Los Angeles Times, there are no additional plans to search the area.

It is unclear if the remains are connected to the finding of an overturned boat at Palos Verdes Estates earlier this week that belonged to two fishermen described as 50-year-old males.



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Getty Palos Verdes Palos Verdes

According to Fox 11, the men were reported missing on Tuesday, Dec. 24, after they were expected home at midnight. At the time of their fishing trip, forecasters issued a small craft advisory warning that there could be waves up to 10 feet high in Los Angeles County, reported The Los Angeles Times.

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Regarding the incident, Belda tells PEOPLE that they "don't have any evidence in support of a connection, but we're not rolling anything out. We're taking everything into consideration."

Related: Mom of OpenAI Whistleblower Speaks Out on His Suicide Days After His Birthday

Residents of the area expressed their concerns about the discoveries to NBC Los Angeles.

"This is terrible. It's Christmas, it's supposed to be a season of joy. My heart goes out to the family," John Crayton 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.

The discovery is "just shocking and makes you wonder you know and think that could have my family," beachgoer Zully Ozuna told NBC Los Angeles.



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Law Connect sails down the Derwent River to win line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Hobart, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Salty Dingo via AP)

Champagne corks often pop and loud, boisterous cheers are usually heard around Constitution Dock when the Sydney to Hobart line honors winner finishes in the Tasmanian state capital.

There were no such celebrations this year when defending champion LawConnect won the race in the early hours of Saturday morning, and with good reason: It came about 24 hours after two sailors died on separate boats in sail boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the race.

LawConnect, a 100-foot super maxi skippered by Australian tech millionaire Christian Beck, sailed up the River Derwent just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday. It had an elapsed time of 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds, for the 628-nautical mile (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) race that began Thursday in Sydney harbor.

Celestial V70 finished second, about 2 1/2 hours behind LawConnect, and Wild Thing 100 was third, about 25 minutes behind Celestial. Of the 104 starters, 29 had retired at sea or in port.

LawConnect crew member Tony Mutter said celebrations would be held privately out of respect of the two sailors who died. He said crew members were informed of the deaths on the morning of day two after a busy night battling the same stormy seas that caused the fatal accidents.

I didnt actually hear it on the first night. I heard it in the early hours of the next morning, Mutter told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. We were pretty busy. We were 100% focused on the race. Our navigator knew, and he had to just pick the right moment to let us know.

Mutter said the crew became more somber after being told about the deaths  we were absolutely surprised and just felt for the other competitors.

On Friday, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney, which administers the yacht race, said that one sailor each on entrants Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline were killed after being struck by the boom, a large horizontal pole at the bottom of the sail.

Later the dead sailors were identified as Roy Quaden 55, from Western Australia state, a crew member on Flying Fish Arctos, and 65-year-old Nick Smith of South Australia, who was on Bowline.

New South Wales police said both yachts had been seized for evidence for a likely coroner's inquest. The Cruising Yacht Club said it would hold its own investigation.

Officials also said a sailor was washed overboard on another boat, but was rescued. That crew member was from Hobart yacht Porco Rosso, and he drifted a kilometer from the yacht before being rescued.

The incident triggered the crew members emergency position-indicating radio beacon, a safety device that must be worn by all sailors in the race.

That is one of the most terrifying experiences that you can have, said David Jacobs, vice-commodore of the CYCA. "(And) it was at night, which makes it tenfold more scary."

The deaths came 26 years after six sailors were killed in storms during the 1998 race, which initiated a state coronial inquest and mass reforms to the safety protocols  including the radio beacon on all sailors  that govern the race. There have been 13 fatalities in the 79-year history of the race, with four of those deaths resulting from sailor heart attacks.

The first all-Filipino crew of 15 sailors was entered in this year's race, but was among the retirements because of the weather. With veteran sailor Ernesto Echauz at the helm, Centennial 7 was one of six international entrants and includes sailors from the Philippines national team and the country's navy.

Grant Wharington, the Australian skipper of third-place Wild Thing 100 and a veteran around-the-world sailor, described the Hobart race as testing and boat breaking."

Theres some tragic things that have happened in the race this year," he said. "It makes you second-guess whether you should be doing it for yourself, for your own health, for your well-being, and for your family.

At the end of the day, we challenge our own personalities and our bodies. We go and do these crazy things in life, and this is one of them, and we love it. Ive done it 31 times. It holds great memories for me."

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
After years of planning, ground was broken this summer on a long-awaited replacement for the Shore Regional Medical Center in Easton. Photo by Danielle J. Brown

After years of delays and debate, 2024 was the year when several health initiatives started to move forward. And advocates now worry that 2025 could be the year when those gains move in the other direction.

Voters enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution, lawmakers expanded health care access to undocumented immigrants and a long-stalled effort to rein in prescription drug costs for state employees finally got off the ground, among other changes.

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But with a projected $2.7 billion state budget deficit, and the uncertainty of a second Trump administration, advocates concede they are unsure what the future holds.

The year began with legislative passage of the Access to Care Act, a bill that will let undocumented immigrants buy private health care policies on the states insurance marketplace, starting in 2026. It was a major win for health car and immigrant advocates, who saw the measure pass the House but stall in the Senate the year before.

Another repeat bill was not so lucky. Supporters had hoped that after years of trying, 2024 would be the year lawmakers legalized so-called medical aid-in-dying procedures, which let people with less than six months to live due to a terminal illness select when they die with the help of a physician.

Supporters say such a law would give a measure of dignity and control to those facing the end of their lives, instead of a potentially slow and painful death. But opponents say medical aid-in-dying is a problematic concept, with disastrous repercussions if misused.

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But the bill stalled in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, where some members were unsure where they stood on the issue. With no committee vote, the bill died in committee.

Medicaid unwind ends

April marked the end of the Medicaid unwinding for Maryland, closing the chapter on a pandemic-era policy that prohibited states from kicking people off Medicaid while the COVID-19 public health emergency was in effect. Medicaid is a federal-state health care plan for low-income households, with eligibility determined by income.

But when the public health emergency ended in May 2023, the state began the unwinding process, redetermining Medicaid eligibility for almost 1.8 million enrollees at a pace of 100,000 to 160,000 a month. It took a year to complete, during which time the state launched a campaign to remind Medicaid recipients that they had to reapply for coverage for the first time since COVID-19 hit.

State health officials urged Marylanders to stay informed on Medicaid re-enrollment. Photo by Danielle J. Brown.

When the review finished in April, about 1.69 million residents were still enrolled in Medicaid  well over the 1.4 million Marylanders who were enrolled at the outset of COVID-19.

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Those still on Medicaid now need to reapply annually, as they did before. Those who lost coverage did so because of age or income, because they found insurance elsewhere, or they simply failed to reapply for coverage, but many of them are likely finding health care elsewhere, said Michele Eberle, executive director for the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.

Several things are going on. We know that folks did get coverage in the health exchange, Eberle said, referring to the states insurance marketplace. We know that some people went on to their spouses coverage  We also know some were truly no longer eligible or they moved out of state. So theres been a lot of changes.

Eberle said that the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange is going over a reconciliation process to ensure that all those who no longer qualify for Medicaid have been disenrolled. The end of that reconciliation marks the official end of a holdover policy from the pandemic, she said.

This is just our final clean up after a year of unwind, Eberle said.

PDAB selects drugs for cost review

2024 also saw movement by the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, charged with lowering prescription drug costs for employees on state health insurance plans, after years of administrative challenges and opposition delayed its ability get started.

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The board this year finally selected the first six drugs for cost review: Dupixent, Farxiga, Jardiance, Ozempic, Skyrizi and Trulicity, prescription medications used to treat conditions including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, eczema, Crohns disease and more.

The cost review is still underway. If it ends up determining that any of those drugs are unaffordable for Marylanders, the board will look to various methods to reduce prices. That could include setting an upper payment limit on those medications so state and local governments have a price ceiling that the state is willing to pay drug manufacturers for those drugs.

Vinny DeMarco, president of Maryland Health Care for All and staunch supporter of the board, wishes that the boards work began earlier.

We fully expected the state and local government upper payment limit to be in place by 2023. That was undermined for former Gov. Larry Hogans veto of the funding bill and he slow-walked appointments and other measures that really delayed it a couple years, DeMarco said.

Maryland Citizens Health Initiative President Vincent DeMarco on May 20, 2024. Photo by Danielle J. Brown

The board took a year to set-up regulatory frameworks to conduct business and was only able to select the six drugs for a cost-review study in May.

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We wish it had happened years ago, said DeMarco, of the board that was authorized in a 2019 law.

Other stalled programs that got underway this year included the creation of long-awaited heat-illness regulations to protect workers from illness and death due to extreme temperatures. The rules went into effect after Maryland faced its most deadly heat-season since 2018, with 25 fatalities caused by heat-related illnesses in 2024.

And in October, officials broke ground on a new regional hospital for the Middle Shore, after nearly a decade of trying to get enough funding and support to replace the aging Shore Medical Center operated by the University of Maryland Medical System.

Voters overwhelmingly support abortion rights

In November, Marylanders voted overwhelmingly to enshrine reproductive rights in the Maryland Constitution, with 76% supporting an amendment protecting access to abortion and other reproductive freedoms.

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The Maryland State Board of Elections reports that nearly 2.2 million Marylanders voted for the amendment, the only statewide ballot question this year, compared to 692,000 who opposed. Erin Bradley, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Maryland, said that the support almost rises to the level of a mandate to protect abortion access and reproductive health care.

But while they were encouraged by the success of the ballot question, abortion rights activists worry that federal officials will try to chip away at those protections, with the White House and both chambers of Congress in Republican control beginning next month.

Were unsure what the future holds, but what we know is that Marylanders have made it really clear: it is imperative that reproductive rights be in the state of Maryland, and access to those rights be upheld in the state of Maryland, Bradley said.

With every new threat, we have to assess it and be responsive to that threat, she said. But a constitutional amendment was the best and highest level of protection that Maryland could give to Marylanders.
Sheriffs investigators charged two men and a teenager with first-degree murder and other offenses on Friday in the killing of a 16-year-old outside his Lincoln County home.

One suspect, a 35-year-old man, remained at large Saturday, and authorities asked the public for help to find him.

Edwin Jaziel Morales Hernandez was found dead Dec. 15 along rural Whitehouse Drive, investigators said. Thats off U.S. 321 just north of Lincolnton and 40 miles northwest of uptown Charlotte.

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Chief Deputy Matt Lykins said a worker from the area found the boys body around 7 p.m., about 200 yards from old mills at the end of the road, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

Assailants took the teen from outside his home, robbed and shot him and left him on the side of the little-traveled road, according to a Lincoln County Sheriffs Office news release late Friday.

Three face felony charges in teens killing

Investigators didnt say if the shooters knew the teen. The sheriffs office credited tips that led to the discovery of evidence that investigators arent detailing.

On Friday, investigators obtained warrants against Michael Dujuan Byrd, 20, of Kings Mountain; Isaiah Dashawn Lipscomb, 17, of Clover, S.C.; and Larue Dean Lipscomb Jr., 35, of Gastonia.

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Each is charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and kidnapping, all felonies.

Byrd was being held without bail in the Lincoln County jail Saturday. Isaiah Lipscomb was in the York County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Lincoln County, while Larue Lipscomb hasnt been found, investigators said.

The sheriffs office urged anyone who knows the whereabouts of Larue Lipscomb, or has information about the case, to call sheriffs Detective Jon Propst at 704-732-9050; the Lincoln County Communications Center at 704-735-8202; or Lincolnton-Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at 704-736-8909. Tips can remain anonymous, investigators said.

Investigators thanked the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Task Force, Kings Mountain Police Department, York County Sheriffs Office, Clover Police Department and Cleveland County Sheriffs Office for executing search warrants at various locations in Kings Mountain, Clover and York County.
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH)  Three teenagers are facing larceny of motor vehicle charges.

On Thursday, shortly after 4:30 p.m., the Waterbury Police Departments Auto Theft Task Force, ATTF, patrolled around Sumac Street and Birch Place.

Officers said they found a reportedly stolen 2018 Jaguar F-Pace from Nassau County, New York, parked in the area of Birch Place.

2 juveniles arrested with stolen vehicle in Waterbury

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Police said they saw three individuals getting out of the reportedly stolen vehicle and walking along Long Hill Road. Upon further investigation, officers identified the suspects as three juvenile males.

Officers said the operator of the stolen car was a 15-year-old male, who is facing charges of first-offense larceny of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

According to police, one of the passengers is being charged with first-offense larceny. The second passenger, who was previously arrested by the ATTF in July, is being charged with second-offense larceny of a motor vehicle. Both passengers are 16-year-old males.

One dead after structure catches fire in Branford

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The juvenile suspects are all from Waterbury and were taken into police custody.

The Waterbury Police Department encourages anyone with information related to recent car thefts to contact the Waterbury Police Auto Theft Task Force at (203) 574-6941 or provide anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at (203) 755-1234.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A man who was 17 when arrested along with two others in a deadly 2020 shooting was arraigned this week on charges including murder, according to court records. He faces a life term in prison if convicted.

Brandon Michael Billingsley, 22, pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is the only suspect in the shooting death of Raul Dominguez, 38, who hasnt gone to trial.

The other two  Mark Milner and Parrish Stinson  were found guilty this month of murder and other crimes and are set for sentencing Jan. 21.

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The shooting happened around 9 p.m. on May 31, 2020, in the parking lot of Central Cali Market at 801 E. California Ave.

Surveillance video shows Dominguez pull into the market and argue with a crowd outside the store, according to police reports. He continues arguing after getting out of the vehicle.

Human remains found after warrant served in Lake Isabella

A witness told police Dominguez used racial slurs.

Several people threw items at Dominguez and he retreated to his vehicle, where he was assaulted by six to 10 people, according to the documents. Three others  not involved in the beating  positioned themselves nearby and fired.

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The shooters were identified from the video as Milner, Stinson and Billingsley, documents said.

Dominguez, wounded, managed to drive his SUV a few blocks. Police found him dead in the drivers seat, the SUV facing west in the eastbound lanes of East California Avenue.

Billingsley is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 7. Hes being held without bail.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4)  A 53-year-old man was killed in an auto-pedestrian crash Friday night, according to West Valley City Police.

At around 8 p.m. on Dec. 27, a 53-year-old man was pushing a shopping cart across 4100 South at around 4730 West. The man was reportedly wearing dark clothing and crossing outside of a crosswalk.

AVALANCHE WARNING: Heavy snow, strong winds put Utah on alert

An SUV was heading east on 4100 South at the same time and hit the man, police said. The man was taken to the hospital where he was reportedly declared deceased.

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Further details regarding this incident have not been made available at this time. The victims identity has not been released.

No further information is currently available.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Police have identified the man who was shot and killed at an Ohio Subway restaurant last week.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

71-year-old Gary Frantz was identified as the victim of a shooting on Dec. 20 in the Subway in the StoneRidge Plaza in Gahanna, our news partners WBNS-10 TV reported.

TRENDING STORIES:

News Center 7 previously reported that officers found a man on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound upon arrival.

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The man, later identified as Frantz, was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was a customer of the restaurant and was shot in the head with a semi-automatic pistol while he was standing in line to order food, according to police.

Deputy Chief of Police Jeffrey Lawless said the suspect, 30-year-old William Marshall, was found outside of the restaurant, sitting on the curb without any clothes on and with his hands in the air.

According to a police complaint obtained by WBNS-10 TV, Marshall was charged with aggravated murder in connection to the shooting.

It is still unclear at this time what led up to the shooting.

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Dec. 27An 84-year-old man was killed and six people who lived in neighboring homes were displaced after a Friday morning fire in Connellsville, authorities said.

Ronald Veshnesky, was pronounced dead by Fayette County Deputy Coroner Bob Furin. The blaze destroyed one home and damaged two others on the 400 block of East Murphy Avenue.

Three firefighters were hurt, one of them requiring treatment at a Pittsburgh hospital.

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Jeff Layton, chief of the New Haven Hose Company, said Veshnesky's two-story wood frame home was engulfed in flames when he arrived. The fire was reported by a nearby resident shortly before 6:30 a.m.

"The fire already was extending into the structure on the left," Layton said. "This neighborhood is known for homes that are real tight up against each other."

He estimated two adjacent homes that were damaged by the fire were little more than 10 feet from the Veshnesky home.

Two adults and a teen were able to flee when flames spread to their home. One of the adults, a woman, was treated for smoke inhalation at Connellsville's nearby Highlands Hospital, Layton said.

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The three residents of another neighboring house weren't home at the time. Firefighters were able to rescue two cats from one of the houses, Layton said.

"We tried to knock the fire down and get it somewhat under control so we could try to make entry," he said of the Veshnesky home. "But the fire quickly spread to the other two structures.

"The magnitude of the fire and the building's older construction made it difficult getting the fire under control quickly."

Just as fire crews were attempting to enter the home, a side wall suddenly collapsed, Layton said.

He said a firefighter from the Connellsville Township department was struck by debris and was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he was treated for neck and shoulder injuries and was later released.

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At other points as they battled the blaze, two New Haven firefighters suffered bruises and were treated at the scene, according to Layton.

"Everybody does everything they can to try to get to a trapped fire victim" he said. "Unfortunately, sometimes you can't get to them."

The fire is not considered suspicious, but officials initially listed the cause and point of origin as undetermined because of the extent of the damage, Layton said. A state police fire marshal is investigating the blaze.

Neighbors told TribLive news partner WTAE they woke up to what sounded like fireworks or gunshots and then an explosion. Fire officials told the station ammunition and black powder in the house likely caused the noises.

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Scottdale was among eight surrounding fire departments that assisted in the firefighting  a process that stretched over eight hours, with the Veshnesky home eventually reduced to rubble.

The Red Cross offered help to the displaced residents. Damage ranged from moderate to extensive to their homes, Layton said.

Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
Dec. 28A $9.3 million federal grant secured by the state of Maine could be key to reducing collisions along a specific stretch of road in Caribou long known to be the site of crashes and near-misses between cars and animals.

Caribou City Manager Penny Thompson said local people know to slow down along a certain stretch of Routes 1 and 164, known locally as Main Street, especially after dark.

"I almost hit a deer" is a common refrain among Caribou drivers, she said.

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"If you live here, you kind of know where the bad areas are for animals," Thompson said on a Thursday phone call. "We're watching for that. We tell our kids, 'Be careful, there's that place where there's always deer.'"

After her shift at City Hall, Thompson said, she occasionally drives south to Presque Isle to pick up late-night groceries. But there have been times she put off the errand to avoid driving on the dark, wildlife-heavy roads.

Those stretches of road are home to a high number of deer and moose collisions, according to the Maine Department of Transportation. In a 2003-2023 study of the area, a 2-mile stretch surrounding the culverts saw at least 127 collisions, with the majority taking place on Route 1.

But such crashes are believed to be underreported nationally, and local game wardens estimate that there are at least a dozen wildlife collisions per year at the Route 164 crossing, according to the grant application.

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MORE THAN MOOSE

State officials hope the grant will not only reduce collisions but also help conserve a threatened species of trout that lives in Prestile Brook.

"When you build a structure that's big enough for a moose to go through it, there's a lot of other species that benefit," Justin Schlawin, program coordinator of the wildlife department's Beginning with Habitat program, said Thursday.

That money, plus $2.3 million paid by the department, will go toward replacing the culverts under Routes 1 and 164, which each cross the brook about a half a mile from each other.

The existing culverts are old and narrow, leaving them vulnerable to potential failure and unable to provide appropriate water flow, the department said in its application.

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The brook flows into the Aroostook River, but the existing culverts are perched, meaning they sit above the surface of the water, making it difficult or impossible for fish to swim upstream.

"The fish that are in Prestile Brook are not really connected down to the Aroostook River," Schlawin said.

In his letter of support, Schlawin noted that the stream is home to a local brook trout population, which is among the highest conservation priority species in the Maine Wildlife Action Plan.

IMPROVED DRAINAGE

Expanding the culvert should also improve drainage during periods of heavy precipitation, which have historically left that stretch of Route 164 flooded.

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"When they're (culverts) too small, they can get easily overwhelmed in flood events," said Nick Lund, advocacy and outreach manager at Maine Audubon. "That's when you get roads washing out, and that's where you get culverts failing."

On Route 164, the existing culvert will be replaced with a pre-cast concrete arch, measuring roughly 30 feet wide, 17 feet tall and 96 feet long according to the application. That concrete tunnel will include a "simulated natural stream" and a raised shelf large enough to support moose and deer.

The precise plan for Route 1 is still in development, with design slated to kick off in May 2026, the department said.

Both crossings are expected to take about a year to build, with the Route 164 project concluding in early 2027 and the Route 1 build concluding in late 2029, the department said.

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Lund said it's important to make wildlife crossings appear as natural as possible: "Make it seem to wildlife and the fish that the stream is not interrupted by human interference."

That makes it more likely to be used by wildlife, he said. But Lund said it "doesn't take much" to convince wildlife to travel at well-planned crossings.

"Streams are natural corridors for wildlife," he said. "Plus, animals know that roads are not safe. ... Once it's found that there's a crossing, wildlife will use it. You don't really need to encourage them at all."

Maine is already home to a number of wildlife crossings, but the Caribou project is bigger than most, said Eric Ham, senior environmental manager at the DOT.

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Ham said the size of a crossing is largely determined by the specific site's features. Both Routes 1 and 164 are relatively high above the stream, giving these crossings extra room for a larger arch.

Crossings that are wider than the natural stream allow for more gradual shorelines with room for vegetation, making them more attractive to wildlife, Lund said.

ANIMAL CROSSING

Deer accounted for the vast majority of animal crashes in Maine between 2018 and 2022, according to a five-year study by the Department of Transportation. Maine saw nearly 30,000 such collisions in that time, with more than 6,600 deer crashes in 2022 alone.

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Though Aroostook County, where the project is located, saw deer crashes roughly in line with the rest of the state, it saw the highest number of moose crashes among the counties, with 575 reported over that period.

The average cost of repairs after hitting a deer is $1,840, and moose collisions average about $4,000, according to estimates by AAA. Usually, the animal that is struck dies during or shortly after the crash, the agency said.

Maine was one of 16 recipients  15 states and the Pueblo of Santa Ana tribe  selected for this round of federal funding, the second in the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, the national Department of Transportation said in a written statement. The pilot was created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and makes $350 million available through fiscal year 2026.

The projects are intended to "reduce collisions between drivers and wildlife, create places for wildlife to safely move over and under highways, and help preserve American life and property," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a written statement.

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City Manager Thompson said the project is larger than anything Caribou could pull off on its own and thanked the state transportation department for its help securing the money and partnership on the planning and construction.

"A lot of times, when you live in Aroostook County, you kind of feel forgotten, our challenges," Thompson said. "But we do feel that there are several state agencies that do work hard to make sure that rural Maine is also still considered an important investment."

While Thompson is confident the new crossings will help improve driver and wildlife safety, she said their impacts may be hard to notice.

"I think the proof will be if there's a reduction in the accidents," she said. "But also a reduction in the police letting us know that there's a lot of animals traveling in that area, or our loved ones  seeing them at the end of a long day and them saying 'Oh my gosh, I almost hit a deer.'"

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Actress Dayle Haddon died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning Friday at the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, home of her son-in-law, actor Marc Blucas.

Solebury Township Police responded to a home on Phillips Mill Road just after 6:30 a.m. after it received a 911 call from a resident about a man passed out on the first floor of a detached in-law suite, a police report states.

The man, 76, was removed from the home and taken to the hospital, where he was undergoing treatment. A 76-year-old woman was found dead in a second-floor bedroom of the home, police said.

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NBC Philadelphia confirmed the incident happened at Blucas' home. The Bucks County Coroner's Office said in a statement Saturday that a preliminary investigation showed a high level of carbon monoxide present in the home. A cause and manner of death for Haddon is pending.

The incident remains under investigation, police said, calling it a tragedy. Two medics who assisted were exposed to a high level of carbon monoxide and were treated at a hospital. One Solebury Township police officer was treated at the scene, the department said.

Haddons acting credits include Disneys The Worlds Greatest Athlete and North Dallas Forty. According to her website, she was also the only model to have signed with four major cosmetic companies  Revlon, Max Factor, Estee Lauder and LOreal.

Haddon was a spokesperson for LOreal for over 15 years, an ambassador for UNICEF, and founded WomenOne, a charitable organization that focuses on the education of girls and women, her website states.

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Her daughter, Ryan Haddon, remembered her mother as an inspiration and someone who held so many up.

The bright light that is Dayle has dimmed in this Earthly realm. Shining somewhere as radiantly as ever where its most needed, I have no doubt, she wrote in an Instagram post. She was a woman in her power, yet soft and attentive to all. Deeply creative and curious, gifted with beauty inside and out. Always kind and thoughtful.

I always trust the timing of things. There are no accidents and certainly how we enter and exit this world is mystical and unknowable. She was a high-hearted spiritual being that put value on her souls evolution, so I know her journey here in this dimension must have been complete, Ryan continued. I honor her. I bow to her. I revere all the paths and adventures taken. I saw her be golden and always reach for the Light in all areas of her life.

Representatives for Haddon and Blucas did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Credit: X/ @ItalyBlumental

A US missile interception system was used in Israel on Friday for the first time since the Oct 7 attack.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, known as THAAD, was deployed to intercept a projectile from Yemen on Friday morning, sources told the Reuters news agency.

Israel struck multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen on Thursday, including Sanaa International Airport, with Houthi media claiming that at least six people were killed.

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Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

One such strike prompted the deployment of the THAAD battery on Friday, which was operated by US troops in Israel.

Joe Bidens decision to station the THAAD in Israel in late October came in response to an Iranian strike on Oct 1.

The decision marked a significant escalation of US support for Israel, and the first deployment of standing US troops on the ground since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began a year earlier.

THAAD is a critical part of the US militarys layered air-defense systems and added to Israels already formidable anti-missile defenses.

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The battery is operated from the ground, and uses radar detectors to identify an incoming ballistic missile, before launching a projectile to neutralise it before it reaches its target.

The kill vehicle launched from the battery is a kinetic weapon with no warhead, and can travel at more than 6,000mph with a range of 120 miles.

After the Israeli airstrikes on Yemen, Julien Harneis, the top UN aid official in the country, said hitting the civilian Sanaa Airport could paralyse humanitarian operations.

Parties to the conflict have an obligation to ensure that they are not striking a civilian target, he told reporters.

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We dont need to prove were civilians. They need to prove that they are hitting a military target. Sanaa Airport has not been a military target since 2016.

The UN says more than half Yemens population  some 18 million people  need humanitarian help.

The countrys Houthi rebels, however, have consistently engaged in an exchange of fire with Israel and the US, including in the Bab al-Mandab Strait between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea  a major shipping route.

The Royal Navy has been deployed with US and French forces in the region on several occasions since Oct 7 to combat Houthi strikes.

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Faced with declining membership, aging buildings and large, underutilized properties, many U.S. houses of worship have closed their doors in recent years. Presbyterian minister Eileen Linder has argued that 100,000 churches may close in the next few decades.

But some congregations are using their land in new ways that reflect their faith  a focus of my urban planning research. Some are repurposing their property to provide affordable housing, as the housing crisis intensifies across the country.

Take Arlington Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia. In 2016, the church sold its historic stone building to the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to construct a 6-story complex with 173 apartments, known as Gilliam Place. The building still houses space for the congregation, as well as La Cocina, a bilingual culinary job training facility and cafe. In Austin, Texas, St. Austin Catholic Parish is partnering with a developer to build a 29-story tower providing 200 beds of affordable student housing, in addition to new spaces for ministry.

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Other houses of worship are pursuing similar projects today.

Same mission, new projects

Faith-based organizations have been building housing for many years, but generally by purchasing additional property. In recent years, however, more houses of worship are building affordable housing on the same property as the sanctuary.

This can be done in a variety of ways. Some congregations adapt the existing sanctuary and other faith-owned buildings, while others demolish existing buildings to construct a new development, which may or may not have space for the congregation. Another option is to build on excess property, like a parking lot.

Depending on how a development deal is structured, a faith-based organization may receive proceeds from the sale of its land, or from leasing their property to a developer  funds which they can then spend on ministry or on a new space for worship. If a new development includes space for the congregation, sometimes they rent out those spaces when the space is not being used for worship, which can also financially benefit the congregation.

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Faith-based organizations often see these projects as a way to do Gods work. In some instances, they include community services beyond the housing itself.

Homeless people wait in line for a meal served by a community organization outside Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in 2017, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Near Los Angeles, the Episcopal Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Placentia partnered with a nonprofit affordable housing developer  National Community Renaissance, also called National CORE  to develop 65 units for older people. The complex also includes a 1,500 square foot (140 square meter) community center. The citys diocese has a goal of building affordable housing on 25% of its 133 properties.

For some congregations, these are mission-driven projects rooted in social justice.

In Washington, D.C., Emory United Methodist Church redeveloped its property and constructed The Beacon Center  which has 99 affordable housing units, community spaces, and a commercial kitchen that provides job training for recently incarcerated people  while preserving the sanctuary. In Seattle, the Nehemiah Initiative is working with Black churches in the Central District, a historically African American neighborhood, to redevelop its properties into affordable housing to keep residents from being displaced.

Potential to evolve

Churches have also experimented with different housing models.

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In St. Paul, Minnesota, the Mosaic Christian Community, which is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene, partnered with an organization called Settled to construct tiny homes on church property, including a bed, loft, kitchen and small closet. Peace Presbyterian Church in Eugene, Oregon, sold its property to the affordable housing nonprofit SquareOne Villages to develop Peace Village, a 70-unit development.

Peace Village uses a hybrid ownership structure that combines a limited-equity cooperative with a community land trust, and separates the cost of land from the cost of housing. SquareOne owns the land, but leases the land to the cooperative and then leases or sells housing to its members, who also manage the land  a partnership meant to keep the land affordable.

As states and cities struggle to provide affordable housing, studies have been conducted from Nashville to New York City on the amount of land faith organizations own, and their potential as housing partners.

Unhoused residents sleep at the entrance of a church in downtown Austin, Texas, on December 18, 2023. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In the D.C. metro area, for example, the Urban Institute found almost 800 vacant parcels owned by religious organizations. In California, a report from the Terner Center at University of California, Berkeley found approximately 170,000 potentially developable acres of land owned by religious organizations and nonprofit colleges and universities.

Legal reforms

Houses of worship trying to build housing can run into a number of challenges, including zoning. Some congregations face difficulties changing zoning codes to a new land use, minimizing parking requirements, or increasing housing density.

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In response, many states and municipalities have reformed laws and ordinances. Washington State legislators approved a bill in April 2019 that gives religious organizations a density bonus for building 100% affordable housing on faith property  which permits an increase in the allowable number of units constructed. The same year, San Diego reduced or in some instances removed parking requirements for organizations building affordable housing in areas near public transportation hubs.

In October 2023, California lawmakers passed a bill to permit religious organizations and higher education institutions to bypass local permitting processes in order to build affordable housing on their property.

In March 2024, at the federal level, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio introduced the Yes, in Gods Backyard Act. His YIGBY proposal would provide technical assistance to faith organizations interested in building affordable housing.

YIGBY vs. NIMBY

Another challenge facing houses of worship that want to develop affordable housing is community opposition.

West Park Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. The congregations hopes to demolish the 19th-century building have spurred controversy. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

In addition to being spiritual centers, houses of worship can be important neighborhood anchors that provide social services and space for community events. They can be aesthetically pleasing and sometimes historically significant.

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In New York City, for example, West-Park Presbyterian Church has been battling the community for almost a decade over its desire to redevelop the property. The historic church is a designated historic landmark, and requires millions of dollars in repairs, which the congregation says it cannot provide.

Instead, the congregation would like to build a mixed-use facility that would include housing, as well as space for the congregation to continue providing arts programs and community activities. Under the citys landmark regulations, however, a designated property cannot be demolished or altered.

Even when a redevelopment project faces no legal barriers, finding the needed skills or funding can be difficult. Nonprofit housing intermediaries such as Enterprise and the Local Initiative Support Corporation have formed technical assistance programs for organizations that want to create affordable housing, including houses of worship. Other nonprofit groups like Bricks and Mortals, Partners for Sacred Places and the Faith Leadership Campus, which is sponsored by Trinity Church Wall Street, also provide advice on the development process.

Despite the challenges, many houses of worship are constructing housing and changing the way people think about faith-based organizations role in their communities.

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When thinking about the redevelopment process, Arlington Presbyterian member Jon Etherton told me, the call from God to create, do something about affordable housing was bigger than the building itself.

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: Nadia A. Mian, Rutgers University

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Nadia A. Mian receives funding from The Louisville Institute and Villanova University.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  On Friday, Attorney General Gentner Drummond dismissed a criminal charge that was filed against an Oklahoma City Police officer accused of using excessive force against a 71-year-old Vietnamese man on October 27.

The incident occurred when Sgt. Joseph Gibson with Oklahoma City Police responded to a minor traffic collision. Body camera video shows Gibson talking to 71-year-old Lich Vu, who was involved in the collision.

In the video, after arguing about a citation, Vu can be seen lightly hitting Gibsons chest before telling him to shut up. The two exchange words before Vu is thrown to the ground by the officer and knocked unconscious when his head hits the pavement.

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Court documents said Vu suffered a C1 fracture, orbital fracture, and a brain bleed as a result of the incident.

Following the incident, a criminal charge was filed against Gibson by Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna.

Asian community, former AG react to officer assault charges in use-of-force case

The Oklahoma County District Attorneys Office takes all use-of-force incidents very seriously. We evaluate the law and the facts in each individual case, and in this particular case determined the Officers actions were an unreasonable use-of-force. Vicki Behenna, Oklahoma County District Attorney

On Friday, Drummond announced that he was dismissing the criminal charge filed against Gibson.

As Attorney General, I will not permit Oklahoma police officers to face criminal prosecution for conduct adhering to their training, Drummond said. While the outcome of this incident is unquestionably devastating for Mr. Vu and his family, I do not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent.

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Drummond also goes on to say that it is never acceptable for a member of the public to strike, push, or make unwanted physical contact with a police officer.

Our law enforcement officers work under constant stress, where the most routine interactions can become life-threatening in an instant, Drummond said. For everyones safety, it is imperative to follow an officers instructions and to never strike, push, or make any kind of unwelcome physical contact with an officer. This is the law, and the law applies equally to all. No individual is allowed to hit or push an officer, regardless of whether he or she doesnt understand English well or comes from a different culture. The simple truth is, this unfortunate incident never would have occurred if Mr. Vu had kept his hands to himself.

Despite the fact the criminal charges have been dismissed, Drummond says an internal investigation is ongoing and could result in Gibson facing non-criminal forms of accountability.

The Oklahoma City Police Department is conducting a thorough and rigorous investigation to determine whether Sgt. Gibson violated any policies or procedures, he said. The results of that investigation will determine what discipline he may face.

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The Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police released the following statement regarding the dropped charges.

We agree whole-heartedly with Attorney General Drummonds reasoning and determination that this was not a criminal act. We offer our sincere gratitude for his swift attention to this matter and his commitment to accurately applying the law. We offer our deepest sympathies to Mr. Vu and sincerely wish him a swift and full recovery. No officer wants to see anyone injured. However, our members often have to make split-second decisions, and they cannot control the outcome of every situation. Unfortunately, when someone resists law enforcement, they increase the risk of harm to themselves or others.



Serving as a police officer is an extremely difficult task that carries the highest expectations. Our officers in Oklahoma City hold themselves to the highest standards, and we will continue serving this community with respect and dignity. As we have stated from the beginning, while an internal review of Sgt. Gibson is appropriate, it was unreasonable to charge him with any crime when he was following his training. Dismissing the charge was the right thing to do, and we thank the Attorney General for his leadership. Mark Nelson, President of the Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police

One Gibsons attorneys, former Attorney General Mike Hunter, also sent a statement to News 4 on Friday.

Attorney General Drummonds decision to drop the criminal charges against Sgt. Gibson today was well reasoned and correct, Hunter said. His statement of support for the complex decisions Sgt. Gibson, his fellow OCPD officers, and law enforcement officers around the state must make is acknowledged and appreciated.

Behenna expressed disappointment in Drummonds decision to drop the criminal charge against Gibson.

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I am surprised and disappointed that Attorney General Gentner Drummond took this case away from my office and the citizens of Oklahoma County, Behenna said in a statement.

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Dec. 27The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office requested the state's appellate court to schedule the next execution in March, in line with their approved plan to conduct executions every 90 days.

The AG's Office is asking the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to set the execution of Wendell Arden Grissom for March 20, 2025, which will be the first Thursday following the expiration of 90-days since the Dec. 19, 2024, execution of Kevin Underwood.

"The state respectfully asks this court to schedule Wendell Grissom's execution," the office wrote in a notice regarding execution of death warrant filed with OCCA.

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Grissom, 56, was convicted and sentenced to death by a Blaine County jury in 2008 for the 2005 shooting death of Amber Matthews during a robbery at a Watonga residence.

Matthews was at the home of her friend, Dreu Kopf, when Grissom broke into the home and shot the two women. Kopf's two children were also in the home at the time. Matthews was shot in the head at close range and killed as she held Kopf's infant daughter.

Kopf also was shot, but fled the home and flagged down three truckers, with one being a retired police officer, who drove her to the hospital and reported the shooting. The two children, who were 19 months and 5 weeks old at the time of the murder, were unharmed.

Grissom and his accomplice, Jessie Johns, were later apprehended close to a nearby cafe where the employees called in suspicious men in the area.

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Police recovered a blood-stained .22 pistol and a pair of brown cotton gloves from Grissom's person. Investigators also recovered Grissom's .44 pistol, and a second pair of brown cotton gloves discarded near the crime scene.

DNA evidence was presented at the trial that blood found on Grissom's jeans matched the DNA belonging to Kopf.

During his appeal, Grissom described the crimes as "a tragedy with no discernible cause," and admitted that he shot Matthews and Kopf "for reasons even he does not understand."

Johns was given a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for the death of Matthews. He was convicted for the death of Matthews under Oklahoma's felony-murder statute that states a person commits murder when that person or another person takes the life of a human during, or if the death of a human being results from, the commission of an underlying felony.

No ruling from OCCA on the setting of Grissom's execution date was available as of Friday.
Recently, an Embraer 190 Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft en route from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan, allegedly shot down by Russian air defense systems. Onboard were 62 passengers and 5 crew members, 28 of whom survived. This is yet another tragedy that raises significant questions about the safety of civil aviation, particularly in the context of armed conflicts.

As someone who led investigative teams from Ukraine for the downing of flights MH17 and PS752, I cannot help but note certain similarities: the nature of the damage, the confusion in the narratives during the initial days. However, it is equally important to focus on a number of significant aspects.

According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, Ukrainian drones can currently penetrate up to 2,000 kilometers into Russian territory, targeting numerous military bases deemed legitimate objectives. Despite this, Russian airspace remains open to civil aviation. This paradoxical situation poses a serious risk to passengers, given the potential for errors or incidents involving air defense systems.

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Currently, Russia has introduced temporary flight restrictions in the cities of Sochi, Kazan, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala. However, this is not enough.

Some Azerbaijani politicians and state media have already called on Russia to acknowledge that the aircraft was shot down by its air defense systems and to issue an apology in accordance with the Chicago Convention. And from this, we can already draw certain conclusions about Azerbaijan's position. At the same time, they compare this tragedy to the November 9, 2020, incident when Azerbaijan mistakenly shot down a Russian Mi-24 military helicopter, acknowledged it, apologized, and paid compensation. However, this comparison is inappropriate: that case involved a military aircraft in an active combat zone, whereas the current incident concerns a civilian aircraft.

International practices

We do not see the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommending the closure of Russian airspace, even though the risks to civil aviation are evident. At present, the organization could recommend that Russia impose restrictions and issue relevant NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies. Moreover, ICAO could theoretically appeal to the UN General Assembly with a demand to close Russian airspace. While Russia would likely veto such a move at the UN Security Council level, this step would draw the international community's attention to the issue.

This is also important because airlines can independently avoid Russian airspace based on their own safety assessments. Many organizations and countries are already extremely cautious about flights over conflict zones. For example, the FAA (United States) and EASA (EU)  two key organizations responsible for aviation safety  have at times recommended flight restrictions over Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and other regions. Yet, airlines from other parts of the world continue to choose routes over or into Russia. Is this risk justified? Recent events suggest otherwise.

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It is worth noting that Ukraine has experience closing its airspace since 2014, at the onset of the war. Back then, in the first months of hostilities in Donbas, restrictions were imposed on flight altitudes due to the risk of shelling. After the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was shot down at an altitude of 10 kilometers, Ukraine fully closed its airspace over the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Why is this important for Ukraine?

Closing Russian airspace to civil aviation would have several consequences. First, it would reduce Russias revenue from transit flights, which currently generate substantial profits that may, in part, finance its aggression against Ukraine. Second, it would signal that Russia cannot ensure full control over its territory and airspace safety, exposing its vulnerability and weakness. This is particularly important as Russia continues to portray itself as a superpower to gain influence over other states. In other words, its a matter of reputation and undermining political authority.

Of course, the objective investigation of the Embraer 190 incident under the Montreal Convention on Acts of Unlawful Interference with Civil Aviation and the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation remains crucial. The public must know the truth about the causes of the crash. If it is confirmed that the aircraft was shot down, this would provide yet another argument for closing Russian airspace. Such a move would have economic and political consequences, weakening Russia and its influence on other nations. Furthermore, the responsible party must not only apologize but also provide compensation to the families of the victims and those affected.

This tragedy is not only a profound sorrow for the affected families but also a signal to the international aviation community: leaving airspace open over territories with a high level of threat is unacceptable in today's world.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Members of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Alabama both agree that 2024 was a successful year in different ways for them.

However, they also agreed that they both needed to do more work in 2025.

Randy Kelley, chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said they helped candidates win critical races this year, such as State Rep. Marilyn Lands (D-Huntsville).

And also, Shomari Figures was elected to Congress in that second congressional district, with the help of our staff, Kelley explained.

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John Wahl, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said they hosted the states first ever presidential primary debate.

Martys PM, beloved Birmingham dive bar, closing its doors after 31 years

And really, had this opportunity to build Alabamas profile nationally in the conservative movement, remarked Wahl. And I know thats one of my priorities as party chairman.

When it comes to goals for 2025, Kelley said Democrats must continue uniting.

I have a saying that Everybody seems to be operating, but very few people are cooperating,' he said. And its going to take all of us cooperating together to make a more just and loving state.

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For Republicans, Wahl would like to see Space Command come back to Alabama, and the state work closely with the new administration. The organization, which at one point was announced to be coming to Alabama, went to Colorado instead.

But also, making sure that were leading on policy, he said. Weve seen other Republican states in the past take the lead on different policy issues. I want to see Alabama step up.

While the parties might disagree on many issues, both are optimistic for what the new year might ring in.

You know, were very excited about the election results, said Wahl. Were looking forward to the coming months and years. And were gonna do our best to not just serve the people of Alabama, but work to earn their vote.

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On the other hand, Kelley said the new year might bring something else.

It may be a blessing in disguise and well wake up out of this unusual phenomena that we have, voting for what we think is white, rather than being intelligent enough to vote for what is right, he said.

Kelley said the Democratic National Committee is currently reorganizing, electing officers and rebuilding in preparation for the new year.

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An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Phoenix encountered severe turbulence on Thursday afternoon, resulting in medical evaluations for several crew members and one passenger.

Flight 700, which departed from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), experienced turbulence around 2:30 p.m. MST while en route to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

Upon landing, medical professionals met the plane at the gate.

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Alaska Airlines confirmed that no passengers required hospitalization.

However, several crew members were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

We apologize for any concern this experience may have caused our guests, the airline stated, expressing gratitude for the crews professionalism during the incident.

The company also confirmed it is providing support to the affected crew members as they recover.

No further details about the severity of the injuries or the cause of the turbulence have been released.




BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  Residents and businesses in Buffalos Allentown neighborhood are launching a new effort to clear sidewalks when it snows.

There is not much snow currently in Allentown, but when snow arrives the Allentown Association said that its a safety issue with businesses and residents not shoveling their sidewalks.

This is why the Allentown Association is launching the Allentown snow clearing pilot. Residents can sign up and volunteer to shovel or snow blow to clear sidewalks in Allentown when it snows. All you have to do is give your name and tell the association what day and time you plan to pitch in.

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Theres a lot of out-of-town landlords that own some properties around here, so if they are derelict in their duty by removing ice and snow then it builds up over the winter  this is our most-walkable historic neighborhood, its the most-dense neighborhood and so it shouldnt be too hard to rally support to get snow removed, said Mickey Harmon, co-owner of Good Stuff Gallery and Gift.

The Allentown Association said it hopes to get enough people to sign up and show City Hall that this program has real traction, and then apply for funding to run the program. The Allentown Association has set up a snow clearing pilot committee to address snow concerns in the neighborhood.

What were hoping to do is get a bunch of people to band together. And if the citys going to sit on its hands, were not going to, Harmon said.

If you are interested in the Allentown Snow Clearing Pilot, you can contact the Allentown Association by emailing committee member Rachel Mitchell-Spade at: Rachelmarie1031@gmail.com

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Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has gained a large collection of documents and artifacts from a tent company operating out of Springfield for nearly 150 years.

Armbuster Manufacturing was started by German immigrant Rudolf Herman Armbruster in 1875. Originally making canvas covers for wagons used by westward pioneers, the company was a global leader, producing tents for state fairs, movie sets, circus companies and military operations.

Armbruster closed earlier this year, and the companys president, Hellar Armbruster, donated the companys archives to the state.

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ALPLM celebrating 20th anniversary

When we made the decision to close, it was important to us to preserve our companys rich history, Hellar said. Trusting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum with our legacy was an easy choice, and were grateful for the work theyre doing to share our story with future generations.

Courtesy of ALPLM

Museum officials made the announcement Friday.

We are thrilled to add the Armbruster Manufacturing collection to the museum, said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. This Illinois story showcases the innovation, resilience, and community spirit that defines our state.

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Springfields ALPLM hosting naturalization ceremony

The exhibit showcases photographs and artifacts of craftsmanship across four generations as well as products sold and rented by the company. Some artifacts include a wooden folding chair, collapsible feed bucket, antique pulleys, industrial size sewing machine, company stencil and a campers guidebook.

The exhibit is located outside the museums Ghosts of the Library show. Visitors can see the exhibit with regular museum admission.

The exhibit runs through April 8, 2025.

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The Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert on behalf of the Olympia Police Department after two children were abducted during a monitored visit at the Capital Mall Saturday.

Authorities were searching for Andrew Womack-Eady, 24, who failed to make a required 30-minute check-in phone call during the visit.

He was last heard from at 10 a.m. and was reportedly in the area of Black Lake Boulevard.

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Olympia police said at 2:41 p.m. that the suspect may have been spotted in the Vancouver/Portland area.

By 3:15 p.m., Womack-Eady was arrested by the Portland Police Department. Both children were reported safe.
Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher arrested in Russia on drug charges in 2021, has been formally classified by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained, according to the State Department, as reported by the Associated Press.

The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogels release for some time. We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to. The Secretary determined Marc is wrongfully detained in October, the department said in a statement, as reported by AP.

The Hill has contacted the State Department for further comment.

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Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 14 years on drug smuggling charges in Russia.

Fogel was left out of the prisoner swap that took place in Turkey earlier this year and involved not just the U.S., Turkey, Germany and Russia, but also Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Belarus. It was the largest exchange of detainees since the Cold War.

Fogels sister, Anne, said his omission felt like they had been stabbed in the back during an interview earlier this year.

The AP said that the State Department has a range of factors that go into designating a jailed American as wrongfully detained, including if theres credible proof that the person is innocent or if they are being held mainly for influencing U.S. policy or receiving concessions from the government.

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AMES, Iowa The Ames Police Department is investigating nine car burglaries that began occurring the morning of December 25th.

According to a post on the Ames Police Department Facebook, since the morning of December 25th nine car burglaries and two stolen vehicles have been reported.

Police say one of the stolen vehicles was recovered in the 900 block of Maxwell Avenue.

I-80 shut down by multi-vehicle crash near Malcolm, Poweshiek County

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Suspects broke out the windows in several of the vehicles and authorities say a handgun was stolen from one of the vehicles.

Authorities says a majority of the burglaries occurred between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.

To help protect yourself police recommend securing your vehicles, removing any items of value, and parking in busy and well-lit areas.

The Ames Police Department encourages people to report strange activity or thefts at 515-239-5133.

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Anaheim Police Department patch and badge (Anaheim Police Department)

Anaheim police officers fatally shot a man Friday night after responding to a report of a possible robbery, officials said.

Police responded to the 1200 block of East South Street around 8 p.m., where they encountered a man about 30 years old, according to an Anaheim Police Department statement. During the encounter, the officers shot the man and he later died at a hospital.

A realistic-looking replica firearm was located at the scene and officers rendered first aid to the man after shooting him, the police statement said.

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The statement said that the California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting. State law requires the department to investigate officer-involved shootings that result in the death of unarmed civilians.

The deceased man has not been publicly identified.



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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Police in Anaheim shot and killed a man that they say was suspected of robbery on Friday night.

The officers were called to a reported robbery at about 8 p.m. in the 1200 block of E. South Street, according to the Anaheim Police Department.

After arriving to the scene, four officers were involved in a shooting with the suspect, a man police said was about 30 years old.

He was struck by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene; he has yet to be publicly identified as of early Saturday morning.

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Police said a realistic-looking replica gun was found at the scene. No additional details about the shooting were immediately made available.

The California Department of Justice, among other agencies, will investigate the incident.

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A young woman opened fire on students and teachers Monday at a Wisconsin Christian school. One teacher and one 14-year-old student are dead. Four others were injured. Within hours, our diminished president issued a call for gun control.

My administration has taken aggressive action to combat the gun violence epidemic, President Joe Biden wrote. We passed the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, I have taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other President in history, and I created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. But more is needed. Congress must pass commonsense gun safety laws: Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

As is all too typical with calls for gun control, nothing that the president has done or proposes to do stopped this shooting or would have any impact on a similar one in the future.

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Lets start with what he has done already. According to the White House, the administration has improved school shooting drills mandated for public schools, restricted machine gun conversion devices and 3D printed guns. I cant find a record of a machine gun or a 3D printed gun used in a school shooting. This shooting was at a private school.

The administration spent $15 billion on violence reduction strategies. The Biden administration created the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris (natch). Neither seems to have had much impact.

Regardless, the Biden administration then took credit for its bold action, noting that data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that the number of mass shootings so far this year is 20% lower than it was at this time last year.

Now, Biden proposes four new steps to restrict guns in response to the latest school shooting atrocity: Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons. A ban on high-capacity magazines.

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Universal background checks would have made no difference, as it is already illegal to sell firearms to a 15-year-old under federal law. You dont need a background check to know she shouldnt have gotten the gun she used.

A national red flag law would have made no difference. Who would think to confiscate guns from someone who was already barred from having guns?

A ban on assault weapons would have made no difference, as more than 95% of gun homicides are committed with handguns, just like this shooting.

A ban on high-capacity magazines would have made no difference, as this killing was committed with a standard-capacity magazine.

When it comes to gun violence at the national level, gun control is more religious than practical. Politicians must genuflect to the solutions proposed by national gun control groups and their deep-pocketed donors, rather than examine what happens in the most common shootings and propose measures that would deal with them. Gun deaths are supposed to go down magically.

At the local level, things seem a little more sane. Missouri Democratic state Rep. Anthony Ealy proposes that to attend a parade held by a city or the state, event-goers should go through gun checkpoints with metal detectors.

You can argue with him on Second Amendment grounds, but if you are trying to prevent a replay of the Super Bowl parade gunplay in Kansas City this year, you cant argue with it as a practical measure. Even if it did not stop all guns from getting into the event, it would have deterred some and prevented others, cutting the potential for violence at the parade. Theres a good chance less blood would have been spilled.

Using incidents of gun violence to advance gun control measures that are irrelevant to the case at hand is nothing more than empty posturing with little hope of addressing the problem of gun violence. Ealys more practical approach is a model for Democrats who want to do something more than sound good on TV or in a speech. Bidens gun control autopilot wont solve anything.
Argentine fanatics plotted to kidnap British defence secretary John Nott in the aftermath of the Falklands war, government papers suggest.

Newly declassified archives have revealed concern in the corridors of power about a possible attempt to abduct the Cabinet minister in the months after the 1982 conflict.

They reveal how a British diplomat in South America received a tip-off about a plot by extreme nationalists in the Argentine military to avenge their countrys defeat by abducting Nott when he visited the islands and taking him back to Buenos Aires.

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The three-day visit, the first Nott had made to the territory since its liberation, was due to take place in October.

That month, a diplomat at the British Embassy in Uruguay warned London that a trusted source in Buenos Aires with contacts in the military had told him: The Argentines might wish to mark in some way Mr Notts visit to the islands.

The source, he went on, even suggested that an attempt to kidnap the minister and bring him to Buenos Aires may be made.

The British government was taking seriously the possibility of a renewed attack against the Falklands by renegade elements of the Argentine military, and Margaret Thatcher, prime minister at the time, had ordered an urgent assessment of the islands defences only a few weeks earlier.

Victory parade

There was concern that an attack might be launched to coincide with a victory parade being held in London to celebrate the successful conclusion of the war.

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In response, Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, the commander in chief of the fleet at the time, wrote to the prime minister assuring her that our forces in the area are at the necessary state of readiness to meet any likely contingency.

The diplomat in Uruguay sent a telegram to London warning: There is a substantial group of nationalists, in particular in the Navy and Air Force, who would like to have another crack at the Islands.

In the end, Notts visit to the Falklands passed off without incident.

Defeat in the 74-day war spelled the beginning of the end for the military junta in Buenos Aires which had launched the enterprise.

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It finally relinquished power in 1983 with the election of Raul Alfonsin as president.

Nott had offered his resignation to Thatcher following the Argentinian invasion but she did not accept it. He was replaced in 1983 after announcing that he would not seek re-election as an MP.

He was subsequently knighted and went into banking and other business.

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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  An Arkansas man is facing more than a dozen sex-related charges in Auglaize County.

Craig Carroll, 38, of Arkansas, is accused in an alleged incident that reportedly occurred in March 2023.

Carroll is facing charges of gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition and importuning.

The man is currently out on bond and allowed to travel to and from his home.

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NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Officials with the Arkansas State Police are investigating a deadly early morning shooting on Interstate 40 that left a teenager dead, and two others injured.

According to a post on social media, troopers arrived at Arkansas Childrens Hospital at 3:45 a.m. where they said a 20-year-old Little Rock man had transported three teens who had been shot. The man said the teens were in a vehicle he was driving westbound on I-40 in North Little Rock near Protho Junction.

Troopers said that a 17-year-old male from Little Rock had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead. They also said that an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old had been shot with one being treated and released with the other still hospitalized.

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Arkansas State Police investigating early morning high-speed pursuit in Little Rock

Officials said that two other passengers, a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old were not injured.

Police have not released the name of the teen that was killed or any information regarding a possible suspect.

This is an ongoing investigation, please check back for more updates.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  A Savannah woman, who was reported missing, has been located, according to the Asheville Police Department (APD).

Jayde Celeste Sensabaugh, who was missing since leaving work on Christmas Eve in Asheville, N.C., was located in South Carolina on Saturday morning after a prayer vigil, the APD and a family spokesperson tells News 3.

Jayde Celeste Sensabaugh, who was reported missing after leaving work on Christmas Eve in Asheville, N.C. has been located.

According to authorities, no foul play has been suspected.

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3 juveniles charged after shots fired reported in Grays Hill

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The president-elect of the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma says his community is very disappointed following a decision made by Attorney General Gentner Drummond Friday to drop an aggravated assault and battery charge against an Oklahoma City police officer.

The incident occurred on October 27 when Sgt. Joseph Gibson with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a minor traffic collision. Body camera video shows Gibson talking to 71-year-old Lich Vu, who was involved in the collision.

In the video, after arguing about a citation, Vu can be seen lightly hitting Gibsons chest before telling him to shut up. The two exchange words before Vu is thrown to the ground by the officer and knocked unconscious when his head hits the pavement.

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: AG Drummond drops charge against OKCPD officer accused of using excessive force

Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna filed charges herself without sending the case to a grand jury in early December, saying that the amount of force Gibson used was not reasonable.

A probable cause affidavit argued that a long-time veteran in the police department had also investigated and spoken with de-escalation control and defensive tactics instructors within the department, which found the use of force unreasonable.

Vu suffered a C1 fracture, an orbital fracture, and a brain bleed as a result of the incident. The affidavit also indicated that he was in poor health and that Gibson was in robust health.

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In a decision announced Friday, Drummond said he was taking over the prosecution and dismissing the charge, a move hes only made one time previously in his term, taking Gibsons side.

Drummond released the following statement explaining his decision:

As Attorney General, I will not permit Oklahoma police officers to face criminal prosecution for conduct adhering to their training. While the outcome of this incident is unquestionably devastating for Mr. Vu and his family, I do not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent. Our law enforcement officers work under constant stress, where the most routine interactions can become life-threatening in an instant. For everyones safety, it is imperative to follow an officers instructions and to never strike, push, or make any kind of unwelcome physical contact with an officer. This is the law, and the law applies equally to all. No individual is allowed to hit or push an officer, regardless of whether he or she doesnt understand English well or comes from a different culture. The simple truth is, this unfortunate incident never would have occurred if Mr. Vu had kept his hands to himself. The Oklahoma City Police Department is conducting a thorough and rigorous investigation to determine whether Sgt. Gibson violated any policies or procedures. The results of that investigation will determine what discipline he may face. Gentner Drummond, Attorney General of Oklahoma

Thuan Nguyen, president-elect of the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, said that a News 4 reporter broke the news to him Friday that the charge had been dropped.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Asian community, former AG react to officer assault charges in use-of-force case

Our community is just disappointed actually, and is hurting, but more so the familys hurting, said Nguyen.

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Nguyen said Vus family is immensely hurt and disappointed by the news, all while coping with Vus injuries, some of which may be permanent.

In this moment in time, you know, were still questioning, were still, you know, distraught, said Nguyen.

News 4 reached out to Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behennas office for comment and received the following statement:

I am surprised and disappointed that Attorney General Gentner Drummond took this case away from my office and the citizens of Oklahoma County. Vicki Behenna, Oklahoma County District Attorney

Drummonds Friday announcement also reached supporters of Sgt. Gibson, including OKC FOP President Mark Nelson and former Attorney General Mike Hunter, who is an attorney on Gibsons legal team. News 4 received the following comments from them both:

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We agree whole-heartedly with Attorney General Drummonds reasoning and determination that this was not a criminal act. We offer our sincere gratitude for his swift attention to this matter and his commitment to accurately applying the law. We offer our deepest sympathies to Mr. Vu and sincerely wish him a swift and full recovery. No officer wants to see anyone injured. However, our members often have to make split-second decisions, and they cannot control the outcome of every situation. Unfortunately, when someone resists law enforcement, they increase the risk of harm to themselves or others.



Serving as a police officer is an extremely difficult task that carries the highest expectations. Our officers in Oklahoma City hold themselves to the highest standards, and we will continue serving this community with respect and dignity. As we have stated from the beginning, while an internal review of Sgt. Gibson is appropriate, it was unreasonable to charge him with any crime when he was following his training. Dismissing the charge was the right thing to do, and we thank the Attorney General for his leadership. Mark Nelson, OKC FOP President

Attorney General Drummonds decision to drop the criminal charges against Sgt. Gibson today was well reasoned and correct. His statement of support for the complex decisions Sgt Gibson, his fellow OCPD officers, and law enforcement officers around the state must make is acknowledged and appreciated. Mike Hunter, Former Attorney General/Gibsons Attorney

Nguyen said he had received at least 20 emails and phone calls from officers around the country that didnt agree with Drummonds decision. He said hes also worried for Vus future health.

Will he be able to walk again? Nguyen asked. Will he be able to actually function normally again, or is his cognitive ability messed up forever?

The Oklahoma City Police Department says Gibson is currently on administrative leave pending the outcome of its own investigation. Its unclear when that investigation will wrap up or what discipline he might face.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH)  A 54-year-old man from Nelsonville has been indicted and arrested after allegedly killing a dog with a pellet gun.

Scott McCall was arrested in Athens County on Dec. 21 for charges of cruelty to companion animals and tampering with evidence, according to a news release from Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.

McCall had a superseding indictment after being accused of shooting a dog with a pellet gun that led to the dogs death. He is alleged to have also tied items to the dog and thrown the body into a pond. He was arraigned this week and received a $100,000 bond.

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Among the conditions include no 10% allowed to post bond and to have no animals in his custody. He is scheduled for a status conference hearing on Jan. 16.

McCalls maximum sentence combining the two charges is four years in prison.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  An attempted murder investigation is underway in Kalihi Saturday.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) said they responded to a report of vehicle fire Friday at around 10 p.m. where an injured male was found.

The male was transported to the hospital in critical condition.

HPD and Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) are actively investigating.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  An attorney for former NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey spoke publicly Friday for the first time since Maddrey abruptly resigned a week ago amid sexual misconduct allegations.

At a press briefing, Maddreys attorney Lambros Lambrou denied all sexual misconduct allegations against his client, while also saying Maddrey had a consensual adult relationship with his accuser, Quathisha Epps.

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Maddrey did not speak at the press briefing. His attorney said he wants to set the record straight amid allegations that he traded overtime for sexual favors from Epps.

He claims Epps is being investigated by NYPD Internal Affairs for putting in for overtime that she never completed and that making these allegations is her way of deflecting from her wrongdoings.

Maddrey abruptly resigned as the NYPDs chief of department last week amid the allegations. Epps said in a complaint that when she pushed back at Maddreys alleged sexual misconduct, he retaliated by claiming she was abusing overtime to make more than $400,000 last fiscal year  more than half of it overtime.

Maddrey has been the subject of other sexual misconduct allegations in the past. His attorney said Maddrey resigned because hes been through this before and has reached his boiling point.

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Now Jeff resigned and retired upon hearing of this last meritless complaint, as hes been through this before. The city has enough going on without these allegations swirling around the chief of department. Hes given 34 years of his life to the NYPD and has been repeatedly sued meritlessly, Lambrou said.

PIX11 News reached out to an attorney for Epps and is still waiting to hear back.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Every morning, Nichole Babbitt gets her twin daughters Harlow and Harper ready for school. They walk down the street to the day care facility where the 3-year-olds are enrolled. Babbitt kisses them goodbye and calls for an Uber.

Though her work at the Texas Department of Transportation is a five-minute drive from her home, she no longer has a vehicle after her car was totaled in an accident.

Shes spending $20 a day to go to work and back because getting her kids to their school as soon as it opens and then taking a bus to work means that she would be late to work every day and possibly late picking up her girls in the afternoon.

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To take the kids to the emergency room or to go to a grocery store, she loads the girls with their car seats into the Uber and spends more money.

Ride-hailing services cost her about $500 a month, a crippling expense.

Nichole Babbitt and her 3-year-old daughters Harlow, center, and Harper play with a keyboard in their North Austin home.

A year ago, Babbitt, 41, checked herself into a drug rehabilitation center to deal with her 20-year methamphetamine habit. She had become homeless, put her two older children into her fathers care and put the twins into the care of a family who agreed to help her out while she worked on her sobriety.

Babbitt is part of the American-Statesmans Season for Caring program, which helps families across Central Texas with basic needs through local nonprofit organizations. She was nominated by Foundation for the Homeless, a group she turned to after she completed 90 days of rehab and began to transform her life.

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The group has helped her find housing; friends and family have kept her kids clothed and given her gently used furniture.

A gently used car is the top priority on her wish list. A car would definitely help me quite a bit, she said. She could go to more in-person Narcotics Anonymous meetings instead of the daily virtual ones she attends. If the weather was bad, she could drive to the day care facility and not have the kids get wet during their walk to the school.

She could visit her older children, who are 8 and 17, more often if she didnt have to rely on her father to drive them to her.

Mainly Id be feeling safer, she said, because she would have an exit strategy for herself and her family. Babbitt has anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder from discovering her mothers body when she was 18. Her desire to numb the feelings was why she turned to meth in the first place.

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Ninety days of rehab and finding the right sponsor changed her. "I still know I don't have to use. ... That's not the solution, she said. I can honestly say for once in my life, I dont have drama. I have bad days, but its nothing like before.

Earlier this month, she attended a ceremony to celebrate her first year of sobriety.

With the community's help, Babbitt has now received a washer, a dryer, patio furniture and items for her children for Christmas.

Nichole Babbitt and her case manager Jehree Anderson pick up some of the gifts donated to Babbitt through the Season for Caring program.

Nichole Babbitt picks up a washing machine donated to her. A dryer came two days later. She will no longer have to travel to a laundromat every week to have clean clothes.

To really be able to use her backyard and the new patio furniture, she needs a lawnmower, and she'd love a swing set for her girls. Living room furniture and a slow cooker are also on her list as well as gift cards to H-E-B, Uber and Kohls.

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To find out more about the Babbitts or to donate an item on their wish list, contact Foundation for the Homeless at 512-453-6570 or foundationhomeless.org.

Statesman Season for Caring logo

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About Season for Caring

The Statesman will be sharing the stories of all 12 Season for Caring families throughout the holiday season. Find more stories and information at statesman.com/seasonforcaring.

You can donate online or use the coupon on Page 2B and mail it to Austin Community Foundation, c/o Statesman Season for Caring, 4315 Guadalupe St., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78751. Make checks payable to Statesman Season for Caring.

Use the form below or click here: https://statesmansfc.kimbia.com/statesmanseasonforcaring

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Season for Caring: Austin mom needs car for family
The Australian government hired a consulting firm with ties to Big Oil to analyze its energy and climate policy, creating a troubling conflict of interest.

What's happening?

According to The Guardian, McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, earned $1.6 million and spent 11 weeks conducting "detailed market, economic and policy analysis" for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

McKinsey's connections to big players in the oil industry raise serious concerns. According to the DCCEEW, a lack of internal "technical capacity" called for outsourcing.

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The Centre for Climate Reporting and ARIA organization assessed U.S. court documents showing McKinsey's associations with oil companies. Its clients included Shell Australia, BHP, Caltex, Peabody Energy Australia, Origin, Santos, Woodside, Inpex, Rio Tinto, and AGL.

The Guardian reported that the firm did not provide recommendations to the government. But critics question the analysis' legitimacy and government's spending choices.

Why is McKinsey's influence on Australian climate policy important?

This research is crucial for making positive environmental decisions at the government level. McKinsey's website states that the firm helps oil and gas companies "accelerate sustainable and inclusive growth."

Big Oil is mostly responsible for issues related to the changing climate, but reporting this correlation would be against the firm's interests and profits. This led people to question the reliability of the analysis.

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"Who would think it's a good idea to hire a company that works for some of the world's biggest fossil fuel producers?" Greens Sen. Barbara Pocock said, according to The Guardian. " This is core government work that needs to be conducted by public servants who are accountable to the public interest."

Independent Sen. David Pocock raised similar concerns, calling the consultation choice "completely inappropriate."

Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes?

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

And it's not just about the conflict of interest. Many think this was a reckless and unnecessary use of public funds.

What's being done about government and private sector conflicts of interest?

Politicians and activists urge the Australian government to sever these private-sector ties. Polly Hemming, the director of the Australia Institute's climate and energy program, explained that the government needs to conduct such research internally and said, "It is more transparent and more cost-effective than spending millions of dollars on private consultants."

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Fran Baum, a public health expert at the University of Adelaide's Stretton Institute, said the government should hire academics. These independent climate experts would be "much cheaper and better informed."

Conflict of interest policies are already in place. However, supporting politicians who are against this outsourcing and pressuring the government can affect positive change. Hopefully, the government will listen and stop outsourcing to the private sector.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
(Reuters) -Austria plans to buy 12 Italian-made M-346 FA fighter jets to replace Saab 105 planes which it decommissioned at the end of 2020, the government said on Saturday.

Citing military sources, newspaper Krone said a letter of intent was due to be signed on Saturday with the Italian Defence Ministry for the planes made by Italy's Leonardo.

The contract is currently being negotiated with the Italian government, the Austrian Defence Ministry said, confirming the planned purchase of the aircraft.

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Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the deal showed the strength of cooperation between Italy and Austria.

"My special thanks go to (Italian) Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who made a significant contribution to the conclusion of this agreement," Nehammer said in a statement.

The total cost of the purchase has yet to be determined, but about 1 billion euros ($1.04 billion) has been budgeted for it, the newspaper said.

The jets will be used for pilot training, support for ground forces and air defence, the government said.

($1 = 0.9590 euros)

(Writing by Dave Graham;Editing by Alison Williams and Helen Popper)
Peruvian police recently detained a South Korean man who was attempting to smuggle hundreds of endangered tarantulas onto a plane.

What's happening?

The Washington Post reported the bizarre encounter started in Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport. Staff were conducting security checks on passengers and noticed a man who appeared to have a swollen stomach. After asking him to lift his shirt, they discovered dozens of camouflaged plastic bags tied to belts. Inside were 35 adult and 285 juvenile tarantulas, 110 centipedes, and nine bullet ants. The officials detained the man and turned the animals over to Peru's National Forest and Wildlife Service.

"While the animals were completely overcrowded, mistreated and [carelessly] wrapped, they were put in a safe place," the wildlife agency said, according to the Post.

Why is wildlife trafficking concerning?

The Post, citing a U.N. report, noted that wildlife trafficking affects more than 4,000 animal and plant species worldwide  this includes 3,250 endangered species.

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In fact, the adult tarantulas being smuggled by the 28-year-old man in Peru are on the country's endangered list, the Post reported.

Wildlife trafficking is concerning for many reasons. For one, it is harmful to animals, as they are taken out of their native habitat, decreasing their populations. Further, many animals die needlessly during transport.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wildlife trafficking can also increase the risk of zoonotic diseases and severely impact food, land, and other natural resources that humans depend on for survival.

What's being done about the wildlife trade?

Currently, there are a number of international and national laws in place to help curb the trafficking of wild animals. For instance, CITES is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure the international trade of wildlife does not threaten the survival of species.

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Meanwhile, the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act restrict the trade and transportation of wild animals or plants in the United States.

There are also a number of individuals and organizations dedicated to curbing the illegal trade. For instance, Earth League International collects and disseminates information about wildlife crime. Traffic is another NGO that aims to reduce illegal wildlife trafficking.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.




SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  An Avalanche Warning is in effect in northern and central Utah as conditions are particularly dangerous this weekend, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

The danger for the warning area is considered High today and possibly Extreme tonight. Heavy snow and strong winds are creating widespread areas of unstable snow, according to the National Weather Service.

ABC4.com spoke with Craig Gordon, Avalanche Forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center, regarding the conditions.

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MORE: Wind, winter weather, and avalanche alerts expected in Utah this weekend

A series of storms are rolling through the mountains of northern Utah, Gordon said. Weve already got a shaky snowpack  and this dense, heavy snow coupled with strong winds is leading to an elevated backcountry avalanche hazard.

The writing is on the wall, Gordon said. Earlier this week, there was a close call involving two snowmobilers in the Logan area. Fortunately  they had avalanche rescue gear. But, the big message right now is  avalanche avoidance is paramount. Any slide that we trigger is going to break deep, its going to break wide, and as we move further into the weekend, the avalanche danger is going to remain elevated.

The Warning is in effect from 6 a.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday. Both human-triggered and natural avalanches are likely, according to the NWS.

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Rain in the valleys means snow in the mountains, and the snow thats falling right now is dense, its heavy, its water-laden. Its not the stuff that makes our license plates famous, Gordon said. And, its accompanied by very strong winds, so that combo is overloading pre-existing weak layers, especially on mid and upper-elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass.

These are unusual backcountry avalanche conditions for Utah, according to Gordon. This is reportedly because this setup leads to avalanches that can be triggered from a distance, and from adjacent slopes.

You dont even have to be on the same slope to kick the legs out from underneath, Gordon said. And now were staring down the barrel of a very dangerous avalanche.

Gordon said the Avalanche Center is urging backcountry riders to stay off of any steep slope, or slopes that have overhead hazard. He also said you should be aware of the conditions in the particular zone that you plan to head into, as its not a one size fits all type of situation.

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Of course, anyone who is planning on riding in these conditions should be have the latest avalanche gear and be prepared for their own rescue.

Right now, were urging backcountry travelers to simply pump the brakes, exercise some patience  its going to be a long season. And, stay off of and out from under steep, wind-drifted slopes, especially those that face the north half of the compass, Gordon said.

Here is a list of current avalanche danger levels throughout central and northern Utah, provided by the Utah Avalanche Center.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
The Dec. 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, likely caused by Russian air defense, shines light on a glaring issue the Kremlin has long swept under the rug.

By unleashing its war against Ukraine, Russia has made its airspace a dangerous place.

While Ukraine banned civilian flights over its territory hours before the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has limited itself to banning civilian flights over regions bordering Ukraine, as well as some regions not far from the Ukrainian border.

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Flights over the rest of Russian territory, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, are still allowed despite regular Ukrainian drone attacks deep into Russia. Airports in cities far from the Ukrainian border have faced only temporary restrictions.

"It's completely irresponsible that Russia's airspace is still open and that airlines continue to fly into them as part of routine flights."

"In my view, it's completely irresponsible that Russia's airspace is still open and that airlines continue to fly into them as part of routine flights," Fabian Hoffman, a defense policy expert at the Oslo Nuclear Project, told the Kyiv Independent. "Russia's airspace is an active war zone, similar to Ukraine's airspace. Any civilian flights should cease immediately."

Read also: Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani president over plane crash, yet doesnt acknowledge Russias responsibility

Another Russian crash

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which was carrying passengers from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia's Chechen Republic, crashed on Dec. 25 near the coastal city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

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There were 67 people on board the aircraft, including 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz citizens. Thirty-eight people died as a result of the crash.

The crash was caused by a Russian surface-to-air missile, Reuters, Euronews and the Azeri media outlets Caliber.az and AnewZ reported, citing Azerbaijan's government sources. The reported use of air defense systems aligns with multiple media reports of air defense working in the region on the morning of Dec. 25.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the crash to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Dec. 28. Putin confirmed that the plane had tried to land in Grozny but the city was being attacked by Ukrainian drones, and Russian air defense was shooting them down.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev (L) leave after the official dinner following their talks in Baku, Azerbaijan on Aug. 19, 2024. (Mikhail Tereshchenko/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into alleged violations of air safety rules.

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Azerbaijan Airlines said on Dec. 27 that the preliminary results of an Azeri investigation showed that the plane had suffered "physical and technical external interference." Aliyev repeated this version in his Dec. 28 conversation with Putin.

According to Azerbaijani government sources, the missile was fired from a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system.

Russian airports reportedly denied the plane permission for an emergency landing, forcing the pilots to divert toward Aktau in Kazakhstan, located over 500 kilometers east on the opposite coast of the Caspian Sea.

It is currently unknown why the plane was denied the right to land and diverted to an airport located hundreds of kilometers east. Some allege that Russian traffic control deliberately diverted the plane toward the sea, where a safe landing would be an extremely difficult task.

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Russias state aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, said the plane was diverted to Aktau after a collision with a flock of birds.

Following the accident, Azerbaijan Airlines, Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air, and Israel's El Al suspended their flights to Russia.

Following the accident, Azerbaijan Airlines, Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air, and Israel's El Al suspended their flights to Russia.

If confirmed, it would not be the first time Russia downed a passenger plane during its war against Ukraine.

On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian forces in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, with all 298 people on board being killed.

Debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is shown smoldering in a field in Hrabove, Ukraine, on July 17, 2014. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Members of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service search for bodies in a field near the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 26, 2014. (Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images)

Russian-controlled forces first celebrated the downing, yet later backtracked and deleted their statements when it was revealed that the plane was civilian.

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Russia continued to blame Ukraine, spreading fake narratives about Ukraine's air defense and the country's fighter jets being responsible for the downing.

In one instance, Russian propaganda introduced a "Spanish air traffic controller Carlos," who was described by Russian propaganda as seeing from "Kyiv's control tower" that the plane was downed by Ukrainian jets.

A Dutch court has established that the plane was downed by a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile. Two Russians and one Ukrainian proxy working for Russia were convicted for the murder in absentia in 2022.

Read also: The downing of MH17, and Russias responsibility

Unsafe travels

The plane crash highlights a long-running problem.

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"The airspace is now contested; that is, the Russian air defense system is shooting at Ukrainian missiles and drones flying across large parts of western Russia," Peter Layton, an aviation expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told the Kyiv Independent. "This situation will worsen and become even more confusing as Ukraine steps up the scale of the attacks and the variety of the missiles it is using. The result is a more dangerous airspace for civilian aircraft to operate in."

Layton added that Russia is also "jamming global positioning (GPS) systems used by civil airliners for navigation."

"This jamming is to thwart attacking Ukrainian missiles and drones," he said. "There are manual procedures to work around this deliberate interference, but it adds to the difficulties and dangers of civilian aircraft operating in Russian airspace."

Michael Harwood, another air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute, agreed, saying that "for as long as the sovereign nation of Ukraine is attacked and occupied by forces directed by the Kremlin, nothing is safe in Russia."

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Erik Stijnman, a military expert at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael), also argued that "without any doubt, an ever more contested airspace through the use of unmanned aerial systems and missiles will lead to more accidents."

"The chance of human error will increase when air defenders are asked in a time-constrained environment to decide on target selection and firing approval," he told the Kyiv Independent. "What does not help is that tactics designed to saturate the air defense systems intend to confuse systems and operators in order to influence the air defenders' friend or foe identification process. More saturation means more decisions. More decisions means more mistakes."

Stefan Wolff, professor of international security at the University of Birmingham, argued that "the question is what Russia will be able to do to improve its defenses and whether Ukraine will be able to keep up sufficient levels of production and innovation to stay ahead of Russia."

According to international aviation customs, it's up to Russia to issue a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) and close its own airspace.

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Read also: Russian air defense missile caused plane crash over Kazakhstan, Azerbaijani government sources claim

Closing airspace

Despite the danger posed by drone attacks and air defense, Russia has been reluctant to close its airspace, except for regions bordering Ukraine.

Wolff and Hoffman said that regular Ukrainian drone attacks would be valid reasons for closing Russia's airspace.

Hoffman added, however, that "the Russian regime, of course, has a great incentive to keep its airspace relatively open in order to signal a sense of normalcy and control to the Russian public and international audiences."

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Stijnman also said that "these developments increase the chance that restrictions may be deemed necessary in Russia."

"Ultimately, it is a decision based on a cost-benefit analysis by individual airlines and/or the Kremlin," he said. "What are the (perceived) economic and societal costs of airspace restrictions versus the current state of affairs?"

Emergency services work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan on Dec. 25, 2024. (Issa Tazhenbayev / AFP via Getty Images)

Airport ground staff and medics assist Azerbaijani citizens who survived the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, upon arrival at Baku's Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Azerbaijan on Dec. 26, 2024. (Stringer / AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Layton argued that "Russia's large size makes air transport a very important means of travel."

"Combining that with the desire of the Russian government for civilian air operations to continue as normal, it is unlikely that parts of Russian airspace will be permanently closed," he added.

"On the other hand, short duration closures due to Ukrainian missile and drone attacks and Russian air defense responses may become increasingly common in airspace in western Russia and within, say, 750 kilometers of Ukraine."

Read also: Ukrainian drones strike deeper into Russia, aiming to break war machine, sow discontent

Tensions with Azerbaijan

Apart from shining a spotlight on air safety, the Dec. 25 crash may also create problems for Russia's relations with Azerbaijan, from which the plane flew, and Kazakhstan, where it ended up crashing.

"Azerbaijan is asserting itself and has serious ambitions," Vadim Dubnov, a Caucasus expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Kyiv Independent. "A state with such ambitions, as a regional leader, cannot afford to let such things (as the plane crash) slide."

Dubnov also said that "Azerbaijan leads the shortlist of countries that have learned to convert neutrality into benefits."

"Azerbaijan leads the shortlist of countries that have learned to convert neutrality into benefits."

"It doesn't condemn Russia but maintains a certain level of decorum toward Ukraine," he added. "Azerbaijan is using Russia and the current situation to strengthen itself and realize its own ambitions. The war helps it greatly, and Azerbaijan is exploiting it to the fullest."

Dubnov said that during negotiations with Russia, Azerbaijan would likely recall that Baku apologized to Moscow after shooting down a Russian helicopter by mistake during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh, a former Armenian-backed entity on Azeri territory.

He also argued that "for Russia, the situation is much more complicated" since it is unlikely to directly admit that its air defense was responsible for the crash.

"(Russia) needs to acknowledge many things that it has never recognized before, which will also evoke numerous allusions, including comparisons to the Malaysian Boeing incident," he said. "At the same time, it cannot afford to ruin relations with Azerbaijan, nor can it completely ignore Azerbaijan's demands."

Dubnov said, however, that Russia and Azerbaijan would likely do their best to prevent their relations from deteriorating.

"Russia and Azerbaijan, as states that are quite similar in the style and aesthetics of their governance, understand each other's situations and difficulties," he said. "They have time to find a formula that will satisfy both sides. However, it will be very difficult, especially for Russia."

Read also: Russian air defense missile may have downed Azerbaijani plane, media say

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Survivors from the Azerbaijan Airlines flight that went down in Kazakhstan, a country in central Asia, are speaking out for the first time since the Christmas Day tragedy.

In a new interview with the New York Times published Friday, Dec. 27, two flight attendants  Zulfugar Asadov and Aydan Rahimli  and passenger Subhonkul Rakhimov spoke with the outlet following the deadly Dec. 25 crash.

Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 had been en route to Grozny, Russia, from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku with 67 people on board when it went down. Twenty-nine individuals survived.

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Thank God Im alive, Asadov told the Times in a phone interview from his hospital bed in Baku.

REUTERS Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan Zulfugar Asadov, a flight attendant on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan

I thought that was my last prayer, Rakhimov said, recalling how he began to pray after hearing a loud noise and observing damage to the airplanes fuselage.

Related: Dozens Dead After Plane Crashes on Christmas Day: Reports

Rakhimov, whose seat was in the back of the aircraft, continued describing the chaotic event, saying his body was hit. He also mentioned lots of twisting before hearing nothing but others moaning. I realized that we have landed, he said. I didnt know what to do  whether to laugh or cry.

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By the time Rahimli woke up, she had already been transported from the wreckage: I opened my eyes and saw workers. I asked where I was, and they said that we were in Aktau.

Anadolu via Getty A view of the crash site where an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed A view of the crash site where an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed

Flight attendant Asadovs daughter, Konul, shared how she learned her father had survived a fatal plane crash.

He told me, Dont worry, your father is alive, but the plane he was on crashed,  she said of receiving a phone call from her husband urging her to come home from work.

Related: Pilots Died with Dozens of Others in Christmas Day Plane Crash, but They Helped Half of the Passengers Survive

Konul had seen videos of the crash online, and was shocked that her father survived.

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When I heard his voice, she said, I thought I was being deceived, that he couldnt have survived something like that, that someone was faking his voice to comfort me.

AFP via Getty Emergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet Emergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet

She added that she usually checks in with her father before each flight, but because the weather was clear for his route that day, she did not.

I call him every time before the flight if the weather is bad, and after the flight I call my mom and ask if she talked to him, Asadovs daughter said.

According to the Times, a passenger recalled hearing a loud bang, then seeing flight attendant Asadov get hit in the arm with an object that pierced his skin, though it was unclear what the object was or where it came from.

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Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russian officials have launched an investigation into the crash, however Azerbaijan Airlines said the preliminary results showed the plane had suffered physical and technical external interference.

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In a statement from the airlines translated by the Times, the company said Friday regular flights to eight Russian cities had been suspended. Flights to Makhachkala in neighboring Dagestan were also grounded.

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Two abandoned backpacks containing approximately 78 pounds of cocaine worth over $1.1 million were found near the Canadian border in Washington, authorities said.

The discovery was made while agents assigned to the Blaine Sector were out on patrol Thursday, Dec. 19, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a Monday, Dec. 23 press release.

The Blaine Sector  which services the entire Western half of Washington, Alaska, and Oregon  found the two large black bags in a wooded area near the border in Lynden, Wash.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents seize more than $1.1 million worth of cocaine Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents seize more than $1.1 million worth of cocaine

Related: Pa. Man Allegedly Assaults Woman and Sets Fire that Spread to Multiple Homes

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They were found lying on the ground holding "30 brick-like packages containing a white powdery substance," with an estimated value of more than $1.1 million, per the press release.

After undergoing testing, the substance was confirmed to be approximately 78 pounds of cocaine and turned over to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson tells PEOPLE that the cocaine was smuggled in from Canada.

"Border Patrol on the U.S. side of the border and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police searched the other side, but no suspects were found," the spokesperson said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents seize more than $1.1 million worth of cocaine Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents seize more than $1.1 million worth of cocaine

Related: Suspect Accused of Setting Fire to Woman on N.Y. Subway Indicted on Murder, Arson Charges

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In a statement included in the news release, Chief Patrol Agent Rosario "Pete" Vasquez recognized the agents for their "vigilance."

Thanks to the vigilance of Blaine Sector Border Patrol agents these dangerous narcotics were prevented from reaching our communities. Our agents work tirelessly day in and day out to protect this nation, and this seizure highlights that crucial commitment," Vasquez said.

Over 68,000 pounds of cocaine have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2024, the agency notes on its website.

Getty Stock image of a vehicle of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Stock image of a vehicle of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The DEA classifies cocaine as a Schedule II drug, which is described as a "dangerous" substance "with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence."

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The agency explains that the physiological effects of cocaine include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dilated pupils, and insomnia. Widespread abuse can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes and death.



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JUNCTION CITY (KSNT)  Federal agents are investigating a reported bank robbery in Junction City this week.

Bridget Patton with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a press release that a bank robbery was reported at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 at the Sunflower Bank at 510 North Jefferson Street in Junction City. According to a news release from the Junction City Police Department, a man approximately 6-feet tall, entered the bank, showed a firearm and demanded cash. The man was last seen wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, cowboy boots, a black mask and a pink backpack.

Patton said the man fled the area on foot with an unknown amount of cash. The suspects face was covered during the incident and no injuries were reported.

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Seven DUI arrests made over Christmas holiday by Kansas state troopers

The Junction City Police Department urges anyone with information about this individual to

contact the Junction City Police Department at (785) 762-5912, Crime Stoppers at (785) 762-

8477, the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), or submit a tip online by clicking here.

Tipsters can remain anonymous. If you believe you have located the suspect, do not approach. Contact the Junction City Police Department immediately.

For more crime 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.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  Belarus authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 20 more people that rights activists describe as political prisoners, a statement on the president's website said Saturday.

The announcement came amid persistent oppression in the run-up to presidential elections next month that are likely to extend Lukashenko's decades-long rule.

Belarusian officials did not provide the names of those released, but the statement posted on the website of the president said that all of them had been convicted of crimes of an extremist nature."

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The statement said the group included 11 women and 14 of those pardoned suffered from chronic illnesses.

All of those released repented for their actions and appealed to the head of state to be pardoned, the presidential administration said in a statement, using wording familiar from a series of previous group pardons in the past six months.

Saturdays announcement marks the eighth such pardon by Lukashenko since the summer of 2024. In all, 207 political prisoners have been freed, according to Belarus oldest and most established human rights group, Viasna.

Most were jailed following mass anti-government protests in 2020, when Lukashenko secured his sixth term in a vote widely condemned as fraudulent.

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According to Viasna, over 1,250 political prisoners remain behind bars. No prominent opposition figures, many of whom have not been heard from for months on end, have been released.

They include Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Viasna founder Ales Bialiatski; Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who planned to challenge Lukashenko at the ballot box in 2020 but was jailed before the vote; and Viktar Babaryka, who was also imprisoned after gaining popularity before the election.

The mass pardons come amid a new wave of repression, said Viasna activist Pavel Sapelka, as Minsk prepares to hold new presidential elections in January 2025 that are likely to hand Lukashenko a seventh term in office.

Lukashenko is sending contradictory signals (to the West), pardoning some but jailing twice as many political prisoners in their place, Sapelka said. Repression is intensifying and authorities are trying to root out any signs of dissent before the January elections.

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Belarusian authorities engineer harsh conditions for political prisoners, denying them meetings with lawyers and relatives, and depriving them of medical care. At least seven political prisoners have died behind bars since 2020, according to Viasna.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for more than 30 years, is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins closest allies, allowing Russia to use his countrys territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and to deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will speak next month at one of the worlds biggest economic and political conferences.

Held in Davos, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum has routinely drawn some of the worlds most powerful figures and decision-makers. Next years conference takes place Jan. 20-24, and Beshears office announced Friday that the Kentucky governor will speak there to address economic success in the state and more.

While in Europe, Beshear will also meet with executives at Acerinox in Spain, the parent company of North American Stainless, which employs more than 1,600 people in Carroll County.

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High-powered speakers at Davos have included heads of state like President-Elect Trump in 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022, Chinese Communist Party Paresident Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former German Prime Minister Angela Merkel. The conference also features several movers and shakers in private industry and nonprofits.

Last years conference focused on the conflict in Ukraine, artificial intelligence, the future of China and more.

The press release framed the visit to the World Economic Forum as a way for Beshear to tout Kentucky on the world stage.

Over the past five years, weve worked hard to secure historic economic wins for our families and our state, and we will keep that momentum going by building new, strong partnerships through opportunities like the World Economic Forum. This trip will provide a chance to connect with growing companies that already operate in Kentucky, as well as those that we want to see invest in our state in the future, Beshear said in the release.

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Beshears presence at the meeting, often referred to simply as Davos, will also happen as the governors status rises in a Democratic Party thats looking for a new direction after losing the presidency, Senate and House in this years elections.

Beshear, 47, is one of several party leaders to receive mention as early contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. He recently made shortlists at POLITICO and The Guardian.

Earlier this year, Beshear was one of a handful of Democrats being considered for the vice presidential nomination alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in her hurried run for the White House. Ultimately, Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and the pair lost to President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance by a wide electoral college margin and a 1.5-point popular vote margin.

Before the Davos news and after falling short of the so-called veepstakes, Beshear has been turning heads on the national stage. In the immediate aftermath of Harris loss, Beshear wrote a New York Times oped offering a way forward for Democrats. He also formed a political action committee in key primary state New Hampshire and was elected as chair of the Democratic Governors Association, a heavy-hitting political and fundraising role.

Those moves amount to a solid, but still early, starting place for a potential 2028 bid, according to Democrats with ties to Kentucky.
Gyeong Hong Jong, a North Korean special forces operative who was killed by Ukraines Special Operations Forces (SOF) operatives in Kursk Oblast, has left behind a diary that is now being gradually translated. His notes reveal that North Korea has sent elite fighters to Russia.

Source: SOF of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: In a new entry, the soldier writes that he was sent thousands of kilometres to assist Russian forces for some alleged wrongdoing.

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Quote from the diary: "I was raised in the nurturing embrace of the Party, studying without concern for anything in the world. There is more unknown love than love that is known and accepted. I didnt know how to react to the happiness I was surrounded by.

Defending the homeland is the sacred duty of every citizen, and the greatest duty is to protect the nation, which is where my happiness lies. I wear the military uniform of revolution to protect the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. I was honoured with the opportunity to be promoted to sergeant major in my company. However, I betrayed my beloved Party, which had placed its trust in me, and committed acts of ingratitude against the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The sins Ive committed are unforgivable, but my homeland has given me a chance for redemption, a fresh start in life.

Now, I have no choice but to regain the trust I once had. I will go to the front lines in this operation and obey the orders of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un without question, even if it costs me my life. I will show the world the invincible courage and sacrifice of the Red Special Forces (Red Commanders) of Kim Jong Un.

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When we win the war and return to our homeland, I will submit a petition to the Party."

Details: In the previous (second) entry, he described how to hunt drones using live bait. One soldier distracts the drone while two others track it.

In the first entry, Hong Jong wished another soldier, Song Ji Myong, a happy birthday.

Background:

The United States said that North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine on the side of Russia in Kursk Oblast are committing suicide to avoid being captured by the Ukrainian defence forces.

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College students in Nashville and across the country have returned home for the holidays, toting full suitcases and exciting stories of a busy fall semester. Sadly, many young people also carry the burden of homesickness, struggles in their new environment or even the trauma of sexual assault.

The first few months of the academic year, from the start of the fall semester until Thanksgiving break, is known as the Red Zone and is a critical time for college students, especially freshmen, as they adjust to new environments and meet new people. But during this period, students also have an increased vulnerability to sexual assault: Over 50% of college sexual assaults take place over these weeks.

Freshmen are particularly vulnerable during the Red Zone as they adjust to new social dynamics. Exposure to alcohol and unknown environments can further increase these risks. The threat of drug-facilitated assaults is also a real and prevalent problem.

Sexual assaults in Nashville increased year over year

The risk of sexual violence is significant for young people across the country, but particularly in Nashville, where recent data highlights a troubling trend.

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A U.S. Department of Justice midyear report ranks Nashville 11th in the nation for reported rapes among 68 major cities.

The city reported 325 rapes in the first half of 2024, up from 267 during the same period in 2023.

There are at least 24 colleges in the Nashville area, making our city a community that should place extra importance on the safety of college students.

Teaching students about safety practices like location sharing and using a buddy system can help reduce risks and keep them and their friends safe, although the most effective way to prevent sexual violence is through primary prevention strategies that aim to stop perpetrators or potential perpetrators from offending in the first place.

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Opinion: These are the answers to the most common questions about sexual assault

By raising awareness, educating students and advocating for change, we can create a safer campus environment.

Raising awareness and promoting campus security is essential

Sexual Assault Center works closely with local colleges and universities, and local businesses like bars and restaurants, to develop strategies and provide training that enhance student safety.

We provide prevention programs and workshops for students, faculty and staff to raise awareness and promote campus safety.

President and CEO of the Sexual Assault Center Rachel Freeman, Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.

When the unthinkable happens, we offer counseling, advocacy and legal assistance for survivors and their loved ones.

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One important example is our SAFE Clinic, where sexual assault survivors are able to receive rape kits along with pregnancy and STI testing. All services are performed free of charge by compassionate and specially trained professionals.

Though the Red Zone is now behind us, theres a critical need to raise awareness and protect our students. Sexual Assault Center is committed to supporting survivors and preventing sexual violence year-round, and we need your help.

Learn about services, programs and resources

With the start of the spring semester just around the corner, I urge students, parents, educators and community members to take an active role in preventing sexual violence.

We all have a part to play in creating safe environments where students can thrive without fear. Its essential to empower our young people to look out for one another, intervene when they see something wrong and know that help is available if they need it.

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Sexual Assault Center is here to help. Learn more about our services, participate in our programs, and spread the word about available resources. Know that there is support for victims of sexual assault.

Rachel Freeman

Lets work together to ensure college campuses are safe places for students to learn, grow and thrive. Our students deserve nothing less.

Rachel Freeman is president of Sexual Assault Center. If you or someone you know is assaulted and doesnt know what to do next, a 24/7 support hotline is available in Tennessee. Call 866-811-7473.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sexual violence is rising in Nashville: Students are at risk | Opinion
Dec. 27BY DAVID BEARD DBeard @DominionPost.com The Biafora family business dispute wh Lake Lynn Generation following the summer drought continues to play out in federal court.

Marina 1 LLC, a Biafora family company doing business as Cheat Lake Marina, wants the case sent back to county circuit court. Lake Lynn wants it kept in federal court and wants the case dismissed.

The opposing motions  to remand the case to circuit court and to dismiss it  will be taken up at a March 17 hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in Clarksburg. Should the parties fail to reach a settlement at some point, a trial is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026  more than a year from now.

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Marina 1 filed suit Sept. 30, alleging that before the Labor Day weekend, Lake Lynn deliberately lowered the level of Cheat Lake below the 868-foot minimum in violation of its FERC license. This caused various damages, some of them irreparable.

Marina 1 is seeking $50, 000 compensation for property damages.

Both parties have spelled out their cases in a series of court filings.

Lake Lynn argues the case should be dismissed because it is "an impermissible collateral attack " on its FEC license, the federal court has no jurisdiction over how the company should prioritize competing FERC license requirements, and Marina 1's claims are preempted by federal law.

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Lake Lynn argues that in an emergency, such as last summer's drought, it may temporarily deviate from the minimum water level requirement in order to preserve the downstream oxygen levels. The company acted in compliance with its license and FERC has issued no violations.

Also, Lake Lynn argues, Marina 1's petition for compensation is tied to the FERC license and should be determined by a FERC proceeding, not a court ruling. Only FERC can regulate how lake Lynn responds to competing FERC requirements.

Marina 1, arguing its case to send the suit back to Monongalia County Circuit Court, where it originated, says Lake Lynn violated its FERC license.

But the violation did not violate any federal law meriting consideration in a federal court, Marina 1 argues. The Federal Powers Act grants FERC the ability to issue licenses and set requirements under those licenses. THE FPA is federal law. The FERC license is not federal law.

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Marina 1's allegations of strict liability, negligence and breach of contract associated with the request for $50, 000 monetary damages rely on state tort law, Marina 1 says, and are a matter for circuit court.

"This is a property damage claim. Defendant improperly lowered the water level of Cheat Lake. This action caused, and continues to indirectly cause, significant damage to plaintiff and many businesses alike. Defendant is liable for that damage and must compensate plaintiff, " Marina 1 says.

Lake Lynn summarizes its position: "Lake Lynn has not violated its FERC license ; it was required to temporarily deviate from the minimum reservoir requirement in response to emergency conditions, which its FERC license permits." FERC has already considered and accepted that severe drought conditions may have an adverse impact on boating marinas like Cheat Lake Marina. So Marina 1 must pursue and exhaust FERC administrative remedies before and the federal district court should dismiss the case.

Separately from the lawsuit, Marina 1 on Friday filed a comment in Lake Lynn's case applying for a new license to operate the hydroelectric project, citing the same issues and objecting to FERC issuing a new license.

Marina 1 said, "Lake Lynn, when lowering the water level, chose to harm Cheat Lake Marina, perhaps in retaliation against its outspoken public criticism of Lake Lynn's application and failure to maintain and care for Cheat Lake. As a result of the ongoing lower water level, Cheat Lake Marina's docks and businesses, along with the community alike, have suffered harm."
The last two mating seasons ended in heartbreak for Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear's beloved bald eagle couple.

Thousands of fans who eagerly follow the birds' antics via webcam were devastated when the birds' eggs were eaten by ravens in 2023. Earlier this year, fans were crushed when all three of their eggs failed to hatch  even after Jackie had spent 62 hours guarding them through a ferocious snowstorm.

The couple were spotted mating for the first time this season on Sunday, renewing hopes that the pair will successfully raise an eaglet (or two) in the new year.

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"I've been watching long enough to know that things will happen and we just have to accept what nature brings," said Sandy Steers, biologist and longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley. "But I'm optimistic and excitedly anticipate whatever adventure we get to go on this year."

Read more: Bald eagle Jackie spent 62 hours straight protecting her eggs. Next up: Pip watch

Friends of Big Bear Valley has run bald eagle webcams since 2015. Several feathered characters have come and gone, but Jackie and Shadow, who paired up in 2018, are by far the most popular. Webcam viewership hit an all-time high in March, when about 32,000 people tuned in at once in hopes of watching Jackie's eggs hatch, Steers said.

Fans are captivated by the big birds' big personalities and humorous relationship dynamic.

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"Jackie is very strong and independent and wants her way with everything," Steers said. Shadow will often let Jackie get her way but also has a mischievous streak and will not hesitate to pull her tail feathers when she's not looking.

Fortunately, Jackie is charmed by Shadow's cheekiness, and his teasing often leads to "beaky kissing sessions," she said.

Read more: The Big Bear Bald Eagle cam is the comfiest corner of the internet

Bald eagles are one of the rare creatures who mate for life, finding a new partner only if their previous one dies.

The celebrated American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak. In the early 1970s there were fewer than 30 nesting pairs in all of California, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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Their population rebounded from the brink of extinction thanks to the banning of DDT in 1972 as well as successful campaigns to protect their habitat and encourage their reproduction. Now, on some days, more than 1,000 bald eagles have been counted in California, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Still they remain an endangered species in the state, meaning there is more at stake than fans' feelings when it comes to Jackie and Shadow's breeding efforts.

Read more: Heres what we know about the legacy of DDT dumping off L.A.'s coast

Sadly, the odds are not in their favor.

Bald eagle eggs typically have a 50-50 chance of hatching, Steers said. Once hatched, fewer than 50% of eaglets survive their first year, according to the American Eagle Foundation.

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In Big Bear Valley, Jackie and Shadow face additional environmental challenges.

Their nest, which is perched 145 feet above the ground in a Jeffrey pine tree, is the highest bald eagle nest observed by a webcam in the country, Steers said. The community of Big Bear Lake sits almost 7,000 feet above sea level.

Low oxygen levels at high altitude are one of the reasons Friends of Big Bear Valley suspects Jackie's three eggs failed to hatch last year. Cold, snowy winters and rainy springs also dim young eaglets' chances of survival.

Read more: Sorrow for Jackie and Shadow, but two new baby eagles in Orange County

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Jackie previously lost two 6-week-old chicks to cold after a rainstorm. The eaglets were too old to fit under her feathers but too young to fully develop their own waterproof ones, Steers said.

In 2022, the couple were successful in producing a single eaglet named Spirit, who was considered by many to be a small miracle.

And despite previous failures, the lovebirds have continued to renew their bonds and efforts to produce chicks this year.

In the last few weeks, Shadow has been busy bringing sticks to the nest to woo Jackie and build up their home, Steers said. On Friday, Jackie brought a fish up to the nest  a sign she is preparing to hunker down and lay eggs.

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Steers hopes the couple will produce eaglets this season, but regardless of what unfolds, she is happy that so many people care.

"Our whole goal was to be able to let people see into the daily lives of nature, so that they could really appreciate what happens and fall in love with nature," she said. "And it's been beautiful to watch  I have people who will say things like, 'I never knew nature had it so hard,' or, 'Wow, it's so amazing to see what these birds are doing.'"

See the live webcam here.

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.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  The coroners office has identified the semi-truck driver who crashed into the California Aqueduct along Interstate 5 on Dec. 22.

The coroner said Raul Cibrian Navarro, 32, of Calexico was traveling north on Interstate 5, when he left the roadway and crashed in the California Aqueduct near Laval Rd. just before 5 a.m.

Bakersfield City holding two events to help shape the future of Old Town Kern

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The big rig almost became completely submerged following the crash.

Navarro was found in the semi-trucks cabin after the vehicle was removed around 2:46 p.m. He died at the scene.

The coroners office said CHP are still investigating the cause of the crash.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
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Yoyogi is the perfect little slice of Tokyo that has been hiding right under our noses. Its small enough that it flies under the radar of the tourist flocks, but lively enough to have cultivated its own micro-culture and food scene.

Giving a stage to that culture is Yoyogi Broadway. In a neat little section between Shinjuku Gyoen and Meiji Jingu, Yoyogi Broadway covers food and recreation in a way that will make you want to keep coming back. At one end youll find an izakaya (traditional pub) with an open-air rooftop adorned with lanterns, and at the other, a modern art gallery with a clean and minimalist aesthetic.

One of the reasons Yoyogi Broadway covers so much is that it encompasses three different sections, each with a welcoming atmosphere where customers and staff alike can get to know each other: Hoboshinjuku Norengai, the Souko Bekkan, and 10th Place. Hoboshinjuku Norengai gets its name from the traditional noren curtains at the entrance to restaurants, combined with gai meaning block or town. Unsurprisingly, the area is filled with eateries sporting noren with their own original designs. Soukou Bekkan is a covered area with neon lights and funky signs for all sorts of culinary options, creating an atmosphere inspired by the streets of Hong Kong. Finally, 10th Place is characterized by the eye-catching Broadway Diner and the modern stylings of GALLERY10 [TOH].

What might surprise you most about the attraction is how the scenery transforms between day and night. You might stumble across the mini Statue of Liberty on the way to visit Meiji Jingu during the day, only to find yourself asking is this the way we came? when you walk back to find lanterns glowing and beer flowing on your evening return.

But not every restaurant here is lit up with lanterns. Sushi no Darihan has an unassuming front door, with nothing but photos of the days catches and handwritten menus to tell you where you are. All the more energy for them to spend on finding the best, most affordable fish at Yokohama Port every morning. Every morning when were told what fish is coming in, the team decides how to use it together, they tell us.

Sushi no Darihans manager, Win, also spoke to their originality when it comes to food and affordability. Everyone is currently raising their prices, and the owner hates being like everyone else. This goes for the prices and the food itself. Other places often sell at 2.5x market price, but sometimes we even sell at market price. Its the same with our alcohol.

We think of ourselves more as a fish shop that happens to sell sushi, rather than a sushi place.

Sushi no Darihan opens for business at 4pm, a time you might usually be hard-pressed to find any non-chain restaurants open nearby. But at Yoyogi Broadway that is the norm, not the outlier. Most spots open at around 2pm here, and the gallery at 1pm. So you could easily visit the gallery, have a late lunch, and go bar hopping all in this one area and still feel like theres more to explore. You might find yourself wrapped in the smoky aromas of grilled yakitori chicken at Shinkei, or sipping on an elegant glass of red at Awadsutsumi.

To let visitors know where Hoboshinjuku Norengai begins and ends during their exploring, establishments are marked with a traditional numbering system using hiragana characters. If youre familiar with that alphabet or want to learn a few characters, look out for the following:          . Each one represents a different restaurant and is marked on the wooden maps youll find here and there. Small nods to tradition and izakaya culture like this can be found all across Yoyogi Broadway, adding to the overall atmosphere.

All these little touches make for pretty good photos, too. The entire area is a Japan travelers dream, with warm lighting and photogenic exteriors at every corner, and points of contrasting aesthetic for something different.

You can walk through the streets in the early morning to get the perfect camera angle with no visitors around, and return at midday for that dazzling afternoon sun and a peek inside GALLERY10. Or go later in the day to marvel at the creative graffiti on the terrace at teatime, then go izakaya-hopping with your travel partner in the evening. But however you choose to spend your time at Yoyogi Broadway, youll always be welcomed with a different atmosphere and plenty to take in.

metropolisjapan.com
Sir Tony Blairs government took seriously an apparent republican threat to poison Englands water supplies, records show.

The alleged plot by what was called the Republican Revenge Group appeared technically feasible, according to unsealed documents.

The British Embassy and the Papal Nunciature in Dublin received the information, which threatened to introduce weed killer into the water supply in England unless the British Government announced its intention to withdraw from occupied Ireland by the following day, in June 1999.

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The details of what turned out to be a hoax are now available to view in papers released by the Irish National Archives.

Three warning letters were sent to senior people, including Sir Tony, claiming that an improvised chemical weapon would be attached to fire hydrants in England, forcing a commonly available weedkiller called New Pathclear into the water supply, potentially poisoning hundreds of thousands of people.

They claimed they would launch a campaign of chemical warfare unless there was a commitment to a total British military and political withdrawal from Northern Ireland by June 16.

It has now been revealed that the technical processes had been checked and were feasible, because the threatening letter was cohesive and literate, and because it had been sent to the right people in the UK, including the appropriate water authorities.

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While the risk was low to life, contaminated water could threaten the lives of babies, and of people on dialysis.

However, the British Embassy in Dublin thought the letter might be a trick by loyalists designed to smear republicans.

The potential giveaway was references to HMG (Her Majestys Government) throughout the threat, a phrase unlikely to be used in earnest by a republican.

The media in London, including Irelands national broadcaster RTE and the Irish newspapers, were called into a government briefing and asked not to report the story, for fear of causing panic over what might well be a hoax.

A news blackout was imposed as the operation began to track down the blackmailer.

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The government promised that if a real threat was established, the public would be informed and said that the media would be told whether or not anything happened when the deadline ran out.

Meanwhile in Dublin, the Garda were cooperating with British police and quickly identified a suspect.

They arrested an ex-soldier from Scotland living in Dublin. He was described by some observers as a Walter Mitty character and he was never charged.

At the time police described the man as a maverick Irish republican after he was detained under the Irish Republics anti-terrorist legislation by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

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Irish police confirmed the man, in his 50s, was held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at Mountjoy station in the north of the capital.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  Inauguration ceremonies for five Honolulu Council members, one newly-elected and one returning, and Mayor Rick Blangiardi will be held on Thursday, Jan, 2.

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Blangiardi will officially begin his second term after taking his oath of office at Honolulu Hale at 9 a.m. with a formal program held at Mission Memorial Auditorium later in the evening.

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An opening oli and mele by Halau Hiiakainamakalehua and a traditional Hawaiian blessing by Kahu Kordell Kekoa will kick off festivities.

Honolulu mayoral race decided, So pumped: Blangiardi

Those in attendance will also have the chance to hear a keynote address by Hokulea Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson and an inaugural address by Mayor Blangiardi.

Serving this city has been the challenge, responsibility and privilege of a lifetime, and we are committed to building on the progress we have made together, said Blangiardi in a news release.

Blangiardis administration plans to double down on efforts to improve quality of life to create more opportunities for all.

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I feel our journey is just beginning, and I am excited to work for our city and our great team of dedicated, hardworking public servants to achieve our shared vision, he added.

The ceremonial swearing-in for the Honolulu City Council will be held at noon in the Council Chambers at Honolulu Hale.

Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald will swear in councilmember-elect Scott Nishimoto and returning councilmembers Andria Tupola, Esther Kiaaina, Radiant Cordero and Augie Tuba.

Check out more news from around Hawaii

Officials said Council Chair Tommy Waters will lead the inauguration and preside over the Councils first official meeting of 2025.

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To view the full agenda for the meeting, visit the Honolulu Records Collections 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 KHON2.
Next week, TV news in Tri-Cities will lose a long-familiar face when Chief Meteorologist Monty Webb signs off for retirement. The 62-year-olds decades-long career in meteorology is an accomplished one, and his personality is a favorite among viewers.

Webb announced his retirement last week, and his last day on air is scheduled for Jan. 3.

A lifelong lover of weather

Having always been interested in weather, Webbs start in meteorology came through the Air Force. As a forecaster in the 80s, hed have to hand analyze large, black and white maps that were printed off from two primary weather models, according to Webb.

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Then, he was involved in testing for upgraded systems, allowing forecasters to see inside storms for the first time.

It was like comparing your cell phone to the old rotary dial phone, Webb said in an interview with the Herald.

After he was medically retired from the military due to a blown-out knee, Webb set his sights on TV meteorology. With some help, he put together a demo reel and was eventually hired by KNDU, the NBC station covering Tri-Cities, Yakima and Eastern Oregon.

Longtime Tri-Cities meteorologist Monty Webb recently announced his retirement from the local NBC station, KNDU. After 10 years with the TV channel covering Tri-Cities, Yakima and Eastern Oregon, Webbs last official day on air will be Jan. 3, 2025.

This led to a fruitful, award-winning career, with meteorology positions in Seattle, Spokane, Boise, Chicago and Louisville. Ten years ago, he returned to his first station in order to work closer to family.

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Out of all the places that weve worked at, this has probably been our favorite, Webb said, speaking for himself and his wife.

Monty Webbs most memorable moments

After decades in the industry, Webb has had many unique experiences. From silly bloopers to devastating storms, hes had many memorable moments in meteorology. When asked about standout memories, he had several.

Like the time in Boise when he flew off a horses back on live TV while trying to show off his horseriding skills.

Or, while at KNDU, there was the time his shorts slipped while he was getting out of a dunk tank.

We had a half-moon. We almost had a full Monty, live on TV, Webb said. And the producer was like I tried to avert my eyes, but every monitor I looked at, I saw your butt.

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But there are also many serious moments hell remember forever. Webb really cherishes his time in the Air Force as well, as he realized just how life-or-death weather can be. He told the Herald he got to forecast for just about every location in the northern hemisphere during that time, sometimes for special missions that relied on weather conditions.

But one of the most memorable took place when he was Chief Meteorologist in Louisville, during the March 2012 tornado outbreak. It produced numerous tornadoes, including a massive EF4 tornado that nearly completely took out the town of Henryville, Indiana.

Webb told the Herald that the tornado reached speeds over 260 miles per hour, was a half-mile long and stayed on the ground for an hour straight. His team was on air for five hours that day without breaks.

While surveying the site with the National Weather Service the day after, Webb was looking at what remained of a local gas station. The owner approached and thanked the meteorologist, saying he watched Webb while preparing for the tornado. Following the broadcast teams direction to take cover, the owner instructed all customers to enter the walk-in freezer. They all lived.

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Thats probably the most serious and the most impactful, Webb said. That one is the one that just will forever be in my mind.

Adapting to a changing industry

Webb says hes had a blessed career, and one full of growth and vast change in the field as well.

Longtime Tri-Cities meteorologist Monty Webb recently announced his retirement from the local NBC station, KNDU. After 10 years with the TV channel covering Tri-Cities, Yakima and Eastern Oregon, Webbs last official day on air will be Jan. 3, 2025.

Throughout his career, meteorology has advanced a lot, as has TV news. Instead of hand analyzing printed maps, forecasts are now done using computers, with three times as many models and generated analyses. With each technological advancement, Webb has had to learn new systems and adapt to changing daily responsibilities.

As a meteorologist, you have to be willing to adapt, you have to be willing to deal with the unpredictable, he said.

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This skill goes beyond forecasting weather, and he says it has kept him adapting with the field for several decades.

Hes had to stay up-to-date with advancements in technology, working with computers and social media. When Webb started in TV, the daily expectation of a meteorologist was one main forecast. Now, theres numerous forecasts each day, with streaming channels, social pages and web updates.

Though hes kept up with the developing industries, and still loves the work he does, Webb felt it was the right time to retire. One thing hes loved about KNDU is its designation as a teaching station, meant to introduce young talent to the ways of the industry and shape them for jobs in bigger markets or with more responsibilities.

Webb says hes loved growing the industry, since someone has to take over for him now. The majority of his trainees have gone back to school to get their meteorology degree, including his morning show counterpart at KNDU, Sigmund Seroka.

Longtime Tri-Cities meteorologist Monty Webb recently announced his retirement from the local NBC station, KNDU. After 10 years with the TV channel covering Tri-Cities, Yakima and Eastern Oregon, Webbs last official day on air will be Jan. 3, 2025.

Monty Webbs retirement plans

But dont fret, youll still see Webb on KNDU from time to time. He told the Herald hell be filling in as needed.

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In retirement, Webb will spend time with his family. He has two daughters here in Tri-Cities and a son living on the west side, plus 12 grandchildren. A thirteenth grandchild is expected in January.

Webb and his wife love camping, especially with the grandchildren. They go on regional trips every year, and are planning a larger trip to celebrate retirement. Beginning in March, theyre going to visit Oregon then head to Phoenix and stay at the Luke Air Force Bases family campground.

He also plans to do a lot of fishing, especially at the Columbia River. Webb says he once caught an 11-foot sturgeon out of the Columbia.

Webb is also planning to get a Veterans Service Officer certification, which hell use to help other veterans navigate the services and resources available to them.

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In a parting message to viewers, Webb said the viewers have become an extended family to him, and hes always happy to meet them while out and about.

Thank you for inviting me into your home every single day, he said. I appreciate all of the viewers because without them, I really wouldnt have a job. They are the ones who, in my view, have always been responsible for feeding my family, for putting a roof over my head, because they watch and I cant express enough gratitude towards them.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Two bobcats spotted in Ravenwood Park have led to safety concerns for visitors in the Donelson-Hermitage area. However, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) said its a rare sight since bobcats are solitary animals.

Thats why Im so shocked! park visitor Carole James said after learning about the sighting while walking her dog. Im just surprised there would be bobcats in a park in Hermitage.

Hendersonville man accused of shooting deer from truck

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Several people visiting the park reported seeing the bobcats on social media. While theyre not worried about being attacked, they fear for their small pets.

Bobcats have always called Tennessee home, but they typically run away from people and only attack small prey. The TWRA believes as more rural land is developed, the chances of seeing bobcats will grow.

TWRA spokesperson Barry Cross advises everyone who encounters a bobcat to scare it away if it doesnt run away on its own. Also, make sure you keep any small pets away from the bobcats area to protect them from becoming its dinner.

13-Year cicadas swarm Middle TN over summer 2024

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You may not see them because theyre active early and late in the day, but theyre there, Cross said.

To learn more about bobcats, visit the TWRAs website. You can also send any bobcat pictures or videos to News 2s Kenley Hargett by emailing Khargett@WKRN.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 WKRN News 2.
Body camera footage from the incident that took place inside Marcy Correctional Facility resulting in the death of an incarcerated Greece man was released by the New York State Attorney General's Office Friday.

According to Attorney General Letitia James, Robert Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence at the Marcy Correctional Facility near Utica for stabbing his longtime girlfriend in 2016, died on Dec. 10 after an encounter with New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision officers at the facility on Dec. 9.

"As Attorney General, you have my word that we will use every possible tool available to us to investigate this death thoroughly and swiftly," James said. "These videos are shocking and disturbing and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them.

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"I also want to make clear that this video and the conduct of these officers should not reflect poorly on the work and professionalism of the countless correctional officers and correctional facility nurses throughout the state who go to work every day to protect and serve those in their care."

Here's what to know.

What does the video show?

Body camera footage from the incident that took place inside Marcy Correctional Facility resulting in the death of an incarcerated Greece man was released by the New York State Attorney General's Office Friday.

Brooks was moved from Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome to Marcy Correctional Facility near Utica on Dec. 9.

The four released videos came from body worn cameras of four correctional officers  Sergeant Glenn Trombly and correction officers Michael Along, Michael Fisher and Matthew Galliher. The cameras were turned on, however, since none of the officers activated their body worn cameras, the videos were recorded in standby mode with no audio.

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During the incident, in which Brooks' hands were handcuffed behind his back, multiple officers repeatedly punched him, hit him with a shoe, lifted him up by his neck, pushed him up against a wall and stripped him of his clothing before medical professionals entered the medical examination room to assess him.

Brooks was transported to a local hospital on Dec. 9 after the use of force by correction officers, the AG's Office said, and then pronounced dead at Wynn Hospital in Utica in the early morning hours of Dec. 10. An investigation was opened by the New York Attorney Generals Office of Special Investigation (OSI) on Dec. 16.

Warning: The video footage may be disturbing to some viewers

The video footage released by the Attorney General's Office can be viewed at the following link:

ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/robert-brooks.

Who was Robert Brooks?

Brooks pled guilty to first-degree assault, a felony, for stabbing his longtime girlfriend on April 18, 2016 and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in 2017.

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The couple, who shared a teenage child, were involved in a physical dispute at a Woodhill Drive residence that culminated in his girlfriend being stabbed numerous times in the upper torso with a knife, according to Greece Police. He ran from the scene when confronted by neighbors and was later apprehended by police.

Brooks was originally indicted on a two-count felony indictment including attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, according to court records. His plea satisfied both charges.

Marcy Correctional Facility incident: Hochul calls for firing of 14 officers after inmate death at NY prison

What Gov. Kathy Hochul has said about Robert Brooks' death

Gov. Kathy Hochul called for the termination of 14 individuals involved in Brooks' death earlier this week.

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"This action comes after I directed an internal review of the circumstances that lead to this individual's death," Hochul said in a written statement Saturday. "I once again offer my condolences to the deceased individual's family and loved ones.

"The vast majority of correction officers do extraordinary work under difficult circumstances, and we are all grateful for their service. But we have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse. Both the New York Attorney General and the DOCCS Office of Special Investigations are conducting ongoing reviews of this incident, and I am committed to accountability for all involved."

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans releases statement on death of Robert Brooks

"The brutal beating of Robert Brooks, captured in the videos released today by New York States Attorney General, was beyond horrific," Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said Friday. "My heart goes out to Mr. Brooks family and friends, and I call on all of Rochester to keep them in your prayers as they process this terrible incident. Those responsible for this appalling act must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law ... I expect justice will be served expeditiously."

Sen. Jeremy Cooney 'deeply disturbed' after watching beating at Marcy Correctional Facility in NY

I am deeply disturbed by the video footage released today of the violent death of a Greece native at Marcy Correctional Facility," Senator Jeremy Cooney said Friday. "The actions of these officers were completely unacceptable and an insult to the difficult work done by New Yorks correctional officers. Those responsible must be held accountable and I will closely monitor the Attorney Generals ongoing investigation.

Robert Brooks' family responds to deadly encounter

Brooks' family released a statement earlier this week after viewing the video of the incident surrounding his death.

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As expected, watching the horrific and violent final moments of Roberts life was devastating for his loved ones, and will be disturbing to anyone who views the video following its release by the Attorney Generals Office," the family's attorney Liz Mazur of Hughes Sokol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. said. "We will not rest until we have secured justice for Roberts memory, and safety for the prisoners at Marcy Correctional Facility.

And after the AG's Office released the video footage Friday, the family's attorney released another statement:

With the Attorney Generals release of these videos, members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks," Mazur said. "As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe. He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff.

What the correctional officers union said

The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc. issued a statement Sunday after some of the union's executive board members reviewed footage of the incident.

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"What we witnessed is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day," the statement reads. "What transpired at Marcy Correctional Facility is the opposite of everything NYSCOPBA and its membership stand for.

"This incident has the potential to make our correctional facilities even more violent, hostile, and unpredictable than ever before ... This incident not only endangers our entire membership but undermines the integrity of our profession. We cannot and will not condone this behavior."

New York State Sheriff's Association releases statement

"The Sheriffs of New York State are shocked, like all right thinking people, by the actions of State Corrections Officers at Marcy Correctional Facility which led to the death of Robert Brooks, as revealed by body camera footage released today," New York State Sheriff's Association president Sheriff Craig DuMond said Friday.

"No human being should be treated that way by another human being. And it is made even worse by the fact that the extreme cruelty was inflicted by those entrusted with the power of government, against those they were entrusted to guard and protect."

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Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Networks New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Body cam footage released in shocking beating death of Robert Brooks
Dec. 27Allegheny County detectives are treating the body found in Shaler Thursday as a homicide because the victim had an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

Few other details have surfaced since the discovery of the body by a passerby Thursday afternoon in a wooded area of Shaler.

Jim Madalinsky, public information officer for the Allegheny County Police, confirmed Friday that the body was male, but no identification has been made.

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County police issued a statement Friday that said the victim, an adult male, was dressed in multiple layers of clothing and was wearing a mask.

The body was reported about 2:30 p.m. in the woods off the 200 block of Hahn Road and transported to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office, according to police.

Shaler and Allegheny County police initially investigated Thursday, but the investigation has since been handed over to Allegheny County homicide detectives.

Hahn Road is flanked by woods on both sides with only a few homes. The nearest business is bus company ABC Transit.

Shaler police Chief Sean Frank was unavailable for comment Friday.

Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
Dec. 27Editor's note: This story includes descriptions of extreme violence.

Video showing the beating of Robert L. Brooks, who was incarcerated at Marcy Correctional Facility near Utica when he died following an assault by corrections officers, has been released by the state attorney general's office.

On Dec. 9, Brooks was taken to a medical wing at the state prison in Oneida County where a group of 14 staff  sergeants, corrections officers and nurses  surrounded him. Video of the incident, which started around 9:15 p.m., starts with Brooks near the entrance to the prison.

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Records indicate Brooks had been transferred to Marcy from nearby Mohawk Correctional Facility, both medium-security prisons. The incident that resulted in his death appears to have occurred immediately as Brooks arrived at Marcy. He was serving 12 years in state prison for stabbing his then-girlfriend in 2017.

Footage released from five corrections officers' body cameras shows Brooks on the ground near the fence surrounding Marcy. The footage released does not contain audio. A group of officers get Brooks to his feet and force his arms, in handcuffs, straight backward and over his head, forcing his torso parallel to the ground as they marched him to a nearby medical unit.

Once in the unit, the group of officers put Brooks into a small exam room and crowd into the space. Redacted footage cuts some details out, and with no audio the ongoing conversations between the officers, as well as apparent responses from Brooks, cannot be heard.

The officers put Brooks on an exam table, remove one of his shoes, and then suddenly start beating him with their fists while his arms are still restrained. Brooks had done anything to warrant being physically struck.

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They strike Brooks repeatedly while he remains seated on the exam table. The officers force Brooks to lie back on the table, exposing his stomach and chest while apparently talking to one another, while Brooks is motionless.

For about 10 minutes, the group of male officers repeatedly beat Brooks, striking him in the face, head, torso and groin. He appears to repeatedly lose consciousness, and the officers briskly rub his exposed sternum in an attempt to bring him back to consciousness. The officers use Brooks' own shoes as well as their fists to strike him.

It appears that one officer, with his back turned to most of the recording cameras, stomped on Brooks' groin during the incident, and uses his leg and foot to restrain Brooks.

Brooks is then pulled to a sitting position again, his face dripping blood, as the corrections officers strike him more on the face and head. One officer hits Brooks repeatedly with a shoe, while another takes him by the neck and pulls him up to a sitting position, then standing and back to sitting.

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In part of one video, an officer vigorously wipes blood from an apparent broken nose, holding Brooks's head as he pushes the paper towel into his face.

Brooks is pulled to his feet by the officers by his collar and shoulders. He appears unable to stand or hold his head upright. He also appears to be talking while the officers hold onto him, before he is pushed rapidly to a corner of the room, against what appears to be a window with its shades drawn. He is pulled up above one officer's shoulders by his clothing, and forced up against the window.

The footage ends after two nurses enter the room and appear to check Brooks for vital signs.

Brooks was taken to a hospital in Utica, where he died about seven hours after the beating. A medical examiner's report included in the court records found that Brooks suffered fractures and bleeding injuries to his upper body, groin, neck and head, and likely died as a result of compression of his neck causing asphyxia.

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None of the footage released was recorded by the cameras of the officers who beat Brooks, and it's not possible from the video itself to identify the officers who put hands on him, although the names of the officers whose body cameras recorded the incident are included with the footage released Friday. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has identified the officers, and court records filed Thursday specify the officers accused of using force on Brooks.

The staff involved, and facing termination over their involvement in the incident, are corrections officers Matthew Galliher, Nicholas Anzalone, David Kingsley, Nicholas Keiffer, Robert Kessler, Michael Fisher, Christopher Walrath, Michael Along, Shea Schoff, Anthony Farina and David Walters, as well as sergeants Michael Mashaw and Glenn Trombly, as well as nurse Kyle Dashnaw. Thirteen of these men are on suspension pending the investigation, while Farina resigned prior to his suspension.

The officers alleged to have beat Brooks are Anzalone, Farina, Kingsley, Walrath and Kessler.

At least one of those men, Kingsley, is from Jefferson County, with a listed address in Adams. Court records filed in Jefferson County on Dec. 24 indicate that state police sought an extreme risk protection order, an ERPO, against Kingsley to prevent him from possessing a weapon.

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Citing the ongoing investigation into Kingsley and his alleged role in Brooks' death, state police from the local troop based in Alexandria Bay argue that Kingsley poses a threat to himself or others, although the document doesn't indicate that Kingsley currently owns a weapon. The protection order was granted.

Some of the other officers accused of beating Brooks have also had ERPOs filed against them, but Kingsley is the only one to have the order granted as of Friday.

The investigation into this incident remains ongoing, but charges had not been filed against any of the involved staff members as of Friday afternoon. State police investigators union officials said that the inquiry has moved quickly and attorneys for the state are in receipt of their findings.

"We condemn the actions of the officers involved in the death of Mr. Brooks," the union said in a statement. "Our criminal justice system was founded on the notion of the safe and humane treatment of all people, and this was a breach of that trust."

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The footage from the officers' body cameras was released under a relatively new policy of the state attorney general's office to quickly make public footage of police brutality incidents the AG's Office of Special Investigations is handling. Attorney General Letitia A. James announced on Dec. 16 that OSI had opened an investigation.

The footage was released only after Brooks' family was allowed to review parts. An attorney for the family said in a statement Friday that the incident was extreme, but encouraged the public to witness it.

"As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe," said attorney Elizabeth Mazur. "He deserved to live, and everyone else living at Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff."

The videos can be viewed on the state attorney general's website, wdt.me/MarcyVideo. Viewers should be prepared for graphic scenes of extreme violence.

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The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, the union representing the corrections officers involved, said in a statement Dec. 22 that some members of its executive board had already viewed a portion of the body camera footage. The union wrote that "what transpired at Marcy Correctional Facility is the opposite of everything NYSCOPBA and its membership stand for."

The union wrote that it "will continue to fulfill its legal obligation to defend all members from all administrative charges, regardless of severity or public outcry. However, as more information becomes readily available, NYSCOPBA must continue to focus its efforts on advocating on behalf of those members who dutifully come to work every day and act with the professionalism and selflessness demanded of them."

NYSCOPBA added in a statement Friday after the footage was made public that "what we have witnessed is reprehensible. It is clear to all of us that these actions are a disgrace to our profession and have put everyone inside our facilities at risk."

"As correction officers and sergeants, we have a duty to protect every person inside a correctional facility. At all times, we must be ready to stop those seeking to do harm, and that includes fellow staff," the union's statement reads. "We, as an organization, stand in complete defiance of the callous disregard for the suffering that we have all witnessed on this video."

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What was contained in the footage had been hinted prior to the release, with officials trying to prepare the public for what proved to be violence that many are privately saying could lead to protests.

In a statement shortly after the video was made public, Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul said she was horrified by it.

"I have been clear that it is the responsibility of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to provide appropriate care and protection for those in its custody, and I will not tolerate anyone who violates that responsibility," she said.

Hochul had ordered an investigation into the death soon after it occurred, and last week called on DOCCS commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III to begin the process of firing the 14 staff members involved.

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"Once again, I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Brooks' family and loved ones as they grieve his tragic death," Hochul said.

Carl E. Heastie, speaker of the New York Assembly, said in a statement Friday afternoon that he was extremely disturbed by the footage.

"Mr. Brooks was shackled and defenseless, but that didn't stop corrections officers from administering a brutal and extended beating that can only be described as torture," he said. "Nothing about this incident serves to make our society safer  not the honest and hardworking personnel of our prison system who follow the law, not the incarcerated individuals they are charged with overseeing and certainly not the public."

Heastie said that those responsible for the beating and death, and those who stood by without intervening, should be held accountable.

"To Mr. Brooks' family, I extend my deepest condolences as they face this unconscionable tragedy," he said.
The Kentucky General Assembly will gavel in Tuesday, Jan. 7 for the start of its 30-day legislative session.

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, told lawmakers during a legislative preview in November that he wants the session to be focused on 30-40 bills to make the best use of the time allotted.

State Sen. Gary Boswell, however, believes thats probably more wishful thinking than reality.

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The first year I was up there they said, Look, this a short session, dont file any bills. There are bills filed; try to help us get those passed and dont file any bills, but nobody paid attention to that, he said. There were hundreds of bills filed. Last year we had one senator file 53 bills, and it takes up a lot of time.

What we talked about doing is trying to encourage everybody to not file a bunch of bills. I dont know if thats going to happen. Everyone has their bills. Two years ago we tried to get a lot of stuff in at the end.

While its certain numerous bills will be filed addressing an array of issues, Stivers said his main areas of focus will be tax consequences, housing and artificial intelligence.

I see the focus, and I think since the committee chairmen are trying to get in line, there will be a focus, Boswell said. The first thing were going to do is reduce the income tax. Thats going to be the focus. But there will be some other things.

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I think we will be narrowly focused to make sure things get done first; then it will be a free for all after that.

Boswell said the legislature will take the necessary steps to reduce the income tax from 4% to 3.5%. But hed like to see that reduction be put on a faster track.

I would drop it more while we have a chance, he said. If we want to eliminate the income tax, we need to go ahead and do it. We have a formula, and its a pretty good formula, but I think we could do better on the spending side. Ive supported it like it is, but for me, Id like to get it done.

At this pace, the likelihood of being able to accomplish getting it down to zero as the years go past, I dont know. I think the economy could absolutely blow up, and if thats the case, well have a huge surplus. Unfortunately, most governments, when they have extra money, they find a way to spend it.

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The legislature is also expected to address how artificial intelligence can be implemented.

Weve had seminars on it, and it can be pretty dangerous, Boswell said. So while its a great thing, we all realize it could be very, very dangerous if its not used properly.

Among the bills Boswell is working on is legislation that would remove the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives from the process of library board appointments. The KDLA currently sends two sets of nominees before a judge-executive can make their own nomination to Fiscal Court.

Every single board that I know of that involves a county government  the judge-executive and the county commissioners  the judge-executive makes the appointment with approval of Fiscal Court, Boswell said. Somehow the people in Frankfort have gotten involved in appointments, and I dont think its right. For me it was a three-ring circus (during the appointments in Daviess County). For me, its more important at the very beginning (of the process that) we dont have anybody outside involved in this process.

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If people dont like the judge-executives picks, just dont re-elect him. If people get mad at me, theyll pick someone else. I just think it was bad for the county to have to go through a process like that, which I felt was totally unnecessary.

Some have advocated for giving the judge-executive sole authority to make the board appointments if Fiscal Court cant agree on a nominee after two nominations, but Boswell said he cant support that idea.

Charlie (Castlen) and some of the judge-executives would like to say at that point they get to make a unilateral pick of the next person, without approval of Fiscal Court, Boswell said. I told him thats not going to happen. It sounds good, but you cant have a situation where the judge-executive has that much power. A judge-executive cannot act in a unilateral way. Right or wrong, the (commissioners) are the checks and balances, and they shouldnt agree on everything.

Boswell is also working on legislation to reduce licensing requirements to hunt and fish, with one of his focuses being to eliminate the orange card hunters are required to purchase. The orange card was implemented in 1991, at the behest of the federal government  which offered states monetary incentives to adopt the policy  as a way to improve hunter safety, with it requiring a shooting certification exam.

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But Boswell said with gun laws having changed dramatically since its implementation, as well as there being a one-time, one-year exemption available to having one, its time to end the policy.

Its causing people not to be able to participate in hunting, Boswell said. You can go on internet and purchase a hunting license, but it doesnt ask about the orange card. It was meant for hunter safety, but how can you say one of the most basic rights in the state of Kentucky, which is to go hunting, that youre not allowed to do that unless you go through a training course. The hunter safety test is online, but you have to go to a firing range to get the orange card. 

Boswell is also looking to remove requirements related to fishing in privately-owned waters.

In the state of Kentucky, if you have a lake in your back yard, you have to have a fishing license, he said. You should have the right to do with your lake what you want. Theres a difference between hunting and fishing; the fish are yours, stay on your property and your lake. But if I catch six 10-inch bass and filet them, technically, Im in violation of the law, because you also cant keep a fish under 12 inches.

What business does the state have trying to tell me what I can do with fish in my lake? its like having an apple tree but youre told you cant eat the small apples.
Dec. 27By Jeniffer Graham DPNews @DominionPost.com KINGWOOD  For 15 years, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Post 977 has been delivering Christmas boxes filled with food to local veterans and widows of veterans.

The group meets at Save-A-Lot in Kingwood and, with the help of management and employees, puts the boxes together.

"We make sure there's five good meals in every box, " Jim Savage, president of VVA 977 said. "This year the boxes had a sliced ham, hamburger, chicken, hot dogs, noodles, potatoes, green beans, oranges and apples, plus other items that could be used to make meals."

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He said the organization began the effort to lend a hand to veterans and widows who need a little help.

"They are our brothers and sisters in arms. Some are from the Korean War and a few served in World War II, " Savage said.

Christmas boxes are not the only projects Post 977 takes on during the year. The group also provides two $1, 000 scholarships to graduating students at Preston High School. The recipients are chosen based on patriotic essays submitted by students.

He said the group also donates to the Special Olympics and a few of the local volunteer fire departments.

Savage said funding for the projects comes from three 50 /50 raffles the group holds yearly and from donations.

To donate to VVA 977 send checks to Vietnam Veterans 977, P.O. Box 803, Masontown, WV 26542.
Two years after finally being identified, the "Boy in the Box" case continues to haunt Philadelphia.

The slain body of Joseph Augustus Zarelli, 4, was discovered in February 1957 in Philadelphia's Fox Chase neighborhood. He was naked, severely beaten and stuffed into a cardboard box.

The case received substantial publicity, but for 65 years the boy's identity remained a mystery  leading to the moniker "America's Unknown Child," which was inscribed on his tombstone.

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In 2022, Philadelphia police announced they had finally cracked the case of the boy's identity following new breakthroughs in DNA testing. But the larger mystery remains: Who killed the boy, and what were the circumstances that led to his death?

The Discovery and the Doldrums

The young boy's body was discovered in a wooded area off Susquehanna Road in Philadelphia on Feb. 25, 1957. He was nude, wrapped in a blanket, and had been placed in a large box that had held a bassinet purchased at JCPenney.

He was severely malnourished and had apparently been beaten to death. He also bore the signs of having recently been given a haircut and a nail trimming.

Police plastered posters of the boy's face all over the city, and newspapers across America printed his picture, hoping to identify him and find his killer.

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Authorities pursued hundreds of leads: One theory held that he came from the nearby foster home; another proposed he was a refugee from communist Hungary whose family had fled the recent revolution. One woman would claim her mother had purchased the child from human traffickers and kept him in their basement, ultimately beating him to death and disposing of the body.

But all the leads amounted to nothing, and "America's Unknown Child" remained unidentified.

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 Breakthrough

In December 2022, nearly 66 years after his discovery, Philadelphia police announced they had finally identified the boy in the box: His name was Joseph Augustus Zarelli, and he was 4 at the time of his death.

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The identification was the result of major breakthroughs in the science of DNA profiling. Police exhumed the boy's body in 2019, but efforts to extract usable DNA took about two-and-a-half years, said Colleen Fitzpatrick, president of Identifinders International, at a 2022 press conference.

When they finally recovered a snippet of genetic data, they were able to match it to a distant cousin who had uploaded a profile to Ancestry.com using an at-home kit, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

From there, investigators were able to ascertain the child's family  and after obtaining a court order for vital records related to the child's suspected mother, they found Joseph's birth certificate, the Associated Press reported.

In January 2023, a new headstone was dedicated at Joseph's grave site featuring his name and his picture, restoring the identity of the long-unknown boy on what would have been his 70th birthday.

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Related: Philadelphia's 'Boy in the Box' Identified After 65 Years in One of City's Oldest Unsolved Murders

The Enduring Mystery

Identifying Joseph was just one piece of the puzzle in solving the Boy in the Box mystery. Authorities still don't know how he died, or who killed him.

The passage of time makes the job only harder: Joseph's parents are both dead, and having evaded capture for nearly seven decades, there's a good chance the perpetrator is dead, too.

But the case remains open and investigators are hopeful they can finally give closure to Joseph's living siblings and the city of Philadelphia.

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Captain Jason Smith, leader of the Philadelphia Police Department's homicide unit, said in 2022 that authorities were hoping for an "avalanche of tips" after the boy's identification.

"I'm hopeful that there's somebody who is in their mid-to-late 70s, possibly 80s, who remembers that child," said Smith. "There would have been somebody out there that would've seen this child. Perhaps another family member that hasn't stepped forward, possibly a neighbor that remembers seeing that child, remembers whatever occurring at that particular household. That's what I'm hoping comes out of this."



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The caboose in a long train of storms is in sight along the Pacific coast from Washington to Northern California. But AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the last rounds of rain can trigger flash flooding and mudslides, and lowering snow levels over the Cascades and Sierra Nevada can stall travel into Sunday night. Big waves will continue to pound the California coastline.

Rain of varying intensity from the final storm in the series will pour down and continue into Sunday from western Oregon to Northern California and western Washington. Rain totaling 4-8 inches will occur mainly from southwest Oregon to Northwestern California. The AccuWeather Local StormMax rainfall of 18 inches can be approached over the west-facing slopes of the Coast Ranges, Siskiyous and Oregon Cascades.

Rainfall of this magnitude, on top of saturated ground from prior storms, is more than enough to lead to flash flooding of urban areas and small streams, mudslides and road washouts.

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Enough rain will fall to make roads slick in at times in Seattle, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, as well as Sacramento, California, Eugene, Oregon, and Astoria, Washington.

Winds will become strong enough from Northwestern California to southwestern Washington to tip trees over in the saturated soil and cause large tree limbs to break in some cases. Both can trigger sporadic power outages. Winds from the west will help to drive large swells toward the California coastline into Monday. The big breakers will create dangerous surf and strong rip currents for Southern California beaches.

Snow levels that were initially well above Donner Pass, California, into Saturday night, have plummeted on Sunday, AccuWeather Meteorologist Haley Taylor said.

"A quick burst of snow into Sunday night can bring 6-12 inches of snow over the northern Sierra Nevada," Taylor said, "It may end up closer to 6 inches over the pass, but that is more than enough to cover roads and potentially hinder travel."

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Blizzard conditions are possible for a time over Donner Pass into Sunday night, which could shut down Interstate 80.

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Farther north, especially the Washington Cascades, snow levels will hover at or just below the passes, and the snow will pile up into Sunday night with a general 6-12 inches of snow likely, Taylor added.

As the storm pushes inland, spotty snow, especially over the mountains in eastern Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, and the northern parts of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, will ramp up from Sunday to early Monday. A general 6-12 inches of snow will fall over the higher elevations, with more possible on some of the ridges, peaks and ski resorts. All or mostly rain will fall over the lower elevations in this zone, including Boise, Idaho; Salt Lake City and Spokane, Washington.

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The storm and its rain and mountain snow will avoid nearly all of Southern California and southern Nevada. Soil conditions will remain dry as a result. As the caboose storm moves inland, high pressure will build over the Great Basin early this week.

The setup for Southern California is likely to trigger a Santa Ana with northeast winds from Tuesday to Wednesday, they may begin as a Sundowner event with northerly winds Monday night.

Even though the wind event may not be too strong, it will substantially increase the wildfire danger. As a result, the use of open flames for cooking and construction, and fireworks for celebration activities is not recommended.

The strongest winds may be easing up for the parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year's Day morning. Downtown Los Angeles is often sheltered from Santa Ana winds due to the bowl-like basin the city sits in.

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A pause in the storm train is coming for areas from western Washington to Northern California, spanning Monday to most of Tuesday.

The storm break will allow cleanup operations to commence and provide decent travel conditions in the region.

The next storm will likely bring low-elevation rain and mountain snow by New Year's Day to areas as far south as the northern tier of California.

Additional storms with some rain and mountain snow are likely to follow later in the week, but they do not appear to be as potent or carry as much moisture as the storms from the latter part of December.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Miss Brenda, you will be missed, said Brandi Mizell, a 2009 graduate of The Lovelady Center. You are cherished; you will be in our hearts always.

Fridays memorial service for Dr. Brenda Lovelady Spahn, best known as Miss Brenda, provided those who spoke with the opportunity to honor the memory of a woman many regarded as the embodiment of love.

The ceremony, held at the Church of the Highlands in Irondale, was described by her grandson Benjamin Gregory as a celebration of her life.

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The tears have come, theyre both joy and sorrow, Gregory said. A little bit of both at the same time. I think seeing her impact on people has just made today very emotional.

Spahn, the founder of The Lovelady Center, passed away at the age of 75 on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Those who knew her best said her legacy will live on in the thousands of womens lives she touched through her groundbreaking work.

Alabama Republicans, Democrats say more work needs to be done with their parties in 2025

The Lovelady Center is the largest faith-based recovery facility for women and their children in the nation.

Since its inception in 2004, more than 19,600 womens lives have been impacted according to the centers director of development, Frank Long. Their childrens lives have been impacted as well.

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She was a woman of faith with a pioneering spirit, said Lestley Drake, the pastor of The Lovelady Center.

Spahn was an ordained minister, and she received an honorary doctorate from Tennessee Temple University.

Miss Brendas light has not gone out, said State Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, who added that she had answered to a higher calling. Her light continues to shine.

Coleman-Madison read aloud a resolution honoring Spahns memory and work.

The Chief of Staff for Jefferson County Commissioner Lashune Scales also presented a resolution to the family as an official testament to the Jefferson County Commissions heartfelt sympathy and appreciation for Spahns many contributions to Jefferson County, the State of Alabama and the country.

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American Red Cross in need of blood, platelet donors

Spahn launched the center back in 2004, starting with seven inmates from Alabamas Julia Tutwiler Prison in her own home, focusing on how to live a life free from drugs and crime.

She just had this fire that lit you up. It was contagious, noted said Wall, a graduate of the program who now runs the centers dental clinic.

Hundreds of women from The Lovelady Center attended Fridays memorial service.

A reception was held afterwards in her honor at The Lovelady Center on 2nd Avenue South.

Her daughter, Melinda MeGahee, who is now the centers executive director, described what she believes her mothers legacy will be.

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Continue to help those coming out of incarceration, coming off the streets out of addiction, MeGahee said.

She added that her mothers legacy also includes continuing to help those women develop a relationship with God.

Spahn leaves behind her husband Jeff Spahn, five children and 29 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to The Lovelady Center in her honor at www.loveladycenter.org

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DELRAY BEACH  Three firefighters and 12 train passengers were hospitalized after a Brightline train crashed with a fire truck in crowded downtown Delray Beach late Saturday morning.

The crash took place about 10:45 a.m. near the intersection of East Atlantic Avenue and Railroad Avenue, city officials said.

Two of the firefighters were transported as trauma alerts in serious condition, according to Delray Beach Fire Rescue Chief Ronald Martin, who had just arrived at the scene of the crash from Delray Medical Center, where he had been visiting the firefighters. A third firefighter was also transported.

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The two taken in serious condition are now stable but will most likely have prolonged admission at the hospital, Martin said.

Delray Beach Police Traffic Sgt. Matt Sarazeni, who is investigating the crash, said all firefighters had been conscious at the hospital.

The Brightline passengers were hospitalized with minor injuries. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue assisted Delray Beach Fire Rescue in taking people to the hospital.

The Brightline train remained stopped on the tracks closer to East Atlantic Avenue well into the afternoon, its front crushed, about a block away from a twisted fire truck, split in half and lying on its side. Its ladder had been ripped off and lay in the grass several yards away.

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We will begin our evacuation procedures momentarily, an announcement could be heard blaring from the trains speakers about 12:30 p.m. Shortly after, passengers began evacuating from the stopped train onto a new train. Later, workers would come to disassemble the stopped train to remove it from the tracks, city officials said.

Debris could be seen scattered along the stretch of tracks starting at the railroad crossing at Southeast First Street all the way to the crossing at East Atlantic Avenue.

It remains unclear what caused the crash. Officials have not said why the truck was on the tracks or if the rail crossing arms were down at the time. Delray Beach Police, Brightline officials, and the National Transportation Safety Board are all investigating.

Streams of passers-by flocked to the scene from Atlantic Avenue, where they had been working, enjoying brunch or shopping, taking videos and asking officials what had taken place.

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Jordan Kotellos was working as a barback nearby when he heard a loud bang and thought the train had derailed. He ran over with another barback, where he said he saw a firefighter lying on the ground, bleeding while a woman put his head on her knee to keep it elevated. He said he also saw another injured firefighter.

Ive worked on the Ave for ten years and this is the third incident Ive witnessed, Kotellos said, citing a pedestrian fatality and a woman who got stuck. Why have train tracks in one of the busiest spots in Delray?

East Atlantic Avenue at Southeast First Avenue is temporarily shut down due to the investigation, city officials said in a news release Saturday afternoon, saying authorities anticipate that the roadway will reopen once the investigation and any necessary cleanup are complete.

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A Brightline train collided with a fire truck at East Atlantic Avenue and Southeast First Avenue in downtown Delray Beach on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

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Editor's note: This story has been updated to include new information.

DELRAY BEACH  Brightline posted a video Saturday night that appears to show a Delray Beach Fire-Rescue ladder truck driving around lowered crossing gates in the moments before a collision Saturday afternoon that split the truck in half and left 15 people injured.

"Railroad safety is a community wide effort," the company said in a post accompanying the video footage on X. "For everyones safety, never drive around crossing gates when they are down."

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Three firefighters and 12 passengers were injured in the crash, which occurred at about 10:45 a.m. Saturday along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks a block south of Atlantic Avenue, across the tracks from the Delray Beach Market food hall.

City officials said Saturday the three Delray Beach Fire-Rescue workers were in stable condition at a local hospital and 12 people from the train were treated for minor injuries.

It wasn't clear why the ladder truck crossed the tracks in front of an oncoming train. The cause of the crash is being investigated by Delray Beach Police and the National Transportation Safety Board, city officials said in a news release.

Brightline, which operates daily trains between Miami and Orlando, did not respond to a message seeking comment. Saturday evening, the company posted the video of the moments before the collision.

A Delray Beach Fire-Rescue ladder truck lies in ruins Saturday afternoon after a collision with a Brightline train in downtown Delray Beach.

From the Brightline Safety and Security Team: Railroad safety is a community wide effort. For everyones safety, never drive around crossing gates when they are down. pic.twitter.com/6TSeHHOuyq  Brightline (@GoBrightline) December 29, 2024

Jordan Kotellos, a barback at Throw Social on Southeast Second Avenue, said he heard a bang when the train and truck collided. He ran out the bar's rear door to encounter a chaotic scene just a few steps past the rear parking lot.

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The ladder truck lay on its side, split in two. One of the three firefighters had been flung from the truck and lay in the grass bleeding, he said.

One guy got thrown, he said. It was hard to see, man. It was terrible.

It wasnt his first time witnessing a train collision in the downtown area. In March, he said, he was working in a nearby bar when a woman standing on the tracks was struck and killed by a Brightline train.

A Brightline passenger train sits near downtown Delray Beach on Saturday afternoon after colliding with a Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck.

At least five people have been killed this year in Palm Beach County in collisions with Brightline trains, including two along the same stretch of tracks in downtown Delray Beach where Saturday's crash occurred.

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The crash left one of the city's ladder trucks destroyed, but the department has two or three other ladder trucks it can rely on when aerial ladders are needed, said retired Delray Beach Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Kevin Saxton.

Saturday's collision between a Brightline train and a Delray Beach Fire Rescue ladder truck split the truck in half.

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East Atlantic Avenue, the city's commercial corridor, was closed at Southeast 1st Avenue for hours Saturday as police investigated the collision. As the sun began to set, two large tow trucks worked in tandem to remove the truck's debris.

The train had since pulled away. News photos from just after the accident showed the Brightline engine with a destroyed front.

Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brightline train strikes Delray Beach Fire-Rescue truck
The British Army has been training Ukrainian troops in mental health first aid, it has been revealed.

Earlier this year as an extension of Op Interflex, the British-led multinational operation to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the British military started quietly teaching Ukrainian officers and commanders how to detect and manage signs of battle stress in their soldiers.

The Combat Stress Signposting Course (CSSC) was launched following a rise in recruits reporting trauma exposure and mental health struggles and was initiated on the request of Ukraines armed forces moral and psychological support department.

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In September 2023, the trainees who attended Op Interflex had the highest combat experience to date at that point with 91 per cent of that training cohort having prior experience.

Figures showed that 91 per cent of them had experienced indirect fire, 69 per cent had experienced close quarters combat and 74 per cent had treated battlefield casualties.

The immediate impression was the group had combat fatigue with several showing mental health troubles.

As combat mental resilience practitioners, who are officially termed control stress operators, the Ukrainian commanders will be responsible for helping their soldiers manage the stresses of war.

The casualty simulation training exercise is part of the Interflex programme - Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty

Developed with input from Ukrainian military psychologists alongside specialist mental resilience and mental health practitioners from UK Defence, the five-week course equips soldiers with battle shock management techniques for before and during combat, as well as trauma risk management and signposting for clinical support following the fight.

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An example of the battle shock management techniques being taught by British soldiers includes iCover, which is a six-step technique that can be delivered to a person in acute stress to get them back to a functioning state in less than a minute.

They are also being taught mindfulness grounding exercises that help a soldier override their fear or stress in the heat of battle.

Resilience can be spread

Luke Pollard, the Armed Forces minister, said: The Ukrainian people are fighting with huge courage to defend their country, and it is our duty to put them in the strongest possible position.

With hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers receiving mental health first aid training before returning to the front lines, resilience can be spread throughout the ranks of those fighting Russias illegal invasion.

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The UK will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine throughout 2025 as we have done this year.

Last month, Ukraine passed 1,000 days of war, since Russia invaded on Feb 24 2022. In June that year, Op Interflex was launched and to date has trained 51,000 soldiers.

The CSSC course will be delivered through the existing Interflex training programme, with 100 troops so far trained and a further 180 more to be trained next year.

The Ministry of Defence said that the course was a reflection on the evolving needs of the Ukrainian armed forces and the increasing exposure to conflict and combat among its personnel.

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The course is broken into two phases. The first phase lasts three weeks and is a theoretical, classroom-based programme, before progressing to the second phase, where the trainees are sent to an Interflex training unit to support Ukrainian personnel who are being trained in infantry soldier skills with mental resilience.

The CSSC trainees are able to put into practice the theoretical skills they have learnt, providing support, combat stress management, mental resilience training, pastoral and welfare support to the Interflex trainees as well as practising their ability to identify, triage and support soldiers exhibiting signs of battlefield or combat stress.

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CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  The Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office is urgently searching for a woman.

According to the sheriffs office, deputies say the woman was last seen in the 5100 block of Shreveport Blanchard Highway.

Caddo Sheriffs searching for missing woman. (Credit: CPSO) Caddo Sheriffs searching for missing woman. (Credit: CPSO)

She was captured on a surveillance camera, walking around appearing very distraught. They say she possibly has a weapon in her hand.

Anyone with information on the identity of this woman, please call 911 or CPSO at 318-675-2170.

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FRESNO, Calif. (AP)  California Justice Department officials are investigating the death of a man who was shot by his parole officer in the early afternoon of Christmas Eve, authorities said Friday.

Jeremy Sanchez, 26, was being visited by the agent at his home in Fresno when a physical altercation broke out between the two, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement.

The officer fired his weapon and hit Sanchez, the department said. The officer is said to have tried to perform lifesaving measures, but Sanchez died at the scene.

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Fresno police officers responded after three gunshots were heard in the area, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The parole officer involved has about 13 years of experience, CDCR spokesperson Pedro Calderon Michel said. Michel declined to release more information, including the name of the officer.

Fresno County court records show Sanchez served time after being convicted of domestic violence and resisting an officer. He also had an open misdemeanor vandalism case.

The incident is being reviewed by the Justice Department in line with state law, which requires it to investigate all officer-involved shootings that result in the death of an unarmed civilian.

The CDCRs Deadly Force Review Board will also review it after the criminal and administrative investigations, the department said.
Despite all the noise surrounding the California exodus, or mass migration out of the countrys most populous state, California grew in population in 2024  although that growth wasnt massive.

The United States Census Bureaus 2024 population estimates show that The Golden State is still on top for the U.S.  as expected.

About 39,431,263 live in California, as of July 1 of this year. That number was 39,198,693 on the same date in 2023  meaning that the population increased by about 232,570 people, according to the Census Bureau.

A pedestrian crosses a street in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)

Now, thats still more than 120,000 short of where the state was in 2020, as pandemic job losses combined with rising housing costs and ideological differences relating to the COVID-19 pandemic led to the population decline in the next couple of years. That dip caused the state to lose a congressional seat.

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But with the new data, it appears as if the dust has settled from the pandemic and California is still in a steady spot. While California lost more people through domestic migration (from state to state) than any other state (-239,575), it gained more through international migration (361,057) than any other state besides Florida.

California was one of 33 states that had a natural increase, meaning that more people were born than died during the 12-month period. The states population naturally increased by 110,466.

That loss in domestic migration, however, could still set off red flags to the state government. A study conducted in October showed that a majority of California residents have considered leaving the state at one point.

Politics could, of course, be in play with that figure  as the heavily Republican South is easily the fastest-growing region in the country. While California is solid blue, it still has the highest population of Republicans in the country and many mainstream politicians, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for the exodus.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) debates California Gov. Gavin Newsom (right) on Fox News in June 2023.

In a celebratory response to the new numbers, however, Newsoms office simply called the return a positive population growth a response to the pandemic.

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With increasing international migration and deaths returning to long-term trends, a stable foundation for growth continues, a news release reads in part. California is likely to experience gradual but positive growth for the near future as net domestic migration is expected to recede to the lower rates of the 2010s.

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Dec. 27If states had New Year's resolutions, one of New Mexico's would likely be to stay off of "worst states for drunk driving" lists in 2025.

Fortunately, some of its largest counties, Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe, have partnered with Cumulus Media once again to give vouchers to those ringing in the New Year with a few drinks.

The Take a Ride on Us program is running from now until 2 a.m. Thursday, Jan 2, offering those who need a sober ride home an Uber voucher with the code "NMNYE24" for $10 off two trips. The maximum number of vouchers for the New Year's campaign is 2,500.

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Drinking and driving is a significant problem in New Mexico, with 40% of fatal traffic crashes involving alcohol, and 8,329 DWI arrests in 2023, according to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.

But ringing in the New Year behind the wheel and after a few drinks is a national problem. In 2022, 37% of traffic fatalities during the New Year's holiday period were due to an impaired driver, according to the National Safety Council.

The Take a Ride on Us program was created in 2017 after Bernalillo County got rid of its complimentary Tavern Taxi service due to funding issues.

"When we found out that happened, we got together with New Mexico Department of Transportation and their ENDWI program over a conversation. ... We thought, 'Look, this program, the Tavern Taxi has gone away. What can we do in the community to try and pick that back up?' Jason Martinez, director of sales for Cumulus Media, told the Journal on Friday.

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"We came up with the idea of 'Take a Ride on Us.' It was drawn up on a napkin over a quick conversation," Martinez said.

Seven years later, Cumulus Media has spent $515,000 on 51,000 rides, $465,000 of which has been spent in Bernalillo County.

The rides aren't just offered for New Year's celebrations, as the vouchers are offered around other holidays such as Christmas, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, as well as around big local events like the Balloon Fiesta or to and from Lobos or United games.

"Bernalillo County contributes $80,000 to this annual effort. The county's financial contribution comes from liquor excise taxes  additional taxes that New Mexico retailers and consumers pay when purchasing alcohol," Estevan Vasquez, a spokesperson for Bernalillo County, said in a statement.

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Incentives and education locally are what keep Erica Abeyta, Bernalillo County Behavioral Health Services Community Program manager, hopeful New Mexicans won't drive impaired.

"This really does incentivize getting home safe and we know money is tight for folks," Abeyta said. "It's been a very successful program."

Abeyta believes that the Take a Ride on Us program is essential to keeping the streets safe and the funding is crucial.

"At the end of the day, you can't put a price on human life, and so we really do wanna make sure that folks, if they choose to consume alcohol, do have that plan again to get home safe," Abeyta said.
A student athlete at Carl Sandburg College was killed Wednesday in a Rock Island County crash on Interstate 80.

According to Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson, Joan Jepngetich, 24, of Galesburg, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Joan Jepngetich (Carl Sandburg College)

The cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries because of a single-vehicle accident, Gustafson told Our Quad Cities News. A death investigation continues by Illinois State Police Troop Two, Illinois State Polices Accident Reconstruction Unit and the Rock Island County Coroners office.

A Facebook post from Iowa Central Community College Track & Field says Our thoughts and prayers are with Joans family, friends and the members of the Carl Sandburg College Cross Country/Track & Field team.

And the college provided a statement to Our Quad Cities News: Iowa Central Community College was saddened to learn of the passing of Joan. Although she attended here only one year, Joan had a very positive impact as a student-athlete here on our campus. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family during this most difficult time.

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MILAN (Reuters) - The case of an Italian journalist being held in Iran is "complicated", but Rome hopes to bring 29-year-old Cecilia Sala home quickly, Italy's foreign minister said on Saturday.

Sala, 29, who works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19 but her arrest was only made public on Friday.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he hoped the issue could be resolved quickly but added: "It doesn't depend on us."

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"We're trying to solve an issue that's complicated," he was quoted as saying by the news agency ANSA.

Tajani said Sala was being held in a single cell, in decent conditions that Italy would keep monitoring:

"It looks like she is being treated in a way that is respectful of personal dignity," he said. "So far we haven't had negative feedback."

Tajani said the official reason for Sala's detention was not yet clear, but that he hoped her lawyer could visit her soon and find out more.

There was no official public confirmation of the arrest from Iran, and Tajani declined to say whether it might be linked to the arrest of an Iranian in Italy this month at the request of the U.S.

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Sala, who is being held in Tehran's Evin prison, left Italy for Iran on Dec. 12 with a valid journalist visa, Chora Media said on Friday. She had been due to fly back to Rome on Dec. 20.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following Sala's case closely with the aim of bringing her home as soon as possible, urging media to treat the issue with the "necessary caution".

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
MINSTER, Ohio (WDTN)  A Celina man is facing charges after one of his relatives suspiciously died.

Sammy Huston faces charges of practicing medicine without a license or certificate.

On Dec. 17, first responders were sent to the Heritage Center on Hamilton Street in Minster. Upon arrival, they met with administrators of the center who said a resident had died under suspicious circumstances.

Huston remains in custody on a $250,000 bond.

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The death remains under investigation by the Minster Police Department, the Auglaize County Sheriffs Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal 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 WDTN.com.
Dec. 27The Decatur area will close out the year with temperatures above normal but there is a low chance of storms, flooding, hail and tornadoes Saturday into Sunday, a forecaster said Friday.

Huntir Cramer, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Huntsville, said north Alabama should see temperatures for the end of December with highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 30s.

"We will be closing out the year with both highs and lows 10 to 15 degrees above normal," she said. "We will be back to more normal temperatures with the start of the new year."

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On Friday morning, the weather service was monitoring a line of showers extending from Cullman to Franklin County, Tennessee, moving northeast through north Alabama.

"They are just showers," Cramer said. "There is no chance of them producing lightning."

She said ahead of that line of showers the weather service is monitoring some gusty winds of 30 to 35 mph that are ongoing.

"We had some earlier today and will have them the rest of day," she said. "They are mostly a threat in northeast Alabama the rest of the day."

From Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning, Decatur is at a risk level of 2 out of 5 for severe weather, Cramer said.

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"Threats include damaging wind gusts, a tornado or two, flooding and hail," Cramer said.

"We have low confidence in those threats, but the specific timing right now will be between 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday for the highest chance of severe potential," she said. "There will be multiple rounds of storms, so check back for updates and stay weather aware."

 jean.cole@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2361
Dean Phillips has some regrets. Not about his decision to launch a quixotic primary challenge to President Joe Biden. He stands by that move, which alienated him from his party even as it proved prescient after Bidens disastrous debate with Donald Trump.

But in an exit interview with POLITICO Magazine, the retiring Minnesota Democrat said he wished he had been more successful at fixing what he says is a deeply broken Congress and that he could have delivered more for his constituents. And he made clear he was leaving Capitol Hill extraordinarily frustrated with his party.

We are totally devoid of leadership. We are rudderless, he said.

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Phillips reflected on his congressional career and presidential campaign during a chat at his home in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Washington, D.C., having already been evicted from his Capitol office. During his three terms in Congress, he played an occasionally iconoclastic role in the Democratic caucus as a centrist willing to buck leadership.

A wealthy businessperson from before his life in Congress, the 55-year-old Phillips said he doesnt intend to seek office again, but he wouldnt rule it out. And he said no matter what, he saw a role for himself in the debates to come over the future of the Democratic Party.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Before you launched your primary challenge to President Joe Biden, you tried to get other Democrats to run. Had Biden stood down or someone else jumped in, do you think youd be about to start serving your next term in Congress rather than retiring?

I know one thing for certain, and that is, we would have been much better positioned to win this last presidential election and probably win the House. Thats absolute. Whether I would still have stood for another term in Congress, Im not sure.

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I was not thrown out. I didn't have to leave, and frankly, I wouldnt have left if I didnt know there was an outstanding, very able, competent successor waiting in the wings. And thats Kelly Morrison.

But the answer is, ultimately, yes, I probably would have served another term. That was my plan, to serve at least one more term. But its important for people to know, I left on my own accord. There was no ultimatum. I didnt rely on the DCCC, and so its a personal decision.



Is there a moment where you decided you were done with Congress?

I don't remember that moment, per se. After going through what I did and discovering what I did, I posed the question to myself about how I could both shine light on what I discovered, but also effect the change that I think is necessary. And I did come to the conclusion, ironically, that its much better effected from the outside of Congress than the inside.

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There are a lot of reasons for that, one of which is this job is so unbelievably consuming  by design, I believe  to concentrate power in the hands of very few, to ensure that fundraising consumes well over 50 percent of the time with a lot of members of Congress, allows little time to build relationships, study issues and plan strategies to effect change. And the liberation from that consumption is really what made me make that decision.

Is there any part of you that wishes you were still sticking around?

Sure. I mean, it's the most awe inspiring and humbling, fascinating, remarkable, memorable experience. I will miss a lot of the people: The Capitol police officers that I encounter every day in the tunnels and at the guard posts and the dining room staff, a lot of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans.

Ill miss the responsibility of being in the arena. Its a real honor to wear that pin. I'll miss that, but I won't miss anything else, and I certainly won't miss investing so much time, energy and sweat and tears into a mission that returned so little to my constituents, to the country.

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I've never in my professional life invested so much time and energy, and saw so little affected by that. I think that's probably shared by most of my colleagues too. I won't miss that culture.



The response from most of your fellow Democrats to your presidential bid was largely negative. How did that feel at the time? Do you feel vindicated now since Biden was pushed out?

Largely? Comprehensively. It was not surprising. I went into this eyes wide-open. I expected exactly what I got from my colleagues. I didn't ask a single person for an endorsement, because I knew that wouldn't be possible.

I was surprised by some of the people that expressed sentiments that, to this very day, kind of shock me, including from my own delegation. But thats why I did it. Thats exactly why I did it. Its the absence of the willingness to acknowledge reality. We have put Americans in this position where they have to wonder if what they're seeing is real, because members of Congress won't even validate it, and it was deeply disappointing, but not at all surprising. And that's why I, of all people, had to do it, because nobody else would.

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If what I feel now is vindication, it's awfully unsatisfying. I felt vindicated the day I announced my campaign, because I knew this was not an opinion. This was a fact. The fact was, he was not in a position to win. The fact was his approval numbers were historically low. The fact was his physical decline was real. And the only vindication I cared about was my own, and I'm saddened that I'm vindicated. I would have much rather traded that vindication for success, and that's why I'm so utterly disappointed in many of my colleagues and our party.

How do you think the Democratic Party should change in order to win in 2026 and 2028?

This party needs a comprehensive turnaround, and conventional wisdom no longer works. A party that consists of multiple silos and campaign committees and outside groups cannot strategically do its job, and that means leadership.

Right now, we are totally devoid of leadership. We are rudderless.

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I don't know which Democratic Party member my colleagues would point to as the leader, de facto leader, and absent that, I don't see much, frankly, happening.

What do we have to do? Listen, it's not that hard. This is not rocket science. This is representation. It starts with listening, and it means getting out to places and spaces and people and communities that we've all but turned our back on. I think it's ironic that the Republican Party is now representing America's working class. It's astounding, and that was ceded to them by people that have prioritized things like tenure over talent, identity politics over pragmatic problem solving. It's as simple as that, but it takes leadership.



Theres a generational shift going on inside the building with committee leaders. Do you see that as a vindication of the points you raised?

Beginning in 2017 when I ran, 2018 when I won, 2019 being sworn in, that was a hallmark of my platforms: It's time for generational change. I admire to this very day Nancy Pelosi, but I even then said we need change. I threw my support behind Hakeem Jeffries literally the first few days I was here as a newly elected member of Congress, and vowed to support him, which I did, convened my freshman group at a dinner to support his election, which succeeded, and that was the beginning.

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To now see this bubbling of generational change is really gratifying and long, long overdue. And that's not to demean my older colleagues. They're wonderful, but you can't have leaders in the same position for 20 years, deny up-and-coming competent stars the opportunity to chair committees in favor of people who've just been here a long time. And if we continue to do that, we will pay the electoral price. If we change, as I think we might be, that will certainly increase our chances of success.

Whats something you wish you had known going into the job?

I wish I would better understand the toll that it takes on those who serve and their families. The only analogy I can think of is military families. The difference, of course, is they're putting themselves in harm's way every single day. But that toll that it takes, the commitment it takes, the responsibility and the selflessness that is required of a lot of people, and not just the members of Congress  staff and the like.

I think that's something Americans should know, because I think that might actually generate a little bit more appreciation for those who serve. I also think it's time that we recognize that and try to make changes to make this job and this responsibility more satisfying and effective for those who wish to serve. That's probably my biggest surprise is how consuming it does become.

Any other major surprises?

I really did think that as a member of Congress, there were mechanisms available to effect change, to get bills brought to the floor, to do what democracy requires.

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I wish I had known about the concentration of power centers here, and how this entire system has been designed to accrue that power amongst very few at the expense of the very many, and that makes this job incredibly difficult. I wish I had known that and had been better prepared for it, and that's what I challenge my colleagues moving forward to reckon with.



Do you have any regrets about your time in Congress?

If I have a regret, it's relative to my inability to effect the change that I think is so necessary  not policy, but the change necessary so that the Congress functions in a meaningful way that encourages debate and deliberation and cooperation.

I gave it my all, but of course, I regret that I wasn't more successful in that mission, more successful in expressing and shining light on the corruption that exists every day here because we've legalized it.

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And in my presidential campaign, I regret that I wasn't able to generate a platform to really wake people up to this nightmare into which we sleepwalked.

Whats some advice you have for incoming lawmakers?

I think we need more people with broad life experience to run. First of all, I think we need more people to run. Period.

I would encourage incoming lawmakers to prioritize principles over their own self-preservation, because when the time comes, when this career comes to a close, it will be much more satisfying, and this is an institution that does consume even the most principled.

That's probably my most important message to incoming members of Congress: If you do not protect yourself, it will change you. And I think it's time for more people who will change it.



Do you see yourself running for any political office in the future?

I never say never, but I really don't intend to and aspire to. I do absolutely aspire to effect change, and at least call attention to what I really believe is wrong, and it's not political. It's pragmatic and real. I believe the parties need competition one way or another. It's the only thing that I think will actually create a mechanism to push people together, to cooperate, rather than to separate in the corners and fight one another. So I do anticipate some role.

So come Jan. 4 next year, whats next for you?

I'm going to take some time to reflect and to write and to explore and contemplate how I can affect the very things I just shared with you. But I found through my life experience that taking a little bit of time is wise, because it requires reflection to reinspire, reenergize, and, in this case, hopefully, renovate our electoral system. I won't be quiet for long.


Christi Cooley, left, and Donnis Hueftle-Bullock work in the office of the Custer County Chief in Broken Bow, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Teri Finneman)

BROKEN BOW, Nebraska  When University of Kansas journalism professor Teri Finneman gives a talk about the survival of rural newspapers, she brings along three items: a bottle of soda pop, a Twix candy bar and a copy of a newspaper.

The soda and the candy bar cost more than twice as much as the newspaper, she explains, and take seconds to produce, unlike the newspaper, which required dozens of hours of work by reporters, editors and press operators.

Teri Finneman, a University of Kansas journalism professor. (Courtesy of Teri Finneman)

In Broken Bow, for instance, subscribers to the Custer County Chief were paying 87 cents a week for local news. Finneman said that in North Dakota, her home state, the cost of one weekly paper had risen by one cent a year since 1930, to now 94 cents an edition.

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When you say it out loud, its insane, the professor said. Tell me any other product on the market that costs that.

Finneman, along with colleagues at universities in Colorado and Missouri, are on a crusade to save rural, weekly newspapers in a period when the United States has seen 3,300 papers close in the past 20 years. News deserts  areas without newspapers  are expanding, raising the risk of an uniformed electorate and one that is more polarized by social media and talking heads.

That crusade brought the professor to this central Nebraska ranching community last summer in an effort to revive the financial fortunes of the Chief, which has chronicled life in this corner of Nebraska since 1892.

Unfortunately, she said, the Chief, like many rural newspapers, was still operating under a financial model that began in the 1800s. Thats when readers could buy a daily paper for a penny  the penny press, it was called  and advertisements for shops, jobs, and services provided generous revenue to finance staff and production costs. That revenue has mostly fled to the internet now.

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Andrew Jackson was president back then, Finneman points out, and a whole lot has changed in the newspaper industry  an industry that she said needs to abandon its 1800s business model.

The bread industry has evolved more than the newspaper business in 200 years, she said.

Price, subscriptions are up

The formula followed by Finneman to revive rural newspapers has worked elsewhere in recent years, and it is showing promise in Broken Bow. Six months after the local experiment was launched, subscriptions are up at the Chief, despite a more than 40% increase in the cost of a yearly subscription.

Donnis Hueftle-Bullock, general manager of the Custer County Chief, said she is encouraged by the communitys response to changes adopted at the newspaper.

A University of Kansas professor has worked on a project to improve prospects for the weekly newspaper in Broken Bow, Nebraska. (Photo by Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)

We want to make sure that this paper survives. We believe in this paper. We believe in the communities we write about, she said.

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We want to make sure this paper is viable for the next 20 to 30 years, Hueftle-Bullock said.

The Reviving Rural News formula seems simple: Make a stronger connection between the newspaper and its community, adjust coverage of meetings, and add regular, emailed newsletters to provide more breaking news. Overall, better explain why readers need to pay more of the cost of producing a news product.

The general public as a whole doesnt understand what we do and why we do it, Finneman said.

In Broken Bow, as with similar revival projects at papers in Eudora, Kansas, and Harvey County, North Dakota, it starts with reaching out to the community, through focus groups and surveys, asking residents what they want in the newspaper and what might be lacking.

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Finneman said her team has discovered that few readers know the reporters and editors at their local newspaper, a connection that is key for subscribers when opting to pay more for a local paper.

Readers, she said, wanted more timely news updates and photos via e-newsletters, calendars of events to keep up with local happenings, social engagement with reporters at events and at members-only press club meetings, fewer opinion pieces, and more features about local people and their activities.

The bread industry has evolved more than the newspaper business in 200 years.

 Teri Finneman, Kansas journalism professor

Finneman said her teams research surprisingly found that younger people were more willing to donate to a newspaper if they knew it was struggling financially. That, she said, flies in the face of the approach of many newspapers, which is to cater to their oldest, most long-running subscribers, discounting the younger audience as more interested in social media and cell phones.

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A lot of millennials, she said, feel disconnected from the newspaper and need to be reached via social media and more digital products.

At rural revival projects in Kansas and North Dakota, regular press club gatherings of subscribers brought new ideas and new revenue from sponsorships, Finneman said. Newspaper-organized events were also successful, such as a holiday cookie contest at various businesses in Kansas and a pasta fest in North Dakota that encouraged local chefs to produce inventive dishes.

Its making the newspaper the center of the community again, like it used to be in the old days, she said.

The Custer County Chief, with a circulation of 1,300, has a full-time staff of two and two part-timers, along with several sports moms who contribute photographs of sporting events from the nine high school programs in the Chiefs circulation area.

[subhed]More coupons, local features

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Hueftle-Bullock said that with such a small staff to organize a press club or special events, the Chief has postponed work on those efforts. But it has launched a very popular e-newsletter that promotes stories coming in the print edition, she said. The opinion page was moved farther back into the paper and replaced on Page 2 with more local stories.

The Custer County Chief in Broken Bow, Nebraska, has increased its prices and its circulation in the last six months. (Photo by Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)

A local focus group and a survey found that subscribers wanted more coupons from local businesses, more features about local hobbies and people, and some changes in the newspapers layout.

The experiment in Broken Bow was launched with a front-page story in June written by Finneman entitled, You likely paid 87 cents for this newspaper. Its not enough. Updates on the experiment followed over the next six months.

The paper eventually settled on raising the yearly subscription price to $65  not as high as Finneman said is justified, and less than the $3 a week cost per paper to produce the Chief, but what the newspaper surmised readers would pay.

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The result has been a slight rise in subscribers, according to Hueftle-Bullock, and a feeling of optimism.

Finneman said that raising the subscription price is essential for the survival of rural newspapers. Publishers, she said, have to get over the idea that readers will resist. At the Kansas newspaper, the price was more than doubled, yet 90% of readers were retained, she said, which substantially increased revenue.

The grocery store doesnt melt down when they raise the price of bananas. They just raise the prices, Finneman said. Thats just what you do to stay in business.

Her teams goal now is to expand the reviving rural newspapers model across the upper Midwest, where she has focused much of her work. In Kansas, she said, she hopes at least a third of the community newspapers will try the model in the next few years.

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Finneman said her team will also focus future efforts on finding ways to improve salaries of community journalists and persuading more young reporters to locate in rural areas.

People really do value the local newspaper, she said. [But] education is critical.

This story first appeared in the Nebraska Examiner, a member with the Phoenix in the nonprofit States Newsroom.

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In New York, a disturbing new bodycam video released shows state corrections officers beating an inmate who later died from injuries associated with the actions in the video. Also, President-elect Trump asked the Supreme Court late Friday to pause the looming TikTok ban. State Attorney for Palm Beach County, FL, Dave Aaronberg, comments on these and more.
BIG FLATS, N.Y. (WETM)  A deputy from the Chemung County Sheriffs Office was injured after a tractor-trailer hit a patrol vehicle that was parked at the scene of a crash on Interstate 86.

Sheriffs Deputy Kaitlyn Fletcher sustained minor injuries after her patrol vehicle was hit on Friday evening. The Chemung County Sheriffs Office reported that deputies were called to the eastbound side of I-86 in the Town of Big Flats near the Steuben County line at about 7:07 p.m. on Dec. 27 for a single-car crash. Due to the location of the crash and lack of light, more deputies, including Fletcher, were called to the area to keep the scene safe.

The sheriffs office says Fletcher was parked at the back of the crash scene partially on the highways shoulder and partially in the driving lane. Fletchers patrol vehicles turn signal was on to direct approaching traffic to move over to the passing lane.

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As Fletcher was about to get out of her car, authorities say a tractor-trailer hauling milk didnt move over as it approached the scene, and it hit the back of Fletchers vehicle. The impact caused the patrol vehicle to leave the roadway from the south shoulder and go down an embankment. The patrol vehicle and the front of the tractor-railer sustained extensive damage during the crash. Pictures of the damage can be seen below.

Courtesy: Chemung County Sheriffs Office

Courtesy: Chemung County Sheriffs Office

Fletcher was taken to Guthrie Corning Hospital and treated for minor injuries before being released. The driver of the car that had initially crashed was also taken to Corning Hospital and released after being treated for a head injury. The tractor-trailers driver was not injured.

The New York State Police were called to the scene to investigate the crash involving the tractor-trailer and the patrol vehicle. Troopers gave the tractor-trailer driver tickets for failure to yield for an emergency vehicle and other violations.

The New York State Police, Erway Ambulance, the Big Flats Fire Department, the Tompkins Corners Fire Department, the Golden Glow Volunteer Fire Department, the Corning Fire Department, the Elmira Fire Department, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation assisted the Chemung County Sheriffs Office at the scene.

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The sheriffs office is reminding drivers that slowing down and moving over for stopped vehicles, crashes, and emergency vehicles is required under New York State law and is important to keep everyone safe.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) Its the second day of Kwanzaa and the City of Chicopee recognized the holiday with a celebration.

African beats and sound healing took place at Chicopee City Hall on Friday, as people came together to commemorate Kwanzaa. This marks the fifth year the City recognized the holiday with a flag raising outside City Hall.

Kwanzaa community celebration planned in Pittsfield

Kwanzaa is all about celebrating peoples achievements and the good they bring to those around them. Friday honored the second principal of Kwanzaa, which is self determination.

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We really want to acknowledge today the African American contribution to the vibrancy of this city, remarked Chicopee Mayor John Vieau.

Three local women and business owners were recognized as Kwanzaa impact recipients, being honored for their achievements and being leaders in the community.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Come! Come! We found more, children shout, pulling a femur, a stretch of spine and a human skull from a pile of dusty rubble.

They start digging through the wreckage with their hands and pick out a singed vertebra. One small boy overturns a concrete brick and points to a murky stain. Blood, he says.

The children have gathered on the ground floor of a ruined building in the Damascus suburb of Tadamon, where blood-stained clothes decompose on the floor and smoke has stained the ceiling black.

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Over there is where they shot people, a teenager says, pointing to a stretch of dirt road outside. This is where they burned their bodies.

Once a rebel stronghold, Tadamon was almost completely razed during 13 years of civil war. It became a killing field, where locals say civilians were systematically slaughtered by militias loyal to Bashar al-Assad.

Today, the extent of the horrors is only just being uncovered.

Families are trying to live among the rubble of Tadamon, which became one of Syrias worst killing grounds after it was razed to the ground in the civil war - Emre Caylak

Along what is locally known as Execution Road, a crowd gathers, desperate to be heard. They kidnapped people, one person blurts out. They raped our women, says another. They tortured children. They put me in jail.

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A man holds out a bloodied rope noose discovered among the debris, while others point to scars on their bodies from bullet wounds or beatings.

Abdullah Toma, 58, says 14 members of his family were killed here, in a 1sq km section of Tadamon that was previously out of bounds to local residents. If people were brought here, you knew they were not coming back, he says.

Two of his sisters and their six children were taken off the street after one was overheard having a phone conversation with a relative who was a rebel. They were never seen again.

The regime checked phones to see who you had been talking to. They would even come to your house to check, he says. Later, some other relatives who had witnessed the kidnapping went missing, too.

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Tadamon was ruled by the National Defence Forces (NDF), a pro-Assad militia who terrorised residents into submission.

Machinery of death

A recent Human Rights Watch report described the area as a mass crime scene, urging Syrias new transitional authorities to secure the area to preserve evidence for a forensic war crimes investigation.

The neighbourhood is thought to be home to an unknown number of mass graves, the product of an industrial-level of violence  a state-run machinery of death.

Enforced disappearances and mass executions were constant features of 54 years of rule under Assad and his father Hafez. Mass graves have already been discovered across Syria as relatives search for news of the more than 150,000 people who disappeared during the civil war.

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Most are thought to be dead.

The discoveries have led to calls for investigations and criminal cases against the Assad regime, and how those are received will be a test for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel group that overthrew the regime and installed a new government.

Mouaz Moustafa, the head of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a US-based non-profit organisation, said the new authorities were still in the earliest stages of any state-wide response.

We have been having talks with the new Damascus government about investigating the mass graves, intelligence branches and places that have documentation that needs to be preserved and digitised, he told The Telegraph.

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There are preparations to bring in people like the IIIM and ICMP as multi-lateral international bodies tied to the UN in coordination with Damascus so work can start.

There are more efforts to seal off the area and install permits to visit these areas to preserve evidence. I think it needs to improve more though, and experts need to look at bodies and bones, and take DNA samples urgently. The government is getting itself together but things are not yet optimal.

Abdulrahim Saud, with his family in the ruins of Tadamon, hid his sons for 10 years to stop them being conscripted into Assads army - Emre Caylak

In 2022, Tadamon became emblematic of regime cruelty at home and abroad after harrowing video evidence surfaced showing the execution of blindfolded and bound civilians. The victims were shot at close range one by one on the edge of a large ditch.

Additional videos leaked to University of Amsterdam researchers reportedly showed 288 were massacred in total. Seven women and 12 children were among them.

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The researchers identified the perpetrators as Amjad Youssuf and Najib al-Halabi, who is already dead. But locals say in recent years the most cruel enforcer was a short, squat man from Homs in his 40s known as Mario.

Mario would rape a woman he liked in front of her husband and then kill them both, Lamis Aloush, 50, said, adding that he also beat people to death in the street. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Tadamon residents were killed, tortured, raped and kidnapped right up until rebels took Damascus. Some talked of stumbling on massacres, rooms full of dozens of bodies that later disappeared.

Bodies moved to hide crimes

It was common to hear gunshots at night, people said, and residents could smell the militia men burning the bodies. People said some bones were excavated by regime forces and moved elsewhere, perhaps in an attempt to hide their crimes.

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The NDF also used tunnels to secretly access civilian areas and carry out further killings  one is burrowed under a mosque. Locals are still nervous to visit the site, believing remnants of the regime are hiding out in the area.

I was driving three days ago and found a body, a man says, too scared of retribution to be named. He shows a picture on his phone of a dead man, perhaps in his late 40s, propped upright.

Large parts of Tadamon were completely levelled by heavy fighting in the area during a siege that lasted until 2018, when rebels were evacuated to the north. Islamic State had also been active in the area.

Mohammed Safandi, who lost his left arm and was left disabled in his right leg, stands in front of his makeshift home and vows to tell the world of the atrocities in Tadamon - Emre Caylak

The area has remained a wasteland since, with rubbish lining the streets and supplies of bread and gas tightly rationed. When The Telegraph visited, regular explosions boomed in the distance, probably from Israeli air strikes.

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We hid my sons for 10 years so they wouldnt be taken to the army, said Abdulrahim Saud, 51. We were so poor that when the shops closed, we would try to find scraps on the floor outside.

Mohammed Safandi, 30, lives behind an iron door in a sea of rubble close to the zero line that divided the rebels and the regime. He lost his left arm and suffered a serious injury to his right leg in 2013 in what he says was a deliberate artillery attack as he returned home from the mosque.

Until two weeks ago, we had no life at all. We couldnt even celebrate Eid or Ramadan. We couldnt go out for fear they would kill us or our children, he says over tea.

We couldnt even speak of what happened. Now we must tell the world.

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There are moments when we allow ourselves some relief from the barrage of bad signs and alarming developments, unleashed by identity politics, that suffuse the everyday.

Sometimes, as after the damning Cass report into the devastating reach of trans ideology, we even tell ourselves the tide is turning. Its a matter of psychological necessity to look for some bright spots, some let-up, something to cling to to suggest things might go back to normal.

And indeed: there is always some positive news around, and to stay sane we have to seek it out. But the much longed-for pushback of woke madness in general? Thats not happened. On the contrary, the long tail of that madness has been scorched into our institutions and the brains of our young people, fostering a whole new generation that is trained to feel victimised and to look for offenders, even in long-dead novelists.

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That, at any rate, is how I interpret the decision by the Welsh exam board to remove John Steinbecks classic Of Mice and Men from the countrys GCSE syllabus due to concerns about racism.

Rocio Cifuentes, Wales Childrens Commissioner, said removing the Steinbeck was safeguarding the wellbeing of children that have very often been the only black child in that classroom when discussions all around them are focusing on very derogatory, negative depictions of black people.

If thats what the discussions all around them are focusing on then perhaps the concern should lie with the kind of discussions, and level of critical analysis, that take place in these classrooms. Of Mice and Men follows two migrant ranch workers in California during the Great Depression. Its main thrust is friendship, sorrow, hardship and an evocation of a flashpoint in American economic history.

Written in 1937, it also contains racial slurs and offensive language, and while those are rightly abhorrent to contemporary ears, there is still much of value to students, of GCSEs and of life in general, in this book. Bringing the whole thing down to giveaways of a regrettable but banally obvious fact  society was uncritically and often cruelly racist in the past, indeed for most of history  is more about cutting ones nose off to spite ones face in the present than combatting racism.

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Another novel thats got the chop in Welsh GCSEs, again for containing a racial slur, is To Kill a Mockingbird, the socially progressive, if not downright activist, novel by Harper Lee. It has been a long-time favourite of teenagers, including yours truly back in school in the 1990s. It was published in 1960 and tells the story of lawyer Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of a raping a white woman.

From To Kill a Mockingbird, students have long got a vital bit of education in the history of American racism in the pre-civil rights era, delivered to them through a highly emotional and riveting story. To Kill a Mockingbird exposes the hideous ways in which anti-black racism could play out and induces intense empathy and anger. Getting rid of this book in the name of being anti-racist is a bizarre joke.

Its not good if students feel personally distressed in a lesson. But in this case it is the fault of our culture and our educational establishment, not literature, if they do. Its not historys job to make people feel affirmed and safe. On the contrary, it is our job to acquaint ourselves with historical context, and then with what culture and art is. After that, we need to think critically about them.

This might include registering discomfort due to a jarring clash of values. At any rate, it is wholly obvious that what Welsh students need most urgently is a crash course on what art is, and how to approach it. They might look at a bit of Matthew Arnold. They could learn from the 19th century essayist and author of Culture and Anarchys arguments about why the true value of the artistic sphere can emerge only if it is kept separate from the moral hurly burly of the everyday.

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If students in English literature classes were to use the racism in a work of art, or of history, to make a racist point in the present, then feeling extremely uncomfortable would be justified.

But is that whats going on here? Couldnt it be that issues of racism are being imported into class, rather than produced by the works under consideration, in a society that has no clue about what literature or art or history are?

This stifling of the richness of the past in order to suit presentist strictures and uphold contemporary rectitude is one of the great travesties of our age. Id like to think 2025 will see less, not more, but with Labour in power, the tide isnt turning any time soon.

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China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC) first-ever commercial reactor for the production of isotopes has officially opened. Called the Qinshan Nuclear Power Base plant, it has already produced its first batch of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) medical isotopes.

The plant opened for business on December 26 and uses online irradiation to produce isotopes like Lutetium-177. At the heart of the facility is a kind of heavy-water reactor known for its high neutron flux.

This reactor, it is reported, can be continuously refueled without being shut down and operate stably for long periods. It offers high efficiency, large output, high specific activity, continuous production, and a stable supply of isotopes for mass production.

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The inauguration of this new reactor comes after months of development and upgrade of the facility. It can now produce a variety of short-lived medical isotopes, including Strontium-89 (Sr-89) and Yttrium-90 (Y-90), on a large scale.

Fighting cancer with radioisotopes

Medical isotopes, especially Lutetium-177, play a vital role in diagnosing and treating various types of cancer. Lu-177, for instance, can be paired with targeted drugs to locate and eradicate cancer cells effectively.

Lu-177 is particularly important in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). Since it releases low-energy beta particles that can penetrate tissue up to 2mm in depth, it can irradiate cancer cells without excessively damaging non-cancerous surrounding tissue.

Additionally, it releases low-energy gamma radiation detectable by medical scanners like Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). This allows doctors to monitor the isotope's location within a patient's body, aiding in "mapping" the cancer.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXzONBPcPIk&pp=ygUVbWVkaWNhbCByYWRpb2lzb3RvcGVz

Lu-177 can also be stuck to medicinal molecules that are designed to attack cancer cells, such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides, or small molecules. These targeting agents bind to receptors or antigens overexpressed on specific cancer cells.

Its precision makes it a cornerstone of therapies for conditions like prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. It offers the added benefit of minimal side effects compared to conventional treatments, providing new hope for patients by enhancing survival rates and quality of life.

In addition to Lu-177, other isotopes like molybdenum-99 (99Mo) and its daughter product, Technetium-99m (99mTc), are indispensable in diagnostic medical imaging. Around 80% of all diagnostic scans rely on these radioisotopes, highlighting the importance of facilities like the newly opened Qinshan reactor.

Helping China become self-sufficient

The Qinshan reactor is uniquely equipped to meet the growing global demand for medical isotopes. The use of radioisotopes in medical procedures, particularly radionuclide therapy for cancer treatment, is increasing worldwide.

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This increase brings significant socioeconomic benefits. Additionally, effective quality control processes and advancements in supporting technology contribute to cleaner environments.

These improvements enhance the capabilities of research reactor facilities at national, regional, and international levels. This achievement positions China to meet domestic isotope demand while reducing reliance on international suppliers.

The reactors production capacity may eventually allow China to export isotopes, potentially establishing the country as a major player in the global isotope market.
China has appointed Dai Bing, its former deputy representative to the United Nations, as the new ambassador to South Korea.

The appointment, announced by the Chinese embassy in Seoul on Friday, fills a vacancy of more than five months since the previous ambassador departed.

Dai takes over at a time of growing geopolitical complexity, and some observers believe that his insight into broader international trends would give him an edge in tackling challenges.

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"This is the first time I have been stationed in South Korea," Dai said upon his arrival in Seoul on Friday. "I'm willing to strengthen communication with all sectors in South Korea, make new friends and good friends."

Dai, 57, has had a quite different career path to most of his predecessors, who specialised in East Asian affairs. He is only the second Chinese ambassador to Seoul not to have spent time in the Korean peninsula or in Japan before.

He began in 1995 at the foreign ministry's African affairs department, with spells at the embassies in South Africa and Singapore before becoming director general of the same department in 2017. He was assigned the UN role in 2020.

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Xing Haiming, Dai's predecessor as South Korean ambassador, had spent 10 years as a diplomat in Seoul and five in North Korea before taking on the role.

The five-month vacancy since Xing's departure was the longest since China and South Korea established diplomatic ties in 1992.

Dai's arrival comes as China faces multiple challenges on the Korean peninsula.

China and South Korea maintain robust trade ties but these have been tested in recent years by Seoul's foreign policy tilt towards the United States as well as fellow US treaty ally Japan. Xing stirred controversy last year when he cautioned Seoul against making the "wrong bet" in the US-China rivalry.

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It is also a turbulent time in South Korean politics, with lawmakers impeaching President Yoon Suk-yeol and then acting president and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo following Yoon's failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is now the acting president, the second person to take the job in two weeks.

Han's impeachment is a first for acting presidents in South Korea. It has also left both the nation's top two officials suspended from duty, further deepening the political crisis and uncertainties.

The Constitutional Court is debating whether to approve Yoon's ousting, a ruling that could take months. But if it does approve the step, then new elections must be held within 60 days - potentially opening a path to power for an opposition candidate who may favour a more conciliatory approach towards China.

Some diplomatic analysts say it would be good for China to have an ambassador in Seoul with a broader knowledge of international trends.

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A Chinese specialist on Korean affairs, who requested not to be named, said Dai's background was "indeed necessary for handling the increasingly complex China-South Korea relationship".

China's policy towards South Korea needed to factor in their respective ties with the US and Japan, as well as Russia and North Korea, the specialist said.

The North's repeated hostile signalling towards South Korea and North Korean troops reportedly fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukraine have added yet another layer of uncertainty to regional issues.

"Therefore, [Dai's] richer diplomatic experience is likely to be more advantageous for Beijing in addressing issues related to the Korean peninsula," the Korean affairs specialist said.

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Although Dai has not dealt with South Korea-related affairs before and does not speak Korean, "this is not necessarily a disadvantage", he said. This was because even diplomats seen as "Korea experts" could face certain constraints, as expectations from Korean society might clash with the diplomatic scope of action directed by Beijing.

Taking a tough stance in case of a dispute might backfire among the Korean public, the specialist warned, adding that this could "sometimes have a more negative impact".

If there is a change of government in Seoul, Beijing would also need to work out how to respond to any changes in South Korean foreign policy.

According to Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, there will not be any major changes in the China policy.

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Kang said that despite closer ties with Washington, the Yoon administration was also seeking a balanced approach on relations with Beijing, and "such fundamentals won't see major changes" even if the administration were to change.

On the other hand, Dai's UN experience could help to bring a global perspective to relations between North and South Korea, he added.

"We hope that the North Korea nuclear issue can be addressed from a broader perspective, by expanding the scope of inter-Korean relations and northeast Asia relations to a multilateral cooperation framework," Kang said.

"In this regard, Dai's appointment to South Korea will be helpful, and this is our expectation."

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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.
China's investment in Djibouti is finally beginning to pay off, but the Red Sea crisis has brought mixed feelings about the business outlook among some Chinese executives based in the tiny Horn of Africa nation.

Djibouti has been a major East African investment destination for Chinese companies under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, with their interests ranging from minerals to railway and port building. The country also hosts China's only overseas military base.

While it is the smallest country in the region, Djibouti's strategic importance lies in its location off Bab-el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea, a key international shipping corridor linking Asia to Europe via East Africa and the Middle East.

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On the other hand, Djibouti has limited manufacturing capacity, while its unforgiving climate and complex topography - with 90 per cent desert and volcanic plateau - restrict agricultural output to just 1 per cent of GDP. These factors have led to a heavy reliance on imports.

Djibouti is also home to Lake Assal, which holds the world's largest salt reserve and is the second-saltiest water body, after the Don Juan Pond in Antarctica. But for decades, this natural asset remained underutilised, stalling potential growth for local communities and investors.

In 2015, state-owned enterprise China Communications Construction Company acquired a majority stake in a previously American-held salt firm, and transformed it into the Djibouti Salt Investment Company.

Lake Assal in Djibouti holds the world's largest salt reserve. Photo: SCMP/Felix Wong alt=Lake Assal in Djibouti holds the world's largest salt reserve. Photo: SCMP/Felix Wong>

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Initially, the firm struggled as low salt prices made the completion of the shipping dock, abandoned by the previous American owners, financially unviable.

But it found success by extracting additional minerals from the lake and exporting them to neighbouring countries and to emerging markets in Latin America. After eight years, the company finally turned a profit in 2023.

"We are committed to this area and will ensure that local employment remains unaffected," said Pan Weidong, chairman and general manager of Djibouti Salt.

Djibouti's strategic location and natural deep water port have made it a major regional logistics and trading hub, and it is home to major Chinese-funded infrastructure projects such as the Doraleh multipurpose port, one of Djibouti's six major ports and terminals, and the Djibouti free-trade zone.

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Bilateral trade rose 7.2 per cent in 2023 to US$3.5 billion, according to data from the Chinese commerce ministry. Djibouti plays a key role also in re-export trade, with goods transported to Horn of Africa neighbours Ethiopia and Somalia via the port's mainly Chinese-built free-trade zone.

Chinese investment in Djibouti stood at US$3.67 million in 2023, down from US$4.23 million the previous year, after rising to an all-time high of 105 million in 2017, according to global data providers CEIC.

The year 2017 was also when China opened its military base in Djibouti, the first such overseas facility for the People's Liberation Army.

Djibouti Salt employs about 300 local workers, representing about a tenth of the population of nearby communities, according to Pan. This is a far cry from the American days, when it had few permanent local staff.

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Abdallah Ballah, 46, a truck driver for the past 20 years, once relied on odd jobs and meagre government rations to survive and take care of his now 105-year-old diabetic father. But things changed after he became a full-time employee of the salt company in 2015, Ballah said.

The stable decent income and social security benefits allowed Ballah to reinforce his dilapidated home with cement. He was also able to send all five of his children to their desired schools, both locally and abroad.

"The arrival of the Chinese has significantly uplifted local livelihoods and forged tangible, long-term prosperity among Djiboutian communities," Ballah told the South China Morning Post in an interview.

But the Red Sea crisis had significantly increased the logistical cost of exports, threatening to undermine Djibouti Salt's years of effort and possibly ushering in a financially challenging year, Pan said.

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Since October last year, Yemen-based Houthi rebels have targeted Israeli and Western vessels in the Red Sea shipping routes in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel- Gaza war. As the route accounts for 30 per cent of international shipments, the attacks have disrupted world supply chains.

The Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority, however, has benefited from the crisis, according to its chairman, Aboubaker Omar Hadi. This is because many cargo ships now opt to stop at Djibouti off Bab-el-Mandeb, the strait connecting the Indian Ocean's Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and on to the Mediterranean via the key Suez Canal.

These stops allow vessels to offload their cargo in Djibouti and keep them temporarily in storage to avoid the risk of rebel attacks until such time as transits become safer, Hadi said. The empty vessels then head elsewhere to load more shipments.

Providing harbour and storage services has been lucrative for the ports authority.

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State-controlled China Merchants Port, the country's biggest port operator, bought a 23.5 per cent stake in the Port of Djibouti in 2013 and later upgraded the more than a century old facility. It also established the free-trade zone at the port.

The Doraleh container terminal, developed by the Port of Djibouti, crossed the milestone of 1 million shipping containers handled in the 10 months to October.

According to the Djibouti ports authority, this put it on track to achieve 1.2 million container throughput by the year-end.

However, a manager at China Merchants who wished to remain anonymous expressed mixed feelings about the overall outlook. He said while the Red Sea crisis appeared to have a silver lining for port operations, it was not clear if this would be enough to offset the financial challenges, and the risks posed by delays and rising logistical costs to the firm's other infrastructure and investment projects in Djibouti.

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Uncertainty over when the crisis might end had also made it impossible to plan ahead for further projects, he said.

The Red Sea crisis is however likely to have little impact on the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, Africa's first electrified cross-border railway, connecting the Ethiopian capital to Djibouti's ports, another piece of infrastructure funded by China.

Construction started in 2012, led by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), a subsidiary of state-owned China Railway Construction Corp. Commercial operations began in 2018.

The railway turned a profit in 2022, according to CCECC Djibouti deputy general manager Song Yongxian. China handed over its management to Djibouti in May this year.

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Song, now second in charge at the railway, has been involved with the project since it began more than a decade ago, with postings both in Ethiopia and Djibouti.

"By the end of their six-year contract, 90 per cent of the Chinese staff had departed, leaving a technical support team of 37, which is expected to decrease further to just 10 by next year," he said.

Djibouti is just one-tenth the size of its economically powerful neighbour Ethiopia, whose GDP is 35 times larger. However, Djibouti's ports handle over 90 per cent of landlocked Ethiopia's foreign trade, with cargo revenue accounting for at least 95 per cent of the railway's total income.

As a result, although shipment costs have surged due to the Red Sea crisis - which has sent insurance premiums soaring - demand for Djibouti's logistics services has remained steady.

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But Hadi noted that Djibouti's growing economy would require significantly more energy, much of which is currently imported. The regional conflicts made supplies highly uncertain, he warned.

Under the Djibouti Vision 2035 plan launched last year, the country aims to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy generation and ensure energy security within the next decade. And China may play a key role in achieving this goal.

"China-developed and manufactured equipment is crucial for Djibouti's Vision 2035," Chinese ambassador Hu Bin told the Post in an interview last month.

"This includes Chinese aerospace technology to monitor and track climate conditions from space, which is more efficient and greener than doing it from the ground."

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's approval of a controversial mega dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows from Tibet autonomous region into India, has sparked concerns about the environmental impact of the project, as well as the effect it could have on China-India ties amid signs of a thaw between the two neighbours.

The dam is expected to be the world's largest hydroelectric project and could generate three times the power of the Three Gorges Dam. Its construction will mark a major step in China's plan to tap the hydropower potential of the Tibetan plateau.

But it could also intensify a dam-building competition between the Asian neighbours near their disputed Himalayan border, according to diplomatic and environmental experts.

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State news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday that the Chinese government had recently approved the massive project, which was included in Beijing's 14th Five-Year Plan for the 2021 - 2025 period.

The report did not specify the exact location of the project on Tibet's longest river, which becomes the Brahmaputra River when it flows into the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, viewed by China as part of southern Tibet. The river also flows into Bangladesh, where it is called the Jamuna.

But what is known is that the project will be built on a section referred to as the Grand Canyon, or the "Great Bend", on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo.

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According to a 2020 estimate by state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, the dam, located in one of the most hydropower-rich areas of the world, is expected to produce nearly 300 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually.

It would dwarf the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, now the world's biggest dam, which was designed to generate 88.2 billion kWh a year.

Xinhua hailed the proposed dam as a "safe project that prioritises ecological protection" and a "green project aimed at promoting low-carbon development" that would help the country meet its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals while cutting its coal reliance.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that the project had undergone decades of research, including measures to address risks in project security and environmental impact and prevent negative effects downstream.

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"China will continue to maintain current exchange channels with downstream nations and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and mitigation," she said.

But most experts were far from convinced, expressing concerns about how the project could affect the fragile ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau, local communities and downstream countries - in addition to its enormous engineering costs and challenges.

Fan Xiao, a geologist based in Sichuan province, said the dam's location was in a rare "biodiversity hotspot" in a geologically unstable area, which could potentially lead to "irreparable damage" to the environment.

He noted the area is very seismically active, and building a cascade of mega hydropower stations - involving high dams, large reservoirs and giant tunnels - would increase the risk of landslides and other disasters.

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"The geological instability and the likelihood of geological disasters in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon are much higher than those of other rivers in western China, where we've seen plenty of instances of negative impacts as a result of cascaded hydropower development," he said.

"I'm afraid the construction of the proposed hydropower project would incur unprecedented huge costs and face enormous risks."

He added that a dam-building frenzy in southwest China over the past two decades had resulted in the overdevelopment of hydropower in the region and an oversupply of power due to a lack of market demand, both domestically and internationally.

Fan questioned official claims touting hydropower as "green, renewable and zero-carbon electricity", noting that mega dam projects were mainly driven by economic considerations and vested interest groups, without proper scientific feasibility studies or adequate public involvement.

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"It remains unclear if the incalculable cost of possible geological disasters, environmental damages, and social and cultural impact has been included in the assessment and decision-making process, or if the ecological and environmental impact on the downstream Brahmaputra River and the plains of the South Asian subcontinent has been fully taken into account," he said.

Sayanangshu Modak, a researcher on transboundary rivers and water governance at the University of Arizona, said that for India, a major concern was the risk of dam failure during emergencies caused by unprecedented weather or seismic events.

"This area is highly prone to earthquakes of varying magnitudes due to intense seismic activity from endogenic forces," he said, noting that a massive glacier collapse in March 2021 near the Great Bend area blocked the river and caused water levels to rise by 10 metres (33 feet).

"These cascading effects underscore the fragility of the region and the grave risks associated with large-scale hydropower projects," he said.

Tibet's longest river, the Yarlung Tsangpo, becomes the Brahmaputra when it flows into India and the Jamuna River in Bangladesh. Photo: Xinhua alt=Tibet's longest river, the Yarlung Tsangpo, becomes the Brahmaputra when it flows into India and the Jamuna River in Bangladesh. Photo: Xinhua>

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The project has long been a source of friction between China and its downstream neighbours, with India and Bangladesh repeatedly raising concerns about China's dam construction plan upstream of the Brahmaputra River, a critical source of fresh water for both countries.

While New Delhi may have limited options to prevent China from constructing the proposed dam within its territory, Modak said it would cast fresh uncertainty over bilateral ties, which had been on the mend in recent weeks.

Days after a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October - their first since a deadly border clash in 2020 - the two sides agreed to de-escalate tensions along their disputed Himalayan frontier.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi and India's national security adviser Ajit Doval also met in Beijing earlier this month for their first high-level border talks in five years.

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Modak said India's concerns were "both immense and legitimate", although it was still too early to tell if the colossal dam project would escalate into a new flashpoint between the two countries.

He said for China, the hydropower project would showcase "China's technical prowess and superiority in hydraulic engineering" while "bolstering China's position as a pre-eminent expert in dam construction - a reputation it has actively sought to export through state-owned enterprises and overseas investments".

Modak said it was "only a matter of time" before Beijing moved to tap the hydropower potential of the Yarlung Tsangpo basin, where only 0.3 per cent of the total energy potential has been harnessed so far.

"With the Yarlung Tsangpo River dropping nearly 2,000 metres as it winds around the Namcha Barwa [mountain] and through the Grand Canyon, this area offers one of the world's most favourable hydraulic gradients for hydropower development," he said.

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"Its remote location, only connected to the rest of the country by highway in 2013, has delayed such exploitation."

Modak said India increasingly viewed the water issues surrounding the mega dam through the lens of national security, with Delhi accelerating its own dam construction downstream on the same river.

"This move appears to be part of India's strategy to assert its prior appropriation rights, reflecting the competitive and strategic nature of this unfolding scenario," he said.

Reuters reported in July that India planned to spend US$1 billion to expedite construction of 12 hydropower stations in Arunachal Pradesh in response to China's planned dam project.

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A 2022 report published by the United States Institute of Peace said China and India were intensifying their competition over Brahmaputra water and dam projects as "a form of territorial demarcation and control along a contested frontier".

It described the so-called Great Bend Dam as the most ambitious and controversial project on the mainstem of the Brahmaputra, where nearly 20 dams have been identified with satellite imagery.

India has planned as many as 150 dams within Arunachal Pradesh since the early 2000s as part of its strategy aimed at "signalling control of not only water but territory", said the think tank report.

Modak also expressed concerns about the "profound ecological and cultural consequences" as a result of the escalation of the dam-building spree, including the displacement of people in both Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh.

"Between India and China, one certainty emerges: the region's unique biodiversity and the heritage of its indigenous peoples will inevitably suffer," he said.

Ni Lexiong, a Shanghai-based security analyst, said the mega dam project was likely to reignite a war of words between the two countries over whether Beijing was trying to control the flow of the Brahmaputra as strategic leverage over Delhi.

"There has been a lot of talk about 'water wars' in the Indian press. The building of a dam within China may not have been a big deal if the two countries had friendlier ties, but when they treat each other increasingly as a rival, anything could be used as a weapon, including water issues," he said.

While Beijing insisted that tapping the potential of the Yarlung Tsangpo River was a matter of sovereignty, Ni said a mega dam at the Great Bend may effectively put China in a favourable position in its dealings with India.

"Intentionally or not, it would effectively create geopolitical leverage vis-a-vis India diplomatically, and it's not surprising that India sees it as a threat. But it may also deal a blow to bilateral ties, which have just begun to show signs of a thaw," he said.

However, Liu Zongyi, a senior fellow with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies' South Asia and China Centre, said Beijing had taken into account concerns from its downstream neighbours when rolling out the dam project.

Liu said the impact of China's dam-building activities on the flow of the Brahmaputra was "not as significant as commonly perceived".

He rejected the notion that Beijing is trying to contain India as the hydropower project is within China's territory.

Liu said India's plan to expedite dam construction in Arunachal Pradesh laid bare its focus on strengthening its control of the area, which China claims as southern Tibet.

"While India and its Western partners are likely to vent their frustration over the project by smearing China, I don't think the dam project will have a lasting impact on Sino-Indian ties," he said.

Liu added it was possible there would be setbacks in restoring the China-India relationship, especially after the return of former US president Donald Trump to the White House in January.

"It is ultimately about trust, and it is no secret that China and India still do not trust each other," 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.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  A Pennsylvania-based company is recalling a chocolate candy product distributed nationally this week as it could cause harmful allergic reactions for some people.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Dec. 27 that Gardners Candies is recalling its 1.25-ounce packages of Gardners Candies brand Cappuccino Meltaway Bars as they may have undeclared cashews. People who are allergic to these nuts may be at risk of serious or even life-threatening allergic reactions if they come into contact with the recalled candy.

The FDA said the products were distributed to stores nationally and sold online through the Gardners Candies website starting on Sept. 1. The recalled bars come in white plastic packages marked with lot # 082725 stamped on the side along with the expiration date of Aug. 27, 2025.

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Gardners Candies sold the recalled products in some treat boxes which contained two of the cappuccino meltaway bars apiece. This is the Gardners Meltaway Treat Box marked with lot # 101625 or 112525.

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(Photo Courtesy/FDA) (Photo Courtesy/FDA)

Health officials found the bars were distributed inside packaging which did not declare the presence of cashews. Investigators found the issue was caused by a temporary breakdown in the companys production and packaging process.

The FDA said no illnesses have been reported yet in connection to the recalled candy bars. Gardners Candies has also stopped producing the product until it has corrected the issue which prompted the recall.

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Eye drops recalled nationwide due to fungal contamination

People who purchased any of the 1.25-ounce packages of the bars or the treat boxes are encouraged to contact Gardners Candies for a replacement. You can reach out to the company by calling 1-800-242-2639 Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.

For more Kansas 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.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Mayor Freddie OConnells Choose How You Move campaign passed Novembers referendum. The plan is to improve how Nashvillians get around an increasingly crowded city. Its expected to take 15 years to complete. News 2 asked city leaders what changes we will see in year one.

It was all celebrating from the mayors office election night when Choose How You Move passed with 66% of the vote.

Across this city now for the next generation, we will all enjoy the things we deserve: sidewalks, signals, service and safety, said Mayor Freddie OConnell on election night on Nov. 5.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell declares victory for Choose How You Move transportation plan

Now, Alex Apple, Deputy Communications Director for the mayor, said its time to get to work.

Nashville needs to deliver on what it just told voters it was going to deliver, said Apple.

Out of the gate, three top priorities are already underway: Hiring a program director; holding informational sessions for vendors; and, forming a citizens advisory council.

You continue to talk with the community about whats right in that area, and theyll have a key role in that, said Apple.

Starting in 2025, the other three key changes kick in  sidewalks, signals and service  but these upgrades wont happen overnight.

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Nashville mayor provides insights on next steps for Choose How You Move transit plan

Youll see improvements in all three in the first year. We dont have a hard and fast timeline for those yet, said Apple. Its a 15-year build out. As much as wed love to see these improvements be instantaneous, they wont be.

Lets start with signals: In neighborhoods that already have fiber underground, street lights can be upgraded soon, while others will take time.

As for WeGo, more routes on busy corridors can be added starting in 2025, and new sidewalks can be installed. The goal is a total of 86 new miles.

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So it wont be a sidewalk on every street. We know that. It wont be on mine. But it will be connections to libraries and schools and parks and community centers, said Apple. A walkable community is something that a lot of people really want.

Larger projects will take time. For example, Choose How You Move quadruples the number of transit centers from three to 12, which the city says will make getting around town quicker.

Right now, if you wanted to go from Antioch to Lennox Village, you would actually come through downtown. That doesnt make any sense. But when you have a network of community transit centers, you open yourself up for local traffic, crosstown routes, said Apple.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Choose How You Move is priced at $3.1 billion, with funding from the sales tax surcharge, federal grants and ticket revenue. City leaders say Nashville has fallen behind its peer cities with transportation upgrades. But, Choose How You Move lays a solid foundation for the future.

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This is not the last transportation discussion the city is going to have. But this will lay the groundwork for a transportation system thats befitting a major American city, and then you can build up on it from there.

A group called The Committee to Stop an Unfair Tax is suing the city for Choose How You Move, saying including sidewalks and streets has nothing to do with a transit plan allowed under state law. News 2 asked the mayors office about the suit. Apple says they are moving forward implementing the program, which was fully vetted by attorneys, accountants, Metro Council and voters.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  The city of Hutto announced on Friday that it will be moving from stage 2 to stage 1 water conservation efforts, which will go into effect immediately. The transition comes as water supply conditions have improved, the city said.

The city said stage 1 water conservation is voluntary and focused on reducing outdoor water use.

The stage 1 guidelines set by the city are:

Industrial, commercial, and institutional customers are asked to water outdoors only on Mondays and Fridays voluntarily.

Even-numbered residential addresses are asked to water outdoors only on Sundays and Thursdays voluntarily.

Odd-numbered residential addresses are asked to water outdoors only on Saturdays and Tuesdays voluntarily.

Outdoor watering should occur on designated days before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

Outdoor watering is using automatic irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers.

All water customers are encouraged to practice water conservation and to minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.

Although the city is moving to stage 1, the city said residents and businesses should continue to be mindful of their water usage. You can find more details on how stage 1 water conservation differs from stage 2 on the citys website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Its been nearly two weeks since Topeka residents noticed trash piling up on their complexes which are owned by Eucalyptus Real Estate.

This is a story weve been following since the start, and as of Friday, Dec. 27, the deadline for the owners to clean it up has passed. This comes after the city gave owners 10 days to fix the trash issue, but that time is now up.

What happens next is the city will confirm everything is up to code. The city told 27 News it will spend the next two days doing this. If they find that any of the properties are still in violation, the property maintenance unit will take matters into their own hands. The city can apply for an administrative warrant to clean the property.

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Good Samaritans clean graffiti from Topeka park

KSNT 27 News previously spoke with a resident who was frustrated with the inaction from owners. She said shes now in the process of moving out, but stresses the importance of residents speaking up if something is wrong with the property.

When its an army of people speaking up, it does become a problem, Chelsea Miller, lives in Eucalyptus Real Estate, said. They do start looking more into it with housing situations. I just want people to know to not let him push you around. Things can be done, if you have concerns, state those concerns. Always document your proof.

KSNT 27 News reached out multiple times to Eucalyptus Real Estate today to get answers on where they are in the clean up process as well as how they plan to keep up with trash collection so this doesnt happen again. The company said Waste Management has brought in as many dumpsters as they could, but will need until next week to bring the rest. They also said Waste Management has started earlier than it anticipated to make sure more trash doesnt pile up.

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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.

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Dec. 27ANDERSON  The Anderson Homeless Task Force will provide $5,000 to open a warming center in Anderson.

The task force voted Thursday to work with the United Way of Madison County to open a warming center during the evening hours on cold nights.

The group was informed at a prior meeting that there were no overnight warming centers available in Anderson and only two in Elwood.

Rachel Landers, a task force member, said it would be ideal for the task force to purchase a service like a warming center on a temporary basis.

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"Pay to have a warming center at night," she said.

Rob Spaulding, executive director of the Christian Center, said that facility could be a warming center, but officials would need funding to hire staff overnight and to purchase cots to be used for bedding.

"When it's cold outside we need to get people off the street," he said.

The task force is using some of the $10,000 provided by the administration of Anderson Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. for the warming center.

The Anderson City Council last week voted to appropriate $250,000 in American Rescue Plan funds for the task force.

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"There will be a lot done for the homeless with the funds approved by the council," said Karen Soetenga, a member of the task force. "We can help agencies that are providing services."

Kim Townsend, executive director of the Anderson Housing Authority, said some of the $250,000 can be used to help people stay in their current housing.

"It's easier to keep people from becoming homeless and they need food and clothing, which is essential," Townsend said.

Landers said some of the American Rescue Plan funds could be used for educational programs.

She said there is an advocate in Indianapolis willing to make a presentation in Anderson at a cost of $6,000.

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"Other communities are interested in attending," Landers said. "It would be a program on how drug addiction leads to homelessness, which is a problem in Anderson."

She said donations could be accepted at the presentation to assist agencies working to end homelessness.

"There could be a panel discussion and questions from the public," Landers said. "We should focus on prevention."

Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
Dec. 27A former orthopedic surgeon at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont has agreed to no longer practice medicine after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault against a patient.

Dr. Thomas Marks, 72, of Newbury, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sexual assault charge and felony first-degree assault on Monday, Dec. 23.

The assault occurred on Dec. 8, 2022, when he grabbed the breasts of one of his patients, according to the charging document. He was arrested in January 2023, according to the New Hampshire Board of Medicine.

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According to an affidavit, the victim had been seeing Marks to get a cortisone shot in her right hip and she was in the room with Marks when the assault took place. She had met with him eight or nine times over the course of a year.

On Jan. 24, 2023, the victim wore a wire and when police entered the exam room Marks was on his knees in front of the victim. Marks later told police he was going to do a reflex exam, according to the affidavit.

On the misdemeanor charge of sexual assault, Judge James Kennedy sentenced Marks to one year with pretrial credit of 14 days. Marks has an opportunity to get out sooner with good behavior.

A state prison sentence of 7 1/2 to 15 years was suspended with Thomas agreeing not to practice medicine, according to court documents. He is also to have no contact with the victim.

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Marks first received a license to practice in New Hampshire in June 1986, according to a voluntary agreement not to practice. He agreed to a voluntary preliminary agreement not to practice medicine on Feb. 7, 2023.

Marks also must register as a sexual offender.
QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

Saturday: Chance of rain, high 61

Tonight: Few showers, low 52

Sunday: Rainy & breezy, high 62 (42)

Monday: Some sunshine, high 49 (42)

Tuesday: Scattered rain, high 48 (34)

New Years Day: Light wintry mix, high 39 (27)

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

This will be a very mild start to the weekend with temperatures topping off in the low 60s. Central Ohio is going to see highs 20-25 degrees warmer than average for late December. Along with these warm temps will be very cloudy skies and breezy winds. There is a small chance for isolated sprinkles later this afternoon.

Tonight rain showers move into the area, and there will be plenty of them. Winds speeds; however, will calm down quiet a bit. This will not last for too long. Lows will stay mild only falling to the low 50s.

Tomorrow afternoon brings a marginal risk for severe weather to portions of Central Ohio. A few areas east of the city have a chance of experiencing strong winds speeds and even a few rumbles of thunder on Sunday. Highs will return to the low 60s.

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The last days of the year will bring plenty more chances for rain. This includes on New Years Eve. Temperatures will return to seasonable by the end of the year, then will be below average at the end of the work week.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
At least two people have died as severe storms and tornadoes tore through parts of Texas and Mississippi on Saturday, officials said, while a parade of atmospheric river-fueled storms batters the West.

One person died in northern Brazoria County, Texas, where four others were non-critically injured, Brazoria County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Madison Polston told CNN Saturday. Brazoria County is about 45 miles south of Houston.

We are still conducting secondary searches and going through and ensuring that all the residents are accounted for, Polston said. At this point we dont expect there to be additional fatalities.

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The other fatality was a high school student in Natchez, Mississippi, who died after a tree fell on a home, according to Adams County Emergency Management spokesperson Neifa Hardy.

Adams County is reporting one home in Natchez that has been destroyed or collapsed, with one individual deceased and two injured, Malary White, Mississippi Emergency Management director of external affairs, told CNN.

Nearly 7 million Americans are currently under a tornado watch, including more than 2 million people in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, where one such watch was upgraded to a rare particularly dangerous situation. The watch calls for numerous strong tornadoes until 9 p.m. CST, according to the National Weather Service.

This is a special kind of tornado watch, issued only when theres unusually high confidence in the potential of multiple, long-lived tornadoes of EF2-strength or stronger in the area, according to the weather service. In this case, several EF0-EF2 tornadoes are anticipated, and a few intense (EF3+) tornadoes are likely, said the Storm Prediction Center.

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An outbreak of severe storms with tornadoes, wind damage, and large hail is expected from parts of the Southern Plains, into the Lower Mississippi Valley and central Gulf Coast states, the National Weather Service said. Several long track tornadoes are expected.

The weather service on Saturday evening issued an additional tornado watch impacting 3.5 million people for parts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi through 2 a.m. CST.

At 12:23 p.m. CST, the weather service confirmed a tornado was reported on the ground near Cleveland, about 45 miles northeast of Houston. The tornado, which was witnessed on the ground before it lifted back up, was moving northeast at 35 mph, NWS said.

Another reported tornado was spotted in Katy, Texas, about 30 miles west of Houston, as seen in footage posted on Facebook.

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The strongest tornadoes could bring widespread damaging winds into Saturday evening, the weather service said. The Storm Prediction Center has increased the tornado risk to a level 4 of 5 moderate risk of severe weather across parts of central Louisiana, Mississippi, and western Alabama.

Supercell storms continue to be capable of producing intense tornadoes, widespread damaging winds of up to 80 mph and golf ball-size hail.

Numerous severe/supercell thunderstorms are expected to intensify through the afternoon over east Texas and western Louisiana, spreading rapidly northeastward across the watch through early evening. Parameters are becoming increasingly favorable for tornadoes, including strong tornadoes, and widespread damaging winds through the watch period, said the Storm Prediction Center.

Tornadoes are much less common in the US during December, averaging only around 40  compared to the nearly 270 seen on average in May. This year, however, there have been 1,783 tornado reports as of December 27  well above the average of 1,347 reports.

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The threat shifts Sunday to the Southeast and the East Coast  where tornado-spawning storms are possible in Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. Rain from this storm could lead to some minor travel delays in the East Coast.

Meanwhile in the West, a continued series of atmospheric river-fueled storms is delivering more rounds of dangerous waves, powerful winds, heavy rainfall and thick mountain snowfall across the Pacific Northwest and Rockies this weekend. An additional 4 to 6 inches or more rain and 1 to 2 feet of mountain snow is likely.

The East Montgomery County Fire Department said that Station 154 in New Caney, Texas, "sustained extensive damage" after a storm swept through the area. - Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough

Tornadoes tear through homes

Omar Godoy, who lives in Katy where a confirmed tornado was spotted, was watching the tornado thriller film Twister with his nephew when they received an alert, CNN affiliate KHOU reported.

When he stepped outside to check, he saw a tornado heading toward him.

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You see debris going in circles and the funnel coming down, Godoy told KHOU. Its scary, but its nature.

Godoy and his nephew hid in the closet for three minutes as they felt the house shake. When they emerged, they noticed the tornado had damaged the fence and roof, and other homes in their neighborhood.

It was three minutes, but it was a scary three minutes, Godoy said, adding this is the third tornado to impact their neighborhood this year.

Storm damage in Porter, Texas. - Katt Lomison

Katt Lomison said she feels blessed to be alive after her subdivision in Porter, Texas, suffered severe storm damage on Saturday. She was in her backyard when she saw on the news there was a potential tornado in her area.

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I got my hallway ready, and I went outside, and then I just felt the wind come down and go in a circle with the rain, and Im like, Oh crap, Lomison said.

After the storm passed, Lomison discovered her shed was flattened and trees were down throughout the neighborhood.

One house at the end of her street is like gone, she said. The next one, the roof is completely off. Electrical poles are down on Porter Lane, she continued. It just kept going, causing so much destruction.

Drone video captured storm damage in Porter and showed multiple houses and buildings with severe roof and structural damage.

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Daniel Davis, the mayor of Manvel in Brazoria County  where the one person was confirmed dead  told CNN a tornado touched down east of Manvel near Liverpool, destroying multiple homes, schools and businesses.

There are a lot of people without power, and especially over in that area and the county, while people are on wells and septic, Davis said. So when theyre without power, theyre also without water.

A tornado in Brazoria County had a quick and devastating impact, Sheriff Bo Stallman told CNN, touching down in four different locations.

The tornado stayed within a small square mile vicinity, but its damage was extremely devastating, Stallman said. These are just really hard to plan for because they develop so fast, he added.

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When asked whether people had enough time to take shelter before the tornados impact, the sheriff said, Thats the problem with tornadoes is that theres not a whole lot of planning or preparation for these types of events.

From eastern Texas to western Georgia, cities like Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and Birmingham could also see an isolated chance of tornadoes as well as damaging wind gusts and large hail.

The threat area will shift eastward from parts of north and central Texas early, across east Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley today, then over the Tennessee Valley, parts of Georgia, and the central Gulf Coast tonight, says the Storm Prediction Center.

As daytime heat and humidity fuels more storms, these supercells could be capable of several tornadoes, some of which could be strong and violent. By the late evening and overnight, these storms will form into a line of severe storms capable of widespread wind damage and embedded tornadoes.

A tornado tracks through McCall Creek, Mississippi, on Saturday. - WxChasing

Videographer Jonathan Petramala captured footage that showed a violent, long-track tornado ripping through McCall Creek in southwest central Mississippi. In the video, a woman is seen carrying her crying granddaughter.

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The little girl was next door with her parents hiding in their bathroom when the tornado hit, tearing off their roof, Petramala told CNN. The footage showed dozens of uprooted trees and multiple severely damaged homes.

On Sunday, the severe storm threat weakens as it spreads to the Southeast, the East Coast and parts of the mid-Atlantic. The area includes the cities of Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.

A lower severe storm threat spreads from the Florida Panhandle to southwestern Pennsylvania. Cities that could see some damaging wind gusts and a chance of tornadoes include Atlanta, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Virginia Beach.

Waves up to 30 feet expected along California coast

Travelers trying to return home and those with layovers in the Pacific Northwest might need to allot extra travel time and monitor later legs in their journey on the final weekend of 2024 as atmospheric river-fueled storms bring more unsettled weather.

The revolving door of mid-latitude cyclones propagating through the Pacific Northwest is likely to continue through the rest of the weekend, the National Weather Service said.

The storms are expected to lash Californias coast with massive waves.

The latest storm of the series is expected to move onshore Saturday, bringing dangerously high waves and powerful rip currents across the West Coast  making for dangerous conditions for swimmers.

The worst coastal conditions are expected across the Pacific Northwest Coastlines and across the Bay Area, where waves up to 30 feet are possible over the weekend. High waves up to 15 feet could be seen as far south as the Malibu coast and across Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion can be expected. Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches. Sudden immersion in cold water can result in cold water shock even for the most experienced swimmers, the weather service warns.

High winds are expected to continue to blow across parts of the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, where high wind alerts are in place. Winds gusting over 75 mph are possible, which could topple trees and power lines.

Widespread power outages are expected, warns the weather service. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles, including areas along Highway 395 and Highway 95 near Walker Lake.

Winter weather alerts are in place across parts of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Rockies as rounds of moisture continue to impact the West. Snowfall of 6 to 18 inches and gusts potentially over 70 mph could reduce visibility and make travel nearly impossible.

Along with the snowfall, avalanche warnings have been issued for the mountains of northern Utah, including the Wasatch Range and Bear River Range. Very dangerous avalanche conditions are expected to develop on many slopes, warns the Utah Avalanche Center.

Heavy rainfall is expected along the coastal portions of the Pacific Northwest and across the lower elevations of the Cascades. An additional 4 inches of rainfall is possible through the weekend, which could bring storm totals to nearly 10 inches.

CNNs Tyler Mauldin contributed to this report.

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An ongoing cockroach problem, a mouse infestation so bad it forced a temporary shutdown, foods stored directly on the floor, contaminated liquor, old pasta, water issues, employees who mishandled food and grimy kitchen conditions are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered during recent local safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.

Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Fifteen Wichita-area restaurants, stores, hotels and other businesses that serve or sell food or rent rooms to the public were non-compliant from Dec. 15-21.

Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 60 others deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.

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Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Violations are common.

Businesses can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that cant be fixed right away. Most of the time, they correct issues in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately are serving food thats more than a week old, employees mishandling food and dirty kitchens.

But sometimes issues take days or weeks to correct, like pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems. Its rare, but a business may temporarily shut down over violations.

Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.

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The list in this story was compiled on Dec. 24 using information available from the state on that date. The list only contains places located in Sedgwick County, but you can search food and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

File

Out-of-compliance inspections

Arbys, 4308 E. Harry in Wichita  One violation on Dec. 19 during a routine inspection. Cited for not keeping several types of cheese cold enough. Next inspection: Dec. 29.

Buffalo Wild Wings, 1918 N. Rock Road, Suite 100 in Derby  Seven violations on Dec. 16 during a routine inspection. Violations include cans of chili that werent labeled with their package opening dates, food debris on clean pans, utensils stored improperly, bottle of chemical that smelled like bleach wasnt labeled with its contents, leaking hot water faucet, water in dishwasher wasnt getting hot enough to sanitize dishes, no hot water at three-vat sink. Next inspection: Dec. 26.

Fat Ernies Family Dining, 2806 S. Hydraulic in Wichita  Three violations on Dec. 18 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Violations include several dead cockroaches on the floors, fresh and dried rodent droppings in cabinets under a soda machine and at bar in dining room, containers of pie frosting were stored directly on the floor, living cockroaches crawling on floors. The next inspection date wasnt listed.

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Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 10096 E. 13th St., Suite 118 in Wichita  Eleven violations on Dec. 19 during a routine inspection. Violations include dirty surfaces, employee didnt wash hands or change gloves between handling dirty and clean dishes, foods including soft cheese slices and raw beef werent kept cold enough, containers of raw and seared tuna werent labeled with their preparation dates, debris and cork shavings floating in bottle of rum, bartender touched drink garnishes with bare hands, restaurant was using a hand-washing sink to store soap, tomato soup wasnt cooling down quickly enough in refrigeration, foods including soup and deviled eggs werent labeled with their preparation dates or were misdated, old cavatappi pasta, employee washed food container at a sink dedicated to hand-washing, no paper towels at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Dec. 29.

KC Gas & Groceries, 1102 W. Maple in Wichita  Six violations on Dec. 19 during a routine inspection. Violations include car oil and cleaners stored on shelf above soda, no hot water at bathroom sink, very little running water at bathroom sink, bathroom sink was blocked with supplies and boxes, employee was storing personal shoes and belongings in a sink, no food thermometers on site, rusted-out drains at three-compartment sink, no soap at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Dec. 29.

Mexico Viejo Mexican Restaurant & Bar, 6960 W. 21st St. in Wichita  Three violations on Dec. 18 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Violations include a cook who didnt wash hands or change gloves after touching raw steak, employee washed their hands in a food preparation sink, container of chili verde wasnt labeled with its preparation date. Next inspection: Feb. 18.

Molinos Mexican Cuisine, 1064 N. Waco in Wichita  Five violations on Dec. 17 during a routine inspection. Violations include no water at kitchen hand-washing sink, several old foods including pork chunks and tacos pollo, no hot water at kitchen hand-washing sink, no test strips for measuring concentration of sanitizer, no food probe thermometer on site. Next inspection: Dec. 27.

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Old Tokyo Steakhouse, 6821 W. Taft in Wichita  Nineteen violations on Dec. 16 during a complaint inspection. Violations include employees who didnt wash their hands before putting on gloves to prepare food, no written procedures for cleaning up vomiting or diarrhea incidents, onions were sitting on the floor, no soap at kitchen hand-washing sink, menu was missing disclosures about undercooked steaks, rice and salad mix were sitting out at room temperature, cheesecake wasnt cold enough in refrigeration, no paper towels at bathroom or kitchen sinks, dirty knife, mystery brown liquid in spray bottle in bathroom, bottle of sanitizer wasnt labeled, no food probe thermometer, employee washed hands at the wrong sink, eggs sitting out at room temperature, no test strips for measuring concentration of sanitizers, build up of grime and food debris throughout restaurant, build up of grime and lobster tail shells under flat top tables in dining room, ramekins used as scoops were stored in containers of vegetables and rice, rice didnt cool off quickly enough in refrigeration. Next inspection: Dec. 26.

Schlotzskys, 6507 E. Central in Wichita  Four violations on Dec. 17 during a routine inspection. Violations include containers of sliced tomatoes that were not properly date-marked, employees were touching food thats ready to be served to customers with their bare hands, a cupboard at the drive-thru window drink station was almost completely covered with dead winged insects, diced tomatoes werent cold enough in refrigeration. Next inspection: Dec. 27.

Smash Bros #2 (mobile vendor/food truck), 9809 W. Par Lane in Wichita Seven violations on Dec. 16 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include no paper towels at hand-washing sink, no running water at sinks, hand-washing sink was blocked with containers and other items, raw ground beef was thawing at room temperature, no food probe thermometer, no test strips to measure concentration of chlorine sanitizer, unlabeled spray bottles of chemicals. Next inspection: Jan. 30.

Sunflour Cafe & Collective, 6120 W. Central in Wichita  One violation on Dec. 19 during a routine inspection. Violations include breakfast and vegan foods that were not cold enough in refrigeration. Next inspection: Dec. 29.

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Super Express Convenience Store, 2849 W. 13th St. in Wichita  Five violations on Dec. 18 during a routine inspection. Violations include mouse infestation, several snack foods and candy bars had been chewed by mice, foods were contaminated with mouse feces, pet food bags chewed up, the business didnt immediately tell the department of agriculture about its mouse infestation and cease operating, fresh mouse droppings too numerous to count throughout the business, live mice seen during inspections, level of mouse infestation was considered an imminent health hazard, clutter in storage room created harborage conditions for pests, lack of pest control measures. The business closed for a few days over the deficiencies. Next inspection: Dec. 28.

Texas Roadhouse, 6707 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita  Six violations on Dec. 16 during a routine inspection. Violations include an employee who didnt wash hands or change gloves after touching hair and a personal drink, bag of sirloin seasoning was sitting directly below a soap dispenser, water didnt get hot enough in the dishwasher, no sanitizer in bucket of wiping cloths, sirloin seasoning was stored in a hand-washing sink by the grill, restaurant wasnt keeping updated logs related to chilling and reheating food. Next inspection: Jan. 16.

Toastique, 9747 E. 21st St., Suite 115 in Wichita  Six violations on Dec. 18 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include menus that were missing consumer advisory reminders about the risks of eating undercooked foods, containers of milk werent labeled with their package opening dates, bucket of sanitizer and produce were blocking the hand-washing sinks from being used, meat slicer wasnt being cleaned and sanitized often enough, containers of onion jam werent labeled with their preparation dates, sanitizer testing strips were ruined and couldnt be used. Next inspection: Dec. 28.

Yum Mi Express, 6254 E. 37th St. North, Suite 160 in Bel Aire  Eleven violations on Dec. 20 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include containers of raw chicken that were stored on a box of raw broccoli, raw pork was stored above bean sprouts and mint leaves, fresh rodent droppings on floor by sugar and flour, build up of grease on and below fryer, items were stored inside of a hand-washing sink, employee touched bean sprouts with bare hands, employee put a glove that had been dropped on the floor back into a box with new gloves, raw pork was thawing at room temperature, the food probe thermometer wasnt calibrated correctly, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing ink, containers of sauce and raw pork were stored directly on the ground, flour and sugar were stored in a box on the floor, greasy floor. Next inspection: Dec. 30.

See a problem? Heres where to complain

If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.

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To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.

To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.

Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.

For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.

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Note: Sometimes addresses listed  especially for mobile vendors and food trucks  are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.

The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.

Bugs in booze, stained beds, roaches, bloody floor at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels

Lots of mouse poop, more cockroaches, stubborn mold at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels

Blood leaking on bag of cheese, roaches, moldy food found at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels
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 for 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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A Colorado man is facing possible bias-motivated charges for allegedly attacking a television news reporter after demanding to know whether he was a citizen, saying This is Trumps America now, according to court documents.

Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, was arrested Dec. 18 in Grand Junction, Colorado, after police say he followed KKCO/KJCT reporter JaRonn Alexs vehicle for around 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Delta area. Alex told police that he believed he had been followed and attacked because he is Pacific Islander.

After arriving in Grand Junction, Egan, who was driving a taxi, pulled up next to Alex at a stoplight and, according to an arrest affidavit, said something to the effect of: Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trumps America now! Im a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!

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Alex, who had been out reporting, then drove back to his news station in the city. After he got out of his vehicle, Egan chased Alex as he ran toward the stations door and demanded to see his identification, according to the document laying out polices evidence in the case. Egan then tackled Alex, put him in a headlock and began to strangle him, the affidavit said. Coworkers who ran out to help and witnesses told police that Alex appeared to be losing his ability to breathe during the attack, which was partially captured on surveillance video, according to the document.

According to the stations website, Alex is a native of Detroit. KKCO/KJCT reported that he was driving a news vehicle at the time.

Egan was arrested on suspicion of bias-motivated crimes, second degree assault and harassment. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday to learn whether prosecutors have filed formal charges against him.

Egans lawyer, Ruth Swift, was out of the office Friday and did not return a telephone message seeking comment.

KKCO/KJCT vice president and general manager Stacey Stewart said the station could not comment beyond what it has reported on the attack.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  New details are emerging in a shooting from Sunday where a Columbus teenager is accused of shooting his 9-year-old brother to death.

The 13-year-old alleged shooter was in Juvenile Court this afternoon. WRBL had the only reporter at the courthouse, though the preliminary hearing was closed to the public because of the age of the accused.

The parents of the deceased and accused were in Judge Warner Kennons Government Center courtroom.

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Their attorney  William Kendrick  tells WRBL the judge will allow the 13-year-old to be released into the custody of his parents.

Kendrick says the shooting was a tragic accident that did not happen at the home where the boys lived. Kendrick also says the parents were not present at the time of the shooting Sunday evening at a residence off Floyd Road in East Columbus.

I mean, everything considered, you got an older brother, younger brother, the holiday time frame. You know, no issues of angst or animosity between them, said Kendrick. I mean, youve got an older brother whos going to be out to grieve with his family and bury his younger brother, who as an result of an accident, is no longer with us.

According to Kendrick, terms of the release from the Youth Detention Center include the teenager wear an ankle monitor.

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The hearing today, the judge took up the limited issue of whether or not the young man would be allowed to go home and be on basically house arrest, said Kendrick. There was also a preliminary hearing to did found probable cause to support involuntary manslaughter.

Police tell WRBL a handgun was used in the deadly shooting.

Hes charged with involuntary manslaughter, said Columbus Police Department Deputy Chief Lance Deaton. And involuntary manslaughter is not a Senate bill 440 days, which is what allows the state to charge a juvenile as an adult. And involuntary manslaughter is not one of those charges. So, he is charged as a juvenile.

The investigation into the deadly shooting continues.

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One question that has arisen is where did the 13-year-old get the gun.

The only thing I can tell you at this point is it was a handgun, not a rifle, said Deaton. It was a handgun. And of course, as part of the ongoing investigation, whats already been done and what well continue to work on, certainly thats a question we would like to get answered.

Judge Kennon heard a motion from WRBL to open the hearing to media coverage. He said there was no provision under state law to open the hearing to media coverage.

Juvenile defendants have certain protections under state law  one is their name is not released. The defendants name has been on social media in the wake of the shooting, but WRBL is not naming him.

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A Columbus woman has been charged with murder after a stabbing this month.

The Columbus Police Department added the murder charge against Shamone Huggins, 28, after Nigel Holmes, 33, died Dec. 14 from his injuries while hospitalized, CPD announced Friday.

The case was reassigned to CPDs Violent Crimes Unit.

Following additional interviews and collaboration with the Medical Examiners Office, the charge against Huggins was upgraded to murder, CPD public information officer Brittany Santiago wrote in a news release. An additional charge of possession of a knife during the commission of a crime was also added.

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Asked for the relationship between the suspect and the victim, Santiago told the Ledger-Enquirer that Huggins was Holmes girlfriend.

Huggins was served with the upgraded charges while in custody at the Muscogee County Jail. She is scheduled for a hearing in Recorders Court at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 2.

According to CPD, around 4:40 p.m. Dec. 3, officers responded to the 3900 block of Trask Drive in reference to a stabbing and located the victim. EMS transported the victim to Piedmont Columbus Regional.

Initial investigations revealed that Holmes had been involved in a dispute with Huggins. The dispute escalated and Holmes was stabbed, the news release stated.

Officers arrested Huggins that day. She initially was charged with aggravated assault.
Just five months after giving birth to our third (and final) child in 2015, my wife experienced something odd: Her smile became crooked.

Appearance didnt matter, of course. This was just different enough to be noticeable and concerning, like that new mole you should probably have checked out.

Read more: My son has autism. His life tells a story RFK Jr. ignores

Over the next few months, well-meaning doctors treated the bump on her right jaw as anything but cancer, because its always something else for a nonsmoker in her 30s. That changed when a head-and-neck surgeon put on a glove, poked the back of my wifes throat and said one of her tonsils felt concerningly hard.

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It was almost certainly tonsil cancer, she said, and the growth on my wifes jaw indicated it had spread. Biopsies, a surgery and scans confirmed the doctors suspicion.

Read more: Abcarian: Trump would allow RFK Jr. to infect the body politic with crackpot theories

We also learned something else: If a new vaccine had been available when my wife was younger, everything she was about to go through  daily radiation therapy, hospital stays, chemotherapy infusions, infections, starvation and constant pain, without assurance that any of this would work  could have been avoided.

My wifes cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus, which nearly every person will contract at some point in their lives, because nearly every person is sexually active at some point in their lives. The vast majority of us never know we have HPV; however, each year about 47,000 of us in this country develop cervical, throat and other forms of cancer associated with the virus.

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My wife was one of those people. It just happened to be her and not me or anyone else lucky enough to never know they had HPV.

Im sharing this story now, more than eight years after her diagnosis, because a notorious vaccine skeptic may soon lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. President-elect Donald Trumps choice for that job, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has previously sued the maker of the HPV vaccine Gardasil , calling it dangerous and defective and saying it had caused severe and life-changing injuries.

Plenty of scientists and other journalists have fact-checked the widely circulated claims against Gardasil and found them to be exaggerated or outright false; I wont duplicate their work here. What I do want to convey is some of the severe and life-changing injuries from treating one kind of HPV cancer that vaccination can prevent.

My wife was diagnosed in June 2016. Our twins had recently turned 4, and our youngest was 9 months old. Though survival rates for HPV-related throat cancer are relatively high, hearing your childrens mother has a roughly 1 in 7 chance of dying within five years focuses you on one thing at the expense of all others: survival.

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Doctors warned my wife that her treatment would be brutal: Her five weekly radiation doses over two months would burn her skin, probably make swallowing food and water intolerable and potentially damage her salivary glands for years or even the rest of her life. All of this turned out to be true. My wife desperately wanted to eat and drink, but sores in her mouth and throat made it impossible.

Imagine that: Starving even though food is easily available, you want to eat that food, and everyone is begging you to eat that food, as if its a matter of will power and not the constant burning sensation in your mouth and throat.

Shes healthy now, but every sore throat or enlarged gland  both features of colds and COVID-19  sparks worry of the Big Cs return. She lives checkup-to-checkup, alternating between relief from the most recent all clear to bubbling anxiety as the next appointment approaches. She lives with constant dry mouth and all-too-frequent (and frightening) choking spells.

Financial consequences also lingered. Our health insurance worked as intended, but cancer put my wifes plan for returning to work after maternity leave on hold. Going without an income for twice as long as we intended put us in a deep, years-long hole.

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By most outward appearances, were back to normal now. For that, we have the blunt instruments of chemotherapy and radiation  and my wifes enduring determination  to thank. But generations of children growing into adulthood could have a far better tool to thank, one that may allow them never to know my wifes reality. The shots known as the HPV vaccine really should be called a cancer vaccine.

And yes, for what its worth, my three children will be getting their cancer vaccine.

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.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)  The Vigo County Group Homes for Children program will continue to operate, according to an announcement from Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer on Friday.

Vigo County Commissioners previously announced about a month ago that the program was going to close. However, Switzer said that since then, many in the community have voiced that these group homes are needed.

Switzer said the Vigo County Commissioners worked with Vigo County Juvenile Justice Center Director Norm Loudermilk, as well as the Indiana Department of Child Services, to come up with a plan to re-open the homes.

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Switzer explained the programs three homes will need remodeling, but he said the goal is for them to be able to house more children. He added that the vision is for these homes to be able to offer emergency shelter to children.

A lot of times Department of Child Services gets involved and they need immediate placement or somewhere for them to go to get them out of the situation of either a parent going to jail, or a drug issue, or alcoholism, or something like that. So, its hard to find those places in Vigo County and under new leadership and a new plan, and vision working in partnership with DCS, we hope to be able to house a lot more kids, said Switzer.

According to Switzer, the hope is to have the first home remodeled and ready by the end of January.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The San Diego community is feeling the holiday spirit and giving back after a police detective was forced out of her home by a water leak that caused flooding and mold, displacing her and her dog.

At nearly $20,000 of its $50,000 goal, there is still some time to donate to the GoFundMe to help San Diego Police Department Homicide Det. Megan Hovdey, who is out of her home this holiday season because of flooding that caused significant mold damage to her entire home.

The GoFundMe, posted by the SDPD Homicide Investigations Team and shared publicly by the San Diego Police Officers Association, was shared in hopes that the community will rally to help her.

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According to the GoFundMe, Hovdey first discovered water pooling underneath her entire home back in October after noticing some standing water near the edge of her house one day as she was leaving for work.

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After draining the water, a pin-sized hole in a copper pipe beneath her house was found to be the cause, and repairs were made and the water was drained.

However, the damage had already been done as the water caused mold to grow, which spread to the interior of her home and everything in it, causing the home to be unlivable.

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Now, Hovdey and her elderly dog, Hank, are displaced from their home for an unknown amount of time while repairs and renovations take place.

To make matters worse, her homeowners insurance denied her claims, which will cost her upwards of $50,000. Now, the GoFundMe is accepting donations so the community can help Hovdey.

Community rallying to support San Diego Detective displaced by flooding (Photo: GoFundMe to Support Meghan and Hanks Home Recovery)

On Friday, in an update posted to the GoFundMe, the organizer announced B & E Plumbing Inc. installed new copper piping throughout her home at no cost, thanking the National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA) for making that donation possible. This is all while Hovdey looks for a flooring contractor and the mold mitigation team continues to work to make her home livable once again.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. (WTNH)  With the holiday travel rush still clogging Connecticuts highways, state troopers are out in force trying to detect and deter dangerous drivers.

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News 8 rode along with Trooper Jannina Bonilla of the Connecticut State Police on Friday as she patrolled Interstate 95 in southern Fairfield County.

Bonilla said the holiday season can often bring higher occurrences of drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol. More congested roadways also make other irresponsible roadway behaviors all the more dangerous.

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Within minutes of hitting the road, Bonilla saw a driver on a cell phone. Distracted driving, Bonilla explained, is often a contributing factor in crashes.

Further south on I-95, Bonilla honed in on a black SUV weaving in and out of each lane, frequently tailing the car ahead of it by less than a car length. Bonillas unmarked cruiser hit 80 mph to catch up with the black SUV before the lights and sirens let the SUVs driver know hed been spotted by the state police.

What was that about? Whats going on? Bonilla asked when she approached the SUV.

The driver said he was headed to Long Island and believed the speed limit was 65 mph. The posted speed limit for that section of I-95 is 55 miles per hour. Thursdays incident wasnt the first time hed been pulled over for speeding, the driver said.

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Both drivers pulled over by Bonilla were given tickets and a friendly lesson from the trooper on road safety.

Be conscious of the fact that were all trying to get to our destination safely, Bonilla told News 8 when asked about her general advice for drivers this holiday season. Everybody else is trying to get to their family gatherings as well.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CHICAGO  A first-term Cook County Board of Review commissioner who was captured on police body cam during a suspected DUI arrest appeared in court this week.

45-year-old Samantha Steele, who is one of three commissioners on the Cook County Board of Review, was at Daley Center on Friday for an initial court hearing.

Body camera videos show arrest of Cook County Board of Review commissioner accused of drunk driving

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Steele was taken into custody on Sunday, Nov., 10, in the 5000 block of North Ashland Avenue, after officers were called to the scene on a report of a traffic crash in the area.

According to the arrest report from that evening, after officers located two damaged cars in the area, they found Steele lying on the ground. She then allegedly told police that she had been driving southbound along Ashland when she struck another car.

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Police said they also found an open bottle of wine in Steeles car.

Following her arrest, Steele was charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and had her drivers license suspended. On Friday, a Cook County judge ruled that she can get it back.

During the hearing, the court debated whether Steele was warned properly by police before her license was suspended during the traffic stop.

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Cook County Board of Review commissioner arrested, charged with drunk driving

The seven-year CPD veteran who arrested Steele was called Friday to testify. He said Steele turned down sobriety testing during the stop.

During testimony, Steeles attorney asked the arresting officer if his camera was rolling when his client refused to take the test. The officer said he followed the procedure and left the camera off.

Steeles defense Argues that she refused the test before the officer read her the Warning to Motorist. while prosecutors say she refused after the warning was read multiple times.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

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Steele is expected to return to court on Friday, Feb. 14.

Voters elected Steele to the board of review as a commissioner in 2022. That board reviews property assessments and considers taxpayers appeals.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
An ongoing recall of Costco eggs over salmonella has been escalated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who placed the recall in its most severe class in December 2024, about a month after the recall was initially issued.

The recall is now Class I, meaning that "there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death," according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can be deadly when consumed by certain populations, especially those who are immunocompromised, such as pregnant people and the elderly. Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, stomach pain, nausea and more.

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The Costco egg recall affects the Kirkland Signature brand, organic pasture-raised, 24-count, grade A, large eggs. The reason for the recall is that "eggs from a positive Salmonella environment were shipped into distribution to retail facilities," according to the FDA.

Handsome Brook Farms issued the voluntary recall in late November after the company determined that eggs not intended for retail distribution were instead packaged and distributed in retail packaging, according to the recall notice.

Additional supply chain controls and retraining are being put in place to prevent recurrence," the statement read.

Which Costco eggs are recalled?

The Costco egg recall covers Kirkland Signature brand, organic and pasture-raised, grade-A large and sold in 24-count plastic cartons.

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You can identify affected eggs with the following numbers printed on the cartons:

UPC code 9661910680

327

P1363

Use-by date of Jan. 5, 2025

How to identify products in Costco egg recall December 2024

The eggs included in the recall were sold to 25 Costco stores starting in late November, according to the FDA.

If you have the eggs, dont eat them. Return them to a local Costco store for a full refund or throw them away.

Where were the recalled Costco eggs sold?

About 10,800 plastic cartons affected by the Costco organic eggs recall were sent to stores in:

Alabama

Georgia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

What is salmonella?

Salmonella, a type of bacteria, is a leading cause of foodborne illness, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria can cause serious and potentially fatal infections in children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems, the FDA warns. Symptoms in healthy people include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

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This notice follows a separate massive egg recall in September and October, also over salmonella contamination concerns, involving another poultry farm.

Its also the latest in a series of recent recalls in the U.S., including carrots, cucumbers, ground beef and more.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
EAU CLAIRE  A judge has ordered a competency evaluation in the case of a man charged with murder.

Anthony Jackson, 44, no fixed address, faces charges of first degree intentional homicide, attempted first degree homicide and two counts of bail jumping. The first two charges carry enhancements for use of a dangerous weapon and being a repeat felon.

At an appearance Thursday, Jacksons attorney raised the question of whether he can understand the charges and assist in his defense, essential elements to a criminal prosecution. Judge Sarah Harless found there was enough in question to order the hearing, though a date has not been set.

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According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the Do Dodge Inn on Dec. 14 after a report of a fight. While they were en route they were told one person had been stabbed.

When officers arrived a sheriffs deputy on the scene was holding Jackson at gunpoint. A witness said he and Alex Graff, of Medford, were playing pool when Jackson began acting strangely. He began yelling at nobody in particular, the witness told police, and stabbed Graff because he though Graff had laughed at him.

Others in the bar largely backed up that account. Video showed additional verbal interactions between Graff and Jackson before the stabbing, though did not have audio, so it isnt clear what was said. Those interactions were not aggressive until just before the stabbing. The men did not know each other.

The video showed Jackson stab Graff in the chest and then slash at his back as Graff fled. While he had additional, minor injuries, the knife penetrated Graffs heart when he was stabbed in the chest, and that proved fatal.

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The attempted homicide charge is based on Jacksons approach to the witness who was playing pool with Graff. After stabbing Graff, video showed Jackson approach the other man, who struck him in the face with the pool cue before running out of the bar. Jacksons attempt to stab the man in the back missed.

Jacksons status as a repeat offender isnt in doubt. He has eight other open cases for charges ranging from theft to disorderly conduct, and he has been arrested more than a dozen times in the past year.

Jackson is being held on a $2 million bond in the case. Both the homicide and attempted homicide charges are Class A felonies, which could carry a life sentence if he is convicted.
Royal Caribbean has reportedly cancelled cruise ships stops at a Mexican port following a travel advisory not to go to the city.

The US State Department recently revised advice for popular cruise destinations in Mexico, including a level 4 do not travel warning for Manzanillo on Colimas Pacific Coast due to crime and kidnapping.

State-specific advice for Colima says: Violent crime and gang activity are widespread. Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed bystanders.

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Travel for US government employees is limited to only the tourist and port areas of Manzanillo, with employees travelling to Manzanillo from Guadalajara instructed to use Federal Toll Road 54D during daylight hours.

Miami-based cruise line Royal Caribbean has pulled out of port calls to Manzanillo, but Carnivals Princess Cruises still features the city on itineraries departing in February and September 2025.

Although Royal Caribbean no longer has any listed sailings to the Mexican port, its website says: Manzanillo might not be the first place on Mexicos Pacific Coast you think to visit, but its golden beaches, lively fishing harbour and emerald rainforest will leave memories that will last a lifetime.

The State Department uses a four-level travel advisory system to guide tourists, with level 4 warnings, also in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, the most severe.

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A level 3 advisory to reconsider travel has been issued for Mexicos Puerto Chiapas region as criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the Chiapas state.

The Independent has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calders podcast
When cruise ships lumber into Key Wests shallow harbor, they can sometimes churn up a storm of sediment more potent than a hurricane, new monitoring by the city shows.

A years worth of tracking by the College of the Florida Keys found 32 events where turbidity measurements not only exceeded limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but often reached levels above what hurricanes like Helene and Milton generate when they pass by, according to Patrick Rice, principal investigator for marine research at the college.

Theres 32 events that exceed those turbidity standards over the past year. So its like having 32 hurricanes, basically, Rice told city commissioners during an update last week.

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And none of those 32 events were an actual hurricane? asked Commissioner Monica Haskell.

No, Rice responded. Those were all associated with the cruise ships.

READ MORE: Florida muddies water on rule to protect coral

Key West hired Rice to monitor turbidity, which can damage sea life including coral and seagrass, after state lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis pre-empted a local effort to limit massive ships sailing into the port where channels are only about 34 feet and most ships have a draft of 27 feet. Port Miami, by comparison, is between 50 and 52 feet deep.

The city has since enacted its own ordinance on a city-owned docks, limiting ship arrivals to one a day at the only privately owned Pier B. In March, DeSantis and the cabinet agreed to expand the lease space at Pier B for 25 years to allow larger ships.

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The city launched the study as part of an effort to improve water quality with a citywide master plan to better protect waters around Key West and several smaller islands within city limits.

In addition to turbidity monitoring, testing will also begin for chemicals found in sunscreens. An effort to ban sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate was also overturned by DeSantis. Other testing will look for evidence of sewer discharges in waters and potential leaching from an old landfill on Stock Island.

While the EPA sets a turbidity limit of 29 NTUs  a unit of measurement to determine the amount of cloudiness liquid  a 2021 Florida Department of Environmental Protection study found the limit needs to be higher to protect wildlife and recommended revising the rule.

The Clean Water Act requires the state to update its water quality rules every three years to reflect new findings. In September, FDEP again postponed a revision while it continues to study the matter.

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Since a monitor was installed in late October 2023 near Mallory Square, 244 ships have motored into the harbor, ranging in size from small vessels capable of holding about 40 passengers to massive ships carrying more than 3,900, the study said.

Spikes in the amount of suspended sediment coincided with the arrival and departure of the big ships, Rice said, possibly caused by how the ships maneuver in and out of the shallow harbor.

When the ships come in, especially on a windy day, they have to use their bow thrusters, he said. The ship channel is not that deep. The hull, depending on the size of the vessel of course, is not far removed from the bottom of the sea floor.

At times, monitoring showed the clouds of sand lingered and moved with the tide, dissipating as it washed out but returning later when the tide washed back in. Blocking out the sunlight or settling can damage coral and other sea life.

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Sediment churned up by the Port Miami dredge in 2014 killed about a half million corals on the reef nearby. Plowing up the bottom can also stir up toxins trapped in the sand, including bacteria that produces hydrogen sulfide and algae that fuels red tide, Rice said

Monitoring found the amount of sediment can spike at both shallow and deeper depths. In December, monitors detected turbidity at more than twice the EPA limit, and nearly equal to levels measured when Hurricane Debby passed Key West about 100 miles to the west in early August. The levels were about the same for Helene and Milton. Nine hours later, turbidity measured nearly four times the limit, coinciding with a ships departure. In August, a ship churned up nearly seven times the allowed limit.

The tight harbor means that massive ships need to thread a narrow route in and out. The channel leading into the port is about 34 feet deep and only about 300 feet wide, with reefs rising on either side as high as 16 feet. Many of cruise ships that sail in and out are just six to seven feet from the bottom and can be as wide as 128 feet.

Dredging the harbor could eliminate some of the sediment, Rice said. But he warned that it would need to be managed carefully.

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A maintenance dredge, just removing the top layer of sediment, not making it deeper so the bigger ships can come in, he said.

With coral reefs and seagrass meadows already stressed from rising ocean temperatures - a 2023 heat wave killed swaths of coral in the nearby Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary including the last stands of wild elkhorn - Rice said he hopes to add more monitors to better understand how currents and tide move the turbidity around.

The goal is to provide that information, he said. But for now, all I can see is by measuring the tide and seeing if its an incoming tide or an outgoing tide.

This story was produced in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, WLRN Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.
MILAN (Reuters) - Hackers targeted around ten official websites in Italy on Saturday, including the websites of the Foreign Ministry and Milan's two airports, putting them out of action temporarily, the country's cyber security agency said.

The pro-Russian hacker group Noname057(16) claimed the cyber attack on Telegram, saying Italy's "Russophobes get a well deserved cyber response".

A spokesperson for Italy's cyber security agency said it was plausible that the so-called "Distributed Denial of Service" (DDoS) attack could be linked to the pro-Russian group.

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In such attacks, hackers attempt to flood a network with unusually high volumes of data traffic in order to paralyse it.

The spokesperson said the agency provided quick assistance to the institutions and firms targeted and that the attack's impact was "mitigated" in less than two hours.

The cyber attack has not caused any disruptions to flights at Milan's Linate and Malpensa airports, a spokesperson for SEA, the company which manages them, said.

While the websites were inaccessible, the airports' mobile apps continued to function, the SEA spokesperson added.

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has stated that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has consistently rejected all peace proposals and continues to launch new strikes on Ukraine's regions every day.

Source: Radio Prague International, citing Lipavsky, as reported by European Pravda

Lipavsky made this statement to the Czech news agency CTK after his Slovak counterpart, Juraj Blanar, confirmed on 27 December that Slovakia is prepared to host future peace talks regarding Ukraine.

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The Czech foreign minister stressed that Putin has repeatedly rejected all peace proposals and continues to launch new strikes on Ukraines regions every day.

Quote: "Lets not fall for Russian lies, but focus on how to protect our people," Lipavsky concluded.

Background:

On Thursday, 26 December, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin stated that Slovakia is willing to host peace talks on the war in Ukraine, adding that "Russia has no objections to this".

Putin also claimed that in 2025, Russia would continue to "achieve all the goals" of the war in Ukraine, calling this "a top priority".

On Sunday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin. He mentioned that he had informed EU leaders about his visit.

In response, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Ficos energy policy, marked by weakness, dependence, and short-sightedness, poses a threat to all of Europe.

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After a one-year hiatus, Dakota horse riders returned to Mankato, Minnesota, to honor the memory of the December 26, 1862, mass execution of Native Americans. Ordered by President Abraham Lincoln, this event remains the largest mass execution in U.S. history.

From 2008 to 2022, the Dakota 38+2 Memorial Ride was held annually to commemorate the lives lost following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

The Memorial Ride concluded in 2022 after the passing of its founder, Jim Miller, a Dakota spiritual leader and Vietnam veteran, who succumbed to cancer in May 2023.

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Miller envisioned the ride as a way to honor the 38+2, acknowledge the pain of the past, and work toward healing. His dream of reconciliation now lives on through the annual journey, drawing participants from across the Midwest and beyond. Riders include Dakota descendants, allies, and youth who are taking up the mantle to ensure this history is never forgotten.

This year, two new rides emerged  the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride from Lower Brule, S.D., led by Wilfred Keeble, and the Dakota Exiles ride from Santee, Neb., led by Jim Hallum.

Two new rides, called the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride, were launched this year.

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Wilfred Keeble, a participant in the original ride, shared that Miller encouraged him to carry it forward with the next generation.

"We ended 38+2, but he said the ride needs to go on for the coming generations," said Keeble, "We have a young group with us, theyre excited. They want to continue on."

The Dakota riders retrace a painful chapter in history, riding horseback across the Midwest to honor their ancestors and the 38 men executed in 1862.

The ride begins in Lower Brule, South Dakota, and spans nearly 330 miles, culminating at the execution site in Mankato. Over the course of two weeks, riders will brave freezing winter conditions on horseback, stopping in communities along the way to hold ceremonies, share history, and foster dialogue.

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The physical journey is grueling, with riders spending hours in the saddle during bitterly cold days. Each stop along the route carries significance, offering moments of reflection and community connection.

Riders often stay in churches, community centers, or schools where they host educational events and ceremonies, sharing the story of the Dakota 38+2 and inviting dialogue about history and its impact today.

The long horse ride also serves as a reminder of the struggles the Dakota people endured during and after the war. The events of 1862 included forced removal, mass incarceration, and the loss of land and lives, traumas that still resonate today.

While its rooted in pain, the ride is also about hope and healing. By retracing the steps of their ancestors, the riders are not only honoring the past but also working toward understanding and reconciliation. For those who witness or participate in the journey, its a powerful reminder of the importance of keeping history alive.

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About the Author: "Kaili Berg (Aleut) is a member of the Alutiiq\/Sugpiaq Nation, and a shareholder of Koniag, Inc. She is a staff reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Berg, who is based in Wisconsin, previously reported for the Ho-Chunk Nation newspaper, Hocak Worak. She went to school originally for nursing, but changed her major after finding her passion in communications at Western Technical College in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. "

Contact: kberg@indiancountrymedia.com
Dec. 28 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1065, Westminster Abbey was consecrated. Nearly all British monarchs since then have been crowned in coronation ceremonies at the church, including the most recent, King Charles III on May 6, 2023.

In 1832, John Calhoun, at odds with U.S. President Andrew Jackson, became the first U.S. vice president to resign.

In 1846, Iowa was admitted into the United States as the 29th state.

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In 1869, a group of tailors in Philadelphia staged the first Labor Day ceremonies in the United States.

State Highway 92 runs through rural Keokuk County, Iowa, named for a Sac Indian chief, August 6. Iowa is the crossroads of agriculture and presidential politics with its first-in-the-nation caucuses. On Dec. 28, 1846, Iowa was admitted into the United States as the 29th state. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI

File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

In 1895, French film pioneers Auguste Lumiere and Louis Lumiere showed the first commercial motion pictures at a Paris cafe.

On December 28, 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a law banning American parents from adopting Russian children. File Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Pool

In 1908, an earthquake in the Messina area of southern Italy killed at least 80,000 people. Some estimates put the death toll upwards of 200,000.

In 1950, advancing Chinese troops crossed the 38th Parallel, dividing line between North and South Korea, to help the communist North Koreans fight U.S.-led U.N. forces.

On December 28, 1832, John Calhoun, at odds with U.S. President Andrew Jackson, became the first U.S. vice president to resign. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

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In 1981, the United States' first test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, was born in a Norfolk, Va., hospital.

In 1985, warring Lebanese Muslim and Christian leaders signed a peace agreement backed by Syria.

Tourists walk around Westminster Abbey on April 27, 2011, as London prepares for the royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. On December 28, 1065, Westminster Abbey was consecrated. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI

In 1991, Time magazine named CNN founder Ted Turner man of the year.

In 2007, Nepal's interim parliament voted to abolish its monarchy and became a federal democratic republic. King Gyanendra was formally deposed May 28, 2008.

Bodies of victims lie in Messina, Italy, after an earthquake struck the region December 28, 1908. File Photo by Luca Comerio/Wikimedia

File Photo by Sagarkca11/Wikimedia

In 2012, a 23-year-old woman who was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi died at a hospital in Singapore. The attack by six men on the woman and her boyfriend caused outrage and protests throughout India.

Turner Enterprises Inc. Chairman Ted Turner participates in a panel at the 2010 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 26, 2010. On December 28, 1991, Time magazine named Turner man of the year. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

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In 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning American parents from adopting Russian children.

In 2014, Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea, killing 155 passengers and seven crew. Searchers found the aircraft and bodies floating in the sea two days after it disappeared.

In 2015, Japan and South Korea reached a deal to settle the issue of "comfort women," sex slave victims forced to serve in Japanese military brothels during World War II. Tokyo issued a formal apology and agreed to pay $8.3 million.

In 2023, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the heiress to French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, became the first woman in the world to accumulate a more than $100 billion fortune. A year later, she dropped down below the milestone to $75.5 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Dayle Haddon, a model and actress in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, died Friday in a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a home in Pennsylvania, authorities told CBS News. She was 76.

The Solebury Township Police Department said it responded to a home in Bucks County just after 9 a.m. on Friday after receiving a call about a man lying down, passed out on the first floor of a detached office/in-law suite. The 76-year-old man, whose identity has yet to be revealed, was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

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Authorities then found a 76-year-old woman, later identified as Haddon, dead in a second-floor bedroom. While investigating the scene, the fire department detected a high level of carbon monoxide in the property.

Preliminary investigation is showing that a heating unit malfunctioned exposing a large amount of carbon monoxide within the carriage house, Detective Sgt. Jonathan Koretzky told CBS News.

Two medics were also taken to a local hospital for carbon monoxide exposure and a police officer was treated at the scene, according to police. Officials said all three are stable.

Born in Toronto on May 26, 1948, Haddon rose to fame as a supermodel before moving to Hollywood where she decided to pursue acting. She landed her first role in the Disney movie The Worlds Greatest Athlete in 1973.

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She went on to garnerabout 25 acting credits, including 1975s The Cheaters, 1977s Madame Claude, 1979s North Dallas Forty, 1986s Desert Chase, 1989s Cyborg, 1992s Unbecoming Age and 1994s Bullets Over Broadway.

Haddon was also an ambassador for the humanitarian aid organization UNICEF and founded WomenOne, a nonprofit focused on creating educational opportunities for girls and women.

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WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  After a fatal hit-and-run on Christmas Eve along C Street in Northeast D.C., residents near the crash site are sharing concerns about a new traffic pattern aimed at protecting pedestrians and bicyclists.

DC police say Ronnie Clark, a 66-year-old resident in Northeast, was hit and killed by a driver who ran away from the crash site at around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The SUV recovered on scene made its way over C St. westbound curb and onto the sidewalk, near 16th Street and North Carolina Avenue, after traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control, according to a preliminary report by police.

The exact cause of the crash that killed Clark is still under investigation, but neighbors believe the tragedy will bring new focus to their safety concerns about the new curbs drivers are running over.

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Six people living nearby lamented the recent traffic configuration Friday, which separates C St and North Carolina Avenues, and accommodated a new bike lane.

However, drivers are jumping the newly installed curbs at 16th and C St, which ultimately narrowed the roadway.

They jump the curb on a daily basis, said Antonio Crudup, who grew up several doors down from where Clark was killed.

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While interviewing neighbors about their concerns, a DC News Now crew at the scene saw a driver who crashed into one of the new curbs Friday afternoon.

Marylanders rush to play in the lottery after winnings rise into the billions

Crudup estimated that drivers hit the curbs fix to six times, daily.

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A spokesperson for the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) responded to DC News Nows request for comment Friday, saying, safety features like narrowing the roadway and protected bike lanes are put in place to help slow drivers down, make it easier for drivers to see pedestrians and to add a buffer to help protect cyclists.

While there are two large yellow pedestrian crossing signs just prior to the newly installed curbs before the bike lane, there are no speed bumps or stop signs leading up to them. The curbs are also smeared with tire marks.

I dont know who developed this, but they did a crappy job, said Raymond Twin Gallmon who lives nearby.

DC News Now crews also saw that the entrance to the new bike park at the 16th Street intersection is wide enough to fit a car.

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Gallmon was among three people living nearby who have seen people driving on the bike lane.

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The DDOT spokesperson did not specifically say if any changes to the new traffic configuration would be made, citing that transportation officials and police first work to determine the cause of a crash, and later decided if any changes to traffic patterns are needed.

After a crash, DDOT follows a thorough process to evaluate the circumstances surrounding a crash. This process includes meeting with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to gather further details about the crash and conducting a site visit by our engineering team. Following these visits, the engineers begin working on potential safety improvements based on what they find, said the DDOT spokesperson.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  An ongoing review and evaluation of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by the federal government is facing some doubts with a hopeful completion deadline just days away.

The 1921 probe was announced at the end of September by U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. Clarke noted at the time the Department of Justice (DOJ) was examining available documents, witness accounts, scholarly and historical research, and other information about the massacre.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Third set of remains found in search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves

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During the announcement, Clarke noted the DOJ hoped to have the overall review finalized by the end of the year and that a report would follow. Clarke said the report would analyze the massacre in light of both modern and then-existing civil rights law.

The lead attorney representing the Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, Damario Solomon-Simmons, held a press conference in October following a visit to Tulsa by DOJ investigators. Solomon-Simmons noted that investigators conducted interviews and were shown around Greenwood.

We desperately needed this federal lifeline amidst the state and citys ongoing efforts to gaslight us into our graves, said Solomon-Simmons at the time.

Since then, other than a letter penned by the Solomon-Simmons legal firm in November expressing a slew of concerns, theres been no public update from the DOJ on the status of the review and if its still aimed to wrap up before 2025.

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News 4 reached out to the DOJ in October and December for comment on the review, but hasnt heard back regarding either request.

Letter to the DOJDownload

Taking up this probe, getting peoples hopes up and not following through with any tangible action would be a death blow, said Deon Osborne, managing editor of the Black Wall Street Times. Not only to the hopes and aspirations of this community but other Black communities whove suffered at the hands of the state who are simply asking to be treated equally under the law.

Osborne was in Tulsa in 2021 for the massacres centennial and President Joe Bidens visit to Tulsa. That visit followed a lawsuit in district court filed by the survivors for reparations that went all the way to Oklahomas Supreme Court. One Justice even acknowledged the historical impact of the case, noting that it would be remembered in the history books.

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Osborne says the federal probe appeared to be a hopeful next step, but the community members hes spoken with are concerned about why theres been very little communicated.

With Christmas having passed and still no update on the release of that report, its really left the community wondering, you know, whats going to happen, if the report comes out at all, said Osborne.

The letter from the Solomon-Simmons firm expresses concerns, specifically accusing the DOJ of failing to transcribe or record witness interviews, exploring all possible leads, and accusing the department of ignoring information pertaining to recently discovered mass grave sites. It also expresses worry that changing federal administrations in January could lead to prospective policy shifts, making the odds of another probe or full-blown investigation highly unlikely.

Its pretty unanimous among Greenwood supporters of this review that if action isnt taken before Trump takes office, there wont be any action taken, you know, said Osborne.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
The race for Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair is shaping up to be a field of largely white men  a notable development for a party that has long touted diversity within its ranks.

Roughly half a dozen candidates are running to helm the Democratic Party, almost all of them men. Nate Snyder, a former Department of Homeland Security official who is both Latino and Jewish, is the only candidate of color in the race, while former presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson is the only woman running.

While members of the party laud the candidates running and their track records, some Democrats say they are struck by the lack of gender and racial diversity in the field following Vice President Harriss historic run last month.

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It is a bit jarring too, to where the gender diversity is in this race and the conversation, its also way off, Snyder said in an interview with The Hill.

State party Chairs Ken Martin of Minnesota and Ben Wikler of Wisconsin; former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley; New York state Sen. James Skoufis; and Snyder are all running for DNC chair. Robert Houton, a former Maryland Senate candidate, is also running, but his candidacy is considered a long shot.

Williamson made a late entry into the DNC the day after Christmas, writing in a letter to members of the party its important that we recognize the psychological and emotional dimensions of Trumps appeal.

We need to understand it to create the energy to counter it. MAGA is a distinctly 21st century political movement and it will not be defeated by a 20th century tool kit, she added.

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Other contenders who had been mulling bids, including Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha and Michigan state Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow (D), ultimately opted against running, crystalizing the race into one of mostly white men.

Its a striking development after the party nominated its first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent for president and is ushering in several firsts into Congress: the first Black women to represent Maryland and Delaware in the Senate, the first openly transgender member elected to Congress and the first Latino senator to represent Arizona, among others.

It also comes after a difficult election night for the party, where they struggled with key voting blocs like Latino voters.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who helms the Congressional Progressive Caucus, suggested part of the issue could be a structural one, pointing to the makeup of state parties.

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I think that a lot of the state parties have not been particularly diverse, Jayapal said, though she noted some state parties in states like Washington state and Nebraska did have female chairs.

I also think, like building the infrastructure of the party  the state parties  gives us a better bench when we get to the DNC chair, she noted.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a former DNC chair, noted that while diversity was important, other attributes were equally important.

The most important thing for who is going to be the DNC chair is someone who is able to unify the party, she said, make sure that we can rebuild, focus on strategy and messaging and fundraising.

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In addition to Williamson running for DNC chair, there are women running for other leadership positions in the party, including the vice chair position.

I think we have a great group of people running for all of the different offices, but we do need women at the table and thats part of why Im running, said Michelle Deatrick, who is running for vice chair.

Women are definitely part of our base. Women do an awful lot of the party work. Women make up the majority of the voters, she added.

The leadership race also comes as Democrats work to navigate a post-Roe v. Wade world where the issue of abortion has been punted back to the states.

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DNC vice chair candidate David Hogg also emphasized the importance of diversity in age when it comes to leadership positions within the party.

The party needs to make sure that we are at the local level, the county level, the state level, and the national level, getting young people involved in these positions, Hogg told The Hill. [Im] not saying they need to be the top of the party automatically, but just getting them the experience they need to be able to know how to get things done.

At the same time, candidates running for DNC chair are touting their track records and pointing to elements of their plans that prioritize bringing back key Democratic voting blocs.

People should just judge me on my actions, Martin told The Hill in an interview earlier this month. And, you know, we have built a multiracial, multigenerational coalition within the DFL, he continued, referencing the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

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This is a big part of my plan is making sure that we actually are present and on the ground and building durable relationships with voters well before we ever ask them to do something for us, which is to vote for our candidates, he explained.

OMalley released a memo earlier this month touting the importance of building a DNC inclusive of the rich, diverse talent that makes up the party across the country. The memo calls for the inclusion of diverse-owned firms and diverse staff along the lines of race, background and region.

Democrats believe in the dignity of every human-being. The next DNC Chair must build an operation that reflects and speaks to our big tent and the diversity of America, a spokesperson for OMalley said. Thats why Gov. OMalleys very first platform announcement was about inclusion at the DNC. Every day between now and February 1 he will make it clear to DNC Members he intends to lead on this priority for our party.

Other members of the party agree, urging the party to focus on winning back the blocs of voters that made up their winning coalition in past election cycles.

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Weve got to make sure that the consultants that we bring in are people who actually know how to activate the communities that we need to win campaigns, and thats where the money needs to be going, said Aisha Mills, a former president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute.

And it could be a white man at the top of the DNC, it could be a Black woman at the top of the DNC, and anybody in between. Thats always going to be the thing that matters, not the  not the figurehead diversity.

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OCONEE COUNTY, SC (WSPA)  An Oconee County solicitor was arrested on Christmas Eve according to the sheriffs office.

The Oconee County Sheriffs Office confirmed that 41-year-old Jason Christopher Alderman was charged with public disorderly conduct following an incident in Long Creek.

An investigation was initiated when deputies were called out to a bar on Blalock Drive about a fight in progress.

Upon arrival, officers stated that Alderman smelled strongly of alcohol, had injuries consistent with a fight, and had an open can of alcohol in his cars cup holder. It was also reported that Alderman was also alleged to be extremely unsteady on his feet.

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When the deputy pointed this out, Alderman reportedly tried to hide the can, and he was promptly arrested.

7NEWS previously reported that the SC Law Enforcement Division conducted an investigation involving Alderman in 2022 when officials responded to Damascus Church Road in reference to shots being fired.

No injuries were reported from the incident.

Alderman was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center early Wednesday morning.

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The Miami Heralds headline in its Nov. 29 editorial referring to all criminal charges against me being dropped reads: Embarrassing dismissal of Miami commissioners corruption case raises questions.

I agree with the headline but for different reasons from those stated in the Heralds editorial.

In my case, the result was accurate  I did nothing wrong and was rightfully vindicated. But the system was far from fair.

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Undoubtedly, the criminal charges against me for campaign finance wrongdoing and my very public arrest were specifically timed to interfere with the 2023 Miami elections, for which I was the leading candidate set to retain my District 1 seat.

This was a sinister case of election interference, pure and simple. My attorneys and I want to know the genesis of the criminally unfounded charges against me, and I believe it begins with Karl Ross, an ethics investigator for the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics, who set this injustice in motion.

I believe Ross, a former Miami Herald reporter, fabricated and falsely swore to a criminal case against me and my co-defendant Bill Riley Jr., all based on legal First Amendment-protected political activity. [EDITORS NOTE: Karl Ross left the Miami Herald in 2004.] How could the states top investigative agency, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, accept and adopt a false narrative crafted by Ross without corroborating the core material facts?

The Miami Herald and most local media, however, helped create a false narrative designed to impugn my integrity or, worse, put me in prison. They championed the false accusations peddled by Ross. The baseless case against me was a textbook political persecution, as Ross emails, acquired by attorneys through discovery, indicate.

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This was a failed attempt to criminalize legal campaign contributions, legal campaign expenditure and legal and unanimous city commission votes that were legal, ethical and appropriate.

In short, the consequence of this manipulated vendetta was that the citizens of Miami were deprived of a fair election by an orchestrated campaign of election interference.

I hope to help answer these critical questions in the near future in a way that helps restore trust in our justice system. One potential remedy my attorneys seek is to ask Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Miguel de la O to review Ross motivation to misrepresent my case to law enforcement, the court, the media and the public.

I promised the public I had done nothing wrong and would be completely vindicated. That is just what occurred. Not only were the accusations false, but they made no legal or factual sense.

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In its close-out memo explaining why all charges must be dropped against me, the Broward State Attorneys Office agreed with me that entirely legal actions were misconstrued as criminal.

Yet, this weaponization of the justice system for political purposes was intended to cast me, an elected commissioner, in a dishonorable light. The state has enormous power and that authority must be exercised cautiously and only in furtherance of justice.

Here, the criminal justice system and the local media failed miserably to unearth the truth about the charges against me. The BSAO is deserving of the publics thanks and praise. Let my case end all reprehensible usage of prosecutorial power to bring about a political persecution.

I am confident the public will see this case and the media coverage for what it was: unfair and unjust.

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While there is no doubt that personal, political and financial damage was done to my family and me by false allegations and repeated ad nauseam, I am proud of the publics willingness to see the truth. One need only look at the results of the August 2024 elections. I received more than 31,000 votes as was elected Republican Committeeman for Miami-Dade.

My commitment to public service remains intact. I am often comforted by the powerful words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Indeed, it does.

Alex Diaz de la Portilla is a former Miami commissioner and State Senator. He is a current Republican Party committee member for Miami-Dade.

Alex Diaz de la Portilla






In 2021, the city of Wichita received $72.4 million and Sedgwick County received $100.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. At the time, it was a lifeline for the local governments, allowing them to continue services and to pay staff who would have otherwise been laid off for an extended period.

The funds were intended to help local governments recover their losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sedgwick County estimated its loss to be $142 million, but it received only $100.2 million from the federal government.

As part of accepting the funds, local governments agreed to two deadlines: Dec. 31, 2024, to obligate all of the funds and decide where they will go, and Dec. 31, 2026, to spend the money that was allocated. The funds have to be returned if not obligated or spent by their respective deadlines.

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While the city and the county have met the fund-obligation deadline, Sedgwick County decided to wrap up its ARPA dollar expenditures by the end of the year based on advice it received from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Despite ARPA being a Trump Administration program, the advising group told the county the incoming administration might change federal guidelines on how the money should be spent, which could lead Sedgwick County into having to cover the costs through its general funds.

What we dont want to see is a changing administration with potentially changing priorities now making these rules and changing the rules, and weve got contracts in place because we thought thats what we had to do, said Sedgwick Countys chief financial officer, Lindsay Poe Rousseau. And now maybe all of a sudden we cant spend it that way, and that puts us in some Jeopardy.

So thats why we just, to absolutely eliminate any risk, because the commission from day one has said, Do this in the most compliant way possible. Do not take any risk that we have to pay anything back, because at that point, were paying it back with taxpayer dollars. Lets just go ahead and be done now so there is no risk to the taxpayer.

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The city, which is expecting a budget deficit of several million dollars in the coming years, said its not concerned about possible guideline changes and will continue with using the funds as planned.

Were fully obligated, said city budget officer Elizabeth Goltry in a joint interview with city finance director Mark Manning.

Now that doesnt mean were going to wait until December 31 [2026] to spend the last penny, Manning added, but that is the federal guidance and that is the guidance we are adhering to.

How the county spent its funds

Current guidance for expending ARPA dollars allows local governments to reimburse themselves, as the money is intended to help them recover from losses during the pandemic.

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In its final move for spending those dollars, Sedgwick County decided to reimburse itself for increased wages at the Sheriffs Office and other expenditures.

That allowed the county to free up money in its general fund to fulfill contracts it signed to update cameras and locks in the county jail, pay additional attorneys to help with the county court backlog, and continue to pay the lease for county offices at the Ruffin building until it finds a more permanent home.

Thankfully, were in really good shape, Poe Rousseau said. From the get go, the commission said they wanted to spend one-time ARPA dollars on one-time projects We do not anticipate any deficit being driven because of anything were doing with ARPA stuff.

About $21 million of the countys ARPA dollars went towards premium pay for its employees that worked at the height of the pandemic. Other expenditures include $11,859,737 towards the county health department to address the pandemic, and millions of dollars to address the county court backlog.

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The county and city also collaborated on funding the COVID-19 vaccination center at the former downtown library using their ARPA dollars.

How the city spent its funds

The citys most recent quarterly report shows that about $59 million of the $72.4 million in ARPA funds it received was spent on revenue replacement, mainly for its police and fire departments.

That includes replacing the Police Departments Patrol East and West stations, and communication and fire station equipment.

Other revenue replacement expenditures included funding the new Multiagency Center to house homeless services and shelter, library expansions, and supporting the citys capital improvement program.

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We have no intention to hold the money, but we want to spend it deliberatively, Manning said, and so well spend it when we spend it to achieve the priorities that the council established for us. I mean, its really that simple.

Outside of revenue replacement, the city also decided to fund a number of community programs, including the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, small business development grants, and affordable housing issues.

It was definitely a more lengthy and complicated process than maybe investing in our own selves, city spokesperson Megan Lovely said, but we believe it was worth it to reinvest in the community and to help get us back to where we need to be after the pandemic.
The shots keep firing at Sean Diddy Combs as more details arise about his reputation. Fortune Magazine reached out to 100 former employees for more details about their experience working with the disgraced media mogul.

Many of the people declined to interview or to be named in fear of retaliation, but weve allocated the most shocking details so you dont have to.

The now infamous all-white parties were on the docket, of course. Among some of the disturbing revelations, Joi Dickerson-Neal, is another one to add to the list.

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Neal, a college student at the time, alleges that Diddy drugged, sexually assaulted and subjected her to revenge porn. Diddy and his team have since denied the claims as a money grab, but these allegations continue to paint a muddy picture of his legacy.

Diddys former first assistant at Uptown Records, Pam Lewis-Rudden, explained the work environment to be toxic in the 90s. She told Fortune that she had no knowledge of the allegations against him, but that the workplace  both Combs ship, and the 1990s in general  didnt work in womens favor.

Theres nobody even doing HR, Rudden revealed. So, Im going to go to HR and tell him that Puffy drugged me and raped me? Right.

Fortune also detailed Diddys accused exploitation of artists. Grammy-winning poet Malik Yusef recalls a publishing deal with Diddy: Combs acquired Yusefs rights for $15,000, leaving him without proper credit.

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Hes like, I got you on stage with me all over the world with me. Make a business for yourself. Basically thats what he was saying. Yusef said in an interview with Fortune.

It was reported that Diddy led his companies with an iron fist and oversaw every aspect of the creative process. But later on, he was more distant in the day-to-day work and would pile on duties to his staffers and management.

Even outside the music industry, the controversy blended into his philanthropic affairs. In 2016, Diddy founded a charter school called Capital Prep, located in Harlem, New York. The parents of students reported dissatisfaction with the curriculum and violence endured by students. Capital Prep did not respond to the magazines request for comment.

Diddys team declined to respond to each specific instance in the article. But, they did release a general statement to the magazine.

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Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false. Mr. Combs and his legal team have 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 anyoneman or woman, adult or minor. a representative of Combs Global said.

Overall, the former employees emphasized a harsh, toxic work environment. As the allegations continue to surface the future continues to look bleak for Diddy.

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Eva Marie Kogel handed in her resignation on Friday - emkogel

The opinion editor at Die Welt has resigned after the conservative German newspaper printed an article from Elon Musk justifying his support for the hard-Right AfD.

Eva Marie Kogel said she handed in her resignation after the newspaper went to print on Friday.

In his article, Mr Musk said Germanys traditional parties had failed by delivering economic stagnation, social unrest and erosion of national identity.

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Mr Musk, who was born in South Africa and became a US citizen in 2002, said Germany had become comfortable with mediocrity and incited cultural tensions by opening its borders to a large number of migrants.

In a series of posts on X in the run up to Christmas, Mr Musk toted his support for AfD, which he deemed the only hope for Germany, and questioned the partys categorisation of far Right.

The Tesla founders endorsement of AfD in December prompted Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, to quip that Germanys free speech allowed multi-billionaires to say things that were incorrect and did not contain good political advice.

Writing in Die Welt, Mr Musk said: The AfD can save Germany from becoming a shadow of its former self, adding that the party could spur economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation.

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The Tesla founder said he believed he had the right to speak openly about his political beliefs because he has made significant investments in the nations industrial and technological industries. Tesla has built a gigafactory in Brandenburg, the first such site for the electric carmaker in Europe.

Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive and X owner, said AfD was the only hope for Germany - ALLISON ROBBERT/REUTERS

In the article, Mr Musk sounded the alarm over Germanys decision to open its borders to a large number of migrants, which he said was done with humanitarian intentions but had led to a breakdown in social cohesion.

The AfD is committed to a controlled immigration policy that prioritises integration and the preservation of German culture and security, he wrote, adding: This is not about xenophobia, but about ensuring that Germany does not lose its identity in the pursuit of globalisation.

A nation must preserve its core values and cultural heritage in order to remain strong and united.

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The incoming head of the inaugural US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) also expressed admiration for AfDs drive to deregulate the market, reduce bureaucracy and lower taxes.

He described Germanys decision to phase out nuclear power to rely on fossil fuels and renewable energy as costly and naive, claiming the nation does not have sufficient battery storage to ensure stability of electricity supply, and endorsed AfDs drive to encourage critical thinking in education rather than indoctrination.

Mr Musk took issue with the AfD being branded as far Right, instead deeming the party advocates of political realism without the political correctness.

Pointing to Alice Weidel, the partys leader, who has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka, he said: Does that sound like Hitler to you?, adding: To those who condemn the AfD as extremist, I say: Dont be fooled by the label attached to it.

Alice Weidel, the co-leader of Alternative for Germany (AfD) - Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

The article was commissioned by Mathias Dopfner, the head of the newspaper publisher Axel Springer, and was met with outrage from the newspapers editorial committee, according to Der Spiegel newspaper.

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The article was published with a rebuttal by Jan Philipp Burgard, Die Welts editor-in-chief, who stated that while Mr Musks diagnosis of Germanys ills may be correct, his judgment that only AfD could save Germany was fatally wrong.

Mr Burgard called attention to AfDs desire for rapprochement with Russia, with the party calling for a restoration of trade and lifting of sanctions on Moscow.

He also warned of AfDs intention to appease Beijing and leave the European Union, deeming the latter a catastrophe.

The AfD is not just Alice Weidel, but also Bjorn Hocke, Mr Burgard wrote, before scalding the infamous leader of AfDs regional branch in Thuringia for his repeated use of banned Nazi slogans and salutes.

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The editor-in-chief pointed out that a court ruling allows Hocke to be described as an extremist. The history teacher turned politician has previously dismissed Berlins Holocaust memorial as a monument of shame and has called for a thousand year future for Germany.

While Mr Burgard conceded that Germany is indeed struggling with out-of-control immigration, he discredits the AfDs remigration plans as unrealistic.

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The director of Santa Clara Countys child welfare agency, which drew intense scrutiny after the fentanyl-related death of a 3-month-old infant that brought to light the agency's troubling practice of keeping children in unsafe homes, announced this week that he is resigning.

Damion Wright, who became director of the Department of Family and Childrens Services several months after the infant's death in May 2023, said in a letter to his staff that the recent death of his father prompted his decision to accept another position in Southern California, the Mercury News reported Thursday.

Wright, who previously served as assistant director of the agency that is responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect throughout the county, said he believed the agency had made significant strides over the last year toward "enhancing workplace practices that prioritize child safety."

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"I firmly believe that by adhering to the pathway forward we have laid out for safe children and safe communities, we can continue to uphold the safety of our vulnerable populations during this transition and beyond," Wright's letter read in part.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas issued a brief statement after Wright's announcement, saying she wished him well in his new job and that she remains "committed to continue working with the Countys Administration and the Department of Family and Childrens Services on the reforms we started together.

Wright's resignation comes roughly a year after the agency came under the eye of Bay Area News Group , which launched an investigation into the agency following the death of Phoenix Castro, a 3-month-old infant who died from ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl and methamphetamine in San Jose.

The newspaper found that hospital officials notified the child welfare agency amid health concerns for Phoenix. The baby had been experiencing withdrawal symptoms related to her mothers drug use during pregnancy, the news group reported.

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Despite a warning from a social worker who was already overseeing the case of the couples two older children, the welfare agency allowed the infant to be sent home.

Phoenixs father, David Castro, 38, is currently facing a felony child endangerment charge in connection with the case. The infant's mother, Emily De La Cerda, 39, died four months after her daughter from a fentanyl overdose.

As part of its investigation, the news group found other drug-related deaths of infants . It also learned that a state investigation of the local welfare agency found that Santa Clara Countys legal team was often overriding recommendations from social workers and supervisors to remove children from unsafe homes.

The legal teams influence, the news group reported, was part of the countys shift to keep children with their families but also placed children in harm's way.

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Wright said in his letter that his resignation will be effective Jan. 17.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
After eight years on the waitlist, Mikia Knighten was excited to learn in October 2022 that she had received a housing voucher from the Chicago Housing Authority.

The rental subsidy would allow her to move to a better neighborhood with better opportunities for her and her now 4-year-old daughter, she said.

It was going to take a little bit of a load off in a high-cost housing market, she said.

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But after spending about eight months applying for apartments, Knighten found no landlord willing to accept her rental subsidy, and her allotted time from CHA to find a unit where she could use her voucher was up, according to the lawsuit she filed in August alleging that housing providers discriminated against her based on her source of income.

Knightens lawsuit alleges that housing providers said they did not accept housing vouchers, did not work with CHA or did not respond when she told them she had a housing voucher.

It was really dehumanizing, Knighten said. Theres a real stigma behind having the voucher.

Within the last year and a half, housing attorneys have filed some of the first lawsuits, including Knightens, allowed under Illinois nearly two-year-old statewide law preventing discrimination on the basis of someones source of income. All the complaints allege that the plaintiffs, who had housing vouchers, were discriminated against. Advocates said the discrimination is still widespread across the city and state despite the law, and theyre eager for legal rulings to help hold real estate professionals accountable.

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As the cases wind their way through the court system, housing counseling and legal aid organizations are continuing to enforce the law through other means, such as filing claims with local and state human rights agencies. Before the new state law took effect, attorneys were not legally allowed to sue alleging source of income discrimination; the local human rights commissions in Chicago and Cook County were the primary route for holding housing providers accountable, and their rulings do not come with consequences as severe as lawsuit verdicts.

Knighten, who lives in Lansing, is suing 14 parties, ranging from individuals to real estate brokerages to smaller corporations. Some defendants did not return requests for comment. Others said they did not know they were being sued, that they were no longer the owners of the property in question, had not heard of the plaintiff or declined to comment on pending litigation.

Knightens voucher was through the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the primary federal housing voucher program. Formerly known as Section 8, it allows public housing authorities to provide subsidies to low-income residents to find housing in the private market.

The multi-billion-dollar program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through local public housing authorities, helps more than 2 million households nationwide. The Chicago Housing Authority is supplying vouchers to more than 52,000 renters through the program, according to HUD data. Residents with vouchers from the CHA pay 30% to 40% of their income toward rent and utilities; the CHA covers the rest.

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It can take years, sometimes decades, to get off the waitlist for a housing voucher. About 18,000 households are on the CHAs waitlist. When the agency last opened the waitlist for four weeks in 2014, it got 280,000 applications, 70,000 of which were approved for the list.

In Illinois, the majority of voucher holders are Black, like Knighten, as the Black population has historically faced racial discrimination preventing them from building wealth, making them more likely to use vouchers. Housing advocates said source of income discrimination is another form of racial discrimination.

For those who do get off the waitlist, in 2022 only 61% were able to use their CHA vouchers, the agencys most recent year with complete data.

The CHA data are consistent with national figures. Only 60% of voucher holders are able to use them to lease homes, according to a 2024 national study conducted with data from 2015 to 2019 by New York Universitys Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. The numbers are worse for markets with an older housing stock and for voucher recipients of color, the study says, both of which apply to Chicago.

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Michael Mini, executive vice president of the Chicagoland Apartment Association, a trade group that represents housing providers, said he has not heard of any problems or concerns related to source of income discrimination.

The vast majority of his members are very familiar with the voucher program and had already been following the city and county laws prior to the statewide laws passage, Mini said. He said his organization notified its members downstate and beyond when the state law was passed.

Source of income is a protected class. Like any other protected class, we expect our members to comply with the law, Mini said.

But housing advocates said source of income discrimination happens overtly and covertly. Sometimes real estate professionals explicitly say they will not accept a housing voucher; other times they do not count the voucher toward a renters income and say the renter does not have sufficient income to qualify for the unit. Many property owners and managers require a renters monthly income to be three times the monthly rent. And sometimes required credit scores and high application fees are limiting factors for voucher holders.

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There are always emerging strategies  that a landlord can employ that really accomplish the same thing, said Susan Theiss, an attorney focused on fair housing rights with Legal Aid Chicago. Landlords are always shifting the ground when they really dont want to rent to people with housing assistance.

Theiss and other advocates said the number of callers alleging source of income discrimination has increased since the state law passed, a sign that information about it is getting out.

In one case, fair-housing counseling organization Open Communities and one of its clients filed a lawsuit in 2023 in federal court in Chicago against national property management company Harbor Group Management and software company PERQ. The lawsuit alleged that Harbor Group Management employed an artificial intelligence chatbot that systematically rejected online applicants who had Housing Choice Vouchers.

In January, the parties settled for monetary damages and entered into a two-year consent decree that requires Harbor Group to provide Open Communities data and access related to its fair-housing policies and practices, including its use of PERQ software.

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In another case, filed Dec. 17 in federal court in Chicago as a class-action suit, four Black women alleged that Mac Properties discriminated against them for their source of income, housing vouchers and race, steering them away from desirable apartment buildings, according to the lawsuit. That hurt them financially and caused them to lose out on housing opportunities in Hyde Park given Macs dominance of the rental market in the neighborhood, the suit alleges.

In a statement, a Mac Properties spokesperson denied the allegations in the suit, calling them entirely baseless and citing the companys ongoing training of its leasing agents to ensure they comply with all legal and ethical standards. The company said it has rented to hundreds of voucher holders in its 5,000 units in Hyde Park. The spokesperson also said one of the plaintiffs filed a complaint with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations that was dismissed this year.

Mac Properties has a proven and longstanding commitment to providing equal access to housing for all individuals, regardless of income. We strictly adhere to all local, state, and federal housing laws  without exception, the spokesperson said in the statement.

The outcomes of the initial lawsuits will outline for housing providers and judges how the law should and will be enforced, attorneys said.

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Advocates and their clients are also using the new state law to help with eviction cases and are still filing cases through the local and new state human rights commissions.

Allison Bethel, director of the Fair Housing Legal Clinic at University of Illinois Chicago, said she has clients who are voucher holders and are being evicted and/or are facing poor living conditions or fines because of their source of income. The clinic has settled cases where clients have stayed housed or received money, Bethel said.

The Chicago Commission on Human Relations estimates it has received 1,700 complaints related to source of income discrimination since 1990, the year the agency began handling these types of complaints. The commission saw the number more than double from 2022 to 2023, with 101 source of income discrimination complaints filed in 2023, according to agency data provided to the Tribune. A commission spokesperson said many of those complaints were from repeat filers who are typically renters in the midst of their housing search who have been turned away from several housing providers.

In Cook County, fewer than 75 complaints have been filed since 2013, when it made source of income discrimination illegal, according to the county. Since 2022 the Cook County Commission on Human Rights has seen an uptick in filings. A county official said there has been a recent increase in filings since September, too, when the county began accepting complaints via an online form.

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The Illinois Department of Human Rights, which began accepting source of income complaints in January 2023, when the statewide law took effect, received 34 complaints in 2023 and 48 in 2024 as of November, according to data provided to the Tribune.

Advocates and attorneys say some cases are settled before an investigation is completed. They also said it can take several months to over a year for the IDHR to process and investigate a complaint, with many of its cases still awaiting results. Some of those advocates said they hope this process can be sped up.

The IDHR said in a statement that each case is unique, with some taking longer than others depending on factors such as the number of cases received by the agency, the complexity of the allegations raised in a charge, the time parties need to understand and respond to requests for information and/or documents, and investigator caseloads and staffing allocations.

As Illinois heads into year three of its statewide source of income protections, housing advocates will continue their work and await verdicts that they hope can help guide their paths forward.

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Weve just got to get  the word out more.  And (we) need a couple of court decisions, too, Bethel said.

For Knighten  who works at a call center and is paying more than 1.5 times as much for rent as she would have with a voucher  she hopes her case raises awareness.

Just because people are getting assistance from the government doesnt make them less of a person, Knighten said. (I want to) make sure no one else has to go through what I went through when they are just trying to get help to survive.

ekane@chicagotribune.com
Brutal body camera footage shows a handcuffed inmate being beaten unconscious by prison guards before hes stripped down to his underwear  a fatal attack thats now under investigation by New Yorks top prosecutor.

The sickening recordings were made public by Attorney General Letitia James Friday showing three correction officers repeatedly punching, kicking and stomping on Robert Brooks in an examination room on Dec. 9 at upstate prison Marcy Correctional Facility.

Brooks, 43, who was serving time for assault, died of injuries the next day. Its unclear what sparked the beatdown.

Newly released video shows inmate Robert Brooks being brutally beaten by prison guards, causing him to die the next day. Family photo

My deepest condolences go out to Mr. Brooks family, James said at a press conference Friday.

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I do not take lightly the release of this video especially in the middle of the holiday season.

But she added that she has a duty and responsibility to provide the public with the video.

The videos, taken from four jail guards, show the officers surrounding Brooks, who was handcuffed from behind, in the exam room before three of them begin punching him in the face and stomach and even stomping him in his lower torso area.

Several other officers could be seen standing by doing nothing despite Brooks having blood streaming down the right side of his swollen face.

During the approximately 30-minute incident, Brooks was roughly handled, with one guard appearing to hold him in a chokehold for a moment as he was forced to sit up on the exam table. At one point, Brooks is brought to the wall where officers hold him there for a while, though the officers bodies obscure what is happening.

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Brooks was eventually brought back to the exam table where he was stripped down to his underwear appearing unconscious and limp, the video shows.

Brooks can be seen in body cam footage being punched, stomped on and handled like a ragdoll. NYS Correctional via NY Attorney General

None of the videos include any sound since the cameras were only in standby mode, James explained.

Brooks was eventually taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica and declared dead from asphyxia due to compression of the neck, in the early morning of Dec. 10, Syracuse.com reported, citing the Onondaga County Medical Examiners Office.

James said her office is investigating this case thoroughly and said her team met with Brooks family so they could review the footage of what happened.

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Brooks had been transferred from Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, NY to Marcy Correctional Facility roughly 12 miles away the day of the incident, James said.

The assault took place during a 30-minute encounter in a medical exam room of the prison. NYS Correctional via NY Attorney General

Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence after he was convicted of first-degree assault in 2017 for stabbing his girlfriend multiple times, the Democrat & Chronicle reported at the time.

The state corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III said he was deeply repulsed and nauseated by what he saw in the footage.

There is no excuse and no rationalization for a vulgar, inhumane act that senselessly took a life, Martuscello said.

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He said the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision was conducting an internal probe and that they would be implementing changes to ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again within our facilities.

Brooks was taken to the hospital and declared dead the next morning. NYS Correctional via NY Attorney General

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The commissioner also said, at Gov. Kathy Hochuls request, he began the process of firing those involved and so far had suspended 13 staffers without pay. One employee resigned, he said.

This was a killing, and people will be held accountable, Martuscello said. These individuals are not representative of the culture of DOCCS nor anything that DOCCS stands for.

Elizabeth Mazur, an attorney for Brooks family, said the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks.

As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe. He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff.

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Rev. Al Sharpton condemned the horrifying attack of Brooks and called for criminal charges to be mounted against the officers involved.

The incident took place inside the upstate prison Marcy Correctional Facility. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

These officers clearly thought they were within their right to hit Brooks in the stomach with the heel of a boot, level punches at his face or torso, and throw him around like a ragdoll  all with his hands behind his back, Sharpton said.

Their actions in this tape not only justify their firing but should merit appropriate criminal charges.

Officials in New York City increased security on Rikers Island in anticipation of the footage getting released as the Gorilla Stone Bloods came out supporting Brooks on social media, according to law enforcement sources who it raised concerns this could stir up unrest in the city jail.

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Brooks is not a member of the gang.

Correction Officers Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio called the incident egregious and repugnant and said the officers are a disgrace to our profession.

This incident is completely contrary to the values we hold dear and the oath we take as Correction Officers, to provide care, custody and control on behalf of everyone in our facilities, Boscio said.

Our hearts go out to the Brooks family during this painful time.

A lawyer for Brooks family didnt immediately return a request for comment Friday.

Additional reporting by Larry Celona
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Skeletal remains found by Honolulu Police more than 10 years ago have finally been identified. Experts said with the advancement of science and DNA evidence, cold cases can now be moved off the back burner.

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The remains of Mary Sue Fink were found in June 2014 by Honolulu police and she was recently identified with DNA evidence by a lab in Texas.

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Hawaii detectives push to solve decades-old cold case

That one piece of the puzzle that was sent in is responsible in part for the resolution and identification of this Jane Doe baby, said Dr. Robert Mann, Professor of Anatomy & Pathology at the University of Hawaii Medical School.

Scientists at Othram used forensic grade genome sequencing to develop a DNA profile. From that profile, they found a potential relative and made a positive identification after testing.

And again, the biggest unknown, the biggest difficulty for everybody in the world is for a young child to be able to figure out what the sex of that child is, said Mann. Puberty hadnt kicked in all these different sexual dimorphic features that make boys and girls different in their bones. Theyre not there yet. So thank goodness they did the job that they did.

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Since only the skeletal remains of a young child were found, all authorities knew was the victim was a young female, approximately 33 to 35 inches tall and between two and six years old.

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Robert Mann said every small detail is examined.

And this would be a model of a newborn, and you can see its very small, said Mann. So size and shape differences tell us something about the age and the sex of this individual. And if you looked at another one, a model, a teaching specimen here. So this is about a newborn. This is about a 15-year-old individual. And again, were looking at size and shape differences. There are growth differences between the two in this newborn versus a 15-year-old. So depending on how much you get, thats really what is going to open the opportunity. What can you say about this individual?

In the Dana Ireland case, DNA experts recently identified an unknown male one, showing just how much science has advanced.

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So what could not be done 50 years ago was being done 30 years ago, and what wasnt being done 30 years ago is being done now, said Mann. And so this really it really what it shows us is that a cold case does not have to remain cold forever.

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Today, Mary Sue Fink wouldve been 65 years old.

Honolulu Police have not released any circumstances behind her death and said an investigation remains ongoing.

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OTTUMWA  Nearly three years after a femur bone was recovered from the Des Moines River near Keosauqua, DNA evidence has confirmed it belongs to a missing Ottumwa man.

The Ottumwa Police Department and the Southeast Missouri State University team, in collaboration with Othram, identified the remains as those of Timothy William-Michal Fortney. Fortney had been reported missing in August 2019 by his mother, who had not seen him for over a year.

In February 2022, the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office recovered the femur bone. Subsequent searches in the area yielded no additional evidence or remains. According to a press release from DNAsolves.com, traditional DNA extraction and testing were initially unsuccessful, and the remains were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System under the name Des Moines River John Doe.

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Southeast Missouri State University, which had previously assisted in identifying the remains of Ottumwa teen Helen Groomes in a separate case, was requested to assist in this investigation. Groomes' remains were identified earlier this year, more than 45 years after they were recovered from the Mississippi River near Elsberry, Missouri.

At Southeast Missouri State University, under the supervision of Drs. Jennifer Bengtson and Jim McGill, advanced Anthropology and Chemistry students applied non-destructive chemical analyses to assess the likelihood of DNA preservation. The necessary casework costs were covered by the university's Anthropology department.

The forensic evidence was then submitted to Othrams laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas, for advanced DNA testing. Othrams scientists developed a comprehensive DNA profile using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, despite the highly degraded state of the DNA. The profile was compared to DNA samples from Fortney's family members, ultimately confirming his identity.

At the time of his disappearance, Fortney was staying at the Ottumwa Residential Facility. His death remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottumwa Police Department Investigations Unit at (641) 683-0661.
With Donald Trump winning back the White House, his Big Lie that Jan. 6 was just an enthusiastic rally that got out of hand, rather than an insurrectionist mob he unleashed to disrupt the count of the 2020 electoral college, has new currency.

A new congressional Republican report, spearheaded by MAGA lapdog Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) has recommended a criminal probe of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) for co-chairing the House Jan. 6 investigation. Loudermilks report reached a through-the-looking-glass conclusion that Cheney & co. had promoted a false, pre-determined narrative that President Trump was personally responsible for the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 and should therefore be held accountable.

Trump is returning to the Oval Office with an explicit agenda to rewrite history  and upend convictions. He has vowed to issue Day One pardons to Jan. 6 criminals and defendants, whom he has called great patriots, hostages, and warriors. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump referred to Jan. 6 itself as a day of love. And when he recently summoned tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg to Mar-a-Lago, Trump reportedly prompted his guests to rise and place their hands over their hearts, while listening to a rendition of the national anthem sung by jailed Jan. 6 defendants.

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It is not precisely clear whom Trump wants to pardon. But the list of Jan. 6 convicts includes many serving long sentences for serious felonies  ranging from injuring police officers to sedition. In mid-December, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., who has handled many Jan. 6 criminal cases, spoke out from the bench. District Court Judge Amit Mehta said the idea that Trump could pardon the former head of the Oath Keepers militia haunts him: The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved is frightening  and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy, Mehta said, per a courtroom report in Politico. In 2023, Mehta handed down an 18-year sentence to Rhodes for seditious conspiracy. (The prison term included a terrorism enhancement.)

Asked by Rolling Stone if Trump planned to pardon Rhodes  or others imprisoned on seditious conspiracy charges, like Enrique Tarrio, the ex-honcho of the Proud Boys  the presidential transition team didnt rule it out. President Trump will make pardon decisions on a case-by-case basis for those who were denied due process and unfairly targeted by the justice system, says Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.

In the buildup to Jan. 6 and in its aftermath, Rhodes spearheaded militia activity that that saw Oath Keepers lieutenants stockpile weapons across the border in Virginia, creating Quick Reaction Forces or QFCs, that could be activated in the hoped-for scenario that Trump would invoke the Insurrection Act and summon militia groups to battle his enemies to help him cling to power.

Rhodes was outside the Capitol during the rioting, but communicated with members in the building. When Rhodes received a report that members of Congress were in danger and looking to flee, he replied, per court documents, Fuck em. At sentencing, Rhodes compared himself to the Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Mehta told Rhodes to his face that he was no political prisoner  but rather an ongoing threat and peril to this country.

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Rhodes and the Oath Keepers were tangentially linked to MAGA world  with Oath Keepers providing security for VIPs at Stop the Steal rallies. (The licit reason for militia members being on the ground on Jan. 6 was to beef up security at the Trump rally at the Ellipse.)

Trumpworld had a tighter relationship with the Proud Boys. The fighting clubs honcho Enrique Tarrio had been the Florida director for the grassroots group, Latinos for Trump. He was also an associate of Trump ally Roger Stone  and got his picture taken with MAGA luminaries including Donald Trump Jr., Sens. Ted Cruz and Rick Scott, and former Trump aide Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whos now the governor of Arkansas. Trump infamously called on the fight club to Stand back and stand by during a September 2020 debate with Joe Biden, rather than denounce them.

Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison in September 2023  like Rhodes, on seditious conspiracy charges. Tarrio was not in Washington, D.C., for the violence of Jan. 6; he had a court order to stay out of town stemming from a previous arrest in the district. But Tarrio directed an elite Proud Boys faction called the Ministry of Self Defense, which participated in every consequential breach on Jan. 6, per court documents, including a Proud Boy deputy who smashed out the first window at the Capitol, providing a point of entry for rioters. During the violence, Tarrio posted on social media, Dont fucking leave. After the violence died down, he crowed: Make no mistake we did this.

Trumps first pick for attorney general, the disgraced ex-congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), had called Tarrios sentence Orwellian. Trumps current choice, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, is more of a cipher on Jan. 6 sentences. However, Trumps FBI director nominee Kash Patel has written that the notion that that Jan. 6 was an insurrection is gaslighting at its finest  insisting: It was NOT a coup. It was NOT an assault by domestic terrorists on our democracy.

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Rhodes and Tarrio are not alone in being convicted for seditious conspiracy over Jan. 6. Their co-conspirators include many other Proud Boys and Oath Keepers deputies.

Trumps own messaging on who in the Jan. 6 crowd merits his compassion has  in typical form  been all over the place. If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently, he said in an April Time interview. But in comments at a 2023 CNN town hall, Trump said he would look at the sedition convictions for Proud Boys, in particular, signaling he was open to the idea they deserved clemency: I will say in Washington, D.C., you cannot get a fair trial. You cannot.

At a recent press conference, Trump was, once again, non-committal on the scope of his Jan. 6 pardons, but vowed that hed move quickly once in office. He told reporters, simply, Youll find out.

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RAVENNA TWP., Ohio (WDTN)  A dog in northeast Ohio was rescued by first responders after venturing out onto a frozen pond.

Photo/PCWRT

The Portage County Water Rescue Team was called into action after Emma, a local dog, fell through the ice of a pond.

The Ravenna Township Fire Department responded to the 911 call on Friday, quickly calling for assistance from the water rescue team.

The water rescue team says they respond to calls about animals because owners or bystanders may risk their own lives to save the pet, only to become a victim themselves. The rescue team has several supplies and resources to safely get to the animal, which is why emergency services is safer than doing the rescue yourself.

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SILVERHILL, Ala. (WKRG)  Its a Christmas miracle for a Baldwin County family  their deaf dog stolen from their home just before Christmas in 2023 was found safe and is headed back to his owner, News 5 has learned.

Foley redistricting set before 2025 elections

In December 2023, Ring doorbell footage captured a person walking into a home and walking out with Rags, the dog.

On Dec. 27, 2024, Paw and Order Rescue Ranch members posted a photo of Rags with two police officers on their Facebook page.

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More information will be released once the time is right. But certain people never gave up the search and [Rags] was finally located by officers in Maricopa County, Arizona, read the post.

Rags owner, Olivia Gardner, also took to Facebook after he was found.

He is my little Christmas miracle: Elberta woman adopts abandoned dog

I dont have much information I can share at the moment, and wasnt expecting this to go public yet, but our boy is coming home, said Gardner.

The post said that Silverhill and Maricopa police would release more information soon.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Donald Trump has turned to the United States Supreme Court and filed a brief asking it to delay a potential incoming ban on TikTok.

The sudden move by Mr Trump would help pause the law that would ban the app in the US and then allow the Republican to become involved in the decision after he arrives at the Oval office in January.

In his brief on Friday, the president-elect said he opposed banning TikTok at this junction and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.

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The filing adds that President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history.

Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikToks importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech, it reads.

The Supreme Court was scheduled to pass a law in January banning the Chinese-owned TikTok app across the US. This was to take place one day ahead of Mr Trump taking office on January 19.

Previously, Mr Trump attempted to ban TikTok during his first term in office over national security concerns but then joined the app during his 2024 presidential campaign in a bid to connect better with younger voters on social media.

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Earlier this year, Mr Trump also said he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but opposed banning it.

His request on Friday came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs with the Supreme Court.

TikTok argued that the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by January 19, while the government emphasised that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk.

The Supreme Court was scheduled to pass a law in January banning the Chinese-owned TikTok app across the US - PATRICK T. FALLON/Getty

President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Acts deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, said Mr Trumps amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, his choice for solicitor-general.

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Fridays 25-page submission saw Mr Trump reverse his position after the president-elect met TikTok executives at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida before Christmas.

The filings come ahead of oral arguments set for Jan 10 on whether the law, which requires the social media giant to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment.

In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued that the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on alleged risks that China could exercise control over TikToks US platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates.

In April, Congress passed a law providing a nine-month deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok or the app would be banned across the United States.

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The Biden administration has argued that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China.

Some other countries, including Australia, have banned the app on government devices because of concerns that sensitive information could be compromised when the app is downloaded.

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Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to pause a law that could lead to a ban of TikTok so his incoming administration can pursue a negotiated resolution to prevent a shutdown of the app.

President Trump takes no position on the merits of the dispute. Instead, he urges the Court to stay the

statutes effective date to allow his incoming Administration to pursue a negotiated resolution that

could prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thus preserving the First Amendment rights of tens of

millions of Americans, while also addressing the governments national security concerns, Trumps attorneys wrote in a brief to the high court.

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Congress overwhelmingly passed a law last year to force the Chinese parent of TikTok, ByteDance, to sell the social media platform or face a restriction on its availability in the United States.

Read Donald Trumps TikTok brief.

TikTok has challenged the law, and the Supreme Court earlier this month agreed to hear the challenge on an expedited schedule. Oral arguments are set for Jan. 10, but opening briefs were due today, as well as friend of the court briefs.

TikTok has said that it faces being banned in the U.S. on January 19 unless the law is paused or sidelined.

In his first term, Trump sought to force a sale of TikTok via executive order. But that effort ultimately stalled in the courts. This year, even as a bipartisan group of lawmakers sought legislation to force a divestiture, Trump indicated his opposition to such a move. He has credited TikTok as a valuable platform in his reelection campaign.

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In their brief, Trumps attorneys argued that the new law raise concerns about possible legislative encroachment on prerogatives of the Executive Branch under Article II of the Constitution.

They noted that the law dictates that the President must make a particular national-security determination as to TikTok alone, while granting the President a greater degree of discretion and freedom from statutory restriction as to all other social-media platforms.

They noted that the law mandates that the President must exercise his power over foreign affairs

through an interagency process commanded by Congress, instead of exercising his sole discretion over

the deliberative processes of the Executive Branch.

His legal team also noted that the deadline came one day before Trump is to take office.

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His attorneys wrote that the First Amendment implications of the federal governments effective shuttering of a social-media platform used by 170 million Americans are sweeping and troubling. There are valid concerns that the Act may set a dangerous global precedent by exercising the extraordinary power to shut down an entire social-media platform based, in large part, on concerns about disfavored speech on that platform.

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Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to issue a stay ahead of the impending TikTok ban, set to go into effect on Jan. 19, 2025  a day before his inauguration.

In Fridays filing, the president-elect questioned whether protecting Americans from the foreign adversary-controlled applications act violates their First Amendment rights. Trumps amicus brief also stated that he wants to be given the chance to find a political resolution once he takes office as the Biden administration and parent company ByteDance continue to challenge one another over the apps potential national security risks.

President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the acts deadline for divestment of Jan. 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, the brief noted. President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.

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This echoed a previous move made by TikTok itself to get the Supreme Court to block the ban earlier this month. The court subsequently agreed to hear arguments.

If things do not change before Jan. 19 and ByteDances Chinese owners do not sell their American business assets, TikTok will indeed be banned in the United States. However, Trumps filing also made it clear he is listening to his younger voters who utilize the social media service.

President Trump also has a unique interest in the First Amendment issues raised in this case. Through his historic victory on Nov. 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free-speech rights of all Americans  including the 170 million Americans who

use TikTok, John Sauer, Trumps pick for Solicitor General, wrote. President Trump is uniquely situated to vindicate these interests.

Its also worth noting that this update came after TikTok CEO Shou Chew met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week.

The post Donald Trump Asks Supreme Court to Delay TikTok Ban Over First Amendment Concerns appeared first on TheWrap.
US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday filed an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court in TikTok's legal case, urging the justices to temporarily halt a law requiring the popular app to be banned by January 19 unless it is sold to a non-Chinese buyer.

Earlier on Friday, TikTok, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, filed a brief with America's highest court reiterating its position that the law was unconstitutional and should be overturned.

Trump "takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute", according to the submission. "Instead, he respectfully requests that the court consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case."

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This would permit the "incoming administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case", it added.

Trump surprised many when, earlier this year, he began questioning the legislation that led to the ban that TikTok is racing against the clock to suspend, even if temporarily. In his first term as president, he signed an executive order to ban TikTok, an action later rejected by a lower federal court.

US president-elect Trump currently has more than 14 million followers on TikTok. Photo: AFP/various sources alt=US president-elect Trump currently has more than 14 million followers on TikTok. Photo: AFP/various sources>

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Although the president-elect has yet to post on his personal TikTok account since winning the US election last month, he turned to the video app during his campaign to engage young Americans. Nearly 30 per cent of TikTok's 170 million US-based users are between 25 and 34 years old.

"I am gonna save TikTok," Trump promised in a June post that got more than 8 million likes. Currently the president-elect has more than 14 million followers on the platform.

Trump's brief on Friday noted that he officially returns to the White House a day after the law banning TikTok takes effect.

He called it "unfortunate timing" that "interferes" with the president-elect's "ability to manage the United States' foreign policy and to pursue a resolution to both protect national security and save a social-media platform that provides a popular vehicle for 170 million Americans to exercise their core First Amendment rights".

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The filing further stated that Trump "has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions" and that "he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means".

It asserted Trump "alone possesses the consummate deal-making expertise, the electoral mandate and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national-security concerns".

The incoming president had stepped up his support for TikTok before Friday's move.

Last week, he suggested he might offer the app a lifeline.

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"We did go on TikTok and we had a great response with billions of views," Trump said at an event in Phoenix, Arizona, praising the app's role in boosting his popularity among young American voters. "They brought me a chart ... and as I looked at it, I said, maybe we got to keep this sucker around for a little while," he added.

As president, Trump could grant TikTok an additional 90 days to find a new buyer and could request the Justice Department to pause enforcement of the ban.

Earlier this month, Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi at Mar-a-Lago, his private resort in Florida.

Just hours before, Trump signalled his willingness to block the TikTok ban, saying at a press conference: "We'll take a look at TikTok. I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok. TikTok had an impact, so we're taking a look at it."

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Additional reporting by Robert Delaney in Washington

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.
TUPELO  More renovations are coming to the Dot Cooper Kelly building that officials said will increase capacity for its sewer line while replacing aging pipes.

The Tupelo City Council voted unanimously to approve a $12,844 change order for the renovations at the Dot Cooper Kelly building, bringing the projects new total to $830,384, during a Tuesday night meeting.

As we were working on that building, we found out we needed more work done on the sewer line, Parks and Recreation Director Alex Farned said.

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Farned said this change was necessary because as the contractors began renovations, they found the sewer lines under the building were not salvageable. He said Friday that the timing of the special-called meeting meant that the contractors, Amory-based Sanderson Construction Co., could seamlessly begin the new renovations.

The original plan, Farned said, was for the contractors to complete the project by late summer 2025. Even with the expanded work, he said he believes it can be completed before that timeline.

Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard asked about the conditions of the sewer lines exiting the building, and Farned said the existing lines were in good condition, just the lines inside the building were in need of replacement.

With the renovation, Farned said, the new lines will have increased capacity in anticipation of increased building use for programs and pickleball tournaments.

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This will help out definitely in the future, Farned said.

The projects will also see the remodeling of the building, including painting the outside the building, adding a new facade, new windows, roof repairs, gutter work and a wheelchair ramp to the entrance. On the inside of the building, the restrooms, lobby, janitors room and pickleball lounge will be redone.

Other Tupelo park projects make slow, steady progress

Meanwhile, the upgrades to both Gum Tree and Hancock parks are nearing completion, but both hinge on the delivery of equipment for the restrooms automatic locking feature. Farned said the contractor, Tupelo-based M&N Construction Company, is renovating the existing restrooms at Gum Tree Park now and the new pavilion and restroom have been installed.

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Ballard Park is still in a holding pattern, Farned said, noting that the city has a meeting with the Georgia-based playground designers Bliss Products and Services Inc., about the purchase and installation of the American with Disabilities Act compliant playground equipment. There were many details he said that needed to be ironed out, but expects work to begin at the end of next January.

Those interested in getting a final look at the Christmas light displays at the park have until the end of the year, Farned said, noting that after the New Year, the displays, comprises hundred of lights, will be put back in storage for the year.
The Stanislaus County Coroners Office said Jesse Villarreal, 32, of Modesto was the driver killed in a crash on Highway 132 east of Waterford.

The California Highway Patrol reported earlier that the collision happened at about 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, in the area of Rushing Road.

The CHP said Villarreal was driving east in a 2005 Saturn sedan and crossed illegally over double yellow lines to pass other vehicles. The car collided with a westbound 2007 Nissan pickup truck driven by Miguel Hernandez, 33, of Modesto, the news release said.

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Hernandez was treated for moderate injuries at Doctors Medical Center, the CHP said. His passenger, who was not identified, went to Memorial Medical Center with major injuries, the release said.

It said officers still are investigating whether the Saturn driver was impaired by alcohol or drugs, but they determined that the pickup driver was not.
Debris from an intercepted drone damaged the contact network of a railway in Russia's Voronezh Oblast overnight on Dec. 28, regional Governor Alexander Gusev alleged.

Russian air defense units downed over 10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Voronezh Oblast, Gusev said. Fragments from one of the drones struck the overhead contact system of a local railway.

The damage resulted in the delay of at least one train, and ongoing delays are expected, Gusev said. Emergency services are currently at work on the scene. No casualties have been reported from the drone attack.

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The governor did not identify the district where damage occurred.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gusev's claims.

Kyiv launches regular drone strikes against Russian territory, targeting military and industrial facilities to undermine Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Gusev alleged that a Ukrainian drone strike targeted two industrial facilities in Voronezh Oblast on Oct. 27.

Read also: Oil depot in Russias Oryol Oblast targeted by massive Ukrainian drone strike, governor says

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
An Oklahoma City police officer who slammed a 71-year-old man against the ground and broke his neck has had his assault charge dismissed by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, according to a release.

Drummond dismissed the felony count of aggravated assault and battery against Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Joseph Gibson in connection with an Oct. 27 incident involving Mr. Lich Vu, a 71-year-old Vietnamese man who had argued with Gibson as he was issuing the man a ticket.

Bodycam footage shows Gibson slamming Vu to the ground, which broke his neck and caused bleeding in the elderly mans brain. Witnesses said a language barrier may have contributed to the officers reaction.

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This is not how you treat someone that is 53, 115 lbs with bone cancer after a car accident. Especially if English is their second language, wrote Vus daughter, Theresa, in an Instagram post about the incident.

Gibson was charged Dec. 5. Drummond entered an appearance in the case on Monday, Dec. 23, effectively taking over the prosecution from Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna, the release states.

As Attorney General, I will not permit Oklahoma police officers to face criminal prosecution for conduct adhering to their training, Drummond stated in the release. While the outcome of this incident is unquestionably devastating for Mr. Vu and his family, I do not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent.

Drummond references the video in which Vu is shown tapping the back of his hand on the officers chest. He said it is never acceptable for a member of the public to make unwanted physical contact with a police officer.

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Our law enforcement officers work under constant stress, where the most routine interactions can become life-threatening in an instant, Drummond said. For everyones safety, it is imperative to follow an officers instructions and to never strike, push, or make any kind of unwelcome physical contact with an officer.

Drummond said that even though Vu did not appear to fully understand the officer, the language barrier is no excuse, the release states.

This is the law, and the law applies equally to all, Drummond states in the release. No individual is allowed to hit or push an officer, regardless of whether he or she doesnt understand English well or comes from a different culture. The simple truth is, this unfortunate incident never would have occurred if Mr. Vu had kept his hands to himself.

While the criminal charges have been dropped, Drummond noted there remains an open and ongoing internal investigation that could result in non-criminal forms of accountability for Sgt. Gibson.

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The Oklahoma City Police Department is conducting a thorough and rigorous investigation to determine whether Sgt. Gibson violated any policies or procedures, he said. The results of that investigation will determine what discipline he may face.

The Transcript has reached out to Drummonds office and to the Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma for comment.
A man suspected of driving while under the influence crashed into a Bellingham power pole, knocking out power in the area for several hours.

The man crashed his vehicle around 6:15 p.m. Thursday on Lakeway Drive, striking a power pole after running a red light and cutting power to the intersection of Woburn Street, Yew Street and Lakeway, according to a social media post by the Bellingham Police Department.

The 24-year-old driver was not injured in the crash, according to police, but he was arrested on suspicion of DUI and reckless driving. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail at 7:44 p.m. and remains in custody.

Power has since been restored to the area, according to Puget Sound Energy.
STARKEY, N.Y. (WETM)  A Thursday-night police chase through Starkey and Dundee ended when police say a Dundee man crashed his car, was arrested, and was taken to a hospital in a helicopter.

Jonathan R. Webb, 30, was arrested after authorities say he crashed his car during the chase. The Yates County Sheriffs Office stated that deputies initially pulled Webb over in the Town of Starkey shortly before 11 p.m. on Dec. 26 and were interviewing him when he drove away at a high speed.

Authorities say Webb didnt have his vehicles lights on and committed other traffic violations while driving away. Deputies tried to pull Webb over again, but he allegedly didnt comply and led them on a pursuit through the Village of Dundee. The chase reportedly ended on state Route 14 when Webbs car left the roadway and crashed.

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Waverly man sentenced for July Sayre police chase

Deputies took Webb into custody, emergency medical personnel treated him, and Mercy Flight airlifted him to Strong Memorial Hospital for further treatment.

Webb was charged with third-degree unlawfully fleeing police officer (a class A misdemeanor) and received the following traffic violations: two counts of reckless driving, four counts of speeding violations, six counts of failed to stop at a stop sign, two counts of fail to keep right, unlicensed operator, move from lane unsafely, and no headlights.

Webb was given an appearance ticket and will appear in court at a later date.

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The Yates County Sheriffs Office, the New York State Police, the Dundee Fire Department, Dundee Ambulance, Penn Yan Ambulance, and Mercy Flight responded to the crash that followed the chase.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  A national coffee chain is opening a new location in south Topeka next year.

Alissan Speidel with Dutch Bros Coffee told 27 News on Dec. 27 that a new coffee shop location is coming to 3200 Southwest Topeka Boulevard. She said the company hopes to open it during the second quarter of 2025.

Dutch Bros currently has only one location on the west side of Topeka at 5941 Southwest 17th Street. This initial coffee shop opened its doors to the public in June 2023.

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What new restaurants opened in Topeka in 2024?

What can customers expect from their local Dutch Bros shop? A typical visit will feature upbeat music, energetic broistas (Dutch Bros version of baristas) and outstanding speed, quality and service. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas, an exclusive Dutch Bros Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee. All drinks are handcrafted for each customer and guaranteed to satisfy! Dutch Bros press release excerpt

People can expect to find a wide variety of tea, coffee, energy drink, latte and shake options at Dutch Bros Coffee. Most locations come stocked with snacks as well like muffins and granola bars to help customers get through the day. You can learn more about what Dutch Bros Coffee has to offer by clicking here.

Historic downtown Topeka mansion for sale with $2.2 million price tag

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.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The state of California will be cracking down on the dangers of electric bicycles and other powered mobility devices in about a year.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Senate Bill 1271 will require e-bikes, powered devices and lithium-ion batteries, along with related charging systems, to be tested by accredited laboratories to meet specific safety standards.

The bill would clarify existing law to define an e-bike as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts of power.

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Hundreds arrested during CHP Christmas maximum enforcement period

It also would require the State Fire Marshal to adopt regulations starting on Jan. 1 that serve to promote the fire and electrical safety of electric bicycles, powered mobility devices and storage batteries.

Furthermore, SB 1271 would prohibit someone from distributing, selling, leasing or offering for sale or lease an e-bike or powered mobility device unless the storage battery has been tested by an accredited laboratory for compliance with a specified standard.

The name, logo, wordmark or label of the testing lab and the applicable standard used should be displayed on the device, according to the bill.

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Then, three years later on Jan. 1, 2028, someone would be unable to rent or offer an e-bike or similar device, charging system, or storage battery for rent unless it has been tested for compliance under this new law.

These new California laws are making changes for renters in 2025

A few other public safety laws regarding e-bike safety were signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom during this years legislative session.

Assembly Bill 1774, which goes into effect at the start of the new year, would prohibit modifications to an e-bikes speed capability to the extent that it would no longer meet the definition of an electric bicycle.

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AB 1178 would authorize a local authority in Marin County to enact a resolution prohibiting a person under the age of 16 from operating a class 2 e-bike. They would also be authorized to require any person operating a class 2 e-bike to wear a helmet.

AB 2234 would focus on San Diego County and allow a local authority to create a resolution or ordinance prohibiting someone under the age of 12 from operating a class 1 or 2 e-bike.

According to California Highway Patrol, e-bikes are rising in popularity, creating a need for more safety education and training.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  The East Project Network Committee of Wichita Falls invites the community to celebrate the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events.

Beginning with the Grand Marshal Sashing Ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at the MLK Center, the East Project Network will recognize and celebrate community leadership with a sashing ceremony in honor of the Martin Luther King Parade leader. Speeches, music, and socializing will follow the ceremony.

East Project Network Committee seeks entries for MLK Jr. Day parade

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On Tuesday, Jan. 14, parade applicants must attend a meeting in the MLK Center to discuss lineup details, start locations, and event guidelines.

Then, the following Saturday, Jan. 18, the eagerly-awaited Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will begin at noon at Third Street and Scott Avenue in downtown Wichita Falls.

Parade organizers still seek entries for this years celebration to embody the parades new theme, The Time is Always Right to Do What is Right.

After briefly being canceled due to changes in city policy and confusion about parade routes, the parade is back on.

The parade festivities follow the 36th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship and Prayer Breakfast, a separate event hosted with support from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and the Wichita Falls Area Community Fund.

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RELATED: Tickets now available for MLK Scholarship and Prayer Breakfast

This years parade embodies extra-special meaning as the city of Wichita Falls recognizes Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a city holiday for the first time, according to a Facebook comment left by Mayor Tim Short under a post about the parades previous cancelation.

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SAN DIEGO (Border Report)  Mass deportations proposed by President-elect Donald Trump will be a huge blow to Mexicos economy, according to Ismael Plascencia Lopez, specialist with the Northwest Mexico Federation of Economists.

Theyre talking about deporting 11 to 13 million undocumented migrants now in the United States, it seems like an impossible task, said Plascencia Lopez. But, if only one to two million people get deported, it would still be a huge strike on the Mexican economy.

He predicts Mexico will have to invest millions of dollars to care, feed, house and transport deported migrants, not to mention those from other nations.

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Trump faces roadblocks to ambitious border crackdown

Its going to be a blow just in terms of the number of people sent here, but what about all those countries that refuse to take in their own people, they will likely end up in Mexico, you have to care for them as well, he said.

Plascencia Lopez predicts the biggest loses will be due to the lack of money being sent home by migrants working north of the border, something Mexicos economy is heavily dependent upon.

According to Banxico, Mexicos National Bank, $63.3 billion dollars were sent to Mexico in 2023 by migrants in the U.S., and from January through October of this year, the figure was almost $55 billion.

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Baja to lease warehouse space to house deported migrants

This is the result of a worldwide campaign to oust migrants from many countries, something promoted by President-Elect Donald Trump.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

There are always extremes, some say its good Donald Trump won, there were some who opposed his initiatives before, but now with him having control of Congress and the Senate, there wont be anyone to stop him, this will hurt Mexico.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Niobrara National Scenic River. (Courtesy of the National Park Service)

LINCOLN  An on-again, off-again effort to ensure public access to the Niobrara River is back on again.

Scenic designated stretch

The scenic stretch of the Niobrara River  designated a year ago as a global quiet trail  was also a place of peace, according to some elders with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

As part of an oral history project to document the history of the river, the National Park Service is in the process of interviewing several elders of the tribe, which historically occupied that area of north-central Nebraska and is now headquartered in Rosebud, South Dakota.

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Four elders already interviewed have described the area around the Niobrara River, east of Valentine, as a place of peace recognized by several tribes, where warriors laid down their arms and where Sioux and Pawnee  traditional enemies  could camp in peace on either side of the river.

Susan Cook, superintendent of the Niobrara National Scenic River office, said that four more Rosebud elders will be interviewed in coming months with hopes of producing a video of their oral histories for showing at the Valentine visitors center.

A year ago, the Indiana-based Quiet Parks International designed the 76-mile-long Niobrara National Scenic River corridor as North Americas first Quiet Trail due to the lack of man-made noise.

If the purchase of the Rocky Ford rapids area happens this time  it was blocked more than once a decade ago  it would maintain the public use of an important take-out point for those floating and kayaking the nationally designated scenic river.

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A National Park Service representative and the private owner of the Rocky Ford rapids separately confirmed that discussions are underway to have the federal agency purchase the 26-acre site around the rapids, which is the ending point for many float trips down the Niobrara and a popular spot for camping and picnicking in north-central Nebraska.

About 75,000 people each year visit the 76-mile-long, federally designated scenic stretch of the Niobrara River, making it one of the states most popular tourist attractions. Because Rocky Ford is in private hands, theres always a worry that public access to the scenic spot will be shut off, or that access fees will become too expensive.

There is no better deck in the state of Nebraska, said Rocky Ford owner Brad Arrowsmith of the view from a cabin on the property.

That place is therapeutic, he said.

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Arrowsmith, a rancher from Mills, purchased Rocky Ford eight years ago after a canoe outfitters effort to sell the property to the Park Service, and later to the Niobrara Scenic River Council, both fell through.

Members of the states congressional delegation, as well as local ranchers and representatives on the Niobrara Council, were among those who opposed federal ownership of the property.

In 2018, Arrowsmith said he purchased the rapids to retain local control and to avoid a new private owner from shutting off access to Rocky Ford. The river there has one of the states few Class III rapids  rapids with high waves and rocks that require an experienced paddler.

But when the $2.5 million sale to the Niobrara Council fell through, Arrowsmith retained ownership and a canoe outfitting business continued. He eventually took over the business.

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But the semi-retired rancher, 58, said hes more interested now in enjoying the retired side of his life and ditching the semi portion.

I never bought it to get into the outfitting business in the first place, Arrowsmith said. My hairs a little whiter than yours. Im tired.

So talks began a few months ago to sell the property to the Park Service.

Susan Cook, superintendent of the Niobrara National Scenic River office in Valentine, confirmed that shes discussed a purchase with Arrowsmith.

Were just starting to look at it, Cook said.

She declined to say whether the Park Service had money allocated for the purchase  as it did a decade ago  or where the money to purchase the site could come from.

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Arrowsmith said that hed also offered, again about a year ago, to sell Rocky Ford to the Niobrara Council, but was again rebuffed.

He said hes also been approached by a private party to purchase the site and continue the outfitting business.

An international group interested in preserving quiet places has honored Nebraskas Niobrara River. (Courtesy of Niobrara Council)

At the end of the day Id love to keep it in local hands  but Im not sure they can come up with the change to do it, he said.

Just how quickly, or how long, a purchase might take is unclear. Arrowsmith said he has made improvements to the property that make Rocky Ford more attractive for a buyer.

Its not the old ratty wood walkway up to the office, he said, adding that he also replaced a monstrosity of a retaining wall on the land.

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From omelettes to sunny side up on toast to nasi goreng, eggs are a global favorite. But while they are packed with nutrients, including protein, vitamin B12, and calcium, eggs do not come without risk.

Sometimes, consuming eggs can lead to sickness. This is usually due to a type of bacteria called salmonella. When this bacteria is ingested, it can cause unpleasant symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Usually these symptoms will clear up on their own, but in some cases, Salmonella can lead to severe illness and, in rare situations, even death.

There are ways to reduce the chance of salmonella. One option is to avoid eggs completely. There are plenty of plant-based alternatives on the market, including Simply Eggless and Just Egg. Although to be transparent, the latter once was recalled over listeria fears. Alternatively, scramble made with tofu is one protein-packed, whole food alternative to eggs. If you want to keep eating eggs, correct storage is essential (keep them refrigerated and consume within three weeks). You should also avoid consuming eggs raw and be careful where you buy them from (only purchase from refrigerated sections). And you should also keep an eye out for egg recalls.

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Eggs can be recalled for many different reasons, including undeclared allergens and insecticide concerns, but one of the most common is fears over salmonella contamination. There have been many egg recalls in the past  keep reading to find out more about some of the biggest incidents in recent history.

Read more: The History Of Corn Flakes Is Even Worse Than You Knew

Eggs Recalled From 25 Costco Stores Due To Salmonella Concerns

Costco storefront and signage - Jack Hong/Shutterstock

In November 2024, Handsome Brook Farms announced it was recalling 10,800 packs of eggs sold under the Kirkland Signature brand from Costco stores across the U.S. due to concerns that they may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. At the time of the recall, no mild or severe illnesses had been reported.

Based in New York, Handsome Brook Farms claims to be the U.S.'s leading supplier of organic pasture raised eggs. It is a certified B Corporation, which means it meets strict standards relating to social and environmental practices. According to the company, its hens have 108 square feet of personal outdoor space each. They are also fed with GMO-free, pesticide-free, and chemical-free feed.

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However, none of this means they are immune from contracting salmonella bacteria. Chickens can pass this bacteria between them, and it can then be transferred onto any eggs they are carrying. It can then make its way to humans when we eat the contaminated eggs.

The potentially affected eggs from Handsome Brook Farms were accidentally sent to Costco locations in Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina on November 22, 2024. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the eggs were never intended for retail distribution, but were sent out due to a supply chain error. Any customer who already purchased any of the potentially contaminated eggs was instructed to take them back to Costco for a refund or dispose of them at home.

France Recalls 3 Million Eggs Due To Potential Salmonella Contamination

Cartons of eggs stacked - Gregory Adams/Getty Images

In October 2024, the egg distributor Ovalis announced the recall of eggs from the shelves of some of France's biggest supermarket chains, including Lidl, Carrefour, and Auchan, due to fears over salmonella. Leclerc, the largest supermarket chain in France, was also affected by the recall. The brand names affected by the Ovalis recall included Poitou Oeufs, Douce France, and Tout Frais Tout Francais.

As well as major supermarkets, one charity was also caught up in the recall: A nonprofit called Restos du Coeur that distributes food packages and pre-prepared meals to people in need across France, some of which include eggs. While Ovalis claimed that only a small number of eggs had likely been contaminated with salmonella, it announced the recall of 3 million eggs to be on the safe side. This was because during the packing process, the contaminated eggs had likely been mixed with non-contaminated eggs.

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At the time of the recall, no incidents of severe salmonella illness had been reported in France. However, there were eight reports of mild salmonella symptoms, which may have been linked to eggs supplied by Ovalis to retailers from the end of September to October 10.

FDA Issues Recall Across Nine States Due To Salmonella Concerns

Stacks of egg cartons - Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images

On September 6, 2024, the FDA first issued a recall for chicken eggs from Milo's Poultry Farms, which were sold under the brand names Milo's Poultry Farms and Tony's Fresh Market. At the time, this was because they had "the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella" after FDA tests on samples from the farm came back positive for the bacteria. Since then, it has been confirmed that 65 people in nine states  including Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, California, Utah, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, and Virginia  have been affected by the outbreak. Most had mild illness, but around 24 people were taken to the hospital as a result of their symptoms.

Duck eggs from the brand Happy Quackers Farm were also impacted by the recall, which was given Class 1 status. According to the FDA, Class 1 means that there is "reasonable probability" that using a contaminated product may cause severe illness or death. In order to control the spread of Salmonella, the FDA ordered the recall of more than 345,000 eggs. People who had already purchased potentially contaminated eggs were instructed to either return them to where they bought them from or dispose of them at home.

The FDA was clear that nobody should eat any recalled eggs, even if they appear fine from the outside. This is because salmonella can enter eggs through the tiny pores in their shells, which are not visible to the naked eye.

Ireland Recalls Duck Eggs Due To Salmonella Fears

Duck eggs in a container - Yurou Guan/Getty Images

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On July 31, 2024, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) announced a recall of several batches of duck eggs from the Irish producer Slaney Farm. Again, this was due to concerns over the presence of the bacteria salmonella.

Just like chickens, ducks can carry salmonella. They can pass the bacteria on to their eggs through their feces, which enters the shell through its pores. Other bird species at risk of carrying salmonella include geese and quail. In fact, ducks, geese, and quail eggs are more likely to contain salmonella than eggs from chickens, so they should always be cooked to a high temperature before they are ingested.

Slaney Farm supplies its eggs to retailers, caterers, cafes, restaurants, and market stalls direct from County Carlow. The FSAI asked all of these to immediately stop selling the affected duck eggs and to display recall notices to customers.

Just a few days before the Slaney Farm recall was announced, the FSAI issued a warning surrounding the consumption of duck eggs. It explained that because duck eggs are bigger than chicken eggs, they should be cooked for longer to ensure that no parts of the eggs are left raw. To reduce the risk of salmonella, duck eggs should not be used in condiments like mayonnaise, which is made with raw eggs.

Eggs Recalled In Minnesota Over Undeclared Allergens

Liquid egg being poured into pan - Westend61/Getty Images

The reason for most egg recalls is due to potential Salmonella contamination. However, there are other factors that can contribute to the decision to recall. One of these is mistakes in the packaging process. On June 30, 2024, Michael Foods, a Minnesota-based food company which claims to be the biggest processor of value-added eggs in the U.S., announced the recall of more than 4,600 liquid egg products called Fair Meadow Foundations Whole Eggs with Citric Acid.

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This was because the packaging for the whole eggs with citric acid actually contained Breakfast Blend Scrambled Egg, which is a different product produced by Michael Foods. This mix-up meant that the ingredients listed on the side of the product were incorrect. It did not list the inclusion of milk, for example, which is a known allergen.

According to Food Allergy Research & Education, of the roughly 33 million Americans who suffer with food allergies, more than 6 million are allergic to milk. Like all allergies, milk allergies can be extremely serious. Symptoms vary in severity, but for some, they can result in a life-threatening reaction of anaphylaxis.

The mislabeled egg products from Michael Foods were sent to restaurants in nine different states: Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, and Utah. All recipients of the liquid eggs were told to either return them to the manufacturer or dispose of them immediately. There were no confirmed allergic reactions associated with the packaging error.

Coles And Woolworths In Australia Recalls Eggs Over Salmonella Concerns

Broken egg with yolk in the middle - SoftSheep/Shutterstock

In March 2019, Food Standards Australia New Zealand issued a recall for eggs linked with a salmonella outbreak at Bridgewater Poultry Farm in the state of Victoria. The retailers affected included Woolworths and Coles, which are two of the leading grocery store chains in Australia. The brands affected included Woolworths private label eggs, Victorian Fresh Barn, and Loddon Valley. In response to the outbreak, which affected stores across New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and Australia Capital Territory, Bridgewater Poultry Farm was placed into quarantine in an attempt to protect birds on any nearby farms. Salmonella can spread from one farm to another due to the movement of infected animals, as well as the movement of contaminated equipment, vehicles, and feed. Wild animals are also able to spread salmonella.

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A few months after the salmonella outbreak, in June 2019, Bridgewater Poultry Farm was once again thrust into the spotlight when footage was leaked by Animal Liberation NSW that seemed to show workers abusing chickens. The workers were allegedly seen pulling on chicken's heads, banging birds against hard surfaces, and poking them with poles. The footage was taken in April, 2019, just one month after the news of the salmonella outbreak was announced.

Bridgewater Poultry Farm is no longer operated by the same management as it was in 2019. In 2024, it was sold with vacant possession. With room for 300,000 hens, it is likely it will remain a poultry farm.

Germany, Italy, And Malta Recall Eggs Over Salmonella Fears

Close-up of one broken egg with yolk among whole eggs - sergey kolesnikov/Shutterstock

In August 2018, concerns over an outbreak of salmonella led to multiple recalls across Germany, Italy, and Malta. The affected eggs came from several different suppliers, including German company Eifrisch, Italian company Avicola Peligna, and Saint Joseph Farm in Malta. The potentially contaminated eggs were on the shelves of major retailers, including German locations of Aldi and Lidl. The year before the recalls were announced, one report from the European Union showed that following a decade of decline, salmonella cases were increasing.

The report examined several zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that are linked to animals, and showed that cases of listeria and campylobacter were also increasing. Like salmonella, both are food-borne pathogens that can cause serious illness in humans. Listeria is commonly found in root vegetables, processed meats (including salami and hot dogs), fruits, and seafood. Sometimes, it can also affect eggs. Campylobacter is often found in undercooked meat, including undercooked poultry. Salmonella can also be found in poultry meat as well as eggs.

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According to the 2017 report, cases of salmonella were rising the most in Europe at this time. From 2010 to 2016, they led to more hospitalizations and deaths than other food-borne pathogens. In 2018, the recalls in Malta, Germany, and Italy were not linked with any reports of illness.

Europe Recalls Millions Of Eggs Due To High Insecticide Levels

Person taking egg from box - Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock

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In 2017, millions of eggs were recalled across Europe because of the risk of contamination with an insecticide. Egg farms in the Netherlands were linked with the use of a chemical called fipronil, which is often used to control insects, including ants, fleas, and ticks. It is used widely in termite control products, for example, as well pet care products.

Fipronil is risky to humans. If ingested, it can cause symptoms including headaches and dizziness, as well as gastrointestinal and respiratory problems. The insecticide is also associated with skin and eye irritation. It may also cause tremors and convulsions. Most people who come into contact with fipronil will not develop severe symptoms. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does classify fipronil as a possible human carcinogen, which means exposure may lead or contribute to the growth of cancer cells in the body.

The eggs produced in the Netherlands contained higher than the recommended limit of fipronil and were sold in a number of countries in Europe, including the U.K., Germany, and Belgium. Amid the contamination concerns, around 180 Dutch egg farms were temporarily closed while links with the insecticide were looked into via a criminal investigation. The use of the insecticide was ultimately traced back to a Belgian pest control firm, which sold cleaning products to a Dutch poultry farm cleaning company. There were no reports of serious illness associated with the fipronil egg contamination scandal.

207 Million North Carolina Eggs Recalled Over Salmonella Concerns

Close-up of soft-boiled eggs - NinaxHenry/Shutterstock

In April, 2018, 207 million eggs were recalled from stores in nine states across the U.S., including Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The eggs came from a farm in Hyde County, North Carolina, which was owned by Rose Acre Farms, one of the leading egg producers in the U.S. They were sold in retailers and restaurants by a number of different brands, including Country Daybreak, Food Lion, Coburn Farms, Crystal Farms, and Sunshine Farms. Waffle House, the restaurant chain with more than 2,000 restaurants across multiple states in the U.S., was among those affected by the Rose Acre Farms recall.

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According to the announcement from the FDA, the decision to recall millions of eggs was a voluntary action from Rose Acre Farms and was made "through an abundance of caution." The announcement also explained that there had been 22 reports of illness at the time of the recall.

Rose Acre Farms asked anybody with eggs implicated in the recall announcement to throw them away immediately or ask for a refund from the store they bought them from. Restaurants were advised to thoroughly clean equipment or surfaces touched by the potentially contaminated eggs.

550 Million Iowan Eggs Recalled Over Salmonella Outbreak

Pile of chicken eggs - Tera_graphy/Shutterstock

In one of the biggest egg recalls in recent history, in 2010, 550 million eggs were recalled in the U.S. due to an outbreak of salmonella. The eggs were produced by the Iowan company Hillandale Farms, which sold eggs under a number of brands, including Hillandale Farms, Sunny Farms, Sunny Meadow, and another Iowan company called Wright County Egg. Both companies were owned by the same farmer and business executive: Austin DeCoster.

The affected eggs were sold in a number of states across the U.S., including California, Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. In 2014, both DeCoster and his son, Peter DeCoster, were charged over the salmonella outbreak. This is because an FDA investigation revealed that conditions on the DeCoster's farms were filthy, and there were many traces of salmonella. They were also charged for deliberately mislabeling eggs with the wrong dates and for attempting to bribe an inspector to approve eggs that did not meet health and safety standards.

Both DeCoster and his son received jail time for the outbreak, which, according to the CDC, may have sickened around 56,000 people across the U.S. They were also fined $100,000 each. Over the years, according to an investigation by The Atlantic, DeCoster's farms have been linked with poor conditions for workers, child labor violations, beetle infestations that spread to nearby homes, and even a fire that resulted in the deaths of 100,000 birds.

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HONOLULU (KHON2)  A 60-year-old woman defended herself not once, but twice from a suspect attempting to break into her home on Thursday, Dec. 26. The suspect was arrested and an investigation is ongoing.

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She couldnt speak any English at all, stated the victims son. Then she got so [scared] at the time.

DNA evidence identifies victim in HPD cold case

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The tenant was home when a man shed never seen in the area began yelling at her to open the door. When she refused, he punched through the window, breaking the window screen off its brackets.

This area, is not really secure, said the victims son. Some other strangers knock on the door sometimes, too.

The family said the suspect left but returned minutes later, pounding on the door before police arrived. According to the Honolulu Police Departments (HPD) crime map, larceny, vandalism, assault, burglary and vehicle break-ins are the most common crimes in the Punchbowl area.

Burglars are out there looking to see if the house got a louvered entryway, said retired HPD Major, Larry Lawson. Theyre looking for the most quickest, accessible way to get into somebodys house.

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Lawson suggested securing louvers with locks or closing them completely. Locking doors and windows even when youre home is also a way to keep safe. He added its best to avoid confrontation in these types of situations, especially when kupuna and keiki are involved.

They can yell at the door or yell at the window and say, Im calling the police. Im dialing 911, and actually get on the phone and dial 911, stated Lawson.

Those who are unable to access a phone can still find help in other ways.

They can activate the alarm, screaming for help, trying to get neighbors to hear so that maybe the neighbors will call 911. It might be beneficial that they just exit to the other door in their house and leave the property, said Lawson.

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Following the incident, the tenant and her family were hoping to deter any more unwanted guests.

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Im gonna put some cameras around the house. So, at least if something happened, I can get more evidence, said the victims son.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
HOHENWALD, Tenn. (WKRN)  The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is mourning the sudden death of one of their African elephants.

Donna, an African elephant, came to the sanctuary from the Oakland Zoo, though she was born in the wilds of Zimbabwe in 1980. A Facebook post from the sanctuary announcing Donnas sudden death Friday said Donna loved her herd mates and had a preference for rolling in the mud. Often, Donna was covered in it and she loved digging wallows.

OCTOBER: The Elephant Sanctuary receives new resident from California zoo

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Donna was a cherished member of the Oakland Zoo family for 34 years before moving to Tennessee, Oakland Zoo CEO Nik Dehejia said. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to her Oakland animal care team and volunteers for their dedication to her throughout her life in Oakland and to The Sanctuarys team for their support over the past 15 months, particularly during these challenging days.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee said Donna had been in good health, other than arthritis related to age, which had been well-managed. Donna had developed a subtle edema two weeks ago and staff performed full bloodwork, which only revealed a higher white blood cell count. Donna started on a course of antibiotics, which she tolerated well. The edema was resolving, she was eating and behaving normally; bloodwork had been scheduled for next week.

On Tuesday morning, staff said Donna entered her barn and started to eat as usual. However, a short while later, staff noticed a change in her demeanor. Veterinary and care managers were called immediately, but Donna ultimately died around 9:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve.

Donna (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee)

Donna (Courtesy: The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee)

Donna was deeply loved by her Care Staff and by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her, The Sanctuarys CEO, Janice Zeitlin, said. Her sudden passing has left us heartbroken. We remain committed to understanding the cause of her passing and to honoring Donnas memory. Thank you for your compassion and support during this difficult time.

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Nashville Zoo working to support federal protections for monarch butterflies

The Sanctuary said a necropsy was conducted on Donna Wednesday with help from the University of Georgia. Findings from the necropsy would be shared as soon as they become 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.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk faced accusations of censorship Friday from fellow conservatives after several prominent right-wing accounts who had criticized Musks views on immigration said that they subsequently lost access to premium features on Musks social media app, X.

At least 14 conservative accounts said late Thursday or Friday that X had revoked their blue verification badge, cutting them off from a variety of premium features, including the ability to monetize their accounts through subscriptions and advertising revenue-sharing, according to a review conducted by NBC News. Some accounts said the number of those affected was far higher.

The accounts were all still active Friday, but without access to monetization features; some of them said they worried about their ability to keep posting.

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Some conservatives said they considered Xs actions to be a betrayal by Musk, who purchased the service then known as Twitter in 2022 in part because he said it had unfairly limited conservative speech. Musk has since called himself a free-expression advocate, even as he calls for jailing some of his critics. Musk and X did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. But on Thursday night, about an hour before some conservatives started complaining about losing access to Xs premium features, Musk posted what he called a reminder on X. He wrote that the sites algorithm automatically reduces the reach of a user if theyre frequently blocked or muted by other, credible users.

If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will decline significantly, Musk posted.

But rather than satisfying people complaining about censorship, the post elicited even more accusations that Musk was shadowbanning his conservative critics, or reducing engagement on their posts without officially disclosing such actions to affected accounts.

The actions by X came in the middle of a heated online debate on the subject of future immigration policy under President-elect Donald Trump, with anti-immigration MAGA loyalists denouncing the influence of pro-immigration tech executives and investors such as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

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Many of the affected accounts said they were affiliated with one media brand in particular, ConservativeOG.

Preston Parra, a 23-year-old influencer and head of ConservativeOG, said he considered the actions by X to be a political takedown in retaliation for publicly disagreeing with Musks pro-immigration views.

He said he plans to keep fighting Musk, not only to get his premium features restored but also to ensure that Trump pursues restrictionist immigration policies.

If anyone thinks for one minute the REAL backbone of the right wing and MAGA is gonna stand idly by while these big tech gillionaire Silicon Valley dweebs who didnt get bullied enough in high school, steal our country, theyre mistaken, Parra said in a text message. He said he believes Musk to be a Trojan horse in the Trump camp.

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Trump announced that Musk and Ramaswamy would lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, to much fanfare, shortly after the Nov. 5 election. But in recent days, after venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan was announced as a White House adviser on AI policy, Trumps tech-world allies  including Musk and Ramaswamy  have come under deeper scrutiny and criticism from the far-right for their previous statements about or involvement with legal immigration.

Musk is an immigrant, having been born and raised in South Africa. He became a U.S. citizen in 2002.

At least three of the affected X accounts have more than 1 million followers each, including the accounts of Ryan Fournier and Laura Loomer.

Fournier, a co-founder of Students for Trump, said he had had a blue verified badge on the social media app since 2016. He wrote on X that he had no clue why he lost it this week. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Premium subscriptions on X include several benefits such as increased prominence in the replies to other accounts posts and the ability to apply for sharing ad revenue.

Loomer, a far-right activist and close Trump ally, said that X had demonetized her  cutting off her ability to collect subscription fees and other revenue on the site  and had revoked her blue verification checkmark about two days after she began criticizing Musk over tech industry visas.

On Tuesday, Loomer wrote on X that tech billionaires are like termites who have descended upon Palm Beach, where Trump is working on the presidential transition from his Mar-a-Lago resort. And she kept up her criticism as the week went on.

Musk mentioned her in a post Thursday, writing: Loomer is trolling for attention. Ignore.

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And hours later, Loomer says her account lost access to premium features.

Looks like Elon Musk is going to be silencing me for supporting original Trump immigration policies, she posted on X, calling the changes to her account retaliation. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Andrew Torba, the CEO of the far-right social media app Gab, has in the past praised Musk, but on Friday he criticized the billionaire for silencing others and invited disaffected X users to come to his platform instead. Torba is openly antisemitic and on Friday also posted that people have two choices: be racist or be replaced.

Its not the first time that X and Musk have been accused of silencing users, despite Musks vowed commitments to free speech. In September, X said it temporarily suspended a journalist for posting private personal information, after he shared a document that appeared to have been stolen from Trumps campaign. In 2022, the platform suspended the accounts of several other journalists who wrote about Musk.

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In July, X suspended the account White Dudes for Harris, which supported Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump, and in August it temporarily shut down Progressives for Harris.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. billionaire Elon Musk backed Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a guest opinion piece for Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper published online on Saturday that prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest.

In the commentary, published in German by the flagship paper of the Axel Springer media group, Musk expanded on his post on social media platform X last week claiming that "only the AfD can save Germany."

"The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party's leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!" Musk said in the piece.

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Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD at the national level as a suspected extremism case since 2021.

Shortly after the piece was published online, the editor of the opinion section, Eva Marie Kogel, wrote on X that she had submitted her resignation, with a link to the commentary.

"Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression. This includes dealing with polarising positions and classifying them journalistically," the newspaper's editor-in-chief designate Jan Philipp Burgard and Ulf Poschardt, who takes over as publisher on Jan. 1, told Reuters.

They said discussion about Musk's piece, which had around 340 comments several hours after it was published, was "very revealing."

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Underneath Musk's commentary, the newspaper published a response by Burgard.

"Musk's diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally false," he wrote, referencing the AfD's desire to leave the European Union and seek rapprochement with Russia as well as appease China.

The AfD backing from Musk, who also defended his right to weigh in on German politics due to his "significant investments," comes as Germans are set to vote on Feb. 23 after a coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed.

The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart either a centre-right or centre-left majority, but Germany's mainstream, more centrist parties have pledged to shun any support from the AfD at national level.

(Reporting by Miranda Murray and Andreas Rinke. Editing by Jane Merriman)
(KRON)  On Friday, Elon Musk blasted a segment of the MAGA movement as contemptible fools and called for them to be ousted from the Republican Party. The tweet from the Tesla CEO and owner of X, formerly Twitter, was the latest salvo in what some are calling a civil war among the far right.

The trouble began on Thursday when failed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy posted an X diatribe blasting American culture that has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long. The tech billionaire, who along with Musk has been put in charge of DOGE, a Trump Administration initiative to slash government spending, bizarrely placed part of the blame on 90s sitcoms.

More than a third of Americans racked up over $1,000 in debt this holiday season: report

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Ramaswamy argued that this cultural deficit was a key reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over native Americans. The post ignited something of a firestorm on the far right with conservative commentators.

Laura Loomer, who has a documented history of making racist comments, launched a series of tweets blasting Big Tech, and criticizing President-elect Trumps appointment of Indian-American Sriram Krishnan as AI policy advisor.

Loomer also accused Musk, who has defended Ramaswamys position on H-1B visas for tech workers, of censoring her on X.

On Friday, Scott Adams, the conservative creator of the Dilbert comic strip tweeted that MAGA is taking a page from Democrats on how to lose elections while feeling good about themselves.

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Yes, Musk replied. And those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party root and stem.

The whole tweet-storm seems to have ignited a rift between a segment of MAGAs traditional anti-immigrant, largely white base, and the growing Silicon Valley tech element of support for Trump.

Dont worry guys, read one of Loomers tweets. The divorce is coming soon.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Trump administration adviser Elon Musk angered MAGA supporters with his approval of a social media post sarcastically explaining that immigrants are needed for tech jobs because U.S. workers arent qualified enough.

Using the X social media platform owned by Musk, an account called Autism Capital summed up the debate over H-1B visas allowing U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialized fields, saying traditional American conservatives want tech jobs but complain they arent getting adequate training to do them.

According to Autism Capital, the viewpoint of tech-forward Republicans is that those people are too mentally impaired to be trained.

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That pretty much sums it up, Musk responded to the Thursday night post, which used a pejorative term for the mentally challenged.

Musk himself was raised in South Africa and became a U.S. citizen in 2002. His response kicked off a spirited debate among critics including right-wing influencer Nick Fuentes, whos spoken of losing support for Donald Trump because he believes the president-elect isnt harsh enough on foreigners and immigrants.

The Tech Bro donors are Left of Nikki Haley on immigration. Let that sink in, Fuentes posted on Friday.

Autism Capitals post also claimed the immigrant debate  which was largely fueled by comments made by Musk collaborator Vivek Ramaswamy  proved some people *really* dont like Indians.

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Ramaswamy, born to Indian immigrant parents, was appointed by Trump to help Musk run a department studying government spending. He wrote in a lengthy pro H-1B visa post Thursday morning that the reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born and first-generation engineers over native Americans (is because) American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.

A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math Olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers, he wrote, saying American children should be spending more time in math tutoring, science competitions and extracurriculars versus watching TV and hanging out at the mall.

If you grow up aspiring to normalcy, normalcy is what you will achieve, he concluded. Normalcy doesnt cut it in a hyper-competitive global market for technical talent. And if we pretend like it does, well have our aes handed to us by China.

Ramaswamys comments attracted an online firestorm with racist overtones.
In a guest column for the German newspaper Die Welt, Elon Musk has called on Germany to vote for the anti-immigration party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), calling it the last flicker of hope for the country.

Die Welt is a right-leaning outlet but an AfD endorsement by the wealthiest person on earth went too far for some of its editorial staff. A heated argument broke out internally and its comment editor Eva Marie Kogel resigned.

As ever, the dark shadows of Germanys past loom large. However fed up German conservatives may be with the political status quo, many havent forgotten that elements of the conservative elite and press enabled the rise of the Nazis in the 1920s and 1930s.

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Figures like the press magnate Alfred Hugenberg will be on their minds. Hugenberg controlled half the German press after the First World War. As leader of the German National Peoples Party, he was a conservative monarchist, but he saw the Nazis as the best leaver to derail post-war democracy. His support helped Adolf Hitler to become chancellor of Germany.

Musk dismissed such historical apprehensions in a less-than-subtle nod to Germanys past. Depicting the AfD as far-Right is obviously wrong, he wrote, pointing out that Alice Weidel, the party leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you?

Die Welts editorial committee wasnt convinced, arguing that Musks column amounted to electioneering for the AfD, parts of which are classified as Right-wing extremist by the domestic intelligence agency.

Despite deciding to go ahead and print against the objections of its own staff, the editorial board clearly also felt uneasy. They juxtaposed Musks piece with one by Jan Philipp Burgard, who will become the papers editor-in-chief from January 1. He calls Musks depiction of the AfD as Germanys saviour fatally wrong and the party a danger to our values.

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Nonetheless, a taboo was broken. In giving room to a pro-AfD piece by one of the worlds most influential people, Die Welt has shattered a tacit consensus among German media outlets not to give the AfD a sympathetic platform.

The AfD has been polling as the second most popular party in Germany with nearly a fifth of the projected vote share. Yet in the build up to the upcoming elections, Germanys public broadcasters will host a a debate between the opposition leader Friedrich Merz, whose conservative CDU/CSU is currently leading in the polls, and chancellor Olaf Scholz whose Social Democrats are trailing behind in third place with just 16 percent. AfD leader Alice Weidel wasnt invited to this format of top politicians.

Privately owned mainstream outlets have also treated the AfD as though it wasnt an option on the ballot paper. Until now. According to reports in the German media, Mathias Dopfner, CEO of the mighty Axel Springer media company, had approached Musk on the back of a post on X in which the multi-billionaire had said that only the AfD can save Germany.

Alongside Die Welt, Axel Springer owns Europes best-selling newspaper Bild and the news outlet Politico. For them to decide that pro-AfD content is acceptable is significant.

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The AfD may not be the Nazi party, but like the Nazi party in its early phase, its currently unpalatable to many German conservatives. Seeing the party promoted by the most successful businessman on earth in a mainstream newspaper might well lend them respectability of the kind Alfred Hugenberg once afforded the Nazi Party.

The relationship between the German media and the AfD certainly shifted today. One of the largest news publishers in the world shattered the taboo on AfD endorsements. No amount of resignations and protestations will be able to restore it.

Katja Hoyer is the author of Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949-1990

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By Nandita Bose

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday sided with key supporter and billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk in a public dispute over the use of the H-1B visa, saying he fully backs the program for foreign tech workers opposed by some of his supporters.

Trump's remarks followed a series of social media posts from Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who vowed late Friday to go to "war" to defend the visa program for foreign tech workers.

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Trump, who moved to limit the visas' use during his first presidency, told The New York Post on Saturday he was likewise in favor of the visa program.

"I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program," he was quoted as saying.

Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards.

The altercation was set off earlier this week by far-right activists who criticized Trump's selection of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American venture capitalist, to be an adviser on artificial intelligence, saying he would have influence on the Trump administration's immigration policies.

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Musk's tweet was directed at Trump's supporters and immigration hard-liners who have increasingly pushed for the H-1B visa program to be scrapped amid a heated debate over immigration and the place of skilled immigrants and foreign workers brought into the country on work visas.

On Friday, Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump confidante, critiqued "big tech oligarchs" for supporting the H-1B program and cast immigration as a threat to Western civilization.

In response, Musk and many other tech billionaires drew a line between what they view as legal immigration and illegal immigration.

Trump has promised to deport all immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, deploy tariffs to help create more jobs for American citizens and severely restrict immigration.

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The visa issue highlights how tech leaders like Musk -- who has taken an important role in the presidential transition, advising on key personnel and policy areas -- are now drawing scrutiny from his base.

The U.S. tech industry relies on the government's H-1B visa program to hire foreign skilled workers to help run its companies, a labor force that critics say undercuts wages for American citizens.

Musk has spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars helping Trump get elected in November. He has posted regularly this week about the lack of homegrown talent to fill all the needed positions within American tech companies.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; additional reporting by Douglas Gillison in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Leslie Adler)
Billionaire Elon Musk has renewed his call to Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in February's election, sparking a renewed controversy in Berlin.

"The Alternative for Germany is the last spark of hope for this country," Musk writes in a guest article for the Sunday edition of Die Welt newspaper, seen in advance by dpa.

The editorial comes one week after South African-born Musk wrote on his social media platform X: "Only the AfD can save Germany."

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With the federal election in Germany due to take place on February 23, the AfD is in second place in the polls with around 19%, behind the conservative CDU/CSU with more than 30%.

However, all parties currently represented in the Bundestag - Germany's lower house of parliament - have ruled out any cooperation with the AfD, which is being monitored by domestic intelligence services as a suspected right-wing extremist organization.

In his article, Musk explains that he believes the AfD would take the right positions on the issues of Germany's economic recovery, energy supply and control of migration. He also said that he sees the AfD as committed to what he called "political realism."

He writes that the "portrayal of the AfD as far right is clearly false when you consider that Alice Weidel, the leader of the party, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you?"

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Jan Philipp Burgard, the future editor-in-chief of Die Welt Group, contradicted the billionaire's statements in the newspaper.

"Musk's diagnosis is correct, but his approach to therapy, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong," he wrote. Both articles  Musk's and Burgard's  are placed directly next to each other in the printed newspaper.

Opinion editor resigns amid media controversy

The Musk article has caused trouble within the newspaper's editorial team.

The paper's opinion editor posted on X that she had "submitted [her] resignation after proofreading" as a consequence of the Musk text.

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Other Die Welt journalists also publicly posted their displeasure on X.

Media reports suggest the publication of Musk's guest article triggered a fierce controversy within the editorial team even before Christmas.

The publisher of Die Welt, Axel Springer, gave dpa a joint statement from Ulf Poschardt, the current editor-in-chief of Die Welt Group, and his successor Burgard.

"The current discussion about the text by Elon Musk is very revealing," the statement says. "Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression."

The chairman of the German Journalists' Association (DJV), Mika Beuster, has called on editorial offices not to allow themselves to be exploited in the election campaign and to be "extremely careful" with guest contributions.

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"German media outlets must not allow themselves to be misused as mouthpieces for autocrats and their friends," said Beuster.

Musk, now a US citizen, is considered a close adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump.

The tech billionaire, who as Tesla boss is one of the biggest employers in the German state of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin, has also been getting involved in British politics, pledging his support to the right-wing populist Reform UK party.
ATHENS, Tenn. (WATE)  After a major fire damaged a building and delivery trucks at a United Parcel Service (UPS) facility in Athens, more than 100 employees have temporarily lost their jobs.

UPS has announced that they have temporarily closed the facility and have set up operations at alternate locations.

TBI investigating after man shot at by law enforcement during pursuit

Due to a recent fire in our Athens, TN facility, we have temporarily closed the facility and set up operations at alternate locations. Our employees are extremely important to us, and we understand the impact this may have. We remain committed to working with our employees and providing support, said UPS in a statement.

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According to ABC affiliate WTVC News Channel 9, UPS sent a letter to the impacted 150 employees on December 20.

READ: More top stories on WATE.com

On December 4, a fire broke out at the Athens facility. The fire caused substantial damage to both the facility and delivery trucks. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  The Times Square New Years Eve ball is just about ready to drop.

Organizers of the iconic New Years Eve Party in New York City screwed the last crystals onto the ball Friday atop One Times Square.

The New Years Eve ball is covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles of varying sizes, weighs almost 12,000 pounds, and measures 12 feet in diameter.

Among those in attendance was rapper Pitbull.

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After it ushers in 2025, the ball will be retired and a brand new one will debut in Times Square next 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 WSAV-TV.
BAY COUNTY, Fla (WMBB)  Whether youre looking to catch the last sunset of 2024 with your family, or ring in the first minute of 2025 with your friends, theres something for everyone to do. The historic Saint Andrews and downtown Panama City communities are giving residents a variety of ways to celebrate the holiday.

Theres no need to stress about New Years Eve plans weve got the must-dos for you to wrap up 2024. From several laid-back early bird celebrations to more typical annual festivities.

Visit Panama City Beach hosts 17th annual ball drop

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A lot of them are traditional year after year. The little village, early bird new year has always been in the works. They call it the its 5:00 somewhere, so its New Years Eve somewhere. Lonestar Boil. This is their third year of doing their masquerade event. And then we have a couple of new places like Atelier and new ownership at Ferruccis that are sort of leveling up the dinner experience before everyone goes out to ring in the new year at one of the clubs, said Jennifer Vigil.

Whether youre in the mood for a fine dining, New Years Eve date night experience, or youre wanting to do something a little bit more traditional, like the House of Henrys New Years Eve celebration, there is something for everybody here in this community.

Thats going to be a great time. We have our friends True Soul coming out to put on a Prince tribute. Were now offering our full menu up until midnight. VIP is currently sold out. Its going to be a packed out house, said Jackson Taylor, House of Henrys general manager.

General admission is free, the live music will start at 9 P.M. and theyre ready to party with everyone into the new year.

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This could be the place where they want to have their New Years meals. So we thought itd be a great idea to offer our full menu where you get your shepherds pie, your schnitzel, your pork chops, whatever it may be to bring in the New Year, said Taylor.

The Saint Andrews community is also pulling out all the stops for the holiday, With local favorites like a New Years to remember at the Dive.

You can also enjoy drinks and eats while looking at a Panama City signature sunset at Uncle Ernies Bayside grill.



Its going to be a great opportunity to reflect on the areas growth and accomplishments this year.

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Im just really happy with how 2024 went for us. I feel like Panama City is going down the right path. We have a lot to celebrate and a lot to look forward to, and I hope that everyone in the community feels the same, said Vigil.



For a full list of the best places to ring in the new year click here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 man who dressed up in a Santa Claus costume on Christmas Eve morning and terrorized his neighbor with a machete remains in jail tonight.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

51-year-old Neil Champagne sits at the Putnam County Jail with a bond set to $2,500.

Putnam County deputies arrested Champagne after they said he wrote the word pedophile with chalk at the end of his neighbors driveway.

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The victim shared security camera videos with Action News Jax Shanila Kabir that showed Champagne on multiple days making threats and defaming comments.

He has threatened to kill me and my wife numerous times. We had to put up these security cameras because of him.

The victim did not want to be identified for his safety.

The sheriffs office said deputies responded to 61 calls for service at the home in the span of two months, all involving Champagne.

The victim said he was stunned to finally see Champagne arrested.

As to why Neil Champagne decided to wear a Santa Claus costume while standing outside of his home that morning, the victim said he does not know.

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Neighbors agree that Neil Champagne had been creating havoc for months. Numerous people told Action News Jax they saw Champagne circulating his neighbors home yelling profanities.

There would be officers driving into the neighborhood and sitting for hours outside of his camper watching him.

Another neighbor who also asked to remain anonymous said it was an early Christmas gift to Champagne taken away by law enforcement.

I saw a man dressed as Santa Claus running across the street into the house, then I saw the police chase behind him. Another officer pulled him back into the road and handcuffed him.

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In the security video footage provided by the victim, you can see Neil Champagne standing at the edge of his neighbors property shouting, spitting, and making hand gestures- some obscene.

He always yelled at him calling him a child molester.

Action News Jax found no indication the victim was associated with any child sex crime.

Several neighbors told Action News Jax that Champagnes behavior towards his victim seemed unbearable.

It escalated to where Neil Champagne bought a sound system that would amplify songs about children being molested and child molestation.

After Champagnes arrest on early Christmas Eve morning, neighbors said at least Christmas Day was peaceful.

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A former minister whose family left Myanmar for Britain has added his voice to growing calls for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is imprisoned by the dictatorship there.

Paul Scully said her role as the figurehead for the campaign for democracy in the country was both why she remains in prison and why we should keep pushing for her release.

His comments come after three former UK foreign secretaries called for the 80-year-old to be freed, warning she was being held on trumped-up charges and deserved another chance to lead her country.

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Placed under house arrest for 15 years between 1989 and 2010 before she was finally released, her fight for democracy made her a global figure. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

But she has become a deeply divisive and controversial figure after she refused to speak out against her countrys extreme violence and ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

Her fall from grace is explored in a new Independent TV documentary, Cancelled: The rise and fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, which explores her life and the plight of Myanmar.

Watch: Cancelled: The rise and fall of Aung San Suu Kyi Documentary on Independent TV

Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, November 2010 (Getty)

Mr Scully, the Conservative member of parliament for Sutton and Cheam from 2015 to 2024 who also served as Theresa Mays trade envoy to Myanmar, said Ms Suu Kyis time as the countrys de facto prime minister would forever be marred by her dismissal of the Rohingya people and her complicity in their repression.

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The military now rule with impunity campaigning for her release is the right thing to do and an important step back to opening up the country which has strategic importance given its proximity to China.

Mr Scullys told The Independent his grandfather had been in charge of the workers who scuttled the docks in Rangoon, as it was then known, during the Second World War to prevent the Japanese coming in.

His father moved to the UK in the 1950s after seeing the direction in which the country was going, he said, followed by many other members of the family in the decades that followed.

His aunt had a family friend sent to the notorious Insein prison in the capital on trumped-up charges, he said, and it is a place which can, as it did for him, turn your mad, turn you insane. It totally broke him and he was never the same man again.

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Ms Suu Kyi has been held in prison since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, a move that plunged the country into armed conflict, with a number of rebel groups now fighting the Myanmar military.

Paul Scully witnessed violence against Rohingya in Myanmar (PA)

The next year she was convicted of offences ranging from treason and corruption to violations of telecommunications law, charges she denies. As a result, she faces being kept in detention for the rest of her life.

Although details of her imprisonment have been conflicting, it is thought she has been kept in a cell in a prison in Naypyidaw, north of Yangon, formerly Rangoon.

Ms Suu Kyi, who studied at Oxford University, married British lecturer Michael Aris and raised her sons Alexander and Kim in the UK before going back to Myanmar in 1988.

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Following elections in 2015, the military junta allowed Ms Suu Kyi to become the de-facto head of government but only if they kept the key ministries of home affairs, defence and border control, alongside the military budget.

Two years later, in 2017, the military junta cracked down on dissent in Rakhine State among the Muslim Rohingya community.

Mr Scully said he saw first-hand the violence suffered by the Rohingya.

I was actually on the other side of the border with Bangladesh, when the Rohingya were coming across the border, he explained. There were about 10,000 people came across in the week that I was there. I saw Suu Kyi on television, saying theres nothing to see here. And then 20 minutes later, I was right on the water looking at a column of smoke where another village had been burned.

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I saw some horrible things. I saw a man with the back of his head smashed in by a machete and I met a woman whose son had been castrated and beheaded by militia groups.

He had earlier met Ms Suu Kyi when she was preparing to become de facto prime minister.

I noticed then that the stubbornness that had made her an amazing campaigner, was also a weakness. Because she expected so much out of her MPs, in their daily and weekly lives that they were never going to be able to meet that bar that she was setting, he said.

But despite all of that ultimately she wants a truly democratic Burma, he added.

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He said he hoped that Myanmars future would see a democratically elected government that can, as it is called the Land of Smiles, let those smiles come out. It is a lovely place and people need to know about it.

In April a spokesperson for the military junta claimed that Ms Suu Kyi had been moved to house arrest, although no details were given.

Her younger son, Kim Aris, said that no one outside of military personnel has seen her for a long time, and that a number of underlying health issues have been only seen to by military doctors.
A lawyer for Jeffrey Maddrey went on the defense Friday  insisting the disgraced NYPD chief had a consensual relationship with the lieutenant he allegedly sexually abused and saying hes weighing civil litigation against her.

The former chief of department, who abruptly resigned one week ago as the sex-for-overtime scandal engulfed Americas largest police force, stood silently with clenched fists next to his lawyer as he slapped down the scathing accusations.

We can tell you now those allegations are a lie. They are not true. We deny every aspect of them, attorney Lambros Lambrou told reporters. We can tell you now that Lt. [Quathisha] Epps, since October of this year, has been under investigation by the Internal Affairs Bureau for overtime she never completed.

Maddrey is weighing a civil lawsuit. Brigitte Stelzer

In an exclusive interview with The Post, Epps accused Maddrey  then-the highest ranking uniformed officer  of forcing her to perform sexual favors in exchange for granting her massive amounts of lucrative overtime hours and other perks.

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Epps, 51, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Office claiming while she worked her administrative job in Maddreys office, he sexually extorted her beginning in June 2023 after he was promoted by Mayor Eric Adams to the highest-ranking cop spot in the force.

Lambrou claimed it was Epps who began the relationship with Maddrey, which he insisted was consensual.

The lawyer claimed to have a slew of evidence, including racy videos and photos that Epps sent Maddrey. Lambrou also claimed Epps is a self-professed swinger.

The lawyer said Epps launched her alleged lies against Maddrey to shift the blame away from the fact she put in for a boatload of overtime she never worked.

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Now Lieutenant Epps got caught with her hands in the cookie jar and is trying to deflect her own wrongdoing by making these allegations against Chief Maddrey in the hopes that she will get away with part or all of her schemes, the attorney said.

However, the truth is: Lt. Epps had a consensual adult relationship, albeit for a short time with Jeff.

Lambrou said that Epps claims of a sordid sex exchange for OT pay couldnt be true because Maddrey wasnt involved in signing off on OT hours.

NYPD Lt. Quathisha Epps said Maddrey preyed on her financial and emotional vulnerabilities. NYPD

Maddrey never approves, gives or signs overtime, the lawyer said, adding that supervisors, not chiefs, are tasked with approving OT hours.

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Maddrey didnt say a word at the 16-minute presser.

Epps claimed Maddrey preyed on her knowing she was financially struggling and at risk of foreclosing on her house to strong-arm her into agreeing to the sordid arrangement. Epps claimed she had sex with Maddrey, 53, roughly 10 times.

Epps raked in a mind-boggling $400,000 salary, with $204,000 in overtime pay last year, payroll records revealed.

She filed for retirement, after just under 20 years with the NYPD, earlier this month. She was then suspended for 30 days after internal affairs launched an investigation into her unusually high overtime pay.

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But her lawyer, Eric Sanders, said last week that she was outed as a top OT earner in retaliation for trying to put an end to their sexual relationship.

Since the alleged scandal surfaced, Maddreys wife allegedly kicked him out of their Queens home, and hes now staying with family in Georgia, sources said.

But Lambrou blasted those claims, too, saying, We are not in Georgia. We are in New York and Jeff is here.

This is not the first time Maddrey has been accused of sexual misconduct. Former police officer Tabitha Foster brought a failed lawsuit against Maddrey In 2016 accusing him of engaging in a sex-for-job perks arrangement with her.

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Lambrou noted that Sanders also initially represented Foster but claimed the lawyer ditched her halfway through the case and ran for the hills before the suit was ultimately dismissed.

Perhaps that lawyer had something to do with Lt. Epps sudden about-face, Lambrou said.

And just days before Epps allegations came out, Capt. Gabrielle Walls asked a judge to allow her to add Maddrey as a defendant to her sexual harassment lawsuit from July against another NYPD chief.

Lambrou also shot down those claims saying his client never worked with Walls and only ran into her a few times and saw her at a Christmas party with her husband.

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Others are deciding to pour on false allegations, Lambrou said. But Maddrey never laid a finger on [Walls] or looked at her the wrong way.

Lambrou said Maddrey has reached a boiling point and hes going to take the gloves off and fight for his good name.

Sanders didnt immediately return requests for comment Friday afternoon.

Walls lawyer blasted claims that she is piggybacking on the sexual abuse allegations against Maddrey.

In reality, Capt. Walls filed her sexual harassment claims against Chief Maddrey in July, and we moved to add him as a named defendant three days before Eppss allegations became public, John Scola told The Post Friday evening.

Chief Maddrey has sexually harassed our client since 2015. His baseless assertions that Capt. Walls is lying, unqualified for promotion, and that he bears no responsibility are emblematic of his long-standing pattern of demeaning and mistreating women within the NYPD.
Archaeologists have unearthed a remarkably well-preserved elite sword from a newly discovered Anglo-Saxon cemetery near Canterbury. This rare find provides valuable insights into early Medieval burial practices.

This incredibly rare sword, excavated from an "extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery," has been compared to the famed swords of Dover and Sutton Hoo.

Exquisitely crafted and featuring runic script along its blade, the sword will soon be featured on the television show "Digging for Britain." It is considered one of the most remarkable finds in the show's 12-season run.

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However, the exact location of this significant archaeological site is being kept secret. The sword was recovered from one of 12 "beautifully decorated" graves, which are just a few of the 200 yet to be explored at the site. The gravesite and the exquisite sword offer experts an unprecedented window into the early Medieval past.

Unearthing a 6th-century sword from a grave

The sword, dating back to the 6th century, was found in a Medieval cemetery near Canterbury. To protect the site, archaeologists are not disclosing its exact location. They fear that publicity could disrupt the ongoing excavation, which is expected to continue for years.

This cemetery is right at the cutting-edge of that work, Duncan Sayer, lead archaeologist, told The Guardian. The dig is part of a larger project investigating a significant migration period that may have introduced new genetic influences to Britain after the Roman era.

The discovery that stunned archaeologists was a silver-and-gilt hilt sword in remarkably good condition. It even retains traces of its leather-and-wood scabbard and beaver fur lining.

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A significant ring attached to its pommel (the cap at the end of the hilt) may indicate an oath made to a king. All evidence suggests that this sword belonged to a high-ranking individual who died between the 5th and 6th centuries.

The grave contained further clues about the status of the buried swordsman. A gold pendant inscribed with a serpent and dragon suggests he was buried with an heirloom from a wealthy female ancestor.

Using a microscope, researchers were able to examine the sword in extraordinary detail, with up to 10x magnification. They discovered pupae on the sword, indicating that the body was not buried immediately. This suggests a previously unknown early Medieval burial practice in the 5th and 6th centuries, possibly similar to an "open casket."

A Medieval cemetery of 200 graves

In addition to revealing new information about funerary practices, the 12 beautifully furnished graves (with 200 more expected to be uncovered) have yielded artifacts from foreign cultures like the Scandinavians and Franks, suggesting cultural exchange.

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According to The Guardian, these graves provide evidence of a shifting political landscape during this period. This may be connected to the researchers' broader investigation into migration patterns that may have influenced British DNA.

Professor Alice Roberts, who will present the find on television, told The Guardian, "Its an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon cemetery, with really beautifully furnished graves, a lot of weapon burials where you find things like iron spear-points and seaxes, which are Anglo-Saxon knives  and then theres this astonishing sword.

After undergoing conservation, which is expected to take some time, the sword will be displayed at the Folkestone Museum.
Days after the incident that left a 7-year-old boy in the hospital, legal experts are taking a closer look at the case  most importantly  whos to blame for the crashing drone mishap.

The big question here is - whos to blame? Its going to land in one companys lap, as well as the city, said Mark Nejame, an Orlando attorney.

Nejame explained that if the City of Orlando is liable to be at fault, theres a cap on what they would pay. Theres only a $200,000 liability maximum for the city if they were even negligent at all, said Nejame. In great likelihood, they signed a contract with the drone company, and they were either immunized or held harmless for any injuries or fault that might endure to the drone company.

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Read: Drier weather quickly returns next week, with plenty of sunshine for Central Florida

Sky Elements, the drone operator responsible for the show, is internationally known for its performances. In November, they set their 11th world record when they could fly about 5-thousand drones up in the sky simultaneously in Texas - which could play a role in a liability case.

If youre pushing the envelope, at what point do you cross the line, said Nejame. Theres some negligence here, whether it was an operator who negligently controlled everything or failed to control the drones properly, whether it was a software malfunction.

The drones used for news coverage at Channel 9 weigh about 500 grams, just over 1 lb. The drones used in the holiday light show at Lake Eola are differentthey are much heavier and could weigh up to 50 lbs, depending on the kind of light equipment they use.

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Read: Mother says 7-year-old hurt by drone at holiday show continues to recover

These drones are specifically made for light shows, and their payload is one vast LED dome, said Patrick McBride is a drone pilot with many years of experience with drone light shows.

McBride explained that this kind of technology used in the performance can only be used by someone allowed to do so. Thats not something someone can go out and just buy at a Best Buy or a Target, said McBride.

Thats something you have to order from the companies that manufacture these light shows specifically for this application.

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Read: Hero Corps wounded warriors

According to his family, 7-year-old Alexander Edgerton is just over 3 feet tall and weighs about 38 pounds. McBride says the impact of a drone falling at such high speed is hazardous.

You had these drones flying full speed, accelerating sideways, downwards. They were making a beeline straight from their formation, right into the crowd, and that can be damaging, McBride said. Also adding the fact that youve got spinning rotors, and thats another thing that the FAA is concerned about when flying over people.

Sky Elements has announced it is working with the FAA and the city of Orlando to identify what caused the drones to collapse.

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GREENSBORO, N.C. (WNCN)  Dozens of law enforcement came to escort the Greensboro police officer who died in a shooting earlier this week back to Guilford County Friday afternoon.

The procession escorted Officer Michael Horan from Raleigh to Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home in Greensboro.

RELATED: Longtime friend remembers fallen Greensboro Officer Michael Horan

Its heartbreaking to see a law enforcement officer lose his life protecting others, but it goes to show how dangerous this job is, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said. Every day, man and woman puts on a badge to protect our citizens.

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Horan was shot and killed Monday while responding to a report of an armed suspect inside a Greensboro Food Lion.

Tarrell Isaac McMillian is charged with first-degree murder in connection with Horans death. He was apprehended the day of the shooting after a multi-county chase and is being held at the Guilford County Jail with no bond.

Horan joined the Greensboro Police Department in 2017 and had also been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard since 2000. In 2019, Horan received a lifesaving award for saving a father and son from drowning while he was on vacation.

Stone said his heart goes out to Horans wife and children. He and other local officials hope people will take a moment to remember the daily sacrifices faced by law enforcement.

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I hope the public sees what law enforcement officers do for them every day to protect the fabric of America and protect the citizens, Stone said.

Non-profit Back the Blue said Horans death hits hard this time of year.

During the Christmas season is especially difficult, Back the Blue founder Lindsay LiCausi said. [Horan] should have been home to celebrate with his family. Instead, theyre in mourning.

Back the Blue created a fundraiser to support Horans family. The fundraiser has collected nearly $127,000 as of Friday evening.

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SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KTSM)  Families with loved ones who are buried at Memorial Pines Cemetery in Sunland Park were shocked to find that decorations and gifts were removed without notice.

Suracy Gonzalez has kept her daughters memory alive by decorating her gravesite with toys, solar panels, and lately, Christmas decor since she died in 2018.

Gonzalez said when she visited her daughters gravesite recently, all the decorations were gone.

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She had a rock that was made specially for her during her chemo treatment. And everything was thrown in the trash, all of a sudden, after six years that she has been buried there. And I just want answers. Why? Gonzalez said.

The Sunland Park cemetery recently changed ownership to a group based out of Houston. Signs in Spanish are posted on-site, stating that only flowers in designated vases are allowed and that families will not be notified of any removals.

Memorial Pines Cemeterys new rules with new ownership.

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Anastasia and Isabella Varkonyi have been caring for their sisters grave at Memorial Pines since she died in 2020.

While many family members didnt get to collect decorations in time, the Varkonyis said they were able to rescue their items including a homemade cross.

I dont understand why, why around the holidays especially. I think thats already a hard time enough for someone whos lost a loved one. So, this is the last thing that we want you to think about. So, its very upsetting, Isabella Varkonyi said.

KTSM reached out to Memorial Pines Cemetery, which is located at 3061 Memorial Pines Lane in Sunland Park, but we have not heard back.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A family was displaced after a house fire early Saturday morning, Dec. 28 in El Pasos Lower Valley, El Paso Fire said.

The fire happened shortly before 1 a.m. along the 8000 block of Bowen Road near the intersection of Alameda and Yarbrough. No injuries were reported, but a family of four and one dog were displaced.

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Firefighters responded to reports of a fire in a homes attic that had spread from their chimney.

A total of 15 fire units were called to the scene. The Red Cross is assisting the family.

Fire investigators are looking into the cause of the blaze.

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  Family House is celebrating 40 years of service to the Peoria area, as it expands its breadth of service.

According to Shanna Shipman, the CEO of Family House, the organization is the citys oldest healthcare hospitality house. The facility is located at 1339 E Nebraska Ave in Peoria.

Family House is known for giving families a free place to stay while their loved ones are in the hospital. Shipman calls it a home away from home. Now, the organization can expand its services to patients who might not need to stay in the hospital, but still need treatment.

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Donation to Family House will create arts and crafts space

Increasingly we are providing a place to stay for patients themselves, Shipman said. And this is really a byproduct of the fact that we have wonderful treatment options here in Peoria.

She said many of the patients who stay there are waiting for an organ transplant or are receiving cancer treatments.

We want to make sure they can access those treatments and have a comfortable home-like place to stay. That does not cause economic devastation for them or their family. Shipman said.

She continued, You can think about the new onset of Cancer Institute and all the services provided. When people need to access that care, they may live far away. They may need to stay in Peoria for an extended amount of time. We provide a place to stay.

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One family staying with the organization said they are staying with Family House while their 7-month-old daughter, Lamaya, undergoes treatment. They said their daughter has had severe brain damage, heart complications, and partial paralysis.

When their infant daughter started treatments at a local childrens hospital, the family said they were traveling an hour and a half to see her. Meanwhile, they divided and conquered the family duties. One parent would stay with their infant in the hospital, while the other was home with their other toddler.

They said the family house has made this difficult and scary process a lot easier. Asomia Scott, Lamayas father, said, Its almost as if the family house was meant to bring the family back together.

Laura Westfall, Lamayas mother, had advice for families going through a similar situation.

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I would tell them to stay strong, that their little one needs them, or whoever needs them, and just to not give up because I was close to giving up, Westfall said. And its great to have people that are really there for you.

The CEO of Family House said the organization relies on grants and donations. Recently, they were excited to announce a $100,000 grant from Impact Central Illinois. She said funds like this help keep its healthcare hospitality house and its 20 room guest house running.

Shipman says people can donate to the organization by heading to its website. Family House will also be holding a gala this summer to celebrate its 40-year anniversary. Funds raised from the event will help with the cost of operations.

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The family of a 50-year-old man with mental health issues who was shot and killed by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy at a Valencia mall last year is suing the department, alleging the deputy failed to de-escalate the situation and call for backup before the deadly shooting.

Relatives of Christopher Mercurio allege in the lawsuit filed Wednesday that sheriff's officials failed to recognize that Mercurio was having mental health issues at the time of the Jan. 11, 2023, confrontation at Westfield Valencia Town Center.

"Instead of deploying a team that could de-escalate the situation, or calling for the Mental Evaluation Team, they sent one single officer to handle the situation," the lawsuit states.

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Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials did not immediately respond to a request by The Times for comment.

Body camera video of the incident shows Deputy Lorena Gonzalez responding to the mall that night after authorities received a call about a transient sleeping at the mall, according to the lawsuit.

Video previously released by the Sheriff's Department shows the incident quickly escalated, with Mercurio threatening Gonzalez after she approached him near a parking lot.

"I'm going to sleep right here, so you can do what you want to do," Mercurio said. "Either protecting the fan or I'm going to f destroy your f human being, understand?"

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Mercurio makes comments about Iran and China, and describes himself as "security for the whole country" before appearing to reach for Gonzalez.

In the lawsuit, Mercurio's family alleges it was clear Mercurio was having mental health issues.

In the video, Mercurio is walking toward Gonzalez while the deputy is pointing her handgun directly at him, and telling dispatch she is in a fight. Mercurio appears to continue walking and reaches toward Gonzalez, despite being told to stop.

"Get off me," she is heard saying in the video. "I'm going to shoot you, dude."

"Shoot!" Mercurio is heard saying, before Gonzalez fires her weapon twice.

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Video shows that Mercurio continued walking toward Gonzalez after the first shot.

Mercurio was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Gonzalez was treated at a hospital and released.

The lawsuit alleges Mercurio was not armed at the time and did not threaten Gonzalez.

"There was no possible way ... [for Mercurio] to cause any harm to Defendant [Gonzalez]," the suit alleges.

Mercurio's family is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
GREENWOOD COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA)  Officials are investigating an early morning shooting which left one person dead in Greenwood County.

According to Greenwood County Coroners Office, at around 1:40 a.m. officials were called to a scene on Sumter Street. At the scene they found one person who had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

The identity of the victim has not been released. The coroners office said the death is being investigated as a homicide by Greenwood Police Department and the coroners office.

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We will update this story as more information becomes available.

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I imagined that medical school would be a challenging yet fulfilling journeyan opportunity to learn, grow, and ultimately make a difference as a physician or surgeon. We medical students dedicate over a decade of our lives, and many invest more than $200,000 (plus interest) for the honor of caring for patients. Yet, the surge of medical training-related memes and reels on social media captures our reality: You have to laugh to keep from crying.

For many of us pursuing medical careers, the journey oscillates between our calling and prestigious self-harm. We entered this profession with noble enthusiasmfar too often, we are met with poor teaching, bureaucratic hurdles, insufficient support, and a culture that prizes endurance over well-being. Many of my colleagues are crippled with exorbitant debt from this long path, which includes four years of undergraduate studies, possible post-baccalaureate pre-med programs, and four years of medical school. The first two years emphasize pre-clinical coursework with an ever-increasing volume of information; review for the USMLE Step 1 has expanded from under 400 pages to over 800 in nine years. The next two years are spent in clerkships with residents, fellows, and attending physicians. If were fortunate to match into a residency, we face an additional three to eight years of training, sometimes followed by further fellowship training, before finally becoming an attending.

Mental health struggles among medical students are well-documented; less discussed is the way institutions respond. Despite the prevalence of burnout and depression in this field, practical solutions are rare. In my case, I have wrestled with untreated depression throughout my time in medical school. I recently opened up to mentors at my institution and beyond; their well-intentioned responses included, Half of the medical students are on antidepressants, and Your feelings are totally normal; my classmate killed himself.

When did this become normal?

Resilience is taught as the gold standard for managing medical training. But, at what point does resilience become an excuse for institutions to avoid making meaningful changes? There is a gap between the support students need and what they actually receive. Until the gap is addressed, we will continue to lose passionate, capable future physicians to burnout and despair.

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that physician burnout rates have dropped below 50 percent for the first time since 2020. Burnoutcharacterized by physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion from prolonged stresscan make health care professionals feel fatigued, detached, and cynical. While any progress is encouraging, can we really celebrate when nearly one in two doctors risk this fate? The American Academy of Family Physicians reports burnout rates as high as 60 percent among attending physicians and trainees.

Medical education is designed to be grueling, but it need not be so alienating and infantilizing. While many physicians sincerely strive to treat us better than they were treated, some still perpetuate the cycle of abuse. For instance, a resident told my classmates, Dont even bother reporting me; so many people already have. Meanwhile, a chief resident publicly berated me at the nurses station at 7:30 a.m. for not being confident because as a woman going into surgery, you need to be. Even when our shift ends and our work is complete, we arent technically allowed to leave until were formally dismissed; I know classmates who have waited up to two hours to go home. Despite these challenges, most physicians are quick to remind us that conditions were even worse in the past.

How can medical schools train students to succeed not just academically and professionally, but as whole, healthy individuals equipped to make life-and-death decisions?

When leveraged to our strengths, medical students can be an exceptional resource. We can focus on fewer individuals to make a meaningful impact. If you want us to, well trek across the hospital to find your missing dentures or hold your hand as youre wheeled into surgery. Ive even assisted patients with their Social Security paperwork when our Social Work team was overwhelmed. If Im ever admitted to the hospital as a patient, I want an eager and kind student on my team.

As Dr. Pamela Wible noted in her TEDMED talk entitled Why doctors kill themselves, suicide remains an occupational hazard for all tiers of medical professionals. We urgently need to address the suffering of students and trainees with genuine empathy and practical support, rather than accepting it as a routine part of the career.

Recently, I attended a conference that reignited my deep love for reconstructive plastic surgery. But, when I evaluate the personal, mental, and spiritual costs of not just finishing medical school, but also thriving in residency and beyond, I wonder whether its truly worth it. I feel conflicted about pursuing a career path where antidepressants could be as essential as scrubs and stethoscopes.

Theres a saying that the only people in the hospital paying to be there are medical students and patients. We deserve better, and so do our future patientsyourself and your family included.

Janet Constance Coleman-Belin is a medical student.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTW)  A now-former Federal Bureau of Prisons lieutenant faces up to 10 years in prison for conspiring with another officer to assault an inmate who exposed himself in front of a female colleague, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Daniel Mitchell pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to violate civil rights.

The defendants actions were an unacceptable breach of his responsibilities as a law enforcement officer, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a news release. FBOP officers cannot take the law into their own hands, and the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute federal and local law enforcement officials who use physical force to punish inmates.

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The incident took place on Dec. 8, 2021, while Mitchell was on duty as a lieutenant supervising the special housing unit at the federal medium-security prison in Butner, North Carolina. The victim, who sustained minor injuries in the assault, was an inmate under Mitchells supervision.

Corrections Officers work in dangerous environments with limited resources and deserve our respect and gratitude, U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. said. But officers acting outside the law to injure an inmate erodes the rule of law, violates civil rights and puts other officers lives in jeopardy. We wont tolerate misconduct in our prisons, by inmates or guards, and will take every measure to keep our institutions safe.

The incident happened after a female officer told Mitchell that she had been doing rounds in the housing unit when she saw the inmate expose himself and engage in a sexual act, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Mitchell later called another corrections officer into his office to talk about how to handle the situation.

The normal disciplinary process involved a formal write-up of the alleged misconduct, but the U.S. Attorneys Office said Mitchell directed the other officer, who was not identified in the news release, to teach the inmate a lesson by tuning him up.

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During the assault, the officer hit and kicked the inmate several times and knocked him to the ground before other officers intervened and stopped the assault, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Rather than following the normal disciplinary process, Mitchell devised a plan to violently retaliate against an inmate, said Special Agent in Charge Timothy C. Edmiston of the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region. This coordinated attack violated the civil rights of a defenseless inmate and broke every tenet that FBOP employees swear an oath to uphold. The Justice Department OIG is committed to protecting the civil rights of inmates and will pursue any DOJ employee who abuses their power.

The Justice Departments Officer of Inspector General began the investigation after an officer who witnessed the assault raised concerns. Mitchell is scheduled to have a sentencing hearing on March 31.

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Students taking a test in a classroom. (Phil Boorman/Getty Images)

As Democratic Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson looks to transform the delivery of public education in Washington by appointing rather than electing an overseer of the system, his strongest allies may be Republicans.

Ferguson campaigned on eliminating the superintendent of public instruction as an elected job and putting a person in charge of education policy in his cabinet in his first term.

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Such a change will require voters amending the state constitution to remove the post as an elected position. Before that, it will take a two-thirds vote by the state House and Senate to approve putting the constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Leaders of the majority Democrats say this is not a priority for their caucuses but Republican leaders are interested.

Where I think the governor-elect and I agree is that we should get rid of the Office of Superintendent Public Instruction, and, frankly, the state Board of Education, Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said in a recent interview.

Roll it all underneath the executive branch and that way we have an election that the people are paying attention to, he said. They can hold [governors] accountable for when they either succeed or fail in delivering education.

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Braun and House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, said they have not yet met with the incoming governor about the 2025 session. Axing the elected post could be an issue they work on together, they said.

I think that theres a definite path we could find to put that on the ballot, Braun said. Im not going to say yes, absolutely, Ive counted the votes. But am I willing to take it on? Yes, absolutely.

A spokeswoman for Ferguson said this will be a topic when he sits down with GOP leaders. The governor-elect has not decided if hell request legislation for the change or wait to see if a lawmaker proposes the idea, Bayley Burgess of Fergusons transition team wrote in an email

He is confident there will be legislation on this topic this session, she said, adding that Ferguson could seek out a legislator to introduce a bill on his behalf.

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Reykdal weighs in

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction channels funding to schools, implements state education laws and sets curriculum standards for more than 1 million public school students. It oversees the states 295 school districts, six state-tribal education compact schools and educational service districts.

The superintendent is a nonpartisan elected post  though candidates in this years election had strong ties to the two major parties. It carries a four-year term.

Making it an appointed job is not a new idea.

Former governor Chris Gregoire tried unsuccessfully in 2011. She envisioned appointing a secretary of education to oversee the states multiple boards and entities responsible for education from early learning to college. The person would serve subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

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More recently, in 2022, former state senators Reuven Carlyle and Sam Hunt, both Democrats, introduced legislation to do the same thing. It received a hearing but did not advance out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

The argument has been, and is now, the same. Residents view the governor as being directly responsible for education but they are not because Washington delegates decision-making authority to the superintendent and others.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, who won a third term in November, backed the 2022 bill and continues to support converting the elected office to an appointed post.

But, he said in an email, it must be done as part of a broader reform of Washingtons convoluted education governance structure in which those boards and agencies with policy-setting powers often create inconsistent directives for educators and school boards.

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One agency sets educator certification requirements, while a separate agency actually completes the certification, he said. One agency sets graduation requirements while another agency sets the learning standards. One agency establishes a code of conduct for educators while a separate agency investigates violations of the code.

This change would allow for greater alignment of priorities with a single statewide voice setting the vision and direction for our education system, he said in an email.

Burgess, in her email, said Ferguson supports this reform to improve accountability in our education system.

Across the aisle

Democrats, who hold overwhelming majorities in the state House and Senate, must be on board if there is any chance of the change occurring.

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House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said making the position appointed rather than elected is not a current priority of their respective caucuses.

It doesnt mean nobodys thinking about it, but we have had no discussion of it, Jinkins said. There might be a great appetite for it. It didnt come up in anything, anywhere.

Pedersen said people are very open to the conversation though he voiced skepticism about the value of such a change.

The big question for us would be whether that gets us closer to great schools or full funding for public schools, he said. Its not immediately apparent to me that thats the system reform that is the biggest obstacle to meeting our goals.

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Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth is overseen by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is a cabinet agency and its director reports to the governor.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said that he has offered his country as a meeting place for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

"If anyone turns to us and is interested in organizing peace talks in Slovakia about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, they can count on our hospitality," Fico said in a video message published on Facebook late Friday.

He said he had discussed the proposal with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent surprise visit to Moscow and was pleased with the positive reaction.

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Putin had already said on Friday that Fico had offered his country as a platform during his visit to Moscow and welcomed this initiative.

The left-wing populist Fico repeatedly attracts attention through public criticism of the West's policy towards Ukraine. His trip to Putin has drawn fierce criticism from the EU and Ukraine.

Fico threatens to cut off electricity to Ukraine

Fico combined his offer to mediate in Russia's invasion of Ukraine with a threat against Kiev. If Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia as planned on January 1, then "adequate countermeasures" will be taken, Fico warned.

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"If it is unavoidable, we will cut off the electricity supplies that Ukraine urgently needs when it has supply bottlenecks," he said.

Kiev has vowed to stop the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory January 1, which has angered Slovakia.

Ukraine will lose the transit fees, which were still being paid despite the fighting. But it wants to deprive Russia of the opportunity to earn money for its warfare by exporting gas to Europe.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has offered his country as a meeting place for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

"If anyone turns to us and is interested in organizing peace talks in Slovakia about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, they can count on our hospitality," Fico said in a video message published on Facebook late on Friday.

He said he had discussed the proposal with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent surprise visit to Moscow and was pleased with the positive reaction.

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Putin on Friday welcomed the initiative.

The left-wing populist Fico has repeatedly criticized the West's policy on Ukraine. His trip to Putin has drawn fierce criticism from Kiev and the EU.

Fico threatens to cut off electricity to Ukraine

Fico combined his offer to mediate in Russia's invasion of Ukraine with a threat against Kiev.

If Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia as planned on January 1, then "adequate countermeasures" will be taken, Fico warned.

"If it is unavoidable, we will cut off the electricity supplies that Ukraine urgently needs when it has supply bottlenecks," he said.

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Kiev has vowed to stop the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory on January 1, angering Slovakia.

Ukraine will lose transit fees, which were still being paid by Russia despite the fighting. But it wants to deprive Moscow of the opportunity to finance its war by exporting gas to Europe.

Zelensky slams Fico's warnings

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky interpreted Fico's threat as an order from the Kremlin.

"It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak peoples interests," Zelensky wrote on X.

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Zelensky said Ukraine has so far been able to prevent a blackout through the heroic efforts of energy workers and co-operation with the EU.

However, he argued that the dispute over the transit of Russian gas shows "Fico is dragging Slovakia into Russia's attempts to cause more suffering for Ukrainians."

"Supporting Russian aggression is completely immoral," Zelensky added.
Finnish police intend to transport the Eagle S, a Russia-linked tanker the authorities seized after suspecting it of intentionally damaging a Baltic Sea power cable, to shore.

The tanker is to be moved from the Gulf of Finland to an anchorage near the Finnish port of Kilpilahti to facilitate the investigation, the police said in a statement on Saturday.

A one-nautical-mile exclusion zone is being set up around the tanker "to ensure operational safety of the authorities." The statement added that a no-fly zone is currently in effect.

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The ship was stopped after the undersea power cable Estlink2 between Finland and Estonia failed on December 25. Investigators are looking into the possibility of sabotage.

The ship sails under the flag of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. According to the EU, the vessel is part of the Russian "shadow fleet"  tankers and other cargo ships that Russia uses to circumvent international sanctions by transporting oil, for example.

Problems have also been identified with several communication cables in the Baltic Sea in recent weeks.
OSLO (Reuters) - Finnish authorities said on Saturday they are moving an impounded tanker closer to port after boarding the vessel carrying Russian oil earlier this week on suspicion it had damaged an undersea power line and four telecoms cables.

Baltic Sea nations have been on high alert after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and NATO said on Friday it would boost its presence in the region.

The Cook Islands-registered ship, named by authorities as the Eagle S, was boarded on Thursday by a Finnish coast guard crew that took command and sailed the vessel to Finnish waters, a coast guard official said.

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Finnish police believe the Eagle S may have caused the damage to undersea cables the previous day by dragging its anchor along the seabed.

"The police begin an operation to transfer the Eagle S tanker from the Gulf of Finland to Svartbeck, an inner anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti," the Helsinki police department said in a statement on Saturday.

This would be a better place to carry out investigations, it added.

Finland's customs service believes the ship is part of a "shadow fleet" of ageing tankers being used to evade sanctions on the sale of Russian oil.

The Kremlin said on Friday Finland's seizure of the ship was of little concern to it. In the past, Russia has denied involvement in any of the Baltic infrastructure incidents.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Frances Kerry)
The historic Los Angeles building featured on the cover of a 1970 album by iconic rock band The Doors was damaged in a fire Thursday, officials said.

The blaze added to the decay of the four-story structure in downtown known for its lodging long ago under the name Morrison Hotel, which shared band leader Jim Morrison's family name.

The "Morrison Hotel" album cover featured a photo of the band members, including hell-raising frontman Morrison, with the hand-painted name of the hotel framing them. The release was no hitmaker despite reaching No. 4 on Billboards album chart in 1970.

Henry Diltz, photographer of the original "Morrison Hotel" album cover, at an event at the hotel in January 2020.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement that the historic building on South Hope Street was "destroyed." Its account of the more than 90-minute blaze details the building's decay and notes the 1914 Beaux Arts structure was red-tagged sometime before the blaze. It was used for firefighter training during its more than 15 years of abandonment, the department said.

Smoke from a building fire rises Thursday on South Hope Street in Los Angeles.

Firefighters pry open the metal screen door of a boarded up building as they mop up after a fire Thursday on South Hope Street in Los Angeles.

LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart said Friday that fire department arson investigators and police detectives from the Major Crimes Division are investigating the cause, but their involvement was not necessarily an indication arson is suspected.

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The investigation was customary and staffed this way "due to the nature of the fire," she said.

Several dozen people evacuated from different levels inside the otherwise off-limits building and firefighters helped three more escape, the LAFD said in a statement. Stewart said no bodies were found during a subsequent search, and no injuries were reported.

Los Angeles County records show the property changed hands in 2023, following a proposal to redevelop it into 420,303 square feet of residential, lodging, dining, and drinking space, according to the city.

The E-shaped building is eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources, but may not have what it takes for the National Register of Historic Places because of alterations, according to a city historic resources file.

Firefighters mop up after a fire at a building Thursday on South Hope Street in Los Angeles.

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Firefighters enter the former Morrison Hotel as they mop up after a fire Thursday in Los Angeles.

According to the oft-repeated story of the album's cover, a hotel clerk rejected the band's request to take a photo but Henry Diltz got the shot when the clerk left his station temporarily. The back cover featured a nearby bar that was then called the Hard Rock Cafe.

The LAFD said the immediate viability of the structure is in the hands of the L.A. Department of Building and Safety.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A fire on Christmas Eve seriously damaged a house south of Kernersville and displaced the two people living there, the Besson Crossroads Fire Department said.

The fire at the one-story house at 1855 Gibson Park Drive, a dead-end road off N.C. 66 in the unincorporated part of Forsyth County, was reported about 1:45 p.m., and firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the house, the fire department said.

The residents were able to evacuate safely before firefighters arrived.

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Fire personnel from the Beeson Crossroads Fire Department and several assisting departments  Kernersville Fire Department, Union Cross Fire Department, High Point Fire Department and Horneytown Fire Department  were able to bring the fire under control.

No firefighters or residents were injured in the fire, which caused considerable damage to the home.

The two residents were being assisted by the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Friday by the Forsyth County Emergency Services-Fire Division.
Israel has detained the director of one of Gazas last functioning hospitals, Gazas Health ministry said Saturday after Israeli forces forcibly removed patients and staff, and fires burned across the hospital.

The occupation forces arrested Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the ministry said in a statement.

Fighting has raged in the areas around Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia for nearly three months, and on Friday, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, the ministry said, forcing patients and staff to leave the hospital and arresting dozens as military vehicles surrounded the area.

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Israel's foreign ministry said on X the hospital was a Hamas stronghold and that it facilitated the "secure evacuation" of civilians away from the hospital before launching its operation.

Gazas health ministry said fire had spread to several departments of the hospital.

NBC News' crew in Gaza captured a blaze tearing through several units on Friday, with volunteers attempting to douse the flames with buckets of water, or sifting through smoldering rubble.

Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said on X that there was no connection between the fire and IDF's activity, adding that a "small fire" broke out while IDF troops were not in the hospital.

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Nurses rushed to treat the injured in a wing of the hospital unaffected by fire while in another section, the crew witnessed the moment a boy on a gurney was pronounced dead.

One woman, sitting next to several shrouded bodies stacked on the hospital floor told the NBC News crew the names of some of the dead: "Ehassan is 7 years old, Dinaa she is 10 years old, and Mohamed is 12 years old."

"What have the children done? Why are you silent?" she said, and pleaded to Allah, "reward us for our affliction and replace it with something better."

"Every day, we say farewell to roses; every day, we say farewell to grooms," she said, referring to the Gaza's youth killed in the war.

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As the temperature plummeted outside, the ministry said patients and those injured in the attack were taken to the Indonesian hospital, which was already destroyed and out of service before the patients arrived.

They are in a very miserable and difficult situation, with no water, no electricity, no blankets, no food, and no supplies, the Health Ministry said.

In a video geolocated by NBC News to the area around the hospital, two dozen men, stripped down to minimal clothing could be seen walking in a line with their hands raised on Friday.

Flanked by Israeli tanks, the men carried some belongings. The surrounding buildings were in ruins.

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It is unclear if the men were members of the hospital staff.

A video posted to Abu Safiya's social media account and verified by NBC News showed a quadcopter dropping a bomb a few yards from the hospital. The bomb exploded with a loud bang, sending plumes of smoke into the air.

Israeli forces have killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials and destroyed much of Gazas infrastructure, including its healthcare system, since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terror attacks killed 1,200 people in Israel and took some 250 people hostage, according to Israeli officials.

The World Health Organization said it was "appalled" by the Israeli raid, adding in a statement on Saturday that the forced removal of the patients "pose grave risks to their survival." Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry also condemned the raid in a statement on Friday.

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With the destruction of Kamal Adwan, the Palestinian Health ministry noted that all three public hospitals in northern Gaza, including the Beit Hanoun Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital, are now out of service.

The attack on the hospital and the removals followed a strike on a building opposite to the hospital on Thursday, which killed nearly 50 people, including five medical staff, according to the health ministry.

The Israel Defense Forces in a statement to NBC News said it was targeting the hospital after receiving intel about the presence of terrorist infrastructure and operatives carrying out terror activities inside. It did not provide evidence.

Israeli attacks on Kamal Adwan in the past weeks have killed several medics and patients. An independent United Nations commission in October accused Israel of war crimes and perpetrating a concerted policy to destroy Gazas healthcare system.

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Shortly after the assault on Friday, Gazas health ministry said contact with Abu Safiya had been cut off.

It said separately that nearly 350 people from the hospital had been detained by Israeli forces, including 180 medical personnel and 75 injured patients and their family members.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Do you remember the exact moment in your life when you had that knowing feeling inside that drew you to your chosen career? My usual answer to that question occurred in October of 1973, at 7 years old in 3rd grade, when my teacher rolled out a life-size skeleton. I was mesmerized, hungry to learn much more about the human body. But if I am being honest with you, and honest with myself, this was actually my second reason why I chose to become a physician. There is a much deeper, earlier reason that lives beneath this.

What truly propelled me forward into medicine happened on one cold, blustery winter day in January 1973, nine months before that skeleton moment, when my life forever changed. It was the day that my father, who suffered from manic depression, tragically died from suicide at the young age of 29. From this devastation grew my burning desire to understand the human mind and prevent this from happening to anyone else who I loved, as well as to anyone in the whole wide world (dreaming big at 7 years old). So my deeper reason why I became a physician was driven by a strong calling for servicea fixer at the young age of 7.

My child brain, beyond its inquisitiveness for learning, unfortunately became bombarded with many years of intrusively painful and at times paralyzing thoughts, including:

If you really were a good girl, he wouldnt have died. (enoughness)

If he really loved you, he wouldnt have left you. (unlovable)

This is all your fault. (blame)

Thats quite a heavy load for a child to carry around, creating frequent nightmares, flashbacks, and fear, as well as confidence issues, particularly in interpersonal relationships.

In college, I majored in psychology to begin to dive into understanding the complexities of the human brain. In medical school, to my dismay, I found anything related to the real-life practice of psychiatry quite activating. I also learned that I was an extreme empath to a fault, bringing my patients issues home with me, unable to properly detach. I believed I had found a better fit in diagnostic radiology where I could be the doctors doctor, helping physicians identify the etiologies of their patients illnesses, and have just enough patient contact to not tip me over the edge.

But, several years into medical practice, I did tip over. I felt like I was barely treading water and at times drowning. I found myself suffering from multiple symptoms and sought treatment from medical specialists with no resolution. The most frightening symptom of all actually came from my own brainthe thought that it would be better if I just wasnt here anymore. And the deep concern that this was related to my fathers illness surfaced.

Layered on top of the loss of my father, I had three physician friends die from suicide. I remember looking into my young childrens eyes, wanting desperately for them never to experience what had happened to me as a child. I needed to protect them. So in came the fixer. I prioritized fixing myself by learning and implementing several tools that reversed all of my symptoms. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted. I felt more happiness and fulfillment in both my personal and professional lives than ever before.

What I came to understand is that I had been suffering from a severe case of chronic stress, not an organic mental illness. I found effective tools to regulate my dysregulated nervous system and manage my mind. I learned the impact that food has on mood and the importance of sleep, exercise, and connection through my board certification studies in lifestyle medicine. Grounded in service, I pivoted my career to become the doctors doctor in a different way, filling in the enormous physician education gap so they, too, could take control of their own health, well-being, and happiness. My wonderful husband and I together were able to nurture our two incredible, now young adult children whose thirst and joy for life are contagious.

Upon reflecting on my 59 years of life, I realized that I have lived over twice as long as my father who died at age 29. I now understand that I did not cause my fathers mental illness or death. I was enough, he loved me, and I was not to blame.

I now realize that suicidal ideation is not one size fits all. My father suffered from an intrinsic neurochemical imbalance for which he underwent unsuccessful medical treatment. I suffered from extrinsic life situations causing extreme burnout, which was reversed after implementing the correct set of tools. This second etiology can be cured by oneself. I did it, and if needed, know that you absolutely can too.

Ive learned that semantics is key. The way we think about mental illness affects the way we speak about mental illness. The way we speak about mental illness affects the way we think about mental illness. Notice I said that my father and physician friends died from suicidenot committed, completed, or by suicide. Just like individuals may die from a heart attack or from a stroke, so may they die from suicide. There is no intended action or fault in any of these illnesses, just an organ malfunction. It is freeing when changing your semantics.

I perceive advancing age not as a punishment but a privilege. I dont lie about my age or get depressed on my birthdays. Each day on this earth is a gift to enjoy, serve, and love.

I dont feel the need to wait for the special occasion. Right now is the special occasion. Life itself is the special occasion. Each day is in itself a celebration.

We have two lives, the second begins when we realize we only have one.

 Confucius

Life is yours for the taking. I warmly invite you to go get it!

Robyn Tiger is a radiologist.
The First Alert Weather Team says its going to be a warm weekend.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Heres what you can expect:

Temperatures this morning are mild in the low 60s, with areas of fog that will persist until shortly after sunrise.

It will be a relatively warm day, with highs in the middle to upper 70s and mostly cloudy skies.

Aside from isolated showers in southeast Georgia this morning, it will be a dry Saturday.

A strong cold front will be approaching the region from the west, bringing a high chance of rain with some thunderstorms to our area Sunday.

Rain and storms will move across our area from west to east during the middle of the day, likely impacting the Jags game.

A few storms could be strong to severe, with the greatest severe threat residing across inland southeast Georgia.

The upcoming work week is dry with gradually cooling weather into next weekend.

The long-range forecast (into mid-January) could be our coolest stretch of weather this season

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Heres a look at your 7-day forecast:

TODAY: Morning fog, mostly cloudy, warm. HIGH: 76

TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy and mild. LOW: 63

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy and breezy with showers and thunderstorms. 63/76

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MONDAY: Partly sunny. 58/73

TUESDAY: Partly sunny and warm. 51/78

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. 51/69

THURSDAY: Sunny and cool. 40/60

FRIDAY: AM frost, mostly sunny and cool. 35/57

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The first pill to slow down the progression of Alzheimers disease is being studied for use on the NHS.

Regulators are due to make a decision on the drug called hydromethylthionine mesylate (HMTM) in April.

The daily pill, developed by a small British firm in Aberdeen called TauRX, works by preventing the build up of clumps of protein called tau in the brain, according to preclinical studies.

If it is approved by both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the NHS spending watchdog, it would represent the biggest step forward in the treatment of NHS dementia patients in decades.

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It comes after two wonder drugs were rejected for NHS use earlier this year on cost grounds, despite being approved by the MHRA.

The Telegraph revealed earlier this year that while both lecanemab and donanemab  which are given through an intravenous drip  had been proven to slow down the progression of Alzheimers disease and offer extra years of life in good health, they would not be available to NHS patients.

The researchers behind HMTM say it works by breaking up clumps of tau which can improve the brains ability to transmit chemical messengers.

The anti-tau therapy works by stopping the protein accumulating and creating toxic fibrils that are thought to damage neurons and lead to cognitive decline.

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NHS officials believe an oral drug, such as HMTM, could mitigate some of the costs associated with lecanemab and donanemab because it would not require two or four weekly hospital sessions lasting up to an hour to administer the drug and can easily be taken at home.

Professor Alistair Burns, the former NHS clinical director for dementia and emeritus professor of Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Manchester, hailed trial results from HMTM as great news for people with Alzheimers disease, their families and carers.

We have reached an exciting time in the field of Alzheimers disease treatment. After no new therapies for a generation, we are on the threshold of having a range of new treatments, including a tau-targeted oral therapy, which have the real potential to slow the disease process, he said.

Trial results also suggest the drug has a better safety profile than others coming onto the market, and so is less likely to cause adverse side effects.

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However experts are split on how effective the drug is and whether it should even be under consideration, given its latest clinical trial data has not been peer-reviewed or published.

Experts told The Telegraph that the manufacturer TauRX had yet to publish any firm evidence the drug is better than placebo and that results from its phase three clinical trial had not been peer-reviewed.

A source close to the regulatory decision-making process said the company had provided little evidence the drug did much beyond making your urine turn green and your poo turn blue.

They said the company had refused to accept previous trial results which found it was no better than placebo, but acknowledged there were challenges in ensuring a blind placebo given the obvious effects on a patients urine and how best to replicate this in a control group.

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They added that the case put forward by the company was very difficult to understand and as if they were trying to be complicated and confusing.

It raises the prospect of it being the third successive drug in a new era of Alzheimers treatments to not be approved for NHS patients amid concerns that Nices cost assessments of the treatments are not adequately incorporating the wider economic impact to society such as through loved ones becoming unpaid carers.

HMTM was born out of another medicine called methylene blue, which has been used to treat malaria.

Its latest trial results were shared at the Alzheimers Disease International conference in 2024.

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It showed no benefit over placebo on memory and cognitive decline in people with Alzheimers disease, which the company said was due to the unexpected benefit of placebo.

Dr Richard Oakley, the associate director of research and innovation at the charity Alzheimers Society and who is not involved in the decision-making process, said that because the active drug coloured participants urine, the placebo drug used was a similar compound so it coloured the participants urine in the same way.

Although the placebo was expected to have no effect at the dose it was given, it built up in participants bodies over time. However, HMTM did reduce the levels of a marker of brain cell loss, he said.

In a small subset of participants with mild cognitive impairment who have features of Alzheimers disease in their brains, HMTM seemed to have a beneficial effect.

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He said the drug was not associated with the bleeding or swelling in the brain that can affect people receiving drugs like donanemab or lecanemab.

But added: Critically though, TauRX has not released the results of this phase 3 study in a peer-reviewed journal and so it is difficult to make any assessment as to the effectiveness of the drug.

The Nice committee is yet to meet to discuss the drug, with a decision scheduled for April at the earliest.

TauRX, MHRA and Nice were asked for comment.

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From districts falling off the fiscal cliff and the crisis in STEM to COVIDs tragic lingering effects and the potential end of the U.S. Department of Education, some of the biggest education storylines of the year played out on the opinion pages of The 74 in 2024. The essays we published informed, infuriated and inspired, shining a light on some of the thorniest issues facing Americas schools  and the young people most directly affected. Here, in no particular order, are our 15 most impactful op-eds of the year.

by Chad Aldeman

This macabre joke is all-too real for San Francisco, where a state panel took over budget decisions until the district balances its spending. In some ways, San Francisco is unique: It spent $40 million to try to fix its payroll system and, to avert a strike, gave teachers 19% raises. Californias school district financial oversight agency is also unusual. But in many ways, San Francisco is a canary in the coal mine for districts nationwide. From declining student enrollment to sustainable student-teacher ratios, contributor Chad Aldeman pointed out some important things to look for.

by Robert Pondiscio

In this eighth piece published in partnership with the Hoover Institution, looking at the state of American education in the 40 years since the publication of A Nation at Risk, American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Robert Pondiscio reflected on four decades of education reform and asked why most efforts have stopped at the classroom door. Curriculum reform is the one approach that hasnt yet been tried to break out of the exhausting cycle of education reforms that consistently fail to move the needle, he wrote. Rather than hope that higher pay and merit-based rewards will eventually create a better teaching cohort, we should adopt high-quality instructional materials for all classrooms and train teachers on their effective implementation.

by Jason Kamras & Taikein Cooper

After shutting down for 500 days during COVID, Richmond Public Schools administrators realized that a once-in-a-century pandemic required a once-in-a-century response. Simply returning to normal with the hope of a quick academic recovery was not going to work. So they did something revolutionary: made the school year longer. Ninety percent of families and 70% of teachers at two elementary schools opted into a pilot program, and at years end, literacy and attendance were up. Now, more schools are joining in. Contributors Jason Kamras and Taikein Cooper of Richmond Public Schools explained how its working.

by Robin Lake

Center on Reinventing Public Education

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New data from the Center on Reinventing Public Educations 2024 State of the American Student report revealed that while some students were regaining ground after COVID, the youngest and most vulnerable were falling irreparably behind. In this call to action, CRPE Executive Director Robin Lake addressed COVID learning loss, absenteeism and teacher burnout, and wrote that if the current state of affairs continues, COVID-19 will leave its indelible mark on young people whose potential will go unrealized and whose futures will be constrained by the failures of adults to act.

by Mark Schneider

Closing the Department of Education is an evergreen goal for conservatives. The smallest Cabinet-level agency, it has accumulated a grab bag of functions that it doesnt perform very well and that could  and should, wrote contributor Mark Schneider  be handled elsewhere. Even under a Republican administration, dissolving the department is difficult. But its not impossible. The former head of the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Center for Education Statistics suggested ways of rerouting its functions, from research to data management to FAFSA, to other agencies that could do things much better.

by Marguerite Roza & Maggie Cicco

Eamonn Fitzmaurice/The 74

Financial dysfunction is plaguing many city school districts, from Chicago, Seattle and Milwaukee to Cleveland, St. Louis and Providence, Rhode Island. From our friends at Georgetown Universitys Edunomics Lab, contributors Marguerite Roza and Maggie Cicco dug into the crises spurred on by the fiscal cliff, union demands, falling enrollment and basic mismanagement, among other factors, and offered some things that districts and states can do. Continuing to look the other way will make things worse, they wrote; city kids need the adults to figure this out.

by Beth Fertig & Edward Montalvo

Murder 101

Alex Campbell asked his Tennessee high school students to solve a case involving a potential serial killer  responsible for at least six murders of redheaded white women  and they delivered. Over the course of the semester, the students spoke with professional investigators, gathered evidence and pieced together a nearly 40-year-old mystery to identify a suspect. Their work became the subject of a true-crime podcast series, Murder 101. Read XQ Institutes eye-opening conversation with Campbell.

by David Steiner

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An increasing number of districts are procuring high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for their schools  a huge improvement, wrote contributor David Steiner, on the home-grown curricula many educators cobble together. But most teachers dont use them, because they dont believe their students can manage the rigor of grade-level instruction. Theyre not wrong: If you had a class of 13-year-olds whose knowledge of math and English was one to three years below grade level, would you readily teach materials that assumed grade-level competence? Steiner offered up one way to address that disconnect.

by Alina Adams

The author with her daughter, Aries Wickham (Roberto Falck)

Students at one of New York Citys top screened public high schools recently protested how they were being taught pre-calculus/trigonometry. Not only did they win their case, but they taught some adults a lesson. Contributor Alina Adamss daughter was one of the students  and Adams was one of the adults who required educating. Here, she described how the class took on an ineffective educator, escalating their complaints from the teacher to the guidance counselor to the principal  and getting a replacement who, Makes sense when he talks!

by Chad Aldeman

Meghan Gallagher/The 74

When schools shifted online in spring 2020, it limited traditional teacher training. In response, states instituted short-term waivers allowing candidates to teach without fulfilling the normal requirements. This helped candidates who would have otherwise been prevented from teaching, while aiding school leaders in filling open positions. Were teachers worse for this lack of training? Contributor Chad Aldeman came upon research that suggested maybe not; educators who entered the profession during COVID without completing the full requirements performed about the same as their normally trained peers. So, Aldeman asked, why not make the waivers permanent?

by Conor P. Williams

A view of a student in an empty classroom in Panama as part of UNICEFs Pandemic Classroom installation on March 23, 2021 (UNICEF / Schverdfinger)

For contributor Conor Williams, the pandemic shutdown was preceded by a sweet high note: His kid had just won the schools bilingual spelling bee on March 13, 2020. Taking stock four years later, Williams found an unwillingness to reckon with COVIDs true cost or recognize its inevitable harm to learning. This anniversary should also be an invitation to extend a modicum of grace to ourselves, our peers and our schools, he wrote. These were four punishing years. Pretending they can be quickly shaken off is yet another effort to shuffle the pandemic away without really grappling with it.

by Larissa Phillips

Eamonn Fitzmaurice/The 74

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In my 15 years of working with adults who cant read, Ive seen and heard countless examples of the limitations that low literacy skills impose on adults, wrote Larissa Phillips. But while educators  bemoan the reading crisis and call for the heads of Balanced Literacy icons, the discourse entirely avoids the adult education world. The Volunteer Literacy Project founder reflected on her struggles in helping adults to read and the lack of support or materials to scale solutions for this growing population.

by Morgan Polikoff

(Center on Reinventing Public Education)

When contributor Morgan Polikoff partnered with the Center on Reinventing Public Education to study how transparent state report cards are in reflecting COVID-19 learning loss and recovery, he expected they would contain broad information in user-friendly form. He was wrong; the vast majority of report cards from the 50 states and Washington, D.C., couldnt answer even basic questions about the effects of COVID on student outcomes. Read Polikoffs overview of the reports findings and recommendations for what states should consider moving forward.

by Elisa Villanueva Beard

Everyone from President Joe Biden on down is recommending high-quality, high-dose, small-group tutoring to help students make up for COVID learning loss. In this essay, contributor Elisa Villanueva Beard introduced a tutoring program her organization, Teach For America, instituted in 2020 using college students that has grown to include more than 1,500 tutors virtually partnering with more than 4,500 kids across 14 states. She described how the program works, some of its successes  and how it is diversifying the pipeline of prospective teachers.

by Michele Cahill, Anne Mackinnon & Talia Milgrom-Elcott

How can we get more young people to pursue careers in STEM? Our friends at Beyond100K and XQ laid out some solutions, including creating a sense of joy and belonging in the classroom and making the high school schedule less rigid so schools can collaborate with industry partners.
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB)  Five people have been charged in relation to a shooting that took place on Christopher Drive in Panama City Beach earlier this month.

On December 18th, police arrived on the scene around 3:30 am. Upon arrival, officers made contact with James Holloway and his brother Christopher Holloway.

It was determined that James Holloway had met a female, later identified as Destiny Hammett, through an adult website known for prostitution.

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Franklin county deputies seize drugs and cash in home search

The department said in a press release that Hammett had allegedly conspired with two other individuals, identified as Christian Alex Landrum and Lazaro Pena, to rob Holloway.

Once the suspects arrived, they began shooting at the Holloways, but no one was injured.

Hammett has been charged as a principal to home invasion robbery, principal to aggravated battery, and principal to attempted manslaughter.

Several days later, PCBPD found and charged Landrum and Pena with home invasion robbery, aggravated battery, and attempted manslaughter.

James Holloway was charged with felon in possession of a firearm and resisting without violence. Christopher Holloway was charged with felon in possession of a firearm.

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The investigation is still ongoing and additional charges are anticipated in this case.

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ELBA, Ala (WDHN)  As the Shiloh community in Elba continues to fight for justice to be made whole from flooding that has plagued the community for six years and going on seven, the community is seeing more issues such as health and plumbing issues stemming from the excess of stormwater blamed by the expansion of highway 84.

Just days ago, one residents septic tank backed up after last weeks rain and had to call a solutions service to fix it. It filled up, and my next-door neighbor Arethas septic tank started shooting back this black stuff up through her sinks and toilets. People are having backup, so that what we are dealing with, said Shiloh resident and community activist pastor Timothy Williams.

Williams says his family is also dealing with respiratory issues because of the second round of mold creeping into the ductwork of a sinking home.

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They told us if the roof is not fixed, its going to come back more aggressive, and thats what its doing: its attacking our lungs. We are on antibiotics now,

Williams tells WDHN that fixing the issues is taking a toll on his pockets, too  hes lost contracts with his cleaning business for speaking out against the state, and not many people are going to his community restaurant because it sits in the flooding-prone area.

A GoFundMe page was created by the Bullard Center to help the community. T

hats what we try to tell ALDOT (Alabama Department of Transportation) is that its not getting any better and is exhausting people out of money they dont have,

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Just weeks ago, the community and Bullard Center visited Ohio to address the partial vra that only addressed fixing flooding with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who believes the community didnt create the problem.

Secretary Buttigieg visited the flooded community back in April, calling out ALDOT for their inaction.

READ MORE: Feds investigating Shiloh flooding, say ALDOT should do more

Williams says he was told that Secretary Buttigieg would speak with ALDOT in the next few days.

Were praying hes going to do that and deal with them. ALDOT is saying they are going to fix the highway or drainage to help us, but no they did this, and they wont take ownership,

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Williams believes ALDOT is having private one-on-one conversations with residents.

 told Secretary Coles these are the same old games they are playing, trying to pull these older people and try to get them caught up in some documentation, and then boom, another situation where they take advantage of someone,

Community members say that with the year almost over and approaching another year of uncertainty and a new administration, they are leaning on their faith to get them more answers or a fix within the next 20 days.

Thats our resolution that god will intervene, touch hearts, and people move expediently to do what they promised.

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(COLORADO SPRINGS)  King Soopers has announced an opening date for its newest marketplace location in northern Colorado Springs at the corner of Highway 83 and North Gate Boulevard.

On Wednesday, Jan. 22, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the new location, 2731 North Gate Boulevard, and the store will open to the public immediately after. The new store will offer a traditional grocery shopping experience with added amenities including fresh sushi, Murrays Cheese, Starbucks, apparel, pickup services, and a fuel center.

We are thrilled to serve this vibrant community by providing access to fresh, affordable food and essential products, said Store Leader, Mat Quartararo. As we prepare to open our doors, we look forward to welcoming new customers, reconnecting with familiar faces, and building lasting relationships. It is truly a privilege to be part of this community and to continue our commitment to serving Colorado Springs with care and dedication every day.

Courtesy: FOX21 News meteorologist Robert Hahn

Courtesy: FOX21 News meteorologist Robert Hahn

The 122,000-square-foot location will be open daily from 6 a.m.  11 p.m. seven days a week.

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Once fully staffed, the store will employ over 300 associates. A hiring event will be held in preparation for the stores grand opening, at the 7915 Constitution Ave. location on Saturday, Dec. 28 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Interested applicants can also visit jobs.kingsoopers.com to view open positions in advance.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Dec. 27The discovery of asbestos at Albuquerque's Gateway Center in 2023 has led to four lawsuits, with the latest filed this month by the city against a company hired to renovate the former hospital.

The new Dec. 12 lawsuit argues that the Albuquerque construction firm Consolidated Builders of New Mexico is required by contract to cover the city's costs from three lawsuits filed earlier this year.

The lawsuits all were filed in February by workers who allege they were harmed by exposure to asbestos in building materials removed from the former Lovelace hospital.

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The discovery of asbestos at the site temporarily halted demolition and construction work at the city's new homeless shelter and services center.

Samia Apodaca, owner of Consolidated Builders, referred questions Friday to Albuquerque attorney Michael Menicucci, who did not immediately return a voice message seeking comment.

The city spent $15 million in 2021 to buy the 572,000-square-foot building at 5400 Gibson SE as a one-stop center for people who are homeless.

The three lawsuits, filed by a total of 25 former employees, allege that renovations at the future Gateway Women's Center on the second floor were halted after ceiling fire-proofing material containing asbestos was knocked down.

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The suits allege that both the city and Consolidated Builders failed to detect or respond properly to the presence of asbestos in building materials, which was then swept or shoveled into wheelbarrows and dumped into open-air bins.

The actions exposed workers at the Gibson Health Hub and the Cerro Colorado landfill to hazardous asbestos dust, according to the lawsuits. The exposure continued from April 2022 to March 2023, when the work was halted, the suits allege.

The lawsuits allege negligence by the city and Consolidated Builders and seek unspecified damages. All three suits remain pending in 2nd Judicial District Court.

Dan Mayfield, a spokesman for the city's Department of Municipal Development, did not immediately respond Friday to an email message seeking comment.

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In its Dec. 12 lawsuit, the city asks a judge to find that Consolidated Builders is obligated by contract to "hold harmless" the city against liability, damages or other expenses caused by injury to the company's employees. Consolidated Builders has not filed a response to the suit.

In September 2023, the New Mexico Environment Department fined the city of Albuquerque $761,112 for exposing workers to asbestos particles at the Gateway Center. Consolidated Builders also was fined $331,475 by the agency.

Employees at Gateway Center were exposed to asbestos from April 11, 2022, to March 9, 2023, according to a report issued by NMED's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau.

In April 2023, the city announced that asbestos had been successfully removed after a 4,000-square-foot area was sealed off. The first phases of the Gateway Center, including 50 beds for women, were completed by September 2023 at a cost of $7 million.
Indonesia has received a request from France to transfer the ailing French death row inmate Serge Atlaoui imprisoned since 2004, officials said on Saturday.

The 61-year-old French national has been held in Indonesia on drug charges as the authorities accused him of being a chemist.

We have received a formal letter requesting the transfer of Serge Atlaoui on 19 December 2024. The letter was sent on behalf of the French minister of justice, senior Indonesian law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told Agence France-Presse.

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The request would be discussed in early January after the holidays, the minister said.

Atlaoui, who had spent almost 20 years in Indonesian prison, won a last-minute reprieve in 2015 and was excluded from being executed by a 13-member firing squad.

Earlier this month, he made a last-ditch plea to be returned home, Indonesian authorities said at a time the new administration of president Prabowo Subianto planned to give pardon to 44,000 inmates nationwide.

The father of four, who turned 61 last week and is reportedly suffering from cancer, wrote to the Indonesian government requesting to serve the rest of his sentence in his home country, according to Mr Mahendra.

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Atlaoui was arrested in 2005 for involvement in a factory manufacturing the psychedelic drug MDMA, sometimes called ecstasy, on the outskirts of Jakarta. His lawyers say he was employed as a welder at the factory and did not understand what the chemicals on the premises were used for.

We are forwarding a personal request from Serge Atlaoui to the Indonesian government which of course should be responded to by the French government, because this concerns the transfer of a prisoner, Mahendra told a joint news conference with French Ambassador Fabien Penone after a meeting last week.

In the case of Atlaoui, Mr Mahendra said it was in the initial stages and will take some time because there has been no official request from the French government.

French ambassador Penone said that Mahendra has briefed him about the case and that he is working with the Indonesian government.

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Atlaoui, from Metz, has maintained his innocence during his 19 years of incarceration, claiming that he was installing machinery in what he thought was an acrylics plant. Police accused him of being a chemist at the site. He was initially sentenced to life, but the Supreme Court in 2007 increased the sentence to death on appeal.

His case has drawn attention in France, which vigorously opposes the death penalty in all places and under all circumstances.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)- Franklin County deputies arrested two people in connection to a drug bust.

Police carried out a search warrant on December 26th for the home of 54-year-old James Demetrice Gordon. Inside, they found over 12 ounces of meth, along with large amounts of marijuana and cash.

They break it down to grams to sell it, thats a lot of dope. Its going to affect a lot of people in our community. Were a small community and it doesnt take a lot of drugs to affect people because it its sold in such small quantities. Said Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith.

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Two arrested after Holmes County deputies pull over stolen car

Gordan was arrested on several charges, including possession of marijuana with intent to sell and trafficking meth.

On December 27th, deputies arrested Gordans girlfriend, Amanda Joy Creamer, on the same charges. They say Creamer lived in the same home and shared a bedroom with Gordan, where the drugs were found.

I feel it has a major impacthe sells it to people and then those people sell it to people. So its just like a huge tentacle thats going out there in our communityf you want to sell your drugs, go somewhere else, go to some other county. Dont come here because were not going to put up with it. Said Smith.

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Deputies also found nearly 40 pit bulls chained in the backyard of the home. They say while the dogs did have water and food, it looked like they had been tied up for a long time. Smith says no charges have been filed in relation to the animals because there is no county ordinance that limits the number of dogs you can have on your property.

Authorities also believe 4 children belonging to Creamer were living in the home with Gordan. Their ages ranged from 7 to 14-years-old.

The Franklin County deputies will be discussing possible federal charges for Gordan with the U.S. Attorneys office.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH)  Franklin County Sheriffs Office detectives investigate twelve neighborhood burglaries that may be connected.

The suspect, Robert Delp Jr, was arrested last week after the Sheriffs Office said he was caught leaving one burglarized home in possession of valuables from another home. Delp was arrested and deputies are working to figure out if he was involved in some or all of the cases.

Detective Caleb Loposser said the string of burglaries in Jefferson Township, Genoa Township, and New Albany have many similarities, and he is trying to connect Delp to them.

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It fits the pattern of motive of what weve seen in a lot of the other burglaries. Now I dont know definitively if he did commit those, but I know that weve investigating it to see if he did, said Detective Loposser.

The detective said all twelve crimes happened in the same general area northeast of Columbus where the suspect broke in and exited through a rear window. Jewelry and cash were taken from just one bedroom, and they all happened in the early evening right after dark. Even with Delp arrested, Loposser said people in central Ohio should be looking at their security.

How much access do you give individuals to your personal life? You know, do you post your jewelry items on your social media account like Look what I got for Christmas, look at this pretty necklace? said Loposser. Wheres our security footage at? What type of alarm system do we have?

Upper Arlington High School Swimmer choked by teammate

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In one of the neighborhoods burglarized in Jefferson Township, residents were out and about Friday afternoon. Residents said everyone there is vigilant.

But we do know each other and we know who walks in the neighborhood and whose dog is whose which really helps, said neighbor Robyn Lutz. And we have security and just kind of take care of each other.

Everybody pretty much has their own security system but the neighborhood is monitored when you drive in and it talks about how the whole entire neighborhood has camera monitoring which makes it safe, said another neighbor Lisa Riddle.

One resident said she beefed up her security after someone tried to break into her back door about six months ago. Its unknown if this attempt is connected to the ones Detective Loposser is investigating. Even with the burglaries and other attempts, people said they feel pretty safe in the neighborhood.

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We have our security system. We try to stay vigilant. I mean what else are you supposed to do? And then Ive got my excellent security thats sitting out here and they bark and thats a big deterrent as well, said Riddle.

We already have really good security but just kept more vigilant watch about who was walking in the neighborhood and if we recognize them, said Lutz.

Detective Loposser wants people all across central Ohio to think about security because even generally safe neighborhoods are targeted.

Usually we kind of run into a little bit of that mentality when you start to deal with some of your nicer neighborhoods. Like, We dont have crime out here, we dont have that problem here. Until you do, said the detective. So definitively right now theres three neighborhoods within the Jefferson Township area that cant sit back and go, We dont have that problem here.

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To keep your home safe, Loposser recommends people get the best security system they can afford, leave a light or the TV on when no one is home, and get a few cameras for your yard. These are all deterrents to keep criminals away.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Lawmakers representing Frederick County plan to promote changes to the power transmission planning process, restoring funding for the U.S. 15 widening project and health care reforms during the 2025 state legislative session.

The Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to convene on Jan. 8, 2025, for its annual 90-day legislative session.

Over the past week, The Frederick News-Post contacted all 15 members of the Frederick County delegation regarding bills they have pre-filed or plan to file during the upcoming session.

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Eight members responded with their lists  state Sens. Karen Lewis Young (D-3), Justin Ready (R-5) and Paul Corderman (R-2) and Dels. Karen Simpson (D-3A), Ken Kerr (D-3B), Kris Fair (D-3A), Jesse Pippy (R-4) and Christopher Eric Bouchat (R-5).

Of those, three said they planned to introduce bills about transmission planning in the wake of controversy over the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project  a proposed 500,000-volt line that would extend from northern Baltimore County through the middle of Carroll County and into southern Frederick County.

One bill, sponsored by Lewis Young, would require local utilities to issue periodic reports detailing anticipated load growth and response, as well as the use of Grid Enhancing Technologies and Demand Response practices.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Enhancing Technologies include power-flow control devices, sensors and other technologies that can improve how existing lines deliver electricity.

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Demand Response practices encourage utility customers to reduce or change their electricity usage during periods of high demand.

In addition to setting new reporting requirements, Lewis Youngs bill would also require the Public Service Commission  the state regulatory authority for utility companies  to consider a utilitys efforts to use existing infrastructure and rights-of-way when deciding whether to approve a new transmission line project.

Pippy, the Frederick County delegation chair, said he also plans to introduce a bill compelling the PSC to review alternatives to proposed transmission line projects.

Under Pippys bill, any economic development and land preservation benefits of transmission line alternatives would have to be part of the PSCs review.

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Ready said he plans to sponsor the Keep the Lights On Act, which would require certain metrics including community engagement to be met before a Maryland power plant can be taken offline.

PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that selected the MPRP as a solution for projected energy constraints, has identified the recent deactivation of 11,000 megawatts of power generation across its grid as one reason for the new transmission line.

Ready also said he would sponsor the Protect Farmlands Act, which would add a 350% premium to the highest appraisal of Maryland farmland seized by eminent domain.

The potential use of eminent domain has been a major concern for landowners in the path of the MPRP.

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Representatives of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), the projects developer, have said such takings would be an option of last resort.

HEALTH CARE

Also this session, members of the Frederick County delegation plan to introduce legislation related to health care.

At the request of Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater, Lewis Young and Kerr are co-sponsoring a bill to create a statewide program offering universal at-home nurse visits to families within 12 weeks of a baby being born.

This would expand a program already in place in Frederick County.

Other health care related bills include one from Kerr that would require health care entities to undergo cybersecurity audits and another from Fair that would enshrine access to gender-affirming care in state law.

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Fair also plans to introduce a bill that would increase Marylands vehicle excise titling tax from 6% to 6.75% of the purchase price or book value.

The additional revenue from the tax increase would go toward closing the Transportation Trust Fund deficit, which Fair said could help areas of the state where projects like the U.S. 15 expansion have been removed from Marylands Consolidated Transportation Plan.

Pippy said he expects that the Frederick County delegation will continue its bipartisan support for the U.S. 15 widening project, but that he personally is opposed to any new tax or fee increases.

Three Frederick County Delegation members  state Sen. William Folden (R-4) and state Dels. April Miller (R-4) and William Valentine (R-2A)  did not respond to the News-Posts inquiries, but had pre-filed bills listed on the Maryland General Assembly website.

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The text of the pre-filed bills was not available, and the website had only limited information including bill titles and filing dates.

State Dels. William Wivell (R-2A), April Rose (R-5), Chris Tomlinson (R-5) and Barrie Ciliberti (R-4) did not respond to the News-Posts inquiries and were not the primary sponsor of any pre-filed bills listed on the Maryland General Assembly website.

Other bills of note from members of the Frederick County delegation include:

* Peace Orders  Visual Surveillance (Corderman): Allows individuals to petition for a peace order against another person who they allege has conducted visual surveillance of areas of their residence where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy

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* Minors Convicted as Adults  Sentencing  Transfer to Juvenile Court (Simpson): Requires child victims of sex crimes or sex trafficking who are convicted as adults of committing crimes against their abusers to be sentenced in juvenile court.

* Commission to Study African American Civil War Sailors in Maryland (Bouchat): Establishes a commission to study the contributions of African American sailors who fought for the Union Navy.

* Task Force on Education Funding (Lewis Young and Fair): Creates a group to study the shortcomings of the current per-pupil funding formula for counties experiencing rapid student enrollment growth.

* Adding Xylazine to the list of Scheduled Drugs (Pippy): Imposing stronger controls on xylazine, a drug that can increase the chance of fatal opioid overdoses. This bill follows a letter from the Frederick County delegation to the Maryland Department of Health in June.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  Missourians can register for a free ride home on New Years Eve thanks to two companies partnering up.

Breakthru Beverage Missouri and Absolut Vodka are partnering up and offering 500 free rides home via Lyft in Springfield, St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia from 2 p.m. on New Years Eve through 2 a.m. on New Years Day.

Missourians can access a free ride home, with a value of up to $30, using ride code BBGMONYE24. The code will be redeemable to customers beginning at 9 a.m. on New Years Eve.

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The rides are offered through the Safe Home After Every Occasion social responsibility program designed to make planning a safe ride home before a night out. Since the programs inception, it has provided more than 100,000 Missourians a free ride home, according to a press release.

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Dec. 27FROSTBURG  Frostburg State University began its retrenchment process this week, sending out official separation letters Monday to faculty and staff that will not be returning to work at the university.

According to President Ronald Nowaczyk's Chief of Staff Al Delia, eight employees will lose their jobs with the university within the upcoming year.

"This is not something that any of us wanted to happen," said Delia of the layoffs. "This was a very serious and very deliberate process."

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Although the targeted number of layoffs was about 45, Delia said the combination of four administrative retirements, 17 staff retirements and eight retrenched faculty will equate to about 45 layoffs.

"The 17 faculty that are retiring or taking phase retirement equate to about 24 positions," said Delia.

Semester to semester instructors will not be returning for the spring term, while recently hired full-time untenured faculty will be able to finish out the academic year.

Full-time untenured veteran employees and tenured faculty will leave their positions next December.

Faculty who received letters of termination will have 10 days from the postage date to officially appeal separation.

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The moves come as the university continues to address a budget deficit of $7.7 million, an issue that arose earlier this year along with declining enrollment, school officials have said.

Faculty frustration continues

Members of FSU's faculty came together last week, donning a gray ribbon to symbolize those who may lose their positions.

Many faculty and staff have voiced their disappointment with the university's administration throughout the budget-cutting process.

Justin Dunmyre, an associate professor of mathematics and the chair of the faculty senate, released an official statement last week regarding upcoming faculty losses.

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"Retrenchment anywhere is a difficult process, but at FSU, it has been harder than it needed to be," said Dunmyre.

Dunmyre and the faculty senate called the administration's communication "fraught to say the least" and noted a lack of shared governance.

Jodi Welsch, a professor in the Department of Educational Professions, said that the division between faculty and the administration could be resolved by "strong, objective leadership."

"A lack of trust between faculty and administration has been growing during Nowaczyk's tenure," Welsch said.

Welsch, like other faculty members, said poor communication has led to many concerns during the retrenchment process.

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She said "better communication with faculty" would make the "difficult" process go much smoother.

"If substantial faculty cuts are necessary, more time should have been provided to analyze the prior situation," Welsch said.

Administrative changes

In addition to a reduction in faculty, the university will be making changes to its administrative structure.

Due to the retirement of longtime FSU administrator Artie Travis, the Division of Student Affairs is merging with the Division of Academic Affairs, which will be headed by interim Provost Lawrence V. Weill.

Additionally, longtime director of the university's library, Lea Messman-Mandicott, will retire.

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The administrative retirements will also be applied to the target of 45 retrenched faculty, according to Delia.

Out of deficit

Currently, FSU is "out of the deficit now" from its $7.7 million budget woes, Delia said.

Since the deficit is structural, Delia said that "if we don't implement these changes, we'll have the same deficit next year."

"Right now, we are nearly 3 million dollars in the black," Delia said.

In the future, Delia said that retrenchment is "an open process" and that future university savings could be applied to potentially "rescind" some of the retrenchment notices that were sent Monday.

Andrew Creelman is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4403 or email acreelman@times-news.com
Funeral services for slain Ohio corrections officer Andrew Lansing will be held on Jan. 3 in Chillicothe.

Rashawn Cannon, 27, is accused of fatally attacking Lansing, 62, on Christmas morning at Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe. The state patrol is investigating the homicide.

Lansing was born in Verdun, France, according to an obituary with Ware Funeral Home. He married his wife, Chun Wong, in 2002. She survives, along with two children and six siblings. The obituary also noted that Lansing was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Waverly and the Pike County Shrine Club.

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What we know: Correction officer killed by inmate in Ross County prison on Christmas Day

Who was Andrew Lansing? More on the Ohio prison guard killed Christmas Day

News: Last fatal attack on Ohio prison employee before Andrew Lansing's death was 28 years ago

Andrew Lansing with his wife, Elmond Chun Lansing. Andrew Lansing, a correction officer at Ross Correctional Institution was killed on Christmas Day by an inmate.

"Andy had a huge heart and a big smile and was dearly loved by his family, coworkers and friends," the obituary read.

Lansing's bother, Mike Lansing, described him as "a great guy who'd do anything for anybody." At the prison, Andrew Lansing was well-respected and loved by his colleagues, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Annette Chambers-Smith.

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Services for Lansing will be 1 p.m. on Jan. 3 in Chillicothe High School's Hatton Memorial Gymnasium. Burial will follow in Grandview Cemetery with military graveside rites conducted by the U.S. Army and Ross County Veterans Honor Guard. Visitation will be held 12 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 2 at the high school gymnasium.

Lansing started his career as an officer at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in 1985 for a brief stint. He returned to the state prisons system, working at Ross Correctional from 1994 to 2007 and again from 2013 until his death.

The last time a state prison employee was killed at the hands of an inmate was 28 years ago. Case manager Bonita Haynes was murdered at Lima Correctional Institution in 1996.

In lieu of flowers, Lansing's family requested contributions made to the Shriners Children's Hospital in Dayton.

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Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Funeral services announced for Ohio corrections officer Andrew Lanning
A mother who went to prison for killing her alleged abuser is advocating for other domestic violence survivors.

Attorneys with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence say in many cases courts are not considering the history of violence a survivor has endured before finding them guilty.

In this case, the survivor says she has a second chance at life after getting paroled from a life sentence.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

I felt numb. It was like all my limbs had locked up on me, Latoya Dickens told Channel 2s Ashli Lincoln.

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Its a day Dickens says she will never forget.

The moment that a Gwinnett County jury sentenced her to life in prison after being convicted of stabbing and killing her abusive husband.

Despite everything Ive been through, that was the last thing I wanted to happen, she said.

After serving 25 years in a Georgia prison, she now sits as a free woman after a parole board granted her release in September.

This abuse went on for a period of 14 years, Dickens said.

She said she stabbed her husband after the two got into an argument that became physical.

He got up and he shoved me to the sofa, and everything happened so fast, I remember calling 911, she said.

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That day alone she tried to leave and he disabled her car, Dickens attorney Janis Mann said.

Mann said despite testimony at the trial, her defense attorney at the time did not argue that her years of abuse could have led to her death.

We wrote to the parole board for several years and highlighted the years of abuse that she experienced, Mann said.

Mann, with the help of the Survivor Defense Project and the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence began to present to the state evidence of abuse that Dickens endured.

I was eight months pregnant with my first child and he lifted me up and he slammed me off the porch, Dickens said.

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Courts are really looking at one specific moment in time and that the law isnt written in a way that we can consider context, circumstance, history, Ellie Williams with the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence said.

In most cases, Williams said survivors of domestic violence are sentenced frequently and harshly.

Were certainly still lacking in the way that the law is structured and written, Williams said.

Mann said 77% of domestic violence-related homicides occur when victims try to leave.

Numbers for the state show 49% of Georgia domestic violence fatalities involve relationships that began within the age range of 13 to 21.

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Dickens met her then-17-year-old husband when she was just 13 years old.

I dont feel like Ive ever been free, she said.

Now that shes out of prison, she says her mission is to help other domestic violence survivors who are currently incarcerated.

25 years is not a short amount of time by no means, but its a blessing to have the opportunity to have a makeover, a redo, she said.

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GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH)  A new Gahanna apartment complex has residents raising questions on whether it is the right fit for the neighborhood.

Residents in Gahanna are reacting to a new development that just received the green light to be built. Jack Wilson has lived in this neighborhood for 35 years and notes he just doesnt think its the right fit for this community.

I have no idea why they did it, Wilson said. It just doesnt make sense to me, why they would ruin a good neighborhood over some apartments that could go someplace else.

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The approval of a new apartment complex comes from the Gahanna Planning Commission. It will allow the company Avenue Partners to build seven three-story apartments with one hundred and fifty-nine units. The 6-acre property on West Johnstown Road has been home to a vacant doctors office for the past ten years. Neighbors have voiced concerns, especially over an increase in traffic.

Thats going to be a lot more people coming down through here that we dont really need at that intersection right up here, the three-way intersection, Wilson said. I dont think we really need these apartments in a neighborhood thats so unique from every other place in Gahanna.

Coffee shop joining development opening in hilliard

With the Columbus metropolitan area expected to grow by a third in the next two decades, we are likely to continue seeing more new developments and how they will impact certain neighborhoods. For others in the community like Jon Steadman, the plan would be beneficial, noting they have not been pleased with how the current property has been kept.

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It really just sits there vacant, Steadman said. Some of the buildings are falling down in the back, itd be great to see something done with it and like I said, theres low areas of water sits and mosquitoes, there are raccoons. Anything is better than whats sitting there at the property. To me, I think itd be a big improvement for the area.

The company avenue partners have not released a date on when construction will start.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN)  An alarm alerted a Hillsboro family to a fire that began in their garage and spread through their house early Saturday morning.

A number of the residents near 3000 SE Cypress Street called 911 to report the blaze around 6 a.m., authorities said.

Homeowner Rebecca Aguila Siefke told KOIN 6 News she was just happy her family was able to get out of the fast moving fire.

3 Oregon state parks close due to damages from Christmas windstorm

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I just start hearing my mom go downstairs, and then they see its fire, and then they come banging on all of our doors, waking us all up, yelling, screaming, telling us all go out, daughter Eviana Lopez said. We all just go out and basically nothing and barefoot, all of it, just out, luckily, just in time, because it started expanding a lot more right when we all left.

Its my understanding is that the room immediately above the garage is a bedroom, said Piseth Pich with Hillsboro Fire. The smoke alarms did go off which then alerted the family they were all able to get out safely.

A family and multiple pets were displaced after a garage fire spread through a Hillsboro home on Dec. 28, 2024. (Hillsboro Fire & Rescue) A family and multiple pets were displaced after a garage fire spread through a Hillsboro home on Dec. 28, 2024. (Hillsboro Fire & Rescue) A family and multiple pets were displaced after a garage fire spread through a Hillsboro home on Dec. 28, 2024. (Courtesy: Rebeca Aguila Siefke) A family and multiple pets were displaced after a garage fire spread through a Hillsboro home on Dec. 28, 2024. (Courtesy: Rebeca Aguila Siefke)

The fire sparked somewhere in the garage before moving through the living area and into the roof. The exact cause of the fire is not yet determined.

Firefighters went back inside to rescue a total of four dogs, two turtles, a lizard and a hamster that just arrived for Christmas.

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I was screaming their names, Aguila Siefke said. Oh, my dogs come out. Five minutes later, the firefighter goes, heres her turtles in a bucket, a Home Depot bucket. And then five minutes later, he goes to his little hamster, and then he goes back in. Hes like, heres a lizard. That was like, oh, you guys got everybody.

Pedestrian killed in Woodburn hit-run, driver at large

Aguila Siefke, whose voice is still raspy from smoke inhalation, is grateful her family is together despite the loss of nearly everything.

Its like Christmas just happened, she told KOIN 6 News. Now we have to figure out the deductibles and figure out how are we going to pay for this. Its just not something you plan for.

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The family started a GoFundMe to help them rebuild their lives.

2024 has been a tough year for the family, which included the loss of their grandmother.

This year has kind of been hard for my family, and so I really tried really hard to make it the best Christmas, she said. So at least the hamster made it out.

Her sister-in-law Shareena Burny said seeing her siblings lose almost everything that they own in the blink of an eye, literally, is just very humbling. Im very thankful that theyre safe, but it just kind of, its a great reminder to know, like, cherish the people that you love.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the northern German port of Wilhelmshaven is set to keep supplying Germany with gas in the first quarter of 2025, its operator said on Saturday.

The state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) confirmed a report in the Nordwest-Zeitung newspaper that all available capacity at the Brunsbuttel and Wilhelmshaven terminals had been sold at an auction on December 23 for the first quarter of the new year.

It had previously been reported that the capacity of the LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven would not be marketed in the period from January 5 to April 1, and that the terminal would remain unused for cargo deliveries.

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The availability and utilization of the terminals were at a very good level in 2023 and 2024, a DET spokesman said.

"The resilience of the gas supply in Germany and Europe has increased significantly thanks to the terminals," he stressed. "They make an important contribution to security of supply and help to stabilize prices on the gas market."

The LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven was the first to be commissioned in Germany. So far, it has covered a large proportion of the country's LNG imports.

A second terminal is now planned for Wilhelmshaven, along with another at Stade.

DET expects the two additional floating terminals to be operational in the first quarter of 2025. Critics fear that they could create excessive capacity for LNG.
Germany is urging citizens living abroad to promptly register in the electoral roll if they wish to participate in the upcoming election set for February 23.

Applications for registration can already be submitted to local authorities, the Federal Returning Officer's press office confirmed to dpa on request.

Germans living abroad are defined as citizens who are not registered in Germany.

On Friday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament and called for early elections on February 23, seven months ahead of the originally scheduled date.

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The decision followed the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition in November and a failed confidence motion in his government on December 16.

The Federal Returning Officer said that the period for postal voting would be shorter due to the tightened timelines and advised voters to send back completed ballots as early as possible to avoid delays.

The municipality of the last registered German address is typically responsible for sending postal voting documents to expatriates.
Following damage to an underwater power cable off Finland, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has raised alarm about the so-called Russian shadow fleet and called for further EU sanctions.

"Almost every month, ships are currently damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Ship crews lower anchors into the water, drag them for kilometres across the seabed for no apparent reason and then lose them when they pull them up," Baerbock told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain on Saturday.

Baerbock said she finds it hard to believe these incidents are mere coincidences.

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"This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us. In a digitalized world, undersea cables are the communication arteries that hold our world together," the minister warned.

The Estlink 2 cable between Estonia and Finland was interrupted on Wednesday in what Finnish authorities suspect may have been an act of sabotage.

Following the disturbance, they detained the Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker Eagle S, the anchor of which is thought to have damaged the cable.

According to the EU, the ship could belong to the so-called Russian shadow fleet - tankers and other cargo ships that Russia uses unofficially to circumvent sanctions on oil transport, for example.

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Over the holiday season, disruptions to communication cables in the Baltic Sea were also reported.

Baerbock warned that the "decrepit Russian shadow fleet" poses a serious threat to both the environment and European security. "It is used by Russia to finance its illegal war of aggression in Ukraine," she said.

In mid-December, over 50 ships were subject to EU sanctions and more must follow, Baerbock said.
Following damage to an underwater power cable off Finland, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has raised alarm about the so-called Russian shadow fleet and called for further EU sanctions.

"Almost every month, ships are currently damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Ship crews lower anchors into the water, drag them for kilometres across the seabed for no apparent reason and then lose them when they pull them up," Baerbock told the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain on Saturday.

Baerbock said she finds it hard to believe these incidents are mere coincidences.

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"This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us. In a digitalized world, undersea cables are the communication arteries that hold our world together," the minister warned.

The Estlink 2 cable between Estonia and Finland was interrupted on Wednesday in what Finnish authorities suspect may have been an act of sabotage.

Following the disturbance, they detained the Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker Eagle S, the anchor of which is thought to have damaged the cable.

According to the EU, the ship could belong to the so-called Russian shadow fleet - tankers and other cargo ships that Russia uses unofficially to circumvent sanctions on oil transport, for example.

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Over the holiday season, disruptions to communication cables in the Baltic Sea were also reported.

Baerbock warned that the "decrepit Russian shadow fleet" poses a serious threat to both the environment and European security. "It is used by Russia to finance its illegal war of aggression in Ukraine," she said.

In mid-December, over 50 ships were subject to EU sanctions and more must follow, Baerbock said.

Baerbock's Green Party colleague, Konstantin von Notz, called on the German government to clearly name Russia's hybrid attacks.

"Every day there are new provocations and the deliberate testing of limits. The German public is still not aware of the aggressiveness and maliciousness with which this is being done," the party's deputy parliamentary leader told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

He warned that a lack of knowledge was undermining the resolve to respond politically to these attacks. "I expect the German government to finally clearly and publicly name and categorize this Russian aggression."
A Los Angeles police lieutenant has filed a legal claim against the city, alleging his superiors ignored his warnings about misconduct in an anti-gang unit until it became a public scandal, leading to him facing termination.

The claim, which typically serves as the precursor to a lawsuit, was brought this month by Lt. Mark Garza. It's the first litigation being pursued by a former member the Mission Division gang unit, whose officers came under investigation last year over allegations they illegally stopped and searched vehicles and stole from people they pulled over.

Garza, who was in charge of the unit, said he reported his suspicion in June 2023 that some of his officers were conducting ghost stops, which meant their actions could go unnoticed because they didnt document the encounters or turn on their body-worn or dashboard cameras and never informed police dispatch of where they were.

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At that time, Garza said, the department's body camera policy required supervisors to review only footage related to complaints, use of force and pursuits." Meanwhile, audits at the bureau level were limited in scope, with only two videos per unit reviewed randomly every 30 days or so. Without more robust checks, the lieutenant argued, it was possible for misconduct by his unit to fly under the radar.

As he dug into the issue, Garza said he learned that videos of officers breaking the rules were deliberately excluded from audits  ensuring almost perfect results every time.

He said he learned that auditors at the department's four geographic bureaus were under orders to exclude incomplete body camera videos from their reviews  creating the potential for officers to intentionally delay turning on their cameras because they knew partial recordings would be overlooked. Video checkers were also being specifically told "not to identify problems" by gang officers, he alleged.

Garza said one auditor told him: "We're only looking for good things."

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Read more: He was an unarmed cop in England. Now he leads the commission that reviews LAPD shootings

Garza said he "believes he was set up to fail and then held accountable for the failure. The department tried to "cover up its own flawed policies," he alleged, and punished him in retaliation for pointing out these deficiencies as the scandal was going public.

The city attorney's office didn't respond to an email about the case sent Friday. An LAPD spokesperson declined to comment. An attorney for Garza didn't respond to inquiries.

The cloud over Garza's unit first became known in August 2023, when The Times reported that internal affairs investigators had taken the rare step of obtaining a warrant to search officer lockers in the Mission Division station. Department officials said the FBI was also looking into the matter.

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With his officers accused of breaking the law and trying to cover it up, Garza was relieved of duty earlier this year. He could be fired after a board of rights hearing next August. His former boss, Mission Capt. James "JT" Townsend, is also facing termination, along with Sgt. David Gomez, and several former gang officers.

One of the officers, Alan Carrillo, has been criminally charged with stealing a knife and brass knuckles from motorists in separate stops in April and June 2023. He has pleaded not guilty and a preliminary hearing is set for next month.

Garza said he first noticed the questionable stops after someone complained that a Mission gang officer had thrown a cup of iced coffee at a teenager. Garza said he was told there was no record of the encounter, but when he reviewed body camera footage from earlier that day, he found video of a traffic stop in which a cup of coffee could clearly be seen. As he continued watching, he heard someone say, you didnt give me my ID back, just before both officers turned off their cameras, according to the claim.

The next day, Garza said, he reported the incident to Townsend, the divisions captain, who instructed him to remove the two officers from the field.

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Although Garza was eventually placed on home leave and relieved of his badge and gun, he said higher-ranking officers involved were allowed to remain on the job, and several were promoted. One, he said, was Capt. Matthew Plugge, who was even moved to a better position, while the investigation was ongoing.

This is classic differential treatment, the claim says.

Read more: Jury awards $3 million to ex-SWAT sergeant who alleged 'mafia' culture in LAPD unit

The allegation that LAPDs command staff only responds to crises that publicly embarrass the department fits a perception widely held among front-line officers and mid-level supervisors, according to other recent lawsuits and public comments by police union officials.

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Similar finger-pointing occurred in the Rampart scandal, which broke in 1998, when disgraced Det. Rafael Perez told internal investigators that he and fellow officers routinely planted evidence, shot some people without provocation and framed others for crimes they did not commit. Several sergeants later sued the city, saying they were being made to take the fall for the departments misdeeds.

In a later controversy, members of the LAPD's vaunted Metropolitan Division were accused of mislabeling people as gang members. One of the officers under suspicion alleged in a lawsuit that commanders had for years enforced a de facto quota system that rewarded cops who identified and arrested alleged gang members and punished those who didnt, creating an incentive for officers to level false allegations.

In Garza's case, he said that after discovering more "ghost stops," he tried several times to bring the issue up with department higher-ups. Garza said in his claim that he was taken aback by the dismissive response he received from his superiors, who took no immediate action.

He argued that the department was following a similar playbook from past scandals: protect senior-level officials while vilifying lower-ranking employees, and then move on.

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An internal LAPD report that was published after the scandal broke suggested that body camera misuse is more widespread than the department is letting on publicly. Department officials have tightened their camera policy, and raised the possibility of using AI to review the countless hours of footage that goes unseen each month.

Read more: Inside the LAPD chief search: Secretive meetings, surprise names, leaked details

Garza sued the department once before, alleging that he was transferred and otherwise retaliated against after he reported misconduct, ranging from overt homophobia and racial bias exhibited by certain officers to an allegation that a West L.A. captain rode in a vehicle with fake license plates to avoid paying highway tolls. The case was settled in 2015.

The L.A. County district attorney's office has identified as many as 350 criminal cases that are potentially compromised because they relied on the testimony of or evidence gathered by Garza's unit.

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Prosecutors have filed records that show even the case against Carrillo, the officer facing criminal charges, has been complicated because potential witnesses who served with him have been included on a list of officers with known credibility issues.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A good Samaritan was found dead in Arizona after he offered to help a man on Monday who claimed to be having car trouble, authorities said.

The Pima County Sheriffs Department identified the victim Thursday as Paul Clifford, 53.

A woman who identified herself as Cliffords daughter said in an online fundraiser that her father disappeared Monday after he left his house at 11:30 p.m. to help a stranger with a stranded vehicle."

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He didnt return home, said the woman, Sabrina Vining, and was later found dead.

The sheriffs office said Cliffords body was found near a smoldering vehicle northeast of Tucson. The department did not provide a cause or manner of death.

Authorities were initially dispatched to the area on a report of suspicious activity, the department said. They determined the report was likely linked to a stolen vehicle that was later found at an apartment complex, according to a statement.

A department spokesperson would not provide the location of the complex.

No suspects were identified and no arrests have been made in Cliffords death, the department said, adding that the investigation remains active.

In the fundraiser, Vining said her family was deeply saddened by her fathers death.

He was a gentle giant with a huge, caring heart, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Rep. Scott Perry (Pa.), a former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, is the latest Republican to decline to commit to supporting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the House prepares to formally elect a Speaker on Jan. 3, adding uncertainty to the GOP leaders prospects of retaining his gavel.

Right now, I think that Mike has done an admirable job under tough conditions, but Im going to keep my options open. I want to have a conversation with Mike, Perry said Friday on Mornings with Maria on Fox Business.

While Johnson was unanimously renominated by House Republicans to be Speaker again in November, Republican frustration with how he handled an end-of-year short-term funding deal last week has put the GOP leader on thin ice ahead of the Jan. 3 vote.

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What members are seeking is what they think is good for the country, and they dont see, in some cases, where Speaker Johnson has gotten us to the place where we can claim that weve achieved that, Perry said.

Perry, who was appointed by Johnson to a coveted spot on the House Intelligence Committee earlier this year, was less critical of Johnson than some of his hard-line conservative GOP colleagues.

One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.), is already publicly pledging to vote against the Speaker on Jan. 3, citing frustration with not only the continuing resolution but other matters like Ukraine funding over the last year.

Johnson cannot afford more than one Republican defection on the House floor in the Jan. 3 Speakership election, assuming all members are present and voting. Republicans are set to have 219 Republicans taking the oath of office on Jan. 3, and all 215 Democrats are expected to vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

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Several other Republicans are declining to say whether they will support Johnson.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chair of the Freedom Caucus, said in a statement on social platform X that he was undecided on what leadership should look like in the 119th Congress, citing concerns about unpaid new spending in the spending bill not offset by cuts.

The frustration is not limited to hard-line fiscal hawks. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) also said Friday on Fox Business that she has questions and concerns about Johnson.

I think last week just raised a lot of concerns about how were going to do things, Malliotakis said. Are we going to work within our conference to get the solution, or are we automatically going to run to the Democrats to get votes?

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We should not see our Speaker shaking hands on a deal without first coming to our conference and getting buy-in, she added.

Perry noted that the biggest difference-maker for Johnson could be President-elect Trump, who had shown support for the Speaker in November but then clashed with him over the funding deal and demands to raise the debt ceiling last week.

Ill tell you, the one that might be able to make the difference is, quite honestly, President Trump. Whoever the president backs, is likely to be the Speaker regardless, Perry said.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom doubled down Friday on his opposition to Proposition 36, the newly enacted statewide anti-crime initiative, and claimed that recent progress cracking down on retail theft can be attributed to his support for a statewide California Highway Patrol anti-organized retail theft task force.

At a press conference in Oakland, Newsom said Prop. 36, which passed overwhelmingly last month, primarily addressed nonviolent drug possession and did not allow for multiple law enforcement agencies to work together, unlike the CHP task force he has touted as a major facet of his statewide anti-retail theft strategy. The task force has been in existence since 2019, when Newsom first took office.

Prop. 36 never included organized retail theft, it never addressed that issue, Newsom told reporters from a CHP facility in Oakland. It never addressed the issue of vehicle crimes. Never addressed the issue of multijurisdictional prosecutions.

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Supporters of Prop. 36 say the measure, which overwhelmingly passed in November, strengthens penalties for people suspected of theft, as a corrective to Prop. 47, a decade-old criminal justice reform law that they said hamstrung polices response to homelessness, theft and other crime.

Recent crackdowns on organized retail theft could be traced back to the CHP task force, Newsom said, which he said recovered $13 million worth of stolen goods and arrested more than 1,400 people this year. He said Friday that he would extend support for CHP to continue operating in Oakland, contingent upon local officials support for policies that allow police officers to pursue fleeing suspects.

He also signed a raft of anti-property crime bills in August that require online marketplaces to guard against stolen property sales, alert police if California-based sellers try to sell stolen goods on their platforms, and closed loopholes requiring prosecutors to prove a car was locked before charging someone with auto theft.

Major retailers like Target, along with district attorneys across the statewide, united in their support for Prop. 36. Magnus Lofstrom, a Public Policy Institute of California official, told state officials in January that shoplifting spiked from 2019 to 2022, but that Prop. 36s efficacy would depend on how successful law enforcement were at making corresponding arrests.

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Newsom broke with other Democrats like San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan by not supporting Prop. 36. Despite his opposition, the governor said he did not have bandwidth to actively campaign against it, which voters approved by nearly 70% in the Nov. 5 election.

Republican Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares of Santa Clarita attributed Newsoms proposed anti-retail theft legislation to his miscalculating of Prop. 36s popularity among voters.

Its gotta be a lonely place, she said in an interview, Wanting to placate both his far-left base but also 70% of Californians.

[Prop. 36] locks in a requirement, but it locks out money because at the same time it cuts drug treatment money for local governments. Thats a conundrum for local municipalities, and one that Im very concerned about, Newsom said Friday. And therein lies my concern and opposition to that initiative.

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Still, Newsom said, he applauded any effort to crack down on organized retail theft, including for prosecutors who use Prop. 36 to bring charges.

I applaud any effort to address the issue of retail theft. Ive been applauding that for years and years, and Im very grateful to the work of the California Highway Patrol continuum of advancing those efforts, Newsom said.
Dec. 27Challenges in recruitment and retention of state employees continue to bog down state services, according to budget documents released earlier this month.

In recent months, the Fairbanks Pioneer Home, a public assisted-living facility, has reduced its capacity because of a shortage of staff. The Alaska Psychiatric Institute, the only public inpatient mental health facility in the state, relies on contracted staff, rather than employees, to provide care. The Division of Juvenile Justice has closed its Fairbanks facility due to staffing shortages.

The budget documents, prepared by the various departments in Alaska's state government, lay out the departments' current challenges and those they expect in the coming fiscal year. Almost every department lists staffing shortages or recruitment and retention as one of their top challenges or priorities.

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Recent data shows that vacancies in state government have remained persistently high. Last December, 14.8% of full-time state positions were vacant. Last month, 13.9% of full-time positions in the state's payroll system were vacant, according to information collected by Gov. Mike Dunleavy's Office of Budget and Management. More than 23% of part-time permanent positions were vacant, and more than 60% non-permanent positions  which are a minority of statewide jobs  were vacant. Overall, 16% of state jobs were unfilled as of Nov. 15.

Departments report that the vacancies have impacted services ranging from fisheries monitoring to payroll processing to services for mentally ill Alaskans. Even as some state offices have added new positions to target recruitment, launched new talent acquisition programs and offered sign-on bonuses, keeping key positions filled remains a challenge.

Amid challenges in recruitment and retention of state employees, lawmakers appropriated funds in 2023 for a salary survey to review whether the state was adequately compensating its workers. But the Dunleavy administration has delayed the release of the study, citing data gaps and missing information in the preliminary report.

The study was supposed to be completed in June, but the administration has asked for the study report to be delayed until March due to what the department has said was missing data on salary increases approved by lawmakers and through collective bargaining agreements with public employee unions.

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"As we reviewed drafts of the study, we identified the need to gather additional data and requested the contractor solicit salary data from additional peer/comparable jurisdictions," said Rachel Bylsma, Dunleavy's deputy chief of staff, in a letter to department heads sent earlier this month.

"Potential changes to the State's classification and pay plans informed by the final study report could substantially impact the State's budget, and additional due diligence is necessary, especially as we look at the State's revenue projections," Bylsma wrote.

Dunleavy earlier this month proposed a budget plan that did not include any changes to the state's pay structure.

Lawmakers have increasingly raised alarms about the delay in releasing the salary information, which could mean that the study's conclusions will not be incorporated in the coming budget cycle.

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Sen. Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, sent a letter earlier this week to the Department of Administration asking for the preliminary results of the survey to be released.

"The information gleaned from this study will be critical to the Legislature in addressing the many vacancies that exist in state government," Wielechowski wrote, asking the department to "prioritize the immediate release" of the study. Wielechowski said Friday that he had not received a response from the department.

Anchorage Republican Sen. Cathy Giessel, who earlier this year championed an effort to address the state's recruitment issues by overhauling public pension options, said she was concerned over the delay in releasing the study results "in light of the large number of vacancies in state government and local government."

"I think there's suspicion that the salaries and wages are so much lower than the private sector that it is part of the recruitment and retention problem. So it is odd that no information has been released," Giessel said.

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At least one department confirmed the suspicion that other employers pay more than Alaska in its budget document. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, federal agencies currently pay 37% more than the state for some equivalent positions, including biologists and biometricians. The gap between Alaska's compensation structure and that of the federal government has "widened in recent years," department officials said.

Earlier this month, Dunleavy named recruitment and retention as one of his office's key challenges, alongside diversifying and growing the state's economy; improving food security; making housing, food and energy more affordable; and maintaining a balanced budget. Recent data showed that the governor's office had the highest vacancy rate of any state department in November. More than one in every four funded positions was not filled, with a vacancy rate of nearly 28%.

Spokespeople from the governor's office did not respond to questions about Dunleavy's plans to address the state's recruitment and retention challenges, or about the reasons for the high rate of empty positions in the governor's office.

Numerous state departments  including the departments of Administration, Corrections, Fish and Game, Environmental Conservation, Family and Community Services, Health, Law, Natural Resources, Public Safety, and Transportation and Public Facilities  cited recruitment and retention or staffing as their top challenge or one of their top challenges heading into the new year in their budget documents.

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The Department of Administration is "struggling to fill both entry-level positions and professional positions. Positions can sit vacant for long periods of time with work shifted to current employees, resulting in significant amounts of overtime, job dissatisfaction, and retention challenges," department staff wrote in their budget proposal for the coming fiscal year.

Recruitment and retention challenges in the Department of Administration have downstream effects in every other section of state government, by reducing the efficiency of payroll services, which are handled by the department.

"Payroll Services was one of the sections hit hardest by challenges related to recruitment and retention. The section has had to maximize overtime and utilize non-permanent positions to continue timely delivery of pay to State employees," department staff wrote.

The Department of Administration also oversees a process known as classification studies, which is used when the state seeks to change the pay structure for a given position. Recruitment and retention challenges have led to an increase in the number of classification studies. Those studies currently take "between two and three years to complete," the department stated.

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The Department of Family and Community Services also listed recruitment and retention as its top challenge, saying it is "greatly impacted" by staffing shortages.

"While the department's initial responses to these challenges have demonstrated success, there is still more work to be done to address this issue," the department stated.

In the Department of Health, employee departures are impacting the Division of Public Health's ability to "meet industry and national standards," including training providers on new clinical advancements and implementing national emergency medical services standards.

In the Department of Law, less than half of attorneys have held their positions for more than four years.

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The Department of Natural Resources also listed staffing levels as its top challenge, stating that "difficult headwinds in the recruitment and retention of staff" have reduced the department's ability to keep pace "with growth in resource sector activities and major project developments."

The DNR Division of Forestry and Fire Protection also states that challenges in recruiting firefighters have reduced the state's ability to "handle a moderate fire load without having to order non-Alaskan firefighting resources."

The Department of Public Safety stated that statewide hiring challenges have "significantly impacted" the department's ability to recruit and retain essential personnel. The Department of Public Safety added a new position of "trooper recruiter" and created the "recruitment liaison officer program." The department processed 1,091 trooper applications, resulting in 29 hires during the 2024 fiscal year. Still, troopers reported that "persistent staffing shortages" impacted their ability to meet minimum service levels. As of November, 17% of the department's full-time positions were unfilled.

The state last conducted a salary study in 2009, when an outside contractor found that the state "is offering salaries and benefits that are within an appropriate competitive range in relation to other employers that are in direct competition for the employees required to deliver state services."

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Whether or not the salary study is released in time to be taken into account in the coming legislative session, addressing recruitment and retention is set to figure prominently into conversations among lawmakers in the coming year. The bipartisan coalitions in the House and Senate have both identified the state's retirement benefits as a key area for potential overhaul in the coming legislative session.

Daily News reporter Sean Maguire contributed to this report.
Greece will provide Ukraine with 24 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles to defend against ongoing Russian aerial attacks, the Greek news outlet Kathimerini reported on Dec. 28.

Sea Sparrows are U.S.-made short-range missiles that can be launched from the sea or ground to intercept cruise missiles or aircraft. Ukraine received its first batch of Sea Sparrows from the U.S. in January 2023.

Greece will send Ukraine Sea Sparrows from its naval and air force stockpiles that have been deemed unnecessary for the country's defense operations, Kathimerini reported. The missiles have reportedly been in use for 40 years.

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Athens has previously refused Kyiv's requests for certain air defense systems. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in April 2024 that he would not send Ukraine either Patriots or S-300 missile systems, due to Greece's own defense needs.

The Sea Sparrow transfer will not decrease Greece's defense capabilities in the Aegean Sea, Kathimerini reported.

Greece has supplied Ukraine with military assistance in the past, including BMP-1 armored vehicles, small arms, and ammunition. Greece has also agreed to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

Mitsotakis and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bilateral security agreement between Greece and Ukraine in October.

Read also: Our readers questions about the war, answered. Vol. 7

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  Two arrested after Greece Police found a stolen vehicle in a parking lot on Greece Ridge Center Drive.

On December 26, Greece Police received a call around 8:31 a.m. for the report of a stolen vehicle off of West Ridge Road. Police said they later found the vehicle parked on Greece Ridge Center Drive in a parking lot and arrested Bryan Fetterly and Amy Meadows, ages 39 and 38, both from Rochester.

Fetterly and Meadows were charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property (3rd) and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle (3rd). Meadows also faces an Aggravated Unlicensed Operation charge.

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They were both issued appearance tickets for Greece Town Court.

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  Greece Police have made an arrest following a stolen vehicle chase that ended in a chase on foot Friday.

Greece Police say they received a call around 3:31 p.m. reporting a vehicle on West Ridge Road that was stolen out of Penfield earlier in the day. As officers attempted to stop the vehicle on West Ridge it left the scene and officers continued searching.

According to Greece Police, officers were able to find the vehicle on the railroad tracks near a Delta Sonic on West Ridge Road. Police say 18-year-old Yariel Medina-Ortiz then left the vehicle and attempted to run on foot.

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After a small chase, Police say they were able to arrest Medina-Ortiz without incident. He was charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property (3rd), Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle, Resisting Arrest, Reckless Driving, and multiple vehicle and traffic violations.

Medina-Ortiz is currently being held for his arraignment.

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Greece has agreed to provide Ukraine with 24 Sea Sparrow missiles to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the fight against current threats.

Source: Kathimerini, daily morning newspaper published in Greece, as reported by European Pravda

Details: As noted, these missiles, which have been used for almost 40 years, are from Greeces naval and air force stockpiles and are considered unnecessary for operational use by the country's military standards.

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The Sea Sparrow is a short-range US-made anti-aircraft weapon, and Ukraine already has the necessary launchers to deploy it.

The transfer is part of Greece's broader military aid to Ukraine, which includes artillery shells, weapons and ammunition.

While this assistance is consistent with Greece's commitment to supporting Ukraine's defence efforts, it does not undermine Greece's Aegean Sea military capabilities.

Background:

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ruled out the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Patriot or S-300 air defence systems in spring. He stressed that these systems are "critical to our deterrence potential".

Ukraine and Greece signed a bilateral security agreement in Brussels in October.

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CLIVE, Iowa  A Grimes woman is celebrating after winning $150,000 from a lottery scratcher placed in her Christmas stocking.

Taylor Caffrey, 25, won the top prize in the scratch game Money Gift and claimed her prize Friday at the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

The ticket was placed in her Christmas stocking by her mom, something Caffrey says is a family tradition. According to Caffrey, this is the first time anyone has won big.

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Red Kettle ends, Salvation Army still seeking donations

The winning ticket was purchased by her mother at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh located at 9150 Southeast University in West Des Moines.

Caffrey says she will use the money to pay down college loan debt and plans to save up to buy a home.

This win means there are only two wins left for the Money Gift top prize of $150,000. According to Iowa Lottery, a $10 scratch game has overall odds of winning 1 in 2.83.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
MOUNT POCONO BOROUGH, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) There are many questions left unanswered in Monroe County after two people were discovered dead inside a home two days before Christmas.

It was quiet in a Mount Pocono neighborhood where police say a double homicide took place on Monday.

According to a release, the killings were so violent, police felt they had no choice but to barge through the door.

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On Monday, Pocono Mountain Regional Police were dispatched to this home located at 16 Brookeville Terrace in Mount Pocono for a welfare check.

When they got there, police say conditions at the scene led them to breach the door of the home.

Once they entered they found 47-year-old Joann Alberti and 54 year-old Craig Zigarelli dead inside the house.

Police say they went to the home after a caller reported they hadnt heard from a family member in a few days.

Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Chris Wagner says both deaths were considered violent, and happened inside the home.

Police say theres no danger to the public and the investigation is being treated as a homicide investigation.

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28/22 News reached out to Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department Thursday and spoke with an officer on duty who says no further information will be released at this time.

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Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article incorrectly described how police interacted with people involved in the shooting at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Two people were detained.

A shooting and stabbing on Wednesday night at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has prompted questions about firearm rules and security protocols at the state's primary airport.

Three people were shot and a fourth person stabbed as a fight turned violent inside Terminal 4 about 9:40 p.m. on Dec. 25. Two individuals were detained. Hours later, a man who showed up at the airport with guns of his own, apparently prompted by reports of the shooting, was arrested, officials said.

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The Phoenix Police Department has been investigating the incidents since Wednesday evening. Since then, people have weighed in with their own questions on social media: Why was there a gun at the airport? Are guns allowed at airports? Was this shooting before or after the security checkpoint? Can the airport ban guns?

Several Phoenix City Council members, who were briefed on the matter, told The Arizona Republic on Friday they believe security protocols were properly followed and there were no breaches or failures.

That's because the fight occurred near a restaurant outside the airport's security checkpoints, according to Phoenix police Sgt. Mayra Reeson.

Here's what to know about firearms at the airport.

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Facing charges: Man accused of bringing guns to Sky Harbor airport after Christmas shooting

Are guns allowed at Phoenix's airport?

The short answer is: Yes, firearms are allowed at the airport, but only before the security checkpoint.

"The area in the terminal before security checkpoints are public," Phoenix police Sgt. Phil Krynsky told The Arizona Republic. So, the same "rules/laws apply as in any public area."

Firearms are not allowed after going through security checkpoints.

Can you fly with a firearm?

Travelers are allowed to fly with firearms, but the weapon has to be checked (not carried on) in a hard-shell container that is secure and not easy to open. The weapon cannot be loaded. Flyers with firearms must declare the weapon to the airline at the check-in counter.

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Failure to comply with the rules by bringing firearms through security can result in penalties between $3,000 and $10,700 plus criminal referral. Penalties for repeat violations include criminal referral and fines up to roughly $15,000.

The federal Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, is responsible for "ensuring firearms are not transported via carry-on bags or on a passenger going through security screening," spokesperson Daniel Velez said.

TSA and the airlines are also responsible for ensuring "passengers flying with firearms properly transport them in their checked baggage."

Does the Phoenix airport have a gun problem?

Shootings at the Phoenix airport are extremely rare, and there have only been three calls to the airport for someone with a gun and one for a stabbing since 2015, according to open data released by Phoenix police.

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But the number of people who try to bring guns through security is high.

Phoenix has remained among the top five airports in the nation for the most firearm interceptions by TSA for the past six years, according to TSA data:

2019: 132 firearms detected, Rank: 5th

2020: 124 firearms detected, Rank: 3rd

2021: 196 firearms detected, Rank: 4th

2022: 196 firearms detected, Rank: 5th

2023: 235 firearms detected, Rank: 4th

2024: 245 firearms detected, Rank: 4th (as of Dec. 26)

So far in 2024, TSA has intercepted 245 firearms at Sky Harbor security checkpoints, preventing them from getting into the secure areas of the airport and onboard aircraft. That was the fourth-highest ranking in the U.S. and an 85% increase since 2019.

We are still seeing far too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and whats particularly concerning is the amount of them loaded, presenting an unnecessary risk to everyone at the TSA checkpoint, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said at the start of the year.

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Gregory Roybal, spokesperson for the airport, said the airport "has collaborated closely with TSA in recent years to raise awareness of traveling correctly with a firearm."

In 2023, Sky Harbor and TSA held a news conference to show travelers how to travel with weapons properly.

Could the airport ban guns in the pre-security area?

The airport has to follow rules set by the city, state or federal governments, Roybal said.

In Arizona, firearms are mainly dealt with at the state level. State law prohibits cities from enacting "any rule or ordinance that relates to firearms and is more prohibitive than or that has a penalty that is greater than any state law penalty."

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Phoenix has run into trouble with state laws governing firearms in the past. In 2023, the city tried to donate hundreds of unclaimed guns in police possession to Ukraine. State lawmakers filed a complaint with the attorney general, who then confirmed the city had violated state law.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said of that incident, "State leaders must do better to prioritize public safety and give cities the tools to keep guns used in violent crimes from re-entering our communities."

What we know: Christmas shooting at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport leads to injuries

Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Are guns allowed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport?
HARTSELLE, Ala. (WHNT)  A Hartselle native and former CIA official was appointed as President-elect Donald Trumps ambassador to Mexico for the upcoming administration in early December.

On Dec. 10, Trump announced that Ronald Douglas Johnson, former one-time ambassador to El Salvador and Hartselle native, would serve as the ambassador to Mexico, according to The Hill.

The Hill wrote that Johnson will take on one of the highest-profile diplomatic posts in the new Trump administration.

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Trump took to True Social to announce his nomination of Johnson for the role. You can read the full statement below.

I am pleased to nominate Ronald (Ron) Johnson to serve as the United States Ambassador to Mexico. Ron will work closely with our great Secretary of State Nominee, Marco Rubio, to promote our Nations security and prosperity through strong America First Foreign Policies. During my First Term, Ron served as the Ambassador to El Salvador, where he worked tirelessly with Salvadoran authorities and our team to reduce violent crime and illegal migration to the lowest levels in History. He also served our Country for over twenty years with the Central Intelligence Agency after a distinguished career in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret. He graduated from the National Intelligence University with a Master of Strategic Intelligence.



Congratulations Ron. Together, we will put an end to migrant crime, stop the illegal flow of Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our Country and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! Donald Trump, Truth Social

Johnson graduated from Morgan County High School in 1970 in Hartselle. He served in the U.S. Army from 1984 to 1998 and retired as a Colonel. Before that, he had served in the Alabama Army National Guard, enlisting as a private in 1971 and reaching the rank of Captain before going on to active duty in the Army in 1984.

Before working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Johnson was Special Advisor to the U.S. Southern Command in Miami managing collaboration between the Command and the Intelligence Community, the State Department, the CDC, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, USAID and others.

Johnson was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment on April 20, 2023.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
HARTSVILLE, S.C. (WBTW)  A Hartsville police officer was involved in a crash Friday afternoon in the area of 6th and Washington streets, a city spokesperson said.

No additional information was immediately available. News13 has reached out to the South Carolina Patrol to see if the agency is investigating the crash.

Count on us for updates.

* * *

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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Hannah Berner, 33, issued an important clarification regarding a joke about Blake Lively that appeared in Netflix's Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year.

The comedian emphasized that her segment was filmed before Lively's recent legal action against Justin Baldoni.

During her three-minute set in the special, which covered various 2024 pop culture moments including the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift relationship and Ellen DeGeneres' overseas move, Berner made a brief joke referencing Lively where she referred to her as. "c**t".

The comedian addressed the timing in a statement on her Instagram Stories December 27, confirming the special was filmed at The Bellwether in Los Angeles on December 17.

"My joke in the Netflix roast was filmed before news of the lawsuit," she wrote. "To be 100 percent clear, I support Blake."

The clarification comes amid Lively's December 20 legal filing against It Ends With Us director-costar Justin Baldoni. The actress, 37, alleges Baldoni orchestrated a smear campaign against her after she reported misconduct on the film's set. Her legal team claims the campaign was "carefully crafted, coordinated and resourced" to silence her and others.

Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, responded on December 21, denying the allegations and later addressed the PR strategy as standard crisis management procedure. Lively subsequently told 'The New York Times' she hopes her legal action will expose retaliatory tactics against those who report misconduct.

Jenny Slate, who costars in 'It Ends With Us', has publicly supported Lively, describing the revealed attacks as "terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening," while expressing admiration for her friend's bravery.
Dec. 27TikTok is on track to be banned in three weeks, and users of the social media app in Spokane are worried how the app's loss might impact their businesses and community connection.

Earlier this, year a federal law was passed to ban TikTok from use in the United States unless the Chinese company that owns it sells. Though the law's constitutionality soon will be decided by the Supreme Court, it appears TikTok owner ByteDance has no intention to sell before the January deadline.

On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court in a filing to delay implementation of the law so he could negotiate a deal with TikTok once in office.

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"President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns," Trump attorney D. John Sauer wrote in the filing.

Proponents of the law argue that the large amount of personal data collected by a social media app like TikTok would be available to the Chinese government, which has a stake in the company.

If the law goes into effect, the app will still work on devices where it is already downloaded, but it will not be available in any app stores and could not be updated. Over time, the app on American phones would stop working.

Here is what four local TikTokkers think about the ban and what can be lost or gained from the possible demise of the social media company.

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@solidfirepits, 145,000 followers

Scott Shumake designs and builds custom fire pits. A business and an art project, all of his fire pits hang from a frame and spin as wood burns on them. He might not have been able to live off his passion if it was not for TikTok.

In the winter of 2020, Shumake paid for advertising on sites like Facebook and YouTube, but there was no business after paying $1,000. Feeling "ripped off," he went to Riverfront Park and shot a short video with the Spokane Pavilion in the background. It went viral on TikTok with no advertising.

"I've built near to 500 fire pits thanks to TikTok in the past four years. And at least for me, that doesn't happen on other platforms," he said.

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Shumake is not concerned by TikTok's association with the Chinese government. He also does not think TikTok will be banned. He believes the incoming Trump administration will stop the ban before it goes into place next month.

If the app is banned, Shumake expects his business to take a hit in the short term.

"I would be keeping my eyes on where the energy will go. There would be a vacuum, 'cause all the users will move somewhere else. So hopefully, I can be successful at that other place," he said.

@tu7stanger, 26,000 followers

T'u Stanger is an artist who sometimes uses TikTok to promote their art. But they use it much more to find connection.

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"If TikTok goes away, I would be sad that I would be losing so many connections all over the world. I have been able to meet people and connect on that platform a lot easier and organically than anywhere else online," they said.

Stanger uses Instagram to meet clients and sell art, but as "a little more of a professional platform," they do not expect to find the same community as is on TikTok. The app is also a safe place for Stanger to meet other queer people and post about being queer in a place like Spokane.

"I think there would be a hit, as far as being able to find a queer community so quickly. It can be harder to find that on Instagram or other places. So I worry for queer people who might not have other outlets," they said.

Stanger does not see a difference between an American company having access to their personal information and the Chinese government.

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"Whenever you sign up for anything online, you are agreeing to that. All that is a buzz word to get you a little nervous. But we have so much information out there already," they said.

@realjakebeal, 7,800 followers

Jake Beal posts humorous videos poking fun at Spokane and asking those watching his videos to call him to buy a house in the area. "Jake the Realtor" called the TikTok ban a "bummer" because he gets two to three deals a year from the platform.

He is also "a little bit skeptical" of the government's reasons to remove the app.

"I don't really care," he said of the app's connection to the Chinese government. "I mean, I don't trust Facebook any more than I would trust TikTok."

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@taytaykendall 5,300 followers

Taylor Kendall posts about Spokane businesses on TikTok to practice her marketing skills. Holding a degree in marketing from Whitworth University, she hoped the content could show prospective employers her marketing ability.

"I started it as just kind of a fun thing to do. And I kind of blew up. I had a couple viral videos on TikTok. I got more followers, and then I got to work with different restaurants," she said.

Kendall's feelings on the app are "50% positive, 50% negative." She has had a positive experience, but she is concerned by the lack of regulation on the app and how children may be able to use it in unhealthy ways.

In anticipation of the incoming ban, she has moved her content to Instagram.

"I pretty much only use Instagram now. Which is fine, but it's good to have both platforms," she said.
WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  Early in the school year, the number of school threats across Middle Tennessee shot up, alarming parents, students and law enforcement. News 2 talked with the Wilson County Sheriffs Office about the uptick of school threats this year, and how theyre working to stop them.

One thing that we want to do is that every red flag that comes up, we want to make sure that we check that off, said Captain Scott Moore with the Wilson County Sheriffs Office.

Training over tech: School safety expert weighs in on security measures

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In September, the red flags kept coming. School districts across Middle Tennessee saw an alarming uptick in school threats. Captain Scott Moore said Wilson County saw 23 threats in the first three months of the school year, and 18 of those 23 threats came over a nerve-racking two-week time span.

Someone was texting/messaging the mobile crisis hotline. And basically stating that they were about to walk through the front door of Watertown Elementary with an assault rifle to hurt others, as well as themself, said Moore.

Turns out that incident was a false alarm, a fake threat; students were not in any harm. But law enforcement say these fake calls are still a massive drain on their resources. Called swatting, they force law enforcement to spend large amounts of money providing costly SWAT team resources for a threat that was never real in the first place.

Unfortunately, social media allows the fake threats to spread like wildfire.

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Were responding as though we have an active shooter, said Captain Moore.

You talk about the financial resources. Thats money when everyone gets called out and goes there too. What kind of financial hit is this? News 2 asked Moore.

Thousands of dollars, said Captain Moore. Because not only do you have the officers that respond, but you have detectives that are working to try and figure out where the threat came from.

School threats spread well beyond Wilson County. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, 321 school threats were investigated from August first through Sept. 14.

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To combat this, in 2023 the General Assembly approved funding to put a Homeland Security agent in every Tennessee county. Moore says that extra resource has been helpful investigating online threats.

Lobbyists, marketing, money: The big business behind school safety

Using their intelligence, a lot of times we can know in minutes where that originated as, said Moore. You cant 100% prevent anything. But what you can do is put yourself in the best possible position to prevent something like that from happening.

Law enforcement say tougher laws, like the one passed last session making a school threat a felony, are helpful in deterring crime. But, it also takes education programs like DARE, more K-9 officers, SROs in every school, as well as parents at home monitoring their children.

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As parents, we all need to be more proactiv, said Moore. Little factors like that. Just to be vigilant and know the red flags that are out there.

Using the SAFE TN app, you can report a school threat and stay anonymous, or reach out to your local police department.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
North Korean forces are being sent forward in "human waves" against Ukraine, the White House said.

A spokesperson said the tactic has resulted in heavy casualties, with more than 1,000 killed or wounded in the past week.

The North Korean troops are treated as expendable and sent on "hopeless" assaults, they said.

North Korean forces are suffering heavy casualties as they carry out "human wave" attacks against Ukrainian troops, a White House spokesperson has said.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US now assesses North Korean soldiers are carrying out "massed, dismounted assaults" against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region.

"And these human wave tactics that we're seeing haven't really been all that effective," Kirby said. "We assess that they've resulted in heavy casualties for these North Korean forces."

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"Our estimate is that, to date, they have suffered more than 1,000 killed or wounded in this particular fighting in just the past week of them fighting on the front lines."

Kirby said it was "clear" that Russian and North Korean military leaders saw the troops as "expendable" and were "ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses."

He added that the soldiers "appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile."

North Korean troops first arrived in Russia in October. Ukraine said in November that it had for the first time attacked North Korean forces in Kursk , where Ukraine advanced into in August as part of its fightback against Russia's invasion.

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Pyongyang's losses have since mounted, according to South Korean and Western intelligence.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that preliminary estimates suggested that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in Kursk.

North Korea's military is one of the biggest in the world, but it has little battle experience. South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reportedly said that some of Pyongyang's troops are ill-prepared for drone attacks and the terrain in Kursk.

Ukrainian officials and soldiers have said some North Korean troops have been killed by drones that they did not realize were dangerous , while Ukrainian intelligence said others accidentally killed eight Russian soldiers in Kursk in a "friendly fire" incident caused by a language barrier.

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Warfare experts told Business Insider that North Korean troops appeared to be suffering high casualties as they were not given much training but that the troops could learn to adapt to the battlefield.

The NIS warned that North Korea nevertheless appeared to be preparing to put more troops in Russia, The New York Times reported.

Kirby also said on Friday that the US has reports "of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they're captured."

The alleged treatment of North Korean soldiers is not dissimilar to how Moscow has treated some of its own forces  Russian troops have also frequently attempted to overwhelm Ukrainian positions with "meat wave" attacks.

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Moving forward, Kirby said the US would remain "absolutely committed" to bolstering Ukrainian air defenses, citing Russia's Christmas attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

"No doubt this was all about weaponizing winter and weaponizing energy, making it harder for the Ukrainian people to get the heat that they need simply to subsist," Kirby said.

He added that the US would soon have another security assistance package for Ukraine, including air defense systems and gear "to help them in fighting in and around Kursk to beat back these North Korean waves, as well as continue their defensive operations against the Russians in the east."

It comes at a crucial moment for Kyiv as it gears up for the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A homeless man was injured after he reportedly caught on fire inside Manhattans Penn Station on Friday night and investigators are probing the cause of the blaze, authorities and sources said.

First responders swarmed the major transit hub around 7:50 p.m. after MTA police received a report of a man on fire inside a commuter passageway at the station, according to police.

A man was burned inside NYCs Penn Station Friday evening. Dorian Geiger

First responders swarmed Penn Station around 7:50 p.m on Friday night. Christopher Sadowski

MTA cops discovered the man, 67, with burns to both legs and his upper body, the NYPD said.

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He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition.

By early Saturday, it remained unclear how the fire started or if criminality was a factor.

The man told police he believes somebody set him ablaze, claiming he was sleeping and woke up on fire, law enforcement sources said.

But investigators so far have found no evidence to support someone else was involved.

While there are no surveillance cameras where the man was discovered, others nearby did not capture anyone leaving the scene, the sources said.

Authorities were focusing the investigation on a New Jersey Transit tunnel near tracks 1-12.

The Penn Station tunnel where the man caught on fire was cornered off by police tape. Christopher Sadowski

Investigators are probing the cause of the blaze, authorities and sources said. Christopher Sadowski

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The tunnel was cordoned off by police tape as authorities concentrated on what appeared to be a blanket on the ground.

Some commuters passing by the scene were unnerved to learn of the subway fire.

One passenger who frequents the passageway where the blaze occurred said the area has long been a hub for delinquency, noting homeless people are typically sleeping in the hallways, which are poorly lit.

This is exactly the way I come to the office every day, Secaucus software engineer Rahul Vemula, 29, told The Post.

It feels a little scary to travel everyday. Especially this hallway, it doesnt seem safe sometimes. I see a lot of homeless people around here, at least in this hallway, this pathway. And it seems a little scary when you walk [it]. They need more lights and to move the homeless people from here.

Friday nights incident comes less than a week after a sleeping woman was set on fire and killed on the F train in Brooklyn, allegedly by a Guatemalan migrant who had been deported in 2018.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Howell High School student charged with aiding and abetting the 2021 assault of a fellow student by filming it, writing in a 6-1 majority decision Friday that, since he was not armed at the time of the incident, he can not be charged with assault.

The student, who was 16 at the time, was initially charged after filming two students assaulting a third student and distributing that video to other students. During the incident, the two assailants kicked the victim while wearing shoes, and one of them, who was wearing a pair of slides, picked up one of the shoes and hit the victim with it.

The victim, a new student with autism, ended up with a concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Prosecutors initially charged the teen with assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder (AWIGBH), under an aiding and abetting theory, saying he encouraged the assailants. Rather than charging him as a juvenile in family court, the prosecution instead moved to try him as an adult, as a juvenile can be charged with that specific crime if they are armed with a dangerous weapon at the time of the assault.

Since the court determined that the shoes used during the attack were dangerous weapons, the teen was bound to be tried as an adult in circuit court. The defenses motions to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction were also denied by the lower court and the Michigan Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court ruled that he could not be charged with AWIGBH because the court failed to prove that the teen was armed with a weapon before charging him as an adult.

We hold that in order for the criminal division of a circuit court to have jurisdiction over a juvenile defendant pursuant to MCL 764.1f(2)(b), the juvenile defendant in question must be armed with a dangerous weapon. Because there is no evidence that defendant was armed with a dangerous weapon during the incident at issue, the criminal division of the circuit court did not have jurisdiction over defendant under MCL 764.1f(2)(b). We reverse the Court of Appeals holding to the contrary, vacate the decision in part, and remand this case to the circuit court with instructions to grant defendants motion to quash the bindover and transfer this case to the family division of the circuit court. Justice Bernstein, Majority Opinion of the Michigan Supreme Court, Dec. 27, 2024

In the sole dissenting opinion, Justice Viviano disagreed, saying that the majority court decided to address an issue that neither the teen nor the lower courts arguedwhether or not he was armed at the time of the incident or whether or not the actions of the two assailants could be pinned on him under an aiding and abetting argument. He also argued that since the prosecution did not initially file a motion in family court, but charges in circuit court, the family court could not have jurisdiction over the case.

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Because defendant was charged as an aider and abettor, the entire focus of his arguments below was on the apparel worn by his two codefendants, who actually struck and injured an autistic classmate during the planned attack, while defendant allegedly encouraged them and recorded the attack on his cell phone for later distribution to other students. Defendant never argued that the actions of his codefendants could not be imputed to him for purposes of the AWS. Justice Viviano, Dissenting Opinion of the Michigan Supreme Court, Dec. 27, 2024

As a result of the Michigan Supreme Court ruling, the case was ordered to be transferred to family court.

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The Casba, a Broad Ripple staple, has closed after serving the neighborhood with music, dancing and drinks for nearly 40 years.

Announcing the closure in an Instagram post, the business owners said the shuttering was a moment we have fought off for as long as we could.

This is truly the end of an era, the post read. The culture that sustained Broad Ripples basement will never be replaced or replicated.

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The intimate basement bar at 6319 Guilford Ave. became a hub for hip-hop, parties and its popular Reggae Revolution Sundays. The performances packed its halls with clientele from all walks of life, one 2017 IndyStar article described.

As one Casba frequenter said, "on Sunday night, this is where everybody meets."

"African, Barbadian, Trinidadian, Jamaican, Haitian, American," Errol "Scooby" Edmond told IndyStar. "This is the place to be."

The bars closing ushered in an outpouring of well-wishers and nostalgia.

This is a huge loss of an important cultural and music institution for Indianapolis," one commenter said on Instagram. "I know many that made some of our closest friendships in that building."

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RIP to the Casba in Broad Ripple. Again, tired of seeing these closures. What a legendary place. read a tweet from apparel store The Shop Indy.

https://x.com/TheShopIndy/status/1873004159806627933

Among the long roster of DJs to grace the Casba included the late IndyStar photographer Mpozi Mshale Tolbert, whose likeness is depicted in a mural near the Casba that was unveiled just last month. His previous mural was painted over.

Contact IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis nightclub known as a cultural and musical institution closes
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)  Part of the work for a $401 million missile contract for both U.S. forces and allies will be done in Huntsville, according to the Department of Defense.

On Dec. 19, the U.S. Department of Defense released that Raytheon was awarded a not-to-exceed $401,199,552 firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract for the procurement of 131 full rate production Block V Tactical Tomahawk All Up Rounds missiles to include 26 for the Army, 16 for the Marine Corps, 11 for the Commonwealth of Australia, and 78 for the government of Japan.

In this release, the DOD said Huntsville will perform 8.02% of the work. Other cities to work on the project include:

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Tucson, Ariz.

Pontiac, Mich.

East Camden, Ark.

Clearwater, Fla.

Anniston, Ala.

Spanish Fork, Utah

Berryville, Ark.

Glenrothes Fife, Great Britain

El Segundo, Calif.

Dublin, Ga.

Middletown, Conn.

Vergennes, Vt.

Midland, Ontario, Canada

Blaine, Minn.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Boulder, Colo.

Other various locations within the Continental U.S.

According to the contract, work is expected to be completed in March 2028. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The entrance to Hendersonville Mobile Estates. The mobile home community was flooded during Hurricane Helene. One tenant lost her life. (Photo: Greg Childress)

In recent months, Hurricane Helene and the historic flooding it unleashed on western North Carolina have dominated housing headlines.

The Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) estimates damages and needs totaling $59.6 billion due to the storm. Helenes fury will have a decades-long impact on residents and businesses in the west.

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A large portion  $15.4 billion  of the states damages and needs assessment is for housing assistance and recovery. The region suffered $12.7 billion in residential damage. The remainder of the money is needed for transitional shelter and other public assistance.

Approximately 73,700 homes are expected to be found damaged by the time the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) finishes its assessment. Single-family homes, manufactured homes, and duplexes account for the majority of affected residential structures, the OSBM estimates.

NC Newsline traveled to Western North Carolina in mid-November and found a robust recovery effort and proud, resilient residents showing what one called true grit in the face of unprecedented disaster.

The residents of Hendersonville Mobile Estates, Inc., a mobile home park for senior citizens graciously shared their story of survival and loss.

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With water up to his bearded chin, Robert Tallman, the parks manager, had what he believed was his final conversation with God:

Well, Lord, I guess Ill be talking to you in a few minutes face-to-face, because its up to my chin and its still pouring, Tallman said. Just then, it was like he [God] turned it off. The rain stopped and a glimmer of sunlight came through and I said wow, fast answer, thank you sir.

One mobile home park resident did die in the storm. Vicki Allen and her dog Sophie both perished after a porch Allen was standing on washed away in fast-moving flood waters. There are 103 verified storm-related fatalities in North Carolina as of December 18, 2024 due to Hurricane Helene, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

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We found Sophie wedged in a tree behind one of the trailers and after the water receded, we found Vicki [Allen] out behind the workshop, Tallman said.

Tallman was like many residents in Hendersonville and other parts of Western North Carolina who had been living in what they call FEMA hotels since shortly after the storm hit September 27.

In Swannanoa, NC Newsline found volunteers from across the country who have been in North Carolina for several weeks assisting with the recovery effort.

A couple from the Winston-Salem area set up a makeshift stand in the middle of the parking lot of a flooded-out strip mall.

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Heather Hunter and husband Noah were serving hot dogs, cold drinks and snacks to survivors.

The folks here need hope and though I cant fix everything for them, or really anything, sometimes just having a full belly and a cold drink gives hope, Heather Hunter told NC Newsline. It just makes them feel like theyre all right for that moment.

Kim Teitelman, a Red Cross volunteer from Northern Virginia, was at the strip mall handing out emergency supplies. Teitelman said she believed the coming holidays will bring people closer together as the recovery effort in western North Carolina continues.

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People have been coming to help from all different states, Teitelman said. The American people really are nice, no matter what you hear in the media. The American people come out for these things.

Governor-elect Josh Stein has said that the recovery effort in Western North Carolina will be the top priority of his administration.

In November, Stein launched the Rebuilding Western North Carolina Advisory Committee to help advise his work to address communities affected by Hurricane Helene. The Committee is made up of leaders across the region to provide counsel and strategic advice.

Homelessness in the capital city

Storm-damaged sections of western North Carolina were far from the only parts of North Carolina in which people struggled to find decent and affordable housing in 2024. As NC Newsline chronicled in a September report, a struggle between people living in homeless encampments and public officials is a problem that continues to the City of Raleigh.

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Several people living in an encampment off of Highway 70 near Interstate 40 spoke with NC Newsline about the struggle to find affordable housing in a city that is quickly pricing out low-and moderate-income residents.

People living in a Raleigh homeless encampment pack belongings after being told to move. (Photo: Greg Childress)

Wheres the low-income housing? Shakamie said in September, shortly after the people living in the encampment were told to move. I tried to go rent an apartment. When you go rent the apartment  $1,600  your monthly rent. Then they say I gotta pay three months or two months payment. The paycheck people making on them job  where you gonna get two- or three-months payment?

(NC Newsline agreed not share Shakamies last name because of his fear of retribution for speaking out.)

As reported by Raleighs News & Observer, rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,260 a month in August, which is down 3.8% month-over-month and 9.4% from a year ago, according to Zumpers recent rent report. The median rent for a two-bedroom unit was $1,560, which was down 2.5% from the previous month and 4.9% from 2023.

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Latonya Agard, executive director of the N.C. Coalition to End Homelessness, told NC Newsline that improving the plight of unhoused people will require major shifts in policy and resources, Agard said.

We continue to do the same thing because we dont want to make the critical changes in our economy and our policies that would cause a shift so that people who need the most assistance and resources can get them, Agard said. There is profit to be made, unfortunately, and there are structures that are maintained by continuing to shuttle people from one section of the city to another and from one trauma to the next.

Some locals pointed to strategies in Grants Pass, Oregon, the town whose ordinance banning camping in public spaces gave rise to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding such policies, as a possible solution for Raleigh. The Grants Pass city council agreed to set aside four sites for homeless campers.

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Patrick ONeill, a Wake County advocate for people experiencing homelessness, said Raleigh should explore such a solution for its homeless population in addition to increasing its supply of affordable housing, particularly for people on the low end of the earning scale.

The people on the street arent even crying out for housing, they just want a plot of grass, an 8 x 8 plot of grass, where they can pitch their tent and not be harassed by the police, ONeill said. Were not willing to give them the bare minimum.
Here's a news item no one saw coming: A man was deemed unworthy of heading the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) because he didn't demonstrate sufficient respect for Americans' rights to take risks with their own bodies.

Watching President-elect Donald Trump assemble a Cabinet has been chaotic, to say the least. But no saga has been more interesting for the fate of bodily autonomy than the squabble over the DEA.

Trump announced the selection of Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister on November 30. The local Florida lawman was an odd choice for a federal agency that runs complicated international operations and has about 10,000 employees. There were also immediate whiffs of corruption; he's married to the daughter of former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., whom Trump pardoned during his first term. But neither of those reasons are why he withdrew suddenly on December 3.

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After the nomination was announced, Rep. Thomas Massie (RKy.) posted: "I'm going to call 'em like I see 'em. Trump's nominee for head of DEA should be disqualified for ordering the arrest [of] a pastor who defied COVID lockdowns."

Massie, a consistent opponent of the lockdowns, flagged a boastful March 2020 tweet from Chronister "announcing the arrest of Dr. Ronald Howard-Browne, Pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church, who intentionally and repeatedly disregarded state and local public health orders, which put his congregation and our community in danger." The arrest came just days after an executive order was put in place banning gatherings of 10 people or moreincluding faith-based gatherings. The evangelical pastor proclaimed worship an "essential service" and declared he would not close his church "until the rapture."

Massie is right the arrest was nothing to brag about. It was one of the many, many instances of state overreach during the pandemic. In the ensuing controversy, the church claimed it had been honoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's distancing guidelines (which later turned out to be unscientific and needlessly bureaucratic).

It is heartening to see so many Republicans leap to the defense of bodily autonomy, indeed to consider it a litmus test for a potential officeholder's worth. It's deeply weird to see that happen over an appointment to head the agency responsible for some of the most egregious violations of that autonomy.

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***

The DEA operates under the misguided premise that it has the right to enforce arbitrary standards about what risks individuals can take with their own bodiesthe same basic issue at the heart of the lockdowns. From raiding medical marijuana dispensaries in states where cannabis is legal to aggressively pursuing patients and doctors in pain management cases, the DEA routinely preempts the rights of seekers of relaxation or relief.

The agency criminalizes personal choices, incarcerates people for nonviolent drug offenses, and exacerbates public health crises like the recent wave of opioid abuse by instilling fear in doctors who might otherwise prescribe necessary medication and thus driving users into black markets. By its very nature, the DEA assumes federal power over matters of personal health and risk taking.

Moreover, the DEA's focus on prohibition over harm reduction fuels unsafe underground markets, endangering lives while claiming to protect them. Its existence is a testament to the federal government's willingness to sacrifice personal liberty on the altar of moralistic control, making it one of the most antiautonomy agencies in Washington.

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For its role in the prohibition of psychedelics, it infringes on freedom of conscience and even, in some cases, on traditional religious practice. The Supreme Court made clear in 2006's Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficente Uniao do Vegetal that protections under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act could apply to the use of ayahuasca, a tea containing the hallucinogenic substance DMT, in religious ceremonies. Yet the DEA considers it a Schedule I substance.

***

Massie, to his credit, has been a skeptic of what he has called the "failed war on drugs." He has called for an end to marijuana prohibition, as well as for checks on drug enforcers' invasions of privacy. But most are not so consistent. The same hypocrisy is evident on many issuesand present on both sides of the aislefrom fertility and gender to draft registration.

The case against overzealous enforcement of COVID-19 lockdown orders is the case against the DEA. Good riddance to Chronister, but while we're weeding out threats to personal liberty from law enforcement, let's consider striking at the root.

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That executive order that Chronister was enforcing? It was signed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was, at the time Chronister withdrew from consideration, rumored to be under consideration for a possible Cabinet spot of his own.

The post Hypocrisy on Bodily Autonomy at the DEA appeared first on Reason.com.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE)  The Jewish community in Santa Fe spent Thursday picking up the pieces of their broken menorah. It was an ice sculpture to celebrate Hanukah that was placed on display on the historic plaza just two days ago.

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Sounds of drills and fusing ice is how the Santa Fe Jewish Center kicked off its celebration of Hanukah earlier this week with the main attraction being an ice menorah to light every night of the eight-day holiday until January 2. A sculptor from Albuquerque put the five-foot-tall creation together at the Santa Fe Plaza. A nice crowd gathered to see it, to witness it, to see how she put the final touches on the menorah, said Rabbi Berel Levertov, head rabbi at the Santa Fe Jewish Center Chabad.

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Rabbi Levertov candled that menorah the first night only to find it broken the very next morning. A tent covered the ice sculpture to block the sun but that wasnt enough. All the pieces where there were chunks so it didnt melt down. It looks like it was pushed over, Levertov said.

Levertov said he hoped it wasnt out of malicious intent but instead an accident. Its concerning I dont know who did it, I dont know why they would do it. Im hoping it wasnt that intentional, Im hoping someone tried to touch it maybe and knock it over, said Levertov.

But it wont deter them from continuing their 26 year tradition on the plaza. Levertov said in the meantime they will light their already existing chili menorah at least until they can get another ice sculpture made. Its gonna be a bigger, bulkier, a little bit further away from the walkway, and a little more secure, Levertov said.

The center filed a police report and wanted to see if there is any surveillance video showing what happened. The rabbi said he wants the person to step forward and help them rebuild a new piece.

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He stayed positive about his community. Although there are many pockets of the world that have much antisemitism, so far in Santa Fe, were secure, people are tolerant, people are welcoming, said Levertov.

The Santa Fe Police Department said they are currently investigating the incident as criminal damage and have no suspects so far. They also noted that, apart from the broken menorah, there was no evidence of anti-Semitism.

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NEW YORK (PIX11)Imagine what New York City was like in 1937. Perhaps you can begin to imagine what an 87-year-old dive bar looks like.

The Subway Inn is closing this weekend and the lights are being turned off at its iconic neon sign.

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I will miss its old world charm, Liz Reilly, a longtime customer, told PIX11 News.

It was a bittersweet weekend for long-time aficionados of The Subway Inn, the quintessential New York City dive bar.

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The bars iconic neon sign, which stands out in front of its third location on Second Avenue near 61st Street, dates back to 1937 when it opened right by Bloomingdales and near a subway entrance.

A dive bar in Midtown was absolutely phenomenal, Peter Tamburri, a longtime regular, drinking a Jameson shot followed by a Guinness for $12, told PIX11 News. Whether you were a CEO or a Porter, we all mixed together.

I am kind of numb, Steven Salinas, the owners son, said.

Salinass father, Marcello, a penniless immigrant from Peru, started working as a porter for the original owner, Charlie Ackerman, in 1970, eventually saving enough money to buy the bar.

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But rising rents, COVID-19, and changing bar tastes took their toll, and Salinas widow and sons decided it was time to close its doors at this location.

I dont understand how the generation is these days, Salinas said. No one goes out to bars. I dont feel Im in touch with the community anymore, he added.

I need to change. Its been 23 years doing this, Mario Roselli, another owners son, told PIX11 News. Maybe down the road, we will open up again.

You look back at New York history, Lerone Wilson, the artist and longtime regular, told PIX11 News. Some major people that were around during that time, like Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, came here.

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As did Sean Penn, Julia Roberts, and Willie Nelson, to name a few.

Lots of famous people mixed in with the regulars, customers told PIX11 News.

Its a community. I made lifelong friendships that I see outside of here that I met here. I started my own business because of Subway Inn, Derek Lockett, founder of Divine Vision 7, told PIX11 News.

Ive spent half of my adult life here. I love this place. Its my place, he added.

Thank you to all New Yorkers for supporting us because youre the Subway Inn Saviors, Salinas said.

There is still a possibility That Subway Inn will eventually find a new location.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Illinois State Police Trooper Clay Carns was killed Monday after being hit on I-55 in Will County while he was clearing debris, police said. The family of the husband and father of two released a statement Saturday.
Extreme weather events have always existed, but recent findings show that human-induced global heating is supercharging these events and making them much, much worse.

What's happening?

An assessment shows that a number of heatwaves would have had virtually zero chance of happening if Earth had not been warmed up by dirty fuels.

According to The Guardian, scientific studies have proved that at least 24 "previously impossible" heatwaves have struck the planet and killed people across North America, Europe, and Asia. Worryingly, additional studies have also demonstrated that global heating is responsible for making 550 heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires significantly worse, leading to the premature deaths of millions of people, including thousands of newborn babies.

What's your least favorite thing about summer heat waves?

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

Why are these findings important?

Extreme weather events have significant impacts on communities, causing risks to property, infrastructure, nature, and human health. These events are increasing in frequency and becoming more severe because of the human-caused rising global temperature.

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The planet is overheating because of the burning of fossil fuels to produce dirty energy to sustain our lifestyles, and this overheating is supercharging extreme weather events. For example, one study published in Nature found that 30% to 50% of homes in Harris County, Texas, that were flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 would not have been submerged without global heating.

Scientists have been reporting for years about the dangers of this planetary heating and the increased risk of extreme weather events. These studies show that this is not some far-off worry but that it is happening now and we need to find ways to protect communities from the worst of it.

"Some say climate scientists shouldn't paint a picture of doom and gloom. But we are humans, we have feelings, we have children," Joyce Kimutai, a scientist at Imperial College London, told The Guardian.

What's being done about protecting people from extreme weather?

Despite studies such as these, dirty energy is still being used around the globe. However, we do have plenty of solutions to help reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases being emitted. Switching to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro is one way to reduce our reliance on dirty energy, and if you install solar panels at home, you could even cut costs on your energy bill too.

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Communities are also working together on initiatives that will protect against extreme weather. For example, researchers in Maryland have turned to a nature-based solution and restored wetlands to help protect an area against flooding and the rising temperatures. In Florida, homes have been built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. And an Australian company has developed a modular solar array that can withstand violent winds.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
It started at a factory in an Indian back alley and ended with hundreds of food products being pulled from Britains supermarket shelves.

The peanut contamination scandal resulted in more than 250 products, including Dominos dipping sauces and SPARs sandwiches, being removed from circulation in Britain after they were found to contain mustard ingredients contaminated with peanuts.

For almost three months, people with a peanut allergy were advised to avoid eating foods that contained mustard, mustard powder, mustard seeds or mustard flour to avoid having a reaction.

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It became one of Britains biggest food contamination scandals since 2013, when beef mince on supermarket shelves was found to contain horse meat.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it began when a single spice factory in north-west India exported a batch of contaminated mustard ingredients to a distributor in Britain.

More than 250 products were removed from circulation due to peanut contamination, including Dominos dips and SPARs sandwiches

The Telegraph can reveal that multiple suppliers in India and one in China were also involved in the scandal, which comes amid a growing trend of contaminated spices arriving in Britain from foreign suppliers.

Back in September, Dominos, the pizza chain, found peanut traces in its Garlic & Herb and Honey & Mustard dipping sauces during routine inspections and withdrew the dips.

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The contamination came from the mustard powder in the dips, which had been supplied by FGS Ingredients, a family-owned food company in Leicester.

No peanuts allowed

FGS Ingredients denied fault. It claimed it does not include any peanut in its spices and that no peanuts are allowed at its site.

Later that month, the FSA claimed it had traced the contamination to one of FGS Ingredientss long-term spice suppliers, GT Agro Industries, which operates out of Unjha, in the coastal Indian state of Gujarat.

Unjha has been described as the spice capital of India as its proximity to a port allows for hundreds of millions of pounds worth of spices to be shipped abroad every year.

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GT Agro Industries runs a factory in the back streets of the town, next to derelict and demolished buildings on a dirt track filled with rubble, according to Google Maps.

The FSA subsequently coordinated an investigation into GT Agro Industries with the Foreign Office.

An Indian farm labourer works in a wheat field in Unjha, the spice capital of India - Sam Panthaky/AFP

In November, the watchdog announced it was winding down its investigation, claiming that all necessary food safety measures had been put in place, and lifted its allergen advice to people with peanut allergies.

However, out of the public eye, the FSA is believed to have circulated a supply chain map to members of the UK food industry in October, implicating multiple other foreign suppliers in the contamination scandal.

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The map, which has been seen by The Telegraph, suggests three other suppliers in India, alongside GT Agro Industries, and another supplier in China exported spices to FGS Ingredients that were used in products later found to be contaminated with peanuts.

Patel Retail, a supplier in the state of Maharashtra, exported mustard seeds which were used in curry powder which was later found to be contaminated.

Two other Indian exporters, Anil & Company and Manilal Jamnadas, as well as Hebei Huayu Yongcheng Food in the Hebei province of China, are also said to have exported contaminated products.

GT Agro Industries runs a factory in the back streets of Unjha next to derelict buildings on a rubble-filled dirt track - Technical Bhadresh/iStockphoto

An FSA spokesman refused to comment on the map but a spokesman for the British Frozen Food Federation confirmed it had been compiled and circulated by the watchdog.

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It comes amid concerns about contaminated spices in Britain, with some 265 products from 51 brands having been recalled over peanut contamination by Nov 11.

Products included sausages and burgers from Westmorland Family Butchery and seasonings and curry powders by Favourit and Dunnes Stores.

Peanuts are often considered the most severe allergy as they can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate medical attention.

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The Telegraph has also learned through a Freedom of Information request that a risk of food contamination was found in the FGS Ingredients factory in its latest food hygiene inspection.

The inspection by Leicester city council in March 2023 found an open bag of sesame seeds in a container and a spillage of sesame seeds on the floor.

Inspectors also found rat droppings in containers. The site was handed a food hygiene score of two, meaning it requires improvement.

FGS Ingredients has been approached for comment about the inspection.

After peanut traces were found in its products, the company claimed it had initiated a comprehensive testing programme, including analysis and swab-testing of its factory, which confirmed no presence of peanuts.

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In a comment on its website, it also said it had carried out an investigation into our supply chains.

Stringent working practices

Shahanshah Hafeez, a business development manager at FGS Ingredients, said: We want to assure our customers that food hygiene and safety are top priorities for us, and we are fully committed to maintaining the highest standards in our operations.

During our annual review in 2023, an administrative oversight resulted in the issuance of an incorrect form, which applied standards intended for restaurants rather than manufacturers. This misalignment occurred due to the assumption that we supply directly to the public, which is not the case.

Unfortunately this led to a score that does not accurately reflect our stringent working practices. We have since worked closely with the Environmental Health Office to address this administrative oversight.

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In light of the recent recall regarding peanut contamination in mustard ingredients ... we are working closely with all our external suppliers to ensure all raw materials meet stringent safety and allergen control standards.

As part of this commitment, we have ceased working with the suppliers involved in the contamination and are implementing enhanced testing protocols to prevent any risk of cross-contamination, reaffirming our dedication to delivering safe, high-quality products.

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.
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The body of Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister whose death has sparked outpourings of grief at home and accolades from abroad, was cremated on Sunday on the banks of the Yamuna River in New Delhi with full state honours.

The funeral was conducted in the Sikh tradition as priests chanted hymns, after Singh's body, draped in the Indian flag, was carried through the capital on a flower-decked carriage pulled by a ceremonial army truck.

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The flag was removed and the body covered with a saffron cloth before it was placed on the pyre.

Since Singh died on Thursday at 92, many have taken up his comment near the end of his 10-year rule that "history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media".

He was referring to a perception of weak leadership as he headed a coalition government facing numerous charges of corruption, which was thrown out of office in the 2014 election won by his successor Narendra Modi.

Modi, who called Singh one of the nation's "most distinguished leaders" after his death, attended the funeral, along with President Droupadi Murmu and representatives of various countries. Modi's government has decided to allocate land for Singh's memorial.

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Singh, considered the architect of Indias economic liberalisation, had criticised Modi's economic policies such as demonetisation and introducing a goods and services tax.

Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi accompanied Singh's family on the truck to the Nigambodh Ghat cremation site after the procession from party headquarters in New Delhi, where people joined Congress party leaders and members to pay their last respects.

The leaders of the U.S., Canada, France, Sri Lanka, China and Pakistan were among those expressing grief at Singh's death and highlighting his international contributions. (This story has been refiled to say 'sparked', not 'spark', in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Additional Reporting by Krishna Das; Editing by William Mallard)
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Kansas health officials are monitoring a spike in whooping cough cases around the state this year, marking one of the biggest increases in case numbers in nearly a decade.

27 News checked with Jill Bronaugh, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), who said the agency has been monitoring a rise in pertussis, also known commonly as whooping cough, since the late summer of 2024. Whooping cough cases are increasing nationally, reaching near record numbers as the year comes to an end.

This is the highest number of whooping cough cases reported since 2015, Bronaugh said. The trend of increased cases is occurring nationally, as well, with preliminary data showing more than six times the cases compared to this time last year.

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Chocolate candy bars recalled nationwide over allergy risk

Bronaugh said 246 cases of whooping cough have been confirmed as of Dec. 18. The KDHE previously issued a warning about an increase in cases on Sept. 17, stating that 98 cases of pertussis were confirmed as of Sept. 13 compared to 41 cases at the same point in time last year.

KDHE has sent several communications regarding the increase in cases to those in the healthcare community and to encourage the consideration of pertussis when diagnosing and treating people for respiratory illness, Bronaugh said. KDHE also aids in public health investigations by offering guidance on the proper isolation and treatment for individuals infected with pertussis and identifying those at high risk for illness to ensure they receive preventive care.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports on its website that symptoms for whooping cough may start out as a runny or stuffed nose, a small fever and an occasional cough. People infected with pertussis will notice more severe symptoms one to two weeks after the first symptoms appear which can last for several weeks. These symptoms can include:

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Coughing fits.

Vomit during or after coughing fits.

Feeling tired during or after coughing fits.

Difficulty sleeping.

Struggling to breathe.

Broken ribs caused by coughing fits.

Misconduct reports prompt calls for change at Haskell Indian Nations University

Young children are most at risk of whooping cough infections, according to the CDC and KDHE. Babies may develop a life-threatening condition called apnea which causes them to stop breathing.

Babies younger than one year of age are at greatest risk for getting whooping cough and having severe complications from it, Bronaugh said. People who have pre-existing conditions, including immunocompromising conditions and moderate to severe medically treated asthma, are also at high risk for getting a severe infection.

Bronaugh said people infected with whooping cough can spread its bacteria for many weeks after coughing begins and if it remains untreated. People may also only show mild symptoms and may not know they have whooping cough but are able to spread it to others.

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The best way to prevent whooping cough is to get vaccinated, Bronaugh said. It is recommended that everyone gets the pertussis vaccine at least once, and maybe more often depending on your age and whether you are pregnant. People in contact with someone with whooping cough may be recommended to receive antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick. Especially during respiratory illness season, good hygiene will help prevent the spread of many bacteria and viruses, including pertussis.

Eye drops recalled nationwide due to fungal contamination

The KDHE recommends people who think they are infected with whooping cough have a healthcare provider test, diagnose and provide care. For more information on getting vaccinated for whooping cough, click here.

For more Kansas 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.

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Dec. 27Despite concerns that the Salvation Army was falling short of its Red Kettle Campaign fundraising target, that goal was not only met but exceeded by the end of Christmas Eve after an outpouring of community support, according to Capt. David Cain.

"It was overwhelming, the outpouring of generosity," Cain said Thursday. "Things are more expensive now ... so these goals are really important for us to hit, and exceeding it is important and helpful to our operation."

With three days left in its campaign, the Salvation Army was $57,000 short of its $320,000 goal, which the organization chalked up to Thanksgiving falling a week later than normal, shortening the fundraising timetable. Bell ringing typically begins the day after the holiday.

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By the end of the campaign on Christmas Eve, people had tossed more than $350,000 into the Salvation Army's iconic red kettles or else donated online. Donations benefit children and families through free services and programs, including food pantries, foster care programs and transitional shelters for those exiting homelessness.

The Red Kettle Campaign is the Salvation Army's largest fundraiser of the year and has been an iconic call sign for the organization since it began in 1891, the same year the Spokane Salvation Army branch was started, Cain said. A Salvation Army officer in San Francisco had run out of funds to operate a soup kitchen, so brought a soup kettle outside, rang a bell, and asked passersby to "help keep the kettle boiling."

"The community is helping to keep our kettle boiling as well," Cain said. "We know these are hard times for a lot of families, and our community heard that and responded in a way that makes us feel very supported in the important work we do."
Graduation day dawns sunny and warm for the first day of November, but the weather hardly matters for the joint MIT-Georgetown coding class, which takes place at the Correctional Treatment Facility, one of the two facilities that make up the DC jail complex.

For twelve weeks, the students worked hard, hunched over laptops, squinting at characters and lines of code. Their work culminated in this: websites built from scratch and a certificate acknowledging their participation in college-accredited courses from these prestigious institutions. Today, they join over 200 other students at correctional facilities across the country who have completed the Brave Behind Bars program since the groups founding in 2021.

A graduation celebration looks different behind bars. Yellow and blue frosted cupcakes lined up next to lemonade and iced tea and chicken sandwiches sit waiting while the students proudly pose for photos with Marisa Gaetz, Brave Behind Bars co-founder. The food arrived much later than the students but no one seemed to mind; here you get used to waiting  especially for the rare celebratory occasion.

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Gaetz made the trek down from Massachusetts, taking a break from her PhD work to be here. She said she didnt want to miss the chance to shake the students hands and tell them face to face all the things she enjoyed about working with each one of them. Her slow, precise way of speaking mirrors the painstaking work that these students have done in writing code to power websites.

One by one, the students come up, take their certificate and pose for a photo with the people who made this program possible. The photos will have to do as a keepsake of this moment: the students cant keep the physical copy  a precaution so no one else duplicates the certificate trying to pass it off as their own, an attempt to demonstrate good behavior to a judge without actually taking the class. These certificates will have to go to the students lawyers for safekeeping. Its just one of the many precautions put in place for this course, one of the newest additions to prison and jail education. Here, safety questions always dominate.

Whitelisted sites, limited computer time

In a classroom next door, Taylor Swift plays over computer speakers as teams of two hunch over metal boxes and wiring. These students have chosen to learn about another piece of our information economy: repairing telecom equipment. The same tools these students wield to learn this lucrative craft could pose a real danger to their fellow detainees or jail staff outside this classroom. Their teacher, Timothy Saunders, painstakingly checks in and out the tools each class. He proudly tells me theyve not had any issues on the safety front.

Saunders boasts students can employ the skills they learn here to eventually earn six figure jobs. That is, of course, dependent on two things: that they get out, and once they do, that someone will hire them. The class is one of the many available to students in the lower security of DCs two jail facilities. Administrators and detainees alike are grateful for the opportunities.

The students make websites based on their passions. Some tackled tough social topics, others highlighted a love of music. - Courtesy Anthony Peltier

Next door to the coding class, students learn about how to repair telecoms equipment. - Courtesy Anthony Peltier

Study after study shows incarcerated education helps do what citizens and policymakers alike say they want: keep people from committing more crimes. However, getting education for many people behind bars remains a challenge.

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Thirty years ago, the 1994 crime bill drastically cut funding for prisoner education. And while lawmakers restored this money in 2020, across the country the gap between what kind of education prisoners would like and what they can access remains vast.

This is doubly true because many of those behind bars lack even high school education - to say nothing of college or post-secondary training.

The team responsible for education at the DC jail includes Jason McCrady, a former public-school counselor who noticed that so many of his students ended up behind bars that he got hired by the jail system to continue providing what education he could for those students.

The students in DC join over 200 others from around the country who have completed the coding program. - Courtesy Anthony Peltier

Technology education efforts got a boost during the pandemic, as visits and in-person services got further curtailed, and jails and prisons incorporated more digital communication tools. In the DC jail, this meant secure tablets. These devices greatly expanded the opportunities those awaiting trial would have for education and communication.

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At the same time, facilities have put guardrails in place. Communications, much like those over the phone, can be monitored. The functionality is limited. The students in the coding class have even more access to technology but unlike their peers on the outside, they only get limited hours each day on the laptops they use to code and they can only visit a limited number of sites pre-approved by the jail.

For Gaetz, and her students, jumping through the hoops is worth it.

Not taking education for granted

The United States, put plainly, locks up a lot of people. But the people behind bars arent evenly distributed across society. This means that many people in the United States dont have a personal connection to a system that detains and monitors nearly five million people, according to the latest statistics from the Department of Justice. This lack of connection, activists say, is one of the stumbling blocks to reform.

For Gaetz, her connection to the correction system began in 2016. Her undergrad philosophy professor, Lee Perlman, taught a course at a local prison and so Gaetz tagged along.

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Within minutes of sitting in that class my perception of incarcerated people was transformed, she recalls. Someone in that class told me that before he had taken classes while incarcerated no one had believed in him. And this one time a week not only is he treated like a human being but a student and someone whose opinion matters.

She immediately understood the power of education in an entirely different paradigm than her own.

Marisa Gaetz came down from Boston for the graduation. She fits in coaching the students in coding with her PhD work in Mathematics. - Courtesy Anthony Peltier

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MIT has some of the smartest students in the world, she says we all kind of feel like wed do well and here I was with these students who had never had the encouragement that many of us take for granted.

She signed up to assist in that philosophy class.

The years went on, she finished up her undergrad degree in math and philosophy and started a PhD program in theoretical math. Shed dabbled in computer science courses and taught herself to code as a kind of hobby. When the pandemic struck, and jails and prisons began experimenting with more connectivity, Gaetz - along with Emily Harberg and Martin Nisser - launched a coding boot camp in 2021, first starting with womens correctional facilities in New England.

The program is straightforward. The trio aided by an ever-expanding group of expert mentors teach the students the basics of how to write code, with a bespoke website serving as their final project. But as with any education, along the way, the students pick up additional skills. Coding requires patience and confidence, but also collaboration.

Timothy Saunders teaches the students engineering and repair work. He boasts that he has never had a student return. A nod to the continuing challenge of recidivism. - Courtesy Anthony Peltier

A lot of people on Day One are honest and say they dont think they can do it, Gaetz says. Seeing that theyre able to do it can be really empowering.

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Gaetz understands that some might feel uneasy about teaching even basic coding to people whove committed or are accused of committing crimes. But she maintains students graduate with the ability only to build a website, not hack or commit other cybercrimes.

Opportunity outside of prison

Although there are already rumblings of AI taking away coding jobs, Gaetz says today AI gets used mostly to assist in coding while most software engineering jobs still require an actual person. Besides, some of the students who come to class have little experience with computers, so the course builds literacy, confidence and problem-solving skills alongside the basic coding. All skills that most employers expect their new hires to have.

Which leads to the next obvious question: Can these students use these skills to earn a living?

In the DC classroom, the students put together websites speaking to their passions or interests. Their topics varied: One student with scotch tape holding his glasses together, created a site to explain the high sociological toll of poverty. Another made a site as a tribute to the positive power of music. The classs sole female student, Iesha Marks, who goes by Tazz, built a website to help women, like her, who suffer domestic violence.

Iesha Marks who goes by Tazz, accepts congratulations from the team who helped make the coding class possible. - Courtesy Anthony Peltier

Like so many behind bars, Tazzs story contains elements of trauma. Her defense team wrote in court documents of her PTSD from a stabbing. And she, in turn, stands accused of causing grave harm. In 2021 she pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a gun. And though shes professed her innocence, shes been held on charges of that she shot and killed a man, Donald Childs, on a busy DC street in July of 2023 an offense to which she has pleaded not guilty. Her defense holds up her good record during the year plus of her detention, including her participation in the coding class, as evidence shes demonstrating stability and should be released with supervision so she can care for her children ahead of the trial. A judge disagreed and ordered her held until her trial date, May of 2026.

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In between bites of her lunch, Tazz recalled that at the beginning, she wasnt sure she could tackle this topic. Now scrolling through her site, full of resources for other survivors, she lights up with the possibility: maybe she created space for other women to find help and hope.

Its not just Tazz in DC. Gaetz explains that some of their earliest successes involved working with women behind bars. Some of the coding programs first students were female inmates in New England. Some of the alumni from this group created and maintain a site called Reentry Sisters devoted to helping women in Maine rebuild their lives when they return to society from long prison stints. The well-designed site has hopeful stories and helpful tips. It also serves as a reminder of the perilous period that awaits even the most diligent student of this program.

I have gray hair because of coding

Steve Johnson, an early graduate of the program, recalls that fear well. Released from prison during 2021 he remembers the fear when his parole officer demanded he get work within two weeks. With a conviction for armed robbery, despite time served, he struggled to land a job.

He turned to the internet, searching for someone who could help him find a job or get the education hed need for this new economy. The search yielded a familiar name: Lee Perlman, Gaetzs undergraduate professor. I cold called him, Johnson recalled and within a day theyd connected, made a plan and got Johnson into the coding program. Johnson loved Brave Behind Bars so much he stayed on after graduation as a teaching assistant. That role has been very helpful being on the other end, when youre teaching something to someone you have to know it inside out, he says. The thing that I like the most is being able to help someone who is not very proficient and making their life easier by integrating some sort of tech-based solution for them.

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Johnsons story, by many measures, represents a best-case scenario. In the years since his release he learned a top digital skill, is teaching others, and has done numerous contract coding jobs. He loves it because although its hard and coding has given me gray hair you can work anywhere with Wi-Fi. His experience has also led to an appointment on a board that advises governments on how to think about education behind bars - something he evangelizes and deeply hopes to improve. Put simply: Johnson loves finding a problem and working to identify solutions.

Yet even with this experience, Johnson worries that his past still holds him back. His jobs have all thus far been with organizations interested in rehabilitation and prison reform. He wonders if they hire him to get some kind of credibility in the space. He longs to be judged, for good or for ill, for his current skill not his criminal record.

So now hes trying for yet another reinvention, a 17-week tech incubator program with Defy Ventures, an organization that teaches formerly incarcerated people business chops. He figures if he cant convince the boss of his bonafides, maybe he could become the boss himself. Then he could hire whomever he wanted based on what they bring to the job today and not get hung up on anyones past.

This is what some refer to as a double sentence: the steep hill people returning from prison have to face in order to get jobs or rent apartments. Once youve done the time, how do you convince people they can trust you? For Johnson the question is a pragmatic one. Do you want your neighbor to re-offend? he muses. The data on this point is clear: better education and job opportunities make that prospect less likely. And here again, Johnson has adeptly identified the problem, but unlike writing a code, this problem lacks a tidy solution. Changing minds takes more time and patience even than fixing buggy code.

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Rugby League is a fast-moving, sometimes physically brutal game born in the working-class communities of northern England.

Now it is at the centre of an even higher-stakes geopolitical competition on the other side of the world.

Anthony Albanese and James Marape, the prime ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea, this month announced Australia would spend A$600 million (298 million) over 10 years to set up a Papua New Guinea team to play in the Australian league.

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But it comes hand in hand with another pact that makes clear Australia will remain Papua New Guineas main security partner. In other words, China will not be.

The rugby diplomacy deal is, after all, about far more than just sport. For Australia and its Western allies, it is part of an ongoing scrum over Chinas plans to conquer the Pacific.

Anthony Albanese, (right) and James Marape have signed a deal that means Australia will remain Papua New Guineas main security partner - Mark Baker

Competing for influence

For more than a decade, China and the West  particularly Australia and the US  have been in an escalating competition for influence in the region.

From Washington and Canberra, Beijings ambitions for ever greater control is an alarming prospect.

Many of these new diplomatic battlegrounds  New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Philippines  loom large in national memories of the Second World War.

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The prospect of a potentially hostile power once again building air and naval bases on the islands and atolls of the region fills Australians in particular with unease.

American allies, in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines, have equal reason for concern.

The view from Beijing  or from the Yulin naval base on Hainan island, the home of the Chinese navy  is quite different.

They look out at the Pacific, and they see tens of thousands of US military personnel in South Korea, tens more thousands in Japan. They see Taiwan, and they see America not faithfully living up to its commitment  from their point of view  to respect the status quo there, says Philip Shetler-Jones, an expert on Indo-Pacific security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a UK-based think-tank.

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That arc of American allies extends down through the Philippines to Singapore and Australia.

It is something that many Chinese experts see as an unwelcome relic of the previous century of American global dominance.

In a slightly Marxist way, they [the Chinese] see themselves giving a helping hand to history and the sort of natural tendency for America to be in decline. And so they want America out. They want America to be isolated from alliances like Japan and South Korea, says Shetler Jones.

The Taiwan issue

But beyond pushing back the US, what is Chinas big Pacific idea?

There are three elements here, says Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China at Chatham House, a British foreign affairs think-tank.

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First, the big idea for Taiwan, of course, is a national reunification project that China is very keen to complete. Its not only [President] Xi Jinping, but several successive generations of Chinese leaders have talked about the need to complete [this].

Xi has cast reunification with Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as a central part of his wider push for rejuvenation of China. Sometimes referred to as the Chinese dream, it is a broad agenda the president has pursued since he took power in 2012  one which is aimed at boosting development and restoring the countrys place at the top of the global order, harkening back to its historic position as the Middle Kingdom.

Secondly, the Taiwan issue is part of the root cause for Chinas military modernisation, and this also includes building its own military capability and competitive capability around the South China Sea, says Yu.

The third purpose is a sense of global influence; Beijing wants to show that it is on a par with the United States as being a global military power.

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Chinas ambitions extend deep into the Western and Southern Pacific, but talk about the possibility of war is concentrated along an imaginary line called the first island chain.

Linking Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo and Vietnam, the string of archipelagos effectively separates the East and South China Seas from the wider Pacific.

In a 2022 paper, Marco J. Lyons, the assistant chief of staff for plans at US Army Pacific in Hawaii, identified four potential flashpoints in the Pacific, all of them in or on that line: Taiwan; Japan, with whom Beijing has a long-running dispute over the Daiyo islands; the South China Sea, where China is confronting the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam for control of disputed islands and shoals; and the Korean peninsula, where a war between North and South could easily draw in China and the US.

Of the four, Taiwan is the most potentially explosive. It is certainly generating the most anxiety.

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One recent paper, by Maj Kyle Amonson and Dane Egli for the US Department of Defence, argued that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) would be ready for war with Taiwan in 2027, and that Xi would want to act before 2030 because of demographic and political considerations.

The notion of a window of opportunity around 2027 is a driving assumption in American and Western thinking about a near-term Chinese assault on the island.

The idea has been dubbed the Davidson window, after Admiral Phil Davidson, the retiring head of US Indo-Pacific Command who when asked at a 2021 congressional hearing about the risk of an invasion of Taiwan remarked that: The threat is manifest during this decadein fact, in the next six years.

The origin of the claim seems to come from a US intelligence assessment that Xi had asked the Chinese army to be ready  or capable  of carrying out such an operation.

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Sceptics have pointed out that there is a difference between being capable of doing something, and planning to do it.

Nor does the plan fit with known Chinese doctrine.

A war of necessity

Chinas 2005 anti-secession law outlines three conditions for launching a war of necessity on Taiwan: a Taiwanese declaration of independence; unification of Taiwan with another country; or unification being irrevocably impossible by any other means.

We are a long way from any of those conditions being met.

The closer we get to 2027, the less relevant the date becomes, Admiral Samuel Paparo, the current commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said at an event at the Brookings Institute in November.

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It was never a sell-by date. It was never a date where the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] had declared, were going on this date. And I think maybe theyre somewhat confused when people conflate it with that.

But if a war did happen, what would it look like?

The most likely scenario is not an overlord-like amphibious invasion, but a blockade.

China has practised that scenario frequently in recent years. This year, it drilled a blockade twice.

In 2024, it held two consecutive exercises, Joint Sword A and Joint Sword B, the second of which was explicitly focused on surrounding, and therefore isolating, the island.

Significantly, it involved more coastguard vessels than PLA warships, raising fears in Taiwan that Chinas plan may be to board and inspect shipping heading to and from the island rather than fighting a conventional war.

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Wellington Koo, Taiwans defence minister, has warned that a real Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be an act of war and have far-reaching consequences for international trade.

Taiwan says it has been preparing for being cut off, including by stockpiling food supplies. Koo identified liquefied natural gas as a weak point.

How China could introduce a quarantine

But some argue that even a blockade is too strong a word for what the Chinese have in mind.

A quarantine  the selective stopping and searching of incoming and outgoing ships  would be more in keeping with previous Chinese strategy, argues Shetler-Jones.

It would stop short of a formal act of war but would assert Chinese authority over Taiwans waters  and demonstrate that there is little Taiwan can do about it.

And it makes it difficult for others to respond.

The Taiwanese coast guard would be reluctant to tangle with their more heavily armed Chinese counterparts.

The Taiwanese Coast Guard, pictured off the coast of the Matsu Islands a day after Chinas Joint Sword B drill - Daniel Ceng

The US Navy would be similarly cautious about intervening because Beijing could accuse them of crossing a line by using the military against a coast guard.

China has already experimented with stop-and-search tactics around small islands that are under Taiwanese administration but very close to the mainland.

Theyre making the point that at any stage we can start treating you as if youre already a province of China. No ones stopping us, says Shetler-Jones.

South China Seas imaginary line

Chinese Coast guards  and armed fishing boats  have also engaged in increasingly violent clashes with Filipino ships over control of an archipelago of shoals, reefs, and tiny atolls in the South China Sea.

In April, Chinese coastguards used water cannon to attack a Filipino vessel carrying a Telegraph reporter to the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

The emerging conflict in the region revolves around another frequently referenced imaginary line.

The nine-dash line (11, until Mao Zedong removed two dashes during a thaw with North Vietnam) was etched on Chinese charts of the South China Sea in the late 1940s as the new Communist government asserted its claim to Taiwan.

It loosely traces Beijings claims to the bulk of the sea, (recently a 10th dash appeared east of Taiwan) and cuts across claims by Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

These are not territorial so much as maritime claims to exclusive economic zones of interest, which are in turn based on purported control of tiny islands and rocks  some of them not even visible at high tide.

Hence an increasingly violent confrontation over the Sierra Madre, a Filipino ship grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal, in the Spratly Islands.

As Yu notes, Chinas interest in the area is partly to do with Taiwan itself.

But it is also about naval strategy  the South China Sea is also relatively deep compared to Chinas other coastal waters, making it especially useful for submarine operations.

There is also a great deal of wealth in mineral deposits and fish stocks at stake.

But once again, the overarching concern is pushing back against American power.

If you dominate, as they do now by putting anti-aircraft missiles and radars on these islands, you sort of control the sea and airspace, so you stop others coming through it. If you want to, you can hold them at risk, says Shetler-Jones.

So if the Americans wanted to send their aircraft carrier up from Singapore, they wouldnt be able to go through the South China Sea, because China has stacked weapons on these islands. So its also part of that strategy, of it excluding or limiting Americas ability to exercise sea control.

Burgeoning naval power

To pursue all these goals, China has been spending at a furious rate. By some estimates, its shipyards are turning out the equivalent of an entire Royal Navy every year.

By 2024, the PLA navy had 234 warships to the US Navys 219, according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies Military Balance.

It has invested in hypersonic missiles that appear designed specifically to target US Carrier strike groups  and the Americans are certainly aware of the challenge.

As the Telegraph reported last month, part of its plan to defend Taiwan from a potential Chinese invasion hinges on the deployment of thousands of AI-powered drones to turn the Taiwan Strait into an unmanned hellscape.

Many European nations preoccupied with the war in Ukraine have reluctantly concluded that China and the Pacific will take up most of Americas attention  and money  in the years and decades to come.

A paper published in December for the RUSI urged European governments to prepare for a draw down of American assets in Europe in the case of a Davidson Window conflict in the Taiwan strait  especially in air and missile defence suppression of enemy air defences, and the air and sea lift capabilities needed to enable ground operations.

Diplomacy and the south

China is also projecting power well beyond the first island chain. In 2022, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi toured the south Pacific as part of an effort to sign 10 island nations up to a sweeping multilateral pact covering everything from security to fisheries.

The project was shelved after David Panuelo, the then president of the Federated States of Micronesia, objected that the pre-drafted text could spark a new cold war between China and the West.

But the Solomon islands went ahead with a bilateral deal which, according to a draft leaked online, would allow Chinese vessels to make ship visits to, carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands and give Beijing the right to use its force to to protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in Solomon Islands.

Manasseh Sogavare, the then Solomon Islands prime minister, later reassured his Australian counterpart that the country would not host any foreign military bases.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, left, with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in 2023, signed a security pact with Beijing in 2022 that fuelled fears of China gaining a naval foothold on Australias doorstep - Andy Wong

But Canberra, which has its own security pact with the Solomons, found the prospect of a Chinese presence in that part of the Pacific more than a little alarming.

Some analysts described it as a shock to the balance of power in the Pacific equivalent to that of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Europe.

This months rugby deal with PNG is part of the push back.

The US response

The Americans, too, have joined in the competition.

In September 2022, Biden convened a summit of leaders from Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia in Washington.

Biden met with leaders from the Pacific Islands region in September 2022 in order to counter Chinas influence in the region and discuss potential partnerships - Chip Somodevilla

The following year, the US signed a defence deal with Papua New Guinea giving America access to airbases and ports in the country and pledging $3.5 billion for infrastructure, equipment and training. It was seen as a direct repost to the China-Solomons deal.

Lloyd Austin, president Bidens outgoing defence secretary, in November visited Fiji for talks on another defence agreement.

Donald Trump has not made clear his own specific policies in the Pacific, although most expect him to continue broadly in the same vein.

Marco Rubio, his nominee for secretary of state, is a noted China hawk who has shown an interest in the Pacific in the past. He has also been sanctioned by Beijing.

In 2020, Rubio publicly warned Micronesia against a cut-price Chinese bid to build an undersea communications network.

For the Pacific island nations, super-power competition is a mixed blessing. The investment is welcome, particularly as they struggle to deal with rising sea levels. There is nervousness about Mr Trumps attitude to climate finance, however.

But as Mr Panuel of the FSM warned last year, being at the frontline of a new global conflict is far from welcome.

The main concern is the Pacific doesnt want to be forced into a position where it has to choose, Dame Meg Taylor, the Papua New Guinean diplomat who ran the Pacific Islands Forum regional bloc during the first Trump Administration, told Reuters this month.

A looming threat of open conflict

The competition in the South Pacific is not about fighting a war  yet.

No one is talking about Anzacs and US Marines battling Chinese infantry through the jungles of Guadalcanal, on New Guineas Kokoda trail, in the next few years.

Closer to the Chinese mainland, there is no pressing need for Xi to order an invasion of Taiwan, and experts who watch the straits closely believe the PLA is a long way from closing the military gap with the US that would make it possible.

And yet, no one is ready to rule out that war is part of Xis plans. He certainly wants the world to believe he could start one, if he wanted to.

I think the thing that could bring it about is what happened in the Korean War, where Stalin and North Korea thought the Americans were signalling that they didnt include Korea in the area that they were committed to. They launched the war and found out they guessed wrong, says Shetler-Jones.

Yu dismisses the idea that Xi might be tempted to invade Taiwan if Russia wins the war in Ukraine. The two cases are so deeply different it is meaningless to draw such comparisons.

But he is taking lessons from it, she says.

Let me put it this way. I think Russias Ukraine invasion informs Xi Jinping of one thing: which is that if you would like to have a military escalation, you have to be 200 per cent prepared. You cant do things half-hearted or half-baked, like what Putin has done.

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Candice Miller, the once-glamorous influencer behind Mama & Tata, is still wading through her husbands $33.6 million debt following his shocking July suicide as she rebuilds her life with her daughters at a $10 million beachfront Miami home.

Miller, 42 who ran the lifestyle blog with her sister and documented her high-flying and luxe life online, has spent the last five months reeling from the death of her husband, Brandon Miller, a high-profile New York real estate developer who poisoned himself as he secretly battled a mountain of debt.

With the year coming to an end, Candice, lawyers, lenders and courts are still struggling to untangle $33.6 million in debt Brandon left behind, The New York Times reported Friday.

Candice Miller is stuck wading through her husbands $33.6 million debt after he took his life. David Benthal/BFA.com / Shutterstock

He had just $8,000 in the bank when he committed suicide over the Fourth of July holiday in the familys sprawling Hamptons home, the paper said.

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Candice, who received $15 million from her husbands life insurance policies, sources told the Times, is currently living with her two young daughters in Miami Beach in a 2,800-square-foot condominium overlooking the ocean.

The $10 million home is owned by an LLC affiliated with fashion bigwig Diane von Furstenbergs son, Alexander von Furstenberg  and is on loan to Candice.

She declined to comment to the Times.

After Brandons death, Candice admitted to pals that she never asked about his business dealings and didnt keep tabs on details of their personal finances, the Times reported.

Brandon, 43, had more than $20 million in debts, according to court filings, including a $11.3 million loan from BMO Bank in Chicago, and a $2.1 million loan from UBS Bank.

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Candice has so far agreed to pay about $4 million to settle a lawsuit over one of her husbands unpaid loans, according to court documents, and her legal team is still working to see what other debts she is on the hook for.

Candice Millers husband Brandon Miller was a high-profile New York real estate developer. Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com / Shutterstock

She was also sued in September for $194,881.89 in unpaid rent for the couples luxurious, $49,000-per-month Park Avenue pad.

She has denied that she owed the rent, claiming she did not personally sign the lease agreement.

The Millers gorgeous Hamptons home  Brandons main asset  had five mortgages totaling nearly $12 million. It was put on the market following his death for $15.5 million and sold last week for an undisclosed sum.

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One lender who gave Brandon a loan of $208,000 in early June said he was repaid with interest following the sale of the home.

Candice is the founder of lifestyle and mommy blog Mama & Tata and a familiar face on the Hamptons social scene who palled around with the likes of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, stylist Rachel Zoe and Ivanka Trump.

She has boasted to lifestyle sites before about her Dior sunglasses, Prada beach tote and shopping at Chanel in East Hampton.

The influencers life was turned upside down when her husband was found unresponsive in his car in the garage on July 3 and rushed to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, where he died a few days later. Candice and her daughters were vacationing on Italys Amalfi Coast at the time, the Times previously reported.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  In a wide ranging interview about the city of Memphis, Interim Police Chief C.J. Davis sat down with WREG to talk about crime fighting successes in 2024 and some of the challenges that still remain in the New Year.

The only questions we couldnt ask her about involved the Tyre Nichols case and the Department of Justice.

I think we dont want to do a victory lap just yet because we havent gotten to a point where we feel that Memphis is in a sustainable state as it relates to crime just yet. But we are moving in the right direction and were seeing significant progress, Davis said.

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According to City of Memphis data, crime in the Bluff City dropped dramatically this year, but what about crime in downtown Memphis and perceptions that its unsafe?

It is safe to come down to our downtown. Our downtown space is not experiencing anything different than other cities, major cities, Nashville, Atlanta. As a matter of fact, our numbers are lower in the downtown space than in other major cities, Davis said.

City says crime down this year; what will get it to stick?

In 2024, downtown crime in Memphis is down 26.4%, downtown motor vehicle thefts are down 48.3%, and downtown violent crimes are down 33.9% compared to last year, according to the citys numbers.

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To make it safer, MPD will be expanding downtown safety strategies and technologies. A new downtown command center is under construction near Peabody Place and the city will add hundreds of new high-definition surveillance cameras downtown.

And in the last three years, the Memphis Police Department has been working on growing our camera network. That technology is critical because we dont have officers to put on every corner of the city, Davis said.

City plans to add downtown crime center in April

Officer recruiting and retention is going well, she said.

Were right at 2,000 sworn (officers). And thats a good place  we are moving in the right direction. Were seeing less officers leave our retention rate is much better. Attrition rate has gone down. So were really happy about that.

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Davis also says theres been increase in recovered firearms and a decrease in stolen guns, but she admits the states new permitless carry law hasnt helped.

(It) really increased the numbers of weapons and in my mind, as I look at crime numbers and various types of scenarios as it relates to criminal activity. Many times something as simple as an argument turns into a gun fight because everybody is carrying a weapon now, even in domestic situations, she said.

As for gang activity in Memphis, its believed 48 gangs operate in the city, but there are few signs of Venezuelan gangs here.

48 gangs operate in Memphis, but little sign of Venezuelan gangs here: MPD

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I think whats more of a concern for the city of Memphis should be the fact that we have neighborhood gangs. Venezuelan gangs have not been, you know, prevalent in our area, she said.

But what about repeat offenders and criminal defendants who continue to go through what some have described as a revolving door of our court system?

We have to really understand the bail and bond system, you know, and work to help influence whatever changes need to be made in that regard, Davis said. The last thing in the world we want to see is a person being victimized of a serious crime. And that individual who committed that crime is out in seven days committing another serious violent crime.

Another problem in Memphis: children turning to crime such as auto theft, smash and grabs and more violent crimes.

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You know, weve had an uptick in auto thefts last year, and fortunately this year its about 20% less. Adult deaths by juveniles is less, juveniles possessing weapons. One kid or child possessing a weapon is too much, she said.

VIDEO: Crime is down: CJ Davis boasts about Operation Code Zero

Davis said she wants to see parents take more responsibility for their children.

Its not our responsibility to to maintain young children at 2 in the morning or to round them up, she said. So we really want our adults, our parents, to be more responsible for their kids. Unfortunately, thats not the case in many instances, but fortunately also that we have services that help us to ensure that young people are handed off to the right entity to make sure that they get back to a responsible guardian or adult.

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When it comes to the city council making Interim Chief Davis the permanent police chief again, she says shes not concerned about titles.

Well, as Ive said to the people, I came to Memphis as a chief, a highly regarded chief, and you know, titles dont concern me, but I continue to do the work. And I think thats whats important, not be distracted by, you know, the narrative. Getting the work done.

Its up to the city council to decide to make Interim Chief Davis the permanent chief of the department. At this time, theres been no recent motion to move that forward. Mayor Paul Young has said he intends to reappoint Davis.

Finally, Davis had a message for the Bluff City in 2025:

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I think Memphis should be optimistic right now. I think they should be optimistic. This is a pivotal time in our city.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Seemingly no one wants a low IQ. People with self-reported low intelligence quotients describe struggling with self-esteem issues and romantic hardships. The Environmental Protection Agency is reevaluating its support for fluoridation because of reported drops in IQ scores, while the Supreme Court is reconsidering death row cases on the basis that certain inmates low IQs might be mitigating factors in their sentences. Low IQ is a common insult from online forums to mainstream political debates.

All of these news stories are linked by one assumption: The idea that IQ is synonymous with a persons intelligence. This is a widespread belief, but is it based on scientific evidence? Like an emperor has no clothes situation, do we fearfully accept IQ tests as the primary means of measuring intelligence so we will not have our own intelligence challenged?

Psychologist Howard Gardner, a research professor at Harvard University, argues that the famous so-called intelligence quotient tests pioneered by French psychologist Alfred Binet and French psychiatrist Theodore Simon do not capture the full breadth of humanitys cognitive abilities. He also says his ideas are more relevant today than ever  especially as Americans develop an anti-science culture that, among other things, drastically overrates the significance of IQ tests.

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The original IQ test tried to measure memory, attention and problem solving, while modern versions focus on spatial perception, language abilities and mathematical skills, which sounds pretty thorough. But as demonstrated in two recently published collections of papers  The Essential Howard Gardner on Education and The Essential Howard Gardner on Mind, both from Teachers College Press  Gardner shows we need more than that to truly understand human intelligence, especially as artificial intelligence enters the classroom.

IQ tests assess human intelligence in much the same way that a Polaroid captures human beauty; it captures objective details, but only from a single snapshot in time and mitigated by the eye of the beholder. In contrast to this simplistic method for measuring the mind, Gardner identifies seven distinct types of intelligence: Linguistic intelligence, which is utility of language; logical-mathematical intelligences; spatial intelligence, which is used to shape the physical world; musical intelligence; bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, such as the physical skills displayed by surgeons, athletes and dancers; interpersonal intelligence, or the ability to understand others; and intrapersonal intelligence, or the ability to honestly and accurately understand ones self.

Not everyone agrees with Gardner. Conservative commentator and psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson has dismissed the concept of multiple intelligences as being a fad and rubbish, and in his own popular videos seems to take for granted that IQ tests accurately measure intelligence. Even though scientific evidence consistently shows IQ tests are not reliable, the notion that IQ equates with high intelligence seems to be embedded in our political and educational culture. If nothing else, Gardner hopes his books can stem that tide. Salon spoke with Gardner about how to make that a reality.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

People commonly associate IQ with intelligence. How do you feel about our culture's obsession with this particular test as a metric for measuring intellect?

[Alfred] Binet had no interest in anything genetic. He was interested in predicting who would do well at a certain kind of school. If you and I were parents, and we wanted to know how our kid would do, the IQ test does as well as anything else you can do in 15 minutes or an hour. But at schools, where AI [artificial intelligence] will be much more important every month, the less good an instrument we have [in IQ tests]. We need to develop different ways of assessing people's intelligence or talents.

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I gave an important talk to colleagues less than a month ago, and I said, Look, we all use the word smart, but if you're trying to decide whether somebody in physics should get tenure, you're going to have entirely different criteria then when it's somebody who's teaching Shakespeare or Homer. 

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Even within the university, and even within an Ivy League school like Harvard, we distinguish between different kinds of intelligence. Everybody distinguishes between different kinds of talents.

Some people like Jordan Peterson say that IQ predicts "success" and has described your ideas as rubbish.

I don't use words like that, and the answer is if you want to predict who will do well in a certain setting in a certain time, and you only have a few minutes to do it, an IQ test will do as well as anything.

Here is the important point: I don't think that my theory can ever be tested by a short-answer kind of test, a short-answer kind of instrument. In the late 80s, we created a preschool environment which provided food  that is, intellectual food  for the range of intelligences. We watched the kids over the course of a year to see what they were interested in, where they spent time, and importantly what they got better at. A useful analogy for you is if you take a kid to a children's museum, you see his or her interests once, but if you take them there a number of times, you see what really interests them.

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I can't count how many letters and emails I've gotten over the last decades from people who say, "I thought I was dumb, or the teachers told me my kids were dumb, or I applied for Mensa and I didn't get it. But then I learned about your theory and I explored things to find out what I was good at, what I was average at, what I was not good at. And that's been liberating for me or for my children or my grandchildren or whatever."

If Jordan Peterson were here, I would say to him, what do you do with the people who aren't smart on your testing day? Do you just throw them away? Do you pitch them away or do you say, and here we get to the important educational stuff, the kid may not do well in a certain kind of test given in a certain way, but how can I reach that child who wants a child to understand science? What are the right experiences? What are the right teachings? What is the right media? What are the right games to play with?

I've written many times, if you just tell people they're smart or dumb, you've crippled them. But if you say, this is what your profile of strengths and weaknesses are, how should we work on them, you get people to work on them. That's where you progress, and thats the humane thing to do.

Lets talk about the widespread scientific illiteracy in this country. People in the public seem to not be able to understand concepts like climate change, evolution and vaccines in an educated way. Based on your theory of multiple intelligences, what suggestions do you have to promote scientific literacy within the public?

Number one, we don't actually know whether scientific literacy is worse in this country than in other countries. It may be or may not be, but I'm not sure that it's scientific ignorance that is at the heart of the problem. Just take the current Congress, which is turning quite right wing. There are many people there who have very good education and they could certainly pass tests of scientific literacy. But to be technical about it, they don't give in politically because they would rather make it anti-scientific.

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Let's use Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as an example. They'd rather embrace him because it fulfills their political goals.

As a scholar, and especially an interdisciplinary scholar, I want everybody to love and want to increase their knowledge and to respect knowledge. Ever since the 16th and 17th century, scientific knowledge has grown exponentially. If your question implies the fact that we have more knowledge than ever and it can be approached and picked up in many ways, it doesn't mean that people care about it when they want to achieve certain political goals.

Now let's get to the heart of your question. I think it's important, number one, for everybody to have some experience doing science. And that means finding a problem, guessing how it can be answered or solved, and then mucking around. I went to the schools in Scranton, Pennsylvania and then I went to college, and having some experience in actually doing experiments and seeing how they come out and sometimes changing your mind on the basis of how they come out, I think is very important.

Certainly in any affluent country like America, there's no reason why everybody can't have some experience in puzzling about something. Does this projectile fall more quickly than this one? And if not, why not?

Here is where I think the new technologies have profound effects for teachers and learners. Im going to use a word, which unfortunately isn't perfect if you can come up with a better one, and it has the double disadvantage that it's also what Facebook is called now, and that is meta. I think teachers and students, all of us will need to have less technical and specific knowledge and more meta knowledge. Meta here means it's knowledge about knowledge and it's understanding how something got found out, and whether it's reliable, and how we could test whether it's reliable or not, and what might enable us to change our mind about this.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Iraq will allow the national carrier to resume flights to Lebanon on Monday following their suspension earlier this month, the transport minister was quoted as saying by state media on Saturday.

Iraqi Airways halted flights to Lebanon on Dec. 8 due to security concerns about the situation in neighbouring Syria.

Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia after more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family's decades-long rule.

(Reporting by Menna Alaa and Hatem Maher. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maytaal Angel

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli forces detained more than 240 Palestinians including dozens of medical staff from a north Gaza hospital they raided on Friday, including its director, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave and Israel's military.

The Health Ministry said it was concerned for the wellbeing of Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, as some staff freed by the Israeli military late on Friday said he had been beaten up by soldiers.

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The Israeli military said the hospital was being used as a command centre for Hamas military operations and those arrested were suspected militants. It said Abu Safiya had been taken for questioning as he was suspected of being a Hamas operative.

On Friday, Hamas dismissed Israel's assertion that its fighters had operated from the hospital throughout the 15-month-old Gaza war, saying no fighters had been in the hospital. The group had not yet commented on the 240 arrests.

In its statement on Saturday, Hamas urged the U.N. and relevant international agencies to intervene urgently to protect the remaining hospitals and medical facilities in northern Gaza and supply them.

The group also called for U.N. observers to be sent to medical facilities in Gaza to refute the Israeli allegations that they were being used for military purposes.

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The raid on the hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza, put the last major health facility in the area out of service, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a post on X.

"WHO is appalled by yesterdays raid. The systematic dismantling of the health system and a siege for over 80 days on North Gaza puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk," it said.

Some patients were evacuated from Kamal Adwan to the Indonesian Hospital, which is not in service, and medics were prevented from joining them there, the Health Ministry said. Other patients and staff were taken to other medical facilities.

MUCH OF NORTHERN GAZA RAZED AND EMPTIED BY ISRAELI FORCES

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The Israeli military said 350 patients and medical personnel had been evacuated prior to the Kamal Adwan operation, while another 95 had been evacuated to the Indonesian Hospital during the operation, in coordination with local health authorities.

Separately, the Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli strikes across the enclave had killed 18 Palestinians on Saturday, at least nine of them in a house in Maghazi camp in central Gaza.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes and fatalities.

In the past few months, Israeli forces have pushed people out and razed much of the area around the northern Gaza towns of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya.

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Palestinians have accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing by depopulating those areas to create a buffer zone. Israel denies it is doing this, saying it aims to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping in the areas.

The Israeli military said on Saturday it had begun operating overnight against targets in the Beit Hanoun area, adding that "troops are enabling civilians still in the area to move away for their own safety".

It then ordered residents to leave and head towards southern parts of the Strip, saying rockets had been fired from the area.

It said two rockets fired from north Gaza, including one towards Jerusalem, had been intercepted.

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Israel's campaign against Hamas, which previously controlled Gaza, has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, according to health officials in the enclave. Most of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced and much of Gaza is in ruins.

The war was triggered by Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabu and Maytaal AngelAdditional reporting by Ali Sawafta and Muhammad al-GebalyEditing by Frances Kerry)
The son of a founding member of Hamas has warned Israel must not rejuvenate the terrorist group by releasing its most dangerous members  including his father  from jail as part of a hostage deal.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, 46, is the eldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of Hamass foremost leaders in the West Bank. It had been expected that he would follow in his fathers footsteps and rise through the ranks to become a leading figure within Hamas.

But instead he was recruited to work for the Shin Bet, Israels internal security service, at the age of 17, and went on to work as a spy for Israels security service for a decade.

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During that time he attempted to break the cycle of violence against innocent people , and the intelligence he provided helped Israel to thwart terrorist attacks at the height of the second intifada.

Mr Yousefs father has spent more than 25 years in Israeli jails, according to the Palestinian Information Centre, having been arrested several times over the past two decades by the Israeli security services.

He is currently in an Israeli prison after being arrested on Oct 19, 2023 as part of the crackdown on Hamas following its Oct 7 invasion of southern Israel in which more than 1,200 people were killed, and 254 taken into Gaza as hostages.

Sheikh Hassan Yousef was a founding member of Hamas and one of its leaders in the West Bank. He is now in an Israeli jail - Abbas Momani/AFP via Getty Images

As reports emerge that a deal to end the war in Gaza and return Israeli hostages could be reached in the coming weeks, Mr Yousef urged Israel not to release Hamas terrorists from its jails as part of the agreement, including his father and others who he said he helped to bring to justice.

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He told The Telegraph: The only card in Hamass hands today is the hostages  they want the release of hundreds if not thousands of mass murderers from Israeli prisons.

The most dangerous Hamas leaders today are not in Qatar or Turkey  they are in Israeli prisons. That includes my father.

And Hamas wants to force Israel  using the international community and the global pressure  to release mass murderers of the calibre of [former Hamas leader, Yahya] Sinwar. They want them released back to the streets, can you imagine?

Mr Yousef warned that releasing senior Hamas members from Israeli jails as part of an exchange deal for Israeli hostages could actually rejuvenate Hamas and bring us to square one.

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He added: We are talking about some very dangerous people  even if they are released abroad they can continue forming and creating terrorist cells and attacking Jews worldwide.

Last November, Israel and Hamas reached a temporary ceasefire agreement in which 81 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

In August of this year, one of the Palestinian prisoners freed in the swap carried out a terrorist attack, shooting and seriously wounding an Israeli man along with two Palestinians in the West Bank.

Mosab Hassan Yousef speaking at a screening of uncensored footage of the Hamas massacre of Oct 7 at the United Nations - Noam Galai/Getty Images

During his time as a spy, Mr Yousef was considered to be one of Israels most valuable sources operating from inside the Hamas leadership, and his recruitment was kept a secret even within the Shin Bet.

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But after emigrating to America in 2007, and claiming political asylum, Mr Yousef decided to reveal his identity and publish his memoirs.

Last month, he travelled to the UK to speak at the Oxford Union in a debate on the motion: This house believes Israel is an apartheid state responsible for genocide.

He said that as he entered the debating chamber he was mobbed, insulted and intimidated, adding: Some people were doing signs to cut our throats, we were accused of treason and called bad names in Arabic.

He said it gave him flashbacks of his time in the West Bank, explaining: All of a sudden I realised, am I back in Ramallah? Am I back in Palestinian territory where I am condemned to death?

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Last week, Hamas and Israel accused each other of sabotaging a potential ceasefire and hostage deal despite both sides reporting significant progress in past days.

Negotiations, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US, have taken place in Doha this week, rekindling hope for an agreement that has proved elusive.

Hamas accused Israel of laying down new conditions, while Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, claimed the Palestinian terror group was going back on understandings already reached.

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UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Israeli airstrikes hit Yemens main airport as a civilian Airbus 320 with hundreds of passengers on board was landing and a U.N. delegation was waiting to leave, the U.N.'s top humanitarian official in Yemen said Friday.

Julien Harneis told U.N. reporters that the most frightening thing about the two airstrikes on Thursday wasnt their effect on him and about 15 others in the VIP lounge at the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, including the head of the U.N. World Health Organization.

Rather, it was the destruction of the airport control tower as a Yemenia Airways plane was taxiing in after touching down.

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Fortunately, that plane was able to land safely and the passengers were able to disembark, but it could have been far, far worse, said Harneis, who was with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the lounge.

He said one airstrike landed approximately 300 meters (330 yards) south of the VIP lounge and another about 300 meters to the north around 4:45 p.m., while about five members of the U.N. team were outside the building.

Not only obviously did we have zero indication of any potential airstrikes, but we cannot remember the last time there were airstrikes in Sanaa during daylight hours, Harneis said in a video news conference from Sanaa.

The U.N. said at least three people were killed and dozens injured in the strike. Among the injured was a crew member from the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service, which was about to fly the U.N. delegation of some 20 people out of Sanaa.

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He suffered a serious leg injury from shrapnel and lost a lot of blood, Harneis said.

Immediately after the airstrikes, Harneis said, U.N. security officials moved the delegation out of the VIP building and into five armored cars where they waited for approximately 40 minutes to ascertain what happened and help the injured crew member.

He was taken to a hospital in Sanaa and underwent four hours of surgery while the rest of the delegation spent the night in a U.N. compound, Harneis said. The U.N. plane with Tedros and the U.N. team, including the injured crew member, was able to depart for Jordan on Friday afternoon  without an operating control tower.

The United Nations said the injured crew member was taken to a hospital in Jordan, and Tedros was heading back to Geneva, where WHO is based,

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Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control Sanaa and much of the countrys north, have gone after Israel since it started attacking Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Gaza's Hamas militants on southern Israel. The Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea, disrupting one of the worlds main maritime routes, and recently stepped up missile and drone attacks on Israel. Early Saturday, the Israeli Air Force reported intercepting yet another missile from Yemen, as sirens woke Israelis around Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

Israel has escalated its response.

The Israeli army said it wasnt aware that the WHO chief or U.N. delegation were at the Sanaa airport on Thursday. Israel said it bombed the airport because it is used by the Houthis and Iran.

Harneis responded, stressing that the airport is civilian, not military, and is used for transporting U.N. and other humanitarian workers, and for one civilian flight  Yemenia to and from Amman, Jordan. The flight operates as a result of an international agreement, and thousands of Yemenis have used the flight to get advanced medical treatment abroad, he said.

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Yemen is the Arab worlds poorest nation and has been engulfed in a 10-year civil war between the Houthi rebels, who control Sanaa and much of the country's north, and the internationally recognized government forces in the south.

Tedros was in the country to discuss its worsening humanitarian crisis and to seek the release of about 50 people detained by the Houthis since June from the U.N., nongovernmental organizations and civil society.

Harneis said 18 million Yemenis  about half the countrys population  need humanitarian assistance this year, and the U.N. expects the number to increase to 19 million next year because of the worsening economy.

In addition to airstrikes on the Sanaa airport, Israel has been attacking the country's key port of Hodeida, in western Yemen.

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Harneis said Yemen relies on imports through Hodeida for 80% of its food and more than 90% of its medical supplies to the north.

A recent Israeli airstrike destroyed two tugboats and is estimated to have reduced the harbor's capacity by 50%, the U.N. official said, while damage from Thursday's airstrikes hasn't been assessed yet.

As for the detainees, Harneis said he joined the WHO chief at meetings with the Houthi prime minister, foreign minister and a member of the group's Supreme Political Council. He said they received commitments on the detainees' possible release and a pathway to it, and on conditions under which they are being held.
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?
Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Negotiations between Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza cease-fire and free the remaining Israelis held hostage there remained stalled Friday as the White House laid blame on the Palestinian militants.

Israeli media cited unnamed senior officials claiming Hamas has yet to provide lists of living hostages and that its negotiators are raising new demands, leading some in Jerusalem to believe they do not necessarily control the hostages' fates on the ground.

"Hamas needs to make a choice and open the door to finalizing the deal," one Israeli official told Ynetnews.com, while i24NEWS reported that is Hamas is now demanding "special compensation" for the release of wounded hostages.

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The changing demands are raising suspicions among negotiators that physical control of the hostages has fractured in the wake of the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, making it "extremely complicated" to manage the talks.

In Washington on Friday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby pointed the finger at Hamas for the stalled talks but indicated he remained optimistic that a deal could be worked out before President Joe Biden leaves office.

A man walks past a large billboard reading "#BRINGTHEMHOMENOW" with the faces of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on day 448 of the Hamas-Israeli war on Friday in Jerusalem. Israeli officials and the White House blamed Hamas for delays in negotiations to secure their release. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI

"It is because of Hamas throwing up obstacles or refusing to move on any of these details that we are still not at a conclusion," Kirby told reporters, according to Politico. "But we believe, as [national security adviser] Jake [Sullivan] has said, we're very, very close, and so we're not going to give up."

About 100 hostages remain captive 448 days after the bloody Hamas surprise assault against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, though many are thought to be dead. Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told a closed-door meeting of his war Cabinet in September that intelligence services believe only half are still alive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successfully underwent surgery to have his prostate removed, hospital officials said Sunday.

The 75-year-old leader, who has had a series of health issues in recent years, was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement, his office said.

Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center announced late Sunday that the procedure had been "completed successfully." Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, served as acting prime minister during the operation. Netanyahu is expected to remain hospitalized for several days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the fifth day of testimony in his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv on December 23, 2024. / Credit: DEBBIE HILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Netanyahu is among older world leaders including President Biden, 82, President-elect Donald Trump, 79, and Pope Francis, 88, who have come under scrutiny for their age and health issues. He has gone to great lengths to bolster his public image as a healthy, energetic leader. During his trial for alleged corruption this month, he boasted about working 18-hour days.

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Such a grueling workload could take a toll on his well-being as he deals with multiple crises including the war in Gaza. However, Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health.

That image was shattered last year when it was revealed he had a heart condition. In July last year, doctors implanted a pacemaker after a medical scare.

Also last year, Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital for what doctors said was likely dehydration. He stayed overnight.

In March, Netanyahu underwent a hernia surgery, during which he was under full anesthesia and unconscious. Levin served as acting prime minister during that operation.

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The procedure on Sunday came as Israel is the center of major global events that are shifting the Middle East.

Israel has been at war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip for nearly 15 months after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Some 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza and around a third are believed to be dead.

The war has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians and wounded more than 108,000 others according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu took the stand in his long-running trial for alleged corruption. This week, Israel's attorney general ordered police to open an investigation into Netanyahu's wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and a witness in the corruption trial.

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An Italian war correspondent was arrested in Iran and has been held at an infamous Tehran prison for more than a week, Italian officials said.

Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on Dec. 19, according to Italys foreign ministry, but her arrest was only made public on Friday. Officials did not provide a reason for her arrest.

The prominent Italian journalist works for Il Foglio newspaper and hosts Stories, a daily podcast on Chora Media.

Cecila Sala (above) was arrested in Iran on Dec. 19, Italian officials said on Friday. AP

In a statement, Chora Media said Sala was being held in solitary confinement at the Evin prison in Tehran, infamous for its mistreatment of political prisoners since the 1970s.

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Sala left Rome for Iran on Dec. 12 with a valid journalists visa, according to Chora Media. During her time in Tehran, she produced three episodes of her podcast and published several stories.

In a statement, Chora Media said Sala was being held in solitary confinement at the Evin prison in Tehran. Cecilia Sala via REUTERS

Her reporting said many women were no longer wearing the hijab to protest the countrys leaders.

While in Tehran, she also interviewed an Iranian stand-up comedian who had been jailed in the country.

Sala was supposed to board a return flight to Italy on Dec. 20, but never made it to the airport, Italian officials said. She stopped sending messages from her phone on Dec. 19, according to Chora Media.

Iranian officials did not immediately confirm the arrest.

Cecilia Sala was reporting in Tehran for Il Foglio and her Stories podcast. @ceciliasala via REUTERS

Cecilia was in Iran, with a valid visa, to cover a country she knows and loves  a country where information is stifled through repression, threats, intimidation, violence, and detentions, often targeting journalists themselves, Il Foglio said in a statement.

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Journalism is not a crime, the paper added.

Last week, Iran had summoned a senior Italian diplomat over the arrest of an Iranian national, Reuters reported, based on Iranian media.

The day before Salas arrest, Italian police said they arrested an Iranian man accused of providing drone parts to Irans military. The 38-year-old man faces extradition to the US, Italian officials said in a statement.
The Italian parliament finally passed the 2025 budget on Saturday.

The financial plans of the right-wing three-party coalition of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with a total volume of 30 billion ($31.3 billion), was also approved by the upper house of parliament in Rome, the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies gave its approval shortly before Christmas.

The budget provides for a reduction in Italy's national deficit to 3.3% of the gross domestic product (GDP) next year. This year, it will probably still be around 3.8%. The European Union's stability criteria allow for just 3%. Italy is one of the most indebted countries in the world.

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The EU has repeatedly called on Rome to finally start reducing its deficit after huge overruns in previous years. The Meloni government has at least committed to pushing the new debt below the 3% mark in 2026, though it is uncertain whether this can be achieved.

The plans are complicated by costly state subsidies for energy-efficient construction, known as the "super bonus."

In addition, the national statistics office has recently dampened growth prospects: Italy is now expected to see growth of just 0.5% this year  only half as much as was forecast in the summer.

Nevertheless, the recently approved budget includes tax breaks for low earners. Those who earn less than 28,000 per year will pay 23% income tax instead of 25%.

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In recent weeks, Italy's trade unions have repeatedly mobilized against the budget with strikes because they consider it to be socially unjust.

Italy has been ruled by a right-wing coalition since autumn 2022. The largest governing party is Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy, with the two smaller partners being the far-right League and the conservative Forza Italia.
Italy has demanded that Iran release a journalist who has been in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison for more than a week.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that she wanted to bring reporter Cecilia Sala "home as quickly as possible."

The 29-year-old, who works for the daily newspaper Il Foglio and runs a podcast, was arrested by police in Tehran on December 19.

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She was actually due to fly back to Italy the following day. It is not yet clear exactly what she is being charged with. EU foreign policy chief Antonio Tajani asked for restraint in reporting on the case.

Sala is considered an expert on Iran and has been to the country several times. She is best known in Italy for her podcast, and she has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram.

According to Italian officials, she had a journalist's visa to work in Iran for her current stay.

According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, Sala has only been able to make one phone call to her mother and another to her partner, who is also a journalist.

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In the conversation with her partner, she reportedly assured him that she was fine. However, there are doubts as to whether she was able to speak openly.

Italy's ambassador to Iran was able to visit her in Evin Prison on Friday. Dissidents are imprisoned there, and another Italian journalist was held there and was only released after 45 days of detention in 2022.
Italy is working tirelessly to bring home a journalist who has been under arrest in Iran for more than a week, the country said on Friday.

Cecilia Sala, 29, who works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media, was detained in Tehran on Dec 19 but her arrest was only made public on Friday.

The Italian foreign ministry said it was in contact with Iran to clarify Salas legal situation and the conditions of her detention, while politicians of all stripes expressed their concern.

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Italy is working tirelessly to free her, pursuing every option, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto  a key figure in prime minister Giorgia Melonis government  wrote on the social media platform X, calling the arrest unacceptable.

Chora Media said Sala had left Rome for Iran on Dec 12 with a valid journalist visa and had conducted several interviews and produced three episodes of her Stories podcast.

Cecilia Sala was arrested by police in Tehran on Dec 19 - @ceciliasala via Instagram

She had been due to fly back to Rome on Dec 20.

It added that Sala was being held in solitary confinement in Tehrans notorious Evin prison and no reason had been given for her arrest.

There was no immediate confirmation of the arrest by Iranian officials.

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It was not clear whether it might be linked to tensions between Rome and Tehran after Iran last week summoned a senior Italian diplomat and the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests in the country, over the arrest of two Iranian nationals.

One of the men was arrested in Italy at Washingtons request.

Italys ambassador to Iran visited Sala in prison on Friday and the journalist has also been in contact with her family on the phone, the Italian foreign ministry said.

Physically fine

Italian sources with knowledge of the matter said she was very tired but physically fine.

Chora said news of Salas arrest was not immediately made public as her family and Italian authorities had hoped that keeping it quiet could help secure her swift release.

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Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-Left opposition Democratic Party, urged the government to act swiftly.

We immediately call on the government to take every useful initiative to shed light on this matter, to clarify the reasons for this detention and, above all, to bring Cecilia Sala back to Italy as soon as possible, she said.

Iran has not acknowledged detaining Sala. However, it can take weeks before authorities announce such arrests.

Plotting to topple Tehran

Since the 1979 US embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.

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British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in Iran in April 2016 while visiting family in Iran with her then 22-month-old daughter.

She was sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of plotting to topple the Tehran regime and was only released in March 2022 after Britain paid an outstanding debt of 393.8 million to Iran.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has said she spent almost 1,800 days in Evin prison.

Woman, Life, Freedom

More recently, Evin prison has been used by the Tehran regime to detain thousands of people connected to the Woman, Life, Freedom protests that were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022.

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She died while in police custody after being arrested for allegedly breaking Irans strict laws which require women to wear the hijab.

A report by the BBC this month shared accounts of women who had been detained in the prison.

The British broadcaster shared the story of one woman by the name of Nasim. It said she was interrogated for 10 to 12 hours every day, threatened with execution and kept in solitary confinement for four months.

While in her cramped cell, she could hear what sounded like other prisoners being tortured, the BBC said.

On Saturday Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, said: We are trying to resolve a complicated issue and to ensure in the meantime that Cecilia Sala is detained in the best possible conditions.

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Asked when she might be released, he said: I hope shortly, but it does not depend on us, adding: She is obviously detained, which is not ideal, but she is fed and in a single cell.

Ms Melonis office said she was following the complex affair closely, and Rome was pursuing all possible avenues of dialogue to bring Sala home as soon as possible.

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Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner bought their $24 million Florida mansion in April 2021 using high-end real estate agent Oren Alexander, who was arrested earlier this monthalong with two of his brothers, Tal and Alonon sex trafficking charges.

The Homes.com property listing for the address in Indian Creek Village, Florida notes Alexander as the couples agent at the time. Trump and Kushner closed on the property a few months after Donald Trumps first term as president ended, publication The Real Deal reported that July.

Federal prosecutors allege that, for over a decade, the disgraced Alexander siblings baited women with the promise of luxury hotels and vacation properties to drug, assault and rape them.

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When Trump and Kushner bought their current home, Oren Alexander worked for Douglas Elliman, the brokerage that has appeared in the TV show Million Dollar Listing. The following year, he and Tal started their own company.

After Orens Dec. 11 arrest, a Douglas Elliman spokesperson declined to comment to The Wall Street Journal.

The Alexander brothers arrests were preceded by several sexual assault lawsuits, comprising allegations from more than 10 women. The brothers have denied the claims.
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Credit: Screenshot of X Grok

Did you see those fake images that Trump posted online, showing young Taylor Swift and her fans endorsing his campaign for President? Probably not. It doesn't seem likely that it had a big impact on the election, to be honest. And indeed, in a year when half the planet voted in elections, it doesn't seem that AI photo fakery moved the needle anywhere.

As a result, lovers of democracy everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief. It looks like the much-feared AI election apocalypse has failed to materialize. The public apparently isn't as gullible as we expected and, although false news and photo trickery have always been with us, AI didn't have a major impact on a single public vote. Phew, panic over.

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I'd love to believe that were true. Unfortunately, I think it's only true right now.

Dangers ahead

Whether we're talking about tweaking real photos or generating totally new photorealistic images, AI is still very limited at the moment. But that, inevitably, is going to change. With all the billions being poured into developing this tech, it seems likely that AI images and video are going to get better and better.

Soon, then, we'll have no idea whether what we're looking at is real or imagined. And at that point, it seems likely this tech will be used to manipulate opinion, swing elections, defraud customers or extort individuals.

ABOVE: The infamous doctored Nancy Pelosi video

We've already seen isolated incidents of this kind of thing happening. For instance, in 2018, a video of Nancy Pelosi speaking at a press conference was edited to make her seem drunk. The video was widely shared on social media and was even cited by some news outlets as evidence that she was unfit for office.

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More recently, a New Zealand pensioner lost $224,000 after being tricked by an AI deepfake showing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon endorsing a cryptocurrency investment scam. And just this month, a teenager was suspended from school for creating an AI nude of his female classmate and circulating it on Snapchat.

These examples feel like a trickle that will soon turn into a tsunami if we don't do something soon.

Is there a tech fix?

The tech world is indeed trying to "do something" right now, with schemes ranging from Adobe's Content Credentials scheme to the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), a group working on standards for embedding digital watermarks into media.

And yet, nobody with an ounce of intelligence believes that any of that will be much more than a sticking plaster on a wound.

AI image of penguins and large chunks of ice in the desert

Watermarks can be cropped. Metadata can be faked. And even if an AI image or video is spotted to be false, the damage may already been done: the corrupt candidate voted in, the riot started, the sucker duped. Not to mention there will always be platforms such as X's ethically lax AI Grok which delight in ignoring the rules, and purposely taking off all the guardrails.

Thought experiment

So here's a thought experiment Does the world actually need AI images or videos at all? Could governments not just ban AI companies from generating them? Like, completely?

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Yes, it would cause a lot of investors to lose a lot of money. Not least of these would be Adobe, who has poured millions into incorporating generative AI into the Creative Cloud. But by the same token, it would be great news for photographers, film-makers and other creatives who feel extremely threatened by this new tech. And the vast majority of people... would they actually care? Framed as a way to protect them from fake news and save democracy, it could even be a vote winner.

Okay, it's far-fetched. But maybe we should at least start floating the idea. Because ultimately, what I'm wondering is: where is the social good in all of this? Why should we allow democracy and the rule of law to be subverted, all to bring forth a new technology that doesn't really seem to have a point, other than to make money for a few billionaires? What, in short, are generative AI images and video for?

To put it another way, if the US is seriously threatening to ban TikTok, maybe we should be holding other tech firms' feet to the fire too. Worth a thought, anyway.
Homelessness is perhaps one of the most pressing issues for many cities across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments 2024 Point in Time Count released on Friday, homelessness was up 18% across the nation in 2024 compared to in 2023.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

In Jacksonville, the issue is equally as urgent not just from a humanitarian standpoint, but economic development standpoint as well, with a downtown area seeking an economic boom in the coming years  through projects like the incoming University of Florida graduate campus, new Four Seasons hotel, and Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium of the Future.

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When you have a lot of homeless folks that are, you know, on streets, sidewalks  it doesnt make for the best chemistry for people to wanna build downtown, particularly in the core, Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Carlucci explained to Action News Jax on Saturday. And thats really where we need to grow - in the downtown core.

Yet, according to the Northeast Florida Point in Time survey data revealed this past July, the amount of unsheltered homeless people across Northeast Florida went up over 40% compared to in 2023.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Nonetheless, with the $1.3 million approved for extra downtown homeless shelter beds and the extra $1 million approved for Jacksonville Fire & Rescue homeless outreach Action News Jax told you about in early December, Carlucci says the city has in the final few months of 2024 been picking up positive momentum in addressing the needs of the citys homeless community in 2025 and beyond.

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It seems like weve moved the needle a bit in the right way and theres fewer, Carlucci said. Once that happens then you begin to get some economic development activity in that core downtown.

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While Councilman Carlucci says the city is trending in the right direction  having taken some major steps to combat homelessness downtown and across the river city  he did say theres much work needed to be done in 2025 to address the issue of homelessness in Jacksonville.

We need more housing. We need a better outreach to the individuals that need mental health help. We need more resources for that, Carlucci said

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.
Dec. 28I worked hard my whole career and retired feeling secure. Then I lost every last dime in a scam. I was left with $1,300 a month in Social Security benefits to live on in an area where monthly expenses run about $3,700.

I'm a smart woman, but scams against older Americans are increasing in number and sophistication. Whether through scams, strained savings, or costs of living going up, half of older Americans  that's 27 million households  can't afford their basic needs.

And suddenly I became one of them. The experience has taught me a lot about the value of a strong social safety net  and why we'll need to protect it from the coming administration.

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I was ashamed and frightened after what happened, but I scraped myself up off the floor and tried to make the best of it.

I'd worked with aging people earlier in my career, so I was familiar with at least some of the groups who could help. I reached out to a local nonprofit and they came through with flying colors, connecting me to life-saving federal assistance programs.

I was assigned a caseworker, who guided me through applying for public programs like the Medical Savings Plan (MSP), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), subsidized housing, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid.

It's hard to describe my relief at getting this help.

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Before receiving the MSP, I'd been paying for medications and health insurance  which cost about $200  out of my monthly Social Security check. With MSP, that cost is covered. I also found an apartment I liked through subsidized housing, and I have more money for groceries through SNAP. Now it's easier to afford other necessities, like hearing aid batteries and my asthma inhaler.

But I'm worried about the incoming administration's plans to cut programs like these, which have helped me so much. They're proposing slashing funding and imposing overly burdensome work and reporting requirements. Studies show that requirements like these can cause millions of otherwise eligible people to lose critical assistance.

President-elect Trump has also indicated that he favors increased privatization of Medicare, which would result in higher costs and less care. And his tax promises are projected to move up the insolvency date of Social Security.

All told, the federal budget cuts the incoming Republican majority in Congress has put forward would slash health care, food, and housing by trillions over the next 10 years, resulting in at least a 50 percent reduction in these services. And they plan to divert those investments in us into more tax cuts for the nation's very wealthiest.

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I want lawmakers of each party to know how important these social investments are for seniors and families. Older Americans  who've worked hard all our lives  shouldn't be pushed out onto the streets, forced to go without sufficient food or health care due to unfortunate circumstances.

We have the tax dollars  the question is whether we have the political will to invest in seniors, workers, and families, or only for tax cuts for the very rich. If we do the latter, that's the real scam.

Sherlea Dony is a retired American Sign Language interpreter, consultant on access services for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, and copy editor currently living in Rochester, New York. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
Dec. 27I know my neighbors. We wave and say hello. But I don't really know them. How well do you know your neighbors?

If you live in a middle-class neighborhood, you may have a Medicaid-funded Supports for Community Living (SCL) home on your street. What is an SCL home? Our government created SCL homes as a response to mistreatment of people living in mental institutions, many of them with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) such as cerebral palsy and down syndrome. SCL homes are a good thing. They allow people with I/DD to live in a home, such as yours, which enables them to be part of a community.

This is good for most, but for some the isolation of institutionalization continues and is accompanied by the monster of abuse. A nurse practitioner in Kentucky who sees people with I/DD under state guardianship tells me she has seen evidence of "heinous and egregious acts of abuse."

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This is a nationwide tragedy. Last year, in Kentucky alone, the Department of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities confirms 97 people were abused in these homes. That's a plane crash. This story should make the national news.

And it gets worse. This data is only substantiated abuse. How many incidents were unsubstantiated because residents are unable to communicate? "We hear repeated stories of abuse," reports the National Council on Severe Autism. "Injuries occur, investigations ensue, and nothing is substantiated because people with intellectual disabilities are incapable of telling their stories or coming to their own defense."

And how many incidents went unreported because residents fear retaliation? According to the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Victims of Crimes, despite the prevalence of abuse among people with disabilities, more than half of victims never seek assistance from law enforcement.

At the top of the list of common reasons for this is fear of reprisal.

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And how many incidents were just not reported? Federal agencies say that for every incident of group home abuse reported, nearly 24 additional cases remain undetected and that people living in group homes are at risk of serious harm; 15,000-19,00 people with I/DD are raped each year in the U.S. Most abuse occurs in group homes where 85% of cases go unreported.

(Sigh.) This is not a plane crash. This is a catastrophe.

So how do you be a good neighbor? To begin, if you hear anything or see something suspicious, call Adult Protective Services in Kentucky at 1-877-597-2331. Your phone call is anonymous and may save a life.

Sen. Reggie Thomas has filed Bill Request 42 which would allow cameras in SCL homes. Other legislators are needed as co-sponsors and supporters to help extend to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the protections of the Kentucky Bill of Rights, which reads, "All men are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned: the right of seeking and pursuing their safety and happiness."

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Vulnerable people need cameras for protection. Federal and state oversight is unable to prevent abuse. Vulnerable people need protection at the point of care.

The president of the Autism Society of the Bluegrass says it so well: "It is the right of us all to be protected in our homes. You or I can freely use technology such as cameras to enhance that protection. As the parent of a young man with autism, I would want no less for him. You would want the same for your loved ones."

As philosopher Elbert Hubbard said, "Who is your neighbor? Your neighbor is the man who needs you."

Ann Jeannette Pierce lives in Daviess County. Her daughter has severe autism. For more information on severe autism, please visit https://www.ncsautism.org.
JASPER COUNTY, Texas (KETK)  The Jasper County Sheriffs Office said Deputy Lesley Wade, 24 of Zavalla, has died from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash in Angelina County on Friday at 9 a.m.

According to a release from the sheriffs office, Wade leaves behind her husband, Jasper County Deputy Chris Wade and their two children.

Courtesy of the Office of Jasper County Judge Mark Allen

Her absence will be felt by all, and we will continue to surround her family with love and prayers as we navigate this tragedy, Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman said.

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Wade joined Jasper County with her husband, initially providing security for the courthouse as a bailiff before moving on to join the sheriffs office patrol division.

She led by example and made her mark in the history books of Jasper County as one of our best sheriffs deputies. Please pray for Chris and their family, as well as their fellow law enforcement officers, during this time. Go with God, Lesley. We will miss you, but are thankful you were part of our Jasper County family. Youll always be our Hero. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Jasper County Judge Mark Allen

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Jean Rudacille, a State of Maryland human resources administrator and cross-country traveler, died of congestive heart failure Dec. 15 at her Perry Hall home. She was 91.

Born in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Alphonse Milito and Amelia Carricato. She moved with her parents to Baltimore in the early 1940s and settled on West 28th Street in Remington. Both parents worked at the Bethlehem Steel shipyards during World War II. The family later settled in Dundalk on Liberty Parkway.

She attended SS. Philip and James and St. Rita schools and was a 1952 graduate of the old Seton High School on Charles Street. She was a member of the Roman Catholic Legion of Mary.

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She initially found clerical work at the Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point plant but disliked the experience. She then joined the office staff of United Steel Workers Local 2610 on Dundalk Avenue.

She met her future husband, Ralph Lee Rudy Rudacille, at the Keystone Lounge on Holabird Avenue. They eloped to Virginia in October 1957. When her future husband told his parents they were eloping, they said, Well go along too. Also in the wedding party was the grooms youngest brother, Roger Rudacille.

She then became an office worker for the State of Maryland in its old Office of Personnel in the State Office Building complex on Dolphin Street. She moved within the Maryland government, working for the Department of Transportation in Annapolis before taking a job at the newly opened Francis Scott Key Bridge toll facilities building in 1977.

She hired toll takers and ran state workers benefits before retiring in 1992.

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Although she and her husband divorced in 1962, they remarried in 1970 at a Las Vegas wedding chapel.

Her daughter Deborah Rudacille said, She was ahead of her time in many ways  a single working mother when that was unusual. She had gay and Black friends with whom she socialized in the 1950s. She loved to travel, both with and without my dad. We took extended road trips  to Las Vegas, to New Orleans, Montreal and Niagara Falls.

They often traveled in a new Plymouth Fury the family nicknamed Old Paint.

After she retired, she and my dad traveled extensively in Europe (London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Budapest) and in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. In her final years, she loved traveling to New York City and Los Angeles to visit her grandchildren, her daughter said.

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Her son, Jeff Rudacille, said, My biggest memory is how after I divorced, she moved in with me. I was still an over-the-road trucker, and she really helped me maintain a stable family with my daughters.

She was the matriarch of her family and drove her six grandchildren around in a red Buick. She was a fan of pop culture and followed classic films.

She was a devoted Democrat and progressive, her daughter said.

Survivors include her daughters, Deborah Rudacille, of Baltimore; a son, Jeff Rudacille, of Perry Hall; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1999.

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Services were held Dec. 23.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570.
Jimmy Lai could have fled Hong Kong when the Communists arrived in 1997. Hundreds of thousands of his fellow Hong Kongers did, making for the friendlier shores of Canada, Australia, and the United States.

But the billionaire entrepreneur, publisher of the former British colonys leading newspaper, the Apple Daily, decided to stay behind instead and fight for freedom.

Its a decision that may cost him his life, his friend and biographer Mark Clifford believes.

Pro-reform billionaire Jimmy Lia is now on trial in China for demanding democracy and reform from Beijing. NurPhoto via Getty Images

As Clifford recounts in The Troublemaker, Lai had escaped Communist China once before. In 1961, as a 12-year-old boy, Lai had slipped across the border into Hong Kong with nothing but clothes on his back.

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It was the time of the Great Chinese Famine  Maos missteps would condemn 45 million people to death by starvation  and the city was crowded with refugees. But Lai managed to find a job in a factory as an odd-jobs worker.

Paid a pittance, he survived by sleeping on the factory floor and eating cheap noodles from street stalls.

Charismatic, energetic, and eager to learn, Lai quickly rose through the ranks. By the time he was 20 he was managing a factory with 300 workers.

At 26 he owned one. And then in 1981, at the age of 33, he founded the retail chain Giordano, where he pioneered fast fashion.

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Jimmy Lai had made his fortune in freewheeling Hong Kong, which had prospered mightily under British rule. And although Lai was not politically active, he was hopeful that Deng Xiaopings economic reforms would lead to increased freedom in his homeland as well.

Apple Daily, the pro-reform Hong Kong newspaper owned by Jimmy Lai. AP

That dream died on June 4, 1989, when the Beijing regime gunned down thousands of students and workers in and around the main square of Chinas capital city.

The Tiananmen Massacre was Lais moment of political awakening. He threw himself into the campaign for democracy with the same energy that was to make him a billionaire over the next decade.

Among other things, he helped some of the student leaders on Chinas most wanted list, democracy activists like Wuer Kaixi, to escape to the West.

Giordano is a Hong Kong-based fast-fashion brand that made Lai rich. Bloomberg via Getty Images

But what really put Lai on what Clifford calls a collision course with Beijing was an article he wrote about then-premier Li Peng, one of the leaders behind the crackdown.

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He derided the Chinese premier as a national humiliation, writes Clifford. He criticized the barbarism, corruption, and decay of the Chinese Communist Party . . . He closed his column with an emphatic throw-down to the premier: I want to tell you that not only are you a bastard, you are also a bastard with zero IQ. 

Beijing was furious and began a campaign to destroy Lais businesses, not to mention his reputation.

Jimmy Lai was in handcuffs while being escorted by guards on his way to a Hong Kong court in 2020. AP

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Like many Hong Kongers, Lai had made contingency plans to leave Hong Kong as the date of the handover approached.

But now he resolved not to leave. He had fled communism once before, but now he would stand and fight. He would use his money, his influence, and the power of his Apple Daily presses to support Hong Kongs democracy movement and hold back tyranny.

Lais oft-repeated credo, Clifford writes, was this: I will fight for freedom, I will not give up anticommunism, [and] I will never give up my dignity as a human being.

Former Chinese leader Li Peng helped lead the anti-democracy crackdown in Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989. Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Where did the courage to confront the biggest killing machine on the planet  the Chinese Communist Party  come from?

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In part it came from a businessmans instinctive aversion to political control, Clifford writes. But he makes it clear that Jimmy Lais convictions ran far deeper.

Although he had only five years of formal education, Lai was a voracious reader. Milton Friedman, a close personal friend, wrote: On his own, [Lai] acquired a liberal education and became a libertarian.

On a more personal level, Clifford notes, Lai was inspired by the faith of the Catholics he met in the course of his pro-democracy activities, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen.

Tanks filled Beijings Tiananmen Square during the end of the pro-democracy protests and crackdown back in 1989. LightRocket via Getty Images

Lai entered the church within days of the Communist takeover. As his wife, herself a believer, noted at the time, He knows that a fight is coming and that he will need Gods help for this fight.

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As Cliffords gripping account reveals, in the years since Lai has been beaten up, his house firebombed and repeatedly arrested.

He has languished for most of the past four years in prison. Today Lai spends around 23 hours a day in solitary confinement in a maximum-security facility.

The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kongs Greatest Dissident, and Chinas Most Feared Critic is written by Mark L. Clifford.

Clifford is Lais friend and biographer.

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The national security charge he is now facing  colluding with foreign forces  carries a penalty of life imprisonment.

The story of Jimmy Lais rise in the textile industry alone, as skillfully recounted by Mark Clifford, makes for a fascinating tale.

But it is his willingness to sacrifice his fortune, his freedom and his very life to the cause of freedom that makes this brilliant biography such compelling reading.

Jimmy Lai is not only Chinas most important political prisoner; he is the very personification of the greatest city in Chinese history.

His persecution at the hands of a totalitarian regime mirrors the ongoing destruction of Hong Kong itself.

His trial began on Dec. 18, 2023  it is still ongoing.

Steven W. Mosher is the author of The Devil and Communist China.
KINGSPORT and ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL)  Its been more than a couple decades since Northeast Tennessee sent rookie lawmakers to both the state House and Senate, but that changes in a few weeks when Renea Jones and Bobby Harshbarger head to Nashville to cut their legislative teeth.

Both told News Channel 11 they hope to make an impact for their constituents, but they acknowledged they have a learning curve ahead and none of the clout that comes with seniority.

The area delegation is very tight knit and the door is open, so I think as freshmen its up to us how we build those relationships and move forward, but the opportunity is definitely there, Jones said. The co-owner of Jones and Church Farms replaces Elizabethton Republican John Holsclaw, who decided not to run for a sixth term as Fourth House District Representative, in a district representing all of Unicoi County and about half of Carter.

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My goal here in running for this position is to be the most effective representative I can be, period, Harshbarger said. A Kingsport pharmacist, he ousted two-term Fourth District Senator Jon Lundberg, a 20-year legislative veteran, in a close August Republican primary before sailing to victory in the general election.

Whenever I introduce legislation, I want to make sure that I know both sides, Harshbarger said. I want to know the arguments for and against and more importantly, I want to know how is it going to affect the people in my district? Because thats where I always want to come back to. That is my compass if you want to say.

Both Harshbarger and Jones mentioned the importance of pulling their weight as Northeast Tennessees delegation faces an extra task this coming session: ensuring the region gets the financial and other help the state can provide in the wake of Hurricane Helenes devastating impact.

Its not like you can just hit the gas and move forward quickly, Jones said of the recovery efforts. The Erwin Republican and agribusiness owner represents some of the areas hardest hit by the Sept. 27 flooding.

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Its just a process and it takes time getting things in place and I hope that when we open session well be able to get some relief up to this area.

Harshbarger, whose mother Diana represents the First District of the U.S. House, said recovery will be a priority for him as well and has even changed his priorities for committee work.

The more that Ive spoken with stakeholders back in the region based on the recent events back in September, with just the massive devastation, I figured that for me to be effective transportation could be that fit, Harshbarger said. Whether its for infrastructure or just trying to figure out how do we get more resources and funding back here.

Both say theyll be small business focused

Jones said she believes her constituents want her to leverage an agribusiness background that has roots in her upbringing in a farming operation. She hopes that will play out in committee assignments.

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Im really looking forward to working on things that will help promote agriculture, promote our farmers and address those concerns, she said.

Likewise, Harshbarger believes his pharmacy experience can be put to use in some type of health care committee assignment.

But both also mentioned commerce as a desired focus area.

Ive put forward my preferences for committee and once again its preferences, Harshbarger said, noting that his interest in commerce is due to its touching so many facets of Tennesseans lives.

Jones said her commerce interest lies largely in the small business sector, particularly in light of the economic challenges that intensified after Sept. 27.

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Theyre the backbones of our communities. Theyll be the ones that bring us through this is our small businesses. So really want to make sure that were doing the things we need to promote them and and keep them strong for our communities, because I think thats a big part in our rebuild.

While both new legislators spoke at length about their interest in helping the region receive the maximum amount of post-Helene aid  and not all of it in the form of loans but some in grants  Harshbarger said he also intends to focus on what he heard during a three-month door knocking period this spring and summer.

Ive got a pretty good idea of where people stand on issues, and the three different things that keep coming up are, they want limited government overreach, they want more money in their pockets, and then my personal one is helping those most vulnerable, he said. If I can try to stay in those three lanes, I think Ill be in good shape.

The 39-year-old added that while any legislator needs some seasoning to really become effective, he doesnt picture himself serving more than two or three four-year terms if the voters keep electing him.

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If I cant get what I want to get done by then, I just need to come back home to, you know, Ive got my children, Ive got my family.

He doesnt believe he can maintain effectiveness without remaining accessible to constituents  something he said hes already used to.

Being a pharmacist is probably one of the most accessible health care providers, purely because theres no gatekeeper.

He encouraged constituents to make sure any emails to his Senate account are personally written and include a name and address so he and his staff can differentiate them from other communication.

The reason that I decided to run in the first place is I wanted to be a representative of my district, said Harshbarger, whose territory covers all of Sullivan and Hawkins counties.

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I think too often people get distracted with whats going on across the state, whats happening in Nashville, and they lose sight of the concerns or the questions that the people back in the district have, and I never want to get in that position.

Ive told people before, I need you to show up at the pharmacy counter and tell me straight up, hey, youre leaving that platform here, I need you to come back. And Im not afraid of constructive criticism either.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Richard Arlin Walker

Special to ICT

A Monache/Cherokee man will remain in prison for a 1978 murder he says he didnt commit after a Fresno County, California, Superior Court judge denied his petition to have his conviction overturned.

A member of Douglas R. Stankewitzs legal team wrote that efforts to free the 66-year-old man will continue.

The petition denial is another injustice against our client. The legal team will continue to fight for our clients freedom, attorney Alexandra Cock wrote to ICT of the judges Dec. 24 decision.

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Other members of Stankewitzs legal team  Curtis Briggs, Peter Jones and J. Tony Serra  were unavailable for comment. A copy of the judges ruling was not available; Fresno County courts were closed Christmas Eve through the end of the week. A court database only logged that the petition was denied.

Stankewitzs legal odyssey began 46 years ago when the Big Sandy Rancheria man was convicted of the shooting death of Theresa Graybeal, 21, whom he and three friends carjacked in a Kmart parking lot in Modesto, 90 miles east of San Francisco.

Related: Monache man on Death Row maintains his innocence

He was sentenced to die at San Quentin Prison but his conviction was overturned four years later because of doubts he had been competent to assist in his own defense. He was found guilty at retrial in 1983 and again sentenced to death.

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The case seemed to unravel from there.

Stankewitzs retrial attorney acknowledged in 1989 in two sworn statements that he failed to introduce psychiatric and psychological evaluations that might have spared Stankewitz the death penalty. In 1993, co-defendant Billy Brown recanted his testimony that he saw Stankewitz shoot Graybeal in the head after the group dropped her off in a vacant lot in Fresno. In 2000, co-defendant Marlin Lewis told a regional director of the American Indian Movement that he, not Stankewitz, fired the gun.

Douglas Ray Stankewitz, Monache and Cherokee, who spent more than 40 years on San Quentin Prison's Death Row, will continue to fight his conviction in the 1978 slaying of 21-year-old Theresa Graybeal. He originally received the death penalty but his sentence was later reduced to life in prison. (Photo courtesy of the California Department of Corrections)

Brown, Lewis and Stankewitz had gotten out of the car with Graybeal when they dropped her off. Co-defendants Christina Menchaca and Teena Topping had remained in the car and told investigators they heard a shot but didnt see who fired the gun, according to court records. Brown received immunity in exchange for his testimony against Stankewitz. The others were convicted of lesser charges.

In 2012, based partly on the retrial attorneys sworn statements, Stankewitzs death sentence was reversed and in 2019 he was sentenced to life without parole. A California appellate court ruled in 2022 that Stankewitz had been entitled to an evidentiary hearing before he was resentenced.

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The hearing took place in January 2024 in Fresno County Superior Court Judge Arlan Harrells courtroom, with additional written arguments filed over the next three months.

Continuing to fight the charges

The team introduced evidence and expert testimony that the handgun investigators reported finding in Graybeals car was not the murder weapon; that Stankewitz was too tall to have been the shooter, based on the angle and trajectory of the gunshot wound; that there were no fingerprints on the gun and no gunshot residue on Stankewitzs hands at the time of arrest; and that evidence had been mishandled.

Stankewitzs legal team asked the court to order a new trial or dismiss the case with prejudice. Harrell denied the request.

James Ardaiz, now 76 and a retired prosecutor and judge, said the investigation and prosecution were above board. He took umbrage at the defenses allegation that evidence was planted.

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I get very upset about this, because I knew all of these officers, Ardaiz said. They're very fine men. They have absolute integrity. And that wouldn't have happened, and it didn't happen, and that's what the record shows.

The gun introduced as the murder weapon  a .25-caliber Titan semi-automatic pistol  has a murky chain of custody.

The gun first turned up in police records in Sacramento 169 miles northwest of Fresno  where someone had found it in a park and turned in to police there on July 25, 1973. A Sacramento police officer inscribed that date and his badge number on the weapons holster in keeping with evidence-handling practice at the time. Theres a second inscription, made by Fresno County Sheriffs investigator Thomas D. Lean III on Feb. 10, 1978, the day after Graybeals body was found. ICT left a message at a number registered to a Thomas D. Lean III in the Fresno-area community of Clovis.

Sacramento police have no record that the gun was reclaimed by its owner and the question remains: How did a gun go from Sacramento police custody in 1973 to Stankewitzs hands in 1978? His lawyers say it didnt. They say the gun was a throw-away  California state law allows abandoned firearms to be released for use by law enforcement  and Stankewitzs lawyers allege the gun was planted.

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Furthermore, while an investigator reported finding a .25-caliber shell casing near Graybeals body, no slug or bullet was found and no scientific analysis was done to determine what caliber of bullet killed her.

Theresa Graybeal, 21, was kidnapped Feb. 9, 1978 in Modesto, California, from this Kmart parking lot, shown here in a police photo taken at the time. Now, more than 40 years later, Douglas Stankewitz, the Monache man convicted of killing her maintains his innocence and is continuing to fight his conviction. (Crime scene photo via California court files)

In 2019, Roger Clark, a certified police procedures consultant and retired Los Angeles County sheriffs detective, determined the trajectory of the bullet indicated Stankewitz, at 6-foot-1 the tallest of the co-defendants, was too tall to have fired the shot that killed Graybeal, who was 5-foot-3.

I continue to believe that the trajectory of the fatal shot demonstrates that the victim, Ms. Graybeal, was not shot by Mr. Stankewitz but instead by a shorter person, Clark wrote in his analysis. The other defendants were 5-foot-6, 5-foot-3, and 5-foot-1, according to court documents.

Time is working against Stankewitz. Brown signed a sworn statement recanting his damning testimony, saying it had been coerced  he was a minor at the time of Graybeals murder and was questioned at length without a parent or lawyer present, a practice no longer allowed. Lewis reportedly confided his guilt to an American Indian Movement official helping him fill out tribal enrollment papers. But Lewis died in 2000 and Brown died in 2006.

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Topping died in 2015 or 2016, according to Cock. Menchacas whereabouts are unknown.

When you introduce statements like, So-and-so said at one point out of court  , that's a hearsay statement, Ardaiz said. You have to show a foundation of facts in order to get that in [as evidence]. And if you can't meet that foundation, it doesn't come in. It's like saying, and the easiest example would be something like, Well, Joe told me that he lied at the trial. Where's Joe? Well, Joe's dead. You have no evidence, there's no foundation [of facts] to show.

Life in a new prison

Stankewitz walked into San Quentin Prison as a 20-year-old man in October 1978 and for the next 46 years lived in the prisons Death Row  the longest Death Row tenure in California history. He told of his daily routine in an earlier interview with ICT: wash up, clean his cell, pray and meditate, listen to his radio, exercise, type a letter, and work on his case. He left his cell a couple of times a week to shower, go into the yard for a few hours or participate in worship services. He attended the annual powwow hosted on the prison grounds.

Stankewitz was transferred in May 2024 to the California Mens Colony in San Luis Obispo after the state closed San Quentins Death Row block for repurposing. Hes now four years from age 70, paunchy, with teeth that give him trouble and a variety of ailments common to the incarcerated. Cock said a long-awaited set of lower dentures are finally being made for him, and he eats with other inmates rather than alone in a cell.

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The population of California Mens Colony was 3,254 on Jan. 31, 2023, with a capacity of 3,816. Inmates can work in textiles, making gloves, jackets and T-shirts; in the laundry, shoe factory or printing plant: or in equipment and building maintenance. Inmates can learn trades, such as auto mechanics, computers and electronics, masonry, small engine repair, and welding. Inmates can also take classes to earn a GED or college degree, serve as a prison firefighter or on a community service crew, and learn anger management and alternatives to violence.

It's not known if Stankewitz is eligible to participate in these programs.

Stankewitz told ICT in an earlier interview that law enforcement was biased against him because of his familys background. His mother was an alcoholic and abusive and his father and siblings spent time in prison.

I was the target because Im Indian and because of my family and my family name, he said in an earlier interview. My family was known for violence, was known for trouble, was known to start trouble and to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. But police knew I didnt do it. They just wanted any Stankewitz.

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Ardaiz, who had prosecuted other Stankewitz family members by 1978 when Douglas Stankewitz was arrested for Graybeals murder, told ICT on Dec. 26: You're entitled to evaluate the merits of his conviction, but I would tell you right now, that at the time that all of this occurred, there was no question that he was an incredibly violent person, as were his brothers. This is a very violent family for whatever reason. Violence was their recourse.

Few would deny Stankewitzs childhood was horrific.

His family seemed to unravel after the death of his maternal grandfather, a well-known culture bearer whose 1964 death was covered in three columns on page 2 of The Fresno Bee newspaper. Stankewitz was 6 at the time. Later that year, Child Protective Services removed Stankewitz from his home after his mother beat him. He was later sent to Napa State Hospital for evaluation because of behavioral problems.

Napa State was not a place where a child found compassion and love; others treated there at the time included adult suspects deemed to be incompetent to stand trial, offenders with mental health disorders, and offenders found not guilty by reason of insanity.

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When most children his age were attending kindergarten or first grade, Stankewitz had a court record.

Its not uncommon for Indigenous juveniles to be referred into some form of system rather than deferred out like Caucasian youth, said inmate rights attorney Gabriel Galanda, a citizen of the Round Valley Indian Tribes who now lives in Seattle. Thats their entry into the prison pipeline.

According to evaluation reports, the 6-year-old Stankewitz was heavily medicated and sometimes restrained in his hospital bed at Napa State. He said he was sexually abused by staff.

"From an early life developmental standpoint, [Stankewitz] has suffered from early childhood losses, prolonged separation from parents, poor institutional surrogate care, one evaluation states. This has resulted in poor social adjustment as manifested by frequent runaways, behavior problems, scholastic under-achievement and finally culminating in antisocial behavior which has occurred both in and out of institutional placements."

Stankewitz alternated between foster homes and juvenile hall during his childhood and early teens, and his behavior was characterized as unpredictable and out of control. He ran away from home. He stole.

At one point, while living with a foster family, Stankewitz showed promise of turning around. He earned B grades in U.S. government and algebra and, according to a report in his file, understood that his impulsive behavior often results in problems for him.

But he relapsed. He sniffed glue and paint and used drugs and alcohol. He committed two assaults, one while in juvenile hall. At age 15, he was the driver of a car fleeing the scene of an alleged assault and robbery. A passenger in the car was killed in a shootout between Stankewitzs brother and a pursuing police officer. Four years later, Stankewitz was arrested, tried and convicted of murdering Graybeal.

In interviews with ICT, Stankewitz didnt deny his past behavior. But he insisted he didnt kill Graybeal.

I want to give them proof I didnt do that, he said of Graybeals family in a Feb. 25, 2022, story. If I could talk to [Graybeals family] today, I would tell them I feel bad that they lost their daughter, their wife, whoever she was to them. She was only 22 years old. That was a devastating loss to everybody.

He added, I hold her in my prayers every morning, her and her family. I wish it hadnt happened, but I didnt do it.

Graybeals husband, David, who later remarried and started a family after several years of struggling to cope with his wifes death, told ICT in the same story that Stankewitz should spend the rest of his life in prison.

It doesnt matter who pulled the trigger, he told ICT. They were all guilty of kidnapping and murdering Theresa. She was a beautiful young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. They didnt need to kill her.

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The Colombian man jailed in connection with the shooting at a holiday house party said he had been accused all night of working with the police before the gunfire, according to court documents.

Dauzon Narvaez Garzon, 35, was taken into custody after officers found him hiding behind a large bush outside the northeast Indianapolis home where hes accused of shooting five people and killing 37-year-old Ana Paredes on Christmas.

Garzon told police he had been in the home since the previous night and that before the shooting, people at the gathering were threatening him and accusing him of working with the police, according to an arrest affidavit detailing the case. Garzon said other people blocked him from leaving and if he left, that would prove he was working with police.

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Garzon said a fight between him and another man erupted inside the home, located in the 6400 block of Meadowlark Drive. Witnesses said Garzon then pulled out a gun and just began shooting everyone.

Garzon told police he could not remember whether he fired a gun because he was high on cocaine, meth and alcohol, the affidavit states.

One of the party attendees told officers he ran after Garzon and asked why he was pulling the trigger. Garzon responded he did not know those people, the witness told detectives.

Officers who responded to the home found three injured people at the scene. Medics took the trio, which included Paredes, to a hospital. Paredes died shortly after arriving.

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Three other people admitted themselves to hospitals around the city. Detectives in the affidavit said two of the injured people identified Garzon as the shooter during a photo lineup.

Garzon was also taken to a hospital for a minor cut below his eye. He at first identified himself to the authorities as Andres Sanchez Garzon, but investigators in the affidavit said they found multiple identification cards on him, including two from Colombia carrying his legal name.

Detectives learned he illegally entered the country. Police later said they are working with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the investigation.

Garzon remains booked in Marion County Jail as of Friday afternoon on preliminary charges, including murder. He is also jailed on a warrant filed in Marion County in May regarding an unrelated domestic battery case.

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The Marion County Prosecutors Office will determine final charges in the shooting.

Contact IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fight preceded Christmas shooting that injured 5, killed woman.
A juvenile driver faces a charge of of aggravated fleeing and eluding after an incident Thursday that involved gunfire and a chase, according to Rock Island Police.

(Getty Images)

Police told Our Quad Cities News that officers were in the area of the 500 block of 16th Avenue, Rock Island, shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday when they heard gunfire.

A vehicle took off from officers and a pursuit began and continued to Davenport. With the assistance of Iowa State Police and Davenport Police, the vehicle was stopped on Eastern Avenue. Officers say three occupants were detained and the juvenile driver was charged.

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A fourth occupant who ran off was not identified, police say.

Officers found shell casings in the 500 block of 16th Avenue but no injuries or property damage was reported. The Criminal Investigations Division is following up on 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 WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
COLONY, Kan. (KSNW)  A Kansas church has been destroyed by fire.

It happened in Colony in Anderson County on Thursday night at Colony Community Church. No one was hurt in the fire which caused extensive damage to the building.

Crews battle large house fire southwest of Augusta; firefighter not seriously injured

The cause is still under investigation. The building is a total loss, according to the church pastor, who asks for prayers for the congregation.

Courtesy Colony City Marshal

Courtesy Anderson County Kansas Fire and Emergency Management

Courtesy Anderson County Kansas Fire and Emergency Management

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The community was invited to a Friday evening prayer vigil at the Crest Public School in Colony. The congregation is scheduled to meet about the churchs future at 9 a.m. Sunday at Colony Christian Church.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A Kansas City church deacon, who was being investigated by the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph for a sex abuse claim in a St. Louis lawsuit, has returned to full-time ministry, according to a diocese spokesperson.

Ralph Wehner, a Kansas City deacon at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Kansas City, is back to work in ministry after facing a precautionary suspension while the diocese investigated the sex abuse claim. The lawsuit, filed July 24, accuses St. Louis church officials of covering up abuse by clergy and staff for decades. Dozens of plaintiffs are listed on the suit, including one Ralph Wehner.

But even after the investigation has closed, the diocese has still not confirmed or denied whether the man accused of sex abuse is the same man working in Kansas City.

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One plaintiff, W.C., alleged that Brother Ralph Wehner had groped and fondled him at least three times when W.C. was a teenager. The plaintiffs attorney, Todd Mathews, said in an email earlier this month that W.C. voluntarily dismissed the claim for personal reasons, but no other information was available.

Mathews said he appreciates the public respecting the survivors privacy in the matter.

We look forward to continuing to vigorously represent all of those survivors who have suffered horrific sexual abuse by vicious predators, Mathews said in an email.

Ashlie Hand, a spokeswoman with the Diocese, said in an email that an independent review board did not establish whether the Ralph Wehner accused in the St. Louis lawsuit is the same man working at Our Lady of Good Counsel.

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The investigation did not turn up evidence disputing the claim either, she said.

But in August, Hand said the diocese in Kansas City was able to identify enough additional details to make a potential connection to Dcn. Ralph Wehner.

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph said in a statement Thursday that it made every effort to conduct a thorough investigation, but found no information corroborating the accusation.

Hand also said no parishioners have shared concerns about Wehner throughout the course of the investigation.

Bishop Johnston has lifted the precautionary suspension from exercising diaconal ministry and restored Deacon Ralph Wehner to active ministry, the Diocese said in the statement.

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Hand said the investigator was unable to gather any additional evidence or information prior to the complainant dropping his lawsuit earlier this month.

Hand told The Star in a Dec. 4 email that the claimant was unwilling to cooperate with the Dioceses investigation.

The complainant has been unresponsive to our requests through legal counsel to participate in our investigation into the accusations, Hand said in an email.

Our Lady of Good Counsels website says Wehner originally hails from St. Louis and came to the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 2009.

David Clohessy, the Missouri director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, has called on the diocese to be transparent with church members throughout its investigation into the sex abuse claim.

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Clohessy said that Missouri Catholic officials should have been able to determine if the Kansas City deacon is the same man who was accused in St. Louis.

Kansas Citys bishop refuses to even confirm or deny that his deacon is the same cleric who is accused of abusing a St. Louis boy, Clohessy said in an email. That hurts families and insults parishioners.

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph said in the statement about Wehners return that it is committed to investing time and resources to stop the abuse of minors, prevent future abuse and foster healing for survivors and their families.

Since 2002, 41,000 adults working or volunteering with the Church in our diocese have been trained in how to recognize and report child sexual abuse, establishing a strong culture of prevention, the statement reads.

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The diocese said it takes all allegations of misconduct by church personnel seriously and works to respond to survivors needs with urgency, respect and compassion.

We encourage anyone with knowledge about any misconduct by a church volunteer, employee, religious or clergy member  regardless of when the abuse may have occurred  to contact civil authorities first, and then call or text the dioceses confidential report line 816-812-2500 or email ombudsman@diocesekcsj.org, the diocese said in the statement.
We are bowing down to these festive looks.

Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla ended a difficult year with a cherished Christmas tradition in which the royal members sported similar outfits.

On Wednesday, the Princess of Wales, 42, wore a green Alexander McQueen coat with a matching fascinator and scarf and accessorized with black gloves and boots for the traditional Christmas Day walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate.

Britains Queen Camilla, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. REUTERS

Leading the walk was the queen, 77, and her husband, King Charles, 76, who greeted members of the public lined up to see the royals on their way to the church service. Camilla donned a similar look to the princess, opting for her own green winter coat with a matching fascinator.

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Both women even sported black gloves and boots while also carrying black bags.

Following the church service, Middleton greeted those waiting to catch a glimpse of the royal family, shaking hands with bystanders, accepting flowers and speaking with young children bundled up in the cold.

Britains Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales walk to attend the Royal Familys Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalenes church, as the royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, December 25, 2024. REUTERS

Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk. Samir Hussein/WireImage

One well-wisher, John Loughrey, spoke to Sky News about his experience with the princess, noting, Im on top of the world.

I told Catherine she was an inspiration. She said thank you, and said she liked my badges, he added.

Another visitor, 73-year-old Karen Maclean, spoke with both Middleton and King Charles after also experiencing cancer for over 20 years.

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We just had a little talk about cancer, she recalled, adding that the princess hugged Maclean, who traveled from North Lincolnshire for the special occasion.

Britains King Charles speaks with Reverend Canon Dr Paul Williams, as Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, William, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte leave the church, on the day of the Royal Familys Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalenes church, as the royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, December 25, 2024. REUTERS

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Maclean shared about her encounter with Charles: He said to me I can remember you, Im thinking, What! like many years ago?

She explained that both Middleton and Charles appeared very well actually, considering what theyre going through. After hugging Kate, she commented, What a privilege.

During the monarchs annual Christmas address, he reflected on 2024, which saw both him and his daughter-in-law reveal their respective cancer diagnoses.

All of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our life, be it mental or physical, the king said in his pre-taped message. The degree to which we help one another  and draw support from each other, be we people of faith or of none  is a measure of our civilization as nations.

Princess Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the 2024 Christmas Morning Service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk. Jordan Peck|Getty Images

I am speaking to you today from the Chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in London, Charles continued, and thinking especially of the many thousands of professionals and volunteers here in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth who, with their skills and out of the goodness of their heart, care for others, often at some cost to themselves.

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Noting the care he witnessed firsthand, he added, From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed.

Last February, Buckingham Palace revealed that the king had been diagnosed with cancer and had started treatment. The cancer was discovered in January after he underwent a planned procedure to treat a benign enlarged prostate.

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales. UK Press via Getty Images

I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days, he said in a statement at the time. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.

In March, Middleton revealed that she had also been undergoing cancer treatment for about a month. In September, the Princess of Wales announced she had finished her chemotherapy treatment.

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I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment, Middleton shared in a statement on X.

Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.
Ukraine's stockpiles of U.S.-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) are running low, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Dec. 27, citing senior U.S. officials.

ATACMS are long-range ballistic missiles that can fly up to 300 kilometers (about 186 miles). The U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of ATACMS in November 2024, allowing Kyiv to launch them against military targets in Russia.

Ukraine is now limiting these attacks due to a dwindling supply of the weapons and potential changes in U.S. policy, the NYT reported.

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Two senior U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the NYT that when U.S. President Joe Biden gave Kyiv the green light to launch ATACMS into Russian territory, Ukraine likely had only about 50 of the missiles left in its arsenal.

Following Biden's change in policy  which was accompanied by permission from the U.K. to attack Russia with British long-range Storm Shadows  Ukraine launched a series of missile strikes against Russian airfields, military facilities, and weapons factories.

Ukraine has not publicly commented on these strikes, but the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that Kyiv has lanuched at least 31 ATACMS and 14 Storm Shadows since late November.

Ukraine will not likely be able to replenish its missile stockpiles, the two U.S. officials said. Washington has already assigned its own limited arsenal of ATACMS to destinations in Asia and the Middle East.

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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has also said he disagrees "very vehemently" with the decision to permit Ukrainian long-range strikes against Russia with American weapons. He may rescind permissions when he takes office in January 2025 and is not expected to increase missile shipments.

Kyiv first began receiving an older, shorter-range model of ATACMS in fall of 2023. In the spring of 2024, the U.S. began shipping updated models with a range of up to 300 kilometers. At the time, Ukraine was only permitted to deploy these missiles against targets in occupied Ukrainian territory.

Despite persistent lobbying from President Volodymyr Zelensky to ease restrictions on long-range strikes, Biden delayed doing so out of fear of escalating conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Ukraine's long-range strikes against Russia have not led to significant escalations thus far. The senior officials told the NYT that they believe Russia wants to avoid military escalation due to its recent battlefield gains and Trump's expected push for negotiations.

Read also: 2024: Ukraine in photos

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ollie, a labradoodle, died when he was 9 months old, two months after being mauled at a pet care facility in Massachusetts. He was the inspiration for Ollies Law, a new state statute designed to protect pets in kennels. Business owners worry the regulations may be too expensive. (Courtesy of Amy Baxter)

The death of Ollie, a 9-month-old labradoodle mauled at a Massachusetts pet care facility in 2020, led the state this October to enact the stringent Ollies Law, tightening regulations on the care and housing of pets at boarding and training kennels.

The new Massachusetts law mandates the timely reporting of such incidents to local authorities. It also empowers state regulators to come up with new rules that may require that dogs be housed with similarly sized animals and not be left without human supervision, as Ollie was, according to his owner.

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A few other states  including Colorado and Iowa  have regulations in place, but most states rely on local rules or have no regulations at all for pet care facilities, according to Jeremy Cohen, an attorney who founded Boston Dog Lawyers. His firm represents pet owners in cases ranging from custody in a divorce, to injury and wrongful deaths, to defense of dogs that bit someone. (He did not represent Ollies owner, who did not file a suit.)

Opponents of new regulations say the rules may make it more expensive to operate the facilities and could hurt small businesses. Facing such opposition, recent legislative efforts to tighten rules have failed to advance in other states, including Kansas and Washington.

That leaves some pet owners without assurances that the facilities they trust to care for their pets are operating under certain standards, said Cohen, who pushed for the new Massachusetts law.

Pet owners dont know until something happens, he said. And they are shocked to find out there are no regulations. [Pet care facilities] can stay under the radar until something happens.

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That was the situation facing Ollies owner, Amy Baxter. She dropped off Ollie, who was 7 months old, at a doggie day care center in East Longmeadow and later received a call that her pet had been hurt in a dog fight, she said in an interview.

The center, which she said was unlicensed and which has since closed, did not notify local authorities of the incident nor immediately take Ollie to a vet. He died two months later after multiple surgeries.

Baxter, a former legislative aide in New York state, gathered a coalition of pet owners, kennel operators and animal protection groups and spent several years lobbying the Massachusetts legislature for new rules. Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed Ollies Law in October.

The law, which wentinto effect Dec. 19, limits the number of dogs that can be cared for in a single facility and requires recordkeeping, inspections and reporting of pet injuries and deaths. The precise rules on staff-to-animal ratios, dog group sizes and supervision, emergency planning, minimum housing and care requirements, and staff training and insurance will be written by the states Department of Agricultural Resources over the next 18 months.

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The National Humane Education Society said the Massachusetts law sets a new standard in kennel regulation and safety for pets.

Its an animal protection issue, its a consumer protection issue, its also an employee protection issue.

 Amy Baxter, whose dogs death inspired Ollies Law

In an interview, Baxter said the most important part of the new law is that pet injuries are now required to be reported to the local licensing authority and that investigation results be made publicly available if enforcement action is taken.

If I hadnt gone to the police, no one would have heard of Ollie, she said.

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There should never be just one employee at a facility, she argued. If one worker is at the front desk taking payments, whos in the back taking care of the animals? Its an animal protection issue, its a consumer protection issue, its also an employee protection issue.

Extra staff and precautions cost money, and pet kennel owners are concerned about how the new rules will affect them, said Linda Wood, owner of Pawsitively Pets boarding and day care center in Bolton, Massachusetts.

Wood, who has owned her business for 20 years, said she fully supports the new law because it will give animal control officers better guidance on how to inspect facilities, as well as require training for kennel employees, such as the courses she provides her own workers.

Linda Wood, operator of Pawsitively Pets, a pet care facility in Bolton, Mass., and Emmet, a mini-labradoodle she cares for. (Courtesy of Linda Wood)

Kennels that dont measure up are dangerous, she said. She limits the number of animals she takes at one time.

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But, she added, the extra steps will be costly for pet boarding facilities and owners.

They are going to have to hire more employees. This will make it difficult for business. The prices are going to have to go up. Its necessary, but how is the public going to handle it?

Breeder concerns

The American Kennel Club, which represents dog breeders, is skeptical of new regulations such as the Massachusetts law, which it says would impede breeders. The bill originally included new rules for breeders, but after pushback from the group, lawmakers stripped that part and the organization dropped its opposition to the legislation.

Kennels care for customers dogs intermittently, while breeding operations raise puppies to be sold.

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In a statement to Stateline, Phil Guidry, the American Kennel Clubs director of policy analysis, said that while it is important that pets in day cares and kennels get proper care, including personal breeder kennels under the bill was unnecessary and went too far. The original legislation could have allowed inspectors into breeders homes and attempted to limit the number of dogs breeders own, he said.

In Colorado, state regulations set cage dimensions and worker-to-dog ratios and requires facility license holders to be trained, among other provisions.

The Iowa kennel regulations require specific recordkeeping on all animals housed at the kennel and lay out standards of cleanliness. For dog day care centers, the rules require, among other things, that dog owners sign a waiver acknowledging that grouping dogs together involves inherent risks.

Safety costs

Recent efforts to tighten pet boarding regulations failed in other states.

Argo, Wallaby and Paluka check out the snow from the windows at Pawsitively Pets in Bolton, Mass. (Courtesy of Linda Wood)

In Washington state, the cost of the new safety measures was one of the issues raised at a legislative hearing on a bill that would have required a fire alarm system or a sprinkler system in kennels but that didnt make it out of committee this year. The bill had been filed after two separate fires at Seattle dog day care and boarding facilities in 2023, during one of which a dog died after it ran from the burning kennel and into traffic on Interstate 5.

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Fire safety experts and animal activists supported the bill. But Sam McEntire pointed out at the hearing that the fires happened at two locations of the same business, and suggested that the problem is not widespread.

I dont think anyone would oppose having some standards and safety measure systems, but some of these would devastate small-business owners having to implement hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of systems to these buildings, he testified, adding that while the state doesnt have a lot of regulation of this industry, cities and counties do.

The bill died in committee in January. Its lead sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Darya Farivar, may reintroduce it next year.

In Kansas, a 2022 bill that would have regulated dog kennels and breeders died in committee.

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This year, the Kansas Pet Animal Advisory Board, an arm of the state Agriculture Department, considered new safety regulations designed to make pet boarding and day care facilities safer. A family in Olathe had lost both their dogs while boarding them at a kennel called Lucky Paws KC. In that case, two small dogs, a Pomeranian mix and a mini-labradoodle, were killed after being put in an outdoor area with more than a dozen large dogs. An employee was inside the facility with a door propped open to monitor conditions outside, according to KCTV.

Instead of passing new rules, though, the advisory board instead decided to increase education efforts on the current rules, said Heather Lansdowne, communications director for the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

The concerns would best be addressed by increased education and enforcement, Lansdowne said. Thats better than additional regulations, which can sometimes be burdensome in a way that backfires and causes problems for the good facilities.

She said the department would be sending out reminders to kennels that they should house dogs of similar sizes together and monitor their behavior.

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A lot of that is, how do you help those facilities work through decisions about which pets can be housed together? she said. You have to understand animal signs and signals.

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.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Employees of a Las Vegas hair salon that shuttered weeks before Christmas learned of its closure through a text message, according to a former worker who says she is still owed back pay.

All that is left of the Fantastic Sams Cut and Color location near the intersection of Durango Drive and Warm Springs Road in southwest Las Vegas is an empty store with no chairs, tables, or hairdryers to be found.

Employees need to feel comfortable and confident where they work, said Tara Jefferson-Harvey, a former employee of Fantastic Sams. She said she had previously worked at several salons in the Las Vegas valley, before calling the location home for the past two months.

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According to Jefferson-Harvey, she and several of her colleagues were fired on Dec. 5. An employee at a nearby store said a truck had been seen hauling furniture from the location earlier in December.

[I] got a text from my manager, saying [] dont come in  that were closed, she said. Corporate had closed them down, and basically, come get your stuff.

According to the Nevada Department of Cosmetology, the salon was cited for operating without the supervision of a licensed person. The site listed the locations owner as Stephanie Cook.

In the Summer of 2024, five Fantastic Sams locations closed, with Nevada Department of Labor documents showing that $20,000 in unpaid wages and at least $11,000 in rent was still owed.

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Jefferson-Harvey said she is owed nearly $500 in back pay.

I was expecting to use that money from my electric bill and give a few gifts and stuff for family, Jefferson-Harvey said. Other former employees have similar stories, including pay coming two weeks late.

This isnt going to work for me, said Delany Boyle, a former employee earlier in 2024. I also have a child at home. I have bills to pay.

You think they have the moral standard to pay people, Jefferson-Harvey said. She added that she also filed a complaint with the state labor board.

Stephanie Cook, the listed salon owner, could not be reached for comment. Two other Fantastic Sams locations are still open in the Las Vegas valley. Both are independently owned.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A 29-year-old Las Vegas woman faces an attempted murder charge after an armed confrontation with an ex-girlfriend at a southwest valley apartment.

Talina E. Lee was arrested on Dec. 18 after police investigated a report of a woman who shot herself in the finger with a handgun, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrest report.

Lee is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 6. She is currently in the Clark County Detention Center on $50,000 bond, facing charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, assault (domestic violence) with a deadly weapon, child abuse/neglect with a deadly weapon, burglary with a deadly weapon and two charges related to firing the handgun.

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex near South Buffalo Drive and West Badura Avenue, just off the Southern 215 Beltway.

According to the arrest report, Lee showed up at an ex-girlfriends apartment between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. and got in using a key she wasnt supposed to have. An argument began, and the ex-girlfriend told Lee she didnt want to see her anymore. She also said she was concerned for the safety of her 8-year-old son, who was sleeping in a bedroom in the apartment.

She took the boy to a friends apartment and came back to try to talk Lee into putting the gun down, according to the arrest report.

The argument got violent, and Lee raised the weapon and pulled the trigger, according to the report. But there wasnt a bullet in the chamber.

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As Lee continued speaking incoherently and waving the gun around, it went off and struck Lee in the finger. The bullet traveled through several walls, eventually lodging in the living room wall, police said. No one else was injured.

The ex-girlfriend went to the friends apartment and called police.

Police found excessive blood when they arrived at the apartment, and took Lee for treatment before arresting her, according to the arrest report.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Impaired driving is a big topic, especially as many people prepare to celebrate New Years.

Hundreds of lives have been lost to drug and alcohol-related crashes in the state over the past few years and the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office wants to issue yet another reminder to not drive impaired.

We know the people are going to go out. We want you to go out and have a good time. We want you to have fun but do so responsibly, said Aaron Brilbeck with the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office

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Its a simple request from the sheriffs office and numerous other law enforcement agencies to ring in the new year safely.

There are so many alternatives to driving while intoxicated, Brilbeck said.

Brilbeck said ride share programs, designated drivers or even calling a friend will do. Over 400 lives have been lost due to drug and alcohol related crashes in Oklahoma since 2021. Its clear that its never an accident and a main problem the county sheriffs office continues to face are people thinking its okay to drive high.

City of OKC reminds residents not to call 911 for illegal fireworks on New Years Eve

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So many times well pull somebody over and as soon as we pull them over, they roll down the window and this plume of smoke comes out like a Cheech and Chong movie, Brilbeck said. And they smile and they hand us their drivers license and with their red eyes, they also hand us their medical marijuana card.

However, its not a get out of jail free card.

If my doctor prescribes morphine to me, I cant drive under the influence of morphine, Brilbeck said as a comparison. Very same with medical marijuana.

Saturation patrols and DUI checkpoints are also in the plans for multiple agencies in multiple counties this weekend and into the New Years holiday. Brilbeck called it all hands on deck.

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Were not looking to spoil anybodys fun. Were looking to make sure that people are getting home alive, he said.

Penalties for impaired driving can include fines as high as $10,000 and jail time can be up to one year on a first offense. You can also receive up to five years for a second offense within 10 years of the first.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
In a powerful display of public support, 62% of voters in Washington state chose to protect the state's Carbon Commitment Act, the strongest carbon pricing program in America, reported Grist.

The law makes large companies pay for their pollution through a permit system. That money helps regular people save on transportation, upgrade their homes, and adapt to a changing environment. It's already brought in more than $2 billion for these programs.

This vote means real benefits for Washington families. The law has already made public transit free for young people and helped homeowners install money-saving heat pumps. It's cleaning up local air quality, too. Business groups, religious organizations, health advocates, and farming communities have all joined forces to defend these practical solutions.

Do you think America could ever go zero-waste?

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

"I really feel it was important from a national perspective, because every state legislator can now look to Washington and say, 'This is a winning issue,'" said Governor Jay Inslee. "This is something you can defend and win big on. And we won big."

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The successful defense of Washington's law could inspire similar programs nationwide. Officials in New Jersey, Maryland, and New York have been watching closely, per Reuters.

"Washington state is the gold standard for how we tackle overheating in a way that's inclusive, in a way that's politically popular," said State Senator Joe Nguyen.

Looking ahead, Washington can now connect its carbon market with California and Quebec, creating an even stronger system for cleaner air and energy savings. The state will also roll out new programs to reduce air pollution in neighborhoods that need it most.

"We put together, all of us, the most extraordinary coalition in the history of this state, on any issue, ever," said Gregg Small, who leads the environmental group Climate Solutions. The message is clear: When communities work together, everyone wins through cleaner air, lower bills, and a safer future.

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Top lawmakers, First Amendment advocacy groups and President-elect Trump weighed in Friday on a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S., as the Supreme Court prepares to take up the case.

The court agreed last week to hear TikToks challenge to the law, which requires its China-based parent company ByteDance to divest from the app by Jan. 19 or face a ban.

The case is being heard at a speedy pace, with oral arguments set for Jan. 10 and a possible decision just days before the ban is set to go into effect.

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Heres a look at who is supporting each side in the blockbuster First Amendment case.

Uphold TikTok ban

The Biden administration, which is defending the law, insists it complies with the First Amendment because any free speech concerns are superseded by the governments compelling national security interest.

The First Amendment would not have required our Nation to tolerate Soviet ownership and control of American radio stations (or other channels of communication and critical infrastructure) during the Cold War, and it likewise does not require us to tolerate ownership and control of TikTok by a foreign adversary today, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in the governments brief on Friday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

Sen. Mitch McConnell urged the court last week to reject TikToks request to delay the law.

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McConnells filing, which was submitted shortly before the court decided to take up the case in full, dismissed TikToks First Amendment claim and argued against moving the Jan. 19 deadline.

The topsy-turvy idea that TikTok has an expressive right to facilitate the CCP censorship regime is absurd, McConnells counsel Michael A. Fragoso wrote. Would Congress have needed to allow Nikita Khrushchev to buy CBS and replace The Bing Crosby Show with Alexander Nevsky?

Select Committee on the CCP

Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the House Select Committee on Chinas Communist Party, submitted a joint brief detailing Congresss extensive legislative factfinding on the threat posed by China.

Congress therefore determined that addressing this existing and future threat for designated social media applications, including TikTok, required excising the foreign adversary control from the applications, their attorney wrote.

Former FCC Chair Ajit Pai

Ajit Pai, who led the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Trump, filed an amicus brief supporting the divest-or-ban law alongside Thomas Feddo, who previously oversaw the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

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The pair pointed to their own experience in arguing that the governments concerns are well-founded and the laws approach is nothing new or extraordinary.

As amici curiae know well from their prior government service, DOJs concerns are well founded, they wrote. The United States has long had significant and legitimate public policy concerns over PRC-based corporate control of businesses in the United States generallyand more recently, with TikTok in particular. 

Mike Pences political advocacy group

Advancing American Freedom, a conservative political advocacy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, submitted a brief contending that ruling for TikTok would effectively be acquiescing to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The CCP does not respect free speech, either in China or in America. The First Amendment is not, and should not be read as, a means of granting the Chinese government the power to do what the American government could not: manipulate what Americans can say and hear, the group wrote.

Two former attorneys general

Two former attorneys general in Republican administrations filed a joint brief backing the ban: Michael Mukasey, who served under former President George W. Bush, and Jeff Sessions, who served under Trump.

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Their brief was joined by more than a dozen former national security officials.

Having failed to effectively confront the enduring national security threat that TikTok and its relationship with the CCP poses to Americans and their data, TikTok now seeks to wrap itself in the American fag, citing the First Amendment as the core reason the government ought not be able to force divestiture, the officials attorney wrote.

But the Act doesnt even implicate the First Amendment.

22 Republican-led states

Led by Montana and Virginia, 22 Republican state attorneys general are backing the TikTok ban, saying their states are grateful that Congress acted to protect the American people.

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The brief invokes TikToks ongoing challenge to a Montana law that bans the platform in the state, saying TikTok has taken contradictory positions.

TikTok asks this Court to declare that the peoples representatives are powerless at all levels of government to stop a hostile foreign power from spying on Americans. TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party cannot hide behind the First Amendment, the brief reads.

Preserve TikTok

TikTok has asked the justices to invalidate the ban for violating the free speech rights of the platform and its tens of millions of U.S. users, describing the law as an unprecedented action that is at war with the First Amendment.

Petitioners do not contest Congresss compelling interest in protecting this Nations security, or the many weapons it has to do so. But that arsenal simply does not include suppressing the speech of Americans because other Americans may be persuaded, TikTok wrote in its brief.

Trump

Trump formally got involved in the litigation Friday for the first time, insisting he can negotiate a resolution to save TikTok once he takes office, so the justices should delay the ban in the meantime.

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Trump took no position on the First Amendment issues at the center of the case but said a political resolution could obviate the courts need to resolve the controversial free speech question.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns, wrote D. John Sauer, Trumps nominee for U.S. solicitor general, which would have him take over managing the governments defense of the ban.

Sens. Ed Markey and Rand Paul, and Rep. Ro Khanna

Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) jointly filed a brief arguing that the law does not withstand First Amendment scrutiny.

All three lawmakers have previously voiced concerns about the divest-or-ban law. Their filing Friday contends there are less restrictive alternatives that could address the governments concerns.

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History has shown time and time again that the government is too quick to prohibit speech when faced with the specter of foreign interference or security risks. That track record should cause this Court to view skeptically the governments assertions here that national security demands speech prohibitions, they wrote.

First Amendment and internet advocacy groups

The American Civil Liberties Union teamed up with a coalition of First Amendment and internet advocacy groups, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy and Technology, to support TikTok.

The groups said the federal government has failed to present sufficient evidence to justify forcing millions of Americans off a platform uniquely suited to how they want to speak and share.

Free speech groups like the Knight First Amendment Institute and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) similarly filed briefs backing TikTok. FIREs brief was also joined by conservative influencer CJ Pearson.

Social and racial justice organizations

Several social and racial justice organizations, like Stop AAPI Hate and GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy organization, also are supporting TikTok at the high court.

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They hailed the platform as a modern-day digital town square that empowers diverse communities, often neglected by other media outlets.

Amici also harbor serious misgivings that the Governments stated rationale for censoring 170 million U.S. voices on TikTok arises from, and perpetuates, our nations history of weaponizing pretextual national security concerns to demonize immigrants and minorities, their brief states.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A house and multiple vehicles were hit in a shooting on Friday night at Pine Hills Manufactured Home Community, and Lawrence police want to hear from anyone who has more information about it.

I was just sitting there watching a movie, and we heard gunshots, and it sounded like five shotguns going boom, boom, boom, boom, five times, said Stephanie Crawford, who lives close by.

Then there was a response back, and it was like four other shots.

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The community is at 100 N. Michigan, just east of McDonald Drive and W. 2nd Street, and 911 callers reported the shooting shortly before 8 p.m.

Merriam convenience store badly damaged in fire

Lawrence police say nobody was found hurt at the scene, but the house was struck multiple times, and four vehicles were hit as well.

I dont know who or what what went on, but it just kind of makes you question the safety in our neighborhoods and what happened, Crawford explained.

So very concerned and very worried about not only us but there are families that live over there.

Several people told officers they took cover after hearing the shots, but nobody, including people in the house that was struck, could provide a good description of the shooter.

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Investigators found nearly two dozen shell casings of the same caliber on the ground.

It was a little too close to home for me. Usually, you see this stuff in other places, but to happen in our neighborhood was very unnerving, Crawford said.

Other people who live nearby said that violent incidents like this dont happen in the Lawrence neighborhood.

Weve lived here 30 years, and no, this is a very quiet neighborhood. So, it is shocking that it was so close, said Steve Marrs, who lives near the Pine Hills community.

Lawrence PD is looking for anyone who has private surveillance video or may have more details that will help them make an arrest. If you saw or know anything, call the department at (785) 843-0250 or Lawrence-Douglas County Crime Stoppers at (785) 843-TIPS.

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Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous.

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Dozens of bills were passed over the course of the year, but now were looking to highlight some of the key pieces of legislation that may impact you and your loved ones.

Bills of all kinds were passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly over the past year.

The impact of those decisions in Harrisburg will likely be seen and felt in Erie, one of those being increased funding to public schools.

Hopefully it helps keep tow the line on property tax increases. By getting extra funds from the state, that means we have to rely less on property owners, said Bob Merski, PA State Representative for District 2.

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Mercy Center for Women receives anonymous donation of over $1.5 million

Legislators were also hoping to reel in costs, already helping members of our older population.

Senior citizens who are eligible are going to receive more money back on their property tax and rent rebates, said Ryan Bizzarro, PA State Representative for District 3. We were able to expand the pool of money available and expand the number of people who can now go into that program.

And several laws and changes go into effect at the start of 2025, with several focused on keeping Pennsylvanians healthy.

For one, biomarker testing will covered by a variety of insurance plans including Medicaid.

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Local kids learn about winter weather thanks to ExpERIEnce Childrens Museum

The bill is especially personal to Representative Bizzarro, a childhood leukemia survivor.

We all know somebody who is suffering from some type of cancer or terminal illness. This pinpoints that early and helps develop an effective treatment plan, said Bizzarro.

In line with medical care, the commonwealth is expanding expecting mothers access to doulas

Doulas are professionals trained in emotional, physical, and educational support for mothers.

Their care significantly increases successful labor and birth. This expansion significantly helps black and Latino Pennsylvanians who face more barriers to care.

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I think that being able to really forge past those barriers is going to allow more women and babies to have optimal outcomes and I think that it is an incredibly responsible and necessary call in terms of legislation, said Brandy Gentry, lead doula at the Birth Circle at UPMC Hamot.

Whats more is first responders will now be eligible for compensation if they develop PTSD.

This isnt a normal job where its 9-5. Youre dealing with shootings, murders, violent car accidents, and other accidents and it can affect you, said Merski.

North East boil water advisory officially lifted

Merski said a big goal for 2025 is working on protections for consumers and citizens against artificial intelligence, while at the same time understanding its efficiencies.

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He also said theyre focusing on affordability and cost containment with a goal of making life more affordable for Pennsylvanians, especially those living on fixed incomes.

Meraki hopes in the next year, the Pennsylvania House and Senate can get more done together.

He said in the past year, the house has passed over 300 bills. And in the Senate, only 10% of those bills were passed.

UPMC Hamot celebrates surgery milestone after 1500th successful TAVR procedure

Thats frustrating sometimes because we all get lumped in and people feel like none of us are working hard, and were working hard in the house, said Merski.

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In other news, lawmakers and state officials including state supreme court judges and even Governor Josh Shapiro are getting a raise. That number is about 3.4%.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
LAYTON CITY, Utah (ABC4)  The Layton City Fire Department announced two major changes to firework restrictions on Friday, Dec. 27, ahead of New Years Eve after this years July celebrations led to several dangerous and destructive firework incidents.

Layton officials posted on social media Friday announcing that fireworks will no longer be allowed in public parks and restrictions on aerial fireworks have expanded to additional areas in the city.

The fire department also warned that it will have a zero-tolerance policy for illegal fireworks, which will include fines of up to $1,000. Violations of the firework restrictions could also lead to criminal prosecution.

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The changes come after several major incidents involving fireworks took place in Layton earlier this year, one of which led to three arrests and the destruction of a Layton home.

During the month of July, fireworks malfunctioned and shot into a crowd at Andy Adams Park, a group of juveniles allegedly threw lit fireworks into a crowd at Layton High School, and several people lit fireworks at Kays Creek Trailhead causing a fire that destroyed a nearby home.

The fire department said the fire chief has authority to restrict or prohibit the use of fireworks within city boundaries, and that these restrictions were included in a city ordinance passed in September.

As fireworks are only legal in Utah in July and late December (as well as on the Chinese New Year), Dec. 31 will be the first time the new measures will be put into action.

New firework restrictions

Starting this season, fireworks will no longer be permitted in public parks, including parks that formerly were designated for the activity such as Andy Adams Park and Sand Ridge Park. Fire authorities said this change comes after the parks had excessive use, including large, non-permitted firework displays that raised significant life safety concerns.

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As for the second change, restrictions on aerial fireworks will be expanded across the eastern side of the city. While all Layton properties east of U.S. Highway 89 are banned from firework usage entirely, other nearby properties  which are identified on a Layton City map  are now barred from using aerial fireworks.

May be an image of map and text

The Layton City Fire Department said fireworks sold to the public often lack consistent safety standards as they are manufactured outside of the country and can reach heights of 150 feet and speeds of 100 miles per hour. Authorities said these new restrictions are meant to reduce fire hazards, severe personal injuries, and property damage.

The fire department recommends that residents go to a professional firework display for their New Years celebrations. If they are located in a non-restricted area and choose to light fireworks, they said to soak used fireworks in water overnight before throwing them away.

Our goal is to protect the community while encouraging safe alternatives, Layton City Fire Chief Kevin Ward said in a press release. Even legal fireworks carry risks, and we strongly recommend attending professional displays instead.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (WFLA)  Three firefighters and 12 Brightline passengers were injured Saturday morning following a collision between a Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck and a train.

The crash happened around 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, near the intersection of East Atlantic Avenue and Railroad Avenue in Delray Beach, according to the fire department.

VIDEO: Driver fleeing at 120 mph slams into trooper in Tampa

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One of the fire departments ladder trucks was crossing the tracks when it was reportedly struck by a Brightline train. Video released by Brightline appeared to show the fire truck driving around the lowered crossing gates with its lights flashing.

Three firefighters were taken to a local hospital, where officials said they were listed in stable condition. First responders also took 12 passengers from the train to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

A damaged fire truck is on its side after colliding with a train in downtown Delray Beach, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) A damaged Brightline train is seen after it collided with a fire truck in downtown Delray Beach, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) A damaged Brightline train is seen after it collided with a fire truck in downtown Delray Beach, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Firemen gather after Brightline train collided with a fire truck in downtown Delray Beach, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) A fireman views damage after a Brightline train collided with a fire truck in downtown Delray Beach, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

As of Saturday afternoon, authorities said the cause of the collision was still under investigation.

The Delray Beach Police Department, officials from Brightline and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are leading the investigation.

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The intersection was temporarily shut down while investigators examined the scene. No other information was immediately available.

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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
By Timour Azhari

(Reuters) -Lebanon expelled around 70 Syrian officers and soldiers on Saturday, returning them to Syria after they crossed into the country illegally via informal routes, a Lebanese security official and a war monitor said.

Many senior Syrian officials and people close to the former ruling family of Bashar al-Assad fled the country to neighbouring Lebanon after Assad's regime was toppled on Dec 8.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a London-based organization with sources in Syria, and the Lebanese security official said Syrian military personnel of various ranks had been sent back via Lebanon's northern Arida crossing.

SOHR and the security official said the returnees were detained by Syria's new ruling authorities after crossing the border.

The new administration has been undertaking a major security crackdown in recent days on what they say are "remnants" of the Assad regime.

Several of the cities and towns concerned, including in Homs and Tartous provinces, are near the porous border with Lebanon.

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The Lebanese security official said the Syrian officers and soldiers were found in a truck in the northern coastal city of Jbeil after an inspection by local officials.

Lebanese and Syrian government officials did not immediately respond to written requests for comment on the incident.

Reuters reported on Friday that Rifaat al-Assad, an uncle of Assad charged in Switzerland with war crimes over the bloody suppression of a revolt in 1982, had flown out of Beirut to Dubai recently, as had "many members" of the Assad family.

Earlier this month, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said top Assad adviser Bouthaina Shaaban had flown out of Beirut after entering Lebanon legally.

In an interview with Al Arabiya, Mawlawi said other Syrian officials had entered Lebanon illegally and were being pursued.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Alison Williams and Hugh Lawson)
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  On Monday, President Biden signed the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for 2025, which included legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals to the women of the WWI U.S. Army Signal Corps.

The group, nicknamed the Hello Girls, of 223 telephone operators were the first female soldiers to be deployed to a combat zone in United States history.

A Mothers Mission: Honoring her fallen son by helping heroes

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Missouri Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver and Sam Graves, as well as Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids, introduced the bill that posthumously awards the women with the highest civilian honor that Congress can award.

As someone whose uncle was a Tuskegee Airman, Congressman Cleaver said.

I know firsthand how important these recognitions are to the families of those who defended our freedom, and Im thankful that the descendants of the Hello Girls will receive formal appreciation from a grateful nation for their loved ones service to the United States when we needed them most.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial has two Hello Girls uniforms on display, as well as a headset that they used while operating the phone lines.

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Lora Vogt, VP of Education and Interpretation at The World War I Museum and Memorial explained that men used to do that work before the Hello Girls arrived.

The United States recruited women who were bilingual they needed to speak both English and French and be capable of operating these very complex at the time, telephone operating systems, she said.

Many of them had actually served as telephone operators already and so they were used to that job.

According to Vogt, there were more than 7,000 women who applied to be Hello Girls, but only 223 were selected.

These are women who are incredibly well educated, they are bilingual, this is just an elite group of females who went to serve on the front line and really break a lot of barriers.

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Inattention a leading factor in deadly Missouri crashes: MSHP

She said they worked in the office of John J. Pershing and would hear artillery shells explode from their switchboards, and were even issued gas masks.

While the Hello Girls deployed to a combat zone, Vogt said that it wasnt until the 1970s that they were officially given veteran status.

And even though public recognition for their service wouldnt come until more than 100 years later, Vogt says it provides us the opportunity to tell their story and remember their service, when we may not have gotten the chance to.

Its so important because it shines again this light so that present day, we pay closer attention to these lesser-known stories.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Former Secretary of Defense and CIA director Leon Panetta speculated that Russian air defenses may have caused the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured earlier this week.

When you look at all the preliminary evidence here, I dont think theres any question, but that the Russians use some kind of air defense system that brought down that airliner, Panetta told CNNs Wolf Blitzer Friday night.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier this week that it was necessary to wait for the end of this probe before casting any speculation about the cause of the crash.

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The plane was flying from Azerbaijans capital of Baku to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, on Wednesday when it turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed while making an attempt to land.

Panettas comment comes as U.S. officials and an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was possibly hit by Russian air defense systems, citing expert analysis and survivor accounts.

Well wait for a formal investigation, but I think its pretty clear that the Russians, here, were responsible for what happened to that airliner, Panetta added.

Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny. A flight attendant said he heard noises that sounded like something hitting the plane from the outside and denied a later claim from Kazakh officials that an oxygen canister exploded inside the plane.

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Other survivors also recounted hearing explosions before the plan went down.

Kazakhstans Ministry of Transport said in a Telegram statement that investigators were looking into the incident along with officials from Azerbaijan, Brazilian experts, the airline and the Brazilian-owned aircraft manufacturer Embraer.

Azerbaijani news website Caliber reported that a preliminary investigation has found the flight was downed by a Pantsir-S Russian air defense system, stating Russia also used electronic warfare on the plane to disable it on the radar.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
To the editor: Israel was not "founded as a refuge for Jews after the Nazi Holocaust," as your article on a recent strike in the Gaza Strip states. It was founded as the state of the Jewish nation in the liberated one-eighth of its homeland  the reservation established by the United Nations in the 1940s.

Zionism predated the Holocaust by 2,500 years. When Jews were deported to Babylon, they wept for Zion. Through the ages, diaspora Jews have repatriated to Israel. The modern political Zionist movement, eventually leading to the founding of the state, began in the 19th century.

Louis Richter, Reseda

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..

To the editor: Another Israeli strike kills children.

Israel claims these strikes are aimed at Hamas hiding among Palestinian civilians. But it looks like Israel is trying to kill the future civilian population as much as current Hamas fighters.

Is this the way Israel is perpetrating genocide? Kill young civilians as the fighters eventually die off?

Mary Wiser, Van Nuys

..

To the editor: With all the articles this paper has written about how terrible all the loss of life is in Gaza, it's amazing how it's mentioned only in passing how terrible it is that there are still Israeli hostages there. It's Palestinians who have been holding them hostage for more than a year.

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Perhaps you could write an article that suggests they give back the people they took so Israel can stop looking to rescue them. Is Israel supposed to just give up and leave their citizens? Would you want your family members to be forgotten and left?

Dena Schechter, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
To the editor: Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who had been President-elect Donald Trumps first choice to be attorney general, has been accused by the House Ethics Committee of "regularly" paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and illegal drug use.

The bigger picture is how our future president handles vetting key administration nominees.

No red flags came up when nominating Gaetz as the country's top law enforcement official? Really?

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Jack Nelson, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Step One: The House Ethics Committee releases its report based on nearly four years of investigation into facts surrounding Gaetz.

Step Two: Jack Smith and the Justice Department special prosecutor's office need to release a report based on years of investigations into the facts surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. If Trump wants to dispute the findings, let him testify under oath.

There is a major difference between Truth Social and the truth. Let the American people decide based on the facts.

Joel Pelcyger, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: If Gaetz can afford to pay thousands of dollars for sex and drugs on his congressional salary  as the House Ethics Committee report alleges  maybe the president-elect's Department of Government Efficiency should be considering a pay cut for members of Congress.

June Thompson, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An obvious puppet

Harkening back to the infamous bumbling statement by Donald Trump during a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton: Puppet ... no puppet.

Fast forwarding to the current day, in my opinion it seems evident that Trump has become quite the puppet to the demands of his richest-man-in-the-world roommate Elon Musk, an unelected person now pulling his puppet strings.

Leigh D. Wheeler, State College

Why doesnt the U.S. stand up for decency?

There is so much inhumanity to bring us to tears right now  the invasion of Ukraine and the murder of their people, our President-elects support of authoritarian governments and disdain for our democratic allies are only the tip of the iceberg. But our continued support by both Democratic and Republican parties of Israels obvious attempted genocide of the Palestinian people should be frightening.

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As Nazi Germany began the systematic murder of Jews, right wing factions in the U.S. caused our country to sit on the sidelines until we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Now, as Israel is systematically wiping out Palestine as a country and Palestinians as a people, we are not only holding back criticism but even continuing to send weapons to Israel used to kill Palestinian women and children.

Trump has identified Mike Huckabee as his, our countrys, ambassador to Israel. Huckabee has in essence approved the genocide of Palestinians. Dont people of color and/or of non-Christian religion in our country and worldwide realize that they are next? Do U.S. Christians truly approve of this genocide? Is that WWJD?

I have no doubt but that certain factions will label this perspective as anti-Semitism. Thats totally crap. Theres no anti-Semitism involved here.

What have we learned, where are our values? Why doesnt the U.S. stand up for decency?

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Ross Adams, Boalsburg

Reflecting through Christmas carols

Reflecting on the meaning of Jesus birth as presented in the traditional Christmas carols.

From Hark The Herald Angels Sing:

born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth,

born to give us second birth.

From God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen:

To save us all from Satans power

When we were gone astray

From What Child Is This?:

Why lies He in such mean estate

Where ox and ass are feeding?

... Nails, spear shall pierce him through,

The Cross be borne for me, for you;

The lyrics communicate the Good News of Gods love.

 for while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

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Don Cistaro, State College

Finding astronomys objects

Science insists that, as astronauts in the space station see, the Earth is a planet in space.

Where then is the planet?

In Baroque theory the universe is both isocentric and isotropic.

But I say, the universes objects are placed from the sun at the center of the solar system, the sun is placed from these grounds home here, and this ground is actualized as man faces the open future and morally acts.

The act there at the crux deploys up and down, back and front, left and right, which only then makes cosmology possible.

Where then ultimately are astronomys objects?

They are found from here where we cross the public square and cordially take each others hands. In that grip the good is in play and this shows the directions of the stars within the grounded world of which man in the great hero.

John Harris, State College
The Lewiston Planning Board recommended approval of a new solar energy facility planned for a former landfill.

Connecticut-based Citrine Power, LLC plans its 2.5-megawatt AC power commercial system to be on a closed landfill at 4746 Model City Road, next to Modern Disposals Lewiston office. The 29.5 acre site would be leased from the Washuta family trust, taking up 8 to 10 acres.

The array would be a community solar project under the Community Solar Power Program, with power generated for National Grid. The amount of electricity produced will degrade by half a percent every year, still capable of producing 80% of its capacity after 20 years.

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Managing Partner Cela Sinay-Bernie said they are working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation on a detailed contingency plan in the event of contamination at the site. The decommissioning plan for the project will last for 30 years, with Citrine paying the town $170,000 the first year then increasing by 2.5% per year over the course of the plan.

Citrine has worked on 15 total solar arrays generating a total 37.32 megawatts of power in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and California.

The Niagara County Planning Board already recommended site plan approval, which still requires final final approval from the town board. The board enacted a new law this August limiting future solar energy developments to industrial-zoned areas.
This article was originally published in The 19th.

After three rounds of fertility treatments, Haley Swenson and her wife, Alieza Durana, had a baby boy in March 2023. Because Swenson carried their baby and was the biological mother, only she was seen as the parent in the eyes of the law. Durana would have to adopt her own son.

That process is expensive  at least a couple thousand dollars  so they put it off as the costs of raising an infant mounted. But the day after Donald Trump was reelected, the couple felt a new urgency: Would the incoming administration strip away their rights to call themselves moms? They had to seriously consider taking extra steps to ensure their child would, legally, always be considered theirs.

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Ahead of a second Trump administration that is likely to be hostile to LGBTQ+ people, queer parents across the country are calling attorneys and researching how they can protect themselves in the event that a Republican-controlled White House and Congress attempts to strip back protections for LGBTQ+ families.

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Project 2025, the 920-page document that lays out priorities for a second Trump term, envisions a federal government that uplifts families made up of a married mother and father, while undermining LGBTQ+ parents. Policies focused on supporting LGBTQ+ equity should be repealed and replaced by policies that support the formation of stable, married, nuclear families, the document states. The courts could also take up LGBTQ+ equity cases. When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas indicated the court may consider revisiting other cases, including Obergefell v. Hodges, which secured marriage equality for LGBTQ+ couples.

Its unclear what they want to do, and that lack of specificity is whats really scary if youre a queer parent because you dont really know how to protect yourself, Swenson said. So since we know there was this one thing we could do to protect ourselves, and we hadnt done it yet, it was like, OK, there are so many unknowns  lets at least take care of what we can.

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After the election was called for Trump, Swenson and Durana gathered all their documents and typed a letter to their closest family and friends, asking them to help gather the funds to retain an attorney who would help them finalize the adoption before Trumps inauguration at the end of January. They knew that simply being listed as a parent on a childs birth certificate is not enough to establish legal parentage, especially for non-biological parents. Within less than a week, they had the $3,500 they needed to start the process. In late November, Swenson watched a webinar outlining steps LGBTQ+ families could take. Many other attendees were asking about pursuing adoptions for their children.

We are getting a lot of questions about that, said Meg York, the director of LGBTQ+ Family Law and Policy and an attorney at Family Equality, a nonprofit working to support LGBTQ+ families that helped organize the webinar. Regardless of how your family is formed, its that security thats the key concern here  without [a court judgment] your parentage might be questioned or challenged or unrecognized across state lines.

Family laws like this often vary by state, each with their own rules about what they will recognize or not.

Often, attorneys recommend that same-sex couples obtain a court order that will ensure their parent-child relationship is recognized under the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that a court order in one state must be recognized elsewhere. Parents can obtain an adoption or a parentage order. Both are court orders recognized across states and cant be undone if a state legislature decides to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ families.

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Adoptions, which are subject to background checks and a court hearing, are an option for both unmarried and married couples and help establish that the nonbiological parent is the parent of the child. Some states may refer to it as second-parent, co-parent or stepparent adoption. Parentage orders are similar in terms of the process and cost but differ in one sense: Couples can apply for them prior to the childs birth, meaning those parental rights are established as soon as the child is born and there is no gap. Its often an option for parents undergoing fertility treatments or surrogacy.

Children born to a married same-sex couple should be recognized as the parents of those children under the law, but discrimination against LGBTQ+ families has led to an uneven adoption of that standard. Thats why attorneys recommend families take additional steps.

Swenson is based in Utah, in a county where more than 70 percent of voters elected Trump to office in part because of conservative views. She knows the stakes.

There are so many scary situations people are in where its going to come down to convincing a judge of your humanity, Swenson said. Your gender and sexual identity dont change the fact that youre a human and a good parent. Theres just a lot of people out there who are really uncertain about what lies ahead.

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In Austin, attorney Meghan Alexander used to receive maybe three calls a week about second-parent adoptions. The week after the election, she received 26. The calls and emails havent stopped.

The advice is the same as its been for the last couple of decades, which is to do a second-parent adoption. Do not depend on the federal government or the gay right to marry to give you parental rights, Alexander said.

Alexander recommends to her clients that parents get an adoption instead of a parentage order because in Texas, for example, parentage orders for LGBTQ+ families have not been thoroughly challenged in the court system, Alexander said, while adoptions have been upheld by the courts many times.

Adoptions are a popular option because they are also more commonly understood and universally recognized across states and countries, said Nancy Polikoff, professor emerita at American University Washington College of Law and an expert in LGBTQ+ family law. Still, it ultimately will depend on state laws and the parents preferences as to which avenue they pursue.

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What is clear, Polikoff said, is that the incoming administration has increased concerns among LGBTQ+ families to seek out additional legal protection. Shes also been hearing from attorneys across the country who have been fielding numerous requests.

When we are looking at the possibility of cutting back on LGBT family recognition, states that are not inclined to recognize the legitimacy of parenting by LGBT people are going to be emboldened to deny that status whenever they can, she said.

Polikoff said she does not believe that gay marriage will be overturned in the next four years, but what may be more likely to happen is that states and courts will try to cut back on some protections LGBTQ+ people have recently secured. Parenting relationships could become easy prey.

Nobody is expecting Obergefell to be overturned anytime soon, Politikoff said. Unfortunately, I think parentage is one of those places where if a court is just not going to be as protective in a particular state, I think they are going to have more leeway to discriminate under a Trump administration.

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But ensuring additional legal protections comes with a price. The process can cost in the thousands  Alexander said that in Texas its about $5,000  and thats usually after a family has undergone fertility treatments.

Swenson paid about $6,000 for fertility treatments, and when her son was born, she didnt have any access to paid leave in her contract job as a gender and family researcher. Then her wife got laid off in August. They depleted much of their savings and have been living paycheck to paycheck. Alexander, the attorney in Texas, and her wife also put theirs off because of cost. In her law practice, she tries to help families seeking an adoption by offering a sliding scale depending on their income, or a zero-interest repayment plan.

Being a queer parent is expensive in other ways, Swenson said. It makes me sick to think there are people who need this done and cannot get it done.

For Swensons family, the process will take about six weeks, and involves a court hearing, as well as child abuse and criminal background checks. Her attorney, Lauren Barros, has told her she is very busy managing multiple cases for LGBTQ+ parents in the Salt Lake City area. The family also plan to change their last names to all match their sons: Swenson Durana.

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Since their son was born, Swenson and Durana have settled into the parental reality of constantly trying to anticipate danger, but the prospect of an anti-LGBTQ+ administration at a time of rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has introduced new fears. Theres the regular stuff, like worrying about how to shield their son from hazards on the playground, or figuring out when to wean him off the bottle and whether hes eating enough. And now there are new, more existential concerns  both for them and for many queer parents.

We are also thinking, can we always be there for him? Swelson said. Can we ensure that no matter what happens he has his moms  forever?

This story was originally published by The 19th
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys is calling for an international response to the presidential "elections" in Belarus scheduled for next year.

Source: The Lithuanian minister's statement was quoted by LRT, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Budrys made the statement the day before after meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

He emphasised the need for a strong international response to the "event organised by the regime to re-elect Alexander Lukashenko".

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The minister also called for the continuation of the sanctions policy and increased support for the democratic forces in Belarus.

"Lithuanias national security interest is a democratic and peaceful neighbouring Belarus, which is why the 19th government of Lithuania will continue to support the democratic forces of Belarus," he said.

Budrys noted that Lithuania raised the issue of Belarus at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels this month and plans to do so again in January.

"We have to speak out loud about what is happening in Belarus: the Lukashenko regimes unabated repression of the Belarusian people, continued support for Russias military aggression against Ukraine, and partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea," he said.

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Background: Recently, the Lithuanian government proposed to the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) to extend the national sanctions imposed on Russian and Belarusian citizens for another year.

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A self-proclaimed paranormal expert and fortune teller has updated his followers to reveal that World War III is imminent.

Athos Salome  known to his followers as the New Nostradamus and self-named after the French astrologer and apothecary from the 1500s  claims to have accurately predicted major world events including the coronavirus pandemic, Elon Musk buying X (neeTwitter), and Queen Elizabeths death.

Salome claims to have accurately predicted major world events including the coronavirus pandemic, Elon Musk buying X and Queen Elizabeths death. Getty Images

But now he claims the worst is yet to come, according to the Daily Mail.

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The psychic claimed that cyber threats are one of the biggest threats to global security and warned of the issues around using technology and cyber war.

This is not just a war of men, but of machines, and in this aspect what comes next? he questioned.

Salome then referenced the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war in which drone strikes and supersonic missiles have been used to destroy each country and kill tens of thousands of people.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, Russia is ready to protect itself by any measure, Salome said.

The psychic claimed that cyber threats are one of the biggest threats to global security and warned of the issues around using technology and cyber war. REUTERS

The employment of high technology equipment to engage in the conflict is therefore, without doubt, raising the sentiments of escalating the war.

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Salome also predicted that the cold war between the United States and China is increasingly becoming a posing threat.

Of course, recent mutual accusations of cyber espionage raised the concern over a devastating imminent hacker attack that might paralyze the defense systems or infrastructure, he said noting that this could lead to a coordinated global failure.

Athos Salome is known to his followers as the New Nostradamus and self-named after the French astrologer and apothecary from the 1500s. Instagram/athos_salome

He also believes that the South China Sea will become the scene of a critical event.

Currently, there is some group that can perform a synchronized operation against space and sea communication systems to disintegrate the military systems of the superpowers and put the superpowers in disarray, he warned.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  During the holiday, half of the living room of a South Side Youngstown home is taken up by a Christmas Village  and not just a few pieces but more than even the owner can count.

You got the hot dogs, you got the bakery, you got Twirleys Ice Cream, said Jamelle Square-Daniels.

Those are just a few of the items in the Christmas Village in the living room of Square-Daniels South Side Youngstown home. There has to be well over a thousand pieces but not even she knows for sure.

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Ive never counted. Ive never took inventory of it. I just go out and buy the pieces as needed, Square-Daniels said.



Her Christmas Village began 14 years ago with two pieces and has grown to a point where it takes two months to set up.

I joined a group on Facebook and then I saw just awesomeness. I saw these huge displays so I was like I want that, Square-Daniels said.



Now she has it  a cohesive Christmas Village display. Theres a farm and a ski slope.

And then we go to the residential area and then with the downtown attached and then here along this strip, I wanted a nice big park. It kind of reminded me of Mill Creek too, she said.



Theres a food court and a drive-in movie theater. Square-Daniels favorite area is the amusement park with swings, a Ferris Wheel, and a carousel  all of which move.

She buys a half dozen big ceramic  and only ceramic  pieces every year. Some of the accessories she makes herself and has invested a lot of money into it.

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I want to say about over $10,000. Yes. The pieces are costly. Theyre between, some of them, are $200 a piece.

I love it sometimes but a lot of times I hate it, said Jamelles husband Kwai Daniels.



Daniels says the village has overtaken the house and its time to think about moving it.

Having a bigger space, maybe someplace where its public where people can actually enjoy it, the community can actually enjoy it. I think thats the best place for it, he said.

Square-Daniels suggested the mall as an option.

My goal is to get into Macys maybe, Square-Daniels said.

When asked why she does the village, Square-Daniels says its for joy.

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Thats it, thats the key word. Its joy, she said.



The Christmas village will stay up this year until at least the first part of February and then it will be taken down, boxed up and stored at another house that they own.



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DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) Longtime Samson Mayor Clay King died on Saturday at a Dothan hospital at the age of 60, according to a Facebook post from his wife and others.

King was rushed to a hospital on Friday night in Dothan in critical condition and had to be put on a ventilator after developing sepsis from a recent surgery.

I have lost my best friend and the greatest love of my life today, His wife, Elizabeth Brannon King wrote on Facebook. Rest in peace Samson Mayor Clay King.

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King started serving as Samsons mayor in 1996 and had been at the position over 25 years making him one of the longest serving mayors in the state.

He served as the mayor during the deadliest mass shooting in the state, where 10 people were killed in a 2009 shooting spree through Geneva County.

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SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  2024 was a crazy year.

From over a million dollar theft at Walmart to a murder that happened just hours into the New Year, there was some serious crime that took place in San Angelo this year. Take a look at Concho Valley Homepages pick for the most notable crimes that took place this year:

New Years Killing

A mugshot of Ryan Joaquin Renfroe used in relation to him being charged with murder and aggravated assault following a shooting incident that occurred on Jan. 1, 2024.

Ryan Renfroe was arrested and taken into custody following a shooting that left Jakob Jones dead in downtown San Angelo around 3 a.m. January 1.

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CVHP previously reported that the shooting stemmed from a confrontation that occurred earlier. Renfroe and Jones agreed to meet in an alleyway in downtown San Angelo. After the shooting, first responders attempted to administer life-saving treatment. Jones died at the scene.

Renfroe was sentenced to life in prison on Nov. 23.

Renfroe has been given his sentence for the murder of Jakob Jones

Details emerge in San Angelo New Years killing

Woman found dead in own home, husband arrested

Mugshot of James Barker taken on March 6, 2024 courtesy of the Runnels County Sheriffs Office

James Barker was taken into custody on March 5 by the Ballinger Police Department and charged with murder after his wife was found dead in her own home.

BPD reported that officers were dispatched to Mary Barkers home for a welfare check. Her husband, James, was arrested later that day.

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According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Barker received a sentence of 50 years.

Man arrested in Ballinger after wife found dead in own home

Manhunt ends in officer-involved shooting, suspect dead

Texas DPS troopers on the scene in Mertzon. Crime scene tape blocks off a residential area as law enforcement continues their investigation.

A man wanted for murdering a 74-year-old in Odessa ended in Mertzon after an officer-involved shooting took place.

Trevor James Myrick, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico was killed after the Texas Department of Public Safety located him on April 16 near Duncan Avenue and North Broadway Street in Mertzon.

During the manhunt, it is reported that Myrick stole a vehicle from Joe Cuevas.

My day was just like normal, Cuevas said. I dropped my kid off at school and was doing my normal routine, going from there and picking up material. After that I met a customer at the new job site thats going up at a dragway in town off Arden Road. I left there and came to my job site about 6 miles west of Mertzon.

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After crashing a stolen Ford Mustang, Myrick came across Cuevas Tahoe that was parked at a job site in Mertzon.

DPS releases info on manhunt involving homicide suspect in Mertzon

San Angelo man shares encounter with on-the-run Odessa murder suspect

Woman sentenced for stealing over $2M from Wall Co-Op Country Store

Photograph of the Wall Co-Op Country Store in Wall, Texas. This photo was taken on Sept. 6, 2023

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Mina Abbott was sentenced to 42 months in jail for unauthorized transactions with an access device in federal court and the restitution of $2,146,885.19.

Abbott spent $176,569.73 from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023. Abbott also conducted transactions during a vacation in July 2022 and a personal trip in 2023. These included several withdrawals from ATM machines, charges of $500.88 at Academy Sporting Goods and $726.45 at Walmart in Owensboro, Kentucky, a charge of $557.99 at the Opry Shop and a charge of $294.41 at Enterprise Rent-a-Car in Nashville, Tennessee and several unauthorized charges made in Boston, Massachusetts.

Woman sentenced for stealing over $2M from Wall Co-Op Country Store

Woman accused of stealing $100K from Wall Co-Op admits to stealing over $2M

Police: 2 arrested after over $1M stolen from San Angelo Walmart

Mugshots of Carmelo Amigleo (left) and Ryan Munoz (right) taken after their arrest on July 28, 2024, for stealing approximately $1.05 million from a Walmart location.

The San Angelo Police Department was notified on July 23 of an ongoing large-scale theft operation at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Sherwood Way.

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Preliminary findings uncovered by detectives indicate that approximately $1.05 million had been stolen from the store over the course of the past year by employees. Ryan Munoz, 18, and Carmelo Amigleo, 18, were both arrested on July 28 after a warrant was issued.

Zkel Grant was later arrested on Aug. 7 for involvement in the theft from Walmart and was charged with theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000.

Court records state that Munoz and Amigleo were charged with theft of property valued at more than $300,000.

Amigleo pleaded guilty to eight years of community supervision and restitution of $732,774 jointly or severally with a co-defendant.

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Police: 2 arrested after over $1M stolen from San Angelo Walmart

Police: Third suspect involved in over $1M Walmart theft arrested

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While homelessness reached unwanted levels across the United States this year, Los Angeles is one of only a handful of metropolitan areas to record a decrease in people living on the streets.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2024 homelessness figures, which showed an 18.1% increase across the country.

Those figures come on the back of another significant rise in homelessness in 2023, spurred by rising rent costs and the end of pandemic-era assistance. This years increase was blamed on both affordability, as well as a surge in migrants in some states and natural disasters that battered others.

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Meanwhile, in Los Angeles County, the number of unsheltered homeless actually declined by about 5.1% from 2023, the first decrease the area has reported in seven years, HUD officials said.

Californias population is no longer in decline

In L.A. city, the number of unsheltered homeless dropped by more than 10%. Both the County and L.A. proper reported significant increases in the number of unhoused individuals coming indoors to utilize shelter space  although not all shelters are being used to their full potential.

HUD officials credited Los Angeles for increasing the availability of housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness through the use of city, county and federal funds.

A man sleeps on the sidewalk in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Getty Images)

Experts have also pointed toward the enforcement of camping bans and concerted efforts to clear encampments from sidewalks and get those living on the streets into some type of transitional housing as major tools in the battle against homelessness.

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Whats happening in L.A. is working, said Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum. The collaboration between LAHSA, the City, the County, and the service providers works and LAHSAs changes to the rehousing system are working. We are making progress.

Adams Kellum said several LAHSA initiatives are getting more people into supportive housing faster than ever before.

SoCal woman facing enhanced charges with Prop 36 now in effect

Despite the notable decrease in the number of homeless in the greater Los Angeles area, California as a whole still leads the nation in the total number of unhoused people, edging out New York, Washington and Florida.

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In a statement released Friday, California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) criticized the states response to the homelessness crisis, particularly Gov. Gavin Newsoms attempts to address the issue.

Todays HUD report makes it clear that instead of solving the problem, Newsoms endless spending solution has only made it worse, Jones said. California now leads the nation with the largest homeless population, including the most homeless veterans.

Its important to note that California is the most populous state in the nation, and its warm, Mediterranean-like climate is often considered a unique factor contributing to its homelessness challenges compared to other populous states.

On the topic of veteran homelessness, the HUD did say there was room for optimism, announcing that the number of homeless veterans across the country reached an all-time low (32,882) in 2024, down 55% overall in the last 15 years. The federal agency also announced plans to award nearly $40 million in federal funds to provide rental assistance and supportive services to further combat veteran homelessness.

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Outgoing HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman said the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to ensuring families have access to affordable and safe housing, adding that data shows there is a pathway to preventing and ending homelessness, as evidenced by the progress made in getting veterans off the streets.

While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts, Todman said. We know what works and our success in reducing veteran homelessness  shows that.

To read more about the HUDs 2024 homeless figures, click here.

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Police arrested a Los Angeles man accused of killing a Vietnam War veteran in a Dec. 22 hit-and-run in Santa Monica, officials announced Friday.

The fatal crash took place at about 6:40 p.m. on Sunday at the intersection of Chelsea Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

Authorities said a pedestrian, whose name is yet to be released to the public, was crossing Wilshire southbound when they were struck by a white Toyota Rav4 heading eastbound on Wilshire.

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Witnesses surveillance footage captured the violent crash and trailed the suspect for a short distance as he fled the scene at high speed.

The victim, who police only described as a Vietnam War veteran and Santa Monica resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators gathered the surveillance footage and identified the suspect as 30-year-old Rod Sharif, a resident of Los Angeles.

Police and SWAT members served search and arrest warrants for Sharif at his Santa Monica Canyon home on Dec. 27, according to SMPD.

Several items of evidence were recovered from the home along with the white Toyota Rav4 that had significant front-end damage that appeared to have been caused during the accident, police said in a release.

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Authorities ultimately arrested and booked Sharif for murder and felony hit-and-run charges.

SMPD encourages anyone who may have information related to this incident to contact Investigator Raleigh at Evan.Raleigh@santamonica.gov, Investigator Lewis at Lantz.Lewis@santamonica.gov or the Watch Commander 24 hours a day at 310-458-8427.

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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Chances are you know someone who is sick right now, and it could be because Louisiana has one of the highest numbers of flu cases in the nation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Louisiana and Oregon are the two states that had the most flu activity in the country as of Dec. 21.

A weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by the CDCs Influenza Division shows flu activity in Louisiana is very high. Cases are up from even last week.

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Its a trend local doctors are seeing at their hospitals, including Childrens Hospital New Orleans.

Weve been very full on our acute care and intensive care units with children with respiratory illness, and its been predominantly Influenza A and RSV so far this winter, explained Dr. Mark Kline, chief medical officer and physician-in-chief at Childrens Hospital New Orleans. We havent seen very much COVID, fortunately, just yet.

Electrical fire at Royal Street senior facility leaves residents displaced by: Raeven Poole

The flu is also taking a toll on adults, like Good Morning New Orleans anchor Amy Russo.

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Id say the worst symptoms Ive had so far are nausea and the swollen lymph nodes because its just unreal dealing with that, said Russo. Yeah, it feels like youre fighting for your life, honestly.

After seeking advice from a doctor, Russo was urged to take a flu test to confirm the diagnosis.

The flu test came back positive, and [the doctor] recommended that I get some Tamiflu, take some ibuprofen, [get] lots of fluids and lots of sleep as well, said Russo. So, Ive been trying to do that the best I can.

Just last year, the states flu cases were among the worst in the country.

Kline believes the trend is because of a lack of motivation to get a flu shot.

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I understand as well as anyone, I think, that theres a lot of vaccine fatigue out there after the COVID years, Kline said. People are tired of hearing about vaccination. They think there are too many vaccines that are recommended, but this is one that really is important and should be given on an annual basis.

Kline also said it doesnt appear their flu cases have peaked, so its likely this trend will continue for the next few weeks.

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.

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Self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 20 more individuals convicted of "extremism".

Source: European Pravda, citing Lukashenkos press office

The names of the 20 pardoned individuals have not been disclosed, but all were convicted on charges of "extremism".

Among those pardoned are 11 women. Fourteen of the 20 individuals have chronic illnesses, and 10 of them have children, including one woman with four children.

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Lukashenkos press office claims that all of them had "requested clemency and expressed remorse for their actions".

Additionally, the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs will reportedly "ensure supervision over their law-abiding behaviour".

Background:

The most recent pardon by Lukashenko was reported on 9 December, involving 29 individuals. Prior to that, on 21 November, he pardoned 32 people.

Meanwhile, politically motivated trials continue in Belarus. On 20 November, it was reported that Belarus had extradited a former fighter in Ukraines Kastus Kalinouski Regiment who had been detained in Vietnam.

In early November, it was revealed that a 22-year-old political prisoner from Russia had died in Belarusian custody. He had been sentenced to 12 years for "espionage and promoting extremist activities".

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A new report is detailing the massive debt that Mama & Tata influencer Candice Miller has allegedly become responsible for after her husband, real estate mogul Brandon Miller, died in July.

On Friday, Dec. 27, nearly six months after Brandon, 43, died by suicide, The New York Times reported he had $33.6 million in debt and $8,000 in the bank at the time of his death, citing a court filing made by Candice.

Candice, 42, is now working with lawyers to wrangle her mogul husbands debts, which reportedly includes $20 million in unsecured loans  $2.1 million owed to UBS Bank, $11.25 million owed to BMO Bank, $300,000 owed to American Express and additional funds owed to family friends, according to multiple legal filings, per The New York Times.

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Related: Mama & Tata Influencer Candice Miller Selling $15 Million Hamptons Home 1 Month After Husband Brandon's Death

Mark Sagliocco/Getty Candice and Brandon Miller in 2019 Candice and Brandon Miller in 2019

The report comes four months after Candice put her Hamptons home on the market for $15.5 million with Bespoke Real Estate.

As the Times reported Friday, the home had four mortgages totaling almost $12 million. Two sources told the outlet that the home sold last week following an offer of $12.8 million and another for $13 million. As for other funds, in late August, Candice agreed to pay around $4 million to settle an unpaid loan lawsuit, according to the Times. The widow had also been sued for $194,881.89 in unpaid rent on her late husband's Park Avenue apartment, and she reportedly denied that she owed the rent since she didn't sign the lease, according to the Times.

Per the outlet, Candice is now living in a $10 million condominium with her daughters in Miami Beach, which three people aware of the arrangement told the Times is on loan to her.

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Again citing people familiar with her finances, the outlet alleges that Candice received $15 million from life insurance policies following Brandon's death. She declined comment to the Times.

Candice did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment via email on Saturday, Dec. 28.

As previously reported, Brandon died on July 3, according to online records from the New Montefiore Cemetery in New York. He was hospitalized on June 30 after being discovered by first responders who were alerted by a carbon monoxide alarm at their Hamptons home, per an incident report from the Southampton Fire Department. Citing law enforcement sources, the Times reported Brandon's death as a suicide.

The outlet also noted that he was juggling extensive financial pressures, including millions in loans and mortgages.

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Candice is devastated by the loss of her soul mate, and her two young daughters lives are forever impacted by the loss of their beloved daddy," a family spokesperson previously told the Times.



Brandon and Candice were kids when they first met and later wed in 2009, according E! News.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.



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A 35-year-old man was fatally shot outside a Hells Kitchen apartment building in Manhattan early Saturday, cops said.

Officers called to W. 49th St. near Ninth Ave. just before 3 a.m. found Shareif Jackson sprawled out on the ground.

Jackson had been shot twice in the chest and body, but was conscious when first responders arrived, cops said.

EMS rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he died a short time later.

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A motive for the shooting was not immediately disclosed and no arrests have been made, police said.

Cops on Saturday were scouring the area for surveillance footage that could help them identify the shooter.

Detectives have seen a 66% jump in homicides in that section of Midtown Manhattan  protected by the cops of the Midtown North Precinct  this year, according to NYPD statistics.

As of last Sunday, police have investigated five murders in the area, two more than this time last year, officials said.

Murders have dropped by 4% citywide, from 387 last year to 370, police said.
Dec. 27An Odessa man was arrested early Christmas morning after a relative told police he fired a .45 caliber gun at him.

According to an Odessa Police Department report, officers were dispatched to a shots fired call in the 4100 block of Tanglewood Lane around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday and when officers arrived, the resident of one of the apartments told them he heard several shots being fired and a man wearing a red shirt, pants and boots standing where he thought the shots had come from.

One of the officers on the scene pulled over a GMC Terrain in a nearby alley because the occupants sat inside it unmoving for several minutes until the officer began to approach it, the report stated.

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The driver of the vehicle, Alexander Gamow, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The passenger, Hilary Yokbay, 29, who matched the description provided by the apartment resident, was found with a .45 caliber magazine on his person and there was a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun under his seat, the report stated.

Gamow told an officer Yokbay fired a round after arguing with a 31-year-old relative of Yokbay's, the report stated. The relative, however, said Yokbay pointed the gun at him and fired it, but the bullet hit his vehicle.

Yokbay was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a weapon and public intoxication. He remained in the Ector County jail Friday on surety bonds totaling $27,000.
A man who was previously charged on suspicion of operating an illegal cannabis dispensary in Oildale has been charged in a second case after allegedly being caught storing a loaded firearm and multiple cash bags in his car, according to a search warrant filed in Kern County Superior Court.

The California Department of Cannabis Control's Fresno team was conducting undercover operations in Bakersfield on July 21, 2023, according to the report. While debriefing in the parking lot of 1800 Bedford Way, a few of the detectives noticed a black Mercedes traveling south on Bedford.

The report said the vehicle appeared suspicious due to several details, including its dark, tinted front windows and lack of a front license plate, both violations of California's vehicle code.

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One of the detectives recognized the Mercedes from a previous investigation at The CBD Enterprises, an illegal cannabis dispensary located in the 1800 block of North Chester Avenue, the report said.

The report said detectives attempted to make contact with the driver of the Mercedes, but the driver continued to flee. He made a quick U-turn, failed to stop at a posted stop sign, drove at a high speed and failed to stop at a stop sign once more. He also made a quick right turn at a solid red stop light without using his turn signal.

The detectives then turned on emergency lights and the driver began to slow down only after the siren was sounded multiple times, according to the report.

The driver, who was later identified as Gerardo Ramos, was allegedly confrontational and hostile toward the detectives, refusing to give them information or self-identifying documents and questioning the validity of the traffic stop.

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Ramos refused to roll down the windows or unlock the car doors, making it difficult for the detectives to see who he was or how many people were inside. Ramos briefly rolled down the window before trying to roll it back up, but one of the detectives blocked the window with his hand and reached into the vehicle to open the door from the inside, the report said.

Ramos then refused to exit the vehicle when ordered, and struggled when a detective tried to remove him physically. According to the report, Ramos allegedly reached toward the center console. The detective, who was concerned that Ramos was potentially reaching for a weapon, struck him in the face.

Four detectives removed Ramos from the vehicle and he was handcuffed.

In Ramos vehicle, a loaded Glock 17, 9 mm pistol was found in the locked glove compartment, the report said. The firearm was registered under Ramos name.

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According to the report, Ramos was previously charged in May 2023 in relation to his alleged involvement in the operation of an illegal cannabis dispensary. He was charged with keeping a place to sell a controlled substance, possessing a controlled substance for sale and possessing marijuana for sale. He was out of custody on a $27,500 bail, according to the court website.

Ramos vehicle also contained a charter flight invoice for an amount over $11,000, as well as $3,888 in cash. The cash was found in the front seat cupholders, back seat and other areas, with several plastic money bags in the back seat that were marked to show how much cash they contained.

The plastic bags also had markings saying the cash was picked up by Kiru from Oildale. According to the report, there were additional documents in the Mercedes that suggested that Ramos used the moniker Kiru.

A utility bill addressed to The CBD Enterprises  the dispensary where Ramos was previously arrested  was also found in the vehicle.

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Ramos was charged with resisting an officer, carrying a loaded firearm and driving recklessly on the highway. He is currently out of custody for this case as well, on a $16,000 bail.

Ramos preliminary hearing for his latest case was postponed to Feb. 24.
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A man was arrested Christmas Day for allegedly stealing a vehicle and gun, before being in two hit-and-run accidents in Midland. 26-year-old George Michael Zarco-Torres has been charged with aggravated robbery, theft of property, theft of a firearm, unlawful carrying of a weapon, a hit-and-run incident, and public intoxication.

According to arrest affidavits, at around 6:12 p.m., on Wednesday, December 25, the Midland Police Department responded to an Aggravated Robbery call. At the scene, officers spoke with complainants who told police they were parked in their vehicle when a man wearing Christmas print pajama pants and a black shirt tried to open the car door and shot at their vehicle before they drove away.

Reports stated that a short time later, around 6:29 p.m., MPD responded to a hit-and-run crash. Upon arrival, police found that one of the vehicles, which was unoccupied, had been reported stolen and had a tan firearm in the floorboard of the drivers seat, similar to the one reported earlier in the aggravated robbery call.

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At the scene, officers met with the owner of the vehicle, who told police that it had just been stolen from his residence and he tracked the vehicle via GPS to the location of the accident.

While still on scene, officers were notified that the owner of the handgun was also calling in to report that his firearm had been taken from inside his vehicle earlier that day while he was unloading Christmas presents and that he did not realize the gun was missing until later.

According to the affidavit, troopers later arrived at the scene and told MPD that the same stolen vehicle had been involved in another hit-and-run crash.

Reports showed that later, around 6:50 p.m., MPD was also called out to a neighborhood after residents reported that a man wearing Christmas pjs had been frantically running through the alleyway and attempted to open several doors before running away.

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Around 6:52 p.m., police responded to 2106 West Front Street, at a Stripes Gas Station after reports that a man, wearing the same pjs, was asking for help and telling people he had been drugged and kidnapped.

Police stated that upon arrival, the man, later identified as 26-year-old George Michael Zarco-Torres, had bloodshot and glassy eyes, and smelled of alcohol. Officials reported that Zarco-Torres was extremely paranoid and kept telling police he was drugged and kidnapped. Reports stated that Zarco-Torres seemed to be under a stimulant drug, and arrested him for public intoxication, and transported him to the Midland Police Department for further investigation.

During the investigation, Zarco-Torres told police he had come to Midland to see his girlfriends parents and was having an episode and ran away. Police reported that Zarco-Torres said he thought people were looking at him, differing from his initial statement of being kidnapped, and was vague when police attempted to confront Zarco-Torres about the surveillance footage, according to reports.

Due to the surveillance footage from the neighborhood and witness evidence reports, police arrested Zarco-Torres and booked him into the Midland County Detention Center for the following offenses:

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Aggravated Robbery, a first-degree felony

Theft of property, a third-degree felony

Theft Of a Firearm, a state jail felony

Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, a class A Misdemeanor

Hit-and-Run Accident Involving Damage to a Vehicle, a Class B Misdemeanor

and Public Intoxication, a Class A Misdemeanor.

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A man has been arrested in connection to a Christmas Eve kidnapping in Haltom City, officials with the Haltom City Police Department said on Facebook.

The man, 35-year-old Eduardo Javier Ordonez Godoy of Honduras, was arrested in Oklahoma City on Christmas Day, police said.

Godoy allegedly kidnapped a 22-year-old woman from the Acacia Apartments in Haltom City at around 4:45 a.m., forcing her into her vehicle and driving off, according to police.

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The suspect threatened the victim and drove her to a nearby bank, where he forced her to withdraw money before taking her to another apartment complex in Grapevine, police said.

The victim escaped physically unharmed and found help, and Godoy fled in her vehicle, police said.

Haltom City police entered the stolen vehicles information in a database, and it was found on the evening of Christmas in an Oklahoma City parking lot, police said.

Godoy was inside the vehicle and was taken into custody by Oklahoma City police, officials said. Evidence connected to the kidnapping was recovered at the scene.

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Haltom City detectives traveled to Oklahoma City to interview Godoy, who admitted to his involvement in the offense, officials said.

Godoy is charged with offenses in both cities related to the kidnapping, the theft of the vehicle and the use of firearms, police said.

He is being held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center and has an active ICE detainer hold due to his immigration status, officials said.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment after a woman was stabbed nearly 30 times.

David Anderson, 66, was taken into custody Friday after an attack that allegedly happened Oct. 25.

Thats when staff at Methodist University Hospital say someone in a gray sedan dropped off the victim around 1:30 in the morning. The woman was bleeding from 25-29 stab wounds and suffered a punctured lung.

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A few days later, the woman regained enough strength to begin telling police what happened.

Suspect identified in fatal stabbing at Kroger Distribution Center

David Anderson

She told police she was Andersons house on Edmondson Avenue in South Memphis, where Anderson consumed a substance she described as crack, then unexpectedly began strangling her.

She said Anderson then took a knife and began stabbing her repeatedly while threatening to kill her. She said she was dragged from the couch to the kitchen area as he continued to stab her.

No bond has been set for Anderson.

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Waco, Tx (FOX44)  A 30-year-old man has been arrested, accused of breaking into a womans home and climbing into bed with her while her child slept in another room.

Jesus Lopez Loredo is being charged with burglary of a habitation with intent to commit sexual assault, a first-degree felony.

An arrest affidavit stated it happened the day after Christmas at a home in the 1500 block of North 13th Street in Waco. Police were called to that location and told that it was about 7:00 a.m. when a man first tried to open the front door of the house but finding it locked, went to the side of the house and removed a window air conditioner to get into a bedroom where the woman was sleeping.

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The affidavit stated he climbed into the bed and held the woman in a hug while asking her questions including how old she was, if she was by herself, if her kids were with her. The affidavit stated the woman was scared and managed to get out of bed and told the man to leave her house. She told police he kept trying to stay and talk with her, but she kept pushing and finally pushed him out the front door. After checking on her child, she called police.

When officers arrived, she told them she did not know the man but gave a description. She then told officers she had a video of him on her home security cameras. At that moment, officers spotted a man matching the video walking out in front of the house and detained him. Another officer interviewed the man in Spanish. The affidavit stated the man told the officer he had  gone to that location to party, that the front door had been locked and that he entered through a window.

Police identified him as 30-year-old Jesus Lopez Loredo.

The victim told police she did not know him, had never seen him before or talked with him before. She told officers she wanted to press charges on him for breaking into her house and attempting to have sex with her. She provided video of the man on her front porch.

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Lopez Loredo was transported to the McLennan County Jail where he remained Friday on the charge of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a sexual offense. Jail records also indicated he was being held on an immigration detainer.

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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A California man has been charged with making threats of mass shootings at 24 Utah elementary schools, according to the Utah County Attorneys Office.

Shawn Bradley Kelsey, 48, of Sunol, Calif., is charged in Utah County with 24 counts of false emergency reporting (second-degree felony).

On Nov. 15, 2024, Kelsey called 24 elementary schools in Utah County and left messages that began with, You need to make somebody aware that there could be a mass school shooting, according to evidence obtained by Orem Police.

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PREVIOUSLY: Utah County schools affected by school shooting threat hoax

The messages further stated that an individual has repeatedly said something about having an Uzi machine gun and killing everyone.

As a result of these calls, each of the 24 schools was placed under lockdown to ensure the safety of the children and staff on campus.

Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature increased the penalties for students and adults found guilty of making threats against schools and reporting false emergencies.

Under the 2024 bill, adults accused of making school threats can now be charged with a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, if convicted. Students who are found responsible for making a school threat or reporting a false emergency face being suspended or expelled from school.

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Some hoax threats, depending on their severity, could even be charged as a federal crime. According to the FBI, perpetrators could receive up to five years in federal prison.

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Margaret Qualley opened up about the challenges she faced while filming "The Substance" and the specific aspect of the production that was grueling.

The movie is about Elizabeth Sparkle, a popular aerobics TV presenter portrayed by Demi Moore, who decides to experiment with a mysterious anti-aging drug that promises to rejuvenate her in a younger body, portrayed by Qualley. However, the drug comes with unexpected and disturbing side effects.

In a recent interview with Vogue Australia, Qualley, 30, admitted that despite the movie's success, the filming process was far from smooth sailing.

Transformation and Makeup Challenges

During the filming of "The Substance," Qualley transformed with the use of prosthetics in the movie's gruesome climax. She confessed to feeling anxious throughout the process, enduring six-hour sessions in the make-up chair daily for their application.

She shared that portraying her role in the movie was challenging due to the strict script and the pressure to deliver flawless performances.

The movie addressed the challenge of unrealistic beauty standards in Hollywood, shedding light on the issue and describing the filming process as extremely "precise."

"[Coralie Fargeat, the movie's director] wasn't looking for happy accidents, it's so controlled, so precise," the Montana-born celebrity told Vogue Australia.

"It was very challenging to shoot because I get a lot of joy out of free-falling, out of the feeling that anything could happen at any moment."

Qualley also spoke of her preference for acting, mentioning the freedom to improvise and learn from mistakes. This marked a departure from her earlier days of intense dance competitions, where perfection was vital.

Margaret Qualley as Sue in THE SUBSTANCE. pic.twitter.com/VX1a9xDfol  best of margaret qualley (@bestofmargaret) October 5, 2024

Shifting Gears

While Qualley has embraced unconventional characters in films like Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things" and "Kinds of Kindness," she confessed to wanting to shift away from "arty" movies towards more mainstream genres.

This is due to the fact that she does not enjoy watching such movies personally.

"I've been in a lot of obscure, arty movies, and they're not actually the movies I like to watch, and I think I wanna start being in stuff that I would wanna watch."

"And I think I wanna start being in stuff that I would wanna watch. I wanna do movies where I keep my clothes on, and I don't die in the end. The bar is low."

"I'm so thirsty for a rom-com. I'm manifesting."

However, she acknowledged the positive reception of her movies and expressed her gratitude and excitement. "It's exciting when something becomes a part of the culture. I think that's what most artists are setting out to do: put enough of themselves into something that it feels somewhat universal."

Qualley, who is married to music producer and Taylor Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff, has garnered a Golden Globes nomination for her performance as Best Supporting Actress in the horror satire.
PLAINFIELD, Conn. (WPRI)  A Connecticut man is facing charges in connection with a crash involving a tractor-trailer in Plainfield early Thursday morning, according to police.

James Wyatt Fitzgerald, 29, has been charged with evading, interfering with police, failure to maintain lane and improper parking.

Investigators believe Fitzgerald was driving down I-395 North around 1:30 a.m. when he crashed into a guardrail in the center median. Fitzgerald got out of and abandoned his crashed car, according to Connecticut State Police.

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Police said a short time later, a tractor-trailer overturned after swerving to avoid Fitzgeralds disabled vehicle. The driver, identified by police as a 49-year-old Cranston man, told troopers the vehicle had no lights on and he didnt have enough time to react.

(Courtesy: Plainfield Fire Department)

(Courtesy: Plainfield Fire Department)

The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered minor injuries and was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said the tractor-trailer was carrying approximately 7,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen at the time of the crash.

The overturned tractor-trailer started venting liquid nitrogen as a result of the crash, but the Plainfield Fire Department stressed that the vapor cloud posed no risk to the public.

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The DEEP determined the tractor-trailer could not be safely moved without first emptying its contents. Both sides of the highway were closed for hours as the DEEP facilitated a controlled release of the liquid nitrogen.

Troopers eventually found Fitzgerald and issued him a misdemeanor summons, according to police.

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(COLORADO SPRINGS)  The man who crashed into a downtown Colorado Springs business after a domestic violence incident has pleaded guilty to Kidnapping.

On Sunday, Feb. 11 at around 1:30 a.m., 24-year-old Fidencio Meza-Pelayo engaged in a dispute with his girlfriend who left the scene on South Prospect Street east of downtown. Believing that she had gone to a neighboring house, Meza-Pelayo attempted to break into the home and was shot when he entered by the homeowner, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

Scene outside Skirted Heifer after downtown car crash, Courtesy: Owner Kevin Megyeri Skirted Heifer after downtown car crash, Courtesy: Owner Kevin Megyeri Skirted Heifer after downtown car crash, Courtesy: Owner Kevin Megyeri

Meza-Pelayo then drove from the area at a high speed and crashed into multiple downtown businesses, one of which was the Skirted Heifer located at 204 North Tejon St. Meza-Pelayo was reported to have crashed into a parked car and popped his tire on the corner of the block across the street, which sent a block of concrete through the AT&T store.

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On Friday, Dec. 20, Meza-Pelayo pleaded guilty to Kidnapping, a class four felony, and as a result, the other charges Meza-Pelayo was facing were dropped. Meza-Pelayo was charged legal fees and sentenced to four years of probation.

Skirted Heifer was able to reopen near the end of April after a two and a half month closure.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
Dec. 27A man died Thursday after a nearly five-hour standoff with police that ended when fire engulfed his Bradford home in central New Hampshire, authorities said.

Police responded to a person in crisis at 21 W. Main St. in Bradford about 12:43 p.m. Officers found a man armed with a knife, according to State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey.

Law enforcement from five neighboring communities attempted to de-escalate the situation without success, authorities said in a news release. At about 5:30 p.m., officers noticed smoke and flames coming from the house, they said.

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Firefighters from nine departments responded to battle the blaze. After the fire was extinguished, investigators found the man's body inside.

The body will be taken to the state Medical Examiner's Office for identification and to determine the cause of death. Authorities said the death does not appear suspicious.

State Fire Marshal Toomey reminds anyone struggling with a mental health crisis that help is available. The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 provides free, confidential support 24/7.
Phoenix police were investigating a shooting east of Steele Indian School Park that left one man dead.

Around 7:20 p.m. Friday, police responded to a shooting call at 800 E. Montecito Ave., which is just east of 7th Street and two blocks north of Indian School Road. When they arrived, police said they found a man with at least one gunshot wound.

The man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, and he later died, police said. The man's identity was not released.

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Police asked anyone with information to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO to provide an anonymous tip. Police said rewards would be paid for information leading to an arrest in the case.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man dies after shooting east of Steele Indian School Park
HELLS KITCHEN, Manhattan (PIX11)  A 35-year-old man was shot after an argument in Hells Kitchen early Saturday morning, police say.

Officers responded to the scene at 332 West 49 Street just before 3 a.m. Thats where they found the 35-year-old who had been shot twice in the torso.

More Crime News

The man was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to officials.

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Police are continuing to investigate what may have led to the shooting.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

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A man was found with burn injuries on his body inside Penn station, according to police.

Around 8.10 p.m. on Friday, officials responded to reports of a man inside the Manhattan train station with burns on his body, a NYPD spokesperson told The Independent in a phone call.

The man has not yet been identified, police said.

The victim suffered burn injuries to both legs and upper body, according to the New York Post.

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While some reports have said the man is 56 years old, the New York Times reported that the man is 67 years old. The Independent has not independently verified this information.

He was transported to Weill Cornell Medical Center and was in stable condition as of late Friday evening.

His burns were serious but not life-threatening, a fire department spokesperson told the New York Times. There is no risk to the public at this time, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire or whether there was any criminality involved.

The incident occurred at Penn station  the busiest transit hub in the Western hemisphere (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The available information is still preliminary but a joint investigation between the MTA Police and NYPD is underway.

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Police taped off a hallway near the entrance to tracks 11 and 12 inside Penn Station, the Times reported.

The incident comes days after a woman was killed after being set ablaze on the subway.

Sebastian Zapeta, 33, is accused of lighting the woman on fire and fanning the flames on a stopped F train on Sunday morning. Earlier Friday, Zapeta was charged with one count of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson.

Penn Station, the busiest transit hub in the Western Hemisphere, sees roughly 600,000 passengers per day.

While the city announced earlier this month that subway crime was down 15.8 percent in November and down 6.3 percent on the year, a series of high-profile incidents have sparked safety concerns for some locals.

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Governor Kathy Hochul received backlash on social media after she posted a tweet touting how the subway has become safer on Sunday  hours after the woman died after being set ablaze in an F train subway car.

In March, I took action to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day, she wrote. Since deploying the @NationalGuardNY to support @NYPDnews and @MTA safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up.

Earlier this year, Hochul announced that 1,000 National Guard troops, state police and transit officers would be deployed to patrol the entrances of subway stations.

This is not a response to a specific crime. Were not seeing a trend thats alarming, but its about continuing a strategy that has proven its success and expanding it to protect even more people, Hochul said at the time.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A 40-year-old man who was hit and killed by a train earlier this month has been identified.

Joseph Michael Axiaq, of Bakersfield was hit the evening of Dec. 17 on tracks at Norris Road west of the Knudsen Drive overpass, according to coroners officials. He was declared dead at the scene.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
A 32-year-old man forced his partner from the Great Bend restaurant where she was working Friday morning, then fatally shot her before killing himself during a pursuit by officers, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.

Mario Martinez-Garcia was found dead in a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado of an apparent suicide after a multi-county pursuit that included successful use of a tire-deflation device and the Silverado being rammed by a deputys cruiser, KBI spokesperson Natalie Turner said.

Martinez-Garcia left the road and hit a barbed-wire fence before stopping in a field in Stafford County. He had a gunshot wound to his head and was holding a handgun, Turner said.

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The call started at 9:12 a.m. in the 1500 block of Seventh Street in Great Bend, where a Mexican restaurant/store is located.

Officers found Esmeralda Torres-Lopez outside with a gunshot wound. The 32-year-old woman was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:55 a.m.

Torres-Lopez and Martinez-Garcia were significant others in a relationship, Turner said.

It appears there was at least one other person other than Torres-Lopez and Martinez-Garcia at the restaurant, according to 911 emergency communications scanner traffic.

Two females screaming hysterically, a dispatcher said over the 911 scanner. Females advising the subject has a gun, having a very difficult time getting information. Believe there might be a hostage situation.

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Great Bend detectives nearby saw a white pickup speeding away and began a pursuit. Law enforcement then used the tire-deflation device.

Then a deputy from the Barton County Sheriffs Office conducted a tactical vehicle intervention, causing the pickup truck to leave the roadway and hit a barbed-wire fence, Turner said. The truck came to rest in a field near Mile Marker 191 on Highway 50 in Stafford County.

Officers approached the truck and found the man dead inside. A coroner pronounced him dead at 9:45 a.m.

The KBI is investigating the incident. Its findings will go to the Stafford County Attorney for review.
PIKE COUNTY, Mo.  Authorities are searching for a 23-year-old man who went missing in Pike County, Missouri, nearly one week ago.

The Pike County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help in finding Nathan Mueller, who was last seen on the evening on Dec. 20 in Quincy, Illinois.

Family members informed authorities that Mueller left home with his phone that night and stated he was going for a walk in the woods, though he did not return.

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One day later, on Dec. 21, Pike County deputies found a vehicle unsecured and fully operational with the wallet and clothes of Nathan Mueller. The vehicle was found near State Routes C and E, just west of Frankford and near his grandmothers property.

According to the Pike County Sheriffs Office, it was reported that Mueller had consumed some edibles before he left home that night, which may have altered his perception.

Search efforts in recent days have included local law enforcement, tracking dogs, drones, and a Missouri Highway Patrol aircraft, but Mueller has not yet been located.

On Dec. 22, a grid search by multiple fire departments uncovered a head cover and footprints believed to be Muellers.

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On Thursdsay, a search with specialized dogs covered more than 100 acres, while a Missouri State Highway Patrol team searched a pond.

The Pike County Sheriffs Office says foul play was not suspected and search efforts will continue.

Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the Pike County Sheriffs Office at 573-324-3202.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN)  A man was taken to the hospital after reportedly being shot.

Dispatchers with Clark County Communications told 2 NEWS officers were called Friday around 4 p.m. to the area of a gas station on S. Limestone Street in Springfield.

According to officials, a male was reportedly shot twice. Officials said the man was taken to a hospital with suspected non-life-threatening injuries.

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This story is developing.

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A Utah snowmobiler accidentally triggered an avalanche that buried his brother, whom he was able to save after spotting his fingers sticking out of the snow.

The brothers and their father were riding snowmobiles across the slopes in the Franklin Basin area of the Utah backcountry near the Idaho border, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

One of the brothers was side-hilling beneath a cliff-band in Steep Hollow when he triggered the avalanche.

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I saw the snow ripple and knew that was an avalanche, Braeden Hansen told NBC News. He was able to ride off the north flank of the avalanche safely.

But his brother, Hunter Hansen, who was standing next to his sled below the slope, was caught up in the avalanche and carried about 150 yards and buried.

I turned around to watch the slide hit Hunter and just watched him kind of get tumbled and buried and then lost sight of him, he said.

One brother spotted the other brothers fingers sticking out of the snow after he was buried from the avalanche (Utah Avalanche Center)

Braeden then used a transceiver that showed where his brother had been buried and was able to get close enough to see a couple of fingers of a gloved hand sticking out of the snow, according to the report.

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I could see his hand, his gloves, kind of poking out, waving, Braeden said. But by the time I got to him, he was about 2 feet, his head was about 2 feet under the snow.

He was able to dig his brother out from the snow and they rode the snowmobile to safety. Hunter suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Hunter, who is married and has children, told NBC that he remembers it being the most violent thing Ive ever felt.

He saw the avalanche when he pulled his phone out to record his brother on the slope. But it was too late for him to do anything.

It just washed me down the mountain, he said, recalling that the snow felt like concrete. The most violent thing Ive ever felt.

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The brothers were in touch with each other and their father via radio, so Hunter could hear his family searching for him.

There was just a sigh of relief when I felt him start digging, he said, adding that he felt like he was on his last breath when he was rescued.

Avalanche conditions will likely worsen across the mountains of northern Utah and southeast Idaho heading into the weekend (Utah Avalanche Center)

Their family says it was a Christmas miracle that Hunter survived and credits Braedens quick thinking for saving his life.

Those guys had a very, very lucky Christmas Eve, Toby Weed, a forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center, said, explaining that they had the equipment necessary for backcountry travel.

The brother who was not buried used his transceiver to find the brother who was buried, and it got him pretty close and when he got close enough, he could see a couple fingers sticking out of the snow of his brother and was able to dig him out, Weed said.

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An average of 27 people die in avalanches in the United States every year, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

Avalanche conditions will likely worsen across the mountains of northern Utah and southeast Idaho heading into the weekend, forecasters said in the report.

You hear so many tragic stories of people getting buried in avalanches and not making it out, so I feel very blessed and lucky, Hunter said.
A homeless man found on fire at Penn Station may be the victim of an arsonist who set him ablaze, police sources said Saturday.

The 67-year-old victim was seen on fire at the bustling Midtown transit hub near W. 34th St. around 8:10 p.m. Friday by a commuter who alerted two MTA police officers.

The victim was found near the entrance to the 1/2/3 train lines, suffering from severe burns to his legs and upper body, cops said. EMS rushed him to Weill Cornell Medical Center where he remained in critical condition on Saturday.

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Detectives are investigating the possibility that the homeless man was the victim of a criminal act, said a police source with knowledge of the case.

Law enforcement was reviewing station surveillance footage and speaking to witnesses to see if anyone was seen near the homeless man before the fire broke out.

No arrests have been made.

The Penn Station incident comes fast on the heels of Sundays tragedy that shocked the nation, when a woman died after a man set her clothes on fire while she was sleeping aboard a subway car at the Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. station in Brooklyn, then callously fanned the flames with a shirt, according to police.

Cops arrested Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan migrant who had been living in a Brooklyn mens shelter.
Los Angeles Police Department investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding a fatal double shooting near a smoke shop in downtown L.A. early Saturday morning.

Preliminary information relayed to KTLA by an LAPD spokesperson indicated that officers from the Central Station received multiple reports of a shooting in the area of 6th and Wall Streets at approximately 12:50 a.m.

Anaheim police officers shot and kill robbery suspect

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Authorities arrived on scene and found a male victim on the floor of Cloud Smoke Shop who had sustained at least one gunshot wound, the spokesperson told KTLA. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a later update shortly before 8 a.m., LAPD stated that two victims  both adult men  were found at the location suffering from gunshot wounds.

The other man also died at the scene, LAPD confirmed.

Los Angeles Police Department investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding a fatal shooting near a smoke shop in downtown L.A. early Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (KNN)

No other details surrounding the decedents identities was released.

A third victim was also located nearby, although he was said to be uncooperative with authorities and refused medical treatment.

Woman dead, 3 others hospitalized after Panorama City townhomes burst into flames

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It is not known if the shooting was gang-related, but it is believed the two men who were shot dead were homeless.

No suspect information was immediately available.

Luis Zuniga contributed to this report.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO)  Rockford Police arrested Jovaris Porchia, 30, for allegedly shooting a 50-year-old man multiple times in the parking lot of a MaxMart, leading to his death on Friday.

Police responded to the MaxMart located at 922 Kilburn Avenue for reports of a gunshot victim. When police arrived, they found a man suffering from multiple life-threatening gunshot wounds.

The 50-year-old victim was pronounced dead on the scene.

During the investigation, RPD Detectives and the Intel Unit identified Pochia as the suspect.

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Porchia was on pretrial release as of January 16, 2024, for a case opened on Dec. 8, 2023, in which he was charged with aggravated domestic battery causing strangulation and criminal property damage.

Pochia is lodged in the Winnebago County Jail on charges of two counts of first-degree murder.

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ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A man has been charged with Felony Bestiality and Delivery of a Controlled Substance to a Minor.

Today, on December 27, Hayden Hollingsworth was arrested and held in custody at the Taylor County Jail with a bond set at $75,000.

TCSO encourages anyone with information about this case to contact Detective Rodela at (325) 674-1300.

The case is still under investigation, and no further information is available.

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TOWN OF CLAY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)  One man has been arrested and charged with a felony count of Making a Terroristic Threat after a nearly five-hour standoff in the Town of Clay.

On Friday at 11:55 p.m., 35-year-old Nathan McRae called 911 requesting police assistance. McRae stated that he was armed with multiple firearms.

When Onondaga County Sherriffs Deputies arrived at Braemar Drive, McRae told them he wanted to kill police officers and that he had several firearms.

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A reverse 911 notification was sent to residents in the surrounding area advising them to stay in place for their safety.

The Sheriffs Office SWAT team arrived at the scene after McRae refused to exit his residence. The standoff lasted nearly five hours during which time there were negotiations between McRae and the Sheriffs Office SWAT team.

During negotiations, McRae revealed his intent to harm law enforcement stemmed from a correctional facility video released earlier in the day on Friday.

New York Attorney General releases video of Marcy Correctional inmate beating

On Friday, December 27th, The New York Attorney Generals Office released videos from inside the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County that show an inmate being beaten by staff while restrained. He later died.

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At around 4:40 a.m. Saturday morning, McRae exited his apartment peacefully and surrendered to Sheriffs negotiators and SWAT members. McRae was taken into custody without incident.

Nathan McRae was arrested and charged with a felony count of Making a Terroristic Threat.

This is still an open investigation, search warrants are being executed to determine if McRae had any firearm in his possession.

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A Manhattan real estate billionaires son should be barred from getting a share of his fathers fortune  because he lied to try to cut his dads lover out of the will, she argued in court papers.

Natalia Vostrikova insisted in new filings that Steven Gurney-Goldman had gone against his wealthy dad Allans wishes when he made gruesome allegations she neglected the ailing man, who died alone in Russia in January 2022 at age 78.

Gurney-Goldman now must face the consequences, Vostrikova said in her Nassau County Supreme Court filing.

Natalia Vostrikova (right) insisted in new filings that Steven Gurney-Goldman had gone against his wealthy dad Allans (center) wishes when he made gruesome allegations she neglected the ailing man. Obtained by The New York Post

Allan Goldman, who struggled with Parkinsons disease for years, was the son of real estate tycoon Sol Goldman, who built a Manhattan real estate empire that once included the Chrysler Building.

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Allan was in a severely deteriorated state with multiple organ failures and bedsores following a months-long visit to Russia with Vostrikova when he died, Gurney-Goldman claimed in a 2022 lawsuit filed against Vostrikova.

Vostrikova, the older mans lover and caretaker who also served as the family nanny decades earlier, allegedly left Allan Goldman alone in a five-star hotel in Moscow while she lived a luxe life on his dime, Gurney-Goldman contended in the legal filing.

The son claimed Vostrikova neglected his dad in a bid to hasten his death  and collect her $2 million inheritance sooner.

Vostrikova, who also served as the family nanny decades earlier, allegedly left Allan Goldman alone in a five-star hotel in Moscow while she lived a luxe life on his dime, Gurney-Goldman contended in the legal filing. Courtesy of Joe Ruback

Vostrikova  who claims Russian authorities cleared her of any wrongdoing in Allans death  wants the whole case tossed out of court.

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Not only that they were in love, they were a couple. He cared for her and she cared for him, said her lawyer Kian Khatibi.

Goldman left an estate worth at least $250 million, court records show, and had a 25% interest in his fathers company, Solil Management, which is worth an estimated $12 billion, according to Forbes.

Goldman left an estate worth at least $250 million, court records show, and had a 25% interest in his fathers company, Solil Management, which is worth an estimated $12 billion, according to Forbes. Obtained by The New York Post

A lawyer for Gurney-Goldman contended that Vostrikova was not cleared of wrongdoing and that Russian authorities refused to investigate the matter.

As the executor of his fathers will, Mr. Gurney-Goldman is upholding his fiduciary duty by bringing a wrongful death action against the woman whom weve alleged is responsible for his fathers untimely death, attorney Daniel Noble said. Ms. Vostrikovas claim that Mr. Gurney-Goldman should be disinherited as a result is erroneous and meritless.
The observation room in the Dr. Maurice Fitz-Gerald Birthing Center at Whitfield Regional Hospital on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 in Demopolis, Ala. In some rural areas, residents have said they prefer expanded maternal health care services to expanded abortion access. (Vasha Hunt for Alabama Reflector)

This story was originally published by The 19th and KFF Health News. Sign up for the 19ths newsletter.

BAKER CITY, Oregon  In what has become a routine event in rural America, a hospital maternity ward closed in 2023 in this small Oregon town about an hour from the Idaho border.

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For Shyanne McCoy, 23, that meant the closest hospital with an obstetrician on staff when she was pregnant was a 45-mile drive away over a mountain pass.

When McCoy developed symptoms of preeclampsia in January, she felt she had the best chance of getting the care she needed at a larger hospital in Boise, Idaho, two hours away. She spent the final week of her pregnancy there, too far from home to risk leaving, before giving birth to her daughter.

Six months later, she said it seems clear to her that the health care needs of rural young women like her are largely ignored.

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For McCoy and others, figuring out how to obtain adequate care to safely have a baby in Baker City has quickly eclipsed concerns about another medical service lacking in the area: abortion. But in Oregon and elsewhere in the country, progressive lawmakers attempts to expand abortion access sometimes clash with rural constituencies.

Oregon is considered one of the most protective states in the country when it comes to abortion. There are no legal limits on when someone can receive an abortion in the state, and the service is covered by its Medicaid system. Still, efforts to expand access in the rural, largely conservative areas that cover most of the state have encountered resistance and incredulity.

Its a divide that has played out in elections in such states as Nevada, where voters passed a ballot measure in November that seeks to codify abortion protections in the state constitution. Residents in several rural counties opposed the measure.

In Oregon, during the months just before the Baker City closure was announced, Democratic state lawmakers were focused on a proposed pilot program that would launch two mobile reproductive health care clinics in rural areas. The bill specified that the van-based clinics would include abortion services.

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State Rep. Christine Goodwin, a Republican from a southwestern Oregon district, called the proposal the latest example of urban legislators telling rural leaders what their communities need.

The mobile health clinic pilot was eventually removed from the bill under discussion last year. That means no new abortion options in Oregons Baker County  and no new state-funded maternity care either.

I think if you expanded rural access in this community to abortions before you extended access to maternal health care, you would have an uprising on your hands, said Paige Witham, 27, a member of the Baker County health care steering committee and the mother of two children, including an infant born in October.

A study published in JAMA in early December that examined nearly 5,000 acute care hospitals found that by 2022, 52% of rural hospitals lacked obstetrics care after more than a decade of unit closures. The health implications of those closures for young women, the population most likely to need pregnancy care, and their babies can be significant. Research has shown that added distance between a patient and obstetric care increases the likelihood the baby will be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.

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Witham said that while she does not support abortion, she believes the government should not legislate it away completely. She said that unless the government provides far more support for young families, like free child care and better mental health care, abortion should remain legal.

Conversations with a liberal school board member, a moderate owner of a timber company, members of Baker Citys Republican Party chapter, a local doula, several pregnant women, and the director of the Baker County Health Department  many of whom were not rigidly opposed to abortion  all turned up the same answer: No mobile clinics offering abortions here, please.

Kelle Osborn, a nurse supervisor for the Baker County Health Department, loved the idea of a mobile clinic that would provide education and birth control services to people in outlying areas. She was less thrilled about including abortion services in a clinic on wheels.

Its not something that should just be handed out from a mobile van, she said of abortion services. She said people in her conservative rural county would probably avoid using the clinics for anything if they were understood to provide abortion services.

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Both Osborn and Meghan Chancey, the health departments director, said they would rank many health care priorities higher, including the need for a general surgeon, an ICU, and a dialysis clinic.

Baker County, Oregon, is one of many rural places in states that protect abortion rights where access to prenatal and birthing care is considered by locals to be a more urgent medical need than expanded access to abortion. (Lillian Mongeau Hughes for KFF Health News)

Nationally, reproductive health care services of all types tend to be limited for people in rural areas, even within states that protect abortion access. More than two-thirds of people in maternity care deserts  all of which are in rural counties  must drive more than a half-hour to get obstetric care, according to a 2024 March of Dimes report. For people in the Southern states where lawmakers installed abortion bans, abortion care can be up to 700 miles away, according to a data analysis by Axios.

Nathan Defrees grew up in Baker City and has practiced medicine here since 2017. He works for a family medicine clinic. If a patient asks about abortion, he provides information about where and how one can be obtained, but he doesnt offer abortions himself.

Theres not a lot of anonymity in small towns for physicians who provide that care, he said. Many of us arent willing to sacrifice the rest of our career for that.

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He also pointed to the small number of patients requesting the service locally. Just six people living in Baker County had an abortion in 2023, according to data from the Oregon Department of Public Health. Meanwhile, 125 residents had a baby that year.

A doctor with obstetric training living in another rural part of the state has chosen to quietly provide early-stage abortions when asked. The doctor, concerned for their familys safety in the small, conservative town where they live, asked not to be identified.

The idea that better access to abortion is not needed in rural areas seems naive, the doctor said. People most in need of abortion often dont have access to any medical service not already available in town, the doctor pointed out. The first patient the doctor provided an abortion for at the clinic was a meth user with no resources to travel or to manage an at-home medication abortion.

It seemed entirely inappropriate for me to turn her away for care I had the training and the tools to do, the doctor said.

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Defrees said it has been easier for Baker County residents to get an abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

A new Planned Parenthood clinic in Ontario, Oregon, 70 miles away in neighboring Malheur County, was built primarily to provide services to people from the Boise metro area, but it also created an option for many living in rural eastern Oregon.

Idaho is one of the 16 states with near-total bans on abortion. Like many states with bans, Idaho has struggled to maintain its already small fleet of fetal medicine doctors. The loss of regional expertise touches Baker City, too, Defrees said.

For example, he said, the treatment plan for women who have a desired pregnancy but need a termination for medical reasons is now far less clear. It used to be those folks could go to Boise, he said. Now they cant. That does put us in a bind.

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Portland is the next closest option for that type of care, and that means a 300-mile drive along a set of highways that can be treacherous in winter.

Its a lot scarier to be pregnant now in Baker City than it ever has been, Defrees said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released their report on the almost 70,000 births of 2022, and while it shows some progress, there are still significant racial disparities.

In the Bay State, the rate of severe maternal morbidity nearly doubled over the last decade. These unexpected and potentially life-threatening labor and delivery complications disproportionately affect people of color, and Black pregnant people have the highest rate of death from these complications.

Western Massachusetts lawmaker pushing for home care funding

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A new Department of Public Health report shows that people of color continue to be at higher risk. The report shows overall rates of adequate prenatal care declining, with 82% of white people receiving adequate care versus just 66.6% of black people receiving adequate care.

The high rate of low birth weight has continued, and 1 out every 11 births happen preterm, but for black and Hispanic people, the rate is 1 out of every 9 births.

The rate of teen pregnancy decreased overall, but compared to white teens, black teens are 5 times more likely to get pregnant, and Hispanic teens are 10 times more likely.

The overall volume of births in Massachusetts slightly decreased from 2020 to 2021, while fertility treatment rates increased. Nearly 75% of Massachusetts residents who used fertility treatment were white.

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One positive change from this report shows that gestational diabetes rates decreased for the first time in 6 years.

State lawmakers looked to make improvements to racial disparities with a new maternal health law this year that is meant to improve access to adequate pre and post natal racially-sensitive 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 WWLP.
Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) suggested that President-elect Trumps opposition to a TikTok ban comes from his popularity on the app and the video-sharing platform lobbys influence on his inner circle.

With Donald Trump, its always some combination of two things, Jim. Its one, flattery and inflating his ego, Auchincloss told CNN guest host Jim Sciutto during his Friday appearance on CNN. And then number two is the soft corruption and sycophancy of his inner circle. Those two threads can intertwine and they can change American policy.

Auchinclosss remarks came just hours after Trump asked the Supreme Court to delay the deadline for a potential ban of the app which was scheduled to occur on Jan. 19, one day before the president-elects inauguration.

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President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns, Trumps personal appellate attorney D. John Sauer wrote.

The nations highest court was willing to hear TikToks objections to the potential ban on a fast-track schedule, although Trumps legal team argued the legislation could be delayed until he assumes office next year and the court would not need to weigh in.

Auchincloss, who sits on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said on Friday that it would be important for Congress to release a resolution stating that lawmakers stand by the original bill, signed by President Biden in April, which would require ByteDance, the China-based parent company, to divest from TikTok by the January date or face a ban in the U.S.

And then if he tried to issue an executive order that undermines the effectuating of the law, that Congress would override that as we have the right to do, Auchincloss, said, referring to Trump. Now, whether or not my Republican colleagues have the spines to stand up to Donald Trump remains to be seen. I would say their track record over the last decade does not inspire confidence in that regard.

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Trump opposed the law during his 2024 presidential run and has repeatedly vowed to save TikTok, but the president-elect has not offered precise steps to shield the app since he won the November election. During his first run in the White House, Trump threatened to ban the app.

Some lawmakers have come out against the ban, including Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The Massachusetts Democrat, who supports the ban, said he knows that his House colleagues on the other side of the aisle with whom I helped draft this law, understand that allowing Gen Z to develop their sense of American society from an algorithm dictated by the Politburo in Beijing is a really bad idea.

And Donald Trump himself understood that. And the fact that hes changing his mind now makes me think that his inner circle has been bought and paid for by the TikTok lobby, he added.

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Former Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway is reportedly being paid by the influential Club for Growth to lobby for TikTok in Congress, as reported by Politico. Jeff Yass, a Republican mega-donor and huge backer of Club for Growth, holds a 15 percent stake in ByteDance.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
DAVIDSON COUNTY  A Massachusetts man is accused of providing fentanyl through the mail, leading to the death of a Davidson County resident, according to the Davidson County Sheriffs Department.

Robert Floyd Bohn, 59, of Holbrook, was charged with felony death by distribution and felony second-degree murder.

In September, detectives with the Davidson County Sheriffs Office began investigating the death of a person in Linwood from a suspected overdose. Following an autopsy by the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, it was determined the victim, whose name has not been released, died from fentanyl toxicity, the sheriffs office said.

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Bohn sent narcotics to the victim using the U.S. mail, according to the sheriffs office.

Officers traveled to Holbrook, Massachusetts, to further investigate the case, and Bohn was arrested following a search of his residence. The sheriffs office was assisted by the Holbrook Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Bohn was brought to Davidson County on Dec. 17 and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 6.
John Lindstrom is a master of showing us, rather than just telling us, exactly what's happening in Michigan and why. Pulling from his decades of journalism experience and wealth of historical knowledge, in 2024 Lindstrom helped us make sense of the chaotic protests that took place across the country, and the various strange phenomena of electoral politics that left so many vexed.

I was a student during Vietnam. Today's protests aren't that different

"There are familiar echoes between the two periods of demonstrations: both tangled in the long, historic webs of dismantling empires, both expressing urgent concerns over current conflicts and crises, both with political implications beyond the cause at hand, both raising worries of disorder and chaos, both advancing optimistic ideals and wallowing in callous cynicism. ...

"In the end, we must all be governed by our best interests, which call for peace, respect and a political solution granting Israelis and Palestinians a chance to be free of ongoing mass murder. How to get there? Well, be cynically idealistic, I suppose.

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"In reality, that is what the demonstrations are imperfectly all about now, and were imperfectly all about then."

Read the full column here

Protesters clash during a demonstration against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War held in front of the White House in Washington on May 11, 1970 and following a shooting at Kent State University in Ohio on May 4, 1970, where four students were killed by police.

I work the polls on Election Day. There is no serious fraud.

"Today, Nov. 5, at 6 a.m., while most of you Free Press readers are probably just stirring, I and my beloved are dragging our mostly uncaffeinated heads to an election precinct near our Lansing-area home. From years past, we know the drill. There we will join other local folks  specifically, like us, U.S. citizens, and all trained in election day rules and protocols (as law requires)  assembled to setup voting booths, attach sample ballots and voting maps to the walls, and establish the 100-foot limit from the voting area where political campaigning cannot take place.

More: Witness: Oxford shooting suspect opened fire on good Samaritans who stopped to help him

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More: 'The worst of the worst'  3 convicted Detroit gangsters get stiff sentences

"Oh, before we do any of that, we will also swear an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, the Michigan Constitution and to faithfully discharge our duties as inspectors, according according to Section 168.680 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. This is required; we cannot work as inspectors unless we do so swear.

Read the full column here

GOP candidate Mike Rogers' biggest problem in US Senate race: He's not mean

"Is he mean enough for todays Republican Party?

"Is Mike Rogers really blood-thirsty, ugly-mean enough? Is he brimming with the vengeful lust required to suit a party that includes a former U.S. Senate candidate  Lauren Witzke of Delaware (she lost in 2020)  who has said she wants former President Donald Trump not just to go "full dictator," but seemingly would like him to execute a bunch of folks? Or to suit Trump himself, who spent nearly half his New Hampshire primary victory speech trash-talking his opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley? The crowd loved it, cheering all the while. Being gracious and magnanimous in victory is just so plain Abraham Lincolnesque these days. How boring."

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Contributing columnist John Lindstrom and Cindy Kyle en route to work the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

With tariff threat looming, Michigan's Pete Hoekstra is in the hot seat

"Hey kids, were about a month out from the election. Hows the retribution stuff working out for you so far?

"Our old/new President-elect Donald Trump promised retribution on the campaign trail, and at least he told the truth about that.

"Retribution takes many forms, and thus far, several of Trumps clowniest of cabinet nominees have promoted disastrous plans to attack the president-elect's critics, threaten public health and the basic rule of law."

Read the full column here

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: He showed us elections aren't being stolen | Opinion Year in Review
YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  Different factions in Yorks city government are on different sides of an immigration debate  but for very different reasons from whats going on in Washington.

Yorks Mayor Michael Helfrich followed through on a threat to veto a bill that would forbid city employees from threatening or intimidating anyone based on their citizenship or immigration status and prevented police from taking action based on actual or perceived immigration status, what some people call a Sanctuary City law.

PRIOR COVERAGE -> York City Council passes bill protecting refugees, immigrants from threats regarding status

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Helfrich says like city council he is supportive of immigrants but worried the proposal could have put federal funding to the city at risk.

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The McLean County School Board approved the 2025-2026 school year calendar at a school board meeting held on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The county has once again chosen what is considered to be a variable calendar, meaning that, instead of focusing on the number of school days the students will attend, it considers the number of hours the students will be in the classroom throughout the year.

Students are required to attend 1,062 hours of classroom instruction each school year, according to the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), which is the equivalent of 170 days of instruction.

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Those proponents of the schedule enjoy starting the school year later in the summer.

Students in McLean County will be heading back to the classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2025, with the goal of the school year ending on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, which is dependent on if the students miss days due to severe weather or other extenuating circumstances.

Following suit with Daviess County Public Schools and Owensboro Public Schools, McLean County has adjusted its fall break to be the second week of October when, in the past, the break has been scheduled for the week prior.

We decided to change the week of fall break because the community college in Owensboro will be taking fall break that week, so we didnt want our students that attend college classes to have any issues, said Ashley Troutman, assistant superintendent of student services for McLean County Public Schools (MCPS).

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Christmas Break will begin on Dec. 19 and extend through Jan. 5, while spring break will fall on the traditional schedule of the first week in April.

The calendar breaks down to having the students in the classroom for a total of 162 days for the 2025-2026 school year.
Court of Appeals judge J. Christopher McNeill has been named as the new deputy chief judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. McNeills role will begin on January 1, and he will take the place of deputy chief judge Pamela R. Goodwine, who will begin serving on the Kentucky Supreme Court in January after being elected to the position in November.

The role of the deputy chief judge is to provide administrative oversight to the Court of Appeals in the absence of the chief judge.

I am honored and humbled to serve as deputy chief judge, McNeill said. I look forward to continuing in service to the citizens of our commonwealth.

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Cases heard by the Court of Appeals typically are appeals from lower court rulings. When a case is tried in either district court or circuit court, the losing party is able to petition the Court of Appeals for a review of the case. Cases seen before the Court of Appeals arent retried, but the process and information from the initial ruling is reviewed for possible legal issues.

The Court of Appeals consists of 14 judges, two from each of seven appellate districts in the state, and those judges are elected to serve eight-year terms. Those judges are divided into panels of three for the process of reviewing cases. The ruling of each case is decided by a majority vote.

Each judges panel travels throughout the state to hear cases because they dont have a permanent location.

McNeill, who lives with his wife in Paducah, was appointed to the Court of Appeals in May 2020, filling an unexpired term. He was then elected to serve an eight-year term on the court in November 2022.

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McNeill serves the First Division of the First Appellate District which covers 23 counties in Western Kentucky including Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Daviess, Fulton, Graves, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg, Union and Webster counties.

Before serving on the Court of Appeals, McNeill worked in private civil practice and served as a staff attorney for the Kentucky Court of Appeals. McNeill later became a directing attorney for the public defenders office in McCracken County. During his tenure, he oversaw more than 70,000 cases across Western Kentucky.

McNeill earned both bachelors and masters degrees in agriculture and organizational communication from Murray State University, then completed the senior executives in state and local government program at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1993. He later earned a law degree from the Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

Judge McNeill has demonstrated the leadership, knowledge and professionalism needed to serve as deputy chief judge of the court, said Court of Appeals Chief Judge Larry E. Thompson, who has served with McNeill for more than four years.

McNeill and his wife have two sons.
Five candidates are on the ballot for the Frederick County student member of the Board of Education for the 2025-26 school year.

Middle and high school students in Frederick County Public Schools can vote for the student member. Voting runs Jan. 7 to 29.

The five students are involved in organizations such as their schools' student government, county student government and the Frederick County Association of Student Councils.

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The current student member of the board is Elijah Steele. The term runs for one school year.

The student member of the board in Frederick County does not have the right to vote on any matter, but participates in discussions.

Alessia Cuba

Cuba is a 17-year-old junior at Urbana High School. She said she has wanted to run for the student member position since she moved to Frederick County in middle school from the Gaithersburg area.

"The second that I heard about it, it was something that I said, 'This is what I want to do,'" Cuba said.

Cuba said she is the president of the student government at Urbana and serves on the Maryland Youth Advisory Council to the Governor, among other commitments.

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"I think now, due to my experiences, I can contribute more to society," she said.

Cuba said her biggest passion is taking care of the environment, and that one of the biggest issues in the school district is a lack of environmental education.

She said more education about climate change should be implemented in the curriculum and that students should get more outdoor learning and service learning opportunities.

"It really does show students that the work they're doing makes an impact, and it makes them feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves," she said.

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She added that she would like to see more mental health services and career readiness opportunities like mentorships and internships.

Joshua Lin

Lin is a 16-year-old sophomore at Middletown High School. He said he moved to Frederick County from the Philadelphia area when he was in elementary school.

He said he saw students struggle at his school in Pennsylvania and in Frederick County.

"I want to see change happen and I want to represent the student body," he said.

Lin said this school year was his first year being in student government, and that he is also involved with Future Business Leaders of America.

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"I like that we contribute a decent amount to our school's activity. ... We represent our school," he said.

Lin said the biggest issue in FCPS is education inequality. He said there is not enough funding for classes and other programs.

"I want to advocate for more funding across all boards for more resources," Lin said.

He added that students also struggle with mental health issues, and that even though FCPS has mental health services, "many students ... don't have the resources to access them."

Sophia Smith

Smith is a 16-year-old junior at Tuscarora High School. She said she has wanted to run for the position since she was in sixth grade.

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She said she has been pushing Tuscarora High students to become more engaged and she informs students about current events during lunch.

"I'm glad to do it, but I want to make sure that students know these issues are going on, and not just at our school," Smith said.

She said she has been involved with student government since middle school and is also part of the Maryland Association of Student Councils.

Smith said the biggest problem within the school district is underrepresentation from the student population.

She said she would like to help students understand that the board works to fix things and that students should "know why these decisions are being made."

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She said she would use social media and her campaign website to inform students and keep them up-to-date about events and big decisions.

"That builds a larger community between the Board of Education and the students," Smith said. "It will actually help students take charge of their education, making sure they benefit from it."

Isabella Tiger

Tiger is a 16-year-old junior at Linganore High School. She said she joined student government in eighth grade and learned about the student member position at a forum for the candidates at the time.

"Since then, I've always wanted to do this, and that combined with seeing a bunch of areas of improvement within my school, that's what motivated me," Tiger said.

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She said she is involved with student government and the local association for student councils. Tiger said she is a cadet major for the Civil Air Patrol.

She said the biggest issue in FCPS is school safety, which includes student safety and security, as well as discipline for unsafe behavior.

Tiger said there have been times when an unknown person entered the school building because a door had been propped open.

"Obviously, policies need to be looked at there, making sure there are policies that already exist or are going to be enforced," she said, regarding students who prop the locked doors open.

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Tiger said she has seen a lack of discipline for students who physically fight with each other.

She said that "something needs to be done in order to change those policies, in order to deter future violations of the policies."

Alex Thomas

Thomas is a 16-year-old junior at Linganore High School. He said this is his second year running for the student member position  he ran last school year as a sophomore.

Thomas said he decided to run again because students encouraged him to.

"That's one of the motivators," he said. "If I didn't have experiences like that, then I definitely wouldn't be running again."

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Thomas said he is on the FCPS Citizens Advisory Council and is also involved in student government on the school and county levels.

He said the biggest issue in FCPS is attaining voting rights for the student member of the board.

Thomas said from hearing discussions about the student member's voting rights, many of the issues that the "adults" have is with the responsibilities that come with gaining voting rights.

He said student members in the past have "kind of dropped the ball on the position itself," and he would make sure "the people around me see that I'm doing the job, so that they show me the respect I deserve."
MIAMI, Okla.  Miami city spokeswoman Melinda Stotts confirmed there has been an officer-involved shooting involving a Miami Police officer on Friday evening.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has been called in to investigate the shooting.

Police evidence markers were placed in front of the residence at 111 C St. SE.

Miamis Interim Police Chief Todd Hicks said two separate 911 calls came into the Emergency Operations Center at 3:55 p.m. of an armed male subject under the influence attempting to break into an apartment at a complex on C SE Street, according to a statement released by city officials.

Three Miami Police Officers arrived on the scene and made contact in the apartment complex with the male subject, who they say was carrying a weapon. According to Hicks, it is believed the subject appeared to be under the influence of narcotics and failed to respond to the officers repeated commands, shots were fired, and the subject was injured.

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Emergency Services were called to the scene, and the subject was transported to the Emergency Room of Integris Hospital and later succumbed to his injuries.

The names of the Miami police officers and the victim were not released.

The Ottawa County District Attorney and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation were notified for further investigation.

We will continue to update this developing story as more information becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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With a new year right around the corner, Republicans gear up for a battle for the gavel. But Donald Trump isn't so sure Mike Johnson is up for the job. Rep. Debbie Dingell joins The Weekend to weigh in.
With less than a month to go until Donald Trump's return to office, Beijing has pledged further cooperation with sanctions hit-Tehran on "mutual core interests".

In talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in the Chinese capital on Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also voiced Beijing's commitment to Tehran's participation in Beijing-led multilateral frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brics.

"The two sides should continue to support each other on issues of mutual core interests, steadily advance practical cooperation, and improve collaboration in the multilateral sphere," the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying.

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"We should closely coordinate and cooperate within the framework of the SCO ... and we will further strengthen Brics and better safeguard the common interests of the Global South," he said, referring to a group of emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The meeting also addressed conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, where Tehran's proxies, the Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, are main players.

"Both sides agreed that the solution to the Palestinian issue requires respect for and restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and an end to the occupation [of Gaza]," the ministry said.

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"An immediate ceasefire, a full withdrawal of troops, and urgent humanitarian assistance are imperative. The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon must [also] be implemented effectively and efficiently."

Araghchi and Wang also agreed that the two countries would work together to counter terrorism, and promote reconciliation in Syria, which until this month was ruled by the Tehran-friendly regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Wang also urged Iran to keep up communication with Saudi Arabia, following last year's Beijing-brokered peace deal between the regional powers.

The Iranian foreign minister's two-day visit reflects the continued strong ties between the two countries.

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China is now Iran's economic lifeline, as the Islamic republic's biggest trading partner and buyer of its oil, reportedly importing shipments through third countries to avoid sanctions.

Beijing also helped sanctions-hit Iran to avoid complete international isolation, encouraging Tehran to play a part Brics and the SCO.

So much so that the strategic partnership is "a priority of Iran's foreign policy", according to Araghchi.

In addition, Araghchi said Beijing would be an "essential" partner in dialogue about Tehran's nuclear future, a veiled reference to Trump, who withdrew Washington from an Iran nuclear deal during his first term in office.

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"Our nuclear discussions will encounter new dynamics in the coming year, making increased dialogue with China essential," the Tehran Times quoted him as saying on Friday.

China has also been a vocal source of support for Iran several times on the international stage, particularly since the war in Gaza erupted.

In September, when fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah - the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed militant and political group - escalated, Wang told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that "China has always been a trustworthy partner of Iran and will, as always, support Iran".

A month later on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping had his own words of support for Pezeshkian.

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"Regardless of changes in the international and regional situation, China will unwaveringly develop cooperation with Iran," Xi said.

That support may be more important than ever when Trump takes office in January.

Trump's cabinet picks for Middle East affairs are particularly hawkish and include Massad Boulos as his Middle East adviser, Steve Witkoff as his special envoy to the region, and Mike Huckabee as the ambassador to Israel.

The choices suggest that the incoming administration will reinforce Iran's economic and geopolitical isolation, a position spelled out when Boulos told French news magazine Le Point that Trump would again pursue a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran.

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The maximum pressure strategy was applied during Trump's first presidency, with a series of sanctions against Iran.

Iran is also under pressure from within the Middle East, with devastating blows to a number of proxies, including to Hamas and Hezbollah by Israel, and Assad's downfall in Syria.

Araghchi told the Tehran Times that throughout those events, China and Iran "have consistently maintained close consultations" on all regional and international matters.

He said China and Iran "aim to strategise and prepare for the challenges ahead, including those related to the region, global developments, and the United Nations Security Council".

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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.
Minnesota state Senator Kari Dziedzic has died at age 62, the Minnesota DFL announced on Dec. 28.

Dziedzic represented the state's 60th District for 12 years, starting with a special election in 2012. She served as the senate's majority leader after the DFL took control in the 2022 midterm election.

However, Dziedzic stepped down from the post in February when she announced that her ovarian cancer, initially diagnosed in early 2023, had returned.

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Dziedzic died on Friday in an assisted-living facility, per the Star Tribune.

Kari DziedzicMinnesota Legislature

During her term as majority leader, Dziedzic aided the DFL trifecta in passing laws on abortion rights, paid family and medical leave, universal school meals, clean energy, gun violence prevention, and restoring voting rights to felons upon their release.

She did this while continuing treatment, working remotely, and participating in every vote during the session.

Additionally, she sponsored a bill that ensures cancer patients who lose their hair can have wigs covered by insurance. The law will go into effect in January.

My prayers are with the family and friends of Kari Dziedzic.



Minnesota is a better place thanks to her exemplary leadership. Karis public service helped make MN a more welcoming, inclusive, and prosperous state for all, and her determined spirit inspired many, including me.  Rep. Betty McCollum (@BettyMcCollum04) December 28, 2024

"Our hearts are with Senator Dziedzic's family and all who knew and loved her," a statement from the DFL reads. "Minnesota has lost a giant, but her extraordinary legacy will outlast us all."

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Prior to entering politics, Dziedzic attended Edison High School and the University of Minnesota. She served as an executive assistant to Sen. Paul Wellstone and worked with Hennepin County before her election in 2012.

"Kari will be remembered by her family and those she served for her enthusiastic and humble leadership, which inspired all who knew her," reads a statement from Dziedzic's family. "She had a heart of gold, willing to go to any measure to help those she loved."

Kari Dziedzic was kind, smart, generous, focused, and deeply rooted in her community. She left the world much too soon, but she also left a lasting legacy. Her leadership was masterful; a case study in how to manage a diverse team with thin margins under challenging  Steve Simon (@MNSteveSimon) December 28, 2024

In a June op-ed in the Star Tribune, Dziedzic chronicled her health journey, detailing the difficulties Americans face when going up against the healthcare system and insurers, including having claims denied and receiving bills in excess of $100,000.

"Thank you to everyone who shared their health care stories," she wrote. "While I never intended to focus on health care policy, I am now advocating and fighting to ensure all Minnesotans have easier access to the quality care and equipment they deserve."

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Sen. Dziedzic is survived by her mother, Pat Dziedzic, five siblings, their spouses, and nieces and nephews.

Heartbreaking news about our Senator Kari Dziedzic. We were lucky to have you fighting for us at the Capitol for so many years and I feel even luckier that I had the privilege of working with you and representing our constituents together. This is a huge loss for our community. pic.twitter.com/Cw5BNxyDwj  Elliott Payne (@ElliottForWard1) December 28, 2024

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Im heartbroken to lose my dear friend Kari Dziedzic. While she served as my state Senator, I saw how closely she listened to and worked with people in her district. She governed with strength and calm and grace, earning the respect of her colleagues regardless of party.  Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) December 28, 2024

Sending my deepest condolences and prayers to the family, friends, and loved ones of Senator Kari Dziedzic. She was an incredible public servant who transformed the lives of so many. She will be deeply missed. https://t.co/jeNdVcuZMx  Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) December 28, 2024

The last time I spoke to Kari a few weeks ago she was still serving her constituents. Thats Senator Dziedzic, the hardest working legislator I have ever had the honor to serve with. Rest in peace my friend. https://t.co/8ETradXEAY  Melisa Lopez Franzen (@MelisaFranzen) December 28, 2024

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend, Senator Kari Dziedzic. Her dedication to serving Minnesota and her resilient spirit were an inspiration to many. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time. May she rest in peace.  Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) December 28, 2024

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Minnesota state senator and former DFL majority leader Kari Dziedzic of Minneapolis has died of cancer at age 62, her family announced on Saturday.

Kari will be remembered by her family and those she served for her enthusiastic and humble leadership, which inspired all who knew her. She had a heart of gold, willing to go to any measure to help those she loved. Like her father, she was fearless, even as she entered her battle with an ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2023 while serving as Senate Majority Leader, her family said in a released statement, noting that the senator had died on Friday surrounded by her family.

Leaders from both major political parties said they were heartbroken by her death.

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Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said he was deeply saddened by Dziedzics passing.

Senator Kari Dziedzic was a passionate legislator, a respected leader, and a trusted colleague and friend. She will be remembered for her integrity and her compassion for Minnesotans, something that we all saw as she continued to serve even as she battled cancer, Johnson said in a statement.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she was one of the most skilled diplomats ever to serve in elected office.

Her legacy includes significant achievements in policy and investment in Minnesota, but more importantly she will be remembered for treating people with dignity and respect and never giving up on finding workable compromises, Hortman said. She had an incredible ability to work diligently through the most arcane and difficult policy issues to find resolution.

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Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, agreed, saying she was an uncommon leader.

Karis loss will echo across Minnesota, felt by her family, friends, colleagues  and by millions of Minnesotans whose lives have been made better by her work on their behalf, Murphy said in a statement. For the past year, I have been in awe of her strength as she continued to heroically work  with skill and compassion  as she underwent treatment for cancer. Her talents as a consequential and thoughtful leader made us all better legislators, and her examples of kindness, humor, and selflessness made us all better people.

Former Senate DFL Leader Melisa Lopez Franzen praised Dziedzic as a hard worker.

The last time I spoke to Kari a few weeks ago she was still serving her constituents, she wrote on social media. Thats Senator Dziedzic, the hardest working legislator I have ever had the honor to serve with. Rest in peace my friend.

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In a statement Saturday, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said Dziedzic was an incredible public servant who gave so much to our state. She long served as my state Senator and I got to see firsthand how she listened to and worked with the people in the district and how effective she was. She governed with strength and calm and grace and was able to get big things done without political drama. That earned her the respect of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Our familys prayers are with Karis friends and family during this difficult time.

Dziedzic had surgery to remove a tumor in 2023 after learning she had cancer. It happened during one of the busiest legislative sessions in years, but Dziedzic said her illness didnt slow down efforts to pass significant legislation.

In February, she stepped down as majority leader, saying her cancer had returned.

Unfortunately, in the last week, I learned that my cancer has returned, and I am facing some serious challenges, Dziedzic said in a statement in February. As we prepare for the next session, I decided it is in the best interest of the caucus for me to step down as Majority Leader after our caucus has selected a new leader.

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At the time she stepped down, Dzeidzic said it was an honor to lead the new Senate DFL Majority last year during one of the most consequential legislative sessions in a generation. Democrats in control of state government passed paid family and medical leave, universal school meals and created protections for abortion access in state law.

The eldest daughter of Walter and Patricia Dziedzic, she followed her fathers footsteps into community service, her family said. Walt Dziedzic was a Minneapolis City Council member.

Dziedzic was a lifelong Nordeaster, graduating from Edison High School in Northeast Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.

Dziedzic worked for former U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and for Hennepin County before she was elected to Senate District 60 in January 2012 and then served as Senate majority leader from January 2023 until February 2024.

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Gov. Tim Walz called Dziedzic a one-of-a-kind leader. He added: Her legacy should inspire all of us in elected office to be better public servants.

The Senate will now stand in a 33-33 tie between Democrats and Republicans heading into the 2025 legislative session. Walz has not yet said when he might call for a special election in the Minneapolis district.

Details for a memorial service have not yet been announced.

Alex Derosier contributed to this report, which includes information from MPR News.

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An Alabama woman who was reported missing back in June has been found dead in north Georgia.

The Walker County Sheriffs Office says a homeowner called 911 late Thursday after an animal brought part of her remains into their yard.

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Early Friday morning, the rest of her skeleton was found in the woods.

The remains were identified as Timaya Williams, 23, who was reported missing in Montgomery, Alabama in June 2024.

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Her car was found abandoned along Highway 193 in Walker County in June and was towed away by GSP. The sheriffs office says law enforcement in Montgomery never entered the car into NCIC.

Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson says her death as been ruled a suicide.

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The Mean Green Marching Machine of Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) may be headed to Washington D.C. to celebrate the swearing in of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States.

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The HBCU, founded in 1946 as a vocational college, was invited  to the dismay of social media users  to participate in the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, the same date that the nation will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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The Southern institution expressed its intention to fulfill band duties as part of the inaugural parade when it launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $13,000 to assist with travel expenses from Itta Bena, Mississippi, to the capital, food, housing and transportation of equipment. In total, the feat will cost $350,000. A statement posted to the schools website reads, in part:

This historic invitation highlights the band's legacy of excellence and cultural significance, showcasing the university and Mississippi's rich heritage globally. This invitation continues MVSU's tradition of groundbreaking national performances. In 1965, the band became the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) ensemble to march in the Tournament of Roses Parade. They returned to Pasadena in 1968 and performed in President Richard Nixon's inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 1969. These milestones reflect the band's enduring legacy as cultural ambassadors for Mississippi and the HBCU community.

Dr. Jerryl Briggs, MVSU president, noted that, This is not just a moment of pride for our university but for the entire state of Mississippi. It is an opportunity to showcase our legacy, celebrate our culture, and invest in the future leaders of our community." On Saturday (Dec. 28), just two days into crowdfunding, just shy of $3,000 had been donated.

A look online reveals that not everyone agrees with MVSU and Briggs about allowing the HBCU student-led band to join in on the history-making day. Hordes of people have instead advised the institution to forgo participation in Trumps return to office. The businessman has faced criticism for divisive politics, which includes his mass deportation plans targeting immigrants living in the country illegally and his expressed desire to eliminate the Department of Education.

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In 2017, when the president-elect was first inaugurated, several celebrities received invitations to join him for the occasion. Among those who turned down the offer were Celine Dion, Geroge Lopez and Elton John, to name a few.

See what opposers are now saying in the tweets below.

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Canadian supermodel Dayle Haddon, 76, died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning on Friday.

The million-dollar home where she was found in Pennsylvania is owned by her journalist daughter, Ryan Haddon, and her husband, Hallmark actor Marc Blucas, according to reports.

Haddon graced the cover of many magazines in the 1970s and 1980s, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire. She was also an ambassador for LOreal Paris for more than 15 years.

After retiring as a model, Haddon appeared regularly on TV as a beauty expert, and acted in several movies before becoming a UNICEF ambassador. She also founded a non-profit called WomenOne, which partnered with charity Free The Children to provide scholarships for girls education in Kenya.

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On Friday morning, officials responded to a call about a person who was partially conscious in a cottage house, reported 6ABC News. Haddon was found unconscious in a second-floor bedroom, and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Police told the outlet that high carbon monoxide levels were detected at the home and fumes from a heating unit might be to blame. The incident remains under investigation.

Dayle Haddon in March 1983. / Jean-Jacques LAPEYRONNIE / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Haddons daughter posted a statement on Instagram in tribute to her mother.

I always trust the timing of things. There are no accidents and certainly how we enter and exit this world is mystical and unknowable, she wrote in the post. She was a high-hearted spiritual being that put value on her souls evolution, so I know her journey here in this dimension must have been complete.
Dayle Haddon, the only model to have had four major cosmetics contracts, died Friday at the age of 76.

Haddon perished and Walter Blucas, the father of her son-in-law, was hospitalized in critical condition, due to an apparent carbon monoxide leak in Bucks County, Pa.. They were found in the country home that is owned by Haddons former journalist daughter Ryan and her actor husband, Marc Blucas. An investigation into the incident is ongoing with the initial focus being on the installation of a heater, according to Ryan Haddon. Walter Blucas was showing signs of improvement Sunday, she added.

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Officials at the Solebury, Pa., police department did not respond to media requests about the incident, nor did representatives from the Bucks County coroners office.

A celebration of Haddons life will be held at a later date in New York City, according to her daughter. Through her modeling, altruism and advocacy, Dayle Haddon championed inclusivity, inner beauty, and ageless living. She wanted women to have value at every age and worked to extend the ideas of beauty, value and worth beyond what our society deems beautiful, Ryan Haddon said.



Her long term contracts with LOreal, Max Factor, Revlon and Estee Lauder were due to an ability to connect with many women by communicating her love, her daughter said. She told me once that when the camera was on her, she would think of someone lovingly, Ryan Haddon said.

Born in Baie-DUrfe, Canada, the model grew up in a home of limited means with three siblings. Their parents, who had initially met during World War II, knew how to make do with little. Their father later worked as an engineer and their mother was a homemaker. After first taking up ballet at the age of five, Haddon went on to dance with the Canadian Ballet Company and the Bolshoi Ballet. As a teenager, she started modeling locally to earn extra money and later competed in beauty pageants including finishing as a Miss Canada runner-up one year. After the leading modeling agent Eileen Ford spotted Haddon, the teenager was invited to come to New York City to live with Ford and embark on a modeling career. Unlike some of her fellow budding models, who reveled in the freedom of being in New York City, Haddon was never a rule breaker and focused on her shoots. Her dancers poise and agility made her a favorite with several major photographers.

A believer in beauty being how you treat people, Haddons longtime association with LOreal, included philanthropic efforts. In the past few decades she was known more as a model-turned-activist thanks to her years as a UNICEF ambassador and her education-focused nonprofit Women One. She considered education to be a passport for women and girls.

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Haddon also consulted with G7 officials about gender equality and created educational opportunities for girls and women around the world through her nonprofit. In addition to being a wellness consultant for CBS News, she acted in dozens of English, French and Italian films.

In a 2017 interview, Haddon said her definition of beauty had evolved over the years since she began modeling in the 1970s. She said, The way I looked was not the look at the time  very tall Nordic or Texan blond girl. I was a very small, dark-haired Canadian with little freckles. It just wasnt an in look. There wasnt a lot of diversity in looks, which there is now and is great.

Haddon added, It took me a long time to be successful, which makes you more grateful.

Dayle Haddon in 1983.

Owing everything to fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, whom she worked with more than anyone, Haddon said, We didnt care about the paycheck; we only cared about creating great photos.

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Sarah Moon, Helmut Newton, Cecil Beaton, Jacques Henri Lartigue and Horst were other collaborators. For me, modeling has a lot of richness, history and depth for relating, being exposed to creativity and a complicity when people work together on something artistic and really great, she said.

Haddon proved just that earlier this month when attending the Ann Taylor store opening in New York Citys Flatiron District with her daughter. Having appeared in a campaign for the brand more than a decade ago that was shot by Annie Leibovitz, Haddon brought a still to show Ann Taylor executives and reminisced about the shoot. As one of the more seasoned models, who was among the first to get back in front of the camera years after their fame, Haddon was photographed by Leibovitz wearing a pale blue turtleneck, laughing with one hand partially covering one of her eyes. That relaxed and easygoing demeanor and minimalist style was what she presented in interviews, too.

A 1976 shoot with Lord Snowdon showing Haddon dining alone with some high-powered European designers in their homes or wherever they preferred to be photographed was one of her favorites. She told WWD, Some refused. Some were welcoming. Some destroyed the outfit [she was to wear] and had to stay up all night [to work as a result]. Some decided they wanted to eat caviar on the Champs Elysees.

Haddon said, [Emanuel] Ungaro said he was too shy and would never bring anyone to his home. He wanted to go to his favorite restaurant. With [Yves] Saint Laurent, I was at his house. [Pierre] Cardin was more emphatic about what he wanted and smart about what he wanted. [Pierre] Balmain did not want to do it but he agreed as long as I did not look at him. I was not allowed to have a glass of wine or eat with him.

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Haddon always maintained a certain poise, with demure features and twinkling blue eyes. A great model has to bring something of herself, but be in the style of the photographer, said Haddon, naming Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid (adorable and a look of our time) and Christy Turlington as current favorites. Along with philanthropic ties, Kloss and Turlington understand that modeling is a business. They know, How do you extend the longevity? How do you turn it into more than your five minutes of fame? she said.

Her definition of beauty also changed. Beauty in your 20s is a wrinkle-free beauty, with no marks, no experience. It takes time for experience and thats a different kind of beauty. For me, a lot of beauty is wrapped up in how you treat people, how you feel about yourself and how generous you are. Generous means many things  listening, including or being kind to people. It can also be about giving, doing what you can, or making a positive difference wherever you are with whoever you meet as best you can. Thats real beauty, Haddon said in 2017. You cant desperately hang onto what you looked like or what you were like in your 20s, 30s or 40s. Even though you let go of some gifts, you embrace some new gifts.

After the death of her husband Glenn Souham, when she was 38, Haddon rebuilt her life and challenged the industry to hire what was then considered a more seasoned model. She and Lauren Hutton were among the few out there pushing things forward at that time, Ryan Haddon said.

WomenOne sprang from a visit to an Angola health clinic where women had walked all night, in some cases carrying children, to get care. As a longtime UNICEF ambassador, Haddon trekked all over Africa and South America, where cholera and other diseases, hunger and poverty are destroying lives. WomenOne specialized in micro donations that could fund such minimal medical equipment as a microscope or two, since some companies or NGOs might deem that too small of a donation for an organization of their size.

Dayle Haddon attends the U.N. Women for Peace Association Awards Luncheon at ONE U.N. New York on March 10, 2017. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

In 2017, she was honored by the United Nations Women for Peace Association Awards. That same year Haddon took her empowerment message to Washington, D.C., with the help of Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In honor of the International Day of the Girl, Haddon joined the leader, his then-wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Canadas then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, and others who have generous spirits, had a fierce intellect and deep passion for womens issues in a roundtable discussion.

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She also called on support from the fashion and beauty industries. Haddon told WWD before receiving her award in 2017, This is an industry that creates things for women and girls. We have to do something for their benefit, not just something they buy, adding that Apple was supporting her WomenOne initiative. Haddon shared her insights about longevity in her two books, Ageless Beauty: A Womans Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being, and The Five Principles of Ageless Living: A Womans Guide to Lifelong Health, Beauty and Well-being.

Her daughter said, She was a natural beauty. There was nothing altered, which in this world is very rare. It was just clean living and she was deeply spiritual. All of those things are our maps, and they show on our faces and how we move through the world, her daughter said.

Predeceased by her parents and husband, Haddon is survived by her sisters Darilyn and Lynda, her brother James and her daughter.

Editors Note: This article was updated on Dec. 28 at 7:50 p.m.

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Launch Gallery: Model Dayle Haddon Dead at 76: Her Style Through the Years [PHOTOS]

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Just about the only thing separating the adults from the kids Friday at the 28th Model Train Festival was height. Young or old, they all stared in rapture as trains disappeared into tunnels, went over bridges and passed through painstakingly detailed landscapes spread around the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma.

Just inside the museums main entrance, a crowd gathered around a Lionel train display where the level of realism was sending jaws agape. In one corner of the set-up, a group of tiny men were digging next to a track. As if by magic, the little workers were moving back and forth with their Lilliputian picks and shovels while another, a welder, was sending a blue light across the scene.

Nearby, a Saturn 5 rocket  the booster that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s  was sitting on its launch pad. It seemed ready for takeoff as steam came from its base.

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And yes, there were trains. Many, many trains.

This reporter was briefed on the Lionel display by young enthusiast Jem Phillips, who was visiting the show from King County with his mother Anne. The 9-year-old has a model of a Saturn 5 at home, along with several different types of train sets.

I have TrackMaster trains, wooden trains, electric trains, he said before going into details on each. Hes seen a real Saturn 5 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, he said, and his father works on New Glenn rockets for Blue Origin.

He declared the show, awesome.

Barrett Odin, 7, of Vancouver, Washington, gets a close-up look at a passing train during the 28th Annual Model Train Festival at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Barrett planned out the trip with his father, Geoff Odin, to travel to the festival by Amtrak and the Tacoma Link Light Rail. The Model Train Festival continues through January 1.

Family tradition

The festival was the first for Jem but its become a family tradition for many, according to Michael King, the museums education and public programs manager.

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We found that many adults that come back came as children, almost 30 years ago, he said. This is kind of part of their holiday tradition.

Parking in the area was hard to find Friday. Attendance at the museum during the show goes to around 7,000 people per week, King said. Normal daily winter attendance is around 100 people.

While some train scales the eight clubs at the show use are so small one needs to lean in to see details, the trains on display in the museums lower level are big enough to ride. And thats what members of the Kitsap Live Steamers club do in Port Orchard. The group offers free rides at their club track on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, April through October.

While you wont be able to ride these trains you can get up close to them. Some weigh close to 1,000 pounds and the clubs newest cost them $25,000, according to member Kan Kaivo.

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The engines are about 1:8 scale and run on steam, battery or fuel. The club has 10 acres and 6,000 feet of track to use at South Kitsap Regional Park.

Kaivo calls his love of model trains an addiction and, like young Jem, can quickly name all the various types and scales he owns. It was in 2000, however, when he fell hard for these large scale versions after seeing them on a trip to Colorado.

I looked at my wife and I said, Im gainfully employed. Can I buy something and get into this? And she said, yeah, he recounted. He now owns a 400-pound switcher engine. Its real-life version weighs 65 tons.

Hisano Rowland of Auburn snaps a photo of the detailed landscapes on display during the 28th Annual Model Train Festival at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. The Model Train Festival continues through January 1.

Pierce County in miniature

The history museum has its own massive and permanent model train display maintained by volunteers who have created historically accurate depictions of local sites, including Tacomas Union Station.

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For the show, a local HO Modular Group set up its Seattle Pacific and Eastern Railroad display which included Tacoma Rail engines and a Sound Transit Sounder train. A few inches away, cargo ships were being loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Tacoma.

Member James Monroe of Lake Stevens was helping to run the trains Friday. The HO scale is about 1:87 and the clubs entire display measured 40-by-28 feet, he said. Each section is owned by a different club member. At shows like this one, the modules can be assembled in a variety of configurations.

At a display by the Mount Rainier N Scale club, member Ed Hansen of Puyallup was keeping an eye on train traffic. Like most (maybe all) of the enthusiasts at the show, Hansen, 64, got hooked on model trains as a kid. But then high school sports, raising a family and working put his childhood pursuits on the back burner until his 30s.

I thought Id go to work for the railroad, but, you got a wife, a kid ... its not really what you should do, he said. This here, you can turn it off every night.

If you go

What: 28th Model Train Festival

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Where: Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma.

When: Through Jan. 1, 2025.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

Admission: Adult $14; Senior (age 65+) $11; Student (age 6-18 or older with current high school ID) $11; Child (age 5 and under) free; Military (active duty or retired with ID) $11.

Information: washingtonhistory.org/
FORT MOHAVE  The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to reverse a zoning designation for a plot of undeveloped land in Fort Mohave that would have allowed a polluting natural gas "peaker plant" to be built less than half a mile from residents' homes.

The vote marks the end of a yearlong fight against the power plant at that location by senior citizens living in the nearby Sunrise Hills neighborhood. They reached out directly to The Arizona Republic in early January for help voicing their concerns about the project, connecting with others in the community and getting answers about what they believed to be illegal activity by officials involved in an earlier zoning decision.

Resident opposition to the facility in this rural, politically conservative northwest corner of Arizona centered on preventing two 65-foot-high turbines from diminishing local air quality, desert views and property values. The project, called the Mohave Energy Park, has since expanded to include up to four turbines of an unspecified height.

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Individuals, including one U.S. veteran and retired engineering manager, also told The Republic in February they were worried about operating noise and potential safety hazards related to gas explosions, especially after the local fire department told them it was not prepared for such an event.

In interviews with The Republic, physicians and environmentalists added concerns that particulate pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from the gas turbines  while more efficient and filtered than older models  would exacerbate respiratory health risks and strain the local health care industry while worsening drought and heat issues related to global climate change. These experts supported energy needs being met with cleaner modern alternatives, such as solar generation paired with battery storage.

Members of the senior citizen opposition group, who organized under the name "Not in Any Neighborhood" and often wore bright yellow shirts depicting how the 98-megawatt facility might look against their mountainous backdrop to community gatherings and county proceedings, also tried to engage the local Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in protests but did not receive a direct response.

In May, after The Republic's initial story about the controversy published, tribal representatives came out against the project and attended subsequent meetings.

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Reacting to this rising din of opposition, the two utility companies collaboratively pursuing the project  the local Mohave Electric Cooperative, or MEC, and the regional Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, AEPCO  agreed to consider other locations for the project while continuing to plan for construction at the Fort Mohave site.

Monday's vote removes just the one location closest to residents from play.

Mohave power plant story, Chapter 1: A solar ban, a gas power plant and the rural retirees firing back at dirty energy

A community advocacy success story

Concerned residents listen during the Mohave Energy Park Town Hall on Feb. 12, 2024, at Los Lagos Golf Club in Fort Mohave.

In an interview with The Republic on Tuesday following the Monday vote, Mac McKeever, a senior resident of Sunrise Hills and former aerospace engineer who took on organizing neighborhood opposition to the peaker plant at the location near their homes, said he considers this zoning reversal for the Fort Mohave site the end of his fight on the issue.

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I can tell you with 99.99% certainty that my political activist career is over," McKeever said. His wife, Deb, added that, though he showed his competency leading these types of charges over the past 12 months, "it would have to be a really personal issue for him to get involved again.

The McKeevers went to dinner with some neighbors after the vote on Monday night and plan to host a larger Sunrise Hills celebration once everyone returns from holiday travels.

It has been a long year for this crew of retired activists who would now like to retire from activism.

McKeever and his neighbors first learned of plans for the peaker plant facility following a December 2023 vote to extend a heavy manufacturing zoning designation at the plot they had thought was slated for more housing development. In subsequent months, they focused their objections on what they saw as insufficient prior notification about the vote by the county and a zoning extension process they viewed as illegal.

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County officials told The Republic the paper signs they had posted on small stakes at the rural site, which were not in view of the nearest residents and blew away within a few days, met notification requirements.

Officials with the Planning and Zoning Commission, however, admitted to having fallen behind on updating expired zoning designations. This, the residents argued, allowed for the Fort Mohave plot to be renewed as heavy industrial when county protocols dictate that process should have required a new zoning application after the original 2018 heavy manufacturing zoning for a never-built rock crushing facility that expired in 2020, returning the plot to residential with an allowance for solar energy development only.

Power plant coverage in brief, part 1: After blocking new solar projects, Mohave County paves way for gas-fired power plant

When The Republic reached out to the Arizona Attorney General's Office in March to determine whether the zoning extension was illegally obtained, a representative responded that "our office continues to monitor the situation but we have not made any determinations on the legality." They did not provide any updates in more recent communications.

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Nevertheless, the residents persisted in demanding the peaker plant be moved farther away from "any neighborhood," due to health, property value and safety risks they viewed as unacceptable for anyone living nearby. The original site in Fort Mohave closest to homes was labeled "Site A." An alternative slightly farther away was named "Site B." The utility companies later identified two additional possibilities, "Sites C and D," four miles south in Mohave Valley.

"Site A" for Mohave Electric Cooperative's proposed gas-fired peaker plant is shown as a blue cross on a map generated by the EPA's Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping tool, less than 2,000 feet from the Valley View at Sunrise Hills neighborhood in Fort Mohave.

Meanwhile, MEC and AEPCO doubled down on claims that diversifying energy generation with the peaker plant is necessary to ensure affordable and reliable electricity for resident safety in the hot desert region  despite the fact that they do not provide power to the Sunrise Hills neighborhood, which is served by local competitor Unisource.

Throughout the spring, MEC ramped up messaging in the local newspaper and on billboards, advertising the facility as necessary to support hospitals and other essential services during the high energy demand of summer months. Some residents saw this as bad-faith and inaccurate "scare tactics" meant to intimidate them into supporting the project.

Indeed, a range of experts on Western electricity grid management and clean energy technology told The Republic that this type of facility is not the only or even the best option for affordable, reliable power, though it is the easiest to build and manage. One environmentalist called their peaker project "2008's answer to the energy problem," while a longtime Arizona utility expert implied it was the result of lazy planning by utility operators. A renewable energy law professor in Arizona referred to the threats of hospital outages as "totally bogus."

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A recent investigation by The Republic revealed that peaker plants may also yield easier profits for utility CEOs, including at cooperatives like MEC and AEPCO that have "not-for-profit" status.

Smart use of solar panels and battery storage, some of which already exist at the site in question, would be a healthier option for senior neighbors and the planet, with proper management, the experts said. Solar energy has also surpassed natural gas as an affordable source of electricity generation in recent years, with Texas and California both expanding reliance on solar and wind after widespread gas-powered outages. Natural gas, which is mostly methane, is a powerful greenhouse gas that, when released into the atmosphere through leaks from such facilities and their pipelines, contributes to the acceleration of climate change.

The Mohave Solar Energy Array, Feb. 13, 2024, in Fort Mohave.

When McKeever and his neighbors launched the fight against MEC's "Mohave Energy Park" peaker plant project, they began another chapter in Mohave County's history of NIMBY opposition to various energy projects. In 2023, the Board of Supervisors voted to ban new solar projects on private land, allegedly in response to resident concerns about them dominating desert landscapes.

That restriction did not apply to local utilities like MEC, which operates commercial solar and battery infrastructure near the proposed peaker plant site in Fort Mohave and has received federal grants from the Biden administration to expand similar clean energy investments. Many Sunrise Hills residents have said they would be fine with additional solar panels near their homes and would prefer that over a polluting facility or wind turbines blocking their views. Mostly, they just wanted to be heard.

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Email records obtained and published by The Republic in June, however, revealed a level of collaboration to promote the gas project between MEC and Mohave County Supervisor Hildy Angius and her dismissal of resident concerns about the facility that angered many of her constituents and galvanized the fight against the facility in both Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley.

Mohave power plant story, Chapter 2: In sunny Arizona, a relocated gas plant ignites questions over who profits and who pays

The momentum of community outrage over potentially illegal zoning, deceptive advertising and political collusion inspired plans by yellow-shirt-clad activists to make their voices heard at meetings of their elected officials. But month after month throughout the latter half of 2024, the vote on the zoning reversal was delayed.

Then on Monday, two days before Christmas, community activists, utility CEOs and elected officials came together to remove Site A from consideration for the peaker plant. Tyler Carlson, CEO of MEC, and Patrick Ledger, CEO of AEPCO, both stated support for dropping the Fort Mohave location. Half a dozen Mohave County residents also spoke before county supervisors at the meeting, including Mac McKeever and Kelly Refuem, whose house in Sunrise Hills is closest to Site A and who has also been engaged in this fight for nearly a year.

Kelly (left) and Linda Refuem return to their Valley View at Sunrise Hills home, Feb. 12, 2024, in Fort Mohave. The Refuems are the closest residents to the proposed Mohave Energy Park.

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For others, the fight against a fossil fuel plant continues

While Monday's vote marks the end of McKeever's political activism and the risk of a polluting facility near his home, for the residents of Mohave Valley four miles to the south, the fight continues.

MEC and AEPCO still plan to build between two and four 49-megawatt peaking turbines in Mohave County, now mostly likely at Site D in Mohave Valley. That location is just over a mile from the nearest residence, in a lower-income, more sparsely populated agricultural area.

Mohave Valley residents Kris Schoppers and Kim Qualey, with help from Pastor Roy Hagemyer, have led the opposition to the peaker plant at Sites C and D, for similar reasons as the Fort Mohave community. But as a farming community more affected by recent drought and groundwater pumping restrictions, their objections include a larger focus on its water use, which could add up to 36 million gallons annually if four turbines are installed.

Kim Qualey leans on the steering wheel of her ATV in Mohave Valley on May 3, 2024, while touring the proposed site where the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative wants to build a gas-fired peaker plant less than a mile from her home.

In response to a request for comment about Monday's vote to remove the Fort Mohave site from consideration, which places more pressure on the Mohave Valley site as the likely next spot for the facility, Qualey told The Republic on Wednesday she was frustrated that "it's OK for any other city or town to bring up water resource issues, but if Mohave Valley expresses concern about water being an issue, it gets ignored."

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Qualey also brought up her distrust of MEC, which provides her neighborhood with electricity, and of Angius, the supervisor, based on her overly friendly emails with MEC brought to light by The Republic, in which she complained about questions from Fort Mohave residents about the peaker plant making her feel "pissed off."

Power plant coverage in brief, part 2: A relocated gas power plant in Mohave County fuels further unrest, financial suspicion

The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe has been more vocal against the project being located in Mohave Valley, since the tribe owns land less than 800 feet away where it hopes to build housing in the future. In May, Ashley Hemmers, who manages public services on the reservation for the tribe, told The Republic she was not aware of any attempts by MEC or AEPCO to consult with the tribe about potential impacts of the peaker plant project. The utilities say they have reached out, but Hemmers feels the tribe's interests were not sufficiently considered.

They put billboards up because they think they can just buy land and tell us what to think and well put up with it, she said.

McKeever thinks that MEC and AEPCO are likely to succeed in building the gas-fired peaker facility at Site D in Mohave Valley. In part, he said this would be the result of that community being less organized in their opposition.

Schoppers, who works full time as a real estate agent and has said she struggles to keep up with organizing efforts, asked McKeever for help coordinating the Mohave Valley protest efforts. After attending a few of their meetings and finding them too unfocused, he declined to be involved. Qualey told The Republic she found McKeever's interactions with the utility CEOs at recent meetings to be overly cooperative.

Read our climate series: The latest from Joan Meiners at azcentral on climate change

But McKeever said he and his neighbors just feel Site D is an acceptable compromise as a location for the gas plant.

I think this is a great place for it personally," McKeever said. "From where it was going to be near our house, it would have sounded like a small generator in our backyard. At this (further) distance at the new site in Mohave Valley, they wont hear it or see it at all from the closest house.

At the close of a yearlong fight over a new $85 million gas power plant at Site A, this week's zoning reversal is a win for the senior community of Sunrise Hills, a new chapter in the challenge for the agricultural residents of Mohave Valley and a successful speed bump in the slowing of Arizona's fossil fuel reliance in the fight against climate change.

This report was made possible in part by a grant from the Fund for Environmental Journalism of the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Joan Meiners is the climate news and storytelling reporter at The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Her work has also appeared in Discover Magazine, National Geographic, ProPublica and the Washington Post Magazine. Before becoming a journalist, she completed a doctorate in ecology. Follow Joan on Twitter at @beecycles or email her at joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com.

Sign up for AZ Climate, The Republic's weekly climate and environment newsletter. Read more of the team's coverage at environment.azcentral.com. Support climate coverage and local journalism by subscribing to azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mohave County reverses decision on power plant site near homes
Nearly 7 in 10 Americans think that profits made by health insurance companies had either a great deal or moderate amount of responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, a new poll found.

Thompson was shot and killed last week outside a midtown Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference.

The survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, found that majority of Americans, 67 percent, placed either a great deal or moderate amount of blame on profits made by health insurance companies, denials for health care coverage by insurance companies, 69 percent, and wealth or income inequality, 53 percent.

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Nearly 8 in 10 said that the individual who committed the killing was either a great deal or moderately responsible for Thompsons death, the survey revealed.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan earlier this month, pleaded not guilty on Monday to the state charges he is facing, including murder.

Less than half of Americans, 41 percent, blamed health insurance layoffs and job losses, while 40 percent took aim at the media and 45 percent said political division in the country was either a great deal or moderate amount to blame, according to the poll.

Twenty-four percent said personal issues in the CEOs life were either a great deal or moderately responsible, according to the survey.

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The poll was conducted from Dec. 12 to 16 among 1,001 adults aged 18 and older nationwide. The margin of error was 4.2 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence 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 The Hill.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  From crime and local elections, to the best places to live, work and eat, NBC4 has told you whats happening in your neighborhood on-air, and weve also kept you connected with the latest news on NBC4i.com.

Out of several top trending stories, many of the most clicked on our website was when the FBI found a most wanted suspect in Columbus. In May, agents arrested 18-year-old Brayden Grace after accusing him of being involved in several swatting calls across the country. According to those documents, Grace was also accused of local threats as well.

Courtesy Photo/Federal Bureau of Investigation

Those documents show Grace called the Hollywood Casino in west Columbus using a nickname, threatening casino staff over the phone. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Grace has been transported to Maryland to face charges there.

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Ohio Supreme Court sides with pharmacies in appeal of $650 million opioid settlement

Another top story online is state officials addressing the surge of immigrants in Springfield after claims made by residents grabbed the attention of the internet including President-elect Donald Trump. During his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in September, Trump referenced allegations that immigrants were eating pets in Springfield.

Gov. Mike DeWine acknowledged Springfield recently received a surge of around 15,000 Haitian immigrants, who are in this country legally but are straining healthcare providers, translators and rental availability. He and city officials in Springfield deny claims of animal abductions or cruelty, saying they didnt receive any credible reports of pets being harmed within the immigrant community.

In September, many people clicked into our story on the concerns of an insect called the spotted lanternfly taking over parts of Ohio. 12 counties in the state, including Franklin, under quarantine for the non-native invasive species.

Spotted Lanternfly  Lycorma delicatula (Adobe Stock)

Another popular story on NBC4i.com was all over social media after a local woman posted on TikTok in October that she may have discovered a body buried in her yard. Katie Santry shared a video, which racked up millions of views, showing her and her family finding a rug buried in the yard of their east Columbus home.

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Police responded to her claims and wrapped up their investigation, which included K9 units and an excavation. Officers collected pieces of the rug from the site and all of them tested negative for human or animal remains.

Along with those stories, many people took interest in our series of unsolved cold cases in Ohio, along with the top luxury homes for sale and weekend things to do in the 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV.
LOUISIANA (KLFY)  The mother of a murdered Plaquemine man is hoping someone in Acadiana can help find her sons accused killer. Authorities say the wanted suspect has ties to the Lafayette area.

The mother of JaMorius Mitchell, 18, reported him missing on Dec. 12. His burned body was found in a sugarcane field in a nearby town a week later on Dec. 18.

Two suspects, one from Sunset, have been arrested, but the last suspect has still yet to be located.

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I dont want anyone else to go through what Im dealing with. Its so much violence in our community that people like that just need to be stopped. Nobody should be hurt. My child, my family, we need justice, Jessica Mitchell, the victims mother, said.

Tyler Davis, 18, is wanted for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice after authorities found the body of JaMorius Mitchell, 18, burned in a sugarcane field in Addis.

Wanted: Tyler Davis

Davis is now on the run, though authorities say he has ties to Lafayette.

Be careful. Hes dangerous. Protect your children. You see him, dont approach him. Call the police. Let them do what theyve been trained to do, JaMoriuss mother said.

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Sterling Powell, 18, of Sunset was arrested for principal to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. A Brusly man, 23-year-old Devonte Johnson, was arrested on the same charges.

Tyler Davis, who allegedly killed JaMorius, is still on the run and may be in Acadiana. JaMoriuss mother said she hopes hes found soon.

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It would bring me a sense of peace. Knowing that hes not out there to hurt anybody else, Jessica Mitchell said.

The victims mother added, I would say to him to turn himself in, to do the right thing, you know, you did something that was just wrong. It was cruel, but all in all, Im not mad at you. I just want you to just turn yourself in and just do whats right.

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Anyone with information on Daviss whereabouts is urged to contact the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office at 225-343-9234 or Captial Region Crime Stoppers at 225-344-STOP (7867).

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Family has been integral to the multimillion-dollar business and real estate empire Shlomo and Orly Alexander have built in Miami over the past 40 years.

The familys holdings include waterfront mansions in Bal Harbour and Miami Beach, a 48-acre ranch outside of Aspen, Colorado, and a security company that holds state and local contracts worth millions of dollars and has provided security to celebrities in the past.

But as three of their sons  Oren, Tal and Alon  face numerous criminal charges and civil lawsuits accusing them of sexually assaulting dozens of women, the Alexanders financial empire confronts a reckoning of its own.

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While Shlomo and Orly Alexander have not been accused of any wrongdoing, the intertwined nature of the familys business ventures could put some of their financial holdings in jeopardy as the brothers face the potential for tens of millions of dollars in legal fees as well as civil and criminal financial penalties in their various cases.

In a federal indictment filed this month in New York City, the government is seeking the forfeiture of any and all property connected to the alleged crimes, some of which prosecutors say occurred in the brothers luxury homes. The three brothers are accused of carrying out a trafficking conspiracy from 2010 to 2021 during which they lured women with luxury travel, drugged some of them and forced them to have sex at various locales, including New York City, the Hamptons and Miami Beach, according to court filings.

Oren Alexander, 37, center, and his twin brother, Alon, center-right, speak to their attorney Joel Denaro during their bond hearing at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Miami, Fla. Oren, alongside his twin brother Alon Alexander, have been charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape.

Shlomo and Orly Alexander founded Kent Security Services in Miami in 1982 not long after emigrating from Israel and built it into a successful private security company with Orlys brother, Gil Neuman. He is now the companys chief executive officer. Alon Alexander was also an executive at the company, but was removed after his arrest, the company said.

And as Shlomo turned his attention to building and renovating luxury homes and condominiums, he collaborated with his sons, Oren and Tal Alexander, who were burgeoning stars in the high-end real estate brokerage industry.

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Prosecutors say that the Alexander brothers used their wealth and positions to create and facilitate opportunities to rape and sexually assault women.

So far, more than 40 women have come forward accusing the three brothers of sexual misconduct, according to testimony from the lead FBI agent in the case in a pre-trial hearing this month. Attorneys for the brothers told the Herald that they plan to plead not guilty to the charges, which could put the brothers in prison for the rest of their lives if they are convicted.

Reached by phone, Orly Alexander referred the Herald to a spokesperson for Kent Security, who did not provide comment.

Neuman also declined to comment.

Shlomo Alexander and Orly Alexander leave the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building after a hearing in their sons case on Dec. 20, 2024.

RELATED CONTENT: Scarring and hazy memories: new victims of Alexander brothers come forward

The scene of the crime

After the late New York financier Jeffrey Epstein was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of girls, he paid millions of dollars in settlements to his victims while he was alive, and his estate established a victims compensation fund that has paid out millions of dollars more since his death in federal custody in 2019.

Jeffrey Epstein in custody in West Palm Beach in 2008.

Sigrid McCawley, an attorney who represented hundreds of Epsteins victims, said she believes that if the allegations against the brothers are correct some of the holdings of the Alexander family could be the target of criminal or civil penalties.

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Theres significant exposure for the family assets, said McCawley, a Fort Lauderdale-based managing partner at Boies Schiller Flexner.

A view of a property owned by Shlomo and Orly Alexander located at 248 Bal Bay Drive on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Bal Harbor, Fla.

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Fort Lauderdale attorney Bradley Edwards, who also represented hundreds of Epsteins sexual-abuse victims, said that the Alexanders familys finances will be strained even if the brothers prevail in court.

Regardless of the outcome of the civil cases against the three brothers, the Alexanders are about to lose tens of millions of dollars defending the various criminal and civil cases, Edwards said.

READ MORE: Sordid details emerge about Alexander brothers alleged rapes. Parties in Hamptons, Mexico

Value of Alexander assets

The value of the familys various holdings isnt clear. The Alexanders pledged $115 million in assets  using as collateral the parents Bal Harbour home, the Kent security office building in North Miami and Oren, Tal and Alons homes in Miami Beach  in an unsuccessful bid to have Tal Alexander released from federal custody as he awaits trial on sex trafficking charges.

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At Tals detention hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Astigarraga argued that allowing him to be detained at home would be sending him back to [what], in many instances, was the scene of the crime.

A detention hearing for Oren and Alon will be heard in Miami federal court on Monday.

If the three brothers hope to gain their freedom before trial, their lawyers will have to convince magistrate judges in Miami that theyre not a danger to the community or a flight risk  while showing that their personal assets can secure bonds assuring they will appear for trial.

The fundamental question is, what are the Alexanders worth?

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A Miami Herald analysis of public records identified residential and commercial properties with an assessed market value of more than $74 million owned by members of the family or companies tied to them, though they still have outstanding mortgages on some of them. That would seem to fall short of the values the family presented as part of their bail proposal, the specifics of which were not made public.

Included in that accounting are Shlomo and Orlys Bal Harbour mansion, which they originally bought in 1990 for just under $800,000 and which now boasts an assessed value of more than $14 million after extensive renovations.

Oren, Tal and Alon also each bought mansions in Miami Beach in 2020 that are collectively worth nearly $30 million.

A view of a property, center, owned by Oren Alexander located at 3541 Flamingo Drive on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Miami Beach, Fla.

And a company tied to the family bought a 48-acre ranch outside of Aspen in 2020 for $3.3 million. Shlomo, Oren and Orly Alexander took out a $15 million construction loan to build on the property in 2022.

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The family continued to acquire property even after the first allegations against the brothers became public this spring.

A company tied to Oren Alexander purchased two spots this summer at the Carriage House Condo marina in Miami Beach, which is next door to the Perigon Miami Beach, a luxury building still in development, where public records suggest that Oren reserved a unit.

The Perigons developers declined to comment.

The family has also made millions of dollars from the sale of high-end properties they purchased and developed.

That includes a vacant waterfront lot in Bal Harbour. Shlomo and Oren Alexander purchased the property for $5.5 million dollars in 2012 and sold it for $23.25 million a decade later after building a mansion on the property designed by architect Chad Oppenheim.

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Shlomo developed a Miami Beach property that Oren, Tal and Alon jointly purchased for $3.4 million in 2014 and sold for $27.5 million nearly a decade later.

And a company tied to the Alexander family bought an Indian Creek Island mansion for $10.3 million in 2007 and sold it for $47 million five years later, then the record for the most expensive single-family home sale in Miami-Dade County. Oren and Tal Alexander helped broker the deal, an early big sale for them. They also worked on the deal when the property was sold again in 2019 for just under $50 million.

This mansion at 3 Indian Creek Island Road sold in 2019 for $50 million.

Shlomo summed up the relationship in a 2020 deposition from a lawsuit related to one of the homes he built. Shlomo was considering retirement and described the pitch he made to an employee about potentially buying the homebuilding business.

I told him you have an opportunity between me and my children, Shlomo said. We are the number one brokers and [general contractor] in Florida, in New York, in Aspen.

Orly Alexander, the mother of twin brothers Alon and Oren Alexander, walks out of the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building after a hearing in Miami, Florida, on Friday, December 20, 2024.

Government contracts and celebrity contacts

The Alexander familys ascent started from humble beginnings.

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Shlomo and Orly hatched the plans for Kent Security Services around their kitchen table in 1982, a few years after they had moved to Miami from Israel with few resources, according to the companys website.

The companys bread and butter was providing security services for homeowner and condominium associations, Neuman, Orlys brother, said in a 2013 deposition. Kent Security was also starting to pick up security contracts with local governments and the state.

That work wasnt always without controversy  in 2011, the city of Miami found that Kent Security wasnt paying some of its guards a living wage  but the company has been able to maintain government contracts in spite of that.

The Herald found that the state of Florida has awarded the company more than $6 million in state contracts over the past five years, largely to provide security at government buildings. The state Department of Management Services, which oversees the states contracting process, did not respond to requests for comment about the contracts.

Kent Security also signed a 2020 contract with the city of Miami that was estimated to be worth roughly $3.4 million annually. The city did not say how much it has paid out to the security firm over the life of the contract.

As part of the contract, the company provides security services to the Miami-Dade County school district. The city and school district didnt say whether the charges against the Alexander brothers would impact those deals.

While Shlomos focus shifted away from Kent Security and toward his luxury homebuilding business, the security business also had its own brushes with high society.

Soon after fashion designer Gianni Versace was murdered outside his Miami Beach mansion in 1997, Shlomo, who then still ran the company, told the Herald that Kent had provided security at numerous parties held at Versaces home.

In this file photo from March 16, 1993, designer Gianni Versace looks out from a second-story window overlooking his patio during renovation of his Casa Casuarina mansion on Ocean Drive. Four years later, on July 15, 1997, Versace would be shot to death on his front steps by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.

Seventeen years later, with the wealth first afforded by the security business, it was Shlomos sons Oren and Alon who were the ones hosting a party at the mansion formerly owned by Versace.

But while Shlomos company kept guests safe at the fashion designers home, his children allegedly put their guests in harms way.

While the brothers dont own the mansion, a woman named Maria S. recently told the Herald that in 2014 she and several other women were brought to Versaces former home for what Oren described to her as a private party.

At one point, Oren offered to show her around the property, she said. But once they were alone in the mansions watch tower, Maria said he raped her, covering her mouth when she tried to scream.

Maria recently reported the alleged rape to the Miami Beach Police Department.
Dec. 27The Maine Turnpike was closed between Scarborough and Saco for several hours Friday night after four vehicles collided in a chain reaction, police said.

Jason McAvoy, a 59-year-old Old Orchard Beach resident, was driving a U-Haul south on the turnpike when he collided with a tanker truck driven by Kenneth Openshaw, of Massachusetts, Maine State Police said in a written statement Friday night.

From there, the tanker truck shot forward and struck a Subaru driven by Thomas Gillis, 32, another Old Orchard Beach Resident, the department said. Propelled by the tanker, Gillis' car then rear-ended a Dodge Ram operated by Searsmont resident Zachary Taylor, 31.

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The crash shut down all three lanes of southbound traffic between exits 42 and 36 for several hours. Maine State Police began receiving reports of the crash shortly after 6 p.m., the department said.

Police arrived to find McAvoy trapped inside the U-Haul. He was transported to Maine Medical Center. The other drivers were treated on the scene.

Investigators believe driver fatigue and inattention were the main contributing factors of the crash.

One lane had reopened by 9:10 p.m., with the road fully reopened a few minutes later, the department said.

Multiple vehicles were involved in at least one crash near mile marker 39, a dispatcher said shortly before 7 p.m. The road was reported closed between exits 36 and 42 on the Maine Turnpike Authority's website just before 6:30 p.m.

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The Scarborough Police Department did not immediately return a request for more information Friday evening. It was not clear how many people were involved or whether anyone was injured.

Google Maps indicated that southbound traffic was backed up heavily at 7 p.m.

Aaron Turcotte, Maine State Police spokesperson, said the road was closed while "State Police and first responders investigate a serious crash" in a written statement around 7 p.m. He said the department would release more details later Friday night.

This story will be updated as more information is made available.

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Dec. 27By Ayanna Eckblad

After a successful year of fundraising, Musicians Against Cancer will head into its second year of supporting cancer patients and their families.

Musicians Against Cancer is a year-long fundraiser in which various shows and fundraisers are held in the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa area. Donations go to the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group, a 501(c)(3) organization that helps people going through cancer treatment with financial needs such as gas money and meals.

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The Blooming Prairie Cancer Group has helped over 500 people in the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa area and has given away about $65,000.

Their goal, according to their website, is to help people know they are not going through cancer alone.

Musicians Against Cancer started when musician Todd Utpadel of Hollandale made the decision to help people who are going through the disease.

"I decided ... that I wanted to donate all my tips to go to people battling cancer," he said, "And it snowballed from there."

Utpadel said the original goal was to raise $3,000. However, after getting matching donations, pledges and sponsorships, Musicians Against Cancer raised over $50,000.

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One of the major supporters was Albert Lea's Moose Lodge 1703, Chapter 1364, which donated matching funds to the cause.

"The Moose Club in Albert Lea has been a huge supporter of this," Utpadel said.

The lodge will host the kickoff event for 2025's Musicians Against Cancer with a special show on New Year's Day.

Although Utpadel began the fundraiser with a passion for helping those with cancer, the campaign became very personal when he himself was diagnosed with cancer in April.

Utpadel continued to play shows while simultaneously undergoing treatment.

"Needless to say, I was a little tired at times," he said. However, he said knowing he had a purpose for performing drove him forward.

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"That's what kind of kept me motivated," he said, noting he much preferred continuing the campaign during treatment over staying at home and doing nothing.

As of now, Utpadel's cancer treatment is set to finish up this spring.

Even in the midst of treatment, Utpadel does not take any of the money raised during Musicians Against Cancer for himself. Rather, all funds go directly to the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group.

He also does not take credit for bringing Musicians Against Cancer to the masses.

"I'm kind of the spokesperson, but there's a lot of people and a lot of people behind that people don't see," he said.

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He also tries to shout out people who support the show on Facebook, on banners or in other ways whenever he can.

Utpadel said there will be about 30 shows in total for Musicians Against Cancer this year. He has booked many great musicians and also has venues that participated last year who would like to host again. Some of these include the Steele County Fair, the Owatonna Eagle Club and of course, the Albert Lea Moose Lodge.

A special Christmas show took place Dec. 15 at the Owatonna Eagles Club. It was one of the final Musicians Against Cancer events of 2024 and raised over $22,000.

Utpadel said he is still looking for venues to add to the campaign and sponsors for events. He performs in a variety of settings from bars and lodges to churches.

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Right now, Utpadel said he is working on tribute shows for Frank Sinatra and the Grand Ole Opry. He also performs gospel music.

After the success of the first year, Utpadel said he does not want to go back to a smaller goal.

"I have a lot of help, now I need to find some sponsors," he said.

He encouraged anyone interested to reach out to Musicians Against Cancer or the Blooming Prairie Cancer Group on Facebook or support local events such as the show at the Moose Lodge Wednesday.

Utpadel will perform at the event from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the Midwest-based band In the Fields will perform from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk labeled a section of President-elect Trump supporters as contemptible fools as the online debate around visas for highly skilled workers on the right intensifies.

A Trump world civil war has been brewing this week as Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) partner Vivek Ramaswamy have found themselves on the opposite end of the legal immigration debate with the anti-immigration contingent of the MAGA base.

On Friday, right-leaning Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams chimed in on the debate, which has largely taken place on the social media platform X, arguing that MAGA is taking a page from Democrats on how to lose elections while feeling good about themselves.

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Musk, who has defended foreign-born engineers, agreed with Adams and said those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.

The tech mogul, who dropped at least $250 million backing Trumps second White House run, then clarified that the contemptible fools Im referring to are those in the Republican Party who are hateful, unrepentant racists. They will absolutely be the downfall of the Republican Party if they are not removed.

Ramaswamy ignited the firestorm Thursday when he, in part, argued that the lack of U.S.-born engineers in the job market was due to American culture that has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long. Musk, who has gotten closer to Trump over the course of this year, defended Ramaswamy.

Then, far-right provocateur Laura Loomer chimed in, criticizing President-elect Trumps selection of Sriram Krishnan as White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence. Loomer went after Krishnan for his November post where he proposed immigration changes: Anything to remove country caps for green cards / unlock skilled immigration would be huge.

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The debate then shifted focus to the H-1B visa program, which is an employer-sponsored visa created for high-skilled professionals that has allowed tech companies to employ foreigners in tech and computer-related positions. The portion of the MAGA base argued the system undercuts opportunities for American workers.

Loomer, who has accused Musk of censoring her post on X over her immigration remarks, fired back at the Tesla owner and said he was not living up to his ideal of being a free speech absolutist in regards to his contemptible fool comments.

@elonmusk has been a Republican for 5 minutes and now he wants to decide who gets to be a Republican, she wrote Friday on X. Elon, you said you were a free speech absolutist. If you are, lets please let all ideas flourish and we will let the best ideas win. Lets embrace free speech absolutism.

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US billionaire Elon Musk has renewed his call to Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the forthcoming elections.

"The Alternative for Germany is the last spark of hope for this country," Musk writes in a guest article for the Sunday edition of Die Welt newspaper, seen in advance by dpa.

Musk had last week just briefly commented on the online service X, which he owns, "Only the AfD can save Germany."

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In his article Musk explains that he believes the AfD would take the right positions on the issues of economic recovery, energy supply and control of migration. He also said that he sees the AfD as committed to what he called "political realism."

He writes that the "portrayal of the AfD as far right is clearly false when you consider that Alice Weidel, the leader of the party, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you?"

Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is monitoring the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist organization.

Jan Philipp Burgard, the future editor-in-chief of Die Welt Group, contradicted the billionaire's statements in the newspaper.

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"Musk's diagnosis is correct, but his approach to therapy, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong," he wrote. Both articles  Musk's and Burgard's  are placed directly next to each other in the printed newspaper.

The Musk article has caused trouble within the newspaper's editorial team. The opinion editor of the paper posted on X that she had "submitted [her] resignation after proofreading" as a consequence of the Musk text.

Other Die Welt journalists also publicly posted their displeasure on X.
US billionaire Elon Musk has renewed his call to Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the forthcoming elections.

"The Alternative for Germany is the last spark of hope for this country," Musk writes in a guest article for the Sunday edition of Die Welt newspaper, seen in advance by dpa.

Musk had last week just briefly commented on the online service X, which he owns, "Only the AfD can save Germany."

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In his article Musk explains that he believes the AfD would take the right positions on the issues of economic recovery, energy supply and control of migration. He also said that he sees the AfD as committed to what he called "political realism."

He writes that the "portrayal of the AfD as far right is clearly false when you consider that Alice Weidel, the leader of the party, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you?"

Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is monitoring the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist organization.

Jan Philipp Burgard, the future editor-in-chief of Die Welt Group, contradicted the billionaire's statements in the newspaper.

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"Musk's diagnosis is correct, but his approach to therapy, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong," he wrote. Both articles  Musk's and Burgard's  are placed directly next to each other in the printed newspaper.

The Musk article has caused trouble within the newspaper's editorial team. The opinion editor of the paper posted on X that she had "submitted [her] resignation after proofreading" as a consequence of the Musk text.

Other Die Welt journalists also publicly posted their displeasure on X.

Media reports suggest the publication of Musk's guest article triggered a fierce controversy within the editorial team even before Christmas Eve.

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The publisher of Die Welt, Axel Springer, gave dpa a joint statement from Ulf Poschardt, the current editor-in-chief of Die Welt Group, and his successor Burgard. "The current discussion about the text by Elon Musk is very revealing," the statement says. "Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression."

Musk is considered a close adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump. The tech billionaire, who as Tesla boss is one of the biggest employers in the German state of Brandenburg surrounding Berlin, has also been interfering in British politics, pledging his support to the right-wing populist British party, Reform UK.

With the federal election in Germany due to take place on February 23, the AfD is in second place in the polls with around 19%, behind the conservative CDU/CSU with more than 30%.

All parties currently represented in the Bundestag have ruled out any cooperation with the AfD.
Tech mogul Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have faced backlash within President-elect Trumps base after the two signaled their support for the H-1B work visa, a key program to attract international talent thats been criticized as too complicated and susceptible to abuse.

The backlash heightened on the tech billionaires social platform X within the last week as Ramaswamy and Musk have faced scrutiny from some in the GOP, including far-right activist Laura Loomer and other hard-line anti-immigration Republicans.

The debate originated from a suggestion last month from Sriram Krishnan, Trumps pick for White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence, that Musk examine removing caps on green cards for skilled immigrants. Krishnans comments resurfaced in recent days after he was appointed by Trump to serve in his incoming administration.

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The dispute also comes as the Biden administration announced a rule earlier this month clarifying who can apply for the visas, which followed years of lobbying for a more streamlined H-1B process. Some democratic lawmakers previously called on the Biden administration to address gaps in the immigration system to prepare for the incoming Trump administrations expected crackdown on immigration.

Here is what you need to know about the H-1B visa as the program continues to make headlines:

What is an H-1B visa?

The H-1B program is for employers looking to hire people into specialty jobs who are lawfully admitted to the U.S. but are not lawful permanent residents  generally defined as tourists, students or temporary workers. The visas are typically valid for three years, though they can be extended for up to six years, according to the Labor Department.

These specialty occupations require specialized knowledge and at least a bachelors degree or its equivalent, according to the department.

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The purpose of the program is to help employers temporarily hire qualified workers with certain skills and abilities that cannot be obtained from the U.S. workforce.

What is the H-1B application process?

People looking to apply for the program must file an application for the visa with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which includes certain application fees.

Applicants are required to have a valid passport and documents showing that they are a qualified individual in a specialty occupation as well as proof of a valid job offer from a U.S. employer that is willing to sponsor the visa.

Employers must also file Form I-129  known as the petition for a nonimmigrant worker  with USCIS on behalf of the employee describing the job, employers background and foreign worker qualifications. The USCIS said it would be publishing a revised edition of the form Jan. 17, 2025, in accordance with the recently announced rule.

How many people can be awarded H-1Bs?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through USCIS is legally limited to award 65,000 H-1B visas per year, with an additional 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees. Many nonprofits are exempt from that cap.

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H-1B petitions subject to the cap regularly exceed the number of legally available visas, which are issued annually at the start of the fiscal year. Applicants are chosen by a lottery system for review, meaning eligible applicants are often denied due to chance.

Cap-exempt organizations can petition for H-1Bs year-round, and they are not subject to a statutory limit.

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Elon Musk has declared that hateful, unrepentant racists should be removed from the Republican Party root and stem as the in-party feud over H-1B visas intensifies.

Conversations around H-1B visas have divided Donald Trumps party, with his Department of Government Efficiency heads Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on one side and other allies like Laura Loomer on the other. The Space X founder escalated the feud on Friday night when he called for some contemptible fools in the GOP to be removed.

Musk made the statement in response to a post on X by Neera Tanden, President Joe Bidens director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council.

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I am an Indian American who was born here and its crystal clear that the Democratic Party sees me as American and a large part of the base of the Republican Party does not. I hope Indian Americans remember this moment at the next election. They dont see you as one of them. And never will, she wrote.

You thought they just hated other immigrants. But it turns out theres no exception for you. As many of us have been telling you, Tanden continued.

Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, chimed in, saying MAGA Republicans are now taking a page from Democrats on how to lose elections while feeling good about themselves.

Elon Musk says hateful unrepentant racists must be removed from the Republican Party as the GOPs feud over the H-1B visa intensifies (via REUTERS)

The X owner agreed, writing: Yes. And those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.

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Musk clarified in a follow-up post that when he said contemptible fools, he was referring to those in the Republican Party who are hateful, unrepentant racists. He added: They will absolutely be the downfall of the Republican Party if they are not removed.

Trumps best buddy took the dispute to the next level. He and Ramaswamy have defended the need for immigrant workers in the tech industry while Laura Loomer has slammed the visa program and instead touted the America First agenda. Donald Trump promised to remove the H1B visa program and I support his policy, she wrote on X on Thursday.

She also accused Musk of removing her blue checkmark on X, the social platform he owns.

The tech billionaire condemned racists  despite promoting other anti-immigration and racist ideology.

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Last year, he defended Adams after the Dilbert creator described Black Americans as a hate group and urged white Americans to get the hell away from them.

He offered support for Germanys Alternative for Germany (AfD) party  a far-right group that espouses hateful rhetoric about immigrants  claiming only the AfD can save Germany.

Musk also shared a post in August by Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist in the UK who was sentenced to 18 months behind bars for admitting contempt of court by repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee.

He has also promoted the great replacement conspiracy theory, which suggests that white Americans are deliberately being replaced by minority groups and immigrants.
The bizarre partnership between Donald Trump and his billionaire benefactor Elon Musk has hit a rocky patch as Musk has done the one, and possibly only, thing that Trump cannot tolerate: upsetting his political base. Tim Miller, Philip Bump, and Carol Leonnig talk with Alex Wagner about whether Musk not being extreme enough in his disdain for immigrants could cost him his "shadow president" status with Trump.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk penned an op-ed further expressing support for the far-right German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD). In response, the papers commentary editor resigned in protest.

Musk, a close ally of President-elect Trump, wrote a guest opinion piece in the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Axel Springer media groups flagship news outlet, that was released on Saturday. In it, the tech mogul touched on a variety of issues that, in his view, Germany needs to address as it near an economic and cultural collapse.

The Tesla CEO said he has the right to address the countrys political climate as he has made significant investments in Germanys technological and industrial sectors.

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Musks op-ed in the German newspaper comes just over a week ago after the SpaceX executive endorsed the far-right party, saying Only the AfD can save Germany. He received pushback from some current and former Congressional lawmakers, with some labeling the group as a neo-Nazi party.

The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the partys leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please! Musk wrote in his opinion piece, mentioning Weidel, a co-chair of the party.

In the op-ed, Musk argued that Germanys economy is handicapped by regulatory overreach and bureaucracy.

The AfD has understood that economic freedom is not just desirable, but necessary. Its approach of reducing government over-regulation, cutting taxes and deregulating the market reflects the principles that made Tesla and SpaceX successful, Musk wrote, according to a rough translation.

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If Germany wants to regain its industrial strength, it needs a party that doesnt just talk about growth, but also takes policy action to create an environment where companies can thrive without heavy government intervention, he added.

Musk also endorsed AfDs immigration proposals in the op-ed. The party, similar to the incoming Trump administration in the U.S., has supported deportations from Germany. The tech entrepreneur also urged Germany to diversify when it comes to relying on energy sources, including utilizing nuclear power and increasing battery storage.

The traditional parties have failed in Germany. Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and an erosion of national identity, Musk wrote, according to the translation. The AfD, even though it is labeled as far-right, represents a political realism that resonates with many Germans who feel their concerns are ignored by the establishment.

Following the op-eds publication, the papers opinion section editor, Eva Marie Kogel, announced her resignation on X.

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The papers top editors, Jan Philipp Burgard and Ulf Poschardt, told Reuters that Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression. This includes dealing with polarising positions and classifying them journalistically, adding that discourse around Musks op-ed was very revealing.

Below Musks writing, Burgard authored a response, saying the tech moguls diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally false.

Elections in Germany are set for Feb. 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government. AfD is reportedly second in public opinion polls.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
For the new year, the Twin Cities can unwrap local favorites, jazz standards, and careening improvisatory music.

They're all on the calendar this week, whether you're looking to dance to Gramma's Boyfriend, bask in George Gershwin classics, hear interpretations of David Berman's vast catalogue, or even see some comedy with the arrival of The Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead's year in review at the Parkway Theater.

Here are some shows worth catching this week.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1 at Orchestra Hall

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The Minnesota Orchestra welcomes pianist Jon Kimura Parker for a performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. Parker has refined the Gershwin classic over four decades of performances, allowing his interpretation to "become freer and more improvisatory."

The program, which honors Rhapsody's blurring of jazz and classical music, also includes Duke Ellington's "Three Black Kings" and more Gershwin. The New Year's Eve concert includes a champagne toast without the need to be up until midnight. Wednesday's performance is a matinee.

deVon Russell Gray / Nathan Hanson / Davu Seru

Thursday, Jan. 2 at Berlin

Multi-instrumentalist and composer deVon Russell Gray is musically omnivorous. He's part of the Twin Cities hip-hop group Heiruspecs, has composed hits for classical pianist Lara Downes, and scored silent films at the Walker Art Center.

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On Thursday, he's joined at Berlin by saxophonist and composer Nathan Hanson and percussionist Davu Seru, the same trio behind the free-floating, rapturous 2023 album We Sick.

Gramma's Boyfriend

Saturday, Jan. 4 at Turf Club

Gramma's Boyfriend blasts the kind of high-energy, Devo-adjacent grooves that Electric Six fans would call dance music. The all-star group is fronted by Twin Cities music scene veteran Haley along with Jeremy Ylvisaker (Cloak Ox, Alpha Consumer), Mark Erickson (Cloak Ox), Luke Anderson (Rogue Valley), and Jacob Hanson (Actual Wolf, All Tomorrow's Petty).

Charlie Parr's January Residency

Sunday, Jan. 5 at Turf Club

The local folk mainstay is now in his 10th year of hosting a weekly January residency where he not only combs through his impressively deep catalogue and litany of traditionals, but brings in a rotating cast of local musicians to join him each week.

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The first Sunday of the 2025 residency features an opening set from Duluth's Jon Edwards. Subsequent weeks will showcase Samuel Locke Warde, Laurel Primo, and Paper Wings.

Martin Dosh Presents: The Larry Schaefer Memorial Orchestra

Sunday, Jan. 5 at The Dakota

Martin Dosh's genre-agnostic output  which includes electronics-centered compositions, work with Andrew Bird, and plenty more  gets a little free-form with the Larry Schaefer Memorial Orchestra. The large ensemble plays improvised sets where no two shows are quite the same, citing an expansive array of influences that includes Fela Kuti, James Brown, Can, Miles Davis' electric era, and early Weather Report.

The full ensemble includes Bryan Nichols and John Keston (piano and synth); Jeremy Ylvisaker and Dee Kesler (guitar); Erik Fratzke (bass); Bryan Murray, Peter Goggin, and Chris Thompson (saxophone); Jake Baldwin (trumpet); and Joey van Phillips and Umar Malik joining Dosh on percussion.

Related: 7 things to do on New Year's Eve in the Twin Cities

Concerts on Monday, Dec. 30:

Concerts on Tuesday, Dec. 31:

Related: 7 New Year's Eve events for people who don't want to stay up until midnight

Concerts on Wednesday, Jan. 1:

Concerts on Thursday, Jan. 2:

Concerts on Friday, Jan. 3:

Concerts on Saturday, Jan. 4:

Concerts on Sunday, Jan. 5:
One week after an Altadena couple  married for more than 30 years and beloved in their neighborhood  was found slain in their home, friends and family held a candlelight vigil in their honor Friday.

Los Angeles County sheriffs officials said the couple, later identified as Beverly Harmon, 58, and Wendell Harmon, 62, were found dead Dec. 20, after loved ones called for a welfare check.

But beyond that, officials have released little information, except to say that homicide investigators were taking over a shooting investigation. KTLA-TV Channel 5 reported that the coroner found that both died from multiple gunshot wounds and other significant conditions. 

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They both were loved in the community, Wendell Harmons brother, Kenneth Harmon, told KCAL -TV on Friday, standing at the home amid votive candles and photos of the couple through the years. The station also reported that authorities have been unusually quiet about the case, not releasing basic information.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NASA has been monitoring a strange anomaly in Earth's magnetic field: a giant region of lower magnetic intensity in the skies above the planet, stretching out between South America and southwest Africa.

This vast, developing phenomenon, called the South Atlantic Anomaly, has intrigued and concerned scientists for years, and perhaps none more so than NASA researchers.

The space agency's satellites and spacecraft are particularly vulnerable to the weakened magnetic field strength within the anomaly, and the resulting exposure to charged particles from the Sun.

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The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA)  likened by NASA to a 'dent' in Earth's magnetic field, or a kind of 'pothole in space'  generally doesn't affect life on Earth, but the same can't be said for orbital spacecraft (including the International Space Station), which pass directly through the anomaly as they loop around the planet at low-Earth orbit altitudes.

During these encounters, the reduced magnetic field strength inside the anomaly means technological systems onboard satellites can short-circuit and malfunction if they become struck by high-energy protons emanating from the Sun.

These random hits may usually only produce low-level glitches, but they do carry the risk of causing significant data loss, or even permanent damage to key components  threats obliging satellite operators to routinely shut down spacecraft systems before spacecraft enter the anomaly zone.

Mitigating those hazards in space is one reason NASA is tracking the SAA; another is that the mystery of the anomaly represents a great opportunity to investigate a complex and difficult-to-understand phenomenon, and NASA's broad resources and research groups are uniquely well-appointed to study the occurrence.

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"The magnetic field is actually a superposition of fields from many current sources," geophysicist Terry Sabaka from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland explained in 2020.

The primary source is considered to be a swirling ocean of molten iron inside Earth's outer core, thousands of kilometers below the ground. The movement of that mass generates electrical currents that create Earth's magnetic field, but not necessarily uniformly, it seems.

A huge reservoir of dense rock called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, located about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the African continent, is thought to disturb the field's generation, resulting in the dramatic weakening effect  which is aided by the tilt of the planet's magnetic axis.

"The observed SAA can be also interpreted as a consequence of weakening dominance of the dipole field in the region," said NASA Goddard geophysicist and mathematician Weijia Kuang in 2020.

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"More specifically, a localized field with reversed polarity grows strongly in the SAA region, thus making the field intensity very weak, weaker than that of the surrounding regions."

010 nasa south atlantic anomaly 2

Satellite data suggesting the SAA is dividing. (Division of Geomagnetism, DTU Space)

While there's much scientists still don't fully understand about the anomaly and its implications, new insights are continually shedding light on this strange phenomenon.

For example, one study led by NASA heliophysicist Ashley Greeley in 2016 revealed the SAA slowly drifts around, which was confirmed by subsequent tracking from CubeSats in research published in 2021.

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It's not just moving, however. Even more remarkably, the phenomenon seems to be in the process of splitting in two, with researchers in 2020 discovering that the SAA appeared to be dividing into two distinct cells, each representing a separate center of minimum magnetic intensity within the greater anomaly.

Just what that means for the future of the SAA remains unknown, but in any case, there's evidence to suggest that the anomaly is not a new appearance.

A study published in July 2020 suggested the phenomenon is not a freak event of recent times, but a recurrent magnetic event that may have affected Earth since as far back as 11 million years ago.

If so, that could signal that the South Atlantic Anomaly is not a trigger or precursor to the entire planet's magnetic field flipping, which is something that actually happens, if not for hundreds of thousands of years at a time.

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A more recent study published this year found the SAA also has an impact on auroras seen on Earth.

Obviously, huge questions remain, but with so much going on with this vast magnetic oddity, it's good to know the world's most powerful space agency is watching it as closely as they are.

"Even though the SAA is slow-moving, it is going through some change in morphology, so it's also important that we keep observing it by having continued missions," said Sabaka.

"Because that's what helps us make models and predictions."

An earlier version of this article was published in August 2020.

Related News
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  One person has died following a shooting near the Two Rivers neighborhood, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).

In a press release from the MNPD, the victim was identified as 48-year-old Uns Ali Hameed.

Police on the scene told News 2 the shooting happened around 6:45 p.m. Friday in the 3000 block of Penn Meade Way. Officers initially responded to a report of gunshots heard in the area.

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Upon their arrival, Hameed was found lying unresponsive in the street outside of her residence, according to officials. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses reportedly told police they heard four gunshots before a dark-colored sedan left the scene. At the time, there is no information about any possible suspects.

Authorities are working with residents in the area to obtain surveillance camera footage.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward.

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 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.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A woman arrested in Fairview on Christmas Eve now faces multiple charges after she reportedly burglarized a 45th Avenue North fire hall, according to Nashville police.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said Ariana Garber, 21, of Nashville, took items including credentials and apparel from the fire hall on Monday, Dec. 23 before fleeing in a Nashville Fire Department (NFD) employees pickup truck using keys she found inside the fire station.

| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County

Surveillance video footage showed the woman, later identified as Garber, entering the fire hall through a rear door.

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Investigation by MNPD detectives, with assistance from Fairview Police officers, resulted in Garbers arrest on Christmas Eve morning at a Fairview convenience store.

At the time of her arrest, she was reportedly in possession of the stolen pickup truck, which was returned to the owner. All other items she took were also accounted for and returned, police said.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Garber is currently jailed in Williamson County. She will be charged with burglary, vehicle theft, and four counts of theft of property upon her return to Nashville, according to MNPD.

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Many Americans are choosing not to engage with politics to protect their mental health. (Getty Images)

I am definitely not following the news anymore, one patient told me when I asked about her political news consumption in the weeks before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

This conversation happened around the time I talked with a local TV channel about why we saw fewer political yard signs during this years election season, compared with past ones.

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I am a psychiatrist who studies and treats fear and anxiety. One of my main mental health recommendations to my patients during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles was to reduce their political news consumption. I also tried to convince them that the five hours a day they spent watching cable news was only leaving them helpless and terrified.

Over the past couple of years, though, I have noticed a change: Many of my patients say they either have tuned out or are too exhausted to do more than a brief read of political news or watch one hour of their favorite political show.

Research supports my clinical experience: A Pew research study from 2020 showed that 66% of Americans were worn out by political stress. Interestingly, those who are not following the news feel that same news fatigue at an even higher percentage of 73%. In 2023, 8 out of 10 Americans described U.S. politics with negative words like divisive, corrupt, messy and polarized.

The politics of fear

In my 2023 book, AFRAID: Understanding the Purpose of Fear, and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety, I discuss how American politicians and major news media have found an ally in fear: a very strong emotion that can be used to grab our attention, keeping us in the tribal dividing lines and making us follow, click, tap, watch and donate.

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Over the past few decades, many people have felt a strong push for tribalism, an us vs. them way of seeing the world, turning Americans against one another. This has led to a point where we are not just in disagreement with each other. We hate, cancel, block and attack those who disagree with us.

Information bubbles

It can feel like Fox News and MSNBC commentators are talking about Americas from two different planets. The same is true when it comes to different social media feeds.

Many people are part of social media communities that are closed to the world outside their homes and familiar social circles. Based on peoples political views and what they search for or watch and read, social media algorithms feed them content where everybody talks and thinks alike. If you hear about the other side, it is only about their worst attributes and behavior.

The disconnect is so wide that people are not even able to comprehend the thinking of those from other perspectives and find their logic or political beliefs unfathomable.

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Many Americans have gotten to the point of believing that the other half of Americans are, at best, unintelligent and stupid; and at worst, immoral and evil.

Politics and identity

There was a time in American politics where two politicians or two neighbors could disagree, but still believe that the other person was fundamentally good.

Over time, and more so since the early 2000s, this ability to connect despite political beliefs has decreased.

The majority of both Democrats and Republicans said in a 2022 Pew Research survey that someones political ideas are an indicator of their morality and character.

This 2022 Pew survey also shows that partisan animosity extends to judgments about character: 72% of Republicans and 63% of Democrats said they believe members of the opposing party are more immoral than other Americans.

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This is evident in day-to-day conversations of members of both political tribes: How can I be friends with someone who wants to kill babies, or How can I talk to someone who is OK with women dying in a corner of a clinic parking lot. We can no longer see someones political affiliation in the context of their humanity at large.

What psychology and neuroscience say

Fear as a deeply ingrained survival mechanism takes priority over other brain functions.

Fear guides your memories, feelings, attention and thoughts, and can cause you to keep watching, scrolling and reading to monitor this perceived threat. Positive or neutral news could then become uninteresting because it is not important in your survival response. That has been the key to a persons deep engagement with the fear-based political news.

But too much fear does not keep someone engaged forever. That is because of another survival mechanism  whats called learned helplessness.

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In 1967, American psychologist Martin Seligman exposed two groups of dogs to painful shocks. Dogs in group 1 could stop the shock by pressing a lever, which they quickly learned to do. But the dogs in group 2 learned that they could not control when the shock starts and stops.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Then, both groups were placed in a box divided into two halves by a small barrier, and shock was applied to only one side of the box. Dogs in group 1  who had learned how to stop the shocks in the earlier experiment  quickly learned to jump over the barrier to the shock-free side. But dogs in group 2 did not even attempt to do so. They had learned there is no point in trying.

This experiment has been replicated in different forms with other animals and humans with the same conclusion: When people feel they cannot control the painful or scary situation, they just give up. During such experiences, the brains fear region  called the amygdala  is hyperactive. Meanwhile, emotion-regulating brain areas like the prefrontal cortex decrease in activity under these circumstances.

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Learned helplessness also means the brain mechanisms commonly involved in regulating anxiety and depression dont function as well.

When working with patients who have suffered from long periods of intense anxiety, fear, trauma and exhaustion, I see learned helplessness showing up in the form of depression, loss of motivation, fatigue and lack of engagement with the world around them.

The COVID-19 pandemic, more than a decade of intense political stress, polarizing social media and wars across the world, as well as public disillusionment with U.S. politics and media, have led, I believe, to many people experiencing burnout and learned helplessness.

If you feel politically exhausted, you are not the problem. Feel free to tune out from the noise.

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If there is one thing I have noted from our past election, it is that most voters wanted to save America from a dangerous threat. I registered an 82-year-old couple who were voting for the first time in their life. They said that this election was too important to miss.

They were not incorrect. I have stated before that World War III has started. Whether that war will consume our Constitutions design for government is not certain.

While voting is the most referenced action of a representative democracy, it is the next to last step of citizenship. The last step can be summed up with Ronald Reagans famous admonishment, Trust, but verify.

The hard truth is that the people who are governed determine the quality of their government. Anyone who puts themselves forward to assume a government responsibility promises the electorate that their effort will produce results. They should also preface those statements, If you agree to follow my leadership.

Democratic governments successfully provide security and law and order for their populations. However, like the people who form them, they are not perfect. They are designed to improve by trial and error over time.

The advantage they have is the peaceful transfer of power. This was true even after Jan. 6, 2021, when law and order prevailed over a riot at the Capitol.

A gift of being human is the ability to communicate our ideas to others. Our modern world has rapidly increased that ability. A democracy works with a collaborative and cooperative model. It is designed to recognize when there are challenges to meet.

Citizens have local conversations about the government at every level and consider them gripe sessions. Then, they form interest groups where they agree on proposed solutions. The next step is to propose permanent change through applying law or better administration.

A democracy is effective when the majority prevails without harming the minority. Any minority position is respected if it does not harm the majority.

No government gets it right every time, but too many of us take for granted the protections that are in place and have worked for over two centuries. We fail when we refuse to pay attention or to believe in the common goal of equality under the law to ensure domestic tranquility.

A democracy is the only form of government designed to give its citizens the most significant possible amount of self-determination. Every other type of government forces everyone to do and believe the same things or privileges a distinct group of people.

Quote Governments are established to write laws and protect the resident population. That is all they can do. That includes regulating commerce to protect consumers from danger. Yes, they must have money to operate.

Governments are established to write laws and protect the resident population. That is all they can do. That includes regulating commerce to protect consumers from danger. Yes, they must have money to operate.

Tax collection is necessary to pay for the benefits of a corruption-free government. Considering that there isnt such thing as a free lunch  what can we commit to doing while working toward a more perfect union?

We can keep learning and insist that our children and young adults have an adequate basic education. Primary and secondary education only prepare our brains to learn more. The world has become increasingly interdependent since mariners and traders ventured further than their homes.

We cant know everything, but we can continue to be curious until we return to dust. What will you investigate this year?

We can adopt the attitude that everyone behaves the best they can at every moment, given their past experiences. That includes us. If things arent going well with others, what can we learn about us that might improve the situation?

We can only change ourselves, model more positive behaviors and suggest changes others might find helpful. Adopt the Army saying, Be all that you can be.

Understand that others can meet your expectations only if you are clear about what they are. Think deeply about what you want from family, friends, employees, employers and, especially, government. Take time to communicate your preferences. Dont accept assurances you havent verified.

Responsible citizenship can save the world. In this New Year, resolve to exercise the power you have.
Niagara County law enforcement and school administrators emphasize partnership as a key strategy to identify potential school threats and prevent incidents locally. Following recent school violence in Madison, Wisconsin, local leaders describe their approaches to assuring safety in schools.

Its sad that were talking about this, but its irresponsible not to talk about this, said Mark Laurrie, superintendent of Niagara Falls City School District. I would be doing less than my job if I didnt.

Every Niagara County school district has at least one resource officer, said Sheriff Michael Filicetti. The Niagara County Sheriffs Office has five deputies serving at schools, stationed in the Starpoint, Wilson and Newfane school districts, at Niagara Charter School and the BOCES campus in Sanborn. The Niagara Falls district contracts with the Niagara Falls Police Department for five officers.

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The Lockport City School District has five school resource officers from the Lockport Police Department, said Mathis Calvin III, district superintendent. With school resource officers (SRO), Calvin said, We have an approach that is collaborative in the district. As we hear of concerns, we work to resolve them right away.

Calvin said at a minimum, he communicates weekly with his SROs and can discuss concerns or proactive measures. Lockports district staff are all trained to observe behavior and focus on students health, social, and emotional needs. We pull all those pieces together, as well as academic performance.

Theyre not just armed guards, Filicetti said. I expect them to be out in the halls, interacting with the kids. Theyre very much part of school culture, which is the goal.

Superintendent Calvin agreed. They know our kids by first name. Theyre part of the team that allows us to be proactive.

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According to media reports, the Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin did not have a school resource officer on site when a shooting occurred this month.

The sheriff said that the Niagara Threat Advisory Group is another collaboration that helps address safety and security concerns. Made up of county school districts, local and federal law enforcement, mental health professionals, social services, and private entities involved in managing threats, the group receives referrals about people of concern and acts to prevent incidents. Thats one way for us to try to get ahead of this and change the trajectory, Filicetti said.

School administrators agreed that when both school personnel and resource officers have personal relationships with students, they are able to intervene and assist children with a variety of concerns. The phrase, if you see something, say something, was repeated by each person interviewed.

We know our kids up, down, and right, said Jacob Reimer, EdD, superintendent of Barker Central School District.Theres almost always a change in their behavior before something happens. Reimer said signs of student distress vary among individuals and can have different causes, such as changes in relationships with parents and peers, substance use, or bullying. Barker district staff recently received Trauma, Illness & Grief training so that they may address the needs of students facing trauma in their life, including trauma from opioid-related family issues.

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Maintaining trust and open communication with students is key to delivering help when needed. We build great relationships with our staff and students, Calvin said of Lockport schools. Our students let us know what is going on. Lockport implemented Rachels Challenge, a training program that teaches the root causes of school violence, bullying, prejudice, and self-harm, and ways to instill resilience in students. The superintendent said the district uses its code of conduct to address issues.

According to the New York State Center for School Safety, students are protected by the Dignity for All Students Act. This state law requires that school districts report all incidents of harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination based on, but not limited to, a persons race, color, weight, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender (which includes gender identity and/or expression), or sex. This includes cyberbullying, and discrimination of students by other students and school personnel.

Reimer said messages on bullying, and what to do to prevent it, can be seen in the halls of Barker schools, and bullying and harassment can be reported on the districts website.

As an issue of school climate, New York education law also states that public schools, BOCES, and charter schools must document incidents occurring on school property, on a school bus, and at school functions. Incidents that are reportable include homicide, sexual offenses, assault, weapons possession, discrimination/harassment/bullying, cyberbullying, threats including bomb threats, false alarms, and possession or sale of drugs or alcohol.

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Sheriff Filicetti shared his law enforcement perspective: If you make a threat, theres a good chance you will get charged with a crime. He said this includes statements made online. In looking at student behavior, the sheriff said what was once one-on-one bullying, now takes place in front of a large audience. Now youre online and getting ganged up on by 10, 20, and even more people. It never used to rise to that level.

As another strategy, schools employ various building security measures to assure safety. The sheriff said all districts check identification before admitting people inside. With 2,000 students at the high school alone, the Niagara Falls district has multiple security systems in use. Laurrie said weapons detection systems are located at entrances. The district is completing construction on secure vestibules with a pass-through window for bringing students lunches and forgotten items. An artificial intelligence system, Zero Eyes, can detect weapons starting in the parking lot.

The capital project underway in Barker will create a single, secure point of entry for the entire school district. A referendum in January will consider adding more security measures, Reimer said.

Being prepared to take action is also part of the school safety equation. The sheriff said all Niagara County school districts conducted active shooter drills in 2024 on faculty training days when students are not present. These fully functional drills involve people acting as suspects, with fire companies, ambulance services, and multiple law enforcement agencies present.

My whole philosophy is, each year we have to scaffold up security, and it needs to start at the car, Laurrie said Its all about giving parents and the community peace of mind.
By Hyunsu Yim

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a key policy-setting meeting of the country's ruling party last week ahead of the new year, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.

The meeting of party and government officials decided that North Korea would launch the "toughest" strategy to counteract the United States for its security and national interests, the report said, without elaborating.

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The alliance between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan has expanded to a "nuclear military bloc" and South Korea has become an "anti-communist outpost" for the U.S., the KCNA report added.

"This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how."

The Dec. 23-27 meeting also reviewed the handling of floods earlier this year, including the plan that brought those affected to Pyongyang, the capital, according to the report.

The reclusive state also vowed to promote relations with "friendly" countries during the meeting.

Kim also called for progress in defence science and technology to bolster the country's war deterrence.

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Such meetings often last a few days and have been used in recent years to make key policy announcements.

In a reshuffle, Pyongyang named Pak Thae Song, a party secretary, as a new premier to replace Kim Tok Hun.

Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was named a member of the powerful Politburo of the party's Central Committee.

The 11th plenary session of the eighth central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea wraps up a year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with Kim and signed a deal that included a mutual defence pledge.

Washington and Seoul have criticized the two countries' military cooperation, including what they say is a dispatch of North Korean troops to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang)
Russia is deploying human waves of North Korean soldiers, the U.S. said Friday, and at least one soldier captured by Ukraine died of his injuries.

According to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, some North Korean soldiers have taken their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces.

These suicides, he said, were likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that theyre captured.

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South Koreas National Intelligence Service had confirmed on Friday that the North Korean soldier captured the previous day had died.

A still from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry press service in November shows a Russian serviceman aiming a D-30 howitzer toward Ukrainian positions in Kursk, where many North Korean soldiers have been deployed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram Friday that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have died or been wounded in Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces mounted a lightning incursion in August.

But Russia has since amassed thousands of troops in a counterattack.

Kirby quoted a lower death toll among North Koreans, saying more than 1,000 soldiers have died just in the past week.

Thats on top of the more than 1,500 Russian soldiers being wounded or killed each day, according to Britains defense ministry, which estimated that there were over 45,000 casualties in November, the highest since the start of the war, adding that the number is likely reflective of the higher tempo of Russian operations and offensives.

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To supplement its counterattack, Moscow turned toward its ally Pyongyang, which, according to estimates by the U.S. and its allies, has deployed an estimated 11,000 soldiers in Ukraine.

Kirby said the North Koreans are conducting massed, dismounted assaults against Ukrainian positions in Kursk. While these human wave tactics were ineffective, he acknowledged that Russias grinding assault on Ukraines energy infrastructure was making it difficult for Ukrainians to weather the winter.

Neither Russia nor North Korea has publicly acknowledged the troop deployment.

The North Korean troops are being treated as expendable and ordered by their leadership on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses, Kirby said.

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These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile, he said.

The exact number of North Korean soldiers who killed themselves to avoid capture is unclear. Zelenskyy said Friday that while several North Korean soldiers were captured, they were seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated, suggesting that some of them may have also been killed by comrades.

These troops were being sent to fight with minimal protection, he said, and were suffering a great deal of losses.

Still, Ukrainians have been unable to capture them as prisoners, he added. Their own people are executing them.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
North Korean troops are experiencing mass casualties while fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine in Kursk Oblast, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Dec. 27.

The comments come a day after Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) on Dec. 26 reported that North Korean troops had suffered heavy losses in Kursk Oblast.

The White House believes more than 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded over the past week alone, Kirby said in a press briefing.

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"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," he said.

Kirby said that North Korean units had been carrying out "human wave" attacks against Ukrainian positions in Kursk Oblast, with little effect.

North Korean soldiers have reportedly taken their own lives rather than surrender to Ukrainian troops, out of fear their families will be targeted over their capture, Kirby added.

"I hope they're loading up their commanders with a bunch of body bags, because they're clearly going to need it," he said.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 23 that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured since their deployment in Kursk Oblast.

Russia has stationed approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region to assist in ousting Ukrainian forces. The first confirmed battles between Ukrainian and North Korean units occurred on Nov. 5.

Ukraine first began its surprise incursion into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6. Ukrainian forces have been fighting to hold onto territory in the region ever since, in hopes it can be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.

Read also: North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast boost Russias manpower, despite vulnerabilities

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  All North Shore beaches on Kauai are closed due to high surf and hazardous ocean conditions.

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Authorities are urging people to avoid the waters from Larsens Beach in Moloaa to Kee Beach, including the Na Pali Coast.

Hawaiian Humane Society offers tips to protect pets from fireworks stress on New Years Eve

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The warning follows a rescue operation on Thursday, where first responders saved two residents who got into trouble while kayaking at Anini Beach amid high surf.

One of the kayakers reportedly flipped several times in the rough waters.

Officials say both individuals are fortunate to have survived the ordeal.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

Residents and visitors are advised to heed safety warnings and stay out of the ocean until conditions improve.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch

A populist coalition led by billionaires is absurd, and so absurdity is unavoidable in its internal squabbles.

That explains how the richest human in history came to spend Christmas this year engaged in a debate that featured observations like why are people in India still shting in the water they bathe and drink from?

It began on Sunday when Donald Trump named Sriram Krishnan as a senior White House adviser on artificial intelligence. Krishnan is a venture capitalist, an Elon Musk ally, and a U.S. citizen. But he was born and educated in India and has called for lifting country caps on American green cards.

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As that fact circulated on Twitter, holiday cheer among the populist right began to sag. Did any of yall vote for this Indian to run America? one user asked alongside a photo of Krishnan.

Setting aside that serving as a senior White House adviser on artificial intelligence is a far cry from running America, the next 48 hours devolved into a remarkably bitter gang war over high-skilled immigration between grassroots MAGA OGs on one side and Silicon Valley Trumpists like Musk and David Sacks on the other. Krishnan and his country of origin were the target of numerous racist jabs, leading some Indian immigrants looking on to wonder if their alliance with the GOP had been a mistake. At one point Matt Gaetz, whose nomination for attorney general had been touted by Musk, jumped in to warn tech bros that their membership in the rights coalition didnt entitle them to set immigration policy.

Elon, for his part, took to penalizing the Twitter accounts of some of his right-wing antagonists (whence free speech?) and publicly agreed with a poster who joked that the tech industry needs top engineers from overseas because Americans are too retarded to fill those jobs. This was eye-opening, he went on to say of the rights backlash to Trump hiring Krishnan.

Which is only true, of course, if youve had your eyes closed.

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Trump has built a coalition of hawks and doves, fat cats and working stiffs, protectionists and free-marketeers, liberals and postliberalsbut Im not sure its possible to pitch a political tent large enough to accommodate Laura Loomer and the guy who runs Tesla and SpaceX, who was once an immigrant himself. America First is the core of Trumpy populism, the movements raison detre; it cant co-exist with rival ideologies as easily as the others Ive named. Nativism or globalism: Eventually you have to choose.

It was a Christmas bummer for all sides of the triumphant MAGA movement during what should have been a moment of holiday exultation, toasting Donald Trump like George Bailey at the end of Its a Wonderful Life.

Then Vivek entered the chat.

Jocks and nerds.

Vivek Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur, the son of Indian immigrants, and co-chair with Musk of Trumps new advisory body on government efficiency, so one can understand why he felt obliged to join the debate over high-skilled immigration and take sides with Team Elon.

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But he was certain to do more harm to his cause than good.

On Thursday morning, he uncorked a part-rant, part-pep talk criticizing American culture for celebrating jocks instead of nerds and, more generally, for supposedly venerating mediocrity over excellence. Instead of wallowing in victimhood, he urged Krishnans critics to emulate the ruthless educational ethic many immigrant parents instill in their children. If kids in the U.S. spent less time socializing and more time (or all of their time, even!) studying, Ramaswamy argued, theyd be more competitive with foreign students and American companies wouldnt need to depend so heavily on H-1B visas.

That advice was  not received warmly. And no wonder.

For one thing, its dubious on the merits. As others have noted, American culture is probably more welcoming to nerds than its ever been. American children in the age of smartphones arent socializing too much but too little. And cultures that have mainstreamed the sort of grindset that Ramaswamy idealizes have paid for it with serious social pathologies. No one would want to live in a nation of Viveks (and increasingly, no one does).

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Color me skeptical as well that Trumps election hopefully marks the beginning of a new golden era in America, but only if our culture fully wakes up, as Ramaswamy puts it. You dont elect a boorish, lazy con artist because youre itching to make Americas schoolchildren hit the books. You elect him because youve given up on addressing your problems seriously and are hoping to solve them with magic beans. Trump 2.0 will not turn rural America into South Korea.

Be more like me is weird advice, frankly, from a guy like Vivek whos famously dislikable. Populists can overlook that when hes firing at their political enemies, as he normally is, but when he turns his guns on them, the natural human instinct to want to stuff him into a locker will assert itself. His old enemy and fellow Indian American, Nikki Haley, couldnt resist piling on. There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture, she scolded him after he published his rant. All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers.

Ill bet this gift-wrapped opportunity to out-populist Ramaswamy was the nicest Christmas present Haley received this year.

Vivek also happens to be a graduate of Harvard and Yale and very much sounds like it. The grassroots right has an almost limitless tolerance for hyper-elite educational credentials in their leaders so long as theyre mouthing cringy faux-populist platitudes, as Ted Cruz and Josh Hawleys careers regularly remind us. But on rare occasions when those platitudes stop, the tolerance might also. Many MAGA types whove suspected Ramaswamy all along of secret elite sympathies by dint of his background may have felt those suspicions confirmed by seeing him deride Americans as mediocre.

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Vivek also lacks the sort of credibility that Musk enjoys in lecturing to Americans about the virtues of foreigners. However much one might righteously hate Musk for his journey into populist nihilism, SpaceX and Teslaand the unfathomable fortune theyve generatedare impressive enough that one cant help but respect the man in charge for his achievements. If Elon thinks Americas tech industry requires high-skilled immigration, well, its hard to argue with success. Ramaswamy, on the other hand, made his money off of an IPO by a biotech company whose main product ended up failing abysmally. Hes less a visionary hero than he is a hustler.

On top of all that, Vivek was inescapably handicapped in this debate by the fact that, ethnically, postliberals will regard him as part of the Them and not the Us. If youre the sort of populist whos forever questioning whether those who disagree with your policies truly wish to put America first, seeing an Indian American go to bat for hiring Indian engineers will raise your hackles.

The strangest thing about Ramaswamys rant, though, was how anachronistic it felt.

At heart, it was an old-school conservative lament about taking personal responsibility for bettering oneself and ones family instead of blaming an unfair culture. A certain future vice president of the United Stateswhose own children are Indian Americanmade the same point in his best-selling book, although he eventually ditched that attitude and began demagoging immigrants once he realized that populism as a mode of right-wing politics was here to stay. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps is as dead as Reaganism. The system is rigged is what sells.

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J.D. Vance came to realize that the path to political power in the modern GOP lay in grievance and scapegoating. I thought Ramaswamy had realized it too, but the last thing a movement of Real Americans wants to hear from someone whose own Real American cred is questionable is that theyd better buckle down if they want to hack it against kids from the third world.

Imagine if [Kamala] Harris had said during the campaign that her moms Indian culture was superior to Americas because here we spend too much time celebrating toxic men like Riggins from Friday Night Lights, Tim Miller said of Viveks rant. Trump wouldve won New Jersey. Indeed. Hillary Clintons jab at the deplorables in Trumps coalition in 2016 caught on because it seemed to channel the perceived contempt that Democratic elites feel for Real America. Now here was Vivek Ramaswamy, alleged MAGA populist, sounding more than a little contemptuous of deplorable mainstream American culture himself.

Whos the boss?

Guessing which side Trump will take in this matter is trickier than usual.

On the one hand, he proved during his first term that hes willing to limit high-skilled immigration. He also dislikes being on the wrong side of his base when theyre in a lather, as last weeks revolt against the government funding bill showed. And one of his most influential advisers is prone to saying things like America is for Americans and Americans only.

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Many Trump supporters seem to be under the impression that hes interested only in reducing illegal immigration. They are mistaken.

On the other hand, Trump owes Elon Musk for helping to get him reelected. Hes also made quite a few friends lately among tech bigwigs and corporate pooh-bahs, whove lavished cash and attention on him since Election Day. And he does seem to appreciate the economic benefits of attracting foreign talent to the United States. Remember, as recently as this past June, he told the All-In podcast that any immigrant who graduates from an American collegeor even a junior college!should receive a green card with their diploma.

All-In is hosted by four well-known Silicon Valley investors, by the way, one of whom is David Sacks.

The political considerations for Trump also make his preference hard to predict. I can imagine him cracking down on H-1B visas to appease populists if his mass deportation effort underperforms, which it probably will. Border czar Tom Homan has already begun telling aides to prioritize removing convicted criminals and immigrants with pending orders of deportation; ardent border hawks who swallowed the magic beans about deporting 10 million people will be bitterly disappointed if thats as far as the effort goes. To cheer them up, the administration might opt to protect Real America by blocking legal paths to entering the country as well.

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But it could also go the other way. Forced to choose between betraying grassroots MAGA fanatics by allowing high-skilled immigration and betraying his new admirers in the corporate-gazillionaire class by blocking it, Trump might reasonably conclude that hes better off betraying the former. Theyre cultists; unlike Elon and his cohort, theres zero risk that theyll ever turn on him. Besides, admitting high-skilled immigrants into the U.S. is very popular even among Trump supporters. Laura Loomer can and will say Laura Loomer-y things on the subject on Twitter, but even most America First-ers see the economic virtue of snatching up other countries talent.

Trumps second term is likely to end up as a sustained argument among his supporters over precisely which immigrants should and shouldnt be barred from the U.S. Think of it as a game called Not Those Immigrants. Should we bar criminal illegals? Sure. Should we bar noncriminals? No, not those immigrants. How about illegals working agricultural jobs? No, not those immigrants. Maybe illegals working in construction? No, not those immigrants. Hospitality, maybe? No, not those immigrants.

The debate playing out on Twitter this week is an unusually public round of Not Those Immigrants featuring unusually prominent people and involving unusually skilled labor. The point of the MAGA movement is to prevent Real Americans from being usurped by their cultural and economic enemies. Imagine the surprise among its members to find one of their new heroes, Elon Musk, suddenly arguing in favor of usurpation.

Theres an element of political usurpation to it too. In complaints like Gaetzs youll find a whiff of resentment toward tech bro latecomers to Trumps coalition for presuming to tell cultural populists who were MAGA from the start what their immigration policy should be. That resentment is silly insofar as even new members of a party have a right to try to influence its agenda. But having the mega-rich pile into a nationalist movement and try to get its followers excited about foreign labor is like Hayekians taking over the local communist party and making its platform anti-union.

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The postliberal populist project is one of redefinitionof the right broadly, of the Republican Party specifically, and ultimately of what it means to be an American. To have outsiders come in and try to coopt that project by redefining it right under their noses must be a special affront.

I wonder if it will end up coloring how Trump supporters view Musk, Ramaswamy, and their work on slashing government spending as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Its a cinch that their recommendations for eliminating federal jobs wont go far enough to suit MAGA diehards who are keen to purge the federal bureaucracy of unfriendly civil servants, but until this week they neednt have worried that their good intentions would be questioned. Elon in particular isor wasat the height of his power as a right-wing influencer, the first person since 2015 beside you-know-who to demonstrate a willingness and ability to intimidate congressional Republicans into doing his bidding.

Now, suddenly, hes taken sides with Them against Us. Having done so, his work for DOGE might come to be seen on the right in a more sinister light than it otherwise would have been.

Its already begun. Is DOGE a way to cut spending or REDIRECT the spending toward the projects of tech bro billionaires? Loomer wondered amid the debate over the Great Indian Replacement. As Musk increasingly annoys Trump by muscling into his spotlight, finds himself alienated from nativists over H-1B visas, and ends up being demagogued by suspicious populists for some of DOGEs fiscal prescriptions, theres a chance that this unlikely political marriage will end very, very badly. A populist coalition led by billionaires isnt just absurd, it turns out. It might be unsustainable.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Dec. 28The Nourish New York program has now distributed 100 million meals to families across the state.

According to a news release from Hochul's office, the initiative, which was launched as an emergency relief program during the COVID-19 pandemic, connects families in need across the state with surplus agricultural products grown by New York farmers. Hochul codified the program into state law in November 2021. "This milestone comes amid the holiday season, reaffirming New York's commitment to providing support to those facing food insecurity across the state," the release stated.

This week, Hochul also signed legislation to clarify that whole milk, two percent fat milk, and other milk products are eligible for the program.

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"Over the last four years, the impact of Nourish New York has skyrocketed, distributing more than 100 million meals to those facing food insecurity while also supporting New York's farms," Hochul said. "There's no better time to share this incredible milestone and reaffirm my commitment to providing critical support to those in need than during the holiday season, and I look forward to seeing even more New Yorkers benefit from this critical initiative in the years to come."

The Nourish New York initiative reroutes New York's surplus agricultural products to the state's food banks. The program "also provided much-needed support for the food producers and farmers who lost markets due to the pandemic by allowing the state's food banks to buy agricultural products directly from New York farmers and food processors," the release stated. The program provides the funding directly to the state's emergency food providers to help them buy surplus products from the state's farmers and producers and distribute them to New York consumers at drive-through food distributions, and through food box and school meal programs.

Since the program's launch in May 2020, more than $175 million has been committed to Nourish NY. Through nine rounds of the program, New York's food banks have purchased more than 118 million pounds of New York food products, "which equates to over 100 million meals distributed to families in need and positively impacting 4,472 farms and agribusinesses across the state, many of which lost markets for their products during the pandemic," the release stated.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball added, "The Nourish NY program was created to serve as a critical pipeline getting food from our farms to people in need during the pandemic through our network of emergency food providers. Since it launched, it has continued to be a resounding success and just goes to show how big of an impact we can make when we all work together."
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  It is projected that Kansas will need more than 3,000 RNs by 2030, according to the Kansas Hospital Associations 2024 report.

An anticipated surge in retirements and a drop in enrollment threaten to worsen a tough situation. The number of nursing students enrolling in Kansas programs is down 39% over the last decade.

Now, hospitals across the state face thousands of vacancies, and a young nursing student hopes to be a part of the solution to fill that need.

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Infections of bacteria causing violent coughing fits is rising in Kansas

Nineteen-year-old Kylie LeValley says her passion has always been health care, which is personal for her.

My great-grandmother. Thats who I give the credit to, for like, letting me see health care a little bit because I remember going to the hospital with her and just like seeing how they cared about her, said LeValley, a nursing student at WSU and a nursing intern at Via Christi.

LeValley has been in this field since she was 16 years old.

I love this so much. I love the people. I love the nurses, she said.

LeValley says she sees shortages every day in the nursing field.

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But at the same time, like our house supervisor and our managers have been working on like hiring people, she said.

Hospitals are turning to the next generation to alleviate this stress while many look at retirement. The Kansas Hospital Association says nearly 29% of nurses in Kansas plan to retire in the next five years.

And thats why were trying to get upstream and fill the pipeline with, you know, youth and really offer health care as a pathway, as a career and to grow within that pathway, said Claudio Ferraro, Via Christi St. Joseph president. The way we can collaborate, theres quite a few number of students in those programs. But how do we provide teaching environments? So, how do we collaborate and utilize our team, our environments to train? And that way, we get that personal relationship again with those students who are already committed to health care because if they train here, they stay here.

Bird flu virus likely mutated within a Louisiana patient, CDC says

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And for LeValley, she wants to inspire other students.

I just feel like I have so much empathy, like, I care so much for those people who, like, need help that I just want to make a difference, she said.

Via Christi believes that motivating high school students to pursue health care is a path to addressing the shortage. The hospital is taking a proactive approach by sending associates to high schools and giving tours to middle and elementary school students.

If you are interested in pursuing nursing, connect with Via Christi here.

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The release of brutal bodycam footage showing guards fatally beating a Marcy Correctional Facility inmate has shed light on a lawsuit alleging four of the men have a history of abusing prisoners. On Friday (Dec. 27), the video recorded on Dec. 9 was made available to the public.

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The Attorney Generals Office announced an investigation into the death on Dec. 16. However, on Friday, a report published by Syracuse.com revealed that four of the 13 men are listed as defendants in a lawsuit filed in February 2022 by inmate William Alvarez. The incarcerated man claimed the officers are part of a beat-up squad two years after he had been involved in an altercation. A photo published by the outlet showed his face bloodied and a substantial gash on his head from the incident.

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Robert Brooks, a 43-year-old Black man, is shown handcuffed with his hands behind his back as he is repeatedly punched, kicked, had an item shoved into his mouth and struck with a shoe while in a medical examination room. At one point, Brooks is picked up by the collar of his shirt and held above the floor. He is later observed motionless as he lays on the hospital bed. Audio was stripped from the recordings, and it is unclear what incited the abuse as well as what words were exchanged between the group and Brooks.

The now-deceased man had been transferred from Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, the same day that he was battered and bloodied at the infirmary. Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for a first degree assault conviction. He died on Dec. 10.

The following day an autopsy was performed. The documents were obtained by WKTV and state, "This affiant has received information from the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's office stating the cause and manner of death are still pending; however, the preliminary findings show concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being due to actions of another.

In a released statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks. Moreover, she directed the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to fire the 14 involved officers. The State of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I'm committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable, said Hochul.

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The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait expressed regret over the tragic death of a young Kuwaiti child reportedly involving a Filipino domestic worker in the household.

The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic incident of a Filipino domestic worker involved in the death of a Kuwaiti child in her employers household. We extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the bereaved family during this difficult time, the Philippine Embassy said.

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According to reports from the Arab Times, the incident occurred on Thursday when the domestic worker allegedly placed the child inside a washing machine at the familys residence.

The parents reportedly rushed to help after hearing the childs cries and brought the child to Jaber Hospital, where medical staff confirmed his death due to injuries.

The Embassy is cooperating with Kuwaiti authorities investigating the incident and is also providing assistance to the detained Filipino domestic worker, within the framework of Kuwaiti law and in keeping with the Embassys mandate, the statement added.

The embassy emphasized the isolated incident does not represent the character of Filipinos in Kuwait, a community widely regarded for its positive contributions, reliability, and hard work in the overseas country.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11)  Raymond Robinson, 54, recalls his experience sharing a room in an East New York, Brooklyn homeless shelter with subway murder suspect Sebastian Zapeta.

I slept next to him for about four or five days. Unless he was drinking or smoking, he would talk to you, said Robinson.

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The 33-year-old Guatemalan migrant is accused of setting a woman on fire as she slept on board a stationary F train in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

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Other shelter residents offered similar recollections of Zapeta frequently appearing drunk and or high off synthetic marijuana.

He was always causing problems. Every day, coming in drunk, said another resident who identified himself as Vegas.

A grand jury indicted Zapeta, who waived his court appearance on Friday. He faces state criminal charges of first-degree murder and arson.

This was intentional, said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. A sleeping, vulnerable woman on our subway system. My office is very confident about the evidence in this case and our ability to hold Zapeta accountable for his dastardly deeds.

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Because she was burned beyond recognition, the female victim is still officially listed as Jane Doe. Advanced fingerprinting efforts and DNA testing are currently underway.

Zapetas former roommate at the shelter still cant believe his connection to an accused killer.

I didnt believe it until I actually saw his face. I think about it in my sleep sometimes. Its just scary. Every time I come here, I think about  damn, that dude lived here with me, he added.

Gonzalez hopes that even though the victim appeared to be homeless, there still may be someone out there who realized their relative, friend, or loved one is missing and could still come forward to help with identification efforts.

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Zapetas indictment will be officially unsealed in January, and if convicted, he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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As Frederick Mayor Michael OConnor prepares to run for a third term in the citys 2025 election, he could face a challenge from City Council President Katie Nash.

Nash said in an interview in early December that shell make up her mind by the end of the year whether to challenge OConnor in the Democratic primary or seek a second term on the council.

On Monday, she said she planned to enjoy the holidays with her family, and there would be no announcements or campaign activities until the new year.

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Some, however, are saying Nash is already telling people shes running for mayor.

Katie is all in for mayor. ... Thats no longer a secret, said Steve Jakubczyk, a downtown Frederick resident and longtime follower of local politics.

Jakubczyk is a member of a group, Citizens for Responsible Growth, which for the last several elections has held candidate forums to help local residents hear candidates positions on issues, but said Friday he was speaking for himself.

He said his group plans to hold forums for the city elections, as well.

Nash held a meeting on Nov. 19 with supporters, billed in an email invitation as a discussion for the future of our City of Frederick.

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One person who was present for the event described it as a pep talk about the importance of people coming together to do important things, and quoted Nash as saying, And thats why Im running for mayor.

Another who attended said it was absolutely clear to him and others what was happening  that Nash was planning to run for mayor.

There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it, the man said.

Both agreed to share their recollections of the event on the condition that their names were not used.

Nash estimated Monday that the meeting lasted about three hours, and lots of things were discussed. She declined to give specifics about what she told people at the gathering.

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WEBSITE DOMAINS

Online records show the registration on the site GoDaddy.com in October of the website domain names nashformayor.com and nashforfrederick.com.

Nash acknowledged that those sites belong to her. She said she wanted to get them registered, regardless of what her ultimate decision is.

You start to think about all the options and what you would need to do to move forward, she said.

Nash was the highest vote-getter among the aldermen in 2021 and was recently unanimously elected as president of the council by her colleagues.

In a recent interview, she said shes been frustrated by a lack of progress on some of the issues she ran on, citing pedestrian safety as one concern.

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OConnor included funding for a sidewalk study in his fiscal 2024 budget. But Nash said a proposal for the study could have gone out much earlier than it did.

She also wants to make sure the city is doing as much as it can to engage at the county, state, and federal level, especially as the state faces budget difficulties.

Overall, Nash said, shes not sure that another four years of OConnors leadership is the best way to serve the citys more than 85,000 residents.

Its like were missing the point that we are the second largest city in Maryland, she said.

In an interview Dec. 17, OConnor said hes still in the process of organizing an official announcement of his candidacy, but hasnt been shy about telling people hes planning to run for a third term as mayor.

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He said hes looking forward to continuing work on several big projects, including the completion of a new headquarters for the citys police department, improvements to Harry Grove Stadium, and continuing to build momentum on the project to build a hotel and conference center in downtown Frederick.

He also cited broader topics such as transportation, including efforts to get funding to widen U.S. 15 through the city; housing affordability; and better economic opportunity for many of the citys residents.

The city is a complex organization, he said, and managing the day-to-day operations is a big job.

But hes excited about where the city stands overall.

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Were the envy of the region, in many respects, OConnor said.

OConnor said hes heard rumors of Nash running for mayor or seeking to return to the council, and said theyre not surprising given how active shes been in setting up the new process and structure of the citys government.

He noted that he faced a challenge from the Board of Aldermen in 2021 from then-Alderman Roger Wilson, and was philosophical about a primary contest with Nash.

It would be too much to hope to be unchallenged, he said.

COUNCIL CHANGES

Regardless of Nashs decision, the council elected in 2025 will have a new look and structure.

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The current council consists of the five members elected citywide to what was then known as the Board of Aldermen in 2021.

But the council elected in 2025 will have seven members, with two elected citywide and five selected to districts across the city. The district borders are still being drawn.

Candidate filing is scheduled to start Feb. 1, according to the city website, but that could be affected by a vote on a map determining the council districts, scheduled for Feb. 6.

Along with the additional members, the new council will have a new look, as well.

Councilmember Donna Kuzemchak has said repeatedly since the 2021 election that she will not run again in 2025, and recently reiterated her intention in an email.

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Kuzemchak was first elected as an alderwoman in 1997, and served until 2009, and then again since 2013.

Councilmember Kelly Russell said she plans to file for an at-large seat when the filing period opens.

A former Frederick Police Department officer, Russell is in her fourth term in office.

Councilmember Ben MacShane said in a recent interview that there is a good chance hell run for a third term on the City Council, but he was still deciding.

MacShane said he was not considering running for any other office.

Council Vice President Derek Shackelford said hes still focused on closing out the current year, and hasnt put a deadline on when hell make a decision on his political future.

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2025 will take care of itself, he said.

Shackelford said the councils next few months will include settling on the map of council districts and determining the members assignments to a new system of committees created as part of the transition to an independent council.

The new council will also be the first to face term limits, with its members limited to three terms beginning with the 2025 election.

Mayors will be limited to two terms, under the charter amendments approved in September. Terms served before the amendments were approved do not apply.

The citys primary election is scheduled for Sept. 9, with the general election slated for Nov. 4.

OConnor said the new structure of the city government may look very different on paper, isnt really as drastic as it may seem at first.

OConnor said hes preparing to meet with the heads of the various city departments to hear their requests for the budget that hell put together and release by April 1.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  An off-duty New York City police officer was arrested in Manhattan on Friday evening, according to authorities.

The 35-year-old officer was taken into custody at the 23rd precinct around 7:20 p.m.

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He faces charges of first-degree rape, second-degree strangulation, and third-degree assault.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

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Although the phrase "what came first, the chicken or the egg" at first appears paradoxical, science confirms that the egg maintains temporal supremacy.

However, a new study from the University of Geneva suggests that the egg could in fact predate all animal life. A single-celled organism called Chromosphaera perkinsii appears to possess a embryonic process similar to animal mitosis, even though the organism separated from animals evolutionary line a billion years ago.

While this similar process suggests that animals inherited their own version of the ability from their single-celled ancestors, scientists cant rule out the possibility that this could be another case of convergent evolution.

Its the classic conundrum: What came first, the chicken or the egg? When it comes to the simple answer to the question as it relates to Gallus gallus domesticus (a.k.a. the chicken), that riddles been largely solved thanks to evolution. At some point thousands of years ago, ancient chicken breeders chose two tame jungle fowl (gallus gallus) and the resulting union produced the egg of the worlds first genetically distinct chicken. In summary: egg predates chicken.

However, a new study from the University of Geneva suggests that the eggs temporal superiority may be even more profound than this simple brain teaser suggests. In 2017, scientists discovered the single-celled Ichthyosporean microbe Chromosphaera perkinsii in marine sediments near Hawaii. Although new to human science, this organism was a serious old-timer, having separated from the animal evolutionary line more than a billion years agolong before the first appearance of animals. However, scientists from Switzerland and the U.S. have discovered that this animal contained genetic instructions from embryonic development, meaning that the eggs existed even before life itself. The results of the study were published earlier this year in the journal Nature .

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This paper gets at the core question of developmental biology, which is how we go from one cell to a whole animal, by looking at a related process in a weird, microbial relative to animals, John Burns, a senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory in Maine said in a press statement. Were using our emerging understanding of the diversity of microbial life to answer questions about how we got here and how life works in other evolutionary branches.

We know that single-celled organisms were the first forms of life on Earth, but piecing together the complete roadmap between yeast and, say, blue whales hasnt been easy. In their quest to understand how microbial life developed into proto-animals, researchers spotted this incredible embryonic by closely observing ancient protist C. perkinsii. The teamlead by Omaya Dudin form the University of Genevafound that these cells reached their maximum size and separated with growing any further. To do this, they formed multicellular colonies that, incredibly, resembled embryonic development. Burns analyzed the genetic activity in these colonies and compared them to the process of mitosis found in other animal species.

Some of the genes that the microbe uses to drive its development, and the general patterns they follow, are similar to what we observe in animals, Burns said in a press statement. These ancient relatives of animals may contain some programs that their direct animal ancestors built on through evolution.

While similar biological processes often point to a related genetic lineage, there always lurks the possibility that this embryonic similarity developed through convergent evolutionwhen nature develops the same effective processes multiple times independent of each other. This is the same idea that drives the convergent evolutionary quirk known as carcinization where nature keeps trying to turn animals into crabs.

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But whether chicken, crab, human, or blue whale, science continues to support that the eggor at least some impressive co-production of itpredates us all.



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Charges were filed Friday against a 32-year-old man who was shot and seriously wounded by police during a confrontation on Monday in Madison County.

Brian Scott Kite of Collinsville faces charges of burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, according to information from police and court records.

Kites medical condition was not available to be released Friday, Illinois State Police said.

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He was shot when he allegedly raised a gun in a confrontation with police in the 9000 block of Rene Avenue in State Park Place near Collinsville, according to a statement from Illinois State Police.

Court records do not list a defense attorney for Kite.

The burglary charge alleges Kite illegally entered a home on Monday in the 400 block of Virginia Street in unincorporated Pontoon Beach while the motor vehicle charge alleges he illegally possessed a 2003 Dodge Dakota pickup truck. The weapons charge alleges he had a Glock handgun on Monday. He previously was convicted of a 2016 burglary in Madison County.

Illinois State Police officers are investigating the shooting at the request of the Madison County Sheriffs Office and the Collinsville Police Department.

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Shortly after a burglary was reported in unincorporated Pontoon Beach Monday night, the Collinsville Police Department located the suspect vehicle and attempted a traffic stop but police said the driver of the vehicle fled.

Police found the vehicle crashed but it was unoccupied.

Collinsville and Madison County officers set up a perimeter around the area before locating one of the suspects walking on Rene Avenue with a firearm in their hand, state police said in a statement. The suspect reportedly disobeyed police orders and raised the firearm, and officers fired, striking the suspect.

The state police statement doesnt identify which officer shot Kite.

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The Madison County States Attorneys Office filed a petition Friday asking a judge to keep Kite in jail before his trial because his pretrial release poses a real and present threat to the community.

Kite was in possession of a firearm and during a standoff acted in a manner causing law enforcement to discharge their firearms, according to the petition.

A date has not been set for Kites pretrial detention hearing.

Under the states revamped criminal justice system that ended cash bail in 2023 as part of the SAFE-T Act, persons charged with serious offenses can be ordered by judges to remain in jail before their trial.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON)  Sea lions and a historic ocean swell were on a list of reasons released by officials Friday explaining why part of the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed.

The wooden wharf is more than 100 years old and extends a half mile over the ocean. On Friday, officials said they may surrender to the forces of climate change by not rebuilding the 150-foot section that collapsed on December 23.

City manager Matt Huffaker said, (We cant) speak with any confidence at this point as to whether rebuilding that section of the wharf is feasible or the appropriate thing to do, in light of the increased frequency and power of these storm events we are experiencing along our coastline. Weve got some hard conversations and some hard decisions we are going to have to make.

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Monday marked Santa Cruzs largest swell in 30 years, said Tony Elliot, parks & recreation director.

The Santa Cruz Wharf is seen on Dec. 24, 2024 after a section fell into the ocean during high surf in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Photo by Stephen Lam/ San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Around 12:44 p.m. on December 23, monster-sized waves pounded the pier when pilings, three construction workers, a crane, a bathroom, and benches tumbled into the ocean below.

Wave heights were between 30-40 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Big waves swept the bathroom into the San Lorenzo River mouth. Shards of the wharf washed up on beaches as far as 10 miles south.

Rescue swimmers paddle out to victims who fell from the Santa Cruz Wharf into the ocean. (Photo courtesy Santa Cruz Fire Department)

Santa Cruz Fire Department lifeguards Sam Hofmann and Isaiah Mullen helped pull two victims out of the water and make it back to shore without major injuries. A third victim also emerged from the water OK.

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Mullen said he heard a loud cracking sound that made him look up and see part of the pier fall. I got my fins on. As we approached the debris we could see  the amount of wharf that was in the water  and two (victims) standing on the wreckage waiving us down for help. I swam in. Because of the large swell, it was difficult.

Santa Cruz officials held a press conference on Friday to reveal what theyve learned so far.

A bathroom from the Santa Cruz Wharf was swept into the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. (Photo by Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The wharf collapsed at its weakest point  the far end  before construction crews were able to repair it from last winters damaging storms. Construction began in September and was slated to be completed in March 2025. We knew it was a vulnerable spot, and we knew the swell was coming in. We had replaced 20-30 pilings already, but there was a lot more work to do to stabilize the wharf, Elliot said.

Hundreds of sea lions live under the end of the pier. The city has had a master wharf plan crafted since 2015 that would have prevented this weeks collapse, Huffaker told reporters. The plan, however, was heavily delayed because of lawsuits filed to protect sea lion viewing areas.

Lawsuits over sea lions were among reasons listed today for why Santa Cruz's iconic wharf partially collapsed into the ocean. pic.twitter.com/qijkfETChe  Amy Larson (@AmyLarson25) December 27, 2024

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Lawsuits against the city slowed down those important investments (and) left our wharf more vulnerable. The litigation took quite some time, Huffaker said. The city manager said its ironic that the sea lion viewing holes are no longer there because of the collapse.

Officials said their first two priorities are public safety and salvaging debris. Beach-goers should be extremely cautious of wharf wreckage thats still in the ocean between Santa Cruz and Manresa State Beach. Elliot said, Its not safe to be around these items washing to shore, period.

Debris from the wharf drifts in the ocean. (Image courtesy Santa Cruz Fire Department)

More than 2,000 feet of the wharf is still standing. When Huffaker was pressed about when the surviving section of wharf will reopen to the public, he answered, We dont have a definitive timeframe. Our hope is weeks. I know folks are anxious to see the wharf reopen. We cant reopen the wharf until its safe.

Engineers are currently assessing the piers structural integrity.

The damaged Santa Cruz Wharf is seen after the section of the pier fell into the ocean in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Photo by Stephen Lam /San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The wharf is a cherished and iconic asset. The wharf is an incredibly important place, City councilmember Scott Newsom said.

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Its future is now uncertain. Mayor Fred Keeley said the piers charm and character is wonderful, but climate change is spurring a tough discussion before concrete decisions can be reached. Simply rebuilding the 150-foot section without factoring in climate change would be irresponsible, Keeley said.

Keeley said, Whats the right thing to do here? Do you take 400 feet off? No one has made a decision yet.

Two beaches flanking the wharf, Main and Cowell, could reopen by this weekend, city officials said.

A new powerful swell will usher in 20-foot waves Saturday, forecasters said. The National Weather Service Bay Area issued a high surf advisory with life-threatening surf conditions through Sunday.

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SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK)  Smith County officials search for suspects in Friday morning armed robbery near Tyler.

According to a release from the Smith County Sheriffs Office, deputies were dispatched to an aggravated robbery at around 10:30 a.m. at 10751 SH 31 East near Tyler. Deputies were told the victim had been robbed at gunpoint.

4 arrested in connection to armed robbery at Palestine smoke shop

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In a preliminary investigation, a man, armed with a handgun, dressed in all black clothing, a black ski mask, gloves and shoe coverings entered the store and reportedly demanded the victim to open the cash register.

The suspect then allegedly removed an undisclosed amount of cash from the register drawer and fled out of the front door of the business, the sheriffs office said. The suspect allegedly entered a black in color passenger car being driven by another black male and fled eastbound on SH 31 East.

Authorities are investigating the case with further details released as it becomes available. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Smith County Sheriffs Office at 903-566-6600.

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Authorities are still working to identify the woman who was scorched beyond recognition on a subway train earlier this week  and are already considering using anthropological facial reconstruction to solve the case, sources told The Post.

The process of recreating the face is one of the few options available for investigators, who have been trying to use DNA analysis in the five days since the horrifying murder.

Facial recognition or approximation comes in when youre really trying to shake the trees, because youve kind of hit a dead end, nothings showing up database, days and weeks have gone by and you want to call in the public to say, Does anybody know who this person is?' said Nathan Lents, a professor of Biology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Investigators have been using DNA analysis to try and identify the woman who was burned alive on the subway earlier this week. Obtained by the Post

Thats when youre getting into what we call the dragnet stage  when the case is kind of getting cold and theres not a lot of leads.

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The victims burns are catastrophic and seared through all layers of her skin and tissues with potentially deeper structures of the body caused by inhalation of superheated gases which would cause thermal burns to the respiratory tract, the law enforcement sources said.

While the severity of the injuries is forcing investigators to consider facial reconstruction, at this point in the investigation the extraction of DNA is still the investigators best bet  and they would only need a small sample of it.

Getting DNA from a badly burned body can be challenging, but a lot of times badly burned just means badly on the outside and beyond visual recognition, said Lents.

There may be plenty of bones and internal soft tissue that is accessible for DNA extraction, unless the body has been completely incinerated, as in a cremation.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales said investigators had made progress, but not enough to identify the woman. Brigitte Stelzer

Such DNA can be pulled from any intact bones, he continued, pointing to the pelvis, shoulder blade and femur as particularly DNA-rich areas.

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Whether any soft tissue, like muscles and fat, survived the blaze is unclear. The citys Office of Chief Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to The Posts request for comment.

Authorities announced Friday they were making strides with the DNA extraction, but not enough to identify the victim.

Investigators will match the victims DNA to missing persons, felon and crime scene databases. S. Singha  stock.adobe.com

As many of you know, the criminal court complaint and the indictment at this time indicates the death of a Jane Doe. The police and the medical examiners office and many investigators are working to identify her, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said at a press conference.

The body was badly burned, and so advanced fingerprinting efforts are being made, as well as advanced DNA evidence to identify her. We have made some progress in that area, but Im not at liberty to get into specifics now, he continued.

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According to Lents, investigators will use that DNA to build a profile of Jane Doe that they will compare to missing persons, felon and old crime scene databases.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil allegedly threw a match on the woman while she was sleeping on the subway. Curtis Means/POOL

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However, the chances of finding a match are slim.

The vast majority of the United States public is not in any of these databases, Lents said simply.

The highest likelihood of identifying the victim would be if her family reported her missing or otherwise came forward. Then, investigators could pull loved ones DNA and compare it to the victims profile.

So far, the woman, who was sleeping when she was lit on fire, has only been described as homeless. Guatemalan migrant Sebastian Zapeta-Calil has been arrested for the grisly murder.

Despite the investigation being in the early stages, the OCME is already pointing to facial reconstruction as an option, sources said Friday.

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The process has been used in the past to successfully identify victims  including those killed in Londons 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, where temperatures reached as high as 1,000 degrees.

Forensic reconstruction is a lengthy and time-consuming process that involves using the shape of facial bones to create a general head and face shape, as well as impressions of those bones to estimate facial muscles and other details.

The process does not utilize DNA  and does not always draw up an accurate representation of the victim.

Similarly, thats when investigators might turn to a third option: genetic genealogy.

Pumping Jane Does DNA profile through databases like 23andme would be equally as time-consuming because there are various safeguards in place to protect other users genetic history, Lents said.
A couple accused of torturing their five adopted children have learned their punishment.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Matthew Robert Edmonson pleaded guilty to five counts of child endangerment Friday morning while Charles Edmonson pleaded guilty to three counts of child endangerment, one count of felonious assault, and one count of kidnapping.

Matthew Edmonson is sentenced to 13 years in prison, while Charles is sentenced to 15 years, according to our news partner WCPO.

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News Center 7 previously reported that the couple took in five brothers as foster children and eventually adopted them.

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Prosecutors said the five kids were kept in a dungeon when they were punished, and they had no food or clothing.

Their mother would then talk to the children through a camera similar to cameras pet owners would talk to their pets through, the prosecution said.

The sheriffs office said the children had been in and out of the hospital for bruising, bleach burns and potential internal bleeding which prosecutors said the couple would explain away.

Prosecutors said a detective recovered several videos showing the parents treating the five biological brothers worse than prisoners of war.

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The boys were moved to new living conditions where prosecutors said they were thriving.

Matthews biological son, Bailey, was also sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor counts of child endangerment.

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An Ohio man allegedly slammed a 15-month-old girl on the floor after she wouldnt stop crying, fracturing her skull. Two weeks later, she died of her injuries.

The man, Piqua resident Michael Mayor, reportedly attacked the toddler, Vivian Gardner, on Dec. 5, after a babysitter left him alone with the toddler and other kids while taking some of the children in her care to school, according to police records obtained by Dayton, Ohio, outlet WHIO.

Police and EMS responded to the babysitters location shortly after 3:00 p.m. local time that day after receiving reports about a toddler who was breathing but unresponsive, WHIO reported.

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The babysitter said that the child was pale, had bruises on her head, and she was unsure of where they came from, police said, per the outlet.

She reportedly checked up on the toddler  whom she had left with Mayor, 34, earlier in the day  multiple times throughout the day, but became concerned when she had not woken up by 3:00 p.m. and was unresponsive when stirred.

As the last person with the toddler, Mayor was arrested and charged. He later admitted to police that he had injured the child when she wouldnt stop crying while he was attempting to get her to nap, according to WHIO.

Mayor stated he shook her and when she cried louder, he began to slam her on the floor of the bedroom, according to a police report viewed by the outlet. He also told police that this was not done on the blankets and said he did this several times until she stopped crying.

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At that point, Mayor said he thought Gardner had fallen asleep, so he put her down on the bedroom floor and walked away, WHIO reported.

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After authorities arrived on the scene, the child was flown to nearby Dayton Childrens Hospital, where doctors informed police she had suffered a skull fracture on the back of her head, WHIO reported.

She also suffered other complex injuries caused by a massive impact, including a subdural hematoma, doctors said. A subdural hematoma is a collection of blood between the covering of the brain (dura) and the surface of the brain, according to MedlinePlus.

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Two weeks later, on Dec. 19, Gardner died at the childrens hospital, the Montgomery County Coroners Office told WHIO.

Court records obtained by the outlet show that Mayor was charged with felonious assault and endangering children prior to the toddlers death. Additional charges against him have not been filed.

Mayor is currently being held at Miami County Jail on a $1 million bond awaiting his next court date, per jail records viewed by PEOPLE.

The Montgomery County Coroners Office and Piqua Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. It is unclear if Mayor has legal representation to comment on his behalf.

Read the original article on People
Says missile launcher a deterrent, not a security threat

The decision to acquire the Typhon missile system is only for the Philippines to make and not for any other country to interfere with, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said on Saturday.

As a sovereign nation, the Philippines has the right to determine the most appropriate measures to safeguard its security and the well-being of its people. Just like any other nation, the procurement of defense systems, including the Typhon missile launcher, is a step toward strengthening our deterrence capabilities and ensuring that we are prepared to defend our territory when required, Ano said in a statement.

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China earlier issued a stern warning to the Philippines, saying there will be consequences if the acquisition pushes through.

Our message to the Philippines: China will not sit on its hands when its security interests are in danger or under threat. The Philippines will be hurting its own interests if it keeps refusing to change course, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Mao said that for the Philippines to maintain strategic independence, good-neighborliness and friendship, and peaceful development, it must remove the missile system.

China said it views the Typhon as an offensive weapon, and that its presence in the Philippines fuels geopolitical tensions and contributes to an arms race in the region.

Ano, however, denied Maos claim, saying it was unfounded and pure speculation.

Just like any other nation, the procurement of defense systems, including the Typhon missile launcher, is a step toward strengthening our deterrence capabilities and ensuring that we are prepared to defend our territory when required. It is important to emphasize that these systems are meant to bolster our defensive posture in line with continued modernization of our Armed Forces, he said.

Our actions are meant to ensure peace and stability in the region and we will never undermine the security of any nation. We remain committed to maintaining an environment of peace, cooperation, and mutual respect in the region, Ano added.

On Friday, China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels conducted patrols around Scarborough Shoal, also called Panatag Shoal.

Beijing has been claiming the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, despite international laws and an international arbitral ruling that invalidated its claim.

The US Army deployed the mid-range missile system in the northern Philippines earlier this year for the annual joint military exercises with its longtime ally, and decided to leave it at the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte.

Laoag airport is not among the nine sites covered by the Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. It is, however, near two EDCA sites  the Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport  both in Cagayan province that is near Taiwan.

The missile system can fire the Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said: At 200 nautical miles, there is no land there and the army cannot go there. We need to contribute to this (defense of Philippine interests) by having this platform to be able to assist the primary major service that would focus on maritime and air domain.

Under that scenario, the Typhon platform will protect our floating assets, Galido said, a reference to ships of the Philippine navy, coast guard and other vessels.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH)  The head of the state prisons department is speaking out about what she called a brutal murder of a guard on Christmas day.

Authorities say corrections officer Andrew Lansing was attacked and killed by 27-year-old inmate Rashawn Cannon. Annette Chambers-Smith, the Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, did not specify how Officer Lansing was attacked but said this information would come out during the investigation.

She did confirm this is not the first time Officer Lansing has had a conflict with his accused killer, Cannon. Records show Cannon was convicted on felonious assault charges last year. He had been at the Ross County facility for just over a year. Chambers-Smith said in April Officer Lansing wrote a conduct report against Cannon.

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The conduct report had three charges on it; those were disrespect threats and disobedience to a direct order. Director Chambers-Smith said Cannon was found guilty of two of those  she did not specify which. NBC4 asked her if this attack could have been in retaliation to that conduct report. She was not able to give many more details about this but said they are looking into the history and gathering more information.

She said Ross Correctional Institution is a high-security facility. Incident reports say the attack happened while Lansing was in the guard shack which the director described as a shelter structure on the yard portion of the prison.

Andy Lansing elected to work voluntary overtime so that other people didnt have to and could have Christmas off. Thats what he was doing there, Chambers-Smith said. Cannons unit was released to go to the dining hall which is why he was on the yard. He veered away from going to the dining hall and instead went to where Officer Lansing was working and attacked him brutally.

Thursday, the union representing corrections officers sent a letter to Governor DeWine asking him to address issues inside the facility. One of those concerns was staffing shortages. NBC4 asked Director Chambers-Smith about the shortages and if that had anything to do with the incident. She said the Ross County facility currently has about an eleven percent vacancy rate among guards and staff. This equals about forty open positions.

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Ohio parents of children with disabilities sue state

She said much of that has to do with new positions recently added for death row and security. Nineteen people have start dates for that prison between now and January 21. She said statewide the vacancy rate is 8 percent.

Regarding staffing, every post that was supposed to be filled that day was filled. How it compares to their normal schedule I dont have that detail but I can tell you Ive been in contact with the warden regarding this matter and he did let me know they did start their shift with all their staff they were supposed to have and I think that was because like 8 people volunteered to work overtime, Chambers-Smith said.

Chambers-Smith said she has never heard anyone say a negative thing about Officer Lansing.

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Officer Lansing was pure, good, and solid. He always trained new staff and was a professional. He was a father, he was a husband and all he was trying to do was his job, said Chambers-Smith. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating this 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV.
The Oklahoma attorney general on Friday announced he was dismissing criminal charges brought against a police officer who slammed a 71-year-old man to the ground during a traffic stop in October.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement he was dropping the aggravated assault and battery charge brought by Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna against Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Joseph Gibson.

Body camera footage from the Oct. 27 incident showed Gibson stop Lich Vu, 71, for what he said was an illegal U-turn after a minor accident. In the video, Vu denied making the U-turn and said his car was hit by another person.

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The video shows Gibson asking Vu to sign the citation, which he refused to do. Vu eventually got out of the car and the two began arguing.

According to security footage from a nearby business released by police, Vu appeared to touch Gibsons arm, prompting him to grab Vus hand, pull it behind his back and throw him onto the ground.

The video footage showed Vu hit the pavement head first. He was hospitalized with significant injuries including an orbital fracture, neck fracture and brain bleed, according to Behennas office.

Vus condition Friday was not immediately clear.

As Attorney General, I will not permit Oklahoma police officers to face criminal prosecution for conduct adhering to their training, Drummond said in the statement. While the outcome of this incident is unquestionably devastating for Mr. Vu and his family, I do not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent.

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The statement added that it is never acceptable for a member of the public to strike, push, or otherwise make unwanted physical contact with a police officer.

Our law enforcement officers work under constant stress, where the most routine interactions can become life-threatening in an instant, Drummond said. For everyones safety, it is imperative to follow an officers instructions and to never strike, push, or make any kind of unwelcome physical contact with an officer.

The simple truth is, this unfortunate incident never would have occurred if Mr. Vu had kept his hands to himself, Drummond said.

Despite the charge being dropped, the AG said the incident is still being investigated internally and could result in non-criminal forms of accountability for Sgt. Gibson.

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In response, Behenna said she is surprised and disappointed that the attorney general took this case away from my office and the citizens of Oklahoma County.

The statement from Drummonds office noted that he entered an appearance in the case on Monday, effectively taking over the prosecution.

The Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that it agrees whole-heartedly with Drummonds reasoning and determination that this was not a criminal act.

No officer wants to see anyone injured. However, our members often have to make split-second decisions, and they cannot control the outcome of every situation, the OKC FOP said. Unfortunately, when someone resists law enforcement, they increase the risk of harm to themselves or others.

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The group added that it was unreasonable to charge him with any crime when he was following his training.

Gibsons attorney, former Attorney General Mike Hunter, said in a statement to NBC affiliate KFOR of Oklahoma City that the decision to drop charges against his client was reasoned and correct.

Drummonds statement of support for the complex decisions Sgt. Gibson, his fellow OCPD officers, and law enforcement officers around the state must make is acknowledged and appreciated, Hunter said.

Vus daughter did not immediately respond to a request for comment through Instagram.

The Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, which had been in touch with Vus family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Oklahoma Mesonet is seeking a landowner to house one of its oldest weather stations.

The comprehensive weather network turned 30 this year and is relocating one of its oldest towers.

Local farmers, emergency responders and others use data from the Oklahoma Mesonets 120 stations across the state to get real-time weather information. The widespread network of sensors, commissioned in 1994, can catch events early like wildfire conditions or high rainfall amounts.

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But one of its original weather towers went offline on Dec. 11 after the private land in Mount Herman  where the system was located since the 1990s  was sold.

The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, which operate the Mesonet, are seeking a new volunteer landowner in the area to house the data-gathering technology.

It was one of our original Mesonet stations when the network was put in, which is the case for most of the Mesonet sites we have across the state, said Chris Fiebrich, director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. Most of them have stayed there  that's how we can kind of best track the weather and climate patterns across Oklahoma.

The Mesonets library of data goes back more than 30 years, which may not seem significant compared to weather records dating back a century or more. Yet the three decades mark a climatological period , allowing scientists to compare todays weather to historical averages and better understand climate change.

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Long-term weather monitoring is becoming increasingly important as the planet warms, scientists say.

Oklahoma was the first to create a comprehensive statewide Mesonet after OU and OSU sought government funding for the program. Today, at least 30 states operate similar programs.

The Mount Herman weather station will have at least a week of missing data, but other locations in McCurtain County are still in operation, Fiebrich said. The towers location will need to be away from water, forest and urban development that can influence local weather patterns, he said.

We want as pristine of an area as we can find to represent the large part of the county, Fiebrich said.

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StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahomas public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online .

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Mesonet looking for new home for one of its weather stations
In 2022, Oklahoma saw some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections in the nation, specifically in syphilis and chlamydia. Now in 2024, the state has made great strides and Oklahoma is seeing improvement in trends.

According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States saw a decrease in cases for a majority of notifiable STIs between 2023 and 2024.

Sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis and gonorrhea, are notifiable diseases, which means health providers are required by law to report positive tests to state or local public health officials. This data is then used by officials to track and prevent outbreaks. However, some STIs can remain asymptomatic, and those not regularly getting tested can unknowingly pass on an infection to a partner.

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Heres a look at how Oklahoma has progressed in STI rates through 2024:

Chlamydia

Oklahoma saw 18,729 cases of chlamydia, the state's most prevalent STI, from the start of 2023 to mid-December. This places the state near the top 10 states in the nation for highest Chlamydia rates at No. 11.

According to CDC data, the number of cases in Oklahoma decreased 44% in 2024 to 10,461 statewide. This moves Oklahoma to the middle of the nation's positivity rates and the lowest in the region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

The drop is not singular to Oklahoma, either. All states, except South Carolina, saw a decrease in new cases, with over a quarter of a million fewer cases in 2024.

Syphilis

Oklahoma was previously a leader in syphilis cases across the nation in 2022. But new Oklahoma cases have been cut in half compared to just last year.

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The CDC reports that in 2023 there were 1,112 primary and secondary cases of the infection and 78 for the congenital variant. However, by the end of 2024, both numbers had dropped substantially. Congenital syphilis cases dropped to 50 cases throughout the year, while the primary and secondary cases dropped over 50% to 517 total cases.

The nation's year-end data also reflects this as well. Only four states weren't a part of the national decrease. There were almost 20,000 fewer cases in 2024 than in 2023 for primary and secondary syphilis and roughly 1,200 fewer cases for the genital variant.

Gonorrhea

Similarly, the nations gonorrhea cases have decreased by over 100,000, with all states reporting lower numbers than in 2023. Oklahoma reported 6,774 new infections to the CDC in 2023 and will report 3,842 new cases in 2024.

Similar decreases were seen around the nation, with the total number of cases dropping from almost 600,000 in 2023 to 484,453 in 2024.

Hepatitis B

The CDC tracks three different forms of Hepatitis B: acute, chronic, and perinatal.

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Acute Hepatitis B is the only CDC-reported STD that saw an increase nationwide, increasing about 150 cases. Oklahoma, however, did not contribute to the rise as the state fell from 19 cases to 4 throughout 2024.

The CDC has not published the nation's chronic Hepatitis B cases for 2023. In Oklahoma, there were 213 reported positive cases in 2023. For comparison, the country reported 263 new cases just in the week ending Dec. 21, 2024. The Sooner state sits in the lower half of the country for total cases, while the country reaches 17,864.

Oklahoma did not contribute to any of the nation's 7 Perinatal cases.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma, nation sees decrease in STI cases over 2024
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  A woman died from her injuries after being struck by a car on I-675 near I-75 Friday night.

The Dayton post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a pedestrian strike that occurred in the northbound lanes of I-675 just before 11 p.m. on Dec. 27.

Piqua babysitter charged with child endangering after 1-year-old dies of injuries

Troopers say a 2013 Honda Accord was traveling northbound on I-675 when the vehicle struck a female pedestrian, who was in the left lane of the highway. She succumbed to her injures at the scene.

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The woman has been identified as Vanessa Martinez, 27 of Altus, Oklahoma.

The driver was not injured in the crash.

OSP continues to investigate the incident.

Troopers were assisted on scene by Miami Township Police Department, Miami Valley Fire District, Montgomery County Coroners Office, Ohio Department of Transportation, and Hollis Towing.

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CRANE, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  The Crane County Sheriffs Office said it arrested a burglary suspect in Crane on Thursday, concluding a 10-days long investigation.

According to the Crane County Sheriffs Office, on Monday, December 16, deputies received a report of an alleged burglary at Domingo Escobedos tire repair shop, located at 523 South Gaston Street.

On Thursday, December 26, following an extensive investigation using new technology, the Sheriffs Office said it arrested Raul Sanchez, of Andrews, Texas, in Crane. Sanchez was booked into the Crane County Law Enforcement Center for Burglary of a Building, a state jail felony.

Raul Sanchez

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A downed power line in front of a Vancouver home resulted in multiple fires, injured three firefighters and left one person hospitalized Friday night.

Just after 9 p.m., crews responded to 616 Ash Street after hearing a fallen power line started several spot fires, including an RV fire.

Camas police seek suspect after car stolen, vehicles prowled on Christmas morning

When they arrived on scene, firefighters reported the downed power line, as well as a victim unable to move and calling for help.

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While trying to reach the victim, officials said three firefighters got electric shocks from the highly charged ground.

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, authorities said.

3 Oregon state parks close due to damages from Christmas windstorm

The neighborhoods power supply was also shut off so crews could extinguish the spot fires, as well as another fire found in the main house.

The three firefighters who were shocked were taken to the hospital for treatment, officials said.

The Vancouver Fire Marshals Office is currently investigating the incident.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  One person was transported to an area hospital after a stabbing in Nashvilles Paragon Mills neighborhood Friday night.

Metro Dispatch confirmed authorities responded to a stabbing call on Wallace Road at about 9:30 p.m. Friday night.

Nashville police investigate deadly Two Rivers shooting

One person was taken to an area hospital for treatment of their injuries. Their status is not known at this time.

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No other details immediately released. News 2 has reached out to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) for more information.

 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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
One woman was killed and three others rushed to hospitals early Saturday morning after a fire tore through townhomes in Panorama City, Los Angeles fire officials said.

Sadly one patient was beyond medical help and determined dead on scene, the Fire Department said in a statement.

The survivors included an 83-year-old woman, a 25-year-old man and another man whose age was not known, fire officials said. Neither the deceased nor the survivors have been identified.

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The fire was reported at 3:31 a.m. in the 9200 block of North Wakefield Avenue, fire officials said. When firefighters arrived, they found a row of three two-story townhomes, with one engulfed in flames and one starting to burn.

It took 70 firefighters 43 minutes to knock it down, and firefighters managed to keep it from spreading to a third townhome attached to the other two, according to the Fire Department. Arson investigators have begun working to determine what caused the blaze.



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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Among President Bidens many laudable environmental accomplishments, one of his historic failures is that he declined to protect Americas ocean ecosystems. Despite the presidents professed goal to protect 30 percent of Americas oceans by 2030, he did virtually none of this. Perhaps he was planning on a second term (obviously a bad gamble), or perhaps he never really intended to do any of this.

Regardless, the hope and optimism for ocean protection at the beginning of the Biden administration has, in the end, turned to profound disappointment. On this issue, the administration prioritized local politics over science, need and national interest.

At the start of his term, a group of marine scientists from across the nation submitted a joint scientists letter on ocean protection to President Biden, urging him to strongly protect 30 percent of Americas ocean ecosystems by 2030. The scientists ocean letter  signed by more than 90 university deans, department chairs, distinguished marine professors, agency and independent scientists (including legendary Dr. Jane Goodall)  told the president that Americas ocean ecosystems are in significant decline due to decades of over exploitation, climate change, acidification and pollution.

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Scientists warned the president that ocean ecosystems will have difficulty retaining functional integrity throughout the climate crisis this century, and that these ecosystems need the strongest protections the government can provide.

As virtually all of Americas strongly protected federal waters to date are in the remote central Pacific, and none are on productive, intensively exploited continental shelves, the scientists urged President Biden to use executive authority under the Antiquities Act to establish Marine National Monuments in the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Maine, Caribbean, and Pacific and Atlantic coasts. This isnt rocket science, but simply adaptive, precautionary ecosystem management.

President Biden ignored the scientists plea.

Although he has so far designated seven cultural/historic monuments on land, Biden has still established no Marine National Monuments. While it is possible he may enact marine monuments in the final weeks of his term, indications are that this is unlikely.

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Further, the Biden administration has designated only three small National Marine Sanctuaries, two in the Great Lakes, one small one off California. In early January, the administration is expected to announce, with great fanfare no doubt, its designation of a Marine Sanctuary overlaying the already strongly protected Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (northwestern Hawaiian Islands), Coral Reef Reserve and National Wildlife Refuge.

To be clear, this sanctuary designation will not protect any new ocean area, but will simply further insulate existing protections from future administrative and legal challenges (e.g. at the Supreme Court). While this additional layer of protection is appropriate, it does not substitute for the critical need to strongly protect other more threatened marine ecosystems. And on this, the Biden administration simply failed.

The U.S. has 17 national marine sanctuaries, five of those in just one state (California); and five marine national monuments, four in the remote central Pacific, and one small one in the northwest Atlantic. But other productive, and troubled marine ecosystems on continental shelves continue to be ignored, largely due to politics.

Alaska for instance  with more shoreline, continental shelf, marine mammals, seabirds, and fish than the rest of the U.S. combined, and one of the most overexploited and climate stressed marine ecosystems in the world ocean  still has no national marine sanctuary or marine national monument, due to federal timidity in the face of industry and political opposition. The federal government has essentially ceded ownership of Alaskas vast federal offshore waters  over twice the size of the land area of the state  to parochial politics in Alaska.

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Astonishingly, the U.S. is the only Arctic coastal nation that still has no permanently protected Arctic Ocean waters. Russia, Canada, Norway and Greenland all have established permanent Arctic marine protected areas. But while presenting itself as an international leader in Arctic and ocean conservation, the U.S. has only established temporary administrative restrictions in its Arctic waters (oil and gas withdrawals and commercial fishery closures) that will almost certainly be rescinded in the Trump II administration, as they were in Trump I.

To remedy this, a group of Arctic Indigenous Peoples, conservationists and marine scientists in Alaska proposed to President Biden that he designate an Arctic Ocean Marine National Monument, to protect the U.S. Arctic Ocean now in severe decline due to global warming and sea ice loss.

As proposed, the Arctic Ocean Monument would encompass all U.S. federal waters (3-200 miles offshore) from the Northern Bering Sea north along the U.S./Russia maritime boundary, and east to the U.S./Canada maritime boundary (approximately 219,000 square miles), and would also include the Extended Continental Shelf seabed claims recently made by the U.S. in international Arctic waters north of the 200-mile limit (approximately 200,000 square miles).

The monument would permanently prohibit offshore oil and gas development, commercial fishing, and seabed mining, and would establish a co-management relationship between the federal government and Arctic coastal tribes to manage this vast offshore ecosystem. As the region is the now-submerged ancient homeland for all Indigenous Peoples in the western hemisphere  Beringia  it is an inarguable candidate for monument designation under the Antiquities Act.

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Even though President Biden stated that: What I really want to do is conserve significant amounts of Alaskan sea and land forever, he ignored the Arctic Ocean monument proposal.

This decade is likely our last best chance to secure strong protections for Americas offshore ecosystems, but now as the Biden administration has failed to do so, and Trump II will do none of this, we may have lost that last best chance.

Whenever faced with industry push-back or political pressure to ocean conservation measures, every federal administration, Democratic or Republican, simply refuses to act. This is a recipe for a disastrous future for our oceans. History will not be kind to those government officials with the responsibility to address our ocean crisis, but stood by and did nothing.

President Biden could have helped save our oceans with the simple stroke of his pen, but he refused.

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The blame for further industrial damage and decline in Americas ocean ecosystems in the Trump II presidency will be shared by President Biden, as he had the authority, science, public support and national interest obligation to prevent such, yet did nothing  an unconscionable betrayal of the public trust.

Rick Steiner is a marine conservation biologist in Anchorage, retired marine professor with the University of Alaska, chair of the Board of Directors of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and founder of Oasis Earth.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Earlier this month, Gov. Spencer Cox stated that he remained committed to the Utah Compact on Immigration, a document first released in 2010 and reaffirmed by state leaders in 2019. Cox said, The principles of the Compact, I think, are still very important. That is good news for Utah. The bad news is Coxs support for President-elect Donald Trumps plans for mass deportation.

Cox was not elected to the Utah House of Representatives until 2012, two legislative sessions after the Utah Compact was released followed by unprecedented support by former Gov. Gary Herbert and the conservative state Legislature for comprehensive state-based immigration reform. And despite his welcome support recently for the Utah Compact, I cannot seem to locate a moment when Cox actually signed the document  though I will happily stand corrected if wrong.

My point is that supporting the principles in the Utah Compact while supporting Trumps mass deportation plans feels a bit like double-dealing.

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I am a co-author of the Utah Compact. While I ran Sutherland Institute, we played an instrumental role in changing public opinion on immigration  from 70% of Utahns favoring Trump-like enforcement-only policies early in 2010 to 70% favoring the Compact and the comprehensive reforms passed by the state Legislature in 2011. I was present from beginning to end of those historic and precedent-setting policy reforms.

In other words, I know whereof I speak when I say that the Utah Compact stands in stark contrast to Trumps rants on mass deportation policies. The policies underlying the 2011 immigration reforms strove to bring otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants to the surface of society, leaving the residue of criminal immigrants for law enforcement to clean up. Utah warmly embraced existing undocumented immigrants already living among us peaceably and productively.

In contrast, Trumps policies underlying mass deportations  insomuch as anyone knows what that means today  portray undocumented immigrants as criminals. And while the label is legally true  a person crossing our border for the first time, for any peaceful and productive reason, commits a misdemeanor  no decent Utahn would treat that person as a hardened criminal. In fact, the offense was simply an infraction, like a speeding ticket, when the Utah Compact was created.

I am quite sure that Gov. Cox does not really have in mind deporting every undocumented resident of Utah. The governor is a decent and prudent man, not inhumane or impractical. And yet, what does he mean by supporting Trumps policies?

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Cox announced a five-prong strategy for the state to work with federal immigration officials focusing on criminal behavior. Nothing about those five policies gives me concern. What does give me concern is probable overreach by the Trump administration when it deems criminal behavior to include otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants. My concern is when malum prohibitum is equated with malum in se  when an infraction or misdemeanor is equated with murder, rape and other felonies.

Prior to the historic immigration reforms in 2011, Sutherland Institute published an essay, Onus or Opportunity: Immigration and Conservatism, in which we made an authentic conservative argument for those comprehensive reforms.

A serious consideration for us at the time was to ensure that the growing tide of opinion favoring enforcement-only immigration policies did not produce a new police-state mentality. Authentic conservatives certainly believe in law and order but we dont believe in police states. The Trump-Cox policies proposed are one slight interpretation away from a police state. If criminal behavior includes mere undocumented immigrants, authentic conservatives have reason for concern.

The principles of the Utah Compact are the most prudent model to maintain justice and humanity. I know Gov. Cox understands this in his heart.
The murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has touched off a wave of anger thats easy to understand. Deny, delay, depose comes from the lived experiences of thousands of Americans. But how much does health insurance actually cost us? According to the American Medical Association, its just 6 percent of health care spending.

In other words, if insurers were to donate every cent of profit they made, your health care would become just 3 percent cheaper.

Health insurance mostly operates as a pass-through to send premiums to health care providers. That 6 percent cost covers insurers profits, staff and other expenses needed to manage themselves. They use nearly all of their trillions of dollars in revenue to pay providers.

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There are many reasons why health insurance goes a shorter distance in the U.S. than anywhere else. But we often overlook two key factors: anti-competitive practices by hospitals and a doctor shortage deliberately engineered decades ago.

The first problem is that hospitals in the U.S. do not compete for patients with respect to price.

For decades, until the Trump administration unveiled price transparency rules in 2020, the cost that insurers (usually your employer) and patients paid for their surgeries was secret, never to be disclosed before the bills arrived. Hospitals sued but failed to block the rules. Even today, 34 percent of hospitals continue to break those rules, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The department has fined hospitals only four times to enforce the rules, and so avoidance of contentious talk on costs remains deeply embedded in health cares culture.

The bottom line? Patients are unable to choose a provider that wont bankrupt their families. Even insurers are unable to effectively negotiate with providers: One private insurer may pay 10 times more than another for the same MRI. On average, private health insurers pay 254 percent more than Medicare to cover their patients.

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This is if patients are even fortunate enough to have more than one choice. Nearly half of all metro areas in the U.S. have just one or two hospitals (i.e., a monopoly or duopoly) for inpatient care. From 2000 to 2020, major health systems made 1,164 mergers, only 13 of which have been challenged by the Federal Trade Commission, despite raising prices for patients, insurers and employers.

Our second major problem is an artificial doctor shortage. America needs more health care workers. Hospital lobbyists have sounded the alarm on a shortage of 100,000 health care workers by 2028, even though the average physician made $405,000 annually in 2017 during their peak earning years. How did we get here?

Throughout the late 20th century, again and again, the American Medical Association, the doctors lobby, claimed that the U.S was on the verge of a serious oversupply of physicians. They demanded in 1997 that the U.S. train fewer physicians (as many as 20 percent fewer), and so training jobs for medical school graduates declined or remained flat from 1970 to 2010 even though medical students became more competitive and far more qualified.

This is worth reiterating: There are more qualified medical students willing to become physicians than ever. But the American Medical Association asked our government to stop training them by fiat, like a cartel.

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When asked about whether the American Medical Association demanded these changes to protect physician incomes, one of its trustees said, That is not the agenda of this initiative. It is socially irresponsible to invest large sums in training doctors who are unlikely to find jobs practicing medicine after their training.

Only experienced Canadian doctors are consistently permitted to practice in the U.S. without going through years-long residencies with grueling 60-80 hour work weeks. Doctors with decades of experience in countries with high-performing health systems, including the Netherlands and Australia, are not.

As a result, two seemingly contradictory things are true: We have fewer physicians per capita than most wealthy countries, even though physicians in the U.S. are paid more than anywhere else, at twice as much as in Europe, even after accounting for how much Americans earn.

This is not a criticism of how much physicians get paid. But paying physicians more only reduces their attrition rate. That does not go very far if we arent training more physicians to replace those who inevitably retire and to treat more patients.

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Americas response to the doctor shortage has been slow. A few states first began loosening restrictions on immigrant doctors practicing in the U.S. without residency in 2023. And while the U.S. expanded training slots for doctors in 2017, federal 2023 legislation to further expand residencies remains stuck in committee. Meanwhile, understaffed hospitals have burned out so many physicians, despite their pay, that the AMA has reversed its position by asking the government to train more doctors.

Republicans and Democrats have plenty of interesting policy choices coming from think tanks, whether thats incremental changes transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based health care or more radical single-payer health care. They are out of the scope of this piece.

But this much is clear: Simply siphoning taxpayer or insurer money to inflate wages will not alone solve our health care woes. Costs will not come down unless we enforce price transparency and antitrust rules on hospitals undermining competition. We cannot protect patients health unless we have more doctors; accelerating states loosening of doctor residency rules and passing the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act will save lives. Enforcing competition and increasing supply are two pillars essential to any plan to save Americas healthcare system.

James Nguyen is a health care attorney who has practiced on behalf of mid-sized hospitals in Ohio. He is studying for an LLM in health law at Georgetown University.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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It is common to hear President-elect Donald Trump described as an isolationist. According to critics, Trump deserves this moniker because he would abandon the long-standing American strategy of deep engagement, which calls for promoting and protecting the liberal global order with U.S. economic and military power.

But this isolationist characterization is off the mark. It overstates the likely influence of those who call for a more restrained U.S. approach to the world within a second Trump administration. Sure, there will be groups calling for a less militarized approach to Europe and the Middle East  including from within the Republican Party  but they face an uphill battle in convincing the administration to adopt such proposals.

In his first term, Trump was far from an isolationist. While he certainly abandoned some multilateral and liberal elements of previous administrations strategies, he did not significantly reduce the U.S. role in security affairs around the world. He embraced competition with China, both in the economic and military spheres. He also pursued a policy of maximum pressure on Iran, abandoning the carefully crafted agreement that had been in place to limit Tehrans nuclear program. And he increased spending and military activities in Europe through the European Reassurance Initiative to calm nervous allies.

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Potential nominees for key foreign policy positions in a second Trump administration include hawks who support U.S. military involvement in these regions, as well. More broadly, many within the Republican Party remain committed to a strategy of deep engagement: They want the United States to remain the dominant security provider in each of the core regions of East Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Still, Trump faces some countervailing pressures to shift his approach in a second term, including from within his own party. There are some conservatives who support an alternative strategy  restraint  which calls on the United States to be, at most, the security provider of last resort in one or more of those regions. At the core of restraint is the belief that the U.S. cannot realistically sustain deep engagement because, as other great powers in history have experienced, it risks the countrys fiscal health and exposes it to numerous conflicts abroad. These restrainers therefore call on the United States to make its foreign policy more sustainable by settling differences with its adversaries, reducing its forward military presence, downgrading some of its alliance commitments, and raising the bar for the use of force.

Trump has sometimes voiced or adopted restrainers policy preferences, raising the possibility that such groups would have influence going forward. For example, during his first term, he was more critical of U.S. allies burden sharing and negotiated the withdrawal from Afghanistan. More recently, he has echoed restrainers skepticism of unconditional aid to Kyiv and calls for the United States to use its influence to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia.

In this context, conservative restrainers are likely to have the greatest influence on policy in Europe and the Middle East, where they would also have support from foreign policy realists as well as some on the left. Restraint, it turns out, is a big tent that crosses the partisan divide. But this is a double-edged sword in terms of its influence on any administration, Trumps included. On the one hand, there are multiple pathways to restraint, rooted in realist, conservative and progressive principles. In brief, realists argue that deep engagement has been counterproductive as the U.S. overreaches and other states balance against it.

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Conservatives oppose deep engagement because they think it cedes American sovereignty or because U.S. militarism threatens civil liberties, raises taxes or makes it too hard to hold the government accountable. Progressives believe that deep engagement perpetuates injustice and uses military tools for problems that require alternative solutions. Seeing the failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as an extension of deep engagement, realist, conservative and progressive restrainers have all had reasons to advocate for a course correction, starting with less military engagement in the Middle East. Most restrainers also call for gradual U.S. retrenchment from Europe, though some progressives are less committed in the face of recent Russian aggression.

On the other hand, exactly because restraint is a big tent, it is animated by competing visions, making it difficult for restrainers to coalesce around common arguments and a shared set of policies on other issues. This has been most evident with U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific. Some restrainers are worried about the growing risk of a great-power war, as well as the way in which increased U.S.-China competition hinders cooperation on global challenges like climate change. But many realists and conservatives who advocate for restraint in other regions do not take this view. They are increasingly wary of the rise of China, which could pose a threat to the balance of power as well as the American way of life if China became a regional hegemon, dominating East Asia like the U.S. dominates the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, even some restrainers support the U.S. strategy of deep engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

Returning to Trump, the president-elects grand strategic instincts are mixed. America First might mean that Trump will put the United States interests ahead of those of others, but that does not also necessarily mean he will consistently embrace restraint.

He will face pressure from deep engagers on both sides of the aisle to get more involved in Israels defense, to escalate support to Ukraine so that it can gain an upper hand in negotiations with Russia, and to double down on containing China. Such arguments will likely resonate with Trumps own instincts toward standing firm and driving a hard bargain. Still, Trumps countervailing tendencies to demand more from our allies, and his concern about diverting resources away from problems at home, create an opening for those advocating for strategic change. They will likely have the best prospects of influencing U.S. strategy on the Middle East and Europe, where they can speak with a unified voice in favor of restraint.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
The recent lawsuit against Amazons telehealth clinic One Medical is a wake-up call about the pitfalls of prioritizing corporate growth over patient safety in health care. Last Christmas, The Washington Post reported, Philip Tong, a 45-year-old man with diabetes, began coughing up blood and experiencing shortness of breath. His feet had turned blue. Seeking urgent care, he entered a video consultation with a clinician at Amazon One Medical and was advised to purchase an inhaler. Hours later, Tong collapsed and died in an Oakland emergency room. His family is now suing Amazon One Medical for malpractice, alleging that the virtual care provider failed to recognize the severity of his symptoms and neglected to direct him to emergency care.

The lawsuit accuses Amazon One Medical of employing inadequately trained staff and fostering an environment where patient care is careless, reckless, and negligent. In response, Amazon One Medical stated it is prohibited by law from discussing patient records. An Amazon One Medical spokesperson said, We care deeply about every patient we serve, and the quality and safety of our care are our highest priorities. Were proud of our extensive quality and safety measures, and of the health outcomes we help our patients achieve. We take concerns about our care extremely seriously, and were committed to continuous improvement.

Amazon acquired One Medical in February 2023 as part of its foray into health care, and the company has since aggressively expanded its telehealth services. This wrongful death claim underscores the risks inherent in a health care model that prioritizes scalability and efficiency over the nuances of medical decision-making.

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In medicine, symptoms like shortness of breath and coughing up blood are classified as red flags  indicators of potentially life-threatening conditions. As an emergency physician, when I encounter a patient with these symptoms, I am immediately concerned about their need for advanced care. Telehealth, despite its conveniences, inherently limits a clinicians ability to fully assess such high-risk cases. The subtle cues of how a patient is breathing, their sitting position and skin pallor simply cant be assessed over video to the same extent as in person. This limitation becomes even more pronounced in models where clinicians are pressed for time and lack prior knowledge of the patients medical history, as can be the case with telehealth operations.

Telehealth can be broadly divided into two categories. The first involves consultations with a primary care provider (PCP) or specialist who has an established relationship with the patient. These providers know the patients medical history, baseline health, and even how they typically describe their symptoms. The second category involves first-time encounters between a patient and a clinician who must make high-stakes decisions with incomplete information. This second model, common in many corporate telehealth settings, is where the risks escalate.

The lawsuit against Amazon One Medical highlights broader concerns about the health care industrys rapid embrace of tech-driven models. Unlike other industries, health care cannot prioritize speed and scalability without significant consequences. Telehealth companies often behave like tech startups, scaling aggressively to capture market share. This approach, although effective in tech, can be disastrous in health care, where lives are at stake.

For example, many telehealth companies are public or venture-backed entities worth billions of dollars. They often use advanced tools like data pixels to target advertisements and re-engage users who visit their websites. While this marketing sophistication has driven industry growth, it has also raised significant ethical and legal questions.

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Data privacy is one such concern. Several telehealth companies have been found to share user data that includes identifiable information, a clear violation of HIPAA protections. Patients may be unaware that their personal health data is being used in ways that expose them to risks, such as targeted ads that exploit their medical conditions.

This rapid growth also necessitates a larger workforce, often achieved by relying heavily on nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). While these clinicians are integral to the health care system, their training is typically less extensive than that of physicians. Many new physicians are advised against working in telehealth immediately after residency due to the need to refine their ability to identify red-flag symptoms. Patients face more risk when less-experienced providers like PAs and NPs are placed in high-pressure environments where they must make critical decisions without adequate supervision or support.

Moreover, corporate telehealth models often emphasize productivity metrics over patient outcomes. The platforms that I have participated with in the past have no guaranteed rate and pay is based on the number of patients a provider sees. Ive personally seen offers in telehealth that pay providers as little as $7 per consult, incentivizing volume over quality. This creates a dangerous environment where providers may rush through visits, increasing the likelihood of missed diagnoses and poor patient outcomes.

Of course, telehealth is not inherently bad. On the contrary, it has the potential to address long-standing issues in health care by increasing access, reducing costs and improving convenience. But the health care industrys traditionally cautious approach to adopting new technologies exists for a reason. This deliberation ensures that innovations are safe, effective and beneficial for patients. The One Medical case serves as a reminder that we cannot afford to sacrifice patient safety for the sake of rapid innovation.

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Amazons entry into health care exemplifies the tension between profit-driven motives and the ethical obligation to prioritize patient care. Leaked documents from earlier this year showed that One Medicals call center staff, many of whom lacked medical training, placed more than a dozen patients at risk by failing to escalate cases appropriately. This pattern of behavior raises serious questions about the companys commitment to patient safety.

Its imperative that telehealth companies adopt a more measured approach to growth. This includes investing in better training for clinicians, ensuring adequate staffing levels, and prioritizing quality care over productivity metrics. Regulatory oversight must also keep pace with industry innovations to safeguard patient safety and privacy.

Telehealth holds immense promise, but its implementation must be deliberate and patient-centered. As clinicians, every decision we make, whether in an emergency room or a virtual consultation, is guided by the principle of doing what is best for the patient. It is time for corporate telehealth to embrace the same standard.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Modern culture pays a lot of attention to demographics. Everywhere you turn, people are classified, arranged into groups according to characteristics and factors they largely dont choose for themselves. Stereotypes, no matter how untrue or unfair, are a common part of our everyday lives.

Im a first-generation American born to working class Mexican immigrants. Im the first in my family to attend college away from home, debt-free thanks to Pell Grants and scholarships. Im openly gay. Evaluating all these criteria, a person may believe they know enough of my life to make judgments. One such judgment? Its unlikely they would assume Id be a member of a fraternity.

Popular movies and mainstream media often portray so-called frat guys in a particularly unflattering fashionaffluent young white men engaged in boorish party behavior, and often hazing their peers. That oversimplification misses the true purpose and values of many involved in Greek life.

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For me, like millions of young men before me, thats the pursuit of genuine, lifelong friendships with other men. And not only am I a proud member of a fraternity, but I have also served as president of the University of Missouris Interfraternity Council (IFC), which shares with administrators the governance of all fraternity life at the school.

When I first arrived at Mizzou, my parents and I drove past the Greek houses on campus. My mom, who had never encountered fraternities growing up in Mexico, asked if I planned to participate in Greek life. Absolutely not, I responded reflexively.

Johnathan Martinez (front left) is pictured with fraternity brothers at the University of Missouri. Im happy to disprove stereotypesstereotypes that Id argue are deeply unfairabout Greek life, Martinez writes. The kind of brotherhood Ive experienced is a powerful bond and motivator for young men, even those who never envisioned themselves in a fraternity. / Courtesy of Johnathan Martinez

My perspective changed, however, when a high school acquaintance got in touch to discuss his efforts to recharter a fraternity at Mizzou. The organization, Phi Kappa Theta, was returning to campus after having their charter revoked in 2016 for several issues; its new leaders wanted to create a culture centered upon empowerment and accountability. And they saw something in me. When I discovered that fraternity alumni provided scholarships to active members who maintained a 4.0 GPA, I knew that not only was it a great opportunity, but it an important indicator of the values fraternity men possess that are all too often overlooked.

Reflecting its commitment to public service, Phi Kappa Thetas motto is Give, expecting nothing thereof. As a member, Ive dedicated myself to our charitable work; one of my proudest accomplishments during my tenure as IFC president was helping oversee a cross-council chili cook-off to raise funds for the Columbia Housing Authority, which supports fair housing initiatives for low-income families. During my time in IFC, I had the honor of helping to oversee nearly $1 million in fraternity contributions to our community.

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I believe in the benefits of brotherhood. I know the good it does for young men, no matter their background. But these bonds and this belonging shouldnt come with the condition of hazing. Through my leadership in Greek life, Ive been committed to creating a safer campus for all students.

Thats why I was excited to discover that both the US House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously pass bipartisan anti-hazing legislation this year. And earlier this week, on Dec. 24, President Joe Biden signed it into law. The Stop Campus Hazing Act establishes universal reporting standards for hazing incidents, mandates hazing prevention training for students and administrators and compels schools to be transparent about hazing on their campuses. (These rules apply throughout all extracurriculars, a very reassuring protection, since the majority of those involved in student organizations experience some version of hazing, not just members of fraternities and sororities).

Martinez is pictured giving his final speech as IFC president at Mizzouan opportunity, he explained, to use his platform one last time to address something far bigger than myself. / Courtesy of Johnathan Martinez

I wont pretend that my time in college hasnt come with challenges. As a native Spanish speaker and gay man, I often face circumstances in my day-to-day life that most others dont. The odds that Id end up in college, much less the leader of a Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools fraternity life, are long. Sometimes, I am even shocked by the path my life has taken.

But perhaps I shouldnt have been. Thats because brotherhood is, at its core, something we all need. We need people to accept us, hold us accountable and help us in our times of need. We need institutions that orient our lives toward service to our families, our communities and the world. For me, and millions of men before me, a fraternity has provided the bonds that have strengthened our character and improved our lives.

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Thanks to Phi Kappa Theta, I truly understand who I am and how I can make a difference. Because I was given the chance to become part of a familyand its advice, tough love and encouragementmy life has changed for the better. I hope I have offered the same to other young men, too. Now, more than ever, we all need it.

Johnathan Martinez is a senior at the University of Missouri.
President-elect Donald Trump has once again sparked a media firestorm with his latest round of off-the-cuff remarks, this time suggesting that the U.S. should recover the Panama Canal, purchase Greenland and, most provocatively, incorporate Canada as the 51st state.

Predictably, critics are in full-throated outrage, decrying these remarks as a revival of 19th-century Manifest Destiny dreams of territorial conquest. Yet such reactions reveal a profound misunderstanding of Trumps political style and the realities of American society. Critics need to stop taking these comments so seriously.

Trumps remarks are not policy proposals; theyre trolling. Ever since his first campaign, Trump has wielded the absurd to provoke and dominate the media cycle. Suggesting he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue or musing about Greenland infuriates critics, entertains his base and shifts attention away from his vulnerabilities. This latest round of territorial musings is vintage Trump  provocative, headline-grabbing and unserious.

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The outrage triggered by these comments reflects a misreading of todays political landscape. Unlike 19th-century America, there is no cultural, political or social movement supporting territorial conquest. Americas population is aging, not surging. Cultural superiority has given way to pluralistic debates over national identity, and many Americans question even existing global commitments. Trumps presidency has emphasized retrenchment over expansion, with his America First mantra signaling a sharp break from the interventionist consensus of the post-World War II era.

Take Greenland. Trumps 2019 suggestion to buy the Arctic island made headlines, but the strategic rationale behind U.S. interest in Greenland isnt new. The islands location and resources have long made it a geopolitical asset in American eyes, but Denmarks refusal to sell underscored the absurdity of the proposition. Similarly, annexing Canada is so outlandish it borders on satire. Canadians fiercely value their sovereignty, and Americans  Trumps base included  are far more concerned with immigration and border security than annexation.

Whats remarkable is how Trumps critics miss the joke. By framing his remarks as a revival of Manifest Destiny, they misunderstand his intentions and reinforce the dynamics of Trumpian politics. His rhetoric reflects insecurities within the political and media establishment more than any genuine imperial ambition. Trump thrives on this dynamic, turning outrage into fuel for his political brand.

The real threats to American stability  polarization, inequality and eroding democratic norms  receive far less attention than Trumps provocations. This obsession feeds into his hands, creating a cycle of performative outrage that bolsters his political brand while distracting from substantive issues.

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Trump is not James Monroe reincarnate. His remarks about the Panama Canal, Greenland and Canada are theater, not policy. Territorial expansion in the 21st century is absurd, constrained by international law, prohibitive costs and a lack of political will. Even if such ideas were remotely viable, the political and cultural conditions that underpinned Manifest Destiny no longer exist.

In the 19th century, Manifest Destiny was driven by ideological, economic and demographic forces: a growing population, belief in cultural superiority and economic opportunity. These conditions propelled the U.S. to expand westward and acquire territories. None of these drivers are present in modern America, where retrenchment and skepticism of global commitments dominate public sentiment.

Its time to stop treating Trumps comments about Greenland or Canada as serious policy signals. Theyre a joke, and the outrage they provoke is equally ridiculous. If critics want to challenge him, they need to focus on substantive issues and stop playing his game.

The true challenge lies in addressing the real threats facing America  threats that Trumps critics too often overlook in their eagerness to react. Its time for a reality check: Trump is not manifesting destiny. Hes mastering the media, and the only way to counter him is to stop playing his game.

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Andrew Latham is a professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington, D.C.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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To put it bluntly, Opus Dei has a big problem.

In the nearly 100 years since its founding, countless stories have emerged about leaders, priests, and lay members in the Catholic Churchs sole personal prelaturea kind of floating diocese defined not by geography but by a set of practices and devotionsembroiled in scandal. Members have been tied to fraud and financial crime. Tell-all books and lurid novels have portrayed its founder, Josemaria Escriva, as a villain. And its guiding ethos, the sanctification of everyday life, seems to be frequently conflated with career ambition at best and authoritarian right-wing politics at worst.

Why is Opus Dei so seemingly scandal-ridden? Determining that answer matters if the prelature is to be reformed, as Pope Francis appears intent on doing. But assuming theres more to it than just a media phenomenon, its often been unclear what kind of problem the prelatures critics are even trying to identify. Is the ultimate source of Opus Deis scandals personal or structural? Religious errors or worldly temptations? Individual bad actors or a top-down, globe-spanning conspiracy?

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Financial journalist Gareth Gores new book Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church insists the answer is all of the above. Meant at first to be about the collapse of a major numerary-led Spanish bank, Opus takes the reader down branching rabbit holes into the biography of Escriva, through a series of financial and abuse scandals, then finally into an ecosystem of right-of-center political nonprofits in the United States. In all these sub-topics, Gore argues that Opus Dei, its priests, and its lay members have committed abuse, fraud, trafficking, and more; are obsessed with power, money, and interpersonal control; and aim to remake the world according to a right-wing political agenda.

To its credit, Opus raises enough compelling evidence to establish some serious problems, especially with the treatment of female numerary assistants. Nevertheless, it never quite settles on a single idea about what kind of problem Opus Dei has. Thats because for Gore, every aspect of Opus Dei, no matter how small, is a problem.

From the first chapter, Opus describes the daily routines of Opus Dei numeraries with cultish cliches. Measures taken to entice new members are always lovebombing. The time numeraries set aside each day for prayer and personal introspection leave them barely a moment to think for themselves. (One might wonder what prayer and personal introspection are, if not thinking for oneself.) Opus presents these activities in the same ominous tones as more obviously serious allegations, like the surveillance of members.

But if everything is equally problematic, its nearly impossible to determine the scope of any single problem. Consider the way Opus discusses allegations that Father C. John McCloskey, an Opus Dei priest stationed in Princeton and Washington, D.C., had broken the seal of confession. McCloskeys actions, Gore writes, reflected a widespread technique used by some in Opus Dei who sometimes shared information gathered in the confessional (emphasis added).

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Thats an odd way of putting it. The practice is widespread, but only among some, who do it sometimes. What, then, is the extent of this claim? Are readers supposed to think breaking the seal of confession is systemic, built into the structure of Opus Dei? Or are we supposed to think that Opus Dei leadership explicitly requires it? Or that Opus Dei regularly neglects to explain confession in the formation of its priests? If Gores widespread technique sentence has any veracity whatsoever, its vital to know the scope of its claim and the extent of the evidence for it.

Unfortunately, Opus muddies the waters beyond any hope of disambiguation as to its scope. As for the evidence, while it draws on interviews to discuss specific accusations against McCloskey, the book provides no citation for the widespread technique sentence, nor any other examples of specific priests allegedly breaking the seal of confession. After Opus release, Opus Dei responded with categorical denial that its priests violate the seal of confession. Its statement uses direct language which makes clear the scope of the accusation and its implicationsa refreshing contrast to the original.

Nor is the confession claim the sole instance of Opus dropping a religious bombshell backed by less-than-convincing evidence.

Gore alleges that in 1967, amid tension with the Vatican over Opus Deis canonical status, then-second in command Alvaro del Portillo took a trip to Greece to see whether he might bring the movement into the Orthodox Church and make a complete rupture with the Catholic Churchin a word, schism. To support this claim, Opus cites a 1992 Newsweek article on Escrivas canonization process. The problem, however, is that the article does not establish that del Portillo went to Greece for the reasons Opus alleges. It merely quotes a former Opus Dei member making such a claim 25 years after the fact and prints the prelatures responding statement that del Portillo went to Greece for different reasons. It provides no material evidence or third-party corroboration of the former members accusation, nor does it pretend to; this did not stop Opus from restating the accusation as fact.

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By the end of Opus, of course, its clear enough that Gores real concern is not religious, but political. Almost the entire second half of the book, as well as numerous asides throughout the first, is devoted to institutions advocating for socially conservative causes in the United States. Specifically, Opus delves into the connections between conservative judicial activists (focusing on Leonard Leo, the longtime vice president of the Federalist Society, who is not in Opus Dei) and educational institutions (especially any connected to Robert P. George, a professor at Princeton University who was called the conservative-Christian big thinker by the New York Times, who is also not in Opus Dei).

(In the interest of disclosure: I have attended mass and other events at the Opus Dei-run Catholic Information Center, which Opus describes as this networks Washington, D.C., headquarters, and met in passing some of the people named as part of the web of conspiracy. Nobody tried to recruit me for Opus Dei.)

Opus does not establish or even explicitly claim that this network operates on the direct orders of Opus Dei, though it names several numeraries who have worked with Leo and George on various projects. Nor does it accuse Leo, George, or their coworkers of any illegality. So wheres the scandal? That lobbying, issue advocacy, or special interest groups exist, or that large sums of money change hands between them, is hardly unusual in American politics. The scandal appears to be simply that people who object to abortion or same-sex marriage would associate, organize, and support each others work.

Yet Opus refers to this network as the most consequential force in American politics. This characterization might have been plausible in the immediate aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson, but not after Donald Trump spent his entire 2024 campaign distancing himself from the pro-life movement. Even in 2017, at arguably the height of his influence, Leo said of Trumps electoral victory and (temporary) sympathy that your breaks take you by surprise as much as your setbacks.  Politics is like the rest of lifewe dont always control events as much as we like to think. Opus quotes this line but nonetheless insists that its speaker exerts immense control over events.

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As with Opus Dei itself, there are real criticisms to be had of this network of conservative Catholic nonprofits. One could argue that they over-emphasize one aspect of Catholic social doctrine (sexual morals) to the detriment of others (immigration, poverty, peace) and that they do so because they draw from the same small-bourgeois or professional class from which Opus Dei recruits. But that would require asking why people believe what they believemeaning either taking their own arguments for their positions seriously or committing to a specific type of analysis that might identify exactly what type of problem (personal, systemic, etc.) were dealing with.

Absent that, the source of Opus Deis big problemits proclivity to scandalremains mysterious. The best solution Gore can muster is that the Church posthumously excommunicate Escriva and del Portillo and revoke their beatification. This proposal, from a Catholic perspective, is gibberish. And from a broader perspective, it reduces the issue, after all of Opus insistence that Opus Dei has every kind of problem, to the merely personal. Opus ends just as so many other conspiracy stories do: Having spun a globe-spanning web of intrigue and misdeeds, both proven and merely presumed, it contents itself with chasing ghosts.

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.
MIAMI, Okla.  The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation released the name of the Miami man fatally shot by a Miami Police officer after he rushed toward the officers with a large metal spike.

Jason Wilkins, 49, was transported to a local hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries.

Miami Police officer-involved shooting under investigation

No one else was injured during the shooting, which is still under investigation, said Hunter McKee, OSBI spokesman.

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The fatal shooting happened before 4 p.m., near C Street Southeast and First Avenue Southeast.

Officers say they commanded Wilkins to drop his weapon and thats when they say he rushed towards one of the officers, resulting in an officer-involved shooting, he said.

Melinda Stotts, Miami spokesperson, said the officer involved in the shooting is on paid administrative leave during the investigation.

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A 26-year-old man wanted on a felony battery warrant was arrested on Friday, according to a spokesperson with the Union City Police Department.

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The Union City Police Department Special Entry Tactical Team (SETT), the Randolph County Emergency Response Team (ERT), and several other law enforcement agencies served a high-risk warrant at 6649 E. 1st Street in Spartanburg, Indiana.

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The spokesperson said police arrested Adam Fisher, 26, of Union City without incident.

Officers noticed illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia while arresting Fisher.

While conducting a search warrant, authorities seized more than 30 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition, according to the spokesperson.

An initial investigation found that the firearms and ammunition may have been stolen from Darke County.

We are grateful for the seamless coordination that allowed us to apprehend a dangerous individual while ensuring the safety of all involved, the spokesperson said.

This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected.

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People only giving there first names Erika, left, and Leeann react after an abortion rights amendment to the Missouri constitution passed, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at a watch party in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File

Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet.

It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans.

The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Here's a look at data on where things stand:

Abortions are slightly more common now than before Dobbs

Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how women obtain abortions in the U.S.

But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained.

There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero.

"Abortion bans don't actually prevent abortions from happening," said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco.

But, she said, they do change care.

For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortionsand advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want.

For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills.

Pills become a bigger part of equationand the legal questions

As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation.

They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it's been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute.

The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling.

But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned.

An abortion- rights activist holds a box of mifepristone pills as demonstrators from both anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File

As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access.

This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as "controlled dangerous substances," and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them.

Travel for abortion has increased

Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans.

But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common.

The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans.

Abortion funds, which benefitted from "rage giving" in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give.

The abortion map has been in flux

Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions.

Here's where it stands now:

The ban that took eff

ect in Florida this year has been a game-changer

Florida, the nation's third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1.

That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them.

There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer.

While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor.

Missouri residents and pro-choice advocates react to a speaker during Missourians for Constitutionals Freedom kick-off petition drive, Feb. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP Photo/Ed Zurga, File

Clinics have opened or expanded in some places

The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states.

But some states where abortion remains legal until viabilitygenerally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy, though there's no fixed time for ithave seen clinics open and expand.

Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics.

There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers.

But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they're now in the count of clinicseven though they might provide few of them.

Lack of access to abortions during emergencies is threatening some patients' lives

How hospitals handle pregnancy complications, especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned.

President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration's policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho.

More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records.

Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died.

"It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department," Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year.

Abortion rights are popular with voters

Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions.

Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four.

In the 2024 election, they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure.

AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most casesa slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
For the third time in six years, a passenger fell off the Norwegian Epic as it transported happy vacationers to sites worldwide.

Two incidents happened near the Bahamas from cruises that began and ended at Port Canaveral. The 51-year-old fell off the coast of Long Island just before 4 p.m., data from the ship showed.

The Holland Americas ship and a third vessel scanned the waters for hours before calling off the search.

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We felt the ship kind of grind to a halt, and we could tell that they were reversing it fairly quickly. So it felt like something was definitely wrong, Caroline Dees, a passenger on the Epic, said.

Read: Mega Millions lottery jackpot surpasses $1B

Dees uploaded several videos to her TikTok account that showed crews using a spotlight to scan the water after the sunset.

She spoke to WFTV as the ship docked in Nassau, where it diverted to instead of Norwegians private island in part due to the delay the overboard incident caused, Dees said.

Our ship stayed in one spot, Dees recalled. We went back to where the marker, the red flag, had gone down, and we circled around it for a while. Holland Cruise line came back, and they were circling around us.

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The Epic had passengers fall off in both 2018 and 2019.

The 2018 incident involved a female in the Bahamas, resulting in a quick rescue.

Read: Drier weather quickly returns next week, with plenty of sunshine for Central Florida

The rescue was one of the rare successes, however.

Data compiled by a cruise liner industry group revealed 212 overboard incidents involving passengers and crew from 2009 to 2019.

Of those, just 48 resulted in a rescue.

A Norwegian spokesperson said the passenger was traveling with a large group.

His family on board is being attended to and supported during this challenging situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time, the spokesperson wrote.

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Read: Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78

The company did not confirm the reason the man fell.

I feel like everyone was doing all they could, Dees said. It was one of those situations where even your best is just not good enough.

The Epic departed Nassau Friday afternoon. Its due back in Port Canaveral around 7 a.m. Saturday.

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PAINESVILLE, Ohio (WJW)  Painesville police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide on Thursday evening in the citys Heisley Park development, according to a Friday news release from police.

Police conducting a welfare check at the home in the 600 block of Cherrywood Lane received no response at the door.

Residents voice concerns over future of Geauga Co. dog shelter

After gaining entry to the home they found 58-year-old Celija Vidovic and 62-year-old Dragan Vidovic, both of Painesville, dead of gunshot wounds, in what appeared to be a murder suicide, according to the release.

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Peanut-shaped roundabout opens in North Ridgeville

Painesville detectives and the Lake County coroner responded to the scene.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the deaths is urged to call Painesville police at 440-392-5840.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed a historic close encounter with the sun, passing through its blazing corona in mankind's nearest approach to the star, NASA announced Friday.

The probe, which was launched in 2018, passed within 3.8 million miles of the sun's surface as it swung around the celestial body at a speed of 430,000 mph, which is faster than any human-made object has ever moved, the agency said in a blog post.

Scientists were anxiously awaiting the reappearance of the probe after it entered the sun's upper atmosphere on Christmas Eve and then orbited around it. When it emerged on the other side unharmed on Friday, they celebrated their success and readied to delve into the unique data it will provide on solar winds and other long-hidden secrets of the solar system.

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"Flying this close to the sun is a historic moment in humanity's first mission to a star," said Nicky Fox of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "By studying the sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth and in space, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe to aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet."

Officials at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., which designed, built and operates the spacecraft, similarly hailed the achievement.

"This mission is ushering a new golden era of space exploration, bringing us closer than ever to unlocking the sun's deepest and most enduring mysteries," said APL project scientist Nour Rawafi.

It won't be the last time the Parker probe passes close to the sun. Its oval-shaped orbit will bring it back to within 3.8 million miles of its surface every three months, at which distance it is close enough to carry out studies but not too close to burn up at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The spacecraft's next planned close solar passes come on March 22, 2025, and June 19, 2025.

NASA says the probe is protected by a carbon foam shield which keeps the instruments onboard at a comfortable room temperature.

The data it will provide promises to "revolutionize" mankind's understanding of the sun, scientists say.

It has already shown them that the Sun's corona is wrinkled with spikes and valleys, contrary to what was expected, while also revealing the origins of "switchbacks," or irregularly shaped structures in the solar wind which are visible sun's surface.

"We now understand the solar wind and its acceleration away from the sun," said Adam Szabo of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "This close approach will give us more data to understand how it's accelerated closer in."
Editors note: This is the first in a four-part series looking ahead to 12 of the biggest stories of 2025 across South Mississippi.

A billboard at Exit 24 of I-80 proclaims Buc-ees travel center is coming soon, and the opening will be one of the biggest stories across South Mississippi in 2025.

A spokesperson tells the Sun Herald the company currently is planing for a spring 2025 opening.

The site literally is buzzing with the sound of equipment and the many workers building the $50 million travel center. It will be one of the largest the company operates, owner Arch Beaver Aplin said at the September 2023 groundbreaking.

Buc-ees founder and owner Arch Beaver Aplin poses for a photo at the site of the future Harrison County Buc-ees after a groundbreaking for the travel station on Sept. 12, 2023. The 2025 opening of the store is among the biggest development news in South Mississippi.

The 74,000-square-foot building will have 120 fueling pumps and 24 EV charging stations and employ about 200 people full time.

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Buc-ees centers are known for fresh brisket sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets and dozens of other snacks, aisles of gifts and souvenirs that will say Buc-ees Harrison County. The centers also are favored for their ultra clean restrooms.

So many people are expected to get off I-10 to come to Buc-ees that Harrison County invested $15 million toward replacing the bridge and rebuilding the intersection at the Menge Avenue exit to accommodate the crowds.

The Menge Avenue overpass over Interstate 10 in Pass Christian is under construction on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

I-10 Construction

The problems have felt endless for some exasperated drivers: Construction. Rain. Sudden, large potholes.

Drivers in both directions of Interstate 10 in Hancock and Harrison counties slogged through delay after delay in 2024, and traffic could continue. The Mississippi Department of Transportation is working on two construction projects in the area, and one will not be done for at least two years.

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That project, which is estimated to end in 2027, will add a lane in each direction between Diamondhead and County Farm Road. Crews will keep closing lanes at night to work on construction in the new year, said Anna Ehrgott, a public information officer for MDOT. Eastbound traffic will also soon shift toward the outer lanes.

Ehrgott said in December that MDOT was still working to find a permanent fix to one problem prompted by the widening work: large potholes. When construction shifts traffic to the shoulder, large trucks exert too much pressure on a drain beneath the road. That has created cracks that become large holes. Ehrgott has said the holes can be up to 10 inches deep and more than 10 feet long.

The large potholes have formed between County Farm Road and Diamondhead. And in Diamondhead, MDOT is also widening the interstate overpass and adding roundabouts. The project is closing each ramp to make them bigger, and MDOT estimates the work will finish in 2026.

Crews have already widened two of the four ramps. The I-10 west exit ramp will stay closed in January. After that ramp reopens, the east entrance ramp will close later in 2025.

Mississippi state Sen. Mike Thompson, left, and Pass Christian Jimmy Rafferty participate in a meeting at the Pass Christian Yacht Club about Mississippi River flooding. Lieutenant governors from Mississippi and Louisiana, along with other public officials from Mississippi, attended the meeting.

MS Coast waterways

Climate change is jeopardizing the health of the Mississippi Sound, with extreme periods of drought and flood disturbing the salinity balance that oysters, dolphins and other aquatic life need to thrive.

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Mississippi River water the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases through the aging Bonnet Carre Spillway on Lake Pontchartrain also pollutes waterways in Mississippi and Louisiana. The polluted water can deprive aquatic life of oxygen and create toxic algae blooms.

The most pressing issue in the coming year will continue to be the corps approach to flood control, which was set in federal law that is almost 100 years old.

Pass Christian Mayor Jimmy Rafferty recently hosted a work session that included the lieutenant governors of both Mississippi and Louisiana, along with state and local officials from Mississippi. They plan to work together on input for an Army Corps study of lower Mississippi River management.

They also are talking with members of Congress about future flood control.

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Fishing and tourism in both states also suffer during prolonged river flooding.

The Mississippi Sound Coalition of cities and groups made some progress with a lawsuit against the Corps, receiving acknowledgment that the environment suffers under current Corps management practices and needs to be addressed.

Periods of drought also impair the waterways because salinity levels get too high.

Stories of 2025

Part 1: Buc-ees, potholes and our waterways

Part 2: Amtrak, NIL and Katrina

Part 3: Casinos, the seawall and Benjamin Taylor

Part 4: Our changing downtowns, elections and an execution
NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio (WJW)  Friday marked the grand opening of the areas first peanut-shaped roundabout at the intersection of Stoney Ridge Road, Mills Road and Avalon Drive. This unique traffic innovation is making waves  and turning wheels  in North Ridgeville.

So what does this traffic twist mean for your daily commute? Heres the scoop.

This isnt your average traffic circle. North Ridgevilles latest traffic innovation is designed to tackle congestion and improve safety at a historically chaotic intersection.

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Traffic alert: Sinkhole closes roadway in Cleveland

City officials are calling it a game-changer, and city Engineer Christina Eavenson explained the reasoning behind the unusual design.

We had a lot of safety concerns and wait times on the side lanes, Eavenson said.

After four years of planning and construction, the peanut-shaped roundabout was chosen for its ability to streamline traffic flow while reducing the risks of collisions.

The peanut-shaped layout isnt just for looks. Its specifically designed to handle intersections where roads dont align in a perfect circle. By narrowing in the middle, this shape keeps vehicles moving efficiently while minimizing delays.

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Eavenson emphasized that the design isnt just eye-catching  its practical.

We like how they operate; the operation is very minimal, so this is the route that we chose.

In a post to the citys Facebook page, officials offered a few tips for safely navigating the new roundabout:

DO : Turn right to enter the roundabout.

DO NOT : Turn left. Youll be going the wrong way.

DO : Yield to traffic already in the roundabout.

DO NOT : Stop in the roundabout.

DO: Travel counter-clockwise through the roundabout.

Increased presence at mall after 20 unsupervised teens arrested

The peanut-shaped roundabout is not just a traffic solution  its also becoming a point of pride for the community.

Whether youre a seasoned driver or just curious to see it in action, this innovative design promises to improve the daily commute for North Ridgeville residents.

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So, on your mark, get set slow down! And as always, remember: safety first.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WFLA)  An 18-year-old was arrested Friday after authorities said he struck and killed a man who was walking on the side of a road in Brooksville and then drove off.

The crash happened around 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 27 on Lenox Boulevard, near Ruby Falls Court, according to a report by the Florida Highway Patrol.

At least 15 people injured after Brightline train hits fire truck in Florida

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Cameron John Grosso, of Spring Hill, was reportedly traveling south in a BMW 528i when he struck the 68-year-old pedestrian from Brooklyn, New York.

Troopers said Grosso continued driving but eventually stopped on Maybelle Drive at Lenox Boulevard.

The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital, but later died due to his injuries, officials reported.

Grosso and two passengers in his vehicle, ages 19 and 20, were uninjured.

Troopers said Grosso was arrested and booked into the Hernando County Jail for leaving the scene of a fatal crash and attaching an unassigned license plate to the 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 WFLA.
Investigators on Friday identified a Massachusetts couple and their two daughters as the victims of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after they were found dead inside their New Hampshire vacation home on Christmas Day.

The bodies of Matthew Goldstein, 52, an elementary school teacher in Brookline, and his wife Lyla Goldstein, 54, a project manager at Microsoft, were found by officers conducting a wellness check at 2962 Province Lake Road in Wakefield, New Hampshire, just before 4:30 p.m. on Christmas.

Their daughters, Valerie Goldstein, 22, who was also a teacher, and Violet Goldstein, 19, a college student, also died in the accident.

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The family lived in Newton, Massachusetts, and were visiting New Hampshire for the holidays, according to New Hampshire Fire Marshal Sean Toomey.

Tragic: State fire marshal answers questions after Mass. family found dead in NH vacation home

Toomey said investigators havent yet figured out what caused the apparent leak of carbon monoxide from the propane gas heating system, also noting that there were no carbon monoxide alarms found in the home.

The family was expected to attend a holiday event before their deaths. Toomey said three victims were found in a bedroom and one in a bathroom.

When they did not show up at the event, family members contacted local authorities and requested a welfare check, ultimately leading to the discovery of the victims, Toomey said. Additionally, no working carbon monoxide alarms have been found in the home.

A house in Wakefield, N.H., where a family of four died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning on Christmas Day, is shown on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

Brookline Public Schools Superintendent Linus Guillory confirmed that Matthew Goldstein was a teacher in town.

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We are deeply heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mr. Matt Goldstein, an exceptional educator and a beloved member of our PSB and Baker School Community, Guillory said in a statement. Mr. Goldsteins dedication to inspiring students and shaping young minds has left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.

The Edith C. Baker School where Goldstein worked serves the Chestnut Hill and South Brookline neighborhoods of Brookline and is one of the largest elementary schools in the town.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues, and students during this profoundly difficult time, Guillory added. We are committed to providing the support and resources needed for the Baker School Community as we grieve this tremendous loss together.

Baker School Principal Saeed Ola said educators are assembling a support plan for students and staff.

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Tragic news like this is difficult to process, and we know that our entire school community will need support during this challenging time, Ola said in a statement. To this end, we are working closely with our school-based and district-level clinicians along with district-level staff to develop a support plan for our students and staff. In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out if you have any immediate concerns or need assistance.

In a statement, Rhode Island School of Design President Crystal Williams said that Violet was a first-year student at the school.

This is an unimaginable loss for Violets loved ones, friends, faculty, peers, and all of us in the RISD community, and we are currently reaching out to Violets closest friends, President Williams said. As we process and mourn this tragedy, please take comfort in your loved ones and keep Violet and her family in your thoughts.

School officials say although the college is closed for winter break, counseling, and psychological services will still be available for students and faculty who feel they need help processing the loss.

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I know that you join me in feeling utter heartbreak at the loss of such a promising young member of our community, along with her family, on what should have been a joyous occasion, she said.

Friends of the Goldstein family laid flowers at their Margaret Road home in Newton, where family friend Jesse King said Valeries 22nd birthday party was scheduled for Friday night.

It shows how powerful their love really was, King said. The family was a perfect example of what a family should be like. The family was super close to each other. They did themed Halloween costumes it was really cute.

King was particularly close with Valerie during high school.

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She was love personified, he explained. She was everybodys friend.

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for a memorial bench plaque at the Baker School. If youd like to donate, you can click here.

Anyone with information for investigators is encouraged to call the New Hampshire State Fire Marshals Office at 603-223-4289 or fmo@dos.nh.gov.

Wakefield is a small town in the Lakes Region, east of Lake Winnipesaukee. The towns population was 5,201 at the 2020 census.

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Dec. 27MITCHELL  It's the time of the year when gifts are given, blessings are counted, and employees from Performance Pet Products compete to outgive each other with donations to the local food pantry.

Employees from Performance Pet gathered at the Mitchell Food Pantry on Friday, Dec. 27, to unload four pallets of bottled water and three pallets of food, totalling 8,992 pounds of food and a matching check of $8,992.

Every year, Farmers Union Industries, which owns Performance Pet, runs a company-wide food drive across their various divisions. Farmers Union Industries matches the employee's pound donation with a monetary donation with a dollar for each pound of food donated.

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The competition drives morale at the Performance Pet Products plant, and employees look forward to seeing the leaderboard each day.

"This year I offered to buy the number one team pizza on my dime," Performance Pet Products complex manager Jari Mahoney said. "The excitement in our company over this food drive is absolutely amazing. It created a team atmosphere  the enthusiasm when our teams saw how close we were to the other divisions."

Mahoney set the employees in teams of four employees each to compete against each other to see which team could gather the most food for the food pantry. As the teams outdid each other, the pet food plant started to outdo their other divisions in pounds raised for food pantries, and eventually beat the other divisions outright.

"We are incredibly proud of our employees for their generous hearts..." said Dale Bednarek, Farmers Union President and CEO. "Not only do they show up day in and day out for work, but they also show up in supporting their community. Without them, this wouldn't be possible."

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Mahoney shared that they work from their values of GRIT, a company acronym which stands for generosity, relationship, integrity, and teamwork.

Mike Lauritsen, CEO of the Mitchell Area Development Corporation and Chamber of Commerce, was on hand to support the food pantry and praise the culture of Performance Pet Products.

"We preach culture because that's how you keep employees," Lauritsen said. "The culture within their organization is to give back to the community."

What is donated to the food pantry is what families in need will be eating.

"We give what we get," Pooley said.

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The Mitchell Food Pantry serves about 1,000 people in the area, with about 400 of those being children. These families and individuals are 185% below the federal poverty line, which means individuals who make less than $2,321.75 or a family of four who makes less than $4,810 can qualify for aid from the food pantry. On top of that, they are the distribution center for senior boxes, which is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to feed those 60 years old and older with a box of food once a month.

Regular food donations for the Mitchell Food Pantry can be brought to 812 N. Rowley St., Suite C, during business hours. Please call 605-990-3663 with any questions or check its social media pages for hours. Monetary donations are also accepted via mail: Mitchell Food Pantry, P.O. Box 815, Mitchell, SD 57301.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  The Maui Humane Society has been awarded a $50,000 grant from national nonprofit Petco Love to enhance its efforts to save and improve the lives of pets on Maui.

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The funding will be used to upgrade the shelters small animal housing, improving care for rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles, and other small animals.

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Petco Love has invested nearly $400 million in lifesaving efforts since its founding in 1999. They partner with over 4,000 organizations across North America to help find homes for pets.

Through its initiatives, the nonprofit has helped over 6.9 million pets find loving families.

North Shore beaches on Kauai closed due to hazardous conditions

Our investment in Maui Humane Society is part of a broader commitment to create a future where no pet is unnecessarily euthanized, said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. Were proud to support local organizations like Maui Humane Society to strengthen communities and help make a difference for pets in need.

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Maui Humane Society Chief of Operations, Nikki Russell, expressed gratitude for the investment, stating, Petco Loves generous support will significantly improve the health and well-being of small animals in our care. These upgrades will also help inspire confidence in potential adopters, setting a new standard for small animal care on the island.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

For more information about the Maui Humane Society, visit mauihumanesociety.org. To learn more about Petco Love, visit petcolove.org.

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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

Malaria and common respiratory infections, compounded by malnutrition, caused an hitherto unexplained spate of deaths in the southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said Friday.

The DR Congo said earlier this month it was on "maximum alert" over an "unknown public health event" that claimed dozens of lives in the Panzi region, around 700 kilometers (435 miles) southeast of the capital Kinshasa.

Children under five accounted for around half the cases and deaths from what was being described as an undiagnosed disease.

The situation first appeared on the radar in late October, with Panzi health authorities raising the alert in late November following a surge in deaths.

Enhanced surveillance was rapidly implemented, which, in the absence of a clear diagnosis, was based on tracking cases presenting with fever, coughs, body weaknesses, and symptoms such as chills, headaches and difficulty breathing, the World Health Organization said.

In an update on the situation, the WHO said that from October 24 to December 16, a total of 891 cases met the definition, with 48 deaths.

The UN health agency said that as of December 16, laboratory results from 430 samples showed positive results for malaria and for common respiratory viruses including influenza, rhinoviruses, SARS-CoV-2, human coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses, and human adenovirus.

"While further laboratory tests are ongoing, together these findings suggest that a combination of common and seasonal viral respiratory infections and falciparum malaria, compounded by acute malnutrition, led to an increase in severe infections and deaths, disproportionally affecting children under five years of age," the WHO said.

"This event highlights the severe burden from common infectious diseases (acute respiratory infections and malaria) in a context of vulnerable populations facing food insecurity," it added.

The WHO assessed the overall public health risk in the affected communities as high, requiring stronger malaria control and improved nutrition.

At the national level, the risk was considered low due to the localized nature of the event.

"However, many other areas of DRC are seeing increasing levels of malnutrition, and what has been witnessed in Panzi could also happen elsewhere in the country," the WHO added.

Access to the region is difficult by road and health infrastructure is lacking. Residents also face a shortage of drinking water and medicine.

According to the Congolese authorities, the region, which suffered a serious typhoid fever epidemic two years ago, has one of the highest malnutrition rates in the country at 61 percent.

The DRC, one of the world's poorest countries, has in recent months been at the epicenter of an outbreak of mpox, with more than 1,000 deaths.

 2024 AFP
Dec. 27Portland City Councilor Kate Sykes sent an email Friday to City Manager Danielle West asking about the city's homeless shelter.

"Is it possible to temporarily raise the bed limit at the (homeless services center) throughout the winter to accommodate more individuals?" she asked.

Sykes said she felt compelled to look for solutions after two petitions circulated this week urging the city to do more to provide warming spaces for homeless people as temperatures dropped into the single digits.

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One petition asks the city to amend its winter warming plan to open a no-barrier shelter anytime temperatures drop below 32 degrees or there's freezing rain or snow. The current rules set that threshold at 15 degrees or when there's more than 10 inches of snow.

"People can develop hypothermia in much warmer weather than 15 degrees. This is a matter of life or death," said Jess Falero, who helped organize the effort and was once homeless.

The petition also asks the city to stop removing tents out of concern that there is a lack of open beds at the city shelter and people have nowhere else to go.

The second petition, organized in part by Zachary Moore, who runs a painting company in South Portland and was formerly homeless, goes even further, asking the city to open a downtown shelter for the entire winter and keep it open 24/7.

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He said establishing a permanent warming space could eliminate what to him seems to be a yearly scramble to throw together a warming shelter.

"Why is this same conversation happening every November? We don't understand in July that this is happening? That it's going to get cold? Why don't we get realistic here," he said.

But Mayor Mark Dion said very few people are actually stepping up to provide these services, even when the city offers millions of dollars in aid. He cited the city's effort to open a year-round day space for the homeless community, which would tap into $1.38 million in opioid settlements funding, but no one has applied to run it, he said.

"The city runs three shelters with 600 beds and we can barely staff what we have now," said Dion. "I get super frustrated at people who just assume we're not doing what we should do; we're doing everything we can."

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WARMING SHELTER COSTS

Those three shelters don't include a city-run warming shelter. However, the city does help coordinate a partnership every year between a local nonprofit and the state, which provides funding each winter for an emergency warming shelter in the city.

For the last few years, Greater Portland Peer Services has gotten that contract and run the shelter out of First Parish Unitarian Church on Congress Street. But last year, they nearly ran out of money at the end of February, about a month too early.

When the time came this year to submit proposals for operating the shelter, nobody applied, according to Dion.

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Brian Townsend, executive director of Commonspace, a nonprofit that supports the homeless population, said that's when city officials asked if his organization would take on the job.

Townsend agreed, but said it is no small task. He said there are about 70 to 80 people who consistently use that shelter; nearly all of them are drug users, and many have mental health issues.

To keep the space  and the surrounding area  safe, they need experienced staff who can clean up and make sure nobody is camping on the property on nights when the shelter is closed. All of those challenges played into deciding when, and how often, to open.

The city and Commonspace worked together to agree on the weather threshold that would trigger its opening  trying to balance community needs with limited resources.

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But Commonspace can decide to open the shelter at other times, too. Townsend said it has been open seven nights so far this winter, only two of which were compulsory.

Townsend said he would like to see their doors open more often and understands the need for a permanent space, but doesn't see a way to create one.

"Right now it's everything we can do just to keep it running at the level that it is," he said.

CITY COUNCIL RESPONSE

Advocates are also pushing the city to stop removing tents during the winter.

Under a 2022 policy, the city can remove tents with 24 hours' notice as long as there are beds available at the city shelter. The city said there have consistently been between 10 and 20 beds open each night over the last few months, so they have been removing tents quickly.

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But Falero and others said they have called the city shelter looking for beds for clients over the past few weeks and been told there is no space.

"From our experience as advocates, those numbers the city has put out don't seem true," said Moore.

City spokesperson Jessica Grondin said the shelter offers beds starting in the morning. Once beds are spoken for, she said, they instruct others to try later in the day. Then, the staff does a check after curfew at 11 p.m. for any remaining beds and at that point, they update the number.

But Moore said beds that open up late at night are effectively unavailable.

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"If someone is homeless, they need to know where they're going to sleep before 11 at night. Practically, a bed that opens up that late isn't going to get used," said Moore.

The petitions have reignited Dion's pleas for the state and other communities to do more to provide services for homeless residents. He said Portland has exhausted its resources.

"I keep calling for the cavalry, but nothing is coming over the hill. I'd like those petition signers to give that some thought and see if they can come up with anything. Maybe they should send that petition to the governor or to other municipalities," he said.

Still, Sykes is disappointed that, to her, the city appears to be distancing itself from the issue. In an email to councilors Thursday, she said Grondin seemed to absolve the city of responsibility.

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"As you know, we don't operate or fund the emergency warming shelter  that is Commonspace via MaineHousing funds," Grondin's email stated.

Other councilors weren't ready to weigh in on the issue. Councilor Regina Phillips declined to comment, saying she needed more information. And newly elected Councilor Ben Grant said he was hoping to learn more about the city's winter warming plan.

"If there is a concern in the community that people aren't receiving shelter to make them safe, then it's our obligation to look at that," he said.

But Councilor Wes Pelletier said he thought the city should change its winter warming plan.

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"Having the temperature threshold be anything below freezing is unacceptable. I'm fully in support of using whatever power the council has to change that," he said.

Councilors Pious Ali, Anna Bullett, April Fournier and Sarah Michniewicz did not respond to questions about how they hope to address the concerns laid out in the petitions.

Sykes said she hoped her colleagues would step up and help her find a solution.

"The primary responsibility of city government is to keep people safe, so for me, I feel like we share in that responsibility," said Sykes.

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Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) criticized his party for being totally devoid of leadership and urged his colleagues to listen more to working-class voters around the country.

This party needs a comprehensive turnaround, and conventional wisdom no longer works. A party that consists of multiple silos and campaign committees and outside groups cannot strategically do its job, and that means leadership, Phillips, who earlier this year mounted a primary bid against President Biden, said during an interview with Politico that was published Saturday morning.

Right now, we are totally devoid of leadership. We are rudderless, he said in his exit interview.

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The outgoing Minnesota lawmaker was critical of the Democratic Party following President-elect Trumps win in the 2024 presidential election over Vice President Harris. Phillips, who dropped his long-shot White House run in March, was one of the rare Democrats to call for Biden to step aside months before the president followed through on it in July.

I dont know which Democratic Party member my colleagues would point to as the leader, de facto leader, and absent that, I dont see much, frankly, happening, he said in the interview.

What do we have to do? Listen, its not that hard. This is not rocket science. This is representation. It starts with listening, and it means getting out to places and spaces and people and communities that weve all but turned our back on, he added.

Phillipss comments come as Democrats have been forced to recalibrate after Republicans gained a trifecta this last election cycle.

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The retiring Democratic legislator said it was ironic that the GOP is now representing Americas working class, referring to constituents that traditionally voted for Democrats, but have shifted rightward in the 2024 contest, according to exit polling.

Its astounding, and that was ceded to them by people that have prioritized things like tenure over talent, identity politics over pragmatic problem-solving. Its as simple as that, but it takes leadership, Phillips said.

Phillips, who represents Minnesotas 3rd Congressional District, did not rule out the possibility of running for public office again.

I never say never, but I really dont intend to and aspire to. I do absolutely aspire to effect change, and at least call attention to what I really believe is wrong, and its not political, he said. Its pragmatic and real. I believe the parties need competition one way or another. Its the only thing that I think will actually create a mechanism to push people together, to cooperate, rather than to separate in the corners and fight one another. So I do anticipate some role.

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A man died after he was intentionally hit by a vehicle in central Phoenix, police said.

Just after 7:30 p.m. Friday, officers responded to the 16th Street and Thomas Road intersection regarding a crash involving a pedestrian, police said. Ethan Jaaziel Felix, 35, was found with serious injuries, police said.

Felix was taken to the hospital, but he did not survive, police said.

Homicide detectives are investigating, police said.

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Police asked anyone with information about Felix's death to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO. Information can be offered anonymously. Police said rewards would be paid for information leading to an arrest.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police: Man dies after being hit by vehicle on purpose
DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN)  Ambulance patients headed to Duke Hospital are temporarily being sent to other hospitals after a pipe burst in its facility late Thursday evening.

Around 11:40 p.m., Duke Health officials said a 12-inch chilled water pipe inside a wall burst at Duke University Hospital and caused flooding in several areas including the emergency department.

Ambulance patients headed to Duke Hospital are temporarily being sent to other hospitals after a pipe burst in its facility late Thursday evening. Ambulance patients headed to Duke Hospital are temporarily being sent to other hospitals after a pipe burst in its facility late Thursday evening. Ambulance patients headed to Duke Hospital are temporarily being sent to other hospitals after a pipe burst in its facility late Thursday evening.

All patients in the emergency department received appropriate care, according to officials.

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Incoming ambulances are currently being referred to nearby hospitals. Emergency patients arriving at Duke University Hospital by their own means are being attended in alternative sites at the hospital unaffected by flooding.

Friday morning, Duke Health officials said:

The entire Emergency Department is closed for patients . We are receiving patients in front of the Emergency Department and are transporting to Emergency Department areas in Surgical Short Stay and 2200. We are working to get Emergency Department triage and D pod back up this morning.

Blood Bank, Pharmacy, Sterile Processing, Decedent Care, and Radiology are impacted as well. Work is being rerouted to Duke Central Tower, Duke Medicine Pavilion, etc.

The Duke North Dock was severely impacted and is now closed. We are rerouting deliveries to other Duke Central Tower, Duke Medicine Pavilion, etc.

Duke Health officials said that diversions will continue for the next 48 hours as they repair damage due to the pipe burst and flooding. State officials have also been notified.

Our priority is to ensure that all patients receive the care they need, and we are working diligently to minimize the disruptions caused by this event. We hope to resume normal operations as soon as possible, Duke Health officials said in a statement.

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Crews were seen walking back and forth with equipment, setting up a mobile hospital right in front of the emergency room at Duke Hospital on Friday night.

There were about three to four inches of water coming out of the walls in the emergency room, Durham County EMS Chief Paramedic Gordon Smith said. All the staff there were hustling and moving all the patients away, evacuating them away from the danger and much of the equipment as well.

For EMS, what that will translate to is most likely going to be increased hospital wait times, which on the back end of that will decrease ambulance availabilities, he said.

The Duke Hospital Emergency Department remains closed as of Friday night. It is not known when it will reopen.

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Piqua, Ohio (WDTN)  A toddler has died from her injuries after a babysitter allegedly slammed her on the floor.

One-year-old Vivian Gardner died at Dayton Childrens on Dec. 19, two weeks after the reported incident.

Shelby County Sheriff investigating reports of child abuse

On Dec. 5, Piqua first responders were called to a home on reports from the babysitter of a child not breathing. After the young girl was transported to a local hospital, police officers were called to investigate the situation.

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The next day, 34-year-old Michael Mayor was arrested and he was later charged with felonious assault and child endangerment for the alleged abuse of Gardner while babysitting her.

Records show Mayor allegedly slammed the child to the floor, causing serious injuries including skull damage and a brain bleed.

According to court documents, Mayor pleaded not guilty to assault and endangerment charges. He remains in jail on $1 million bond.

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FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  Fairfax County police arrested a man from Loudoun County who allegedly tried to solicit sex from a 14-year-old girl.

The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said on Dec. 19, detectives found out that a man had tried to solicit sex from a 14-year-old girl and had sexually explicit communication with her.

Man found guilty of sexual assault, burglary in almost 27-year-old cold case

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On Dec. 26, FCPD, Virginia State Police and the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office arrested Trcore Lee Grant, 32, of Purceville, at his home.

Grant was charged with three counts of Solicitation of a Minor, Indecent Liberties with a Child and Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor.

He is being held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center and will be extradited to Fairfax County.

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LISBON, Ohio (WKBN)  A Lisbon man who was reported missing Saturday has been found.

The Columbiana County Sheriffs Office says he has been safely returned to his family.

The 82-year-old went missing on Saturday around 9:45 a.m. He was reported as found just after 1:30 p.m.

Authorities said he has a cognitive impairment and they were concerned for his safety.

They said he walked away from a home in Lisbon and hadnt come back.

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Dec. 27ELKHART  A male suspect is in custody after reportedly fleeing from Elkhart Police Department officers in a stolen vehicle late last night/early this morning. He also reportedly barricaded himself in the vehicle when the pursuit ended on an off-ramp exit for the Indiana Toll Road.

According to Elkhart police, at 11:53 p.m. Thursday, an Elkhart police officer started to pursue a stolen van in the area of Cassopolis Street/East Bristol Street in Elkhart. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Wisconsin.

The van driver reportedly disregarded EPD vehicle emergency lights and sirens and continued to flee from the originating officer, as other EPD officers joined the pursuit. Shortly after midnight, the fleeing van entered the Indiana Toll road traveling east, the report reads.

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The pursuit ended with the vehicle stopping at the Middlebury off-ramp exit 107 on the Toll Road at approximately 12:10 a.m., police reported. The subject reportedly barricaded himself inside the vehicle and refused to exit. Officers deployed chemical irritants inside the vehicle without success. The Elkhart County Regional SWAT team was activated to assist, and also deployed gas inside the vehicle with no success.

Police said that eventually SWAT extracted the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle from the van shortly before 5:30 a.m. with the assistance of a K9. The male suspect was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment, per protocol.

No other injuries were reported during this incident. Elkhart was assisted by Indiana State Police, the LaGrange County Sheriff's Office, the Middlebury Police Department, and the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Police searched a Newport home as part of a missing person investigation, authorities said.

The Newport Police Department said they executed the search warrant at a home in the 200 block of Northwest 7th Street at about 7 a.m. Friday.

Officials said the investigation is active and no further information can be shared. However, police said there is no threat to the community.

Windstorm closes multiple state parks

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Neighbors told KOIN 6 News they saw SWAT teams surround the home with police dogs in action and officers taking at least two people into custody.

Neighbor David Martinez said he saw police with a public works truck with a flatbed trailer and believes officers were digging behind the house.

Its kind of crazy because, you know, you just dont expect to be in your neighborhood or on your street, said neighbor Johan Martinez.

KOIN 6 News has reached out to the Newport Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, and the Lincoln County District Attorneys Office for more information and we will update this story if they tell us more.

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN)  A United States Postal Service employee in Fayetteville was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing more than $750,000 in U.S. Treasury checks, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Zerion Marcos Franklins four-year prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Treasury, according to the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Federal prosecutors said Franklin was a USPS employee at the mail processing annex in Fayetteville. In June 2024, Fayetteville police conducted a search of his vehicle after they spotted drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop. They discovered 47 U.S. Treasury checks made payable to entities and individuals other than Franklin. The checks were dated between April and May 2023 and included federal tax returns, VA benefits, and Social Security disability benefits.

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According to federal prosecutors, Fayetteville police also found more than $22,000 in U.S. currency, a loaded 9mm handgun, and marijuana packaged for sale inside Franklins car.

Shortly after the traffic stop, according to federal prosecutors, a victim in New Hanover County reported the theft of her tax refund check. Investigators learned the check was stolen from the mail stream, altered to be paid to Franklin, and cashed at a Walmart in Fayetteville in May 2023. They determined Franklins theft of U.S. Treasury checks totaled more than $750,000.

Our American postal service is a public trust, staffed with civil servants bound to prioritize the publics interests above personal gain, U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. said in a statement. Most postal employees honor their oath, faithfully delivering billions of parcels every year.

This postal employee is the rare exception, stealing three quarters of a million dollars in U.S. Treasury funds, including tax refunds, from the mail and robbing hardworking American taxpayers in the process, he continued in his statement. The consequence is clear: steal mail, face prison.

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A pregnant woman who ordered pizza in Florida was stabbed 14 times by a delivery driver who police say was disgruntled over her $2 tip.

Osceola County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to the Riviera Motel in Kissimmee, Florida, over reports of a home invasion and stabbing on Dec. 22, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News.

Arriving deputies located a victim, Melinda Irizarry, who was stabbed multiple times and was then transported to an area hospital.

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She underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured lung and suffered stab wounds to the chest, arms, legs and abdomen, according to the affidavit.

Irizarry is currently in stable condition, the Osceola County Sheriffs Office said in an update on Facebook.

Authorities identified 22-year-old Brianna Alvelo as the delivery driver and suspect in the case, according to the affidavit

Officials say that Irizarry placed an order at Marcos Pizza Shop and 30 minutes later the suspect believed to be Alvelo arrived at their motel with the order, which totaled $33.10.

Irizarry handed the suspect a $50 bill and requested change, however, to which she was told it was store policy not to provide change, the affidavit said.

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After getting smaller bills to fulfill the order, Irizarry ended up giving the driver a $2 tip. After the incident, Irizarry told deputies the driver rolled her eyes and walked away without saying anything, according to the affidavit.

Officials said Alvelo allegedly later returned to the victims motel room with an unknown male suspect  who was armed with a firearm  and forced their way into the room.

Alvelo, who deputies say was armed with a knife, attacked the victim and stabbed her 14 times, according to the affidavit.

Police say items were also taken from the motel room in the invasion.

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Alvelo was arrested on home invasion with a firearm, attempted murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault violations, according to the affidavit.

Officials say the unknown male suspect is still at large and request anyone with information regarding the case to contact Crimeline at (800) 423-8477.

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CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) Fire officials are reminding people of the importance of having working carbon monoxide alarms in their homes after a Massachusetts family died from CO poisoning on Christmas Day.

In Massachusetts alone firefighters receive about 5,000 calls a year addressing high levels of carbon monoxide, most of them during the winter months.

Four found dead Christmas Day in New Hampshire home

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We cant see it, we cant smell it, we cant taste it. And thats why its often called an invisible killer and thats why its so important that we have working carbon monoxide alarms on every level of our homes, said Jake Wark, the public information officer for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, get outside, get some fresh air, call 911.

The gas is poisonous to both people and pets. As temperatures drop youre going to want to heat your home, but you need to make sure your furnace is working properly and you have working carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your house. Testing alarms once a month is recommended, and replacing batteries twice a year during time changes.

One woman 22News spoke with said she experience CO poisoning last winter after buying a new furnace for her home.

And little did we know that the um chimney was collapsing inside because it couldnt handle the strength of the new furnace, said Gardner resident Marian Hagopian.

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Carbon monoxide entered her home, setting off the CO alarms and saving her life.

Another issue that we encounter in the winter time is when snow falls and snow drifts block the vents from your furnace or your dryer or other appliances, said Wark.

Keep those areas clear and avoid shoveling or blowing snow on them to prevent trapping carbon monoxide. Massachusetts state law requires a CO alarm if you have any kind of fuel burning in your home. Its a good idea to have your furnace inspected annually by an HVAC specialist.

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The explosive trial of a New Jersey man accused of slaughtering four of his relatives at their mansion six years ago is expected to feature previously unusable DNA samples as evidence, according to a report Friday.

Paul Caneiro, 57  whos accused of killing his business partner brother and the siblings family in Colts Neck shortly before Thanksgiving 2018  faced new evidence analyzed by a controversial and cutting-edge genetic tech tool at his pretrial hearing earlier this month.

Known as STRmix, the hotly debated software allows forensic analysts to test DNA samples that likely would have been considered too tiny or complex a decade ago, NBC News reported.

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More than a dozen DNA samples that analysts reviewed using STRmix were cited by prosecutors at the Monmouth County hearing  and were challenged by Caneiros lawyers, the report said.

Previously unused DNA samples were hotly debated at Paul Caneiros pretrial hearing. for New York Post

The defense attorneys criticized the increasingly common tool, saying it hasnt been proven reliable like safety-critical systems in cars and airplanes have been.

The software could produce flawed results that wrongfully convict someone, Caneiros attorneys said.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that STRmix has been tested and tried in labs and courts nationwide.

The results have been consistent, prosecutors said in a court filing. STRmix is not new  it is tried and tested.

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Caneiro is accused of gunning down his brother, Keith, 50, then fatally shooting and stabbing his wife, Jennifer, 50, and stabbing their children, Jesse, 11, and Sophia, 8, before setting their sprawling $1.5 million home on fire.

Paul Caneiro is accused of slaughtering his brother and the siblings family in Colts Neck. Facebook

More details about the DNA samples werent immediately clear, but investigators said in 2019 that Sophias blood was spattered on a pair of Caneiros jeans, and that a latex glove and a knife were recovered from his basement after the murder.

Prosecutors have cited money and greed as his motive.

At the hearing this month, one of the makers of the software was called to testify at the pretrial hearing last month, according to a transcript cited by NBC News.

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I dont want to contribute to an injustice ever, STRmix developer John Buckleton said in court.

[The] motivation is to actually test the software well, try and break it if we can, and, if we miss something, just honestly report what has happened, STRmix developer John Buckleton said in court.

Investigators have said they found Caneiros nieces blood on his jeans. Tanya Breen/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

STRmixs creators say it helps solve hard-to-analyze DNA samples, such as ones containing genetic material from up to four people, using a statistical method dubbed probabilistic genotyping.

A judge is expected to weigh in on the issue in February, and jury selection will likely begin in March.

Caneiro has pleaded not guilty and his previous lawyers said, He would never hurt any member of his family.
From secret meetings to tattle-taling corgis, Prince Harry didn't hold back in his memoir, Spare. And in this resurfaced excerpt, the 40-year-old royal explained why he still has the Duke of Sussex title (even though he offered to give it up).

Samir Hussein/WireImage

In the tell-all memoir, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he originally pitched the idea of him and Meghan Markle leaving London to his dad, King Charles, who said the request must be put in writing. Begrudgingly, Prince Harry followed orders.

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He wrote, In the first days of January 2020, I sent him a watermarked letter broadly outlining the idea, with bullet points, and many details.

Prince Harry was adamant that if a resolution couldnt be reached, he would gladly give up his royal title. He continued, Throughout the exchanges that followed, all marked PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL, I hammered the essential theme: we were prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to find some peace and safety, including relinquishing our Sussex titles.

LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images

This is where things got complicated between Prince Harry and King Charles. I rang to get his thoughts. He wouldnt come to the phone, Prince Harry added. I soon received a long email from him saying wed have to sit down and discuss the whole thing in person. Hed like us to come back as soon as possible.

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When Prince Harry made arrangements to return to London, King Charles was too busy to see him and asked if he could return at a later date. The Duke of Sussex turned down the offer because it didnt coordinate with his schedule.

As you wish, Duke of Sussex.

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Buckingham Palace Issues Surprise Health Update on Queen Camilla 2 Weeks After She Misses Kate Middleton Event
On Saturday, 28 December, a number of Italian government websites and airports were subjected to a cyberattack, which was claimed by a pro-Russian hacker group.

Source: Italian cybersecurity agency, as reported by European Pravda, citing Reuters.

Details: In particular, the hackers attacked the website of the Italian Foreign Ministry.

It is also noted that as a result of the cyberattack, a number of websites were temporarily disabled.

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The pro-Russian hacker group Noname057(16) claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, stating that Italy's "Russophobes get a well deserved cyber response".

A spokesman for Italy's cybersecurity agency said it was likely that the DDoS attack could be linked to a pro-Russian group.

The spokesperson said the agency provided rapid assistance to the institutions and firms that were targeted and that the effects of the attack were "mitigated" in less than two hours.

Background:

Romanian energy company Electrica, the country's largest, reported that it had suffered a cyber attack.

The UK government warned that Russia was ready to launch a "wave of cyberattacks" against the country and could "cut off power to millions of people".

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Hackers targeted the websites of the Italian Foreign Ministry and two airports in Milan on Dec. 28, Italy's cybersecurity agency (ACN) announced.

The pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for the attacks on their Telegram channel.

Starting from 8 a.m. local time on Dec. 28, denial of service (DDoS) attacks disrupted the foreign ministry website and the sites of the Milan-Malpensa and Milan-Linate airports, ACN reported. The websites had to shut down temporarily amid the attacks.

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The disruptions did not affect any flights, the agency said.

The cyberattacks against the airports "affected only the sites available to users, not the systems that regulate the flow of flights or even the apps or websites of the individual flight companies," according to ACN.

DDoS attacks direct excessive amounts of traffic at a website in order to overload its servers, often causing disruptions to service.

"Russophobes get a well-deserved cyber response," the hacker group NoName057(16) said in a Telegram post claiming responsibility for the attacks.

The Kyiv Independent could not confirm these claims.

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Pro-Russian hackers have attacked multiple targets throughout Europe since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ACN said. Thse groups aim to "challenge Western countries' support for Ukraine."

Italy on Dec. 24 approved a decree extending military support to Ukraine through 2025. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office in late 2022, has consistently supported Kyiv and pledged unwavering assistance until the war ends.

Read also: Russia targets Ukrainian government services in largest cyberattack in recent time

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
State attorneys prosecuting the case against the man charged with murder in the deaths of four University of Idaho students have settled on their group of expert witnesses for next summers trial in Boise.

Led by Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, the prosecution met a court-imposed deadline to submit a list of those experts and their credentials last week. But the identities of those included among the group the state intends to call as witnesses in the case against defendant Bryan Kohberger is being kept from the public.

Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler pushed back several deadlines, including the trial start date, after he took over the high-profile capital murder case when it moved out of Moscow to Boise at the defenses request. Hippler gave prosecutors an extra two weeks to settle on their group of experts before they had to turn over the list to the defense.

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Under an agreement to seal between the defense and the prosecution, the states expert list was filed through the legal process known as discovery on Dec. 18, according to a publicly available summary of filings in the case. Hipplers case scheduling order did not require that the expert list be filed under seal, but he also has not unsealed the filing for public consumption.

On Friday, Kohbergers defense attorneys filed a motion with the court to compel the prosecution to provide written summaries for the testimony of its expert witnesses, the case summary showed. The filing also includes a request for court sanctions.

Late next month, the defense must provide the state with its own group of experts for the trial scheduled to start in August 2025. Deadlines also are in place into the spring for both sides to disclose their witnesses during the cases rebuttal and possible sentencing phase if Kohberger is found guilty.

In late April next year, the defense and prosecution must each file with the court the names of people they separately plan to call as nonexpert, lay witnesses, which are those people who can testify to facts from their personal experiences. Hippler ordered those lists to be sealed.

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Kohberger, 30, is accused in the November 2022 fatal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students at an off-campus home on King Road in Moscow. The victims were Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur dAlene; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington.

After a manhunt that lasted nearly seven weeks, Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania in late December 2022. He is charged with five felonies: four counts of murder and one count of burglary. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if a jury convicts Kohberger.

Detectives expected to testify at trial

Through an attorney, the Goncalves and Kernodle families previously raised concerns about the amount of information in the closely watched case that remains out of the public eye leading up to Kohbergers trial. They cited the importance of keeping proceedings and filings open and available to ensure a fair trial.

This case is surrounded by secrecy. Everything is either sealed or redacted, the two families said in a shared statement released in September 2023. It is important to the victims family, relatives, community members and the public that the veil of secrecy be lifted at trial. This not only ensures accountability for all the parties involved, but also helps the public maintain its faith in the justice system!

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Members of the Moscow Police Department were assisted in their sprawling homicide investigation by detectives from both the Idaho State Police and FBI. It is common practice for law enforcement investigators to be among the group of expert witnesses called by prosecutors to testify to their findings at trial.

Moscow police Cpl. Brett Payne, top right, answered questions from defense attorney Anne Taylor, top left, during a pretrial hearing overseen by Judge John Judge for University of Idaho student homicide suspect Bryan Kohberger, in May at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow.

Included in that group in the Kohberger case is likely to be Moscow Police Cpl. Brett Payne, who wrote the affidavit that identified various pieces of evidence used to justify Kohbergers arrest based on probable cause. Forensic Detective Lawrence Mowery, also from the citys police force, filed the majority of the search warrants in the investigation, and is another expert witness the state may call.

Former Moscow Police Chief James Fry, who oversaw the investigation and retired in May, also could be expected to testify. In an interview with the Idaho Statesman shortly after his retirement, he downplayed his potential importance during the trial, however.

There may be some questions they ask me on decisions that were made, Fry said, noting that he wasnt the cases lead investigator. You know what you do to support the program and to get things done, and thats what my role was as chief.

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For the defense, Sy Ray, a cell tower data expert and former police officer in Arizona, is anticipated to be a witness at trial to challenge cellphone evidence that allegedly links Kohberger to the area around the time of the early-morning knife attack. His attorneys already had Ray testify at a pretrial hearing in May.

Lay witnesses at trial are expected to include two roommates at the King Road home who went physically unharmed in the November 2022 homicides. Each sat for numerous interviews with police, according to the affidavit, and helped investigators establish the four victims whereabouts during the night of their deaths, with one of them providing eyewitness details about a masked man with bushy eyebrows in the home around the suspected time of the four students deaths.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)  A public meeting will be held next week to discuss the proposal to turn the old Truman Early Childhood Education Center into a new community center.

The meeting will be held on Monday, Dec. 30, at Saint Anthony Catholic Church Hall in Lafayette. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m.

The school closed its doors in December 2023 after more than 60 years of operation. The school is also described as having much history, such as being one of the first desegregated schools in Lafayette Parish.

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Officials with the Lafayette Parish School Board and the Lafayette City Council said they are in talks with the Sun Community Housing Development Organization, a local nonprofit organization, to repurpose the site into what will be known as the Sun Community Center.

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Lafayette City Councilman for District 1, Elroy Broussard, said this center will mean a lot for people who reside on the north side of the city.

So many schools in our area have closed, and the history is going away, its important for you to keep your history before you and understand what it took to get to where you are, Broussard said.

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Broussard said if the proposal moves through, the facility would be used to house many community activities such as theater productions tutoring sessions, game rooms, and more. He said officials are now asking for citizens input on what they think the center should look like.

We asking the community to weigh in on it to see what all the possibilities are, we want to redo it, make it look better, brighter, more welcome, and we just cant lose this part of history for the city of Lafayette, Broussard said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com.
Vladimir Putin has apologised for the Azerbaijan Airlines crash but stopped short of accepting responsibility for what he described as a tragic incident.

In a phone call with Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, Putin offered his apologies and admitted that the problems began in Russian airspace.

He told Mr Aliyev that Russian air defences had been responding to an attack by Ukrainian drones on Grozny, southern Russia, where the plane was due to land, according to the Kremlin.

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The plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of 67 passengers. The pilots, who both died in the crash, were credited with saving many lives by managing to land part of the plane.

In his statement, which broke three days of official silence from the Kremlin, Putin did not attribute the downing of the plane to the actions of Russian air defences.

But in its own statement, Baku suggested that the blame did lie with Moscow.

Credit: X / @yarotrof

Mr Aliyev reportedly emphasised to Putin that the plane was hit by external interference over Russia and said it wanted those responsible held accountable.

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Mr Aliyev said that multiple holes in the aircrafts fuselage and injuries sustained by passengers and crew were due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight.

He also noted that testimonies of the surviving flight attendants and passengers of the plane confirm the fact of external physical and technical impact.

In their call, Putin told Mr Aliyev that a criminal case had been opened by the Investigative Committee of Russia. The Azerbaijani president called for regular public updates and a completely transparent process.

Vladimir Putin told Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, that a criminal case had been opened by the Investigative Committee of Russia - Sergei ILYIN/AFP via Getty

The phone call came after the White House on Friday said that early indications were that Russian air defences were to blame for the incident.

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Putin rarely offers official apologies of any sort. He has consistently denied Russia bears any responsibility for the 2013 downing of flight MH17, which was shot out of the sky by Moscows proxy forces in eastern Ukraine, killing 283 passengers and 15 crew.

But Azerbaijan, a former Soviet state, has become increasingly critical to the Russian economy since the war in Ukraine began. It buys Russian oil and gas and provides trade links to Iran, a key ally, that cannot be hit by sanctions.

Officially neutral on the war, Baku has also sought to build economic ties with the West since Moscow invaded in 2022.

Anton Barbashin, the editorial director of online journal Riddle Russia, said that Putin had no option but to apologise to Mr Aliyev given Azerbaijian is crucial for Russias regional infrastructure ambitions.

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An apology would have been especially sensitive, as in 2020 Mr Aliyev personally apologised to Putin after his countrys armed forces mistakenly shot down a Russian helicopter.

Ukraine said Russia should be held responsible for the crash, with leader Volodymyr Zelensky holding his own call with Mr Aliyev.

Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation, Mr Zelensky said, adding that the footage makes it look very much like an air defence missile strike.

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Telegram: @LADA.KZ

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Mr Zelensky accused Slovakia of opening a second energy front against Ukraine on the orders of Putin, as a gas transit dispute between the countries continued to escalate.

On Friday, Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine if it follows through on its pledge not to renew a contract that allows Russian gas transit through the country to Europe from Jan 1.

Kyiv has offered to supply nations that rely on the gas with its own domestic supplies instead.

But Mr Fico said ending Russian gas transit would drive up costs for the EU and Slovakia. But who cares about Slovakia, right, Mr Zelensky? he said.

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After Jan 1, we will consider the situation and the possibility of reciprocal measures against Ukraine, Mr Fico, who is also one of the EUs most outspoken opponents of military aid to Kyiv, said. If it is unavoidable, we will stop the supply of electricity, which Ukraine urgently needs in the event of grid failures, he said.

Russia has targeted Ukrainian power plants in heavy barrages throughout the winter.

Mr Zelensky said on Saturday: Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak peoples interests

Ficos threats to cut off Ukraines emergency power supply this winter, while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid, can only be explained by this.

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It came as the UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of the Azerbaijani plane.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident, including the family and friends of those who have died.

President Putins statement fails to recognise that the reckless and irresponsible actions of the Russian state pose an acute and direct threat to the interests and national security of other states. We call for a full and independent investigation.

04:59 PM GMT

Thats all for today

Thank you for following our live blog. The key developments from the day were:

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Vladimir Putin has apologised for the Azerbaijan Airlines crash but stopped short of accepting responsibility for what he described as a tragic incident. In a phone-call with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, Putin offered his apologies and admitted that the problems began in Russian airspace.

Slovakia has opened a second energy front against Ukraine on the orders of Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky said. The Ukrainian president accused Roberto Fico, his pro-Kremlin Slovakian counterpart, of acting against the interests of his own people to do Putins bidding. On Friday, Mr Fico threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine amid a dispute over Russian gas.

Russias Gazprom announced that it will halt gas supplies to Moldova from January 1 over a debt dispute during a state of emergency over energy security in the tiny country. Moldovas prime minister condemned the decision, saying it would leave residents there without power and heat.

Russias foreign ministry said it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.

Ukraines stockpiles of US-supplied long-range Atacms missiles are running low, according to senior US officials. The officials also said Ukraine is unlikely to be able to replenish its missile stockpiles.

Finnish police began moving the impounded Russia-linked Eagle S tanker closer to its port amid suspicions it damaged an undersea power line and four telecoms cables earlier this week. Finlands customs service believes that the ship is part of a shadow fleet of ageing tankers being used to evade sanctions on the sale of Russian oil. They also believe the Eagle S may have caused the damage to undersea cables by dragging its anchor along the seabed.

Ukraine said it had struck a storage and maintenance depot for long-range Shahed drones in Russias Oryol region, adding that this had significantly reduced Russias ability to launch mass drone attacks on Ukraine.

Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.

04:28 PM GMT

Russias Gazprom to halt supplies to Moldova from Jan 1

Russias Gazprom announced Saturday that it will halt gas supplies to Moldova from January 1 over a debt dispute during a state of emergency over energy security in the tiny country.

Gazprom will introduce a restriction on natural gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova to zero cubic meters per day from 0500 GMT on January 1, 2025, the company said in a statement, accusing Chisinau of failing to settle debts.

04:11 PM GMT

Kremlin changes its missile attack tactics, says MoD

In its latest update on Russias invasion of Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defence said the Kremlin has changed its tactics for using missile attacks.

It is highly likely Russia has chosen to take time to build stocks between strikes and then launch in larger, less frequent strike waves, rather than the more frequent smaller attacks conducted earlier in the year, the update said.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 28 December 2024.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/mRK0lNQuNE#StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/cNlQEXKYVl  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) December 28, 2024

03:57 PM GMT

In pictures: Christmas celebrations in Ukraine

Ukrainians light candles in Pyrogovo village, near Kyiv - SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Ukrainians wearing traditional attire sing Christmas carols on December 28 - SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

03:36 PM GMT

Moldova condemns Russian decision to halt gas supply to Transdniestria

Moldovas prime minister Dorin Recean on Saturday condemned Russias decision to halt gas supply to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniestria, saying it would leave residents there without power and heat.

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In a statement on Facebook, Recean accused Russia of using energy as a political weapon, and said that Moldova would now consider its legal options including international arbitration.

01:49 PM GMT

EU urges swift, independent probe into Azerbaijan Airlines crash

The European Unions top diplomat has called for a swift, independent probe into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash after the US suggested that the incident may have been caused by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

Kaja Kallas, the EUs foreign affairs chief, wrote on X: I call for a swift, independent international investigation.

She said the incident was a stark reminder of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

01:45 PM GMT

Zelensky speaks to Azerbaijan PM about plane crash

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he expressed condolences to Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijans president, about the plane that crashed in Kazakhstan and which sources have told Reuters is believed to have been shot down by Russian air defences.

Mr Zelensky said in a statement after the call: The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation.

His comments came after Vladimir Putin blamed Ukrainian drones for the crash and apologised to Mr Aliyev that it occurred within Russian airspace. According to a report issued by the Kremlin press service, Putin also spoke with Mr Aliyev by telephone to discuss the Dec 25 crash.

The Kremlins press service said: It was noted during the conversation that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was flying strictly on schedule, repeatedly attempted to land at the Grozny airport. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defence systems repelled these attacks.

01:39 PM GMT

Putin has a new ally in energy war on Ukraine, says Zelensky

Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Robert Fico during a meeting in Moscow on Dec 22 - Gavriil Grigorov/REUTERS

Slovakia has opened a second energy front against Ukraine on the orders of Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.

The Ukrainian president accused Roberto Fico, his pro-Kremlin Slovakian counterpart, of acting against the interests of his own people to do Putins bidding.

On Friday, Mr Fico threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine amid a dispute over Russian gas.

Ukraine will not allow Russian gas to transit through the country from Jan 1 after the expiry of an existing contract. Kyiv has offered to supply nations that rely on the gas with its own domestic supplies instead.

But Mr Fico said ending Russian gas transit would drive up costs for the EU and Slovakia.

In retaliation, he threatened to cut off the supply of electricity, which Ukraine urgently needs in the event of grid failures.

Russia has targeted Ukrainian power plants in heavy barrages throughout the winter.

Mr Zelensky on Saturday said: Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak peoples interests.

01:32 PM GMT

Pictured: Memorial service held in Lviv

A memorial services at the Lychakov military cemetery in Lviv - Global Images Ukraine

On the last Saturday of every month, Lviv honours its war dead with a prayer at the Lychakiv cemetery - Global Images Ukraine

01:17 PM GMT

Russia says it has radically expanded its visa ban list for EU officials

Russias foreign ministry said it had responded to a new package of European Union sanctions by significantly expanding a list of EU and EU member state officials banned from entering Russia.

The European Union on Monday imposed a 15th package of sanctions against Russia, including tougher measures against Chinese entities and more vessels from Moscows so-called shadow fleet.

Russias foreign ministry said in a statement it had responded by adding more unnamed representatives of security agencies, state and commercial organisations of EU countries, and citizens of EU member states responsible for providing military aid to Kyiv to its stop list.

12:44 PM GMT

Ukraine running out of long-range missiles

Ukraines stockpiles of US-supplied long-range Atacms missiles are running low, according to senior US officials.

Joe Biden, the outgoing US president, gave Kyiv permission to launch the Atacms  which have a range of up to 300 kilometres  into Russian territory a month ago. At that point, Ukraine had an estimated 50 left in its arsenal.

Ukraine then launched a series of missile strikes against the Kremlins airfields, military facilities, and weapons factories. Russia claimed that Ukraine has launched at least 31 Atacms missiles.

Adm. Rob Bauer, Natos most senior military officer, said that the Atacms strikes had seriously hit a number of weapons factories and ammunition depots in Russia, forcing Moscow to move many logistics facilities farther back from the front. However, the missiles have not significantly changed the trajectory of the war.

Officials have now suggested that Kyiv has begun limiting these attacks because of a dwindling supply and fear of changing US policies.

Donald Trump, the US president-elect, has said publicly that allowing US-made long-range missiles inside Russia was a big mistake, saying he very vehemently disagrees with the decision.

Speaking on condition of anonymity to the New York Times, two US officials also said Ukraine is unlikely to be able to replenish its missile stockpiles. Washington has already assigned its own limited arsenal of Atacms to destinations in Asia and the Middle East.

12:20 PM GMT

Cyberattacks target Milan airport websites

Italian police said that they were investigating cyberattacks claimed by a pro-Russian group targeting several websites including Milans airports and the foreign ministry.

The websites of the ministry, Malpensa and Milan-Linate airport, and the transport systems in Siena and Turin were hit, according to Marco Valerio Cervellini, the national cybersecurity police spokesman.

The pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for the attacks in a Telegram post, Mr Cervellini said on LinkedIn.

The group is known for targeting public institutions and strategic sectors in Nato countries that have supported Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion.

11:49 AM GMT

Boris Johnson stars in Ukrainian film

Boris Johnson has starred in a Ukrainian New Years film, Train on 31 December.

Yurii Horbunov, the films director and starring actor, has shared a video from the films set, in which the former prime minister uses a popular catchphrase and wishes everyone a happy new year.

Dobryi den [Good afternoon in Ukrainian], everybody. Happy New Year, Ukraintsi [Ukrainians], said Mr Johnson in the video.

The comedy, which has been released in cinemas across Ukraine, follows the passengers of a train travelling from Kyiv to Lviv who become stranded in a desolate field.

11:20 AM GMT

Finland moves tanker suspected of undersea cable damage closer to port

Finnish police are moving the impounded Russia-linked Eagle S tanker closer to its port amid suspicions it damaged an undersea power line and four telecoms cables earlier this week.

They believe the Eagle S may have caused the damage to undersea cables by dragging its anchor along the seabed.

The Cook Islands-registered ship was boarded on Thursday by a Finnish coast guard crew that took command and sailed the vessel to Finnish waters. Police said they were investigating grave sabotage.

The Helsinki police department said in a statement on Saturday: The police begin an operation to transfer the Eagle S tanker from the Gulf of Finland to Svartbeck, an inner anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti.

Finlands customs service believes that the ship is part of a shadow fleet of ageing tankers being used to evade sanctions on the sale of Russian oil.

Baltic Sea nations have been on high alert after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and Nato said on Friday it would boost its presence in the region.

The Kremlin said on Friday that Finlands seizure of the ship was of little concern to. In the past, Russia has denied involvement in any of the Baltic infrastructure incidents.

11:02 AM GMT

Footage shows survivors walking from crashed Azerbaijani plane

New footage has emerged showing survivors walking away from the crashed Azerbaijani plane.

Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.

Two passengers and one crew member told Reuters on Friday that they heard at least one loud bang as it approached its original destination of Grozny in southern Russia.

Credit: Telegram/@LADA.KZ

Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the passengers, told Reuters from hospital: After the bang... I thought the plane was going to fall apart.

He said he had begun to recite prayers and prepare for the end after hearing the bang.

It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way, he said. It was as if it was drunk  not the same plane anymore.

10:48 AM GMT

Ukraine says it struck drone depot in Russias Oryol region

Ukraine said on Saturday it had struck a storage and maintenance depot for long-range Shahed drones in Russias Oryol region, adding that this had significantly reduced Russias ability to launch mass drone attacks on Ukraine.

Ukraine militarys general staff said in a statement on Telegram the attack took place on Thursday and was conducted by Ukraines air force.

It said: As a result of the strike, a depot for storage, maintenance and repair of Shahed kamikaze drones, made of several protected concrete structures, was destroyed.

This military operation has significantly reduced the enemys potential in terms of conducting air raids of strike drones on Ukraines civilian infrastructure.

Moscow has not made any comment on the attack.

10:46 AM GMT

Several North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine died from injuries, says Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, said that several seriously wounded North Korean soldiers died from their injuries after being captured by Ukrainian forces.

He said in a video posted on social media on Friday: Today, we received reports that several North Korean soldiers were taken prisoner by our forces. However, they were severely wounded, and it was not possible to save them.

Today, I held a Staff meeting. There was a report from Commander Syrskyi on the situation at the front. The Donetsk directions remain the toughest, with updates from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions as well. There are details regarding the situation in the Kursk region: pic.twitter.com/teZXivUaeZ  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) December 27, 2024

Mr Zelensky did not specify how many soldiers had been captured.

US officials have claimed that North Korea is suffering mass casualties on the front lines, in costly human wave attacks.

John Kirby, a White House spokesman, said on Friday that thousands of North Korean troops had been killed or wounded in the last week alone.

He said: It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defences.

10:17 AM GMT

Germany says latest undersea cable cut a wake-up call

Germany said on Saturday the suspected sabotage of an undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia this week was a wake-up call that demanded new EU sanctions against Russias shadow fleet.

The Estlink 2 cable that carries electricity from Finland to Estonia was disconnected from the grid on Wednesday, just over a month after two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic.

Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, said: Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometres along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up.

Its more than difficult to still believe in coincidences. This is an urgent wake-up call for all of us.

Ms Baerbock urged new European sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet, ships that transport Russian crude and oil products despite embargoes imposed over Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

The fleet is a major threat to our environment and security that is used by Russia to finance its war of aggression in Ukraine, she said.

Finnish authorities said on Thursday they were investigating the oil tanker, Eagle S, that sailed from a Russian port, as part of a probe into aggravated sabotage of the Estlink cable.

Nato will bolster its military presence in the Baltic Sea in response, Mark Rutte, the Western alliances secretary general, said on Friday.

09:43 AM GMT

Pictured: Evacuations and repairs after shelling attack on Pokrovsk

An Evacuation volunteer working in the search and evacuation of civilians in Pokrovsk - Kostiantyn Liberov/GETTY

Leftovers from Christmas dinner after the shelling on Dec 27 in Pokrovsk - Vlada Liberova/GETTY

Local workers replace broken windows after a missile attack in Pokrovsk - Kostiantyn Liberov/GETTY

09:37 AM GMT

Moscow says Kyiv plot to kill high-ranking officer with music speaker bomb foiled

Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that a Russian citizen had established contact with an officer from Ukraines GUR military intelligence agency through the Telegram messaging application.

On the instructions of the Ukrainian intelligence officer, the Russian citizen had then retrieved a bomb from a hiding place in Moscow, the FSB said. The bomb, equivalent to 1.5 kilos of TNT and packed with ball bearings, was concealed in a portable music speaker, the FSB said.

The FSB did not name the officer or the blogger who was the target of the plot. Ukraines GUR military intelligence agency could not be immediately reached for comment.

Ukraine said Russias war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state and has made clear it regards targeted killings  intended to weaken morale and punish those Kyiv regards guilty of war crimes  as legitimate.

09:14 AM GMT

British Army trains Ukrainian officers how to manage battle stress in their troops

The British Army has been training Ukrainian troops in mental health first aid, it has been revealed.

Earlier this year as an extension of Op Interflex, the British-led multinational operation to train the armed forces of Ukraine, the British military started quietly teaching Ukrainian officers and commanders how to detect and manage signs of battle stress in their soldiers.

The Combat Stress Signposting Course was launched following a rise in recruits reporting trauma exposure and mental health struggles and was initiated on the request of Ukraines armed forces moral and psychological support department.

Developed with input from Ukrainian military psychologists alongside specialist mental resilience and mental health practitioners from UK Defence, the five-week course equips soldiers with battle shock management techniques for before and during combat, as well as trauma risk management and signposting for clinical support following the fight.

09:11 AM GMT

Welcome to our live coverage

Welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. Well keep you up to date with events as they happen.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan that resulted in 38 fatalities, according to the Kremlin.

"Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident occurring in Russian airspace," the Kremlin in Moscow announced on Saturday following a phone conversation between the two leaders.

Putin reportedly also explained that at the time, Russian air defence was actively countering Ukrainian drone attacks. However, he did not clearly state that the air defence had hit the plane with a missile.

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Putin "once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery," the Kremlin said further.

The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet, which had taken off from Baku heading for Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, crashed on Wednesday in Kazakhstan.

During the phone conversation between Putin and Aliyev, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger plane had repeatedly attempted to land at the airport in Grozny. "At the same time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones, which Russian air defence repelled," the Kremlin reported.

Vladikavkaz is the capital of the Russian republic of North Ossetia. Mozdok is also in North Ossetia.

Initial investigations had raised the suspicion that the plane that crashed might have been damaged by the explosion of an anti-aircraft missile.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan that resulted in 38 fatalities, according to the Kremlin.

"Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident occurring in Russian airspace," the Kremlin in Moscow announced on Saturday following a phone conversation between the two leaders.

Putin reportedly also explained that at the time, Russian air defence was actively countering Ukrainian drone attacks. However, he did not clearly state that the air defence had hit the plane with a missile.

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Putin "once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery," the Kremlin said further.

The Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet, which had taken off from Baku heading for Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, crashed on Wednesday in Kazakhstan.

During the phone conversation between Putin and Aliyev, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger plane had repeatedly attempted to land at the airport in Grozny. "At the same time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones, which Russian air defence repelled," the Kremlin reported.

Vladikavkaz is the capital of the Russian republic of North Ossetia. Mozdok is also in North Ossetia.

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Initial investigations had raised the suspicion that the plane that crashed might have been damaged by the explosion of an anti-aircraft missile.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy wrote on the X platform that he had also spoken to Aliyev and expressed his condolences. Russia must provide explanations and stop spreading disinformation, Zelensky said.

It its statement the Kremlin said that Russian investigators had opened a case for the violation of air-traffic safety rules. "The first investigative measures are under way, and civilian and military specialists are being interviewed."

In addition, two employees of the Azerbaijani Public Prosecutor's Office are in Grozny, where they are working with representatives of the Russian side. Work also continued at the crash site near the Kazakh city of Aktau, with investigators from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, it was reported.

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The Azerbaijani government had previously spoken publicly for the first time about the use of weapons against the passenger aircraft that crashed in Kazakhstan.

Damage to the wreckage and witness statements suggested that the aircraft had been damaged from the outside, which had happened over the original destination airport of Grozny in Russia.

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane, with 67 people on board, continued flying despite the damage. It crashed while attempting to land in Aktau.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a tragic incident following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.

Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that the plane had been shot down by Russian air defenses attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner repeatedly attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane.

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The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.

The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that relevant services from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

The plane was flying from Azerbaijans capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of kilometers (miles) across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while making an attempt to land. There were 29 survivors.

According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyevs press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," although he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses.

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Aliyev noted that the plane had multiple holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained injuries due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight.

He said that a team of international experts had begun probing the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny.

On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack.

President Joe Biden, responding on Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: Apparently he did but I havent spoken to him. Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russias civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic.

Yadrov said that after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau.

Earlier in the week, Rosaviatsia had cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

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In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed physical and technical interference and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didnt say where the interference came from or provide any further details.

If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014.

Russia has denied responsibility, but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base.

Following Wednesdays suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities.

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Several other airlines have made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstans Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month.

Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian countrys flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this week, Israels El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing developments in Russias airspace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that killed 38 people, the Kremlin reported on Dec. 28.

The Kremlin press service released a briefing detailing a call between Putin and Aliyev, during which the Russian president addressed some aspects of what he called a "tragic accident."

The briefing stated that the plane made multiple attempts to land at Grozny airport during a Ukrainian drone attack, which was reportedly repelled by Russian air defenses.

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The press statement did not address the claims that a Russian surface-to-air missile may have downed the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.

Putin apologized for the fact that the "tragic accident" occurred in Russian airspace and "expressed deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims." He didn't acknowledge that it was Russia's fault.

He also said that "initial investigative actions" were underway, and that two representatives of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office were in Grozny working with Russian authorities.

Officials from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were also working together at the disaster site in the Aktau region, the briefing concluded.

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Shortly after this briefing was published, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on his Telegram channel that he also spoke to Aliyev over the phone about the crash, and said the key priority was "to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the truth about what happened."

He also called on Russia to provide clear explanations, pointing to evidence from photos and videos showing "damage to the aircrafts fuselage, including holes and dents," similar to those "caused by an air defense missile strike."

The aircraft, carrying passengers from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia's Chechen Republic, crashed near the coastal city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25.

There were 67 people on board the aircraft, including 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz citizens. Thirty-eight people died in the crash.

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Read also: Russian air defense missile may have downed Azerbaijani plane, media say

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Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crash on Christmas but did not take responsibility for causing it as an investigation continues into the matter.

Putin on Saturday called Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev regarding the plane crash that killed 35 passengers, the aircraft's two pilots and one crew member among its 67 occupants.

"During the conversation, Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies regarding the tragic incident" that occurred after the aircraft "was subjected to external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace," Aliyev said in an online announcement.

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"President Putin extended his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the crash and wished a swift recovery to the injured," Aliyev said.

Aliyev agreed the aircraft "encountered external physical and technical interference while in Russian airspace, resulting incomplete loss of control."

"Multiple holes in the aircraft's fuselage, injuries sustained by passengers and crew due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight and testimonies from surviving flight attendants and passengers confirm evidence of external physical and technical interference," he said.

Putin and Aliyev agreed a "thorough and comprehensive investigation into all the details of the tragedy" should occur to ensure "those responsible are held accountable."

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The Azerbaijani passenger airliner "was flying according to schedule and repeatedly tried to land at Grozny Airport," Putin said Saturday in an online statement.

"Unmanned combat aerial vehicles attacked Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz," Putin said. "Russian air defense systems were repelling those attacks."

Putin said the Russian Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case into the matter and Russian investigators are working in Grozny and with those from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan at the crash site at the Aktau airport in Kazakhstan.

While Putin said Grozny was under attack by Ukrainian drones when the Azerbaijan Airlines plane tried to land, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday blamed Russia for the deadly crash in a post on X.

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After expressing condolences to Azerbaijan officials, Sybiha said a Russian anti-aircraft system caused the deadly crash.

"Russian media lied about the cause of the crash," Sybiha said. "Russia forced the damaged jet to cross the [Caspian] Sea, most likely in an attempt to conceal evidence of their crime."

Sybiha called photos and videos of the plane's cabin a "smoking gun" that shows a Russian anti-aircraft system struck the airliner.

"We call for a fair and impartial investigation to ensure that those responsible are held to account," Sybiha said in a subsequent post. "We must not let Russia lie, avoid responsibility of shift blame."

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U.S. National Security Adviser John Kirby on Friday agreed it appears Russian anti-aircraft caused the jet to crash but said it's important to wait for a joint investigation by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to conclude.

"We do have ... some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems," Kirby told media on Friday.

"There's an ongoing investigation right now," Kirby added. "We have offered assistance to that investigation should they need it [or] should they want it."

The airliner was flying from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, Wednesday morning when it encountered problems with its control system.

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The one-hour route from Baku to Grozny runs parallel to the western coast of the Caspian Sea, but the aircraft diverted from that course and flew east across the sea to the Aktau airport, where it crashed after flying for 2 hours and 33 minutes.

Initial explanations said the plane was diverted due to weather and suggested a bird strike might have damaged it prior to the crash.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed because of shots fired from Russian territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously apologized to Azerbaijan for the fatal crash.

Putin did not take responsibility, however.

Azerbaijan's president said that shooting from Russian territory caused the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that killed 38 people.

His comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the incident without taking responsibility.

Ilham Aliyev said on Azerbaijani television Sunday that he didn't believe the incident was intentional but that the aircraft was hit "from the outside."

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He said, per Sky News, that the fuselage was "riddled with holes," indicating that the theory the plane hit a flock of birds before crashing was incorrect.

Aliyev added that "some circles in Russia" supported this theory, while Russian officials also suggested a gas cylinder exploded on board the plane.

"In other words, this clearly showed that the Russian side wanted to cover up the issue, which, of course, is unbecoming of anyone," he said.

Aliyev went on to criticize Russia for not responding to the crash immediately, "except for some absurd theories."

According to Azerbaijani reports, the downing of the plane was connected to Russia's interception of Ukrainian drones near its border.

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On Saturday, the Kremlin said Putin apologized for the crash during a phone call with Aliyev. Putin stopped short of claiming responsibility.

The Kremlin's press office said that Putin had "offered his apologies that the tragic incident had occurred in Russia's airspace and once again conveyed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the plane crash victims and wished those injured the quickest recovery," per Russia's Tass news agency.

38 people died and 29 survived the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on Wednesday

Azerbaijan Airlines flight Flight 8243 crash-landed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. Kazakh authorities said 38 people died, including the pilots, while 29 others survived.

The aircraft was traveling to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, from Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, before it diverted to Kazakhstan.

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Putin said that Ukrainian drones and Russian air defenses were operating around Grozny as the plane attempted to land, Tass reported.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US had "seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems."

When questioned by media whether the US had seen intelligence that pointed to the involvement of an air defense system, Kirby said the short answer was "yes" but said he would "leave it at that."

Experts and reports have also pointed to Russia likely being behind the crash . Alleged evidence includes the erratic route the plane took as well as photo and video evidence of the aircraft that shows holes in its fuselage and tail while it was still in the air.

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Rashan Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's minister of digital development and transportation, told the country's media that "preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact," the AP reported .

"The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe," he added.

The Kremlin had initially refused to comment on the allegations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday: "Currently an investigation is in progress. Any air incident should be investigated by specialized aviation authorities."

"It would be wrong to build any hypotheses before the panel of inquiry presents its conclusions," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russias President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the tragic Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that killed 38 people on board, but stopped short of admitting any responsibility for the incident.

Putin apologized to Aliyev for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace, and once again expressed deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, according to the Kremlins readout of the call that was released on Saturday.

The Kremlin said its military defense systems were active against Ukraines drone strikes in the area where the Azerbaijan Airlines flight, carrying 67 passengers, was attempting to land.

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The plane, an Embraer 190 aircraft model, was flying Wednesday from Azerbaijans capital, Baku, to Grozny, a city in Russias Chechnya republic, a region of the country that has often used air defense system to shoot down Ukraines drones.

After multiple unsuccessful attempts to land, the aircraft crashed near Aktau, a city in southwestern Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea.

On Friday, the White House said the early indications showed that Russias air defense systems were responsible for downing the plane. The same day, Azerbaijan Airlines said in a statement that the airlines plane was knocked down by physical and technical external interference.

Azerbaijan Airlines suspended some flights to Russia, including those to Grozny.

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Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky said he also spoke with Aliyev and expressed condolences to him and the country.

We acknowledged the heroism of the pilots and the entire crew of the aircraft, Zelensky said in a Saturday statement on X, adding that Russia has to provide a clear explanation for the incident and stop spreading disinformation.

Photos and videos clearly show the damage to the aircrafts fuselage, including punctures and dents, which strongly point to a strike by an air defense missile, he said while adding that the two sides agreed to intensify bilateral contacts in the near future.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 28 signed a decree approving the updated "Strategy for Combating Extremism in the Russian Federation," according to the country's official web portal.

The new decree names Ukraine among the "main sources of extremism" and enshrines the concept of "Russophobia" for the first time.

Russia's previous anti-extremism strategy, approved by Putin in 2020, did not include the term or single out Ukraine as a threat.

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The latest version of the document warns of "serious threats" from Ukraine and repeats Russian propaganda claims about the rise of neo-Nazi activity among Ukrainians. It alleges that radical armed groups receive support from "external forces that encourage the commission of criminal acts on the territory of Russia."

The document also outlines a definition of "Russophobia," which it describes as "an unfriendly, biased, hostile attitude towards Russian citizens, the Russian language and culture, expressed, among other things, in aggressive sentiments and actions on the part of individual representatives and political forces, as well as discriminatory actions on the part of the authorities of states unfriendly to Russia."

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Russia has used claims of "extremism" to crack down on a wide range of organizations, including news outlets, social media platforms, and what it calls "the international LGBT social movement."

Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced on Dec. 13 that it had blocked access to the Viber messaging app due to alleged violations of regulations combating terrorism and extremism.

The Kremlin is also considering blocking WhatsApp, an app owned by Meta, a company labeled as an "extremist organization" in Russia.

The Russian government designated a record 65 organizations as "undesirable" in 2024, exposing members and employees to criminal prosecution.

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Putin has intensified state repressions of dissent since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, arresting thousands of citizens accused of hate crimes and supporting "extremist" groups.

Read also: Historian Marci Shore: Putins obsession with denazification is Freudian projection

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During a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has apologised for the "tragic incident" involving an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that occurred in Russian airspace.

Source: Kremlin website

Quote: "Vladimir Putin has apologised for the tragic incident that took place in Russian airspace, once again expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was flying strictly according to the schedule, had repeatedly tried to land at the airport in Grozny.

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At the time, Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian military drones, with Russian air defence systems working to repel these strikes."

Details: The Kremlin reported that two officials from the Azerbaijani General Prosecutor's Office are in Grozny, working alongside representatives from Russia's General Prosecutor's Office and Investigative Committee.

"The specialised services of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are also closely cooperating at the crash site near the city of Aktau [the administrative centre of Kazakhstan's Mangistau Oblast]," the Russians claimed.

Why this is important: Putin did not acknowledge that Russian air defences had shot down the plane, instead offering an apology for the "incident" that occurred in Russian airspace.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's threats to shut off electricity supply to Ukraine due to Kyiv's decision to suspend Russian gas transit after 2024.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter); European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine's need for electricity imports arose only because of Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and Russia's deliberate destruction of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

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Quote: "It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak peoples interests. Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this," the Ukrainian president tweeted.

Addressing Fico, he noted that "supporting Russian aggression is completely immoral".

"Second, Fico's shortsighted policy has already deprived the Slovak people of compensation for losing Russian gas transit. It now risks depriving the Slovaks of another US$200 million per year, which Ukraine pays for the imported electricity," Zelenskyy added.

He explained that Slovakia accounts for approximately 19% of Ukraine's electricity imports and emphasised that the Ukrainian government is collaborating with neighbouring EU countries to secure the required electricity supplies.

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"Slovakia is part of the single European energy market and Fico must respect common European rules. Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or Moscow's orders to Fico regarding electricity cannot cut Ukraine's power supply, but they can certainly cut current Slovak authorities' ties to the European community," Zelenskyy concluded.

Background:

Fico criticised the Ukrainian government for refusing to continue the transit of Russian gas after 2024 and promised to consider retaliatory measures.

Among such measures, the Slovak prime minister mentioned the possibility of cutting off electricity supplies to Ukraine.

Slovakia has repeatedly tried to extend the agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the transit of Russian gas, which expires in 2024.

Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine was not considering renewing the agreement with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe and made it clear that Kyiv would not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.

Against this backdrop, Fico paid a controversial visit to Russia, where he met with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

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Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has responded to a statement by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, which included threats to shut off electrical supply to Ukraine due to Kyiv's refusal to continue transiting Russian gas after 2024.

Source: Ukraine's Foreign Ministry in a statement, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In particular, the Foreign Ministry stressed that Ukraine pays Slovakia "a lot of money" for electricity supplies.

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The Foreign Ministry emphasised that Ukraine is compelled to import electricity due to the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and constant and targeted missile attacks on civilian infrastructure, the power grid, generation facilities and distribution networks.

In addition, the Foreign Ministry added, by threatening to cut off electricity supply to Ukraine, Fico "actually takes sides with the Russian dictator" Vladimir Putin.

"Today, these two are the only figures in the world who threaten to leave Ukrainians without electricity during winter," the statement said.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Robert Fico's admission of wishing to remove American and other energy suppliers from the European market in order to keep European countries dependent on Russia is evidence of his collaboration with Putin.

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In addition, the ministry emphasised that Slovakia is a member of the single European energy market and must follow common European laws.

"We call on the European Commission, in cooperation with ENTSO-E, to respond to Slovak threats of arbitrary decisions," the Foreign Ministry concluded.

Background:

Fico criticised the Ukrainian government for refusing to continue the transit of Russian gas after 2024 and promised to consider retaliatory measures.

Among such measures, the Slovak prime minister mentioned the possibility of cutting off electricity supplies to Ukraine.

Slovakia has repeatedly tried to extend the agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the transit of Russian gas, which expires in 2024.

Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine was not considering renewing the agreement with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe and made it clear that Kyiv would not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.

Against this backdrop, Fico paid a controversial visit to Russia, where he met with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

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On 28 December, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin signed a series of laws that toughened penalties for armed rebellion and crimes against military service and approved a new strategy to counter extremism, which lists the elimination of threats emanating from Ukraine as one of its main tasks.

Source: Russian state agency TASS, Medusa, Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine

Details: One of the signed laws toughens the punishment for armed rebellion up to life imprisonment. The lower limit of the sentence for rebellion has increased from 15 to 20 years. The same law excludes the right to parole for those sentenced to life for terrorism and rebellion. It also introduces a sentence of up to 15 years for foreigners for "aiding the enemy".

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The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was also amended to make members of "volunteer formations" liable for disobeying orders, resisting a superior, leaving a unit or place of service without permission, desertion, voluntary surrender and other crimes committed by the military.

Another law in Russia has also expanded the list of grounds for including people in the list of extremists.

The Russian Federal Service for Financial Monitoring (Rosfinmonitoring) also now has access to information on the accounts of citizens who financially support "extremism and extremists".

Putin also signed a law renaming the city of Rostov as Rostov Velikii (Rostov the Great)

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In addition, Putin approved a new strategy for countering extremism. The strategy states that the Russian Federation considers one of the main tasks in the fight against extremism to be "the elimination of the source of threats emanating from the territory of Ukraine".

It also states that Russia will take measures for the "socio-cultural integration" of the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Involvement in uncoordinated protest actions is named in the strategy as one of the ways to destabilise Russia and spread extremism. The Russian Federation considers "initiating colour revolutions, falsifying history, and terrorism" to be extremist threats.

According to the text, "extremists" are intensifying the national crisis by propagating the notion of "decolonisation" of the Russian Federation. It is planned to vigorously propagate the notions of the "historical unity of the peoples of the Russian Federation" as part of the fight against "extremism".

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According to the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Putin's signing of laws aimed at tightening internal control is an attempt to shield the government from new dangers such as Yevgeny Prigozhin's march on Moscow.

"The adoption and signing of these laws confirms that the Kremlin is increasingly afraid of internal threats and is trying to protect itself from them by law. However, this pressure will sooner or later lead to the destabilisation of the domestic political situation and, ultimately, the fall of the Putin regime," the Center for Countering Disinformation said in a statement.

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PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD)  Quest Charter Academy met its demise in 2024, but the initial decision by Peoria Public Schools to deny its charter and the ensuing appeal process led to some fascinating developments in the first half of the year.

PPS Board of Educations initial decision

The Board of Education for Peoria Public Schools voted 5-1 in January to deny Quests charter, and the reasoning was that the charter academy failed to meet eight of the 11 benchmarks set by the district.

Among those benchmarks were:

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not receiving a commendable rating for the middle school through the state report card process.

not meeting an acceptable four-year graduation rate.

not having an acceptable attendance rate for its students.

Dr. Taunya Jenkins, who was the CEO of Quest, stated at the meeting that the school made reasonable progress towards the goals that it did not meet.

Reaction from the school community

The decision led to outrage from several Quest parents, including Arlene Coleman.

She felt the charter school was being held to a higher standard than PPS schools, citing that Quest outperformed several schools in the district.

Its not fair to the parents. Its not fair to the students, Coleman said. This is not just another decision made on paper for us, its personal.

Vernon Johnson also made his voice heard and called on everyone to come together to keep Quest open.

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Weve got to come together. Both parties, all parties, for the betterment and the good of these young people here. They are our future, he said.

Quest leadership ultimately went forward with appealing the school boards decision, which went to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Appeal process

Quest and PPS made their cases at an initial hearing in Springfield in March, with Quests legal team saying the school was an answer to the lack of skilled workers in Peoria and that it made reasonable progress in meeting its goals.

Peoria Public Schools gave its rebuttal and said that reasonable progress is not a good enough excuse for not meeting benchmarks. They also argued that Quests retention rate was much lower than the states average.

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One of PPSs biggest concerns was the lack of certified teachers at Quest. The school had not met the 75% state threshold of certified teachers since the 2017-18 school year.

The hearing officer ruled in favor of Quest, calling PPS argument capricious. However, State Superintendent Tony Sanders recommended the state board ignore that decision.

State Board of Education ruling

A day before the state board of education ruled on the fate of Quest, dozens of parents, faculty members, and students rallied in front of the boards Springfield office.

Chants centered around Tony Sanders and keeping the charter school open.

A day later, however, the news that many in the Quest community feared to hear came to pass.

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The board voted to deny Quests appeal, with several citing the lack of basic qualifications.

The charter school has to be in total compliance with the law, said State Board member Roger Eddy. This charter is not. Its not, simply because of the 75% certification portion of that law.

Several Quest supporters stormed out of the meeting, with several people crying about the decision.

Aftermath

Following the ruling, Quest closed at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year, with both buildings having their ownership transferred to the school district.

Students ended up going to one of Richwoods High School, Mark Bills Middle School, Reservoir Gifted Academy, Rolling Acres Middle School, or Liberty Leadership Middle School. Some moved out of the district entirely.

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PPS has since approved plans for both Quest buildings. The middle school will be an extension of the districts dual language program, while the high school will house alternative programs.

The middle school will be renamed The Multicultural Dual Language Academy while the high school will be named The Glen Barton School.

It will take effect in the 2025-26 school year.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.
Construction has begun on a new railway linking China to Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced at the Dec. 27 groundbreaking ceremony.

The new route, part of China's economic expansion efforts, aims to expand Chinese commercial influence in Central Asia and Europe while bypassing Russian territory.

"This route will ensure the supply of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan and then to Central Asia" and other countries, including Turkey and the European Union, Japarov said in a press briefing, as quoted by the Kyrgyz Presidential Press Office.

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The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is "not just a transport corridor" but "an important strategic bridge that will connect the countries of the East and the West," Japarov added.

Japarov also said the project would "strengthen regional ties" and "diversify transport routes," increasing the region's competitiveness as a transit hub.

The railway will run nearly 523 kilometers (325 miles) west from the Chinese city of Kashgar in the northwestern region of Xinjiang through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalal-Abad to Andijan in Uzbekistan.

The $8 billion project has been in talks since the 1990s, but economic and political pressure, particularly from Russia, which the road would bypass, had stalled it until now.

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The Kremlin's growing dependence on China in the wake of Western sanctions has apparently eased tensions, as hinted by Putin's participation in China's Belt and Road Forum in Oct. 2023, where this railway was highlighted as one of its projects.

China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, but Washington has continued to sound the alarm on Beijing's support of Moscow's defense industry.

Read also: Trumps China strategy hinges on crippling Russias economy

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Happy Saturday, Utah! Our active weather pattern will continue right through the upcoming weekend with more rain and snow chances.

The next wave of wintry weather moves into northern Utah Saturday and Sunday. Additional snow accumulations will be possible above 6,000 ft. For lower elevations, things will warm through the weekend, so mainly valley rain, and rain/snow mix for areas above 5,000 ft.

Finally, a new front arrives Sunday night into Monday, bringing another round of precipitation and dropping temperatures. This could allow for snow levels to return to the valley floors by early Monday morning.

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Honestly a Christmas nightmare: Utah familys holiday plans ruined after Christmas Eve flight delays

Once the precipitation clears late Monday morning, things will dry out and turn colder with highs only in the 30s north, and upper 40s to low 50s across the far SW. The pattern remains calm and near normal through most of next week including New Years Day.

Well keep you updated on your holiday forecast in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah!

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
NEWThe Storm Prediction Center has upgraded the severe weather risk to our north to a level four out of five for today. Future radar shows storms popping up beginning late morning and through early afternoon. These early storms will begin near I-10 and mature as they move towards central parts of the state. These cells will be capable of producing large hail and gaining rotation. Later in the afternoon/evening, a main line of storms is going to work into the region. This is when tornadoes and damaging wind gusts will become the primary threats. Large hail, tornadoes, and damaging winds will all be possible today. A chance of stronger (EF2+) tornadoes will be possible across central parts of the state and into Mississippi. I still believe that most of the most significant severe weather reports will end up being north of Acadiana, but it will be a close call. Northern parishes will be at the most risk.

As low pressure reaches peak intensity later in the afternoon and evening, the wind shear will also reach peak intensity. This is when damaging winds and tornadoes become the greatest threat. Supercells capable of producing stronger tornadoes will likely initialize (develop) near I-10 mid-afternoon/early evening and move into northern Acadiana and central parts of the state.

This highlighted area north of I-10 and spanning into central Louisiana and Mississippi will be where the greatest risk of stronger tornadoes will lie.

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The final line of storms will work through Acadiana during the evening hours, producing more of a damaging wind threat. Most storms should be done and out of the area by 10pm.

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I do have to emphasize the difference between winter severe weather setups and ones which occur in Spring. During Spring months (March-May), the cold waters of the northern Gulf can be a lid on instability, weakening storms as they roll through. These December-January systems are different in the sense that colder waters of the Gulf may have less effect on the overall system, due to the nature of these Subtropical jet stream systems. Many of our biggest severe weather events, which actually produced, happen during these winter months. For that reason, we certainly need to take the threat seriously. Heres what you can do:

Download the KLFY weather app to have alerts sent right to your mobile device If youre in a mobile home or a home surrounded by large trees, make sure you keep close tabs on the weather. Stay with a friend, neighbor, or family member if you do not feel safe Tune into the KLFY broadcast as we will be delivering minute-by-minute updates on storms

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Prosecutors accused luxury real-estate agents Oren and Tal Alexander of sex trafficking this month.

They are the latest in a series of top figures in real estate accused of sexual abuse or harassment.

Some in the industry say its structure, partying, and cult of personality are all partly to blame.

The Alexander brothers, luxury brokers who New York prosecutors accused of sex trafficking this month, are the latest in a series of top figures in real estate accused of sexual abuse or harassment.

The brothers, Oren and Tal, have denied the allegations.

Still, the accusations have made some in the industry  which is dominated by women but mostly led by men  reflect on its permissive, decentralized culture that parties hard and, too often, multiple people told Business Insider, puts women into uncomfortable or dangerous situations.

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While it's far from a mass reckoning like Hollywood's #MeToo movement, the series of accusations against major real estate players over the past year and a half has prompted some in the industry to look inward and consider whether its traditional practices and lack of uniform safety precautions may have contributed.

Sue Yannaccone, the president and CEO of Anywhere Brands and Anywhere Advisors, manages multiple real-estate brokerage chains, including Century21, Coldwell Banker, and Corcoran. She told Business Insider that real estate has more to do to address some of these issues.

"Real estate is not unlike other industries that have had to, unfortunately, reckon with a pattern of discrimination and harassment of women," Yannaccone said. "Holding offenders accountable is an important and effective step in our progress, and there is still more work to be done across all sectors to ensure women can always thrive in safe, supportive, and equitable work environments."

The lax structure and low barrier to entry in real estate often mean careers are built largely on an individual agent's personality and charisma. It can also create opportunities for bad behavior to go unchecked, said Brian Boero, the cofounder of 1000watt, a real-estate branding and marketing company.

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With over 1.5 million agents or brokers in the United States, it's similar to "the Wild West," he said. He added that many of them operate as independent contractors, acting as free agents.

"You have really good people, and you have really bad people. It's hard to paint this industry as a whole with a broad brush," Boero said. "The employee relationship does not exist, and people can, more or less, do whatever they want with very little supervision."

A series of accusations

Oren and Tal Alexander first rose to prominence as real-estate agents at Douglas Elliman before splitting off to found their own brokerage, Official Partners.

The Alexander Team, as they were commonly known, sold over $260 million in real estate in New York in 2023, the real-estate industry trade publication The Real Deal reported.

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The Alexanders "used their prominent positions in the industry to induce other women to attend events and parties" where they later sexually assaulted them, prosecutors said in an indictment earlier this month.

Prosecutors accused Oren, Tal, and a third brother Alon, who works at the family's security firm, of operating a sex-trafficking scheme in which the brothers  and others  victimized dozens of women dating back to 2010. The brothers obtained drugs to "surreptitiously" give the women and planned the assaults in advance, prosecutors said in the indictment.

Attorneys for the three brothers, whom police arrested in Florida earlier this month, did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The twins denied the allegations when they were first reported.

James Cinque, a New York attorney representing the Alexander brothers, told BI in response to a story published before their arrest outlining four women's claims of assault and sexual misconduct that he and his colleagues had "asked them not to comment while these matters work their way through the legal system." Cinque added they're "comfortable that they will ultimately be vindicated."

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Meanwhile, the success of eXp, an emerging real-estate brokerage that has a market cap of about $1.8 billion, has been overshadowed by complaints of sexual misconduct against some of its agents.

Five female eXp employees, in two separate lawsuits filed in 2023, accused agents Michael Bjorkman and David Golden of drugging them at work-related events. Four of the women said they were also sexually assaulted, according to the lawsuits. The New York Times first reported the cases against Bjorkman and Golden.

Richard Schonfeld, an attorney representing Bjorkman, told BI that the lawsuits are "one side of the story." Peter Levine, a lawyer for Golden, didn't return requests for comment from BI but told the Times the charges against Golden were "baseless and without merit." Trial dates for both cases are set for 2025.

Representatives for eXp, who didn't return requests for comment from BI, emailed a statement to the Times, highlighting the industry's decentralized nature.

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"The claims in this case stem from alleged assaults by independent real estate agents who were never eXp employees  which we handled with speed, seriousness, and deep respect as soon as the accusers brought it to our attention, in line with our values and with the law," it read.

The National Association of Realtors, the largest trade association for real-estate agents in the United States with more than 1.5 million members, is also facing troubling allegations.

One of the most notable involves Kenny Parcell, a Utah real-estate agent and former NAR president who resigned in August 2023 after The New York Times published an expose detailing multiple accusations against him and the organization.

The Times' report was based on interviews with 29 current and former employees from NAR and its affiliates who said Parcell and other NAR and affiliated company leaders repeatedly engaged in abusive and inappropriate behavior, often without facing consequences.

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In June 2023, Janelle Brevard filed a lawsuit against NAR, accusing the organization of sexual harassment, retaliation, and racial discrimination. In the lawsuit, Brevard, a Black woman, said she was fired from her role in podcasts, video, and marketing after ending a consensual relationship with Parcell.

Brevard ultimately withdrew her lawsuit after entering into an agreement with the organization, the Times reported. Brevard did not respond to repeated requests for comment from BI, and her attorney declined to comment.

"The allegations are not true," Parcell said in a four-page statement in 2023. "Nothing has changed" since then, he wrote in an email to Bl on December 23. "My resignation from NAR was in no way an admission of guilt  it was a good faith effort to put NAR and its members first," he said.

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for NAR said the organization's "new leadership has undertaken a comprehensive review of our policies and procedures and continues to work every day to help NAR employees feel respected and supported."

Parties, star-agent culture, and a long road ahead

The real-estate industry can feel unsafe at times, especially for women, as the job has inherent risks. Agents are commonly expected to meet with clients, who might be strangers, alone at homes that could be secluded or lack cell reception.

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In a NAR survey of 1,423 licensed real-estate agents this year, women agents were twice as likely as men to report experiencing a situation at work that made them fear for their safety, and 54% of women carried a weapon or self-defense tool compared to 47% of men.

Still, Boero said the industry's internal culture  its hard-partying traditions and the "cult of the superstar"  also presented problems.

"The Alexander brothers were like that: high-profile, flashy, wealthy, did a ton of business. We tend to elevate, emulate, and worship those types of figures in this business. And they're not always men, but they frequently are," he said. "There is this cult of the top producer in the business that, I think, has maybe obscured bad behavior over the years."

Parties are also a central, sometimes problematic, component of real-estate culture. In an industry where success is often tied to how connected you are, brokers often frequent social events to meet and mingle with other brokers, current clients, and prospective clients.

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"Parties and awards and all of that stuff is very big in this business, which means there's a lot of partying and drinking, sometimes at scale," Boero said, "which, again, sometimes creates the conditions within which bad people can do bad things."

Brooke Cohen, one of the attorneys representing all five plaintiffs in the eXp cases, told BI that socializing is often essential in real estate as an opportunity for making deals, networking, and advancing your career.

That means women can find themselves in uncomfortable environments. "It's important that in this industry some parameters are put in place," Cohen said. "We really would like it to be better for people who have to attend these events to do business."

Yannaccone said women's prevalence in the industry motivated her to create What Moves Her, a program that supports women in real-estate leadership.

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"Our work is just one piece of a larger effort toward progress that includes not just the many brave voices of female agents and leaders, but many of our male counterparts as well," she said. "It's our hope that through our collective effort, we can help create an industry that truly operates on shared values of integrity, accountability, and good governance."

Correction: December 27, 2024  An earlier version of this story misstated Sue Yannacone's title. She is the president and CEO of Anywhere Brands and Anywhere Advisers, not of Anywhere Real Estate, Inc.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN)  Nearly 20 years after the death of a nun native to Dayton, a relic from the site of her murder will be making its way to Rome.

Sister Dorothy Stang was a member of the Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. She was an outspoken activist against the deforestation of the Amazon Rain Forest, where she was killed 20 years ago.

In February of 2005, after living in Brazil for over 40 years and becoming a naturalized citizen, Sister Dorothy was murdered while doing mission work for families living in federally sanctioned land that was protected from deforestation.

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Some of the soil from the spot she was killed was kept by one of her friends for two decades, and is now considered a relic by the Catholic church. The soil will be taken to Rome next year, along with her sweater which was worn by Sister Rebecca during Dorothys murder trial.

The pieces will be displayed alongside other examples of martyrdom at the Sanctuary of New Martyrs in early January. She will be the first woman from the United States to be included among others in the sanctuary.

2 NEWS spoke with one of Sister Dorothys peers, who says that she serves as a model of passion, courage and conviction and is studied by students at the high school she herself attended.



As these two men stepped out and pulled their guns, she reached into her cloth bag and pulled out her bible. She held it up and said, this is the only weapon Ive ever carried,' said Sister Kathleen Harmon.



Harmon says Dorothys values are still making an impact to this day.

Her courage, her persistence, her desire to make life better for those who had a right to a better life, said Harmon. Her commitment to preserving the Earth inspired all of us.

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On Jan. 5, 2025, there will be a relic prayer service in Cincinnati, which will essentially commission the relic. Then, on Jan. 10, there will be a service in Rome, where her reliquary will officially be inducted into the Sanctuary of the New Martyrs.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com.
CNN

GOP strategist Scott Jennings voiced his support for Elon Musk amid growing concerns from MAGA devotees that his power is growing unchecked.

While just days ago Musk was the Republican darling, recent comments from him and his DOGE co-head Vivek Ramaswamy about the suitability of immigrants over Americans for top jobs have left many seething.

Considering Musk is the richest man in the world, he has the wealth to potentially back up his own philosophies over those of President-elect Donald Trump. Some Republicans have insisted its time to get the Tesla honcho out of politicsbut Jennings spoke passionately in his defence on Fridays NewsNight With Abby Phillip.

WATCH: CNNs @ScottJenningsKY on Elon: I think Donald Trump having a relationship with one of the greatest innovators of our time across multiple sectors and having that person be as invested in the United States and the success of the United States as he can be is unequivocally pic.twitter.com/86njmTzZJk  TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) December 28, 2024

Kicking off the segment, host Phillip played a clip from far-right activist Laura Loomer, who accused Musk of restricting free speech on X after she seemingly lost her blue tick thanks to her rants against him and Ramaswamy.

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In a clip of a phone call from Loomer, she said: At what point do we say, Thank you so much for supporting President Trump and donating to his ground gains, but these conflicts are inappropriate and theyre going to cause potential conflicts for President Trump and his nominees in the administration.'

We need to have and honest conversation about this... We need to protect President Trump from these conflicts.

Shes apparently suddenly woken up to the fact that Elon Musk runs a company that has substantial interests overseas. Does she have a point that its something that should be looked at? Phillips asked.

I think Donald Trump having a relationship with one of the greatest innovators of our time across multiple sectors and having that person be as invested in the United States and the success of the United States as he can be is unequivocally a good thing, Jennings said in response.

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And Im sorry if people had their feelings hurt by that. This country needs people like Elon Musk to create, to innovate, to participate in our civic affairs. This is a good thing.

Democrat Mondaire Jones asked, To run government policy by Tweet, though?

Hes not running anything, said Jennings.

Coleman Hughes echoed, Hes not running anything. The President is allowed to have advisors and aides, and some of his best accomplishments from his first term were by non-cabinet aides.

You know, Jared Kushner ran point on getting peace with Israel and five countries, so Elon Musk has been very successful in many domains.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  A new report from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce shows that the state ranks 28th in the country when it comes to manufacturing competitiveness.

Missouri employs around 300,000 manufacturers, but ranks behind several of its neighbors, including Tennessee and Kentucky.

Public safety and childcare are among the industrys main concerns. Missouri counties continue to face a significant shortage of childcare providers, with 94 of the states 114 counties classified as childcare deserts. The ongoing issue is not only affecting families, but also impacting state manufacturers.

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With the upcoming legislative session around the corner, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce is asking lawmakers to focus on childcare and public safety to help the state grow.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Amanda Zurawski, Josh Zurawski, Kaitlyn Joshua and Hadley Duvall speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 19, 2024. (Andrew Roth for Michigan Advance)

Galvanized by a pivotal election almost two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections, patients, doctors, and activists in 2024 fought for renewed and expanded reproductive rights, while others pushed for more restrictions. These are some of the people and organizations that impacted reproductive health law and abortion access this year.

Women with wanted pregnancies affected by abortion bans

In state legislatures, before Congress, in court, in presidential campaign ads, and on stage at the Democratic National Convention, women all over the country have been reliving some of the worst moments of their lives in an effort to roll back abortion restrictions that have changed reproductive health care in America.

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The year after Kentucky banned abortion, Hadley Duvall started talking publicly about how she was raped at 12 by her stepdad, who got her pregnant. She advocated for abortion rights in re-election campaign ads for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in 2023 and this year appeared in national campaign ads for Democrats.

Kaitlyn Joshua of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, addresses the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Kaitlyn Joshua, of Baton Rouge, represented many Louisiana women at this years Democratic National Convention, telling whats becoming an increasingly common story of not being able to access miscarriage treatment after the state passed a strict abortion ban. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill subsequently challenged Joshuas story on social media.

Kristin Lyerly, an OB-GYN from Wisconsin, is one of many doctors across the country who have sued over state abortion bans they say have changed medical practice. Lyerly this year participated in a civic engagement experiment in Madison, where strangers came together and shared the life experiences that inform their abortion views. Even when abortion rights were protected under Roe v. Wade, Lyerly said she was almost forced to give birth to a stillborn, in lieu of a less invasive abortion procedure. She also ran a reproductive-rights-focused campaign as a Democrat in a conservative-leaning congressional district, a race she lost.

House District 75 Democratic candidate Allie Phillips stands in her home next to a calendar of Taylor Swift, her favorite artist. (Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

Allie Phillips ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Tennessee legislature after the states abortion ban kept her from terminating a nonviable pregnancy in her home state, leading her to travel to New York City for care. She lost the race but said in November that she plans to continue fighting for reproductive rights, and announced her new pregnancy. Phillips is a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit with other affected women and physicians to clarify the states medical health exceptions. A three-judge panel ruled in October that doctors cannot be penalized for performing an emergency abortion to save a patients life.

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Amanda Zurawski developed sepsis in Texas after her water broke at 18 weeks and doctors waited for days to terminate her pregnancy, fearing prosecution under the states strict abortion ban. Shes since become an outspoken abortion-rights advocate. She campaigned heavily for abortion-rights candidates this year and said she wants to continue working in politics.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute

The high-profile federal lawsuit over medication abortion was made possible in part by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the anti-abortion political powerhouse Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. Data from the institute featured prominently in the plaintiffs case for revoking the federal drug approval of mifepristone and was directly used as part of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryks reasoning for granting the doctor-plaintiffs standing. The researchers found a significant jump in Medicaid-funded emergency room visits following a medication abortion over two decades, which also corresponds with an increase in access to medication abortion overtime. Public health experts told States Newsroom that the researchers inflated their findings, and appeared to conflate all emergency department visits with serious adverse events like sepsis. Their conclusions contradicted a large body of research showing a low rate of serious adverse events after taking mifepristone, prompting further scrutiny from curious scientists, as well as the academic publishing house that published it.

In February, Sage retracted three studies produced by Charlotte Lozier researchers and published in the journal Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology between 2019 and 2022, after a reader-prompted investigation found flaws in the studies methodology and data representation. The team behind the studies included Charlotte Lozier vice president and director of data analytics James Studnicki and longtime anti-abortion researchers, including the then-CEO of one of the plaintiff groups in the medication abortion lawsuit. They sued Sage, saying the retractions were unjustified and politically motivated.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected the abortion medication lawsuit this past summer  not on the merits of the case, but on the issue of the doctor-plaintiffs standing. Anti-abortion activists vowed to find a different plaintiff who could potentially persuade the court that abortion pills are too dangerous. After the Supreme Court remanded the case to the lower court, in October, intervening states Idaho, Kansas and Missouri amended their complaint, which no longer cites the retracted studies papers but instead cites a new paper from Studnicki and fellow Charlotte Lozier researchers, making similar claims.

The Alabama Supreme Court

A common fertility treatment, in vitro fertilization, was thrust into the national spotlight in February after the Alabama Supreme Court decided, 8-1, that frozen embryos should be considered children, in a wrongful death lawsuit over the embryos accidental destruction.

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A lower court had dismissed the claim, ruling that embryos do not meet the legal definition of children. But in the majority opinion siding with the couples who sued the Mobile fertility clinic, Justice Jay Mitchell cited a 2018 state constitutional amendment ensuring the protection of the rights of the unborn child. He also cited an 1872 law allowing for civil lawsuits for the wrongful death of children, and argued that it does not explicitly include an exception for frozen embryos. Mitchell reasoned that the law applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation. Chief Justice Tom Parker, an influential conservative Christian activist, cited biblical texts in his concurring opinion, writing, even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.

Soon after, many IVF clinics in Alabama shut down until the state legislature passed a bill in March that extended criminal and civil immunity to IVF clinics for operations. This created major issues for families spending tens of thousands of dollars on a time-sensitive treatment. Alabamas ruling also created a fear among families struggling to conceive in other states with abortion bans and showed that the fertility treatment is broadly supported by voters from both political parties. Republicans updated their national party platform to include support for IVF access. During his presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised: your government will pay or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with I.V.F. treatment  something he likely couldnt do without congressional action. Meanwhile, GOP members of Congress have largely opposed IVF protections and access bills.

Mark Lee Dickson holds a sign about the Comstock Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26, 2024, while justices heard oral arguments in a since-rejected challenge to the abortion pill mifepristone. (Sofia Resnick/States Newsroom)

Mark Lee Dickson and Jonathan Mitchell

This year, attorney Jonathan Mitchell and pastor Mark Lee Dickson together experimented with ways to prevent out-of-state abortions, using their home state of Texas as the primary testing ground. Mitchell, a former solicitor general of Texas, used a little known state rule to depose abortion funds, doctors, and women who left the state for an abortion. As the Texas Tribune reported, the actions created fear and confusion but have not resulted in charges. Mitchell previously filed a wrongful death lawsuit against women who allegedly helped their friend obtain medication to terminate a pregnancy, which has since been dropped.

Through their Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn project, Dickson and Mitchell helped pass approximately 80 ordinances in cities and counties, mostly in Texas, but also in strategically located cities in abortion-access states, like Illinois and New Mexico. Some of the ordinances say a doctor in a state where abortion is legal cannot perform an abortion on a resident who lives in a town that has passed one of these laws. Some of the ordinances ban the use of that towns highways to drive someone to an out-of-state abortion clinic. And some invoke a dormant federal anti-obscenity law known as the Comstock Act, which they say the federal government should enforce to mean that abortion pills cannot be transported through the mail.

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Just like Texass 2021 six-week abortion ban that Mitchell and Dickson helped design, many of these ordinances are unenforceable by the governments that pass them, instead allowing for private citizens to sue other residents or medical professionals for aiding and abetting an abortion. The activists experienced a major loss on Election Day with the majority of voters in conservative Amarillo, Texas, voting down a ballot measure blocking abortion-related travel on its highly trafficked roads. But just before the end of the year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion drugs to a Texas resident, which Dickson told States Newsroom is a win for the anti-abortion movement. He said that in 2025 he plans to push for local anti-abortion ordinances in Arizona and Missouri, which reversed their abortion bans in November.

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ROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP)  Republicans will start the year with at least a temporary majority in the Minnesota House after a Democrat decided not to appeal a judge's decision that he failed to establish residency in the suburban district he was elected to represent.

That means Republicans will have a slim 67-66 majority in the House when the Legislature begins Jan. 14. That may not last long because Gov. Tim Walz has already scheduled a Jan. 28 special election in the Democratic-leaning district that Curtis Johnson won by 30 points in November.

While I disagree with the conclusions reached by the District Court, I recognize that whatever the decision on appeal the ultimate decision belongs to the Legislature, where it appears there is no viable pathway for me being allowed to retain my seat, Johnson said in his resignation letter Friday. Rather than dragging this out further, I have decided to resign now, so that a special election can be held as soon as possible.

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Ramsey County Judge Leonardo Castro ruled last week that Johnson didnt live in the Roseville-area district for the required six months ahead of the election and is therefore ineligible to serve.

Johnson's Republican challenger, Paul Wikstrom, presented surveillance video and photos in court to show Johnson did not reside in the apartment he claimed as his residence. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the lack of utility hookups and regular activity at the apartment reinforced that conclusion.

Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth, who is in line to become House speaker with the GOP in control, said she is pleased the judge's decision will stand. Previously, leaders of both parties had been working out a power-sharing agreement given that the chamber was expected to be divided equally 67-67.

This confirms that Republicans will have an organizational majority on day one, and we look forward to ensuring that a valid candidate represents District 40B in the upcoming legislative session, Demuth said in a statement.

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Although Democrats argue that Republicans would need to have at least 68 seats to control the House. or pass laws.

The Democrats should be able to stop Republicans from being able to pass laws, but the GOP could still push its agenda. Republicans will have working control of committees to advance bills to the floor, which could force Democrats from swing districts to face tough decisions on bills. And Republicans could try to launch investigations they have been seeking for a long time into the Walz administration and problems it has had limiting fraud.

Democrats had been expecting to have a one-vote edge in the Senate, but that chamber is now evenly split at 33-33 after former Majority Leader Sen. Kari Dziedzic died Friday from cancer. A special election will also be held for her Democratic-leaning Minneapolis district, but that hasn't been scheduled yet.

Demuth also questioned whether Walz has the power to set the special election so quickly even before the Legislature certifies the vacancy. If that argument prevails that would extend Republican control of the House longer, but the secretary of state's office told Minnesota Public Radio that Walz's order setting the special election is proper.

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Whenever the election happens, Democrats are confident they will win the seat, current House speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman said.

A prompt special election will allow the voters of District 40B to ensure that they will be represented in the Minnesota House for the bulk of the session, Hortman said in a written statement. We expect the district will again vote to elect a Democrat by overwhelming margins.

A pending court challenge in a different suburban district could also affect the balance of power in the House, but it appears Democrats will likely prevail in that dispute. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Tabke, of Shakopee, was declared the winner by 14 votes over Republican Aaron Paul despite 20 missing ballots that were accepted but never counted and then apparently thrown away. At a hearing, his attorneys presented six of those affected voters who testified that they supported Tabke, which would be enough to preserve his win. A judge is expected to decide within the next few weeks how to proceed.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  When Republicans take control of Washington in January, they say its back to the office for federal workers.

Currently about half of the countrys more than two-million federal workers work from home in some capacity.

The incoming administrations goal to get them back in the office is likely to face legal challenges.

The federal government pays for too much square footage for office space, said Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).

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Kentucky Republican Congressman James Comer says a lack of in-person work hurts government services.

If youre a senior having trouble with Social Security, its almost impossible to get someone on the phone, Comer added.

The Social Security Administration recently signed a contract to extend remote work protections until 2029.

Comer and President-elect Donald Trump say that needs to end.

I will order federal workers to get back to the office in person or be terminated from the job immediately, said Trump.

The Federal Workers Union has promised to push back. In a statement, the American Federation of Government Employees said, Collective bargaining agreements entered into by the federal government are binding and enforceable under the law.

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The union says 54% of federal workers are required to work in-person every day and for those who dont they say, Telework and remote work are tools that have helped the federal government increase productivity and efficiency.

This is probably something thats going to head to court, said Comer.

The Federal Workers Union says it will be ready to enforce their contracts if the incoming Trump administration doesnt honor them.

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(NewsNation)  President-elect Donald Trump has warned federal employees who have been working on a remote basis that if they want to keep their jobs, they will need to return to their given office spaces.

However, forcing government employees back into the office may not be as easy as threatening them with termination, a Republican lawmaker tells NewsNation.

U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he anticipates that as the newly formed Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) prepares to tackle government waste, a downsizing of the federal workforce may be required.

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Trumps campaign promise to force federal workers back to the office comes at a time when 17 of the 24 federal office buildings in Washington are at 25% capacity or less, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office in the fall of 2023.

Trump border czar says he will override sanctuary city roadblocks

The study found that the government spends an estimated $2 billion per year maintaining the office space and an additional $5 billion per year to lease it.

However, as Trump pushes to force workers back into the office, Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told NewsNation that many government employee contracts include clauses that allow for remote work on a hybrid or full-time basis.

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Trump said earlier this month that he plans to do away with a waiver that he said President Joe Biden provided federal employees to work from home. He said that if needed, his administration would fight the waiver in court to force workers back to the office.

If people dont want to come back to work, come back into the office, theyre going to be dismissed, Trump said.

Comer told NewsNation that enforcing such a threat wont come without a legal challenge from the unions representing federal employees.

More Americans say they need a break from political news: Survey

This will probably head to court. But in the court of public opinion, I think the people that work hard every day and have to go to work and pay taxes, I dont think theyre very happy with the fact that such a high percentage of the federal workforce is working from home, Comer told NewsNation. And theyre not held accountable like the employees who work for the federal government, who have to go to the office every day.

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Although the government is spending billions each year on physical office space, experts maintain that the solution DOGE is seeking doesnt come by filling government-leased buildings with federal employees. Comey told NewsNation that in addition to closing down excessive federal offices, more attention needs to be paid to the workforce itself.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been tasked with heading up DOGE, have suggested that they would like to eliminate 25% of the federal workforce. However, Comer, who believes employees are more responsive and efficient in the office than they are from home, says that rather than eliminating jobs, the priority should be determining what government employees actually do.

The New York Times reported that of the 2.3 million civilian workers working for the government in May, 1.1 million were eligible for telework, and about 228,000 were eligible for entirely remote work.

Some of them havent been seen since prior to COVID, Comer said. Weve got to bring them back, and I would like for every employee to have to explain to some competent person exactly what their job entails and what their day looks like working from home.

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As DOGE prepares to get to work, Comer said that federal officials need to find a balance when it comes to what the work environment for many of these government employees looks like.

The bottom line is, we have too many federal employees, the taxpayers cannot continue to pay them good federal benefits: the long-term pensions, the long-term health insurance, in addition to the just the everyday payroll, Comer told NewsNation. The taxpayers cannot put this burden anymore, and were going to have to get more efficient.

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Researchers out of Monterey, Ca., on Thursday enjoyed a rare encounter with mysterious killer whales known to travel in massive pods and prey on deepwater sharks.

There were fins everywhere we looked on the horizon, Capt. Evan Brodsky, of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, told ForTheWin Outdoors. They were spread out for miles. (Video posted below.)

It was the first known encounter involving a large pod of offshore killer whales, or orcas, in Monterey Bay since November 2021.

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Boaters in the region are far more likely to encounter "transient" orcas, which prey on other marine mammals, including gray whales.

Offshore killer whales, as their ecotype association implies, typically range far from shore between Southern California and Alaska. Brodskys footage shows them in sub-groups over a submarine canyon as close as six miles from shore.

He was with Tomoko Shimotomai and Colleen Talty of the California Killer Whale Project, and photographer Daniel Bianchetta. They were traveling west aboard a 20-foot inflatable boat when they spotted dorsal fins sprouting from the surface.

We just kept moving west from group to group for another 12 miles, so at my furthest point we were 18 miles out, Brodsky said, adding the entire pod included more than 60 orcas.

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Nancy Black, co-founder of the California Killer Whale Project, said offshore killer whale sightings, while rare, are more likely to occur during the winter. Pod sizes off California typically number 25 to 40 individuals, but they can be much larger.

Offshore killer whales prey largely on sharks, including deepwater sleeper sharks, which boast large and fatty livers. But the orcas also prey on fish, such as Pacific halibut and salmon.

Brodsky said his group did not witness feeding, but added: There were a lot of birds around, and a very strong fishy, oily smell. Some of the other vessels in the area reported seeing fish scales in the water.

He said that observing the offshore killer whales for the first time was like winning the gold medal at the Olympics.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Researchers encounter dozens of rare, shark-eating orcas; video
A wastewater controversy in Connecticut has people worried about the health of their community and the Connecticut River after 6 million gallons of untreated water were dumped into the river, according to WFSB Channel 3.

John Bair, a Higganum resident, captured the frustration during the segment, saying, "Somebody needs to do something."

His statement echoes many people's fears about contamination and overflow issues impacting the environment and the community.

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Bair, who said the river has already impacted his health, added, "My foot doctor won't even let me in the water." That isn't the glowing endorsement you want for a local waterway.

The overflow issues stem from aging sewer systems in nearby Massachusetts towns, WFSB Channel 3 explained. These systems collect sewage and stormwater in a single pipe, and during heavy rainstorms, untreated water discharges directly into the river due to the volume.

Towns downstream, including Enfield, Suffield, and Windsor, are especially worried about the potential for bacterial contamination.

This isn't just a local issue. Around the country, studies have found alarming levels of contamination in rivers, including harmful chemicals detected in fish species. Meanwhile, microplastics are being spread by wastewater discharge.

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Residents are questioning why more sustainable solutions haven't been implemented. Systems such as zero-liquid discharge, which is explained here by Samco Technologies and fully recycles wastewater, and natural filtration methods, including constructed wetlands, as explained here by the Environmental Protection Agency, have been successfully used to address similar issues.

According to the Connecticut River Conservancy, community members are calling for action to modernize these systems and prevent further harm to their river and their way of life. Updated infrastructure and contamination reduction systems can manage heavy rainfall without putting public health or the environment at risk.

Activists and local leaders are urging the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to push for stricter enforcement of wastewater management. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is a great example of a federal program that could provide critical funding to modernize outdated systems and reduce overflows.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection commented on the issue in a statement to Fox61, saying, "Rain runoff mixes with the overflows and dilutes them."

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Environmental officials recommend avoiding swimming in the river for at least 48 hours after a discharge event. The Clean Water Act mandates that the public be informed about these incidents (despite sewage discharging into the water for years).

Experts warn that failing to address these issues could lead to long-term damage to ecosystems and public health. Residents remain firm in their demand for meaningful solutions to protect their community and the Connecticut River.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.




WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Another Christmas has come and gone, but stores stay packed.

Between Christmas and the New Year, its gift return and exchange season  or maybe more, according to Target Store Director Kerry Beaver.

Just a lot of people spending their gift cards or maybe buying that thing they didnt get for Christmas, Beaver said. So, we have a lot of traffic in the store. Not nearly as busy as before Christmas, but definitely still busier than our normal.

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Though returns and exchanges make up much of the traffic, in total its still lower compared to past years. Mark Munoz credited online shopping as part of the reason for the change.

How to keep holiday plants alive past December

Im from Los Angeles. I live in Los Angeles, and I come and visit my mom in Texas, but theres hardly anybody here, Munoz said. Its all done online now, and I think that its the pandemic to blame.

The ability to shop online changed Christmas shopping drastically, with many shoppers, like Kathie Faber, buying over half of their gifts at home. The gifts get exchanged or returned from there as well.

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Yeah, its easier, and its easier to exchange online, Faber said. I mean, you can exchange online and send it back if you dont like it, but you just have to be careful of where you order.

Though online shopping has seemingly taken over the holiday shopping scene, Beaver said its positively impacted overall operations at his Target location.

We fulfill a lot of orders from our store, Beaver said. So, were getting business from other cities where people are shopping online. It may be something we have that well send out because we do that as well.

Regardless of whether youre doing your returns online or in person this year, remember customer service is there if you need help.

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Northampton has emerged as Britains drink driving capital, The Telegraph can reveal.

Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) show which parts of the country had the highest proportion of people falling foul of drink-drive laws in 2023.

Of the 144 different major postcode areas in the UK, Northampton had the highest proportion of driving licences blemished by drink driving convictions.

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The town, which is positioned at the centre of the nations motorway network on the M1, had 687 of its residents seeing the DVLA endorse their licence with an alcohol offence last year.

Among the other places in the top ten for worse drink-drink areas were two other cities just off the M1  Nottingham and Wakefield  as well as three regions in the north-east of England, two areas in Scotland and two in Wales.

These places saw the rate at which their drivers were collared for drink-driving reach more than three times the rate in areas with the lowest conviction figures.

The DVLA figures show there were almost 36,000 out of 42.4 million drivers who picked up a drink-drive endorsement on their licence last year.

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While the national average last year was eight people per 10,000 drivers picking up a drink-drive conviction, Northamptons rate was 13.4 people per 10,000.

Bromley, which had the lowest figure, had a drink-drive rate of just 4.5 per 10,000.

Separate figures show there were 154 people killed in crashes involving a drink-driver last year with another 1,705 seriously injured.

In total police logged a total of just over 4,000 serious accidents that officers said were triggered by a driver being over the drink-drive limit.

Drinking culture

In London, where almost 3 million residents hold a full driving licence, just over 1,300 people picked up a drink-drive conviction last year giving it a rate of 4.7 per 10,000 drivers  just two places off the bottom.

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James Ruppert, editor of Free Car Mag, said: There are fewer people stopped in London for drink-driving because it is a place that does not encourage driving at any time of the day. Significantly many youngsters either dont drive, or dont drink, or both.

There remains a drinking culture which is not concentrated in cities, hence drink-driving is now a largely regional activity.

Ruppert said this explains why places like the Scottish Isles would appear in the top 10.

John Scruby, a trustee for the Campaign against Drink Driving, said: It is important to recognise that by drinking and driving, you are not taking a risk, far from it.

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You are making a conscious decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle whilst your ability to operate that vehicle is impaired.

You may not feel as if youre affected, but thats part of the effect of the alcohol, decreasing your inhibitions and affecting your brains ability to make the right decision.

Weve all seen people doing stupid things after a drink; getting behind the wheel should never be one of those stupid things.

The consequences of a drink-related crash are immense; the risk of injury or death of yourself or another are unthinkable, and the long-term consequences are more severe than some even think about.

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They were home for the holidays.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoyed a quiet Christmas in California with children Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3  despite reports they were invited to spend the festive season with relatives in the UK.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told The Mirror: Harry and Meghan were invited for Christmas at Althorp with thrice-married [Princess Dianas brother] Uncle Charles, now Earl Spencer, but decided to stay in California.

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Meghan says its important for her that Archie and Lilibet can have connective memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas at home and enjoy the traditions like putting out carrots for the reindeer, Sewartd stated.

14 September 2023, North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

Britains Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britains Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose for a photo as they attend the program held in the Armed Forces Complex in Abuja, Nigeria on May 11, 2024. Anadolu via Getty Images

However, Harry and Meghan reportedly enjoyed the day with the actresss mother Doria at their Montecito home.

As for Prince Harrys kin, all working members of the royal family congregated in St. Mary Magdalene Church on Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Christmas Day.

King Charles, 76, and Queen Camilla, 77, who have attended morning mass at Sandringham Church annually on Christmas for years, were joined by Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in Kings Lynn, England. Samir Hussein/WireImage

The monarch and his wife led the royal familys walk for the third year with the royal family greeting members of the public on the way.

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Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, was also in attendance, as was her daughter Zara Tindall and her former rugby player husband, Mike Tindall. Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, also attended the service.

One well-wisher, John Loughrey, spoke to Sky News about his experience with Kate, noting, Im on top of the world.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued the first photograph of their daughter Lilibet on their festive card. Alexi Lubomirski / Duke and Duch

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I told Catherine she was an inspiration. She said thank you, and said she liked my badges, he added.

The family is ending a difficult year as both the king and the princess were diagnosed with cancer.

Last February, Buckingham Palace revealed that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer and had started treatment. The cancer was discovered in January after he underwent a planned procedure to treat a benign enlarged prostate.

I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days, he said in a statement at the time. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Merkur Spiel-Arena during the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany. Picture date: Wednesday September 13, 2023. PA Images via Getty Images

In March, Kate revealed that she had also been undergoing cancer treatment for about a month. In September, the Princess of Wales announced she had finished her chemotherapy treatment.

I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment, she shared in a statement on X at the time.
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI)  Fourteen years ago, Carlos Gonzalez had a dream to own a dance studio after taking up salsa dancing as a hobby.

The more I did it, the more I fell in love with it and there was nothing else I wanted to do, Gonzalez said.

Hes now the proud owner of the Mambo Pa Ti dance studio in Pawtucket. Its a dream he said became a reality thanks to the services and connections he made through the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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Im so grateful theres a network I can count on  a community,  Gonzalez said.

Its a community that seems to be growing. The Small Business Administration said it received 43,400 new business applications in Rhode Island this year. Of those, a record-breaking 17% were from Latinos.

Despite the record number of applications, SBA New England regional director Sandra Cano said there are some challenges, specifically with access to capital.

It is evident that after the pandemic a lot of them suffer credit loss, Cano explained. Thats why Im excited to work with my team to close those gaps that are already existing.

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The Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said its committed to helping businesses succeed. It will be reinforcing their technical assistance, education and microloan programs while still coming up with new ways to open doors for others.

We will continue to explore opportunities, to create new programs, to create initiatives not just with the government, but with corporations and financial institutions to help and support the growth of the businesses, Executive Director Oscar Mejias said.

Gonzalez urges new business owners to take advantage of the resources, adding that all they have to do is reach out.

Follow your dreams, he said. If theres aw ill, theres a way.

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The Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is in the process of moving to its new headquarters off of Broad Street in Providence and will be closed until Jan. 13.

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  To celebrate the second full day of Hanukkah a Menorah lighting ceremony was held in Rochester City Halls atrium Friday.

Mayor Malik Evans joined Rabbi Vogel for the annual tradition celebrating the Jewish community here in Rochester, lighting the Menorah that stands as a powerful symbol of hope, perseverance, and religious freedom.

Rabbi Vogel talked about the significance of Hanukkah being celebrated in the City of Rochester.

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The blessing of this great country is it guarantees freedom for all. Its just so wonderful to be here and celebrate Hanukkah so God bless. God Bless America, God bless the city of Rochester for being such a welcoming home to the Jewish community, Rabbi Vogel said.

Rabbi Vogel adds the message behind day two of Hanukkah says that What you did yesterday was good for yesterday. But today is a new day. Today you have to do more.

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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO)  Police arrested Kevin Taylor, 51, for allegedly sexually abusing an employee of Rosecrance while he was changing into scrubs.

On Nov. 25, officers received reports from the employee that the suspect inappropriately touched her and was making sexual remarks to her and another employee five days before.

When the victim was inappropriately touched, she immediately told her manager and a case supervisor about what happened, according to court records.

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The suspect told police he remembered his wife taking him to the facility for a detox but does not remember the incident because he was intoxicated, according to court records.

Taylor is charged with criminal sexual abuse without consent.

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(Bloomberg) -- Romanias ruling coalition agreed to hold a planned rerun of the presidential elections on March 23 and a second round on April 6, Digi 24 reported, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the decision.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Romanias top court decided to cancel a presidential ballot after a first round led to the surprise win of a pro-Russian candidate and suspicion of Kremlin meddling.

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The Russian government has approved a ban on mobile and landline connections via the Internet.

Source: Russian government decree

Details: The Russian government has removed "transmission of Internet data with voice information" from the list of licensed communication services, effectively banning calls over the Internet by mobile and landline phones.

Russia claims the ban is aimed at combating fraud.

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"Most often, fraudsters used such technologies, as it allowed them to switch phone numbers. This type of telephone fraud will be significantly restricted, as connecting data networks to telephone networks will no longer be possible," the Russian government said in a statement.

Background:

Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza reported that a ban on calls via messaging apps had been discussed since 23 December.

In December, reports emerged of police cars being set on fire in Russia, supposedly under the influence of "Ukrainian fraudsters".

The last such incident occurred in the city of Gus-Khrustalny in Russia's Vladimir Oblast, where a car drove into an enlistment office building on the evening of 25 December. The driver rammed the gates and then set the vehicle on fire.

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UK Defence Intelligence has issued an update on the Russo-Ukrainian war, focusing on the large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine during the night of 12-13 December.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence update dated 28 December on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The update noted that Russia had used strategic and tactical aircraft and ballistic missile systems during the attack.

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In addition, UK intelligence reported that Russian Black Sea Fleet ships had launched Kalibr missiles while loitering munitions had been used from numerous launch sites.

In total, Russia used about 90 missiles and 180 attack drones in the attack.

Russian forces targeted Ukraine's critical infrastructure and also aimed to suppress Ukrainian air defences by saturating them with loitering munitions.

Quote: "It is highly likely Russia has chosen to take time to build stocks between strikes and then launch in larger, less frequent strike waves, rather than the more frequent smaller attacks conducted earlier in the year," the update said.

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At the same time, UK intelligence stated that Russia retains the capability and stockpiles to use missiles and drones in smaller numbers "as a punitive measure, with little or no warning".

Background:

In October, UK intelligence reported that Russia had launched approximately 2,000 drones at Ukrainian regions that monthan increase of about 700 compared to September.

On 28 November, UK intelligence noted that Russia experienced a record single-day loss of 2,030 personnel, marking the first time daily losses exceeded 2,000.

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Russia's Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has claimed that Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly conducted a drone attack on the Krasnogvardeysky district, reportedly injuring two local residents and damaging infrastructure.

Source: Gladkov on Telegram

Details: Gladkov said one drone allegedly detonated in the village of Palatovo, resulting in two local residents suffering shrapnel wounds. He also reported damage to three residential buildings, including broken windows and damaged facades.

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Gladkov further claimed that another drone struck the village of Verkhososna, damaging a power line and leaving residents without electricity.

This information currently cant be independently confirmed.

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Russia's Gazprom has announced that from 1 January 2025, it will stop supplying gas to Moldova's Transnistria due to "failure to fulfil payment obligations".

Source: European Pravda, citing report by Gazprom

Details: Gazprom reported that on 28 December, it notified Moldovagaz of its intention to stop gas supplies.

The Russian company also accused Moldovagaz of "regularly failing to fulfil its payment obligations under the current contract, which is a significant violation of its terms".

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The press release states that on 1 January 2025 at 08:00 Moscow time, Gazprom will limit gas supplies to Moldova to 0 cubic metres per day.

Quote: "The restriction will remain in effect until Gazprom notifies Moldovagaz otherwise. Gazprom reserves all its rights, including the right to unilaterally terminate the contract and the right to demand from Moldovagaz compensation for all losses and payment of fines for Moldovagaz's failure to fulfil and/or improper fulfilment of its obligations under the contract."

More details: Moldovagaz acting CEO Vadim Cheban said the company had "taken into account" Gazprom's decision, NewsMaker reports.

Vadim Cheban recalled that since December 2022, all gas supplied from Russia has been transferred to the Transnistrian region.

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Quote Vadim Cheban: "At the same time, natural gas for consumers on the right bank of the Dniester was purchased on regional and European markets. It should be emphasised that Moldovagaz has contracted the necessary volumes of gas that will fully cover all the consumption of the Right Bank by the end of March 2025."

Reference: Moldova receives gas from Russia under a contract valid until October 2026. Since the autumn of 2022, Gazprom has limited gas supplies to 5.7 million cubic metres per day, significantly less than Moldova's winter consumption.

As a result, since the end of 2022, all Russian gas has been sent to Transnistria, where it is used to generate electricity at the Moldovan hydroelectric power plant. The rest is used for domestic needs.

It is worth noting that Ukraine does not want to renew the deal for the passage of Russian gas to European countries, which ends on 1 January, 2025. In this regard, Moldova has declared a 60-day energy-related emergency.

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The Trans-Balkan gas pipeline through Turkiye provides an alternate way for Russia to supply gas to Moldova.

However, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean claims that Gazprom has cited "non-payments" by Russia-controlled Transnistria as the reason for the suspension of supply rather than transit issues, making it far more difficult to resume deliveries. Chisinau does not recognise Tiraspol's debt and has no plans to pay it off.

Read also: Forcible reintegration of Moldova: potential causes and consequences of rapid Transnistrian regime fall

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Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a Russian citizen who was allegedly preparing an attack on a Defense Ministry official and a popular pro-war blogger, Russian media reported on Dec. 28, citing a statement from FSB.

The FSB claimed that the detained man was acting on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence, and had been allegedly communicating with them via Telegram.

The man allegedly recovered a homemade explosive device with a capacity of about 1.5 kilograms of explosive "disguised as a portable music speaker" from a hideout in the Moscow region.

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According to the reports, the man was allegedly supposed to plant a bomb under the car of a "famous blogger" or under the gate of his house. He was also supposed to find the car of a high-ranking military officer in Moscow, which would then be mined.

He also "conducted reconnaissance activities" at the residences of both the officer and the blogger, FSB claimed.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims. Ukraine made no comments on the alleged operation.

This news comes just days after the FSB detained four other Russians on Dec. 26 for allegedly preparing a series of attacks against senior Russian Defense Ministry officials and their families.

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They were also allegedly acting according to a Ukrainian plot with the aim to assassinate senior military officers.

Both arrests followed the death of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov at the hands of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which claimed responsibility, on Dec. 17.

In this case, the suspect arrested by Russian law enforcement on Dec. 18 was a citizen of Uzbekistan who claimed to have been recruited by Ukrainian special services.

Read also: Assassinations of pro-war figures seek to demoralize Russia, punish war criminals

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Russia continues to scale up the production of Shahed drones ahead of its winter campaign against Ukraine in 2024-2025, despite sanctions and technical restrictions.

Source: ISW

Quote: "CNN, citing Ukrainian defence intelligence sources, estimated on 27 December that Russia's Shahed drone production facility in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Republic of Tatarstan produced 5,760 drones between January and September 2024  more than twice the number of drones that the facility produced in 2023. CNN, citing leaked documents from the facility, reported that the Alabuga facility is Russia's main Shahed production facility and has already fulfilled an agreement to produce 6,000 drones for the Russian military by September 2025."

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Details: It is also reported that Russia is actively developing low-tech decoy drones similar to the Shahed which are used to overcome Ukraine's air defence systems. Up to 10,000 of these decoy drones, almost twice the number of attack drones, are planned to be produced by the end of 2024.

The report notes that the Russians have built two new workshops at the Alabuga plant and installed drone-catching nets over the buildings. To improve logistics, the Russians have created a railway station with a direct connection between Russia and China, through which the necessary components for drone production are supplied.

Quote: "Russian forces will likely continue to adjust their strike packages during Winter 2024-2025 and beyond in order to inflict significant damage on Ukraine's energy grid and critical infrastructure, and Russia likely intends to further increase its production and use of Shahed drones following the anticipated signing of the Russian-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in January 2025."

More details: The analysts say in their report that Russia is facing restrictions on the supply of quality components to its factories due to Western sanctions. Russians are forced to use low-quality engines made in China. Nevertheless, Ukrainian forces, thanks to innovations in electronic warfare, are effectively countering Shahed attacks.

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways:

Russia has continued to expand its domestic production capabilities of Iranian-designed Shahed drones ahead of its Winter 2024-2025 strike campaign against Ukraine.

Russia has yet to address limitations in its ability to produce and field Shahed drones, however, and will likely continue to struggle with these limitations in 2025.

Ukrainian forces recently conducted a HIMARS strike against a Russian staff meeting in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, reportedly killing three Russian officers, following Ukrainian warnings about the possibility of renewed Russian offensive operations in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) attempted to blame weather conditions and the pilots response to the Russian emergency airspace closure over the Republic of Chechnya for the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger aircraft crash in Aktau, Kazakhstan on 25 December.

Finnish authorities seized the Russian-owned Eagle S crude oil tanker on suspicion that the vessel was recently involved in damaging undersea electricity and telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea but noted that it is too soon to conclude that Russia is behind the cable disruptions.

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin appointed Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu to head the newly established Scientific Expert Council of the Russian Security Council.

Ukrainian forces recently regained positions near Siversk and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, Velyka Novosilka, and on the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts.

Russian federal subjects (regions) are continuing to increase the value of enlistment bonuses to incentivise military recruitment.

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Over the last 24 hours, Russia has lost 1,690 soldiers killed and wounded, 19 armoured combat vehicles and 29 artillery systems.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 28 December 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 784,200 (+1,690) military personnel;

9,651 (+7) tanks;

19,970 (+19) armoured combat vehicles;

21,408 (+29) artillery systems;

1,256 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;

1,032 (+0) air defence systems;

369 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;

329 (+0) helicopters;

21,013 (+14) tactical and strategic UAVs;

3,003 (+0) cruise missiles;

28 (+0) ships/boats;

1 (+0) submarine;

32,328 (+66) vehicles and fuel tankers;

3,668 (+0) special vehicles and other equipment.

The information is being confirmed.



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Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the Moldovan Prime Minister's comments.

The Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom announced on Dec. 28 that it is ending gas supplies to the Russian-occupied region of Transnistria in Moldova, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

While a deal to allow Russian gas to flow to Moldova and other European countries via Ukraine expires at the end of the year, Gazprom said the decision was related to Moldova's outstanding debt, not problems with transit.

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The Moldovogaz energy company "regularly fails to fulfill its payment obligations," Gazprom claimed on Dec. 28. As a result, Gazprom is suspending natural gas supplies to Moldova.

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned the decision and denied Russia's allegations of debt.

"Russia uses energy as a political weapon, turning people in the Transnistrian region, which it controls through its illegally stationed army, into hostages," Recean said in a social media post.

"The government condemns these oppressive tactics and reiterates that it will not admit any alleged debt, which has been invalidated by an international audit."

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Recean said the Moldovan government was considering a number of legal options in response to Russia's decision, including international arbitration.

Transnistria is heavily dependent on Russian gas. 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.

The looming expiration of the Ukraine gas transit agreement led the Moldovan government to declare a 60-day state of emergency beginning Dec. 16, due to fears of a "humanitarian crisis" in Transnistria.

Alternative transit routes are available for Moldova, however. Russian gas could reach the country via the TurkStream pipeline, flowing to Turkey and then through Bulgaria and Romania to Moldova.

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Gazprom has rejected this option. The company announced it was limiting gas supplies to Moldova to "0 cubic meters per day," citing breach of contract rather than transit issues.

Transnistria, a narrow territory at Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine, has been occupied by Russia since the early 1990s.

Under the government of President Maia Sandu, the rest of Moldova has taken a pro-Western turn, launching EU accession talks in June and expelling dozens of suspected Russian spies. Chisinau has repeatedly accused Moscow of hybrid campaigns against the country.

Read also: Narrowly overcoming pro-Russian comeback, Moldovan President Sandu is facing tough term ahead

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Saturday it had foiled a plot by Ukraine to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger with a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that a Russian citizen had established contact with an officer from Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency through the Telegram messaging application.

On the instructions of the Ukrainian intelligence officer, the Russian citizen had then retrieved a bomb from a hiding place in Moscow, the FSB said. The bomb, equivalent to 1 1/2 kg of TNT and packed with ball bearings, was concealed in a portable music speaker, the FSB said.

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The FSB did not name the officer or the blogger who was the target of the plot. Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency could not be immediately reached for comment.

Ukraine says Russia's war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state and has made clear it regards targeted killings - intended to weaken morale and punish those Kyiv regards guilty of war crimes - as legitimate.

Russia has said they amount to illegal "acts of terrorism" and accuses Ukraine of assassinating civilians such as Darya Dugina, the daughter of a nationalist ideologue, in 2022.

On Dec. 17, Ukraine's SBU intelligence service killed Lieutenant General Kirillov, chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, in Moscow outside his apartment building by detonating a bomb attached to an electric scooter. Kyiv had accused him of promoting the use of banned checmial weapons, something Moscow denies.

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Donald Trump's designated Ukraine envoy, retired Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg, told Fox News on Dec. 18 that such killings were "not really smart" and going "a little bit too far."

Russia said that it would take revenge for the Kirillov killing.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
The airport of the Russian city of Kazan suspended flights to "ensure the safety of civilian aircraft flights," the press secretary of Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency Artem Korenyako reported on its Telegram channel on Dec. 28.

Operations at the airport were suspended at 6 a.m. following a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting the Russian regions of Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod, with Russian state media Tass reporting that 56 drones were shot down in total.

This information can't be independently verified. Ukraine hasn't commented on the attack.

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"To ensure the safety of flights of civil aircraft, temporary restrictions on the operation of Kazan airport have been introduced," Korenyako said. Such restrictions were lifted a few hours later.

According to Korenyako, similar measures had been previously implemented and lifted on Dec. 27 in several Russian airports, including Kazan itself in Tatarstan region, Sochi in Krasnodar region, and Astrakhan in the namesake region.

These restrictions come in the wake of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane on Dec. 25, which may have been allegedly shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile.

The plane, which was carrying passengers from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny in the Russian republic of Chechnya, crashed near the coastal city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

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Several media reports speculated that Russian air defenses struck the plane during air defense operations against a Ukrainian drone attack in Chechnya on the same morning of Dec. 25.

The same restriction were also implemented in the airports of Kazan and its neighboring city of Izhevsk after Ukrainian drones hit several buildings in the area on Dec. 21.

Kyiv has intensified its drone strike campaign on Russian territory, targeting military and industrial facilities to weaken Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

On Nov. 25, drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) struck an oil depot in the western Russian city of Kaluga.

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These attacks follow Ukraine's first use of U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against Russia and subsequent launches of UK-made Shadow missiles, made possible after Washington eased long-range attack restrictions.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian air defense may have downed Azerbaijani plane, media say

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Russia attacked the village of Bilozerka in Kherson Oblast with artillery on Dec. 28, injuring eight people, including two teenagers, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

A 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl sustained brain injuries and have been hospitalized, Prokudin said.

The attack also wounded three men, aged 52, 51, and 21, and three women. Two of the women, aged 43 and 62, sustained brain injuries and contusions, Prokudin said. A third woman received shrapnel wounds to her arms.

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The victims have reportedly been hospitalized.

Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River are subjected to daily Russian attacks as Russian troops remain in control across the river's east bank.

Shelling in Bilozerka on Nov. 3 wounded a paramedic and an ambulance driver.

Attacks in Kherson Oblast have reportedly increased in recent days, as Russian troops attempt to gain a foothold in the region. Ukraine's military said on Dec. 27 that it was repelling Russia's repeated attempts to land on an island in the Dnipro River delta.

Ukraine has been anticipating a large-scale Russian advance in Kherson Oblast as Russia pushes into the south.

Read also: 2024: Ukraine in photos

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A Russia-linked tanker suspected of cutting Baltic Sea cables has been tugged to port amid reports it was loaded with spy equipment.

Finnish authorities boarded the Eagle S tanker at sea after suspecting the vessel of sabotaging undersea power and internet lines on Christmas Day.

The Cook Islands-registered ship was carrying Russian oil when it allegedly slowed down and dragged its anchor along the seabed to damage the Estlink 2 undersea cable, which provides power to Estonia.

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A Finnish coastguard crew boarded the Eagle S on Thursday and sailed the vessel to Finnish waters, a coast guard official said.

The vessel is said to have been kitted out with special transmitting and receiving devices that monitor all naval activity, according to shipping journal Lloyds List citing a source with direct involvement in the ship.

They were monitoring all Nato naval ships and aircraft, the source said, adding: They had all details on them. They were just matching their frequencies.

Estlink 2 cables damage is the latest in a spate of disruptions to power cables and telecom links since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine - Markku Ulander/Reuters

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the vessel was loaded with huge portable suitcases and many laptops with Turkish and Russian-language keyboards on the ships bridge.

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Those on board the ship would have been aware of the spying activities but would have been threatened with their life, so everybody kept quiet, the source told the journal.

They added that Eagle S had dropped sensor-type devices in the English Channel and the recording equipment had been offloaded for analysis upon reaching Russia. The source did not know if the vessel still had the equipment on board when the coastguard boarded.

The Helsinki police department, in a statement on Saturday, said: The police begin an operation to transfer the Eagle S tanker from the Gulf of Finland to Svartbeck, an inner anchorage near the port of Kilpilahti.

This would be a better place to carry out investigations, it added.

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Baltic Sea nations have been on high alert after a spate of disruptions to power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Last month, two telecommunications cables were severed in Swedish territorial waters in the Baltic.

Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, said on Friday that it would increase its presence in the region, while Estonia said it had deployed its navy to guard the Estlink 1 subsea cable, which is still operational.

Finlands customs service believes the ship is part of a shadow fleet of ageing tankers being used to evade sanctions on the sale of Russian oil.

The Kremlin denied involvement in any of the Baltic infrastructure incidents and said Finlands seizure of the ship was of little concern.

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The damage to Estlink 2 follows the severing of the Arelion data cable between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania on Nov 17 and the cutting of the C-Lion 1 cable between Helsinki, Finland, and the port of Rostock in Germany.

The Yi Peng 3, a Chinese ship, was suspected of damaging the cables by dragging its anchor.

Source says those on board the Eagle S would have been threatened with their life, so everybody kept quiet about the spy equipment - Jussi Nukari/AFP

Germany has described the most recent suspected sabotage as a wake-up call that demanded new EU sanctions against Russias shadow fleet.

Almost every month, ships are damaging major undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement to the Funke media group.

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Ms Baerbock added: Crews are leaving anchors in the water, dragging them for kilometres along the seafloor for no apparent reason, and then losing them when pulling them up.

Aleksander Stepanov, of the Russian Academy of Sciences, responded to the cable cutting by suggesting the Russian navy could escort ships in the Gulf of Finland to avoid such incidents occurring again.

Mr Stepanov told TASS, the Russian state-run media agency: There is probably only one way out of this: we will start accompanying our friendly and own ships with the fleet. But even that does not guarantee that we will avoid provocations from impudent and frostbitten young naval officers.

He claimed that Helsinki had received orders from Washington to carry out provocations against the Russian merchant fleet with the aim of expanding Nato control over the sea area.

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Jim OBrien, the US assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, said the US was deeply concerned by the damage to the undersea cables, saying those responsible must be held to account.

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The Russians have lost over 421,000 personnel killed and wounded in 2024, latest reports from Ukraines defence forces suggest.

Source: General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Telegram

Details: Syrskyi called 2024 a tough test of the Ukrainian defence forces' resilience, but they "withstood everything and continued to fight".

Quote from Syrskyi: "Yes, since the beginning of 2024, the total losses of the occupying forces involved in the offensive have exceeded 421,000 killed and wounded. This means that this year, the Russians have paid the highest price since the start of their invasion of Ukraine.

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The total losses of the enemy over this entire time [since 24 February 2022] amount to approximately 785,000 military personnel."

Details: Syrskyi recalled that this year, Ukraine established the Unmanned Systems Forces, the supply of drones increased by 19 times, and the number of Russian targets destroyed by air defence was 3.7 times higher.

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Russian authorities claim that 56 Ukrainian drones attacked several of their regions on the night of 27-28 December.

Source: Russian Ministry of Defence

Details: As usual, the Russians claimed that all the UAVs had been shot down.

There were 11 UAVs over Belgorod, 28 over Voronezh and 17 over Rostov oblasts.

The governor of Voronezh Oblast, Alexander Gusev, said that in one of the districts of the region, the fall of drone wreckage caused a breakdown of the railway overhead contact network. Several trains were delayed.

Background: The governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Krasnogvardeysky district, which supposedly resulted in two local residents being injured and damage to infrastructure.



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The Russian gas company Gazprom on Saturday said it will no longer supply natural gas to Moldova in the new year, blaming the country's alleged debts.

Gazprom said the country's gas company Moldovagaz "regularly fails to fulfil its payment obligations under the existing contract, which constitutes a material breach of the terms."

The Moldovan government has denied it owes Gazprom a debt of $790 million.

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The announcement by Gazprom comes weeks after Ukraine said it would no longer allow the transit of Russian gas through its territory after the current agreement expires at the end of the year.

This caused the Moldovan government to impose a state of emergency, in force for 60 days.

The former Soviet republic, wedged between Ukraine and Romania, is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, which flows through pipelines lying in Transnistria, a pro-Russian breakaway region in the east of the country.

The Transnistrian leadership in Tiraspol declared a state of emergency earlier this month in response to the pending halt to deliveries.

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An added problem for Moldova is that most of its electricity is generated by gas, via a power station in Transnistria, and a planned connection to the European grid via a high-voltage line to Romania is not yet in place.

There is a smaller pipeline between Romania and Moldova running under the Prut river that can supply 1 million cubic metres daily. Moldova in addition makes use of Romanian gas storage facilities as an emergency buffer.
Russias state-owned energy giant Gazprom said Saturday it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting on Jan. 1, citing alleged unpaid debt by the European Union candidate country, which has brought in emergency measures as it braces for power cuts.

Gazprom said in an online statement that it reserved the right to take further action, including terminating its contract with Moldovagaz, Moldova's main gas operator, in which the Russian company owns a majority stake. The cessation of gas will stop supplies to the Kuciurgan power plant, the countrys largest, which is situated in the separatist pro-Russian Transnistria region.

Moldova reacted by accusing Moscow of weaponizing energy supplies.

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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, which has a West-leaning central government and has repeatedly complained of Russian interference, doesnt recognize the privatization.

Earlier this month, Moldova's parliament voted in favor of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave Moldova without sufficient energy this winter.

A special commission was also set up to manage imminent risks if Moscow fails to supply gas to the Kuciurgan plant and on Friday approved a series of measures aimed at saving energy.

Gazprom has said Moldova owes close to $709 million for past gas supplies, a figure fiercely disputed by the government in the capital Chisinau.

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Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean on Saturday condemned the move, saying that his government does not recognize the debt cited by Gazprom, which has been invalidated by an international audit.

Moldova claims, citing findings by British and Norwegian audit firms, that its debt stands close to $8.6 million, a small fraction of that claimed by Gazprom.

Recean added that Chisinau has pushed to diversify its natural gas supplies to reduce dependence on the Kuciurgan plant, and said the government will carefully analyze legal options, including resorting to international arbitration to protect Moldovas national interests.

Our country is prepared to handle any situation that arises following the Kremlins decision, he said.

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Moldovas government on Friday announced it would implement a series of measures starting Jan. 1 to reduce energy consumption. These include limiting lighting in public and commercial buildings by at least 30%, and energy-intensive businesses operating during off-peak hours.

In late 2022, Moldova suffered major power outages following Russian strikes on neighboring Ukraine, which is interconnected to the Kuciurgan plant.

Transnistria, which broke away after a short war in 1992 and is not recognized by most countries, also declared its own state of emergency earlier this month, 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.

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In October, Moldovas pro-Western President Maia Sandu won a second term in office, and a referendum voted in favor of securing the countrys path toward the EU, in two votes overshadowed by ongoing claims of Russian interference to derail the countrys westward shift in recent years. Russia denies it is meddling in Moldova.

Russia cut off most natural gas supplies to Europe in 2022, citing disputes over payment in rubles, a move European leaders described as energy blackmail over their support for Ukraine against Russias invasion.

European governments had to scramble to line up alternative supplies at higher prices, much of it liquefied natural gas brought by ship from the U.S. and Qatar.

___

Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath contributed from Warwick, England.
The Saint Louis City Fire Department is wishing a firefighter of more than 30 years a happy retirement.

Demetris Alfred hung up his heavy jacket and his helmet yesterday, after 33 years of service.

Alfred, also known as Al, is credited with having a phenomenal work ethic. The department says it is fueled by his passion to serve others.

He had previously served as the first black president of Saint Louis Firefighters Local 73.

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Alfred has received recognition time and again, including by the Saint Louis Blues in 2018.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.  St. Louis County Executive Sam Page officially filed documents Friday to appeal a judges ruling that allows Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to appoint the next St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney.

A Dec. 20 ruling grants Gov. Parson sole authority in appointing Wesley Bells successor as St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney and prohibits St. Louis County Executive Sam Page from proceeding with plans to appoint a candidate for that role.

Page and Parson have been at odds over who has the authority to formally appoint Bells replacement since Bell was elected for a seat within the Missouri U.S. House of Representatives. He is scheduled to resign from his post as the countys top prosecutor on Jan. 3, 2025, to be sworn into Congress.

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He died a hero that night: Mom speaks out after son allegedly killed by his father Christmas Eve

Currently, Parsons original pick for appointment, Melissa Price Smith, is on track to be sworn in as the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney next week.

Pages appeal attempts to challenge the ruling that paves the way for Smith to take over, specifically a ruling that the county prosecutor is a state officer, not a county officer.

The 43-page appeal, submitted Friday in the Missouri Eastern District of Appeals, references 100 years of case law and cites examples of similar appointments in other counties.

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A ruling on the appeal is expected by Jan. 2, 2025, the day Bell is scheduled to resign in preparation for the transition.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Detroit TV news lost three iconic figures from the glory days of Motor City broadcasting in 2024 and also bid an unexpected goodbye to a former reporter who was in the midst of a stellar career as a Los Angeles news anchor.

Marilyn Turner

John Kelly and Marilyn Turner

You might call Turner, who died in March at 93, Detroit's version of Kelly Ripa. The veteran weathercaster for WJBK-TV (Channel 2) and WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) switched gears in 1977 to become a talk-show host with her husband, news anchor John Kelly, on the long-running morning show "Kelly & Company." As Detroit's superstar TV couple, Turner and Kelly interviewed stars from Kirk Douglas to Donny Osmond and even did a cameo on "General Hospital." According to WXYZ, her son, Dean Turner, said of his mother: "She was a bit of a trailblazer. She really persevered in difficult times when it was really challenging in those days as a woman to get ahead."

Doris Biscoe

Doris Biscoe

Known for her elegance and trustworthiness, Biscoe, who died in June, was a beacon of journalistic excellence for more than 25 years at WXYZ  and one of the most popular figures in the Detroit television market. As a pioneering Black woman reporter and anchor, she made her mark at a time when the Motor City's stations, like the rest of the nation, were staffed mostly by white men. In addition to her work in news, Biscoe hosted a weekly literacy program for children, Learn to Read, and played a newscaster in 1987s Detroit-made mystery, The Rosary Murders, which starred Donald Sutherland. In a 1998 profile in the Free Press, Biscoe revealed the grit behind her grace: If somebody tells me, No, you cant do it, then Im going to make sure I damn well do it, she said.

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More: 'The worst of the worst'  3 convicted Detroit gangsters get stiff sentences

More: Detroit Red Wings new coach Todd McLellan's message to team: Play harder, faster, smarter

Rob Kress

Rob Kress

Friendly, popular and known for his thick mop of curly red hair, weathercaster Kress spent about 16 years as a key part of a stellar WXYZ news team that included heavyweights like Biscoe, Jerry Hodak, Bill Bonds and Diana Lewis. He died in September at age 77 in Grosse Pointe Woods. Besides being an on-air meteorologist, Kress was known as a devoted father and talented musician who toured in his early years with Conway Twitty and Chuck Berry. Kress publicly shared with viewers the challenges of living with Lyme disease, an illness that helped cut short his broadcasting career in the mid-1990s.

Chauncy Glover

Chauncy Glover

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A Los Angeles news anchor and former reporter for Detroits WDIV-TV (Channel 4) Glover died unexpectedly in November at age 39. The Alabama native worked for stations in Georgia and Florida before being hired by Detroits Local 4 News. In 2013, he launched the Chauncy Glover Project while in the Motor City, which the Free Press described as a program created to mold inner-city young men into educated, financially responsible, well-mannered gentlemen. Glover joined the Los Angeles CBS station, KCAL ,in 2023, after spending eight years as a news anchor in Houston.

Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Saying goodbye to Detroit TV news greats who died in 2024
The South Dakota State Capitol at Pierre in December 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

During her recent budget address, Gov. Kristi Noem outlined a plan to utilize $4 million of taxpayer money to pay for a new program she is calling education savings accounts. Lets be clear. This is a school voucher program that diverts public dollars to private schools or alternative education programs with little transparency or accountability to taxpayers.

Some will say this is about school choice, but the reality is that these programs force future legislatures and local communities to make hard choices in the future. Numerous states have started these voucher schemes with devastating impacts on state budgets.

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One example is Arizona. It started a similar program in 2022 with a price tag of $65 million. In just a few short years, that program is estimated to cost $429 million for the 2025 fiscal year alone and is responsible for two-thirds of the states $1.4 billion budget deficit for the combined 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

Iowa, which hastily passed a voucher program in the opening weeks of its 2023 legislative session, is now facing a $200 million budget deficit. More private schools are opening, mostly in urban areas such as Des Moines, while small rural schools are closing. These are not isolated incidents but rather a pattern South Dakota should learn from.

More about Noems ESA proposal

This program is about choice, but not good choices for South Dakota rural communities and local school districts. Legislators can choose to fund this voucher program at the cost of cutting other programs such as the ones outlined in the governors proposed budget.

They can reduce state funding for the dual credit program for high school students, which provides a step up to students attending our universities. They can cut funding for the State Library, which provides vital resources to rural schools. They can even choose to cut South Dakota Public Broadcasting, which again offers valuable education and information to citizens of all ages. The Legislature can choose to start a voucher program, but only by cutting other services. Is that in South Dakotas best interest?

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What does making this choice mean in the long run for South Dakotas schools and communities? We have already outlined what has happened in other states, and the same thing will happen here.

There will be less money for public schools, where over 80% of the states students attend  forcing local school boards to make the unpopular choice of cutting staff and having larger class sizes. There will be no room in local budgets for fine arts programs, which are essential for a districts ability to offer an education that reaches all students, especially those at risk. Gone will be the career and technical education programs vital in training the workforce necessary to have a strong and vibrant rural economy. Schools in our rural communities will be hit the hardest, with no choice but to make devastating cuts or close their doors.

The South Dakota Public Schools Coalition emphasizes the importance of evaluating the long-term consequences of introducing a voucher program. Public schools are vital to our communities and require adequate resources to provide equitable, high-quality education to all students, as mandated by the South Dakota Constitution. Lawmakers have a duty to uphold this commitment.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  The search for Sebastian Rogers has been one of the biggest mysteries of the year. Investigators have upped the reward money to find the missing teen. People have flooded social media with possible sightings. Still, Sebastian has yet to turn up as 2024 comes to a close.

Sebastian was last seen at his Hendersonville home 10 months ago and his disappearance has captivated Middle Tennessee.

Social media honed in on a person in a green hoodie seen on video near Sebastian at a Hendersonville restaurant the night before he went missing. The Sumner County Sheriffs Office addressed the video earlier this month, writing, in part, After a thorough discussion with this individual, there is no evidence linking them to Sebastians disappearance.

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When Sebastian was reported missing on Feb. 26 from his Hendersonville home, several agencies spent more than a week searching, including a Kentucky landfill, with no sign of Sebastian.

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We are still committed to finding Sebastian and bringing him home safe. We have no leads, no details to indicate that Sebastian is not alive, Sumner County Sheriff Eric Craddock said back in March.

In September, Duane Chapman  better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter  joined the search for Sebastian, adding star-power and a global audience to the search.

Experts speak to use of social media in search for missing Hendersonville teen

Now that we have Dogs team, he has a whole team of attorneys, lawyers, private investigators, said Seth Rogers, Sebastians biological dad.

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In November, there was a possible lead  someone reported seeing a boy who looked like Sebastian at a Goodlettsville motel. However, the sheriffs office determined that sighting was in fact not Sebastian.

Unfortunately, it wasnt Sebastian, but with that kind of movement and that kind of force, were going to find Sebastian, said Seth.

Father of missing Sumner County teen says he has renewed faith in law enforcement investigation

Sebastians father spoke exclusively with News 2 on Dec. 7, Sebastians 16th birthday, saying law enforcement has given him renewed hope his son may one day be found.

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I thank the public for the support that they are giving me and that they continue to. Keep your eyes open. You can be the next person that might see him, said Seth.

In November, the reward to find Sebastian increased to $200,000, but on Dec. 21, Chapman announced on social media platform X that the reward was up to $250,000.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.

Sebastian Rogers: Description

Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI.

AMBER Alert Issued

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him.

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Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, per the DOJ.

Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonvilles first responders, Sumner County Sheriffs Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian.

Who to Contact

If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriffs Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CHICAGO  A search is underway for a teen girl who officers say has been missing for a week.

Chicago police said 17-year-old Debra Mckinney has been missing since Saturday, Dec. 21, and was last spotted in the 6700 block of South Jeffery Boulevard, in the citys South Shore neighborhood, on the South Side.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

According to police, the missing teen is known to frequent the Harold Washington Library and the downtown area.

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Mckinney, who has brown eyes and black and pink braids, stands 5 feet tall and weighs around 120 pounds.

Chicago police said 17-year-old Debra Mckinney has been missing since Saturday, Dec. 21, and was last spotted in the 6700 block of South Jeffery Boulevard, in the city's South Shore neighborhood, on the South Side.

Officers said the missing teen was last seen wearing a black Adidas sweatsuit and white shoes.

Authorities provided details on the missing womans disappearance in a news release that was shared on Friday afternoon.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 17-year-old Debra Mckinney is asked to contact the CPD Area One SVU at 312-747-8380 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.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo.  Another house in danger of collapse in St. Charles County is being demolished.

Tara Rath watches on as her neighbors home gets torn down.

Are we possibly going to lose our house as well, and will we really know whats going on?, she asked.

It is the second house in the Heritage Subdivision to be torn down. Both were in danger of falling down a hill behind them due to slope failure.

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He died a hero that night: Mom speaks out after son allegedly killed by his father Christmas Eve

Raths foundation is also showing signs of damage. It started with cracks in her retaining wall.

We had the company come back out that did it, and they said they werent really sure whats going on here. Then we started seeing these large cracks in the ground, she said.

Elliott Davis, before retiring from FOX 2, highlighted the problem in multiple reports.

Then, St. Charles County came up with a plan to both help homeowners and fix the underlying problem.

These people have been impacted by these bad geologic conditions, and Im just glad the county has stepped up and made these folks whole, St. Charles County Councilman Tim Baker said.

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First, they had to find out what the problem was. The county got $2.5 million from the state, and the county matched that with $2.5 million of its own ARPA funds. Some of that money was used to hire a consultant and study the problem. The consultant told the county the slope was failing due to weakened soil, not a faulty stormwater system causing erosion as was originally suspected.

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Work to fix it was originally put out to bid in November, but the county did not receive a single bid. It went up for bid again this month and six companies submitted quotes to the county for anywhere from

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Six companies responded, quoting the county anywhere from $855,519.80 to $5,396,000.

The county has also set aside some money to help affected homeowners.

There was $144,000 that we allocated for this, and we let the HOA figure out how they wanted to divy it up, and so all of that money has been allocated, Baker said.

Rath is approved for some of that funding, but she cannot breathe a sigh of relief yet.

A couple other companies said you really need to wait until they fix this overall issue. Pretty much just dont throw money at a problem when we really might not understand the scope of whats happening here, Rath said.

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The county council will discuss the bids at its next council meeting. The county says work could begin on the project this spring, if not sooner.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
France sent dozens of tank-killing armored vehicles to Ukraine to counter Russia's invasion.

The vehicles were designed for recon and fire support but were ineffective on Ukraine's front lines.

Instead, Ukraine repurposed the so-called "light tanks" as self-propelled artillery.

France is among several Western nations aiding Ukraine with both training and weaponry in a bid to turn the tide in its nearly three-year-long war with Russia.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, France has delivered military equipment and weaponry valuing more than 2.6 billion euros, in addition to training nearly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the country's defense ministry.

Over the last few months, a French military task force trained a brigade of Ukrainian troops on effective fighting tactics and how to use French-supplied military weaponry, including the tank-destroying AMX-10 armored vehicle.

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French and Ukrainian officials have referred to the AMX-10 as a "light tank," but it lacks the large-caliber armament and tracks typically equipped on tanks. Its light aluminum armor left it vulnerable to Russian artillery.

Better described as an armored reconnaissance vehicle, Ukraine initially struggled to effectively use the AMX-10 in its frontline defenses, instead adapting the vehicle's operations to the Ukrainian battlefield.

France's tank-killing armored vehicle

Troops and AMX-10RC tanks of the French light-armored Spahi regiment stand in formation. ROMEO GACAD/AFP via Getty Images

Hailed for its tank-killing capabilities and operational flexibility, France sent Ukraine more than three dozen AMX-10RC armored vehicles to bolster its frontline defenses.

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Developed in the late 1970s, the so-called "wheeled tank" was designed for reconnaissance and close-fire support. It was used to scout and identify enemy positions while armed to rapidly fire on hostile threats.

The 30-foot, 18-ton armored vehicle has a range of about 500 miles and travels at speeds of about 37 mph on roads and about 9 mph off-road; it has less off-road maneuverability than tracked vehicles like tanks.

After about a decade of service, France stopped producing the AMX-10RC in favor of more advanced combat vehicles like the ERBC Jaguar, an armored scout vehicle armed with two anti-tank missiles and a 40mm gun.

Inside the AMX-10RC

Ukrainian marines check their French-made AMX-10RC armored fighting vehicle. Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

The AMX-10 has a turret with two 7.62mm machine guns and a 105mm cannon, which is powerful enough to destroy a tank at close range.

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Ukrainian forces operate both the AMX-10RC and AMX-10RCR, an improved variant of the armored vehicle featuring upgraded ceramic armor, more advanced optronics systems like thermal sights, and a self-defense system that automatically launches smoke grenades and decoys.

The AMX-10 can carry a crew of four people  a machine commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.

It can carry up to 38 shells for its main gun and 4,000 rounds for its machine guns. An AMX-10 crew featured on Ukraine's state-run Army TV said the vehicle's rate of fire can range from five to 12 rounds per minute, depending on the loader's efficiency.

Adapting to combat in Ukraine

A soldier looks through binoculars from the turret of an AMX-10RC wheeled tank destroyer concealed in the foliage. JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian troops initially struggled to integrate the AMX-10RC into their frontline strategy. The vintage armored vehicle's light aluminum armor left it vulnerable in high-intensity conflict zones, especially against Russia's more advanced artillery and defense systems.

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Instead, Ukrainian forces took advantage of the wheeled platform's maneuverability and repurposed the armored fighting vehicles as self-propelled artillery that could engage hostile targets from afar.

The AMX-10 in action

French soldiers sit atop an AMX 10RC tank. JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images

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Army TV, run by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, captured the AMX-10's capabilities in action in a video posted last week.

While filming a segment aboard the AMX-10, the Ukrainian soldiers and the television crew came under attack by a Russian drone. The personnel and TV crew weren't harmed, and the vehicle was not damaged.

Equipping and training Ukraine

AMX-10 RC French tank is seen close to the Kherson frontline. Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu via Getty Images

In September, thousands of Ukrainian troops  most of whom had only a few weeks of basic training  were sent to eastern and southern France to hone their skills on the battlefield against Russia.

Named "Anne of Kyiv" after the former Ukrainian princess who became a queen of France, French authorities said the brigade will eventually consist of up to 4,500 troops specializing in infantry battalions, engineering units, artillery teams, and other roles.

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The newly trained brigade is set to be armed with various French-supplied military assets and weaponry, including armored vehicles, artillery cannons, and anti-tank and antiaircraft missile systems.

A military task force of about 1,500 French soldiers trained Ukraine's troops on effective fighting strategies and skills and how to use and maintain the French-supplied equipment. Over 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers completed the training in France in late November.

"They have improved a lot," a French colonel told the Associated Press. "Now, they are able to fight. They are able to maneuver. They are able to use the different specialists and to use the different equipment they will have on the battlefield."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Boston Police Department has updated its Most Wanted list.

Detectives are currently working to track down and arrest the following individuals, according to the Boston Police Department:

Zakai Occean -- Wanted on charges of armed and masked robbery

Fernelis Bigelow-Lighty -- Wanted on charges of larceny from a building and receiving stolen property

Alan Lewis -- Wanted on a charge of murder

Dwayne Gaines -- Wanted on a charge of larceny from a building

Lee Kelly -- Wanted on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon

Ryan Hardaway -- Wanted on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these individuals is asked to call CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or text the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
From the Dispatch Weekly on The Dispatch

Hello, and happy Saturday! I hope you are making some wonderful memories, taking some time off to relax, or otherwise enjoying the holiday break. The last thing I want to do is to disrupt your respite, so while this is a year-in-review newsletter, Im not going to do a play-by-play. We all lived through it.

No, what Id like to do in this last Dispatch Weekly of the year is highlight some of our deeper dives into a range of topics. I wont say its a definitive list of our best workthat would be unfair to our reporters who churned out important daily campaign updates or The Morning Dispatch writers, who regularly put together quality reporting and analysis on a 24-hour timeframe. And considering we published thousands of newsletters and articles this year, I almost certainly forgot something! That said, we made a concerted effort this year to focus on bigger pieces and more in-depth reportingstay tuned for even more in 2025!so much of the work is worth revisiting.

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We thank you for your support of what were building here at The Dispatch, and I hope you enjoy this last look back at a year that we knew would be crazy yet somehow managed to defy expectations.

Illustration by Matthew Baek.

When Donald Trump accused Haitian immigrants of eating pets in Springfield, Ohiodisinformation peddled by his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohiothere was only one thing for us to do: Send Kevin Williamson to investigate. Even if you read this in September, its enjoyable enough to revisit.

Poor people have been coming to Ohio in search of jobs in its factories and warehouses for centuries: From the original New Englanders who settled in the Northwest Territory to the Scots-Irish to the Irish and Germans in the 19th century to the Haitians today, that story has been repeated over and over. At the turn of the 20th century, a majority of Cincinnatis population consisted of those who either were foreign-born or were the children of foreign-born parents, mostly German. Naghten Street in Columbus, on the other hand, became Irish Broadway in the middle of the 19th century. The J.D. Vances of that era didnt much care for the whiskey-drinking, potato-eating papists invading their cities, but they made good use of the canals and railroads built by those illiterate exotics from distant lands. The guy who wrote Hillbilly Elegy understood all that. This asshole who is running for vice president, on the other hand 

Way back in March, when it became clear that Donald Trump would secure the Republican nomination for president and when Joe Biden appeared dead-set on seeking reelection, we published a rare staff editorial. While we have a policy of not making political endorsements, that doesnt mean we couldnt hand out a pair of non-endorsements:

Politicians respond to incentives. Weve arrived at this point because the disaffected majority of voters who are fed up with todays political climate have consistently held their noses and settled for candidates they dont like who have been imposed upon them by the hyperpartisan fringes. In the United States, a shockingly small percentage of the overall electorate determines the two major parties nominees. The country will never return to the smoke-filled rooms of the past, but the tyranny of the most rabidly partisan doesnt strike us as much of an improvement. We understand and respect that Americans will respond to the dismal choice in front of them in different waysfor different reasonsbut we encourage them to weigh their options carefully, clear-eyed about the potential ramifications of either man securing a second term and on guard against the natural impulse to justify their vote by turning a blind eye to the candidates obvious flaws. No matter who wins, we will desperately need as many people as possible who can still tell the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and lie. In a democracy, such people are the only guardrail against tyranny.

Its not easy to pick a single G-File to include in this roundup. But Id be remiss not to share something about the story that dominated the 2024 election: President Joe Biden stepping downextremely reluctantlyafter his woeful debate performance in June exposed the extent of his decline. Jonah Goldberg wrote this before Biden withdrew from the race, so we know how the story ends, but its still a good read all these months later.

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On one level deserves got nothing to do with it. But the perception of whether a politician deserves the heave-ho is vitally important. Voters and coalitional stakeholders care about that stuff because they have a reliance interest in party loyalty and cohesion. So, parties are supposed to stand with their members when theyre in a jam not necessarily because they deserve it, but because a certain amount of loyalty and solidarity is necessary to hold a coalition together. But the loyalty and solidarity is supposed to go both ways. When politicians indulge their self-interest to the point where continuing to do so harms the party and they fail the cost-benefit test, theyre supposed to get out of the way for the good of the party. If they refuse to do so, the party is supposed to throw them overboard. Thats what the GOP did to George Santos and what the Democrats have been trying to do with Bob Menendez. Its what the Republicans should have done to Donald Trump a long time ago. And its what the Democrats should do with Biden and possibly Kamala Harris right now. But all of this would require having strong and healthy parties.

(Illustration by Aaron Sandford/Photos via Getty Images)

How did Tucker Carlson evolve from a buttoned-down magazine writer and sharp debater on CNNs Crossfire to a mouthpiece for the virtue of Vladimir Putins Russia? Why did he go from debunking conspiracies to elevating them, from criticizing Alex Jones to appearing at events with him? John McCormack explainedor tried toin this in-depth profile.

Becoming a TV superstar can have deranging effects on anybody, as Carlson noted in his 2003 book. If running for office can encourage you to imagine millions of supporters [who dont exist], hosting a show can entirely separate you from reality, he observed. If youre not careful, you can permanently lose all critical distance from yourself. One morning you wake up, and youre living in your own irony-free world. That could be the world Carlson is living in today. In the hours of Tucker Carlson podcasts and interviews Ive listened to for this article, the most disturbing thing I heard wasnt any conspiracy theory. It was Tuckers laugh.

No one who lives in the mountains expects to live through a hurricane. But the remnants of Hurricane Helene dumped 30 inches of rain on parts of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina in late September, flooding rivers, washing out roads, and devastating entire communities. But while residents of Appalachia had little time to prepare, they had an important resource at hand when it came time to dig out: a strong sense of community. Our own Michael Reneau weathered the storm personally, then struck out to report on the recovery.

That pockets of Appalachia are sparsely populated, geographically isolated, sometimes materially impoverished, and susceptible to health and substance abuse problems is not news. The destruction created by Hurricane Helene, however, is illuminating a resourcefulness that has always been there but hasnt been needed to this degree for generations. That recovery has had to begin with regaining access to places and people still mucking themselves out of the mud and debris. The September 27 flooding severed the two main arteries connecting Tennessee to North Carolina. Interstate 40, which curls through the mountains between Knoxville and Asheville, closed that day when parts of it crumbled away. Farther north, the same thing happened to I-26, which runs from the highlands in northeast Tennessee to Asheville. Hundreds of smaller thoroughfares remain closed. After Helenes historic floods destroyed interstate and country road alike, individual cities and communities were cut off from each other. Asheville, a city of nearly 100,000 people, was completely isolated for several days because of roads and bridges being gone or underwater. The hollers and coves in the mountains were even more isolatedand some still are. What became most important in those situations were neighbors helping neighbors.

Back in October, even before he became Trumps omnipresent sidekick and earned an unofficial spot in his administration as chair of the Department of Government Efficiency, Nick Catoggio noticed something important about Elon Musk. And after Musk effectively tanked a stopgap government funding bill with dozens upon dozens of tweets, some of which were outright false, this edition of Boiling Frogs looks downright prescient.

Elon has also allowed anti-elitism to trump more important civic concerns, like separating truth from fiction. (Yes, the worlds richest man is somehow anti-elite.) One of his first innovations upon taking over Twitter was allowing paid subscribers to acquire the same checkmark for their account that formerly was reserved for influential users whose identities were verified. By democratizing that status, he made it harder to tell at a glance which users were trustworthy and which were not. Which makes sense: To populists, the quality of information depends on how good it makes you feel, not the method with which it was obtained. Theres also an intense narcissistic strain in Musks interest in the platform. If I had to summarize the intent of [Twitters] algorithm at this point, it would be twofold, podcaster Sam Harris said recently. The first is to make Elon even more famous than he is. And the second is to make every white user of the platform more racist. Well get to that second point later, but the imperative to boost Musks reach online is so overweening inside the company that Twitter engineers received an emergency middle-of-the-night text last year when one of Elons tweets during the Super Bowl didnt get as much engagement as he would have liked. Narcissists attraction to populism is a subject worth a newsletter (or a dozen newsletters) in its own right. A conspiratorial mindset is inherently a narcissistic mindset since it assumes the subject is possessed of insight that the average sheeplike mortal lacks, and populism is rancid with conspiratorial thinking. Its not a coincidence that the two most influential figures in modern populism, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, are also two of the most obnoxious narcissists in global public lifeand each the owner of his own social media platform, which isnt a coincidence either.

Given that Donald Trump claimed he won the 2020 election when he didnt, its perhaps unsurprising that he and other Republicans might read too much into his actual victory in 2024. Yuval Levin, the the director of social, cultural, and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute and a brilliant writer on the topic of our institutions, explained that, while Trump is not the first to overread his mandate, his victory does say something about the state of the electorate.

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This is the trap that our 21st-century presidents have tended to fall into. They win elections because their opponents were unpopular, and thenimagining the public has endorsed their party activists agendathey use the power of their office to make themselves unpopular. This is why the public moved left on key issues during Trumps first term and right during Bidens. Voters in this election rejected the excesses and failures of the left far more than they endorsed the rightor much of anything else. It would therefore also be a mistake to imagine that this election victory is an endorsement of Donald Trumps character and behavior. In the exit polls, just 43 percent of the electorate said Trump has the moral character to be president. Fifteen percent of his own voters said he didnt. And 67 percent of voters blamed him for the violence at the Capitol after the last election. That Trump was elected despite this widespread perception of his low character is surely an indication of one thing his victory does portend: The Trump era has lowered our expectations of the presidency. Our standards for the behavior of public officials have fallen to a degree that will exact a cost for many years to come.

Photo via Getty Images.

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There was a lot working against the Democrats in the 2024 electionBidens age, the late switch to Kamala Harris, the economy that didnt feel quite as strong as they insistedbut the wokeness didnt help. Yascha Mounk, the founding editor of Persuasion, is worried that Democrats will ignore this very obvious takeaway from their defeat.

Many parts of the party are in outright denial about the extent to which what [James] Carville has aptly named faculty lounge politics is harmful to its electoral prospects. Jon Stewart, who for all of his affected irreverence is usually a reliable spokesperson for the Democratic mainstream, summarized the emerging consensus on his show last week. Kamala Harris, he claimed, did not run on identity politics, and so identity politics was not responsible for her defeat. They didnt do the woke thing, Stewart quipped. They acted like Republicans for the last four months. Some progressive journalists with big platforms were even more dismissive. According to one, the election was decided not by the hope for a better life for your family and future for your community, but rather by a widespread desire to dominate and inflict cruelty on outgroups. Moreover, each of the partys fractious wings is insisting that Harris lost because she did not follow its preferred policies and political style. Sen. Bernie Sanders and his allies have been blaming the defeat on the unwillingness of Democrats to fight for more economically progressive policies. Meanwhile, other wings of the party have blamed the defeat on the fact that Democrats were insufficiently radical on cultural issues or did not change course on the conflict in the Middle East. Nearly all senior Democrats believe that the party should change; it just so happens that most of them think it should come to agree with what they have said all along.

Steve Bannon got out of prisonwhere he served a four-month sentence for ignoring a subpoena from the January 6 committeeabout a week before the 2024 election and immediately hit the campaign trail for Trump. While Bannon served briefly in the first Trump administration as the presidents strategist, the still-influential right-wing bombthrower will be guiding the MAGA movement from the outside this time around. Michael Warren sat down with him in November to get a sneak preview.

From Bannons basement, the War Room and the organized MAGA movement are working hard to shape the second Trump administration in their imageassisting the transition is how he puts it. That means pushing back on insufficiently populist picks before theyre made. It means rallying around selections like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health and human services secretary and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. It also means publicly shaming Republicans who appear to be deviating from the Trump line on these nominations. (Folks in Utah, youve got a prooooblem, he said on his show of John Curtis, the newly elected Republican senator whom Bannon calls a Romney clone and suspected of being a hard no on [Matt] Gaetz.) Perhaps as important as the personnel selections themselves is the perception of who has the power in the new Washington. The Gaetz fiasco was a stark reminder to Bannon that Trumps successful 2024 campaign is just the beginning, not the end, of his project. And of all the forces being marshaled against them, the institution standing most in Bannons waywhich is, he would insist, Trumps wayis the Republican Senate.

Illustration via Adria Volta.

Back in the spring, British pediatrician Hilary Cass published her findings from a yearslong research project looking into the National Health Services policies regarding gender-transition treatment for youth. She found that it is an area of remarkably weak evidence, and yet results of studies are exaggerated or misrepresented by people on all sides of the debate to support their viewpoint. The Cass Review prompted restrictions on puberty blockers and hormones for young people in the U.K., mirroring restrictions in other European countries. But her report caused a firestorm in the United States. Jesse Singal analyzed both the report itself and the American reaction to it.

Youth gender medicine is far from the only subject that has turned into a toxic circus since 2016 or so, but I do believe its an outlier. With a few laudable exceptions, the way that left-of-center media outlets, academic institutions, politicians, and medical and mental-health authorities have handled this issue has been a case study of how ideology and negative polarization can not only corrupt science and its communication, but also melt it down into a rank molten sludge. A few different things happened at once. First, Donald Trump had his usual deranging effect on everyone, and journalism was hit particularly hard. As former New York Times editorial page editor James Bennet and many, many other disillusioned journalists have argued, thisalongside the post-George-Floyd racial reckoningcaused some journalists to see themselves more as activists fighting for a better world than as dispassionate chroniclers and analysts of that world. To be sure, the industry had already become more populated with activist-minded writers and editors over the last decade-plus. Trumps rise and the racial protests of 2020, however, prompted a new streak of moral certitudeand at the worst possible time. Journalism was already contracting under the weight of unsolvable structural problems with its business model. Faced with layoffs, outlets most expensive employees were often among the first to be let go. On the science-writing front, those are the sorts of journalistssavvy, experienced reporters with decades of expertise and old-school trainingbest qualified to wade into a fraught area with the appropriate mix of compassion and skepticism, to know how to read a study or at least who to call to have it explained to them. But theyre now almost extinct.

Righties who put aside their concerns about Trumps character and voted for him in 2016 in the hopes that hed install conservative judges got what they wished: three Supreme Court justices and the end of Roe v. Wade. But at what cost? Gregg T. Nunziata, executive director of the Society for the Rule of Law, explained.

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Ominously, there are signs that the illiberalism of the Trump era has begun to infect how some legal conservatives think about their core commitments to the role of the courts. Partisans promise that Trump in a second term would nominate judges more loyal to the president while Trump-friendly, post-liberal thinkers develop theories like common-good constitutionalism in which conservative judges would abandon originalism in favor of promoting certain ends. Adrian Vermeule, the leading academic proponent of the latter view, has argued that originalism has now outlived its utility, and has become an obstacle to the development of a robust, substantively conservative approach to constitutional law and interpretation. It would be deeply ironic, and the ultimate failure of the movement, if the but judges bargain were to end with purportedly conservative judges legislating from the bench. The Founders knew that the best judges could not guarantee American liberty and preserve self-government. They considered the judiciary the least powerful, and least dangerous, branch. They put their faith, instead, in the checks and balances of the structural Constitution; they believed a self-respecting Congress would resist an overreaching executive and ambition would counteract ambition. Ultimately, they rested their hopes in the American people to demand this of their leaders. Washington, in his farewell address, wrote: It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The experience of the Trump years has badly damaged these bulwarks of American liberty. Congress stands disarmed, by choice, before an ever-overreaching executive. The American people, poorly grounded in civics and frustrated by politics, do not expect a commitment to constitutionalism from their leaders. Many demand the opposite. Voters now have less faith in their government institutions and neutral proceedings, more animosity toward the opposing party, and a deepening desire that elected representatives fight, not legislate.

This one was a doozy. As the presidential campaign heated up over the summer, left-wing activists began to claim that the Heritage Foundations Project 2025 roadmap called for banning contraceptives and IVF, ending school lunch programs, cutting Social Security and Medicare, and a whole bunch of other things that it just didnt do. A few of the allegations were true: It did, for example, recommend eliminating the Department of Education. But fact-checker Alex Demas spent three days combing through the 900-plus pages of the document, double- and triple-checking. The result was the most exhaustive fact check weve ever published (and the one for which we received the most hate mail!).

Defund the FBI and Homeland Security: False There are no calls to defund the FBI or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the plan. In his chapter on the DHS, Ken Cuccinelli recommends that the department be broken up and integrated into other departments, but he does not argue that the department should be otherwise defunded. Our primary recommendation is that the President pursue legislation to dismantle the [DHS].  Breaking up the department along its mission lines would facilitate mission focus and provide opportunities to reduce overhead and achieve more limited government. The plan also includes several FBI reforms centered on restoring the FBIs integrity, but none mention a decrease in funding. Use the military to break up domestic protests: False The plan does not call for military intervention in domestic protests or demonstrations. The U.S. military is restricted in most circumstances from engaging in civil law enforcement by the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. In November, the Washington Post reported that Project 2025 was developing draft executive orders that would use the Insurrection Act to allow for domestic military deployment, but those draft orders, if they do exist, are not part of the projects Mandate for Leadership or otherwise publicly known. Mass deportation of immigrants and incarceration in camps: Partly false Camps for unauthorized immigrants and mass deportations are not mentioned in the plan, but detentions and deportations would likely increase under the plans stricter border security measures. Cuccinelli writes in his chapter on the DHS that Prioritizing border security and immigration enforcement, including detention and deportation, is critical if we are to regain control of the border, repair the historic damage done by the Biden Administration, return to a lawful and orderly immigration system, and protect the homeland from terrorism and public safety threats.

If youve read our coverage of the evangelical leaders capitulation to Donald Trump over the years, you might have expected a book titled Shepherds for Sale to be an exploration of that topic. Instead, author Megan Basham argues that the real problem is that too many evangelicals have sold out to the left. Warren Cole Smith, who knows many of the people Basham criticized in the book, noted in this scathing review that much of her work appears not to have been rigorously fact-checked before getting to the real problem with the book.

The real sin of those demonized by Basham is their public opposition to Trump. Her book purports to fight for the Gospel against heretics, but Basham is waging a proxy war, defending Trump against his evangelical critics, whom she labels the elite evangelical figures who had proudly worn the Never Trump moniker. Basham is correct when she writes that journalism can be part of the solution to problems in the church and the culture generally. Courageous, fact-based journalism could move the needle on some of the vexing problems of our time, including immigration and climate change, two issues Basham tackles in Shepherds for Sale. She is also right that the large institutions of the Evangelical Industrial Complex do not have the ability or the willingness to police themselves. As I have written elsewhere, journalism can save the evangelical movement. But Shepherds For Sale is not journalismit is propaganda. It is not part of the solution, but part of the problem.

Read more at The Dispatch

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New Delhi [India], December 28: The Ramdandees, a group of ex-students from Bhonsala Military School of 1999 batch, recently celebrated their Silver Jubilee with at the Royal Orchid hotel in Vile Parle. The occasion marked 25 years since the students passed out from the school.

A Star-Studded Event

The event was attended by 29 students who traveled from all corners of India to relive old memories. The group has done exceptionally well for themselves, with notable members holding prestigious positions in the IPS and Indian Armed Forces. The students have made a mark for themselves as successful businessmen, entrepreneurs and social workers besides international chef and farmers.

Felicitation of Teachers

During the event, the Ramdandees felicitated their teachers as a mark of respect for their association. The group also pledged to support financially weak students of their alma mater for a period of one year.

Words of Appreciation

The owner of the Royal Orchid hotel, Kamat and his son Vishal Kamat, interacted with the students and complimented their efforts to reconnect after 25 years. The event was a testament to the strong bonds formed during their school days and a celebration of their achievements.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan.  A new year means there are new laws for Kansans.

This Senate bill 500 is a little more lenient, said Jimmy Hamilton, Baxter Springs interim police chief.

Following the 2024 Kansas legislative session, lawmakers passed more than 100 new laws. Among them taking effect on January 1st is Senate Bill 500.

Senate Bill 500 addresses the issue of individuals who dont appear in court to answer their citation or take care of their charges, said Hamilton.

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It focuses on restricted driving privileges for people who have unpaid traffic fines. The current law imposes a separate $100 reinstatement fee for each charge on the citation. But with the new law, this will change to a flat fee of $100 as long as arrangements are made.

Being able to make arrangements with the court to pay rather than having to pay the full fine in order to get your license, said Hamilton.

The new law also comes with some restrictions, including where you can and cant go when behind the wheel.

Restrictions are limited to taking kids to and from school, going to and from church, getting gas, groceries, and things of that nature, said Hamilton.

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And if those restrictions arent followed

At any point they fail to comply with those restrictions, their drivers license can be suspended or if theyre caught driving in violation of the restrictions, said Hamilton.

Hamilton hopes that with the new law taking effect, it will encourage more people to handle their fines and pay their fees.

Encourage others to actually appear in court and answer their charges and pay their fines rather than, you know, be a little easier on them to get their restricted license, said Hamilton.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The new year means new laws, January 1, seven new bills will become law across Oklahoma.

When the clock strikes midnight on New Years Day, Oklahomans will see changes in state law, including expanded voting rights, new healthcare protections, and additional benefits for first responders.

LOCAL NEWS: New laws go into effect in Oklahoma November 1st

Heres a breakdown of each law that will go into effect:

House Bill 1629

House Bill 1629 clarifies that individuals convicted of a felony are eligible to register to vote under the following conditions:

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They received a commutation that reduced the sentence of any active felony conviction to time served and have no other outstanding sentence under any other felony conviction.

They received a commutation for a crime that has been reclassified from a felony to a misdemeanor with no remaining time to serve.

They have been granted a pardon pursuant to federal or state law and have no other outstanding sentence under any other felony conviction.

There wasnt a single vote on either side of the aisle against this bill, so I think at least maybe that means we now have an appetite for beginning to do real changes in the criminal justice system moving forward, said Mark Faulk, Peoples Council for Justice Reform.

Faulk believes this is just the first step to justice reform; he believes we still need to address incarceration rates and invest in preventative resources like mental health.

House Bill 2872

House Bill 2872 creates the Out-of-Network Ambulance Service Provider Act, which establishes rules and procedures for paying for ambulance care when the provider operates outside of its network.

House Bill 3190

House Bill 3190 establishes the Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act. This act requires insurance companies to post online requirements for prior authorization of medical treatments and use licensed medical professionals to decide whether to deny care.

Senate Bill 1334

Senate Bill 1334, known as Corinnes Law, ensures patients who are facing loss of fertility due to a cancer diagnosis have the ability to preserve their fertility before undergoing treatment.

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I learned that most patients have about ten to 14 days to kind of decide how they want to move forward, so its really beyond the emotions of the diagnosis. You have a lot of logistical decisions to make and so I think thats why this bill is really important because it is requiring the fertility preservation because youre losing fertility due to your cancer treatment., said Senator Ally Seifried (R) Claremore.

Senate Bill 1401

Senate Bill 1401 amends some language in Section 1, Chapter 340 of Oklahoma Statutes regarding income tax credits.

Senate Bill 1429

Senate Bill 1429 changes the revolving fund previously for the Oklahoma Department of Treasurys McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) to the Oklahoma Ports Infrastructure Revolving Fund (OPIRF). Any dollars collected by the Department of Transportation can be allocated toward MKARNS or to the state waterway ports.

Senate Bill 1457

Senate Bill 1457 brings some relief for those serving on our frontlines. Law enforcement, firefighters, and EMTs will no longer need a physical injury to qualify for workers compensation for a mental injury or illness.

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The things that we see and deal with on a daily basis have a profound effect, said Mark Nelson, president, OKC Fraternal Order of Police.

Nelson says this law is something first responders have needed and deserve.

It allows our members to get treatment generally consolidated into like a counseling or some type of medicine and hopefully get them back on the job, able to continue their career, said Nelson.

The seven new laws go into effect January 1.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A charge against a Vancouver English teacher for alleged sexual misconduct with a student was dropped Thursday, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, court documents say.

Hudsons Bay High School teacher Shadbreon Gatson was arrested on Dec. 20 and originally charged with sexual misconduct with a minor after Vancouver police say the alleged victim  who is now an adult  was a 16-year-old student when she claims the misconduct took place.

Former Washington County prosecutor texted shirtless photos to coworkers, investigations finds

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Gatson made his first court appearance on Monday where, officials said, these allegations were the latest in a pattern of behavior.

The allegations go back to 2013, but were also aware of more recent allegations involving another student that happened in 2024. That will be considered in charging in relationship with this case, said the Clark County prosecutor. He also received letters of directions pertaining to interactions with females as early as 2009.

Prosecutors said Gaston was previously reprimanded for allegedly failing to maintain a boundary with two other female students back in 2017.

Camas police seek suspect after car stolen, vehicles prowled on Christmas morning

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Vancouver Public Schools says Gaston was placed on leave on Nov. 8, when the district first learned of inappropriate behavior. But law enforcement said the arrest stemmed from the Dec. 2 report filed by the former student.

In a letter sent by VPS to parents and staff on Friday, the district said Gatson will remain on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

We do take our responsibility to thoroughly and fairly investigate matters such as this very seriously, the letter stated. The safety of our students is again paramount, and if necessary and appropriate, we will take action at the end of our investigation.

KOIN 6 News asked VPS how many reports of Gastons alleged misconduct they have received and has not yet received a response.

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Vancouver police said they are searching for more victims and that anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Cameron Steen lives in the area of 11th Street and Sneve Avenue in east Sioux Falls where police say a deadly shooting took place Thursday. The investigation, he says, came close to home.

Whooping Cough still worsening in South Dakota

There was a knock on my door, and I went and checked, and it was just the police, and they were just like, Hey, you mind answering some questions,' Steen said Friday. I was like, Yeah, of course, whats going on? Hes like, Well, theres just a guy downstairs with a serious bullet wound.

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Police say the man killed is 38-year-old Michael Christopher McDaniel of Sioux Falls.

At this time, we believe that the victim was shot once in the leg with a small-caliber weapon but are waiting for the autopsy which will take place next week to confirm those results, Sioux Falls Police Department Capt. Mike Colwill said Friday. Based on the information that we have gathered so far, we believe that the suspect and the victim in this case are known to each other.

At last update, there hadnt been an arrest made, but investigators had zeroed in on a person of interest.

This isnt a crime that occurred between strangers, Colwill said. We do believe that this is an isolated incident between two people who are familiar with each other.

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Steen, however, is familiar with the crime scene.

Once the officers are gone, I kind of peek over, and theres blood going down every single step, and that was just crazy for me, he said.

Steen feels the neighborhood is safe, and hes not alone in that assessment.

From my experience and stuff like that, I personally think its safe, said Freddie Lavan, who also lives in the area.

Everybody here is pretty great, Steen said. Ive never had any problems. Everybody just minds their own business, so this is really the first time something like this has happened, and its pretty crazy just experiencing that.

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I think who you have in your life and who you talk to, it, that depends on what you have to worry about in your life, Lavan said. Not whats around you.

Thursdays homicide is the citys 16th of 2024, which is the record dating back to at least the early 1970s.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
The Ukrainian defence forces struck a protected facility of the Russian Armed Forces in Oryol Oblast where Shahed attack drones were being repaired on 26 December.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: The military reported that the attack had destroyed a storage, maintenance and repair warehouse for Shahed kamikaze drones which consisted of a number of concrete protected structures.

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Quote: "This combat operation has significantly reduced the enemy's potential to conduct air raids with attack UAVs against the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have detailed information about the facilities of the Russian Armed Forces.

The work to identify and destroy targets in the aggressor's territory will continue."



Background: Russian authorities have claimed that 56 Ukrainian drones attacked several of their regions on the night of 27-28 December.



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In the crowded field of marketing, the Washington, D.C.-based Creative Theory Agency stands out for a few reasons, including the fact that the firm is Black-owned and focuses specifically on achieving cultural diversity and equity through its campaigns.

So, when the National Trust for Historic Preservations African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund was looking for an agency that would help tell the hugely important story of its work preserving Black places, the fit felt natural.

Danielle Burgess is one of the creative producers who has been working with the Action Fund to tell these compelling stories. But Burgess says shes gotten something from the work, too. She says her work with the Action Fund has ignited a love of architecture and Black history. Creating campaigns that physically take up space and highlight underrepresented communities has been increasingly on her mind as her home city, Los Angeles, prepares to host the Olympics in 2028.

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She also thought about this as she was working on a video campaign for the Action Funds Preserving Black Churches program that was released earlier. The program provides annual grant funding to preserve historic religious sites within the Black community.

Burgess was on the team that traveled to Mayfield, Kentucky, to film during the rebuilding of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church following a tornado in 2021. The Action Fund, which granted the church $100,000 through its emergency grant program, said the significant damage to the building was just one example of the harmful effects of climate change on historic structures and communities. The poignant video captured by Creative Theory showcases clergy and churchgoers inside a shell of the building. The church is in the midst of fundraising to complete the final stages of construction work, and is hoping to announce a set date for reopening in the coming year.

I spoke to Burgess about working with the Action Fund to highlight stories about historic preservation and Black history.

What type of brands does Creative Theory Agency typically work with, and how has the work youve produced for the Action Fund been different?

Weve established some great relationships with long-term partners, the Action Fund being one of them. Being able to grow [in] storytelling with the same brand teams has been really exciting for all of us. We work largely with Google, Meta, and those types of tech brands. Its cool with the Action Fund to do community-specific work.

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We became baby preservationists and really started to understand the importance of preserving [Black] spaces.

From a production standpoint, how do you showcase the agencys mission in your work?

People just think of the asset or the final deliverable, but it goes all the way down to how we treat talent, how we hire crew, how we engage the client. Were truly community-minded. It informs everything.

We really come from a perspective of [asking ourselves], How do we make this truly personal for the person watching? Its not about pushing an agenda necessarily. Its about really thinking about what the work needs and how we can engage the audience from a communal point of view, instead of a singular point of view.

Whats an example of one of the campaigns youve done for the Action Fund recently?

For me, our hallmark project was Preserving Black Churches, which wrapped earlier this year. We went to four different churches, largely across the South, and documented the stories of these churches. It can be hard to connect to a physical space; however, as we began to research, we really began to understand how a space can hold so many important moments.

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We were at Sixteenth Street [Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama] and  to be able to tell the story of how important that building is to that community was really exciting. We went in [asking ourselves], How do you personify space? It really is just showing the beautiful work and dedication that went into physically making the space, while telling the story of the people that occupied it.

Has there been a project where youve worked to tell the story of a space that isnt actively in use, or the folks that once occupied that space are long gone?

One of the churches we covered in that series was not in use. There was a church [St. James AME] that we covered in Mayfield, [Kentucky] that was flattened by a tornado and so it was currently being rebuilt. This beautiful mural by Helen LaFrance was still standing. We filmed the pastors interview [at] the church.

Has there been a preservation story youve worked on that has taught you something about Black history that really resonated with you?

The biggest one is Paul R. Williams. I had no idea who this man was, but he was a Black modernist architect, and he did a lot of buildings here in LA. Its interesting because the Action Fund also partnered with Getty to preserve a lot of Black modernist work.

Finding out about Paul R. Williams, I live right up the street from his Golden State Life building [and] its just cool to know that theres this really cool Black architect that I dont [think] most people know about. Theres this [site] called the Theme Building, and it looks like a spaceship. It looks like something out of The Jetsons. Its just a really, really cool part of Black history.

The post The Work of Sharing Black Stories appeared first on Capital B News.
Dec. 28An intense one-week course for sheriffs in the United States recently completed its 123rd session and included Mower County's Sheriff Steve Sandvik.

The National Sheriffs' Institute's (NSI) Leadership Development Course is held yearly in Quantico, Virginia and comes at no cost for those taking part.

The training, which includes sheriffs from departments ranging in size, focuses on developing and assessing leadership strengths, defining a leadership direction and identifying how to effectively engage their leadership team to advance their department's mission, vision and values.

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"This one was based on leadership and working through different angles, avenues and solutions to problems both large and small," Sandvik said Thursday morning. "It's really invaluable because the other sheriffs there range in size from staffs of three to over 5,000 and what you're rapidly taught in the beginning is there really is no difference in the problems and it's how you manage the resources you have and how you work together to find a solution and put the right resources in place to have ongoing effective and efficient responses."

The program is provided by the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice in collaboration with the Major County Sheriffs of America.

Sandvik was one of 23 in this year's class, that followed a rigid structure through the program's duration and was held Nov. 18-22. The structure required interaction throughout in reaching the goals of the course.

"You're really engaging," Sandvik said. "They put us through a self-assessment process and we had a bunch of homework beforehand."

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"And then as groups you're sharing that and going through that and learning how to interact with each other," he continued. "Developing specific situational things you would like to address in your own agency and community and how you go forward in that."

As such, the course took the participants through the training, recognizing each sheriff's specific concerns and challenges.

That further strengthens the ability for the participants to form connections in terms of knowing where to go to get answers to particular questions and challenges.

"You learn about who you can pick up the phone for in the worst case scenario," Sandvik said. "Having that first hand connection, they now know who I am and who every other of my classmates are. Everybody now has a connection to those resources and understands what they can do for you or simply who to ask a question of."

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Participation in the week-long course is by invitation after a sheriff submits an application. For Sandvik, it was actually the second seminar he was able to attend this year, with the first being his invitation to a Jail Administration program at the same location.

This latest program is generally limited to first-time sheriffs, and Sandvik was initially invited in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut the program down and so he was able to go this year.

He got the notice for the this most recent opportunity not long after returning from the Jail Administration program.

"I felt very, very fortunate to fit into that," Sandvik said. "They are invaluable connections with all the sheriffs."

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One of the cores for those taking part in the program is implementing clear and good communication, which in turn rolls into how to effectively serve the community.

"Best applying your team's resources to the mission of public safety; looking at ways to improve efficiency," he said. "Learning where there's angles and avenues that you could improve efficiency and not diminish public safety. The goal is to increase both."

And Sandvik feels that's already translated well to Mower County's own department.

"I've implemented some of them where we can better use our resources, and put people into positions where their skill sets fit better," Sandvik said. "Let's apply where the most effective outcome for the task is going to be accomplished and get people into those spots."

"If you're stagnant you're going backwards," he added. "There's several aspects and that bleeds out to our partners."
Editors note: Video from coverage of general election on Nov. 5-6

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Newly elected El Paso County sheriff, Oscar Ugarte, will be sworn in as the clock winds down on 2024 and rings in the new year on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Ugarte will be sworn as the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve at the Sheriffs Office Headquarters, 3850 Justice St.

Doors will open at 11 p.m. and the ceremony will begin at midnight, ushering in the new year and marking the start of Sheriff Ugartes term, a news release sent out by Ugartes team said.

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Ugarte, a Democrat, beat Republican Minerva Torres Shelton in the Nov. 5 general election.

Ugarte succeeds current El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles, who is retiring after serving 16 years.

In addition to being sworn in, Ugarte will also oversee the swearing in of his

command staff, deputies and detention officers.

The community is invited to attend and watch the ceremony.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Excerpts of body-worn camera footage from four corrections officers were released Friday by the New York Attorney Generals Office showing the in-custody beating of 43-year-old inmate Robert Brooks, who the AG's office says was brutalized by prison guards while handcuffed at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida, New York, earlier this month.

In the footage reviewed by ABC News, which the AG's office says was from a Dec. 9 incident, multiple officers can be seen holding Brooks upright on an exam table, with his arms restrained, punching and kicking him in the face, torso and genitals. The beating was described in a deposition by an investigator for the New York Department of Corrections Office of Special Investigations.

Brooks had been transferred to Marcy Correctional Facility on the day of the attack from nearby Mohawk Correctional Facility.

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He was pronounced dead at a local hospital the following day, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office is investigating the incident.

"As attorney general, you have my word that we will use every possible tool to investigate this death thoroughly and swiftly," James said in a press conference Friday.

PHOTO: Body-worn camera footage from correctional officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility released by the New York Attorney General's Office (New York Attorney General's Office)

Elizabeth Mazur, an attorney for the Brooks family, told ABC News, "Members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks. As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe. He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff."

Details of Brooks' death were outlined in the state investigator's deposition filed Tuesday by New York State Police.

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The deposition was filed by Ryan Paparella, an investigator for the Department of Corrections and Community Services and was brought in to review this incident. In the deposition, Paparella , details his assessment of the body camera footage showing Brooks' attack.

Paparella did not mention any apparent provocation or motive in his deposition and noted Brooks had his arms and legs restrained throughout the 15-minute assault. Paparella is a former corrections officer at the same prison where the incident took place.

Paparella's deposition stated: "The male was on the ground [outside near a fence]... I observed correction officers pick up the male off the ground who was handcuffed with his hands behind his back. The hands of the black male were extended directly above his head as his upper torso was parallel with the ground. They continued to walk the male down the sidewalk and towards an open door of the infirmary."

PHOTO: Body-worn camera footage from correctional officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility released by the New York Attorney General's Office (New York Attorney General's Office)

Paparella reported a corrections officer delivered a "closed fist strike to the chest" while Brooks was handcuffed, and detailed officers pushing Brooks' body up against an interior window.

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Preliminary findings of Brooks' autopsy by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office, "show concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being due to actions of another," New York State Police wrote in a court filing.

Paparella detailed that two sergeants and a nurse watched the attack and neglected to intervene. They are among the 14 prison staffers whom New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered to be terminated by the state.

"Like all New Yorkers, I was outraged and horrified after seeing footage of the senseless killing of Robert Brooks. I have been clear that it is the responsibility of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to provide appropriate care and protection for those in its custody, and I will not tolerate anyone who violates that responsibility," Hochul said in a statement Friday. "The State of New York has zero tolerance for individuals who break the law, and I am committed to holding everyone involved fully accountable."

One of the officers who Paparella reported participated in the incident is currently facing civil litigation for his alleged involvement in the 2020 beating of another inmate at Marcy Correctional, according to court records.

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The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association issued a statement reading, "What we witnessed is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day... This incident has the potential to make our correctional facilities even more violent, hostile, and unpredictable than ever before."

The Correctional Association of New York (CANY), a state oversight group, said in a statement that terminating staff involved in the incident "is a good start, but Governor Kathy Hochul and the legislature must go much further."

"They need to take bold and courageous actions to fulfill past commitments and bring about a new era of transparency and accountability in state government," the release reads.

A 2023 CANY report on Marcy Correctional Facility found that four out of five prisoners reported witnessing or experiencing abuse and seven out of 10 prisoners reported racial discrimination from guards.

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One person interviewed at Marcy correctional facility told CANY: "Physical abuse is rampant; the [correction officer] told me when I got here: 'This is a hands-on facility, we're going to put hands on you if we don't like what you're doing.'"

The New York Civil Liberties Union stated Brooks' death "highlights a culture of violence and a lack of accountability for wrongdoing by corrections officers that puts the lives of incarcerated New Yorkers at risk."

A 2024 review by the Department of Justice found that at least 28 incarcerated people were murdered while in custody during 2022, with 50 deaths classified as "accidental," a term that is not defined in the report.

James, the attorney general, announced Friday that four involved officers did not turn their body-worn cameras on, which violates state policy, however, the cameras recorded in standby mode with no audio.

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Department of Corrections Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III issued a memo this month, stating corrections officers' must have their body cameras actively recording during any interaction with inmates. Martuscello wrote that employees must "immediately report any individual who intentionally or unintentionally circumvents the [body-worn camera] policy."

This was a killing, and people will be held accountable," according to a statement issued by Martuscello following Brooks' death. No one is above the law and everyone who works here is held to the highest ethical standards. These individuals are not representative of the culture of DOCCS nor anything that DOCCS stands for. I am committed to vigorously pursuing justice for the Brooks family and ensuring that our agency takes the necessary steps to heal the community.

Brooks was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2017 for stabbing his girlfriend in Monroe County.

Thirteen of the staffers have been suspended without pay and one resigned the day after the incident.

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The investigation is still ongoing with the New York AG's Office and the NY Dept of Corrections Office of Special Investigations.

'Shocking' footage shows handcuffed inmate who died after prison guards beat him originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
If 2024 is the year companies started adopting AI, 2025 could be the year they start tailoring it to fit to their needs. New year will see real adoption of AI across enterprises and domains like customer interactions, education, corporate learning, and robotics. AI will be the biggest tech topic in 2025, it is expected to play a vital role in devises, industries and society as a whole. Ganesh Gopalan, Co-Founder and CEO of Gnani.ai, noted, "2024 marked a pivotal year for generative AI, transforming industries from customer service to creative innovations. In 2025, the widespread adoption of Small Language Models (SLMs) and Speech-to-Speech Large Language Models (LLMs) will revolutionize sectors like customer support, healthcare, BFSI, automotive, and telecom." These technologies promise precise and low-latency solutions tailored to specialized linguistic demands, with SLMs providing unmatched accuracy for niche tasks and Speech-to-Speech LLMs enabling seamless, real-time multilingual communication. Additionally, Agentic AI, which autonomously adapts and learns, empowers businesses with proactive decision-making and operational intelligence. "As these models advance, they will reshape Gen AI, fostering a new era of intuitive, efficient, and personalized interactions globally," Gopalan added. In education sector, AI will enhance learning through bigger innovations. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice-Chancellor of World University of Design, said, "Advancements in AI, VR, and AR have opened new frontiers, redefining education for the modern era. We foresee a continued surge in demand for high-quality design education across diverse sectors, driven by global trends and the need for adaptable, creative thinkers." Dr.Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor of Mahindra University, said, AI platforms will create more personalized learning pathways "These will help students achieve their full potential while bridging learning gaps. In 2025, we anticipate stronger integration of emerging technologies like AR and VR for immersive and secure learning experiences." The influence of AI will also enhance and innovate Robotics. Puru Rastogi, Co-Founder & CEO of Mowito, said, "AI and robotics technologies will set new benchmarks, enabling real-time decision-making, predictive maintenance, and smarter robots. AI-driven automation will propel scalable growth and industrial prosperity. The future is clear--2025 will herald a new era of agility and innovation." As intelligence takes center stage in technology innovations, the importance of chipsets becomes even more significant. Anku Jain, Managing Director of MediaTek India, said, "Technologies like Agentic AI, GenAI, advanced LLMs, and cloud computing have led to a tectonic shift in the industry." From digital payments to reshaping how we search for information, AI's influence will be felt across every aspect of daily life. The year 2024 was transformative for both payment and connectivity, as the rapid growth of 5G and digital payments unlocked new opportunities for transactions. Matthew Foxton, India Regional President & Executive Vice-President of Branding & Communications at IDEMIA Group, said, "In 2025, cryptography, tokenization, and biometric authentication will drive further innovation, while the rise of embedded payments, connected devices, and hyper-connectivity, particularly in the automotive sector, will create smarter, faster, and more secure transaction ecosystems." AI is changing how we live and work. By 2025, it will play a key role in almost all sectors of our life be it the devices we use, jobs, industries, and even how we search for information. (ANI)
As 2025 rolls around, employee protection for sick leave is available in Illinois.

The Employee Sick Leave Act (ESLA or the Act) requires employers to allow employees to use at least a portion of the sick leave time that is already available to them, under certain existing employer policies, to care for covered family member. Illinois Department of Labor

The Employee Sick Leave Act protects people from discrimination who are caregivers for their families. Employees can take sick time to take someone to the doctor, take care of a relative at home and provide emotional support to a relative with a serious health condition. The coverage applies to an employees spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, stepchild and stepparent.

For more information, click here.

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CHEYENNE  Employees at Sierra Hills Assisted Living protested Thursday outside the facility after Edgewood Healthcare, which owns Sierra Hills, has refused to budge in negotiations for safer working conditions for employees and residents after more than 10 months of negotiation.

We did include many things in our contract proposal that we feel will really benefit the residents, said Taylor Ewig, who has been a CNA at Sierra Hills for around 10 years. So, were here for us, as well as them (the residents). It seems like the company, though, does not look to the residents best interest.

Around 20 employees stood on the corner of Dell Range Boulevard and College Drive outside of Sierra Hills, which is located at 4606 N. College Drive, with signs protesting the way the company has treated its employees and residents. Cars drove by and honked in support, and several community members approached the protesters to learn more about what was going on.

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Edgewood be fair, at least we care, one picket sign read. Other employees hoisted signs that demanded a new contract and alleged that Edgewood is breaking the law by engaging in unfair labor practices.

The employees participating in the strike began on Christmas Eve and will continue striking until Jan. 2, when they will return to work unconditionally. They are not being paid during the strike, and employees said that Edgewood Healthcare has refused to pay them any holiday pay or benefits they may have accrued while theyre on strike.

Edgewood Healthcare did offer cash bonus incentives to employees who chose not to participate in the strike.

Ewig said most employees who chose not to strike are still very supportive of the union, but could not afford to go nine days without work.

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Complete chaos inside

As the strike is happening at a health care institution, employees are required to notify the employer of the intent to strike no less than 10 days prior to the start date so that the company can hire temporary workers  typically travel nurses and travel CNAs  to fill those positions and continue care for residents.

Sierra Hills employees notified Edgewood Healthcare 12 days prior, but the staff, including CNAs and kitchen staff, said that the company failed to adequately hire enough staff to continue quality care for the residents during the nine days of the strike.

Ewig said that, because of this, the facility is in complete chaos.

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We gave them time to bring in travelers. The company opted not to do that, from what I can tell, and theyre just running bare bones, like, skeleton crew. I think theres one CNA for the entire building, she said. ... I assume theyre going to try to put that on the union, but that was completely their decision to can we go without (temporary workers). Theyre just trying to save money, as they do, I guess.

There are currently between 70 and 80 residents at the facility and around eight under hospice care.

Ewig and other CNAs participating in the strike said that many of the Sierra Hills residents are supportive of the strike.

The issues began at the facility when Sierra Hills implemented a hospice care service a few years ago, shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life, according to the National Institute on Aging. This care requires specialized training that many of the Sierra Hills CNAs do not have. The company hires hospice nurses who are only on the facility about two hours per week, according to Sierra Hills staff. The rest of that time, the burden of care for the resident falls to the staffed CNAs and RNs.

Because Sierra Hills is an assisted-living facility and not a skilled nursing facility, employees are not allowed to use machinery like mechanical lifts to more easily move residents. Ewig said it is dangerous and difficult for both residents and staff when CNAs must physically lift patients without the assistance of any equipment.

In response to this change in their work environment, Sierra Hills employees unionized in February.

Fruitless negotiations

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Since then, employees say there has been no progress in the bargaining meetings and little wiggle room for negotiations. Edgewood Healthcare meets with the union, organized under the United Steelworkers Union, once a month, sometimes for just 15 minutes.

Due to the lack of progress, the union began this unfair labor practices (ULP) strike, alleging that Edgewood Healthcare is violating the law so egregiously that the employees are not able to negotiate a new contract.

The employees say they are not asking for increased wages or better benefits. They want the company to provide more safety equipment and possibly increase staffing so that the employees can better care for their residents.

Ewig said she hopes the company will provide them with a basic supplies closet filled with things like briefs and wipes, if negotiations go well.

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Jennifer Handelman, who has been a CNA at Sierra Hills for around 14 years, said she has seen the quality of the facility decline drastically in that time.

The community has supported us a lot, and we definitely appreciate that and appreciate that they can see what were trying to do, and that we are concerned for the residents, as well as ourselves, Handelman said. Were just trying to do the right thing, and this is the only way we had left to do it.

Additionally, employees have said that several rooms have been infected with bedbugs in recent months, and the building had recent cases of asbestos and potential black mold, which the union was not informed about.

Community support

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Nika Kelley is a cook in the kitchen staff at Sierra Hills. She said members of the kitchen staff are participating in the strike, as well, to stand in solidarity with the CNAs and RNs who say they are working in unsafe conditions, creating an unsafe environment for residents.

To see that Edgewood Healthcare just doesnt care that we care, and the level of concern and care that we have for our residents and the camaraderie that we, as the staff, have to make sure that our residents are cared for is absolutely phenomenal, Kelley said. It is disgusting that (Edgewood Healthcare) just doesnt have that level of care that we have inside of this house.

Many of the residents are supportive of the strike. One even had a picket sign posted in her window in support of the union. Some, however, were unaware of the unsafe working conditions prior to the WTEs initial coverage of the issue on Dec. 18.

You dont see whats happening with our other residents. You dont see whats happening in hospice care with our hospice patients that we have that reside here. So, not seeing any of those things, you can only judge for yourself. You cant judge for the entire facility, Kelley said. ... We wouldnt be here (protesting) if we were lying about everything.

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The strike was also attended by Madi Oates, the Starbucks Workers United in-person bargaining delegate for Wyoming, who helped organize a strike for better working conditions for Starbucks employees in Cheyenne earlier this week.

Oates said she wanted to stand in solidarity with the Sierra Hills union because unions are stronger when they stand together in numbers.

Workers deserve to have a voice. They deserve to have protections. And a lot of companies dont follow either one of those. So, its important to use their voice and stand in solidarity with each other, she said.

Edgewood Healthcare did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and Sierra Hills administrative staff refused to comment when approached by the WTE.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  A Sioux City man has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide relating to a July vehicle crash that killed two people.

Court documents state that on Dec. 18, Kenry Rodney Silas, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide, a class B felony, and one count of serious injury by vehicle, a class D felony. The guilty pleas were not part of a plea agreement.

Silas has also been charged with possession of a controlled substance-marijuana first-offense and operating while under the influence first offense, both serious misdemeanors.

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Silas was arrested earlier in the year for the deaths of Sandro Sanchez Mendez, 51, and Susana Estrade Molina, 39.

2nd person dies in Des Moines Christmas Day shooting, more information released

At 9:13 on July 21, a crash was reported at the intersection of West 3rd and Rebecca Streets. Silas was driving a pickup on West 3rd Street and hit a 2008 Volkswagen heading north on Rebecca Street, arresting court documents stated. Sanchez Mendez died in the crash while Estrade Molina was taken to a local hospital where she also died. Multiple others were hospitalized after the crash. Silas was arrested later that week.

Documents stated that Silas had bloodshot and glass eyes and also smelled of alcohol. Open beer containers were also found in the vehicle. They also found marijuana on him during a search.

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Silas pleaded not guilty to the charges in August. Sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 10, 2025. He is being held at the Woodbury County Jail without bond.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The number of licensed marijuana businesses in Oklahoma has fallen by one-third this year amid a regulatory crackdown and shifting market conditions inside the cannabis industry.

According to data published by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, there are about 5,800 licensed cannabis businesses as of this month. A year ago, there were over 8,700.

That includes all types of business licenses.

The industry was collared in 2022 when lawmakers placed a moratorium on the issuance of new licenses for dispensaries, growers and processors. The moratorium is scheduled to end in August 2026.

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With a moratorium in place, the only way to launch a new business is to acquire an active license. Lawmakers added extra steps to the license transfer process this year by requiring the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority's approval.

More: Medical marijuana business owners sound off on 'excessive' rule changes in Oklahoma

Medical marijuana products are packaged at 1440 Processing in Choctaw before shipping.

In the six years since Oklahomans voted to legalize medical marijuana, the number of businesses ballooned and then began a steady decline. There were fewer limits on the licensure process in the early years, which led to a strong crackdown against ghost ownership and the foreign-controlled black market.

In 2021, Oklahoma had about 49 marijuana dispensaries for every 100,000 residents, outnumbering the more mature markets in Oregon and California.

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Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority laid off 10% of its staff with Executive Director Adria Berry citing the shrinking industry and less-than-expected appropriations from the state Legislature. That decision sparked an outcry among industry leaders, with Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action criticizing the agency's "extreme backlog of license renewals" and ownership transfer approvals that the advocacy group said contributed to the plunge in licenses.

The industry also faces falling prices and oversupply, which has led to some owners closing their doors.

More: Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority cuts staff, citing short allocation, lower licensing

As of December, there are 5,811 licensed medical marijuana businesses in Oklahoma. Here are the most current stats provided by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority:

Dispensary  1,796

Grower  3,009

Processor  934

Transporter  72

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Number of Oklahoma marijuana business licenses down by one-third
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Dec. 27 that his government will evaluate potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine, including halting electricity supplies, if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia after January 1.

After Jan. 1, we will assess the situation and the possibilities of reciprocal measures against Ukraine, Fico said in a video address.

If it is unavoidable, we will halt the electricity supplies that Ukraine needs during grid outages.

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He also said that halting gas transit through Ukraine would harm the EU's competitiveness.

Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22 to discuss gas supplies after Kyiv said it would not extend the deal on transiting Russian gas to Europe past Dec. 31.

While the European Union has made efforts to reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria, remain reliant on Russian gas.

Slovakia has a long-term contract with Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom and estimates alternative arrangements could cost an additional 220 million ($228.73 million) in transit fees.

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Since taking office, Fico has shifted Slovakias foreign policy, halting military aid to Ukraine and adopting rhetoric more aligned with Russia, raising concerns among Kyiv and European partners.

Read also: Putin, Slovak PM discuss gas transit, standardizing mutual relations, Fico says after Kremlin meeting

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Thomasville Regional Medical Center, a brand new hospital in Thomasville, Ala., closed in September after fewer than five years in operation. Town leaders are hoping new owners will reopen it and help it become a regional health care hub. (Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline)

THOMASVILLE, Ala.  It was a moonshot effort for a small Southern town: Open a brand-new rural hospital in the poorest region of one of the poorest states in the nation.

Thomasville, which has fewer than 4,000 residents, sits in the middle of Alabamas Black Belt, so named for its rich, black soil. The rural, southern swath of Alabama is steeped in history and culture, and home to the most economically disadvantaged counties in the state.

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The nearest interstate to Thomasville is almost 70 miles away. Harper Lees 1960 book To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by Monroeville, one county over. To the northeast, across the Alabama River, the famed quilters of Gees Bend craft their works of art. Roads are lined with pine forests and farmland.

Thomasvilles energetic, gravel-voiced mayor is a man named Sheldon Day. Hes been mayor for the past 28 years, and hes passionate about health care. As rural hospitals around the country faced declining reimbursements, workforce shortages and rising costs, Day and other Thomasville leaders laid careful plans to open a hospital that would provide the care that was disappearing in communities like theirs.

They partnered with a Birmingham investor who believed in the project. They secured millions in federal grants and loans. Residents voted for a half-cent sales tax to support it.

We didnt want it to be a doc-in-the-box, a stop on the way to a larger hospital, Day said. What we were trying to do here in Thomasville is to be transformational.

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The hospital was intended to improve access to care for the entire region. It would treat Black Belt residents who had been driving 100 miles or more just to see a pediatrician. It was supposed to defy the odds that shuttered half a dozen other rural hospitals in Alabama in recent years and left even more at the brink of closure.

The new Thomasville Regional Medical Center opened on March 3, 2020.

It turned out to be the worst possible timing.

The hallways are quiet at the Thomasville Regional Medical Center, which closed in September after opening to much fanfare just four and a half years ago. (Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline)

Four and a half years later  battered by a worldwide pandemic, a series of financial missteps and a health care landscape increasingly hostile to rural hospitals  the facility closed.

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But maybe not for good.

A court-appointed receiver is overseeing the shuttered medical center, and Thomasville has limited control over who might buy it. City officials dont know whether the new owners might share the towns vision of being a regional health care hub. And they have limited influence on state lawmakers decisions about Medicaid expansion and health care funding.

And yet Day and the town remain cautiously hopeful. Their $40 million, 29-bed facility is dormant but practically brand new  a far cry from the decades-old hospitals common in rural America. The towns leaders are focused on leveraging any political power they can muster to make their case to state lawmakers and potential investors. And theyre armed with hard-won lessons learned over the past four years.

The health of their families and neighbors hangs in the balance. Losing the hospital would mean longer drives for care, missed treatments and riskier health outcomes, especially for the communitys most vulnerable. It would mean fewer local health care jobs. For the Black Belt at large, it would mean one more hospital gone, one more failed attempt to persuade state leaders to prove they care about the health of rural and poor people.

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In the health care debate in this state, I wish everybody could come down here and see the void, Day said, but also the opportunity and the possibilities.

A long drive for care

These days, Day cant go anywhere  not church, not the grocery store, not even the mens room  without getting asked by residents about the hospital and when it might reopen. Hes weathered criticism from some.

On a recent Thursday afternoon, the mayor was in his office at City Hall, not far from Thomasvilles downtown strip, preparing for a court hearing. He didnt expect it to take long; the judge just wanted an update on the hospitals foreclosure and receivership proceedings.

Also on Days schedule was a call with an attorney for the bank that currently owns the hospital. Earlier in the week, hed given hospital tours to two different prospective buyers.

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A few streets over, not far from the shuttered hospital, Angie Wise was at Family Medicine Pharmacy, preparing for her husband Marks retirement party. The couple opened the independent pharmacy in Thomasville 41 years ago, where Mark has been the pharmacist ever since.

Theyre looking forward to retirement. But Angie is worried about the dwindling health care options left in her community. She worked as a nurse at the old Thomasville hospital in the early 1980s. Back then, it provided a wide range of services, from labor and delivery to intensive care.

Most patients were treated in Thomasville, which made it easier for the patient and their family, she said. Now, most specialized services require a long drive out of the Black Belt, a hundred miles down to Mobile on the Gulf Coast, or 77 miles west to Meridian, Mississippi. Many people just cannot miss time from work for a three-to-five hour visit to a specialist, so they postpone appointments or cancel appointments.

There arent any pediatricians in Clarke County, nor in most of the counties surrounding it. The nearest hospital that delivers babies is 60 miles away.

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As a nurse, said Wise, I feel that no matter where you live, you should have access to quality health care.

Like an oncoming train

Day compares the hospitals closure in September to spotting a car sitting on a railroad crossing in the distance, watching a train speeding toward the car, and being unable to reach the car in time to save it.

The hospitals financial trouble started within weeks of its opening in March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns began. Through April, hospitals werent allowed to perform elective procedures or diagnostics  the kind of services that typically make money. Out-of-town specialists whod agreed to provide treatment at the hospital were no longer able to do so.

In a particularly hard blow, Thomasvilles hospital was one of just three hospitals nationwide that lost out on millions in federal pandemic relief funds because it was so new that it didnt have the required number of yearly financial statements.

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The hospital received $1 million, far short of the $8 million leaders thought it deserved. Day took several trips to Washington, D.C., to try to convince federal officials to change their rules. By the time they did, the funding had run out.

Meanwhile, the hospitals private owners had plunged the facility further into debt in an effort to keep the doors open. Day characterizes many of the choices as financial miscalculations. The hospital eventually defaulted on $35 million in loans and went into foreclosure.

In the final days before the hospital closed, employees had been working for two weeks without pay.

We had doctors who were working in the ER who offered to put in tens of thousands of dollars to help make payroll, Day said. Eventually, after a judge assigned a receiver to take control of the hospital and its assets, the hospital was able to pay all of its employees for the weeks they had worked.

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We had our legs kicked out from under us, pretty much from Day 1, and things went downhill from there, Day said. Thats why Im telling all these folks visiting who are looking at purchasing the hospital that youre not looking at a turnaround  youre looking at a startup.

A crisis getting worse

Medicaid expansion is a dirty expression in the halls of Alabamas Republican-dominated statehouse.

Business executives, advocacy groups and medical associations have begged state lawmakers for years to let Alabama join the 40 other states that have taken federal funding under the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid eligibility to cover all adults making up to 138% of the poverty line. Its a move that experts say would also bring much-needed funding to struggling hospitals. Expansion could push an estimated half a billion dollars into the state, but for opponents, it also carries the Obamacare stigma.

So instead, leaders like Day often talk about taking advantage of the federal dollars available to us when asking lawmakers to consider Medicaid expansion.

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Hes a pragmatic Republican in a conservative-leaning county in a solidly Democratic congressional district in a ruby-red state. Hes accustomed to treading political tightropes.

Obama hasnt been in office in how many years? We need to quit beating that horse, get rid of those political blinders we have on and figure out what is affordable for us to do, Day said. Because this is a crisis, and the crisis is getting worse.

In the past 20 years, 109 rural hospitals have closed around the country, while another 84 have been converted to other types of facilities such as nursing homes, according to the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Alabama has lost six rural hospitals in that time, plus two more that converted. (South Carolina lost four rural hospitals.)

Nationally, operating margins for rural hospitals in non-expansion states such as Alabama are consistently lower than those in states that expanded Medicaid, according to an analysis by health policy and research organization KFF.

Rural health care is an existential crisis, and the only thing thats going to fix that is everybody sitting down in a full understanding.

 Sheldon Day, mayor of Thomasville, Alabama

Half of Alabamas hospitals were operating in the red as of 2022, according to the Alabama Hospital Association.

In August, Grove Hill Memorial Hospital, about 15 miles south of Thomasville, became the fourth Alabama hospital in a year to close its labor and delivery services. Its also one of at least four hospitals around the state that have recently announced plans to halt all inpatient services and convert to Rural Emergency Hospital status, under a new federal program designed to save dying rural hospitals by paying them millions to focus on emergency care.

Day said the program isnt a good fit for Thomasville Regional because the facility is brand new and outfitted to provide a variety of inpatient and surgical services. Plus, he said, becoming a Rural Emergency Hospital would mean a much smaller staff. Before it closed, Thomasville employed around 110 people, Day said.

Day has spent many hours in Montgomery, meeting with state legislators and with Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who grew up in neighboring Wilcox County.

The state lawmakers who represent Days town are Democrats, elected by majority-Black districts. Alabama Democrats support Medicaid expansion. But in a state where Republicans control every branch of state government and fill every statewide office, Democrats wield little political power.

Day is pragmatic. He argues that expanding Medicaid is not only a moral imperative, but also would be good for the economy. He points out that rural communities  Black and white, Democratic and Republican  already have opened their wallets to support health care facilities.

Ive told the folks at the governors office and others that its not communities and counties that arent stepping up to do what they can, he said. Every city I know of in these rural areas  us, Grove Hill, Jackson, Evergreen, Monroeville  all of us have passed local taxes to go toward our health care facilities over the last five or six years.

He hits his steering wheel for emphasis as he drives his SUV on the way to an appointment.

Im as Republican as anybody, but we have passed taxes to get this done. And now we need the state to take advantage of the federal funding that would cover 90% of the cost of Medicaid expansion, and all theyve got to do is come up with that last 10%.

Alabama Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter has said hes willing to have a conversation about expansion, and lawmakers have held joint committee sessions to study the issue. But Ivey and others, particularly some hardliners in the state Senate, remain publicly skeptical and question the long-term costs of expansion.

Day refuses to be put off.

Im encouraged that it appears that the legislature and the governors office and others are, at least as a whole, seriously looking at the status of health care in the state and what we can do to fix the problem, he said. Nobody wants to see dozens of hospitals close under their watch.

Stocked and ready

In the quiet hallways and exam rooms at the Thomasville Regional Medical Center, cabinets are stocked and equipment stands at the ready. At a nurses station, charts and other paperwork still lie on the desks as though someone has only momentarily stepped away.

Stacey Gilchrist is one of the few people who currently work in the building, overseeing the facility and helping the court-appointed receiver with administrative tasks. Gilchrist, a nurse whos spent her 40-year career in Thomasville, was the operations manager for the hospital when it was still open.

The hospital saved dozens of lives, she said, even when people needed services the hospital didnt offer. It doesnt have a labor and delivery unit, but more than once, women in labor who werent able to make it to the nearest delivering hospital showed up at Thomasvilles ER.

We dont have incubators, but we had a staff that was out of this world, and they made it work, she said, recalling how nurses warmed IV bags to try to raise the temperature of a newly delivered baby while they waited for neonatal specialists to arrive by ambulance. It would give you chills to see what all they had to do. They had to get inventive, but they worked their fannies off and that baby and mama both survived.

As Day and Gilchrist stand in the hospitals airy atrium, they talk about their hopes that the hospitals buyer  whoever it might be  will work not just to bring back specialties that were lost but also invest in new services that could be located on the hospitals 40-acre campus, such as a long-term care facility or a cancer treatment center.

There are at least four prospective buyers interested in the hospital; three have signed non-disclosure agreements to begin negotiations, according to Day. He tells people he doesnt yet have a concrete timeline, but he does believe the city has a seat at the table.

The final decision on who buys the hospital will rest largely with the bank, North Avenue Capital, and must be approved by the judge.

The only money the banks gotten out of this has been the tax dollars the citys put in, so theyre listening closely, and I think they genuinely want us to be part of that process, he said.

Rural health care is an existential crisis, and the only thing thats going to fix that is everybody sitting down in a full understanding.

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 Northern Kentucky restaurant is asking for the public's help after thieves stole almost $7,000 worth of equipment on Christmas night.

Smokin' This and That BBQ made the plea in a Facebook post where they shared grainy still shots from surveillance cameras of the three male suspects and the white dump truck used to haul away the goods around 8 p.m.

"The struggle has been real for all small businesses for the last few years; pandemic and economy. We're no exception to that. We haven't given up through it all and YOU 3 CRIMINALS are about to learn how much that passion and dedication for what we do means to us," the restaurant posted on social media.

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Owner Guy Cummins told The Enquirer he's been in touch with the Boone County Sheriff's Department about the crime. He and his employees noticed the restaurant had been targeted when they opened for business Dec. 26.

Smokin' This and That BBQ shared still images from surveillance footage that caught three people stealing from the restaurant Dec. 25.

He said stolen items include commercial-grade food warmers, a meat slicer, panini press, griddle, brand new toilet, full 100-pound propane tanks, hickory and cherry firewood, stock pot, pop-up tents and catering linens.

The estimated loss amounts to around $6,800.

The Facebook post about the crime has hundred of reactions and has been shared at least 1,000 times.

"The whole community around Northern Kentucky  they're out here looking," Cummins said, adding that he hopes the men are caught.

Smokin' This and That BBQ shared still images from surveillance footage that caught three people stealing from the restaurant Dec. 25.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY barbecue restaurant robbed of $7K worth of equipment on Christmas
SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN)  They are using their cars to bust through businesses, break in and steal guns. Time and time again, thieves have been caught on surveillance video breaking into gun shops to steal dozens of firearms at a time.

On Friday morning, wooden paneling and closed signs marked the front of The Southern Bunker in Smyrna after the business was broken into for the second time this week.

Punch in the gut: At least 20 firearms stolen from Goodlettsville Gun Shop in latest smash-and-grab

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We dont want to go anywhere, The Southern Bunkers owner, Christopher Alford, told News 2. We dont want to close down, but you can only take so much.

Christopher told News 2 about eight people were in and out of his store in just minutes. The thieves were able to get in by slamming a car through the front door before getting away with about 30 guns.

I dont want my wife to have to deal with this time and time again  abruptly waking up at 3 and 4 in the morning to stuff like this, Christopher said. So weve got to make some changes, unfortunately.

This isnt Christophers first time experiencing the problem. In May, his store was targeted by the same crime after a car crashed into the storefront. Several people ran in and got away with guns and ammo.

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We could tell they had handfuls of items, so we knew if they had gotten away that they had stolen from us, Kelsey Alford told News 2 back in May. By the time we got here, we already had that in our mindsets so that our cases were probably going to be demolished and we were probably going to be missing quite a few items.

Another gun shop was targeted this month in Goodlettsville, where the criminals smashed a car into the business five times in order to get in. Within 30 seconds, the thieves were in and out and took about 20 firearms with them.

They were very precise. They were in and out in about 30 seconds from the time they made entry. It was a different pattern, for sure, than what Ive seen in days gone by, said owner Phillip Arrington when News 2 spoke to him earlier in December.

This year, there have been numerous shops across Middle Tennessee that became targets for thieves. The method to break in has been almost identical every single time: crash a car, have several people run inside and get away with multiple firearms.

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Its a big problem thats come to our area and theyre doing what they can, Christopher explained.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), last year there were over 4,000 firearms stolen during burglaries. In Tennessee, there were nearly a dozen reports of burglary involving a firearm, and the department found almost 300 guns were stolen.

MAY: Thieves drive car into Smyrna gun store, steal weapons & ammo

The Southern Bunker wrote a statement to its customers on social media, stating:

Lengthy Update for all of our amazing customers. So as many know now, we had another group of thieves ram a car through our shop in the early morning hours on Chrismas Eve. We had still planned to be open afterward, but then had another group do it again the day after Christmas. Between the damaged done and the mental toll of this week, we will be closing down.for now. With that said, we will be open all of next week (Tues-Sat) and will attempt to move as much of our inventory as possible, so come by and see us for tons of crazy low prices. Ive contacted most people already, but if you have any pending business with us (gunsmithing, layaway, gift cards, consignments, transfers, etc), be sure to come in next week to settle up on everything. However, if you cant make it in, we can definitely discuss alternative case-by-case methods of helping get you taken care of. Our main goal is to try and find another location that better suits our needs as a business (so let me know if you have any leads) and reopen. If that doesnt pan out, I will still maintain the FFL and continue gunsmithing, along with helping you all with any and all firearm related needs. But, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. I cant tell you all enough how thankful my wife and I are for all of your support. We have been blessed with some of the absolute greatest customers that any shop could hope for. Please come by and see us next week if at all possible!! The Southern Bunker

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Keanu Reeves, the beloved action star behind the iconic John Wick franchise, has expressed mixed feelings about the possibility of returning for a fifth instalment of the hit series. While his heart may be willing, his body, specifically his knees, might not be up for the challenge. As per People magazine, in a recent interview to promote his role as the villain Shadow in 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', the 60-year-old actor was asked whether he would consider returning for another 'John Wick' film. His response was candid, revealing the physical toll that playing the iconic assassin has taken over the years. "You can never say never, but my knees right now are saying, 'You can't do another John Wick,'" Reeves shared, as per People magazine. Although the actor expressed a deep fondness for the role that has made him a global icon, he admitted that the physical demands of the part are becoming increasingly difficult to handle. "So my heart wants to, but I don't know if my knees can do it," he said. Despite this, Reeves remains involved in the 'John Wick' universe. He will reprise his role as the legendary hitman in a cameo for the upcoming spinoff 'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina', which is set to hit theatres on June 6. In the 'Ballerina' film, Reeves' character will appear briefly alongside a new cast, including Cisely Saldivar and Ana de Armas. The 'John Wick' franchise, which began with the 2014 film, has become one of the most successful action series of all time. The first film introduced Reeves as a retired hitman seeking revenge for the death of his beloved dog, and it quickly garnered a loyal fanbase. Its success led to three sequels, and the franchise as a whole has grossed over USD 1 billion worldwide, according to People magazine. Along with the films, the 'John Wick' universe has expanded to include a prequel series, 'The Continental', as well as video games and comic books. In a recent interview to mark the 10th anniversary of the original 'John Wick', co-director Chad Stahelski praised Reeves for his dedication and integral role in the franchise's success. "Could you have done John Wick without Keanu?" Stahelski asked rhetorically, answering, "No, not the way you see it." He went on to describe Reeves' commitment on set, noting that he is always the first to arrive and the last to leave, as per People magazine. David Leitch, the franchise's co-director, also shared his admiration for Reeves, emphasizing the emotional depth he brings to the character. "There really is no other person that could play John Wick," Leitch said, adding, "He brings, obviously, the passion, the physicality, and there's just this undeniable emotional quality to him, where you feel for him and he pulls at your heartstrings," as per People magazine. (ANI)
Dec. 27An Odessa man was arrested on a robbery charge Sunday morning after his father accused him of punching him in the face and stealing from him.

According to an Ector County Sheriff's Office report, dispatchers received a 9-1-1 hangup call from the 3400 block of West 42nd Street around 7:30 a.m. Sunday and when deputies arrived James Allen McDuffee, 39, told them he wanted to go to the hospital and deputies left.

A short time later, deputies were asked to come back by McDuffee's father, 62, who was bleeding from the face, the report stated. He told deputies his son assaulted him while they were in their RV on West 42nd Street and stole his cell phone, wallet and around $100 in cash.

According to the report, deputies found the items in McDuffee's possession while he was in the ambulance.

He was booked into the Ector County jail on a $50,000 surety bond.
The youngest son of a woman found fatally stabbed on Christmas Eve inside their Long Island home has been arrested and charged with her murder.

The suspect, 27-year-old Jeremy Emmanuel Lopez Ramirez, was taken into custody on Friday in Baldwin and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the slaying of Josefina Ramirez Montero.

Montero was discovered unresponsive on Tuesday in the living room of her apartment, located along Old Sunrise Highway in Massapequa, according to a police press release. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

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Lopez Ramirez is accused of ambushing his 57-year-old mother  who was baking cookies at the time of the attack  upon returning from a trip to the laundromat around 7 p.m. He allegedly stabbed her multiple times before fleeing the apartment, where hed been living with his mom in recent weeks.

He was caught on surveillance video dumping the alleged murder weapon in front of the apartment, homicide investigators said.

A motive for the deadly attack remains unclear and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.

While police said there was no reported history of domestic violence at the home, Lopez Ramirez has a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 2018, Nassau County Police Department Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick told News 12. His record includes arrests for assault, criminal possession of a weapon, attempted murder and gang assault.

Lopez Ramirez was arraigned on Saturday at First District Court in Hempstead, where he pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
Fruitcake

I know most popular Sound Offs are about the Trump vs. Biden issue, but having been the recipient of many holiday fruitcakes through the years, I thought it was timely to pose this question: Is there anyone out there in the world who really likes fruitcakes? Im curious because I have never known a person who has actually eaten anything more than just a taste.

And another one ...

There was another domestic shooting here and no one seems to connect this to a larger issue. We have no problem with reporting domestic terrorism or gang related shootings.

Bidens orders

It seems that all the orders that President Biden is putting in place are only to hamper Donald Trump, and nothing that would actually be beneficial to the nation.

Easy answer

Those who wonder why President Biden did not pardon those prisoners who were executed while he was president, the answer is quite simple: those executed have all been state, not federal, prisoners. Biden commuted the sentences of federal prisoners only. In addition, no federal prisoners have been executed while Biden has been President.

All about casinos

All the Biloxi leadership cares about are casinos and tourists. They dont care about the residents of Biloxi. They have sold the soul of Biloxi for a few pieces of silver.

Compassion

The Christmas season should be a reminder that all followers of Jesus should show compassion. Jesus was known for having compassion and helping others. Jesus stopped the stoning of a prostitute, but we never saw him putting sinners to death. I am so happy that President Biden followed his Christian faith and stopped the executions. Jesus never gave us instructions to put sinners to death. He told us to forgive. That included everyone. No questions asked and no exclusions. These people on death row are not going free. They will stay in jail until they die. So why am I hearing how wrong it is to commute the death sentences of these people? No matter what you think of Biden, he did what Jesus would do.

CO2

In the same article both of these statements were made,  working to strip carbon dioxide from the atmosphere . And, More than 1000 big companies have pledged to eliminate their carbon emissions over the next few decades. Sounds like the buggy-whip industry to me.

Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.
One of the youngest and fastest-growing police departments in the metro Atlanta area is taking a bite out of crime.

South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows sat down for an exclusive interview with Channel 2s Darryn Moore to show us the technology his officers are using to capture criminals.

Meadows is the first and only police chief for the City of South Fulton.

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The department got its start six years ago with only 87 officers.

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Meadows developed an aggressive recruiting plan.

We are very fortunate in that the city council allowed us to raise our salaries, so we were able to go from that 87 to like 134 within the matter of a year, Meadows said.

With more officers, the department reduced robberies and assaults by 24 percent in the last year.

The chief said hes targeting the criminals who keep causing havoc in the community.

We have those repeat offenders that are constantly victimizing our community, so we want to make sure that we are putting effort into recapturing them and getting them off the streets of South Fulton, Meadows said.

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Technology is a big help in fighting crime.

The department has access to real-time cameras from businesses and residential areas where officers can see if someone is committing a crime, especially crimes of opportunity.

We have so many guns and weapons that are stolen from cars, Meadows said. You all have covered the stories.

Under Meadows leadership, he also created a unit whose focus is going after squatters.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed Georgias squatter reform act in April.

Some of these people are coming in and using them as drug homes. Theyre using them as places where human trafficking is taking place. So all of those things contribute to your crime rate, Meadows said.

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Meadows said theres more to be done to make the City of South Fulton a safe place to work and live.

The department is also working with a local company to provide affordable housing to officers so they can live among the citizens they protect.

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA)  The Temple Bnai Israel of Spartanburg celebrated the third day of Hanukkah on Friday.

Its a commemoration of a military victory in which the Greeks tried to assimilate the Jews and said that Judaism was outlawed in their part of the world, said Elliot McCarthy, a spiritual leader at the temple. The Jewish people at the time said, No. [They] did not like that [and they] formed a rebellion [and] were sucessful.

This year was the first time since 2005 that Hanukkah fell on the same day as Christmas. While not spiritually significant according to McCarthy, its logistically convenient.

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For a lot of kids to have Christmas and Hanukkah at the same time, it means they really dont have to pick which one to celebrate because they can celebrate both of them at the same time, said McCarthy. It creates a much more wholesome gift-giving experiences for a lot of our kids in those inter-faith households.

For eight days and nights, people of the Jewish faith celebrate with fried foods, music, giving gifts and the lighting a Menorah.

When [the Jews] took back the temple from the Greeks, who had turned it into a Greek temple, they re-consecrated it and they only had enough oil to last for one night and the miracles lasted for 8 nights, hence why we have it last for eight days, said McCarthy.

Mark Packer, the President of Temple Bnai of Israel of Spartanburg tells 7NEWS that Hanukkah brings back wamr memories from his childhood.

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Its a very, warm source of memory for me, said Packer. I grew up in a Jewish household in New York and we had a menorah at home, we sang songs, we ate traditional Hanukkah food and when I was a kid, I got lots and lots of presents.

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A 24-year-old North Carolina woman was killed and three others were critically injured when a motorboat crashed into a sailboat in the Florida Keys on Friday Night, according to law enforcement sources.

Alcohol appears to have been a factor in the crash, Assistant Monroe County State Attorney Joseph Mansfield told the Miami Herald. Mansfield said the motorboat captain appeared severely intoxicated and was being questioned by police Friday night. The captains son was arrested, Mansfield said, after attacking a man on the sailboat after the crash.

The crash happened in Florida Bay off mile marker 96 in Key Largo around 8 p.m., Mansfield said.

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A 21-food motorboat with four people on board struck an anchored 34-foot sailboat while traveling through Button Sound, according to Arielle Callender, a spokesperson with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is investigating the crash.

All four people were ejected from the motorboat. Three people were rescued from the water with injuries, according to FWC. On Saturday, the FWC identified the dead woman pulled from the water as Sydney Cole from Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.

One person was airlifted to a Miami-Dade County hospital in critical condition, Mansfield said Friday night. The FWC identified the hospitalized woman as 58-year-old Lillian Cairo, of Oakland Park.

According to the FWCs initial report on the crash, the operator of the powerboat is 61-year-old Guy Erdman, also from Oakland Park. He had not been arrested as of Saturday night.

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Another man on the boat, 31-year-old Christopher Erdman  who is Guy Erdmans son  was uninjured, but according to Monroe County Sheriffs Office jail records, was arrested on one count of felony battery and another count of felony aggravated assault.

Mansfield said that after the crash, the younger Erdman boarded the sailboat and attacked the man on the vessel, 71-year-old William Milner, of Yorktown, Virginia.

Milner and his wife, 70-year-old Paula Milner, were not injured in the crash, according to the FWC report. Mansfield said William Milner declined medical treatment resulting from the alleged assault by Christopher Erdman.
SPRINGFIELD  Chicago sculptor Richard Hunts inspiration as an artist was sparked in part by the murder of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old South Side boy who was tortured and lynched during a visit to Mississippi.

Hunt grew up not far from where Till lived and attended Tills open-casket funeral, which became a catalyst for the social-justice-centered themes that dominated Hunts career of some 70 years.

It was obviously something to respond to, Hunt, who died a year ago at 88, is quoted as saying on his website.

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Through April, work by Hunt is on display at Springfields Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in an exhibit entitled Freedom in Form: Richard Hunt.

Hunts sculptures are prominently displayed in museum collections and public spaces around the country. Despite such national recognition, Eric W. Stephenson, the director of Hunts Chicago studio in Lincoln Park, said Hunt preferred to work out of Chicago instead of the perceived art meccas of New York City and Los Angeles.

Dealing with industrial materials, Chicago is kind of a haven for public art and resources and, to be fair, accessibility and expense. Its a little bit cheaper, said Stephenson, who is also a sculptor. It was also a way for him to just truly focus on the work and kind of eliminate some of those outside distractions that happened when youre closer to the center of the art world.

The Springfield museums interest in staging an exhibit of his work goes back a few years. After JB Pritzker became governor in 2019, he and his wife, MK, commissioned one of Hunts sculptures, a bronze piece called Growing Flowing, for the Governors Mansion in Springfield. Later, April 24, 2023, was declared Richard Hunt Day in Illinois.

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According to Jon Ott, Hunts official biographer, MK Pritzker came up with the idea for Hunts work to be showcased at the Lincoln library and museum. Ott also saw parallels between Hunt and the 16th president.

The pieces that are in that exhibition were specifically chosen to represent these ideas of growth and progression and freedom that define both the lifes work politically of Abraham Lincoln and the idea of Richard Hunt sculpting freedom within the form of metal in an organic way, said Ott, also a founding member of the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation.

Born in 1935, Hunt grew up in the Woodlawn and Englewood communities on Chicagos South Side. His father was a barber and his mother worked as a librarian. Hunt studied at the South Side Community Art Center and the Junior School of the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, according to his website.

Attending the School of the Art Institute, he taught himself how to weld. The Lincoln museum exhibit includes video of an interview with Studs Terkel in the 1960s in which Hunt explains his preference for working with metal, noting that other materials are less adaptable.

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Its very difficult for me to spend all the amount of time it would take to carve out a form and, you know, then end up not liking it, whereas with the metal its possible to change form  to build something up, cut it off with a hacksaw or a cutting torch  and put something else in its place that might relate to the rest of the piece in a much more satisfying way, Hunt told Terkel.

Stephenson elaborated on the advantages of working with metal and noted Hunts use of bronze.

The beautiful thing about metal as opposed to a variety of other materials is, one, it lasts a long time. I mean, some metals more than others, Stephenson said. In particular with bronze, I mean, unless someone goes out of their way to destroy his work, those bronze pieces are going to be around probably at least 10,000 years from now.

Some of Hunts favorite tools are also part of the exhibit. One is a straight peen hammer famously shown with Hunt in a photograph from a 1971 retrospective catalogue from New York Citys Museum of Modern Art, which years earlier had acquired one of his sculptures and given him national recognition. Hunt was the first African American sculptor to have a retrospective at the museum, according to his website.

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Also on display at the Lincoln exhibit are some of Hunts other tools: a hefty cross peen hammer; and a ball peen hammer given to Hunt by his father in 1955 when Hunt taught himself the direct-metal technique, according to the Lincoln museum.

That was the same year that Hunt, then 19, attended Tills funeral. The teens lynching was the inspiration for Hunts sculpture Heros Head, created the following year.

I was making something from scraps of metal and then he was brought back to Chicago. We were basically the same age, the two of us. My parents came North through the great migration, Hunt said of his sculpture, according to his website.

Welded from scrap metal and completed in the basement of Hunts fathers barbershop, the work resembles a damaged skull and is described in the Lincoln museum exhibit as an unflinching portrait of American racism, a memorialization of Hunts childhood neighbor, and a monument to a victim of anti-Black violence.

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Its the first of some two dozen works by Hunt that the public sees upon entering the exhibit in the museums Illinois Gallery. Lance Tawzer, the director of exhibits and shows at the library and museum, said Heros Head was placed in a section of the exhibit the museum created where the ceiling is lowered to create a sense of intimacy.

Toward the end of the exhibit is a maquette  a model version of a larger sculpture  called Hero Ascending. Hunt completed the model before his death for a monument that will be placed at Tills childhood home in Woodlawn, which will be the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley House museum and theater.

Tawzer said beginning and ending the exhibit with Hunts Till-themed sculptures were mostly part of a collection of works that respond in some way to a theme of freedom  any of the sculptures that feel like theyre reaching up to the sky.

His thought process was that if you can make metal feel like an emotion for expressing yourself and cause a visitor to look at something that has one shape but looks different from different angles, and thats kind of what he went for, Tawzer said.

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Welded out of chromed steel, Hunts 1963 Winged Fragment sculpture at the museum was an example of his use of wing-like shapes that added to the levity and visceral sense of ascension, which is a hallmark of Hunts work, according to the museum exhibit. The piece also demonstrates how chromed steel bumpers were a frequent source of art material for Hunt, who retrieved them from junkyards.

Another piece, Steel Bloom, Number 1 from 1956, is made from welded steel and depicts rods or rod-like parts pointing upward. The Lincoln museum explained the creation by noting how industrial fabrication methods, such as threaded rods and machine-drilled holes, are visible in these works.

Hunt was a voracious reader, and the exhibit displays about 250 books from his collection of about 5,000 volumes, Tawzer said. Among them is 1991s There Are No Children Here, which chronicles the lives of children growing up in a Chicago public housing complex.

Situated in the library portion of the Lincoln facility is a sculpture from Hunt celebrating John Jones, Illinois first Black elected official when he served as a Cook County commissioner in the 1800s. At 32, Hunt was commissioned by the state of Illinois to create the sculpture, which is made out of welded aluminum.

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The piece is meant to depict Jones burdened by racial injustice with the lower portion of his left leg appearing to be encased and held down by a trapezoid-like block, while another large mass is affixed to his right shoulder as if hes carrying more weight.

I made him look as if he is climbing, burdened with weights that are part of him, Hunt said of the sculpture to Ebony magazine in 1969, according to the Lincoln museums book on the exhibit. They show his struggle.

The Hunt exhibit at the Lincoln museum opened in October and runs through April 20. The exhibit also will open in May in Chicago at the Loyola University Museum of Art.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  The Springfield Thunderbirds returned from their holiday break to face off with their nearby rivals, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

This season, the Thunderbirds have had a strong record against them, winning four out of five games. Fans were ready to see these two teams take to the ice for another thrilling matchup.

I think a victory over Hartford, its kind of like when youre playing your locals, youre playing your rivalry. Its good to beat Providence. Its good to beat Hartford. Fans are usually the place is sold out and everybodys up for the big game, said Kurt Rafferty of Connecticut.

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The Tbirds won Friday night, 5 to 2. Their next home game is Saturday against the Bridgeport Islanders.

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.

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LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)  A St. Martinville man was arrested in connection with a fatal two-vehicle crash in Duson that claimed the life of a 38-year-old Texas woman, Louisiana State Police announced.

In a news release, state police said 33-year-old Brandon Adams was arrested yesterday in connection with the Oct. 28 crash that resulted in the death of Ashley Campbell.

Troopers said toxicology samples collected from Adams revealed that illegal narcotics were present in his system at the time of the crash.

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Adams faces one count each of vehicular homicide, vehicular negligent injuring, careless operation, child passenger restraint, seatbelt restraint and operating a vehicle while license is suspended.

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Troopers said the crash occurred on I-10 West, just east of Highway 343 in Lafayette Parish, and was reported just before 1 a.m. on Oct. 28.

According to a previous news release, the preliminary investigation revealed that a 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz was traveling in the right lane on I-10 West when it struck the rear of an unknown commercial motor vehicle. After the collision, the Hyundai drove off the roadway to the right and the commercial motor vehicle continued westbound on I-10.

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Campbell was a passenger of the Hyundai and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, later identified as Adams, and a juvenile were taken to a nearby hospital. Troopers said Adams and Campbell were unrestrained.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com.
St. Paul recently caught two "porch pirates suspected of stealing packages from homes in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood.

St. Paul Police Department shared video this week showing officers encountering the suspects, one of whom had earlier been caught on doorbell camera swiping packages from a local doorstep.

Dozens of packages were found in the car, including baby clothes, toys and food gift sets.

Police have not provided details of the suspects arrested, nor how many thefts they have been linked to at this time.

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The department encouraged residents to provide special instructions to mail carriers like UPS, FedEx and USPS to place packages in a concealed location.

The post also noted that Amazon will deliver to indoor lockers and retailers, while porch lockboxes can be installed at home.

Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
Charles Shyer, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer known for his work on iconic comedies such as 'Private Benjamin', 'Baby Boom', and the 1991 remake of 'Father of the Bride' and its 1995 sequel 'Father of the Bride II', has passed away at the age of 83. As per Deadline, the cause of death has not been disclosed. Shyer's death was confirmed by his family in a heartfelt statement shared with Deadline. The Meyers-Shyer family expressed their sorrow, writing, "It's with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father, Charles Shyer's passing. His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he's left behind. We honour the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him." Charles Shyer's career spanned over five decades, during which he became a staple in Hollywood for his sharp wit and knack for directing heartwarming comedies. His Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay came in 1981 for 'Private Benjamin', a comedy starring Goldie Hawn. The screenplay, co-written with Nancy Meyers and Harvey Miller, was a huge success and marked the beginning of a prolific partnership between Shyer and Meyers, both professionally and personally. The duo continued their collaboration throughout the 1980s and 1990s, creating some of Hollywood's most beloved films. These included 'Irreconcilable Differences' (1984), 'Baby Boom' (1987), and the hugely popular 'Father of the Bride' franchise. The 1991 remake of 'Father of the Bride', starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, was a massive hit, followed by the equally successful sequel 'Father of the Bride II' in 1995. Shyer and Meyers, who married in 1990, were one of the most successful creative teams in the business. Their partnership continued until their divorce in 1999, after which Shyer embarked on a solo career, directing films like 'The Affair of the Necklace' (2001) and the 2004 remake of 'Alfie', starring Jude Law. His most recent projects included writing and directing the 2022 Netflix holiday film 'The Noel Diary' and serving as co-writer and producer on the 2023 Christmas movie 'Best Christmas Ever!' As per Deadline, Shyer is survived by his four children, including filmmaker Hallie Meyers-Shyer. (ANI)
Dec. 27Salem police are investigating a reported stabbing outside the Mall at Rockingham Park food court Thursday night.

Salem police log entries show officers, fire and EMT personnel responded to the area outside the food court at the popular mall at 8:08 p.m. for a report of a 20-year-old male from Windham with stab wounds to his abdomen and chest area.

Initially first responders asked if a Med-Flight helicopter was available, but that was canceled and the victim was transported to Lawrence General Hospital in Massachusetts, with a Salem police vehicle following them, log entries show.

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Officers provided immediate aid to the subject, including placing a chest seal on the wound. The victim was transported by Salem Fire to Lawrence General Hospital, then Med-Flighted to a Boston-area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The man remained in critical condition Friday following surgery, police said.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office was notified of the incident, police records show. A spokesman said Friday that the matter is "not our case at this time."

"We are aware and monitoring as Salem police actively investigate," the spokesperson said.

Police put out a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) notice to New Hampshire and Massachusetts law enforcement agencies for a dark-colored Kia registered to a Manchester address which left the scene, possibly with three occupants.

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A short time later, Catholic Medical Center staff reported a stabbing victim with a knife wound to his arm arrived at their emergency room, and Salem detectives went to the hospital to meet with Manchester police, a police log entry shows.

The victim was identified as being involved in the incident in Salem, police said.

Salem detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in Londonderry overnight related to the investigation.

The vehicle seen fleeing the scene at the mall parking lot was found abandoned in Salem, and detectives are working on executing multiple search warrants related to this incident, police said.

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A crime scene in the area where the stabbing occurred was set up and processed. Numerous witnesses were identified and physical evidence collected.

"At this time, it is believed that all parties involved in this incident have been identified and there is no ongoing threat to the public," Salem police said in a statement. "This remains an active investigation and further details will be released in the coming days."

Both the Manchester and Londonderry Police Departments assisted in this investigation.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective James Carlin at 603-893-1911.
In Stanwood, 2024 is closing out with more barks and the bite of whats to come.

I think its going to be worse, says Sara Bradshaw when asked about shelter challenges in 2025. Bradshaw is the operations director at The NOAH Center. Theyre a shelter already struggling to do more with less.

Theres limited food. Theres limited space. Ive had to say no to cats and dogs because theres no place for them to sleep, says Bradshaw.

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This year brought more animals to NOAH. More than 100 additional shelter intakes than the shelter saw in 2023. Their 2024 foster intakes also increased, with 463 cats and 246 dogs than in the year prior.

Other shelters in Washington are also seeing a similar influx. Its unsustainable, says Bradshaw.

We are seeing some shelters and rescues close. It has been really hard. And what youre going to see is an increase in what people like to call kill shelters, says Bradshaw.

Driving the animal crisis is an influx of surrenders, as well as animal overpopulation.

Bradshaw says illegal or backyard breeding has contributed to more litters, as well as more animals with birth defects in their care.

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He has an abnormal left leg. And was given the name Lefty, says Bradshaw about one of their latest intakes.

Lefty is a brindle male dog who was surrendered this month. His growing medical needs were too costly for his family.

But Leftys medical bills are also too costly for the shelter. NOAH has seen its donations decrease by more than a million dollars compared to 2023.

Bradshaw says sometimes the shelter is forced to delay care when they cant afford it.

What do you do when you run out of resources? When your team is exhausted, and you dont have anything else to give? asks Bradshaw.

She and others at the NOAH Center are asking for community support in the year ahead. In addition to donations, theyre also seeking people to adopt or volunteer.
Stanislaus County recorded the highest number of hate crimes in 2023 since 2001, according to data from the state Department of Justice.

There were 19 reported hate crimes in the county in 2023, with eight referred to the Stanislaus County District Attorneys Office and formally filed as hate crime cases. Of those, two resulted in hate crime convictions.

Stanislaus County DA Jeff Laugero explained that the DOJ statistics count reports, whereas his office focuses on cases, which can include multiple reports linked to a single case. Of the 19 reports, the DAs Office received 18, which it classified into 11 hate crime cases in 2023.

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Laugero said its difficult to ascertain why numbers were up in 2023 without speculating. In 2023, his office appointed a hate crimes prosecutor to ensure that hate-based cases are reviewed and managed by a prosecutor with specialized training. Both law enforcement and prosecuting agencies now receive more targeted training on hate crimes.

The training allows agencies to identify hate crimes early in investigations and appropriately classify the cases as such. Laugero said his staff has used hate crime prosecution training provided by the California District Attorneys Association, working alongside a designated prosecutor, to apply best practices and enhance protections for affected groups.

With more widespread training, crimes motivated by hate are being recognized, investigated and prosecuted. There is no place for intolerance and hate in Stanislaus County, Laugero said in a statement.

The majority of the incidents were motivated by race/ethnicity and sexual orientation, with Black individuals being the most common victims. Most hate crimes were perpetrated by white individuals.

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The data is not surprising and will probably get worse as others feel more emboldened and empowered in carrying out anti-Black social attitudes, value, and norms that inherently exist beneath the surface, said Wendy Byrd, president of the NAACPs local chapter, in a statement to The Bee.

Roman Scanlon, executive director of CalPride Stanislaus, said interpreting hate crime data is challenging because such incidents are often underreported. For example, people might report assaults without disclosing that they are LGBTQ, fearing they could out themselves or face discrimination. When incidents get media coverage, concerns about potential repercussions from family or employers also may discourage victims from being fully transparent.

While Scanlon is glad more people are coming forward to report these crimes, he is troubled such incidents persist.

I feel like I want to say its a good sign that people are actually reporting it now, in the last few years, Scanlon said. But at the same time, I cannot say that we have a true benchmark to show whether this is an actual increase in crime towards LGBT, or is it an increase of people finally feeling comfortable enough to actually report it?

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He added that the Modesto Police Department has been pretty responsive and supportive toward the LGBTQ community regarding potential hate crimes.

According to the data, residences and restaurants were the most frequent locations for hate crimes. Aggravated assaults were the predominant crime, with many involving verbal slurs. One incident involved a handgun.

A majority of the crimes occurred in September and October. The lowest reported hate crime totals in the last 22 years occurred in 2011 and 2012, with just six incidents each year.

Hate crime data for 2024 has not yet been released by the Department of Justice. However, Laugero said law enforcement identified 12 reports as related to hate crimes. The DAs Office classified six cases as hate crimes, with all 12 reports included within those six cases. Laugero noted that the hate-crime-related charges in 2024 were based on race, ethnicity and race/sexual orientation.

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Earlier in December, a Modesto man was arrested on multiple charges, including hate crimes and civil rights violations, related to racist graffiti and threats targeting undocumented immigrants.

We want to make it clear that these actions will not be tolerated, Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said in a statement about the incident. Racial hatred, bigotry, and violence have no place in Stanislaus County. Our office is working closely with community members and community leaders to investigate these incidents thoroughly. Those responsible will be held accountable.

To report a hate crime

Report the crime to your state or local police. If its an emergency, dial 911; otherwise, call the appropriate law enforcement agency. Police officers may reach out to you for more information as they investigate the crime.
BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)Holiday cheer reached the hallowed halls of the Massachusetts State House this weekin the form of several initiatives aimed at uplifting marginalized groups.

The week started out with the passage of a priority bill into a law that aims to make substance use disorder recovery more affordable and accessible.

Massachusetts birth rate on the decline

The Governor signed an executive order on Monday, increasing initiatives aimed at bringing more women and people of color into the construction and trades industries. The US Secretary of Commerce credited this move to funding from the Biden-Harris Administration.

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We have a unique opportunity to bring more women into the trades than ever before  into good-paying, quality, union jobswere stepping up the momentum so that more women can join the construction industry over the next decade, said Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Healey also announced funding for state colleges to create spaces to support and provide resources to marginalized student groups.

To close equity gaps in higher education, we must support the whole studentwe cannot wait to lift barriers that keep many students from realizing the socio-economic upward mobility that comes from earning a college degree, said Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega.

Western Massachusetts lawmakers spoke up about an area that needs more fundinghome care. Westfield Senator John Velis told 22News that home care services could run out of money as soon as February, and he will be pushing for a supplemental budget in the new session.

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The next legislative session begins on January 1, and 22News will keep you informed as new bills are proposed this winter.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Dec. 27A state investigation has found that a Falmouth day care provider gave the sleep aid melatonin to children without parents' consent, but the provider denies the allegations and plans to appeal.

State officials are considering licensing action pending an appeal of the investigation's findings, a spokesperson said.

"The report of melatonin being administered to children without parent/guardian consent was received by the department back in August," Lindsay Hammes, DHHS spokesperson, said in a written statement. "That constitutes a licensing rule violation."

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Hammes said the Office of Child and Family Services "quickly addressed the issue with Apple Blossom Childcare and put an end to that practice."

Alison Lakin, owner of Apple Blossom, said in a written statement Friday that she is "working with a lawyer to appeal the results of the investigation due to a lack of merit based on tainted evidence reporting, uncorroborated evidence and failure to interview key witnesses during the investigation. Any potential violations discussed during the investigation would have been corrected immediately, prior to the conclusion of the investigation, as my program has not had a licensing violation since it opened in January 2012."

Melatonin is a hormone commonly used as a sleep aid. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against routinely using the over-the-counter supplement for children, saying it should only be used for short periods and under the supervision of a pediatrician.

It is against Maine's day care licensing standards to give children medications without parental knowledge and consent.

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After DHHS made sure melatonin would not be given to children, Hammes said, it conducted an investigation. The agency told parents the investigation supported their complaints, but Hammes would not provide details of what investigators found or what licensing action might be taken.

"The department's licensing actions based on identified violations in the investigation are made public only once the appeal period has been exhausted or waived, and if appealed, after a final decision is rendered," Hammes said in an emailed response to the Press Herald.

Apple Blossom was given 30 days to appeal, and that period is not yet over, Hammes said. She said no immediate enforcement action was taken because Apple Blossom was "compliant and cooperative with the department, satisfying requirements in order to continue operation."

A group of parents interviewed by the Press Herald said they are angry about what happened, and that it's taken far too long for DHHS to investigate after they complained in August.

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They said they removed their children as soon as they learned, through their children and other parents, that the day care had been giving melatonin "gummies" to help their children sleep at nap time.

The parents spoke about the complaints on the condition that they would remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by the day care's owner.

"We gave (DHHS) an overwhelming amount of evidence. They sat on it for so long," one parent said.

The parents said they shared with state officials a series of emails and text messages between them, other parents and Lakin.

One parent said her toddler told her directly that children were given gummies to make them go to sleep. Another parent said her child typically only took 45-minute naps at home or skipped them, but while at Apple Blossom, they were taking two to two-and-a-half-hour naps.

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Two of the parents shared letters they received from DHHS in December confirming that the state investigation supported the allegations and that the findings were being reviewed for potential licensing action.

"The information obtained during this investigation did support the allegations and your child has been named in the record as a victim of abuse/neglect," according to a Dec. 18 letter to one parent from Angel Jamison, supervisor of the Out of Home Investigation Unit.

The letter also says the findings are subject to appeal under Maine law, "which could result in a change in the finding."

A similar letter sent to another Falmouth parent said that allegations were supported and that "licensing rule violations were identified."

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Complaints about child care providers giving melatonin to children in their care have been reported and investigated in other states. A day care owner and three employees in Manchester, New Hampshire, were arrested for allegedly putting melatonin in the children's food.

Parents in Falmouth said they contacted local police with their allegations but were referred to DHHS because it is a licensing issue.

Accidental ingestion of melatonin by children also is a concern. A study conducted for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 11,000 children across the U.S. were taken to hospital emergency departments for accidental ingestion of high doses of melatonin from 2019-22. The hospitalizations were very rare but tended to occur when toddlers accidentally took unsupervised doses. Symptoms of melatonin overdose include stomach aches, vomiting and diarrhea.

According to Boston Children's Hospital, "in general, melatonin should not be given to healthy, typically developing children under age 3, as difficulties in falling and staying asleep in these children are almost always behavioral in nature."

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SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE)  New Mexico State Police arrested 25-year-old Robert Jimenez who was wanted by U.S. Marshals in Santa Fe on Friday. Jimenez was wanted for a probation violation after being convicted for being a felon in possession of a gun.

Police makes 2 arrests in separate incidents in southwest Albuquerque

U.S. Marshals said Jimenez has a long criminal history including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, shooting at or from a moving vehicle, and armed robbery among other charges. NMSP said he was found with a gun when he was arrested. Hes charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
The state of Oregon has reinstated its Climate Protection Program, which will go into action in 2025. This plan highlights the importance of state-based action in the face of our warming climate, and proves that perseverance is key in protecting our planet.

The Climate Protection Program was first introduced in Oregon in 2021, but it was scrapped due to lawsuits from natural gas companies, Capital Press reported. The lawsuits were focused on a technicality regarding required disclosures from companies that hold air pollution permits, as per Capital Press. These lawsuits were successful in shutting down the 2021 program, but Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality went straight back to work drafting a new plan.

The overall goals of the program have not changed from 2021 to now. It aims for the state of Oregon to reach a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution by 2035, and a 90% reduction by 2050, according to Capital Press. In order to achieve these goals, some of the program's focuses include shifting away from dirty energy and incentivizing the use of clean energy  like solar and wind  through carbon credit programs.

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Increasing clean energy at a state level is huge. While individual actions like installing your own solar panels or driving an EV are still meaningful ways to make a change, the impacts will be larger when clean energy is boosted on a grander scale. More clean energy means healthier air, water, and land, which in turn benefits human health, and strengthens ecosystems, as per the U.N.

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Examples of the positive impacts that happen when change is made at the state level include California having milestone moments of a completely clean energy grid, and Minnesota becoming the most active state in proposed and adopted decarbonization policy changes.

While there are still some wrinkles to iron out in Oregon's Climate Protection Program, its overall existence is a positive step toward a clean energy future.

Nicole Singh, climate change manager at Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality, stated, "There was so much progress being made, it was hard to see that progress stop. But we have been able, I think, to create a better CPP for the future," per the Capital Press.

In the official press release from Oregon's Environmental Quality Commission, Chair Matt Donegan stated, "This program maintains Oregon's commitment to addressing climate change, transitioning our economy to remain globally competitive, and investing in our most impacted communities across the state."

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Dec. 27JAMESTOWN  The use of deadly force by a Jamestown police officer was justified when he shot and killed a man early Dec. 3 in the parking lot behind Fred's Den, according to Stutsman County State's Attorney Fritz Fremgen.

Fremgen released a memo to Troy Kelly, a special agent with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Scott Edinger, Jamestown chief of police, on his findings of the BCI's investigation of the officer-involved shooting. Fremgen declined to pursue any charges against Sgt. Cory Beckman.

The North Dakota BCI investigated the officer-involved shooting. Those findings were forwarded to Fremgen for further review.

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"Charges are unwarranted," Fremgen wrote.

Beckman, a five-year veteran of the Jamestown Police Department, shot Devin Quinn Fontenot, 27, Jamestown, after he responded to a report of a man armed with a gun and a knife standing in the parking lot behind Fred's Den, 113 1st Ave. S. Fontenot died from injuries he sustained from the gunfire.

As officers responded, a 911 caller reported a man was shooting at a building, firing many rounds. Maj. Justin Blinsky, Jamestown assistant chief of police, previously said the man later identified as Fontenot was still firing rounds in the parking lot when the first officer arrived on the scene.

Fontenot refused to comply with an order to drop his weapon, jeopardizing the safety of Beckman and others, Edinger previously said.

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"The use of deadly force is reasonable where an officer has probable cause to believe that a suspect poses a threat of serious physical harm to the officer or others," Fremgen wrote in the memo.

Fremgen wrote that it was "objectively reasonable for SGT Beckman to use deadly force to arrest Fontenot."

"Discharging a firearm in a parking lot with the office and other citizens present is a severe crime that posed an immediate threat to the safety of SGT Beckman, the bystanders, and others," Fremgen wrote. "Fontenot actively resisted arrest when he refused to disarm, yelled to the officer to drop his weapon, and fired more rounds after being told to drop his gun."

Beckman is a member of the James Valley Special Operations Team, a K-9 handler and a Jamestown Police Department peer support team member. He remains on standard paid administrative leave.

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The memo says Beckman responded to a call for service to a report of a man who had a confrontation with a couple of individuals with the caller stating that the man, later identified as Fontenot, was "loading a weapon." The Stutsman County Communications Center then told Jamestown police officers that there were multiple calls that gunshots were being fired.

Fred's Den security video footage shows a man shouldering what appeared to be a rifle just before Beckman arrived to the scene, the memo says.

Beckman's body camera video shows that he told Fontenot to drop what appeared to be an assault rifle and show his hands multiple times, the memo says. Beckman told Fontenot to show his hands six times before a gunshot was fired.

"The shot did not come from Beckman's pistol," the memo says.

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Beckman tells Fontenot to drop his gun four times before two more gunshots were fired, forcing Beckman to move back into the cover of a brick wall, the memo says.

Beckman's body camera video shows Fontenot telling Beckman to drop his weapon, the memo says.

Beckman transmits over the radio that Fontenot has a gun and "he's shooting around" after he tells Fontenot to drop his gun four more times.

Beckman repositions himself on the southwest corner of the US Bank drive-thru with his body camera view to the northwest that shows Fontenot.

Beckman tells Fontenot to drop his weapon. Beckman then fires seven rounds, according to the memo.

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The memo says a BCI agent interviewed a witness who said Fontenot pointed and attempted to fire the rifle at him but "each time the man's weapon dry fired."

Beckman told Kelly that he responded to a report of a "disgruntled" man who was kicked out of Fred's Den and went to his vehicle and loaded his weapon, the memo says. Beckman said he had his handgun drawn when he approached U.S. Bank's drive thru.

Beckman told Kelly that Fontenot was moving around between a truck and an SUV. Beckman said he heard what sounded like an assault rifle magazine hit the ground and could hear Fontenot "racking the weapon" (to pull back sharply and quickly release the cocking handle/slide of the firearm to eject a misfired round) to remedy a malfunction or jam, the memo says.

Beckman told the BCI agent that he gave commands to Fontenot to show his hands and drop the gun before Fontenot fired gunshots that didn't appear to be fired toward Beckman, the memo says. Beckman told the BCI agent that he was unable to determine where the rounds were fired toward.

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Beckman said Fontenot moved closer to him and was behind a pickup box holding an assault rifle, the memo says. Fontenot peeked up from behind a pickup box and Beckman said he put his pistol's laser on Fontenot's head but refrained from shooting him because there were two bystanders that could have been hit, the memo says.

Beckman said he eventually moved to get a better vantage point of Fontenot. Beckman said he put the pistol's laser on Fontenot with the intent to give him one more command to drop his weapon. If the man did not drop the gun, Beckman told the BCI agent that he planned to shoot.

"Beckman conveyed he gave one more command to drop the gun, the man stood up holding the gun, and appeared to be raising the rifle in Beckman's direction," the memo says. "Then, Beckman fired about seven rounds at the man."
John Greene and his counselor Emily Georgia at Family & Childrens Counseling Services in Cortland, New York. Greene is four months into recovery for the first time since he started regularly using drugs at age 14. He credits a new program that the counseling center started with opioid settlement money. (Celia Talbot Tobin for KFF Health News)

In the past few years, state and local governments across the U.S. have begun spending billions in opioid settlements paid by companies accused of fueling the overdose crisis. But where is that money going, who is getting it, and is it doing any good?

KFF Health News, partnering with researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Shatterproof, a national nonprofit focused on addiction, undertook a yearlong investigation to find out.

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Dozens of interviews, thousands of pages of documents, an array of public records requests, and outreach to all 50 states resulted in a first-of-its kind database that catalogs more than 7,000 ways opioid settlement cash was used in 2022 and 2023. Its the most comprehensive resource to date tracking some of the largest public health settlements in American history.

Among the findings:

States and localities received more than $6 billion in opioid settlement funds in 2022 and 2023. According to public records, they spent or committed about a third of that amount and set aside about another third for future use. The final third was untrackable, as many jurisdictions did not produce public reports on the funds.

Reports of spending tracked the minuscule to the monumental, from $11.74 to buy postage in Yavapai County, Arizona, to more than $51 million to increase the addiction treatment workforce in California.

States allotted, on average, about 18% of their funds for addiction and mental health treatment; 14% for recovery services such as housing, transportation, and legal aid; 11% for harm reduction efforts such as overdose reversal medications; and 9% for prevention programs that aim to stop people from developing substance use disorders. States committed, on average, about 2% for syringe service programs, through which people can get sterile needles. (A variety of entities received this money, from law enforcement to nonprofit organizations to government agencies.)

Governments reported spending more than $240 million on purposes that did not qualify as opioid remediation. (Most settlements allow states to spend up to 15% of their funds this way.) Most of this tranche went to legal fees, but several jurisdictions funneled money to their general fund. One county even sent funds to its road and bridge department.

Several cities and counties reported expenditures they said addressed the overdose crisis but that would leave an average person scratching their head  such as $33.07 to an anti-abortion pregnancy center in Sandborn, Indiana, and $30,362 to screen first responders for heart disease in Oregon City, Oregon.

When people know that people arent watching and theres no accountability, then they can kind of do what they want, said Tonja Myles, a community activist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who is in recovery. Thats why we have to have some kind of database and accountability.

Despite the recent decline in overall overdose deaths in the U.S., more than 90,000 people still died in the 12 months ending July 2024 and rates are rising in many Black and Native American communities.

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We cant mess up or miss this moment, Myles said.

Opioid settlement payouts are expected to total about $50 billion over nearly two decades, paid by more than a dozen companies that made or distributed prescription painkillers, including Johnson & Johnson, Walgreens, and Walmart. Although its a large sum, its dwarfed by the size of the crisis, making each dollar thats spent critical.

KFF Health News and its partners reviewed hundreds of settlement spending reports, extracting expenditures line by line, and developed a methodology to sort the expenditures into categories like treatment or prevention. States were given an opportunity to review the data and comment on their spending.

To be sure, the database does not capture the full picture of opioid settlement spending nationwide. Some places do not publish spending reports, while others declined to engage with this project. The data presented here is a snapshot as of the end of 2023 and does not account for further spending in 2024. The differences in how states control, process, and report on the money make apples-to-apples comparisons nearly impossible. Still, the database helps fill a gap left by a lack of national reporting requirements and federal government inaction.

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It is a tool for those who want to objectively measure whether everything that can be done is being done, said Matthew Myers, a former president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which compiles similar annual reports on tobacco settlement money.

Treatment a clear winner

The top priority to emerge from early opioid settlement spending was treatment, with more than $416 million spent or committed to residential rehabs, outpatient counseling, medications for opioid use disorder, and more.

The state of New York  which spent the most on treatment  allocated about $22 million of that for programs that make the gold standard for care as easy as possible for patients: providing same-day prescriptions for buprenorphine, a medication that decreases cravings for opioids.

The result was a program that John Greene said changed his life.

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Greene, 57, used to live in the woods down the street from Family & Childrens Counseling Services in Cortland, New York. He cycled through jails and hospitals, overdosing half a dozen times and trying rehab just as many.

But now he has four months of recovery under his belt  the longest stint since he started regularly using drugs at 14.

John Greene at Family & Childrens Counseling Services in Cortland, New York. Greene is four months into recovery for the first time since he started regularly using drugs at age 14. He credits a new program that the counseling center started with opioid settlement money. (Celia Talbot Tobin for KFF Health News)

He said its because the counseling centers new program  funded by a mix of state and local opioid settlement dollars  has a different approach. Counselors arent didactic and judgmental. They dont force him to stop smoking marijuana. Several staff members have experienced addiction themselves. They drive Greene, who doesnt have a car, to doctor appointments and the pharmacy for his buprenorphine prescription.

Now Greene lives and works with his brother, looks forward to weekly counseling sessions, and is notching small victories  such as buying his nephew toy cars as a stocking stuffer.

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It made me feel good to do something for somebody and not expect nothing back, Greene said.

Emily Georgia, one of Greenes counselors, said the center has worked with nearly 200 people like him in the past year. Without the settlements, the program probably wouldnt exist, she said.

Across the country, the money supports other innovative treatment approaches:

$21 million for a new program in Kentucky that diverts people with mental illness or addiction who face low-level charges away from incarceration and into treatment, education, and workforce training

More than $3 million for, in part, three new mobile methadone programs in Massachusetts, to bring the medication to rural and underserved areas

Tens of thousands of dollars each in Iowa and Pennsylvania to cover out-of-pocket treatment costs for people without insurance or those with high deductibles

Philip Rutherford, an expert on substance use disorder at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, said these efforts are really positive and many have been historically difficult or impossible to achieve with federal or state funding.

But some funds are also flowing to treatment approaches that defy best practices, such as denying people medications for opioid use disorder.

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Some in the recovery community consider methadone and buprenorphine a crutch. But study after study show that the medications help people stay in treatment and reduce the risk of overdose and death. Research even suggests that treatment without these medications can be more harmful than no treatment at all.

Although not everyone will want medication, settlement funds shouldnt prop up a system that doesnt allow people to have that choice, said Regina LaBelle, a professor of addiction policy at Georgetown University.

Babies, forgotten victims of the epidemic

While treatment received a windfall in early opioid settlement spending, another aspect of the crisis was neglected: neonatal abstinence syndrome, a condition in which babies exposed to drugs in the womb experience withdrawal.

Nationwide, more than 59 newborns a day are diagnosed with it. Yet only about $8.4 million in settlement money was committed to the issue  less than 0.5% of all funds publicly reported as spent or committed in 2022 and 2023.

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Experts in public health and addiction, as well as affected families, say its due to stigma.

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A mom using drugs and being a parent is a very uncomfortable reality to face, said Ashley Grant, a 38-year-old mother of three in Mesa, Arizona. Its easier to just push it under the rug or let them fall through the cracks, as sad as that is.

It almost happened to her.

Grant learned she was pregnant with her third child last year. At the time, her partner was in jail and she was using drugs after an eight-year period of recovery, was estranged from her family, and didnt know how shed survive the next nine months.

During a visit to a methadone clinic, she saw a booth about Jacobs Hope, a specialty nursery that cares for substance-exposed newborns and their moms. Nursery staff connected her with a therapist, helped her enroll in parenting classes, and dropped off diapers and a playpen at her home.

Registered nurse Ashley Beikmann checks over an infant who recently arrived at Jacobs Hope, a specialty nursery in Mesa, Arizona, that helps care for substance-exposed newborns and their parents. (Ash Ponders for KFF Health News)

After delivering at the hospital, Grant and her baby boy stayed at Jacobs Hope for about a week. Nurses showed her how skin-to-skin contact calmed his withdrawal symptoms and more frequent feedings and burpings decreased gastrointestinal discomfort, which is common among substance-exposed newborns.

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Today, Grant has roughly five months of recovery. She got certified as a peer recovery specialist and hopes to join Jacobs Hope one day to help moms like her.

But the nurserys future is uncertain.

After opening in 2019, Jacobs Hope nearly shut down this summer due to low reimbursements and delayed payments from insurers, said Lyndsey Steele, its associate director. Community donations kept the nursery afloat, but its still hanging on by a thread, she said.

Shes hoping opioid settlement money can help.

Jo Jones (left) is the founder of Jacobs Hope, a specialty nursery in Mesa, Arizona, that cares for substance-exposed newborns. Lyndsey Steele (right) is the nurserys associate director. (Ash Ponders for KFF Health News)

In 2022, Jacobs Hope received about $250,000 from Arizonas opioid settlements. But this year, the legislature captured the states share of remaining funds and, in a controversial move, gave it to the Department of Corrections.

Jacobs Hope has now turned to local governments, which control their own settlement dollars. Its home city of Mesa said a first round of grant applications should open in the spring.

Steele prays it wont be too late for babies in need  the epidemics forgotten victims, she called them.

A certified nursing assistant comforts an infant who recently arrived at Jacobs Hope, a specialty nursery in Mesa, Arizona, that helps care for substance-exposed newborns and their parents. (Ash Ponders for KFF Health News)

Heart disease screening, robot ambulances, and more

Some opioid settlement expenditures have sparked fierce disagreement. They generally fall into three buckets: money for law enforcement, funding for youth prevention programs, and purchases unrelated to the opioid crisis.

Settlement dollars nationwide have bought body scanners, K-9 units, bulletproof vests, patrol trucks, and laptops and printers for police and sheriffs.

Some spending strayed even further from the spirit of the settlement. In Oregon City, Oregon, more than $30,000 was spent on screening first responders for heart disease. Police Chief Shaun Davis said his staff respond to opioid-related emergencies and experience trauma that increases their risk of heart attack.

But some people question if settlement funds should be footing the bill.

This looks to me like youre trying to defray other costs from the police budget, said Stephen Loyd, chair of Tennessees Opioid Abatement Council. I dont think that theres any way that this opioid money was earmarked for stuff like that.

A second area of contention is youth prevention.

Although most people agree that stopping children from developing addictions is important, the execution is tricky.

Nearly half a million settlement dollars have gone to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, commonly known as D.A.R.E. Decades of research suggest its original curriculum is ineffective.

Robeson County, North Carolina, spent about $10,000 in settlement money to buy Andy the Ambulance, a robot ambulance with big eyes and an audio system through which a human operator can discuss the dangers of drugs. EMS Director Patrick Cummings said his team has taken the robot to churches and elementary schools.

We dont have any studies that show its working, he said, but educating kids seems like a good investment because if they never try it, they dont get addicted.

Then theres the chunk of money  up to 15% of each states funds  thats a free-for-all.

Flint, Michigan, spent nearly $10,000 on a sign for a community service center. The city reported that the expense did not qualify as opioid remediation. In other words, its unrelated to addressing the crisis.

But Caitie ONeill, a city spokesperson, said that the building sign makes it possible for residents to find the center, which houses city services, including Narcan kits, fentanyl testing strips, and substance abuse referrals.

The city of Flint, Michigan, spent nearly $10,000 of settlement funds on a building sign. The city reported it as a non-opioid remediation expense. (Caitie ONeill)

Jurisdictions across 29 states reported non-remediation spending in 2022 and 2023. Most opioid settlements require such reports but operate on an honor system. No one is checking if the other 21 states and Washington, D.C., were truthful.

Jackie Lewis, an Ohio mother whose 34-year-old son, Shaun, died of an overdose in October 2022, finds that hard to stomach.

This is blood money, she said. Some people have lost sight of that.

Lewis is raising Shauns daughter, ensuring the 9-year-old receives counseling at school and can attend the hip-hop music classes she enjoys  all on Lewis Social Security payments. This year they moved to a smaller town with lower costs.

As settlement funds continue flowing, she wants officials in charge of the money to help families like hers.

We still exist and were still struggling, she said.

Jackie Lewis lost her 34-year old son, Shaun, in October 2022 to an opioid overdose. She is raising Shauns daughter, now 9 years old, on her Social Security payments. Lewis wants officials in charge of settlement funds to help families like hers. We still exist and were still struggling, she says. (Maddie McGarvey for KFF Health News)

KFF Health News Henry Larweh and Megan Kalata, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Healths Sara Whaley and Vivian Flanagan, and Shatterproofs Kristen Pendergrass and Sahvanah Prescott contributed to this article.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has taken a leading role in providing guidance to state and local governments on the use of opioid settlement funds. Faculty from the school collaborated with other experts in the field to create principles for using the money, which have been endorsed by over 60 organizations.

Shatterproof is a national nonprofit that addresses substance use disorder through distinct initiatives, including advocating for state and federal policies, ending addiction stigma, and educating communities about the treatment system.

Shatterproof is partnering with some states on projects funded by opioid settlements. KFF Health News, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Shatterproof team who worked on this report are not involved in those efforts.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

Subscribe to KFF Health News free Morning Briefing.

This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Prince William has shared a humorous anecdote about an unusual gift he once gave to his wife, Kate Middleton, early in their relationship. As per Page Six, during an interview, the Prince of Wales revealed that he once presented the Princess of Wales with a pair of binoculars, a gift that has since become a running joke between the couple. "I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once. She's never let me forget that," Prince William said, as per Page Six. "That was early on in the courtship -- I think that sealed the deal." He went on to explain that the gift didn't go over well, adding, "It didn't go well. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars, it seemed like a good idea at the time," as per Page Six. The humorous confession comes from the early days of their relationship, which began when both William and Kate were students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The couple met in 2001 and, after years of dating, married in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. While the binoculars might not have been the perfect gift at the time, they have since become a fond memory for Kate, who William joked "has never let me forget" it. In fact, the royal family has a tradition of exchanging gag gifts during the holidays, as per Page Six. Prince Harry, for example, revealed in his 2023 memoir, Spare, that he once received a fish-shaped ballpoint pen from Princess Margaret, while it's also been reported that Harry gifted Queen Elizabeth II a cheeky shower cap with the words "Ain't life a b--h" on it, as per Page Six. Meanwhile, Kate herself once reportedly gave Harry a playful "grow-your-own-girlfriend" kit. This year, Prince William, Kate, and their three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 spent the festive season at the royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, following the longstanding royal tradition of gathering there for Christmas. Ahead of the holiday, Prince William shared that he would be hosting 45 guests at Sandringham and anticipated a "noisy" celebration. However, one notable absence this year was Prince Harry and his family. Reports from Page Six suggest that Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, did not receive an invitation to the holiday festivities. (ANI)
Dec. 27The nonprofit behind plans to build the Mark Stebbins Community Center on the city's West Side will go before the Manchester Planning Board next week seeking approvals for the project.

The applicant  Mark Stebbins Community Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit  is proposing to construct an approximately 19,800-square-foot multipurpose social services center, two-story community center and corresponding playground and parking lot within a lease area on the Kelly Falls apartment complex property at 315 Kimball St. owned by the Manchester Housing & Redevelopment Authority.

The project appears on the agenda for Thursday's Planning Board meeting (6 p.m., City Hall).

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Once constructed, the building will be home to several nonprofit organizations that will provide social and community services under one roof.

The two-story facility would include spaces for youth and child services, a community center including meeting rooms and a food pantry, and an outpatient health clinic.

Back in May, the New Hampshire Executive Council approved $1 million in funding to help cover costs associated with construction, anticipated to begin in the spring of 2025.

The center, in the planning stages for years, would be named after Mark Stebbins, CEO of the state's largest architectural construction firm, who died in 2021 at 67.

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After several months of reviewing options and exploring possible sites, officials from the Mark Stebbins Community Center (MSCC) and the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority signed a 75-year lease to build and operate the new facility at the Kelley Falls housing community on Kimball Street.

Kelley Falls is a 132-unit low-income apartment complex. Some or all apartments in the complex are rent-subsidized, which means rent is income-based.

The housing authority owns the land and has agreed to lease the land to the community center for what organizers have termed a "nominal amount." The MSCC will raise the funds and build the center.

Organizers say the Boys & Girls Club and Amoskeag Health will provide services for youth and families through the new center. Services will include affordable, walkable child care, after-school care, access to affordable health care, community meeting space and additional support services.

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Nonprofit partners currently involved in the planning are Boys & Girls Club of Manchester, Amoskeag Health and Manchester Housing & Redevelopment Authority.

The 2.5-acre lease area is within a currently vacant portion of the larger, 19.6-acre property. There are 19 multi-family apartment buildings on the site.

pfeely@unionleader.com
Steve Bannon joined the MAGA immigration civil war with gusto on Friday, calling Elon Musk a toddler, and telling the owner of X to bring it.

As Musk doubled down on his support for H-1B work visas and criticism of American workers, Bannon posted on the social media platform Gettr: Someone please notify Child Protective Services need to do a wellness check on this toddler.

The former Trump adviser and War Room podcast host made the post in reaction to Musk telling a critic of his stance on immigration to f*** yourself in the face.

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The reason Im in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B, Musk wrote.

Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot comprehend.

South African-born billionaire Musk and fellow tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have both defended the use of H1-B visas to hire highly skilled workers for Silicon Valley and other key industries.

This clashes with the MAGA rights America First anti-immigration doctrine in what has quickly developed into a schism within the American political right.

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As the war of words spiraled online, Musk endorsed a post calling American workers too re***ded to perform high-skilled tech jobs for which foreign workers were being hired.

ICYMI - Bannon called Elon a toddler over his H-1B Visa war declaration  pic.twitter.com/fRH7HWU1VA  The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) December 28, 2024

Ramaswamy, for his part, blamed U.S. sitcoms for extolling the virtues of the dimmer characters over those with brains, necessitating hiring smarter people from other countries to fulfill tech roles.

If were really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long, Ramaswamy wrote.

He then called for changes in American childrearing: More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers ... more creating, less chillin.

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Musk also declared that hateful, unrepentant racists should be removed from the Republican Party root and stem, calling his critics contemptible fools.

At one point, Musk wrote on X: America rose to greatness over the past 150 years, because it was a meritocracy more than anywhere else on Earth.

He added: I will fight to my last drop of blood to ensure that it remains that land of freedom and opportunity.

Bannon replied on Gettr: Bring.It.DudeAll of It.

Elon Musk and Steve Bannon (Getty/AFP)

In another post, he wrote: American Jobs for American Workers : H1B Visas are a TOOL of the Tech Oligarchs to Keep Wages Down While Destroying the Spirit of American Citizens.

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Bannon further posted: American Citizens Have Never Bent the Kneeto the British Empire, the Bolsheviks, the Nazis Aint About to Start with South Africa.

He went further on Fridays edition of his podcast says tech leader such as Musk were on the spectrum.

The nerds dont take criticism, he said. Theyre kind of, you know, theyre a little bit all on the spectrum, right? They dont know theyre not deep in social skills.

On Thursday, Musk was accused of personally punishing his critics, when proud Islamophobe Laura Loomer and other far-right activists alleged that his X social media platform removed their verification badges and ability to monetize their accounts in an act of retribution.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  $40 million remains in limbo with an end-of-year deadline quickly approaching.

If we go forward after January 1st without this funding, then well have to address how were going to pay for it, said Brian Maughan, District 2 County Commissioner.

Oklahoma County Commissioners Special Meeting courtesy KFOR

Oklahoma County Commissioners and the Oklahoma City City Council met Monday for mediation. However, both parties failed to come to an agreement.

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We are still hopeful. I am at least, that there is some resolve between the city, Maughan said.

RELATED: OKC Council, Oklahoma Count Commissioners set for mediation over proposed jail site

At issue, is a mental health facility commissioners want built next to the proposed site of a new Oklahoma County Detention Center.

Some city council members worry about transporting inmates from the location at Southeast 15th and Grand, to courtrooms downtown.

Maughan said they offered a bus system for possible transportation.

If they didnt want to take it though, you cant force people to get on a bus that they dont want to get on, Maughan said.

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RELATED: On-going jail site battle could cost taxpayers

Part of the funding for the mental health facility includes $40 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The money has to be spent by December 31. That means a final decision on where to build it has to be made in a matter of days.

I talked to the mayor a couple of times yesterday and trying to encourage if there was anything else that could still be worked out, Maughan said.

Community members in Fridays special meeting expressed wanting a mental health facility open to the public, not just inmates.

Instead of building a lockdown mental health facility associated in your jail, turn it to a standalone behavioral health care facility that is open to the community, said Sara Bana from Midwest City Council Ward 5.

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Right now, there is still no resolution on how to spend the funds since nothing was decided in Fridays meeting.

The City of Oklahoma City addressed the jail site issue in a statement.

Though the jail and related structures are Oklahoma County projects, the County filed an application with the City of Oklahoma City seeking the Citys zoning approval. This meant that the City was asked to play a role evaluating the land use and its compatibility with the surrounding area. Those issues were at the center of the recent mediation between the County and the City, which currently stands at an impasse. The primary issue remaining is that the City would like to see the County seriously address transportation for those being released from the facility, since most services are downtown. Addressing transportation upon release would be beneficial to those being released and to those who surround the proposed facility. Oklahoma County is now asking a court to effectively remove our jurisdiction regarding the location of the jail at the selected site and asking the Attorney General to weigh in on the same question. While the City respects the legal process, as long as the City has jurisdiction over the question, we will continue to fulfill our obligation and ask that the release and transportation issues be addressed. City of Oklahoma City

Oklahoma County Commissioners sued Oklahoma City in June for denying the countys request to build both a jail and health center on the land.

Next steps with the lawsuit against the city include a pre-trial conference scheduled for January 23.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Manesh Patel, who helps run his familys business of Owensboro convenience stores and a liquor store, said the family regularly does fundraisers through its businesses for local organizations.

We continue to do fundraising every month, Patel said Thursday.

Some of local organizations the family has supported through its businesses include the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club, the Humane Society and Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky.

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Last week, the family presented a check for more than $20,000 to the Owensboro Health Foundation to support people receiving treatment at the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

The family raised funds by donating 10 cents for every gallon of gas sold at Take 10 Market on Hayden Road, beginning on October 1 and running through mid-November. By the time the event ended, the family had raised $22,000 for the OH Foundation.

Patel said when the family was approached by Owensboro Health about the possibility of doing a fundraiser, me, my brother, my son and my nephew decided, Hey, lets go,  Patel said.

Chad Hart, president of the Owensboro Health Foundation, said the campaign at Take 10 was part of a larger fundraising effort that began last month, when the foundation hosted the Give Cancer the Boot concert November 16 at Grand Stable Venue in Philpot.

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The event, which featured a concert by county music artist Cam Thompson, raised $52,000. With the Patels contribution, the Foundation raised $74,000 for patients at Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

The event started with an idea from the Thompson family, Hart said. Thompsons mother had undergone cancer treatment at the center.

They had an exceptional experience at the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center, Hart said, and the family wanted to do something to help others undergoing treatment.

Hart said 100% of the funds raised will go to support patients at the cancer center.

The total amount raised through the event was above and beyond our expectations, Hart said.

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They are very charitable people, Hart said of the Patel family. Myself, Owensboro Health and Owensboro Health Foundation are super-appreciative that there are organizations that have supported us over the years. But the Take 10 donation is going to help people who are really struggling with cancer.

Patel said the family businesses, with include the Eagles convenience stores and Barrel Heads Liquor Mart, as well as Take 10, get requests to hold fundraisers for nonprofit groups. The family vets organizations before hosting a fundraiser, he said.

We want to go with legitimate organizations, Patel said.

Regarding Owensboro Health, Patel said, We have lots of customers from (OH) because our store is so close to the hospital.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  A Portsmouth family is counting their blessings after a stray bullet pierced their apartment just feet away from their child narrowly avoiding tragedy Dec. 23  the day before Christmas Eve.

The incident occurred at the Westwinds Apartments, a complex where residents say gun violence has become an all-too-frequent concern. The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, described the harrowing experience of hearing gunshots while inside her home.

Well, at first I just heard the gunshots and I was trying to process whats happening. And my husband kneeled to get down And then I heard glass shatter. But I wasnt sure what that was at first. And then my husband told me to come get the baby, and thats when I saw it.

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The bullet shattered a window, waking the familys baby from sleep. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the close call left the parents shaken.

The family reported the incident to apartment management, who apologized and promised to repair the window but offered little reassurance about safety.

The Westwinds complex is less than two minutes from the site of another violent crime earlier this year, where a body was found burned in a dumpster in a church parking lot.

Previous Coverage: Police ID body found in burned Portsmouth dumpster

Many residents are calling for increased police patrols and improved security measures.

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Portsmouth police confirmed they are aware of the gunfire at Westwinds Apartments. Attempts to reach apartment management were unsuccessful, with calls left on hold or disconnected.

For now, the family involved is grateful they escaped unharmed. Still, they and others in the neighborhood are left wondering how long it will be before someone is seriously hurt.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
At Edmond Public Schools Frontier Elementary, fourth-grader Kellen Hedler is thriving.

Kellen is an active participant in the classs daily routines. He raises his hand to correctly answer a question as his teacher goes over a worksheet in the morning. He exercises on a snowboard machine and reads a prompt out loud during Action Based Learning time. During small group time, he works with a tactile aid called a number line to work through subtraction problems.

Kellen has Down syndrome, but spends more than 80% of his day with his peers. He receives specialized instruction the rest of his day.

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His mom, Kristy Hedler, said while he was physically included in the general education classroom at his previous school, Kellen wasnt being meaningfully included. She said he didnt have the supports he needed to succeed. Since changing schools two years ago, shes seen a night and day difference.

The reading has just exploded, Kristy said. We went from, at his previous school, working on letter ID and some basic letter sounds to him now reading at a second-grade level.

At the beginning of the day, students complete pre-work. Kellen Hedler adds his pre-work booklet to the pile as they prepare to go to their first class.

Thats a credit, Kristy said, to Frontiers teachers, staff and administration. Kellen is paired with an assistant who keeps him on-task in class. His special education team gives him targeted instruction and meets with his parents regularly. His teachers also modify their lessons to make them accessible  like having Kellen use a color code for labeling maps instead of requiring him to write in the names.

Kellens homeroom teacher, Adam Frederick, said having a fully inclusive classroom has changed the way he thinks about delivering lessons.

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I do have students who are still doing addition with finger counting, yet Im trying to teach multiplication, Frederick said. So that gives me the opportunity to try to teach multiplication through addition for those students. And it gives our students who are on-level or above-level another strategy.

Frederick has been teaching for eight years. He said when he got his bachelors degree, he does not remember having any designated courses on teaching special education students as a general education teacher.

Adam Frederick, Kellen Hedler's fourth-grade teacher, works to include accommodations into his classroom for everyone. One of these is through flexible seating, where students get to pick where they want to sit for the day based on what their needs are.

They have you differentiate lessons for assignments, Frederick said. And then, when youre in it, you feel very underprepared. Because its a real situation, youre dealing with real people. You dont want to mess it up.

More students with disabilities than ever before are spending at least 80% of their school day in general education classrooms. Federal data show that share of students has more than doubled in the last 35 years.

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But how are teacher prep programs at universities changing to meet the needs of more inclusive classrooms?

Overhauls on college courses

The 10 largest universities in the country have a patchwork of special education requirements for future teachers.

At Texas A&M, one designated course is required. But Suzanne Bettencourt, assistant director for educator preparation programs and certification, said the university has updated its curriculum to infuse inclusive practices into general education courses  such as emphasizing universal design for learning in reading and language arts instruction.

The University of Minnesota requires a fifth-year masters degree to get a teaching license. It includes three special education courses with a semester-long practicum in an elementary classroom with students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provides federal guidelines for schools covering students with disabilities.

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In Oklahoma, the states two largest universities have made changes to adapt their coursework.

Corey Peltier teaches special education at the University of Oklahoma. He said in the past, OUs single required special education course for education majors was set up in a disability of the week survey format. Students would learn about different disabilities in a theoretical manner, but little of the coursework allowed students to apply their learning. But recently, that course saw an overhaul.

The new coursework focuses on federal education policy, equipping teachers to become active members of IEP teams  the group of school staff and parents who collaborate to format and update a student with disabilitys Individualized Education Program  and multitiered systems of supports, which are models to catch students and intervene to prevent them from sliding academically or behaviorally.

Students are also taught how to plan instruction and build learning environments to best support a classroom with diverse learning styles. He said students write lesson plans to practice laying out modifications for students with disabilities. And, at the end of the semester, students write a final project paper on their philosophy toward inclusion.

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But you can imagine, thats one course, Peltier said. There's only so much depth you can get within one course.

He said conversations have begun about modifying other courses to infuse special education practices. While the degree requirement for a single special education course will likely remain, he wants to ensure the concepts learned in that class will continue throughout students degrees.

If we want to model practicing general and special education teachers [collaborating] in schools, we need to make sure were modeling that in higher ed, as well, Peltier said.

Oklahoma State University also requires one special education course for elementary and secondary education majors.

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Candace Schell teaches special education at OSU. She said the department looked at first-year teacher surveys and saw significant struggles in new teachers knowing how to teach students with disabilities. The disability of the week format, she said, was outdated.

We saw a necessity, Schell said. So that did require the revamp, and that did require us to really look at, What do gen ed teachers need to know from Day One when they get out in there?

Now, the course emphasizes universal design for learning in three areas: multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression.

For engagement, pre-service teachers are prepped to motivate learners and sustain their interest. For representation, they are taught how to offer information in multiple formats, like written, verbal and visual. For action and expression, they learn how to provide different avenues for students to display their understanding of concepts.

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Schell said universal design means lessons are prepared for all learners  rather than separate treatment for neurotypical students or students with disabilities.

Were giving everyone an accommodation to learn  not just the kids that are federally mandated to have those accommodations, Schell said. Because theres more than just kids in special education that need assistance in the general education setting.

Schell says, while the course has improved, its still only one class. The college added a special education minor to its elementary program  one theyre beefing up over the next couple of years in hopes of offering a degree with more coursework and fieldwork in special education.

One like the Elementary Education Unified degree at the University of Kansas.

University of Kansas Special Education Department Chair Jennifer Kurth specializes in studying meaningful inclusion for students with "low-incidence" disabilities. She said research shows inclusion is beneficial for those students, as well as their neurotypical peers.

All students are general education students

While KU still offers a Bachelor of Science in elementary education that requires two special education courses, it recently debuted its unified degree and graduated its first cohort in May. The unified degree requires eight more special education courses and more fieldwork, and it is geared toward students who want to serve in either general or special education classrooms.

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Jennifer Kurth chairs the Department of Special Education at KU. She said the degree program was created to ensure its graduates were prepared to teach every student. It requires a paradigm shift, she said, to a philosophy that all students are general education students.

And if you leave a unified program knowing how to teach all students, you know how to individualize instruction; you know how to collaborate with people across disciplines; you know how to understand students, IEPs and understand the general education curriculum, Kurth said. Youre just going to be a more confident and more capable teacher.

Unified programs are flourishing in Kansas  not just at KU. Wichita State, Pittsburg State and Fort Hays State universities also offer them. The University of Northern Iowa debuted a unified degree in early childhood education last year.

Robust teacher prep programs arent a silver bullet. For children with disabilities to benefit from these new programs, college students have to choose to enroll in them over traditional education pathways. Kurth said its too early to say if the department would switch to a unified-only education program. But its a possibility.

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I could honestly see a time in the near future where we do only have a unified program, because I think it has been really well-received, Kurth said. Were maybe just a little cautious in trying to do too many big changes at once.

Special education course SPED 326 is the one that all education majors  elementary, secondary, music and elementary unified  share.

On the day StateImpact visited, the lecture was on advocating for students with disabilities, such as getting a seat at the table when planning IEPs or standing up for students against segregational practices. Assistant professor Lisa Didion co-teaches the course.

When we think about students with disabilities, I want you to think about them as all of our students, Didion told the class. All of the students in the building belong to us, and we all have ownership in getting those students where they need to go to be successful.

University of Kansas professor Lisa Didion teaches education majors about the timeline of major legal milestones for students with disabilities.

At the end of the class, Didion made a pitch for students to join the unified degree program. Benjamin Erickson is a junior majoring in elementary education, and hes considering switching to the unified program. He said as someone with disabilities, its important to him to be part of a better system.

Knowing that about kids who are coming into my classroom and learning how to support them is really important, Erickson said. But also, when you have an inclusive classroom and you make sure that everybody feels supported and everybody has what they need, everybody is able to succeed.

Contributing: NPR education reporter Jonaki Mehta

StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahomas public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma teacher programs changing to make classrooms more inclusive
DUBAI (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed the head of police intelligence in Iran's southern port city of Bandar Lengeh on Saturday, Iranian state media reported.

The unidentified bomber was also killed and another police officer was injured in the attack outside a police headquarters in the Gulf port city, the media reports said.

The attack came days ahead of the anniversary of two suicide bombings on Jan. 3 in which nearly 100 people were killed at a memorial in southeastern Iran for top commander Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in Iraq in 2020 by a U.S. drone. Islamic State claimed those two suicide bombings.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Editors Note: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters.

In the US: Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Globally: The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world.

For many people, celebrating New Years Day can include reflecting on a life well lived or a chance to start anew. But for some, the holiday may have dark undertones, according to a recent large study.

More than 700,000 deaths by suicide were reported globally in 2019, accounting for roughly 1.3% of deaths that year, according to the World Health Organization. The study authors, consequently, wanted to better understand how the risk for suicide may vary depending on the day of the week or holidays. Multiple studies have assessed these relationships in the past, but findings were mixed or limited in geographical scope, the authors said  so they analyzed more than 1.7 million suicides in 740 locations in 26 countries that occurred from 1971 to 2019.

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We found that Mondays and New Years Day were associated with a higher risk of suicide in most countries, said Dr. Yoonhee Kim, lead author of the study published October 23 in the journal The BMJ, in a news release. Mondays accounted for about 15% to 18% of suicides, the report found. However, the risk on Christmas was generally less pronounced and varied across regions, he added.

Other national holidays, aside from New Years Day and Christmas, were generally linked to a lower risk of suicide, said Kim, an associate professor of global environmental health at the University of Tokyo, but that wasnt the case for Central and South American countries. Additionally, men had a more pronounced risk of suicide on New Years Day.

Overall suicide rates were highest in South Korea, Japan, South Africa and Estonia, and lowest in the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and Paraguay, the authors found.

On weekends, suicide risk was lowest in many countries in North America, Asia and Europe, but highest in Finland, South Africa, and Central and South American countries.

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Experts not involved in the research said although the study does add to important conversations about suicide prevention, the findings point to just a couple of many factors that form the large web of what contributes to suicide risk. Below, experts contextualize the findings and share how you can cope or support someone else.

Potential links between holidays and suicide

The holidays can bring up several ideas about what ones life should look like as well as increased stress, substance use and painful memories, said Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, who wasnt involved in the study.

Any increases on New Years Day and Mondays may also be due to the broken-promise effect theory, the authors wrote, which posits that people may postpone suicide attempts until after the holidays, then be prone to suicidal reactions when they encounter a sense of hopelessness from a new cycle.

However, the study has several shortcomings and caveats, limiting how universal or practical the conclusions are, some experts said.

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For one, the research combines multiple holidays and data sources, but these sources arent all equal, Harkavy-Friedman said  some countries have 20 to 40 years worth of data, while the findings for the United States, for example, are based on data from 2001 to 2006. That disparity is because, due to privacy concerns, the US National Center for Health Statistics has discontinued providing the date of death on its public mortality documents since the 2010s, according to the study.

Secondly, the researchers focused on relative risk of suicide by, for instance, looking at New Years Day relative to the two days before and the three days after the holiday, Harkavy-Friedman said. That risk analysis is not as reliable or significant in size as absolute risk, she added, which would be based on a review of daily suicides throughout the whole year, and therefore paint a truer, more comprehensive picture.

The study also lacks sufficient data for rural areas, which are known to have higher rates of reported suicides, the authors said.

While its important to look at national rates and to have a national strategy for suicide prevention, when youre looking at actually preventing suicide, you have to look at the smaller units of the communities, because different communities need different things, Harkavy-Friedman said.

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The results may also reflect the known tendency for many people to feel generally less upbeat during the winter months due to seasonal affective disorder, said Dr. Dan Romer, psychologist and research director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, via email. Romer wasnt involved in the study.

Knowing these details about New Years Day and Mondays may be more helpful for public health officials  especially those working helplines  than for individuals in need of care or those wanting to help them, said Dr. Ken Duckworth, chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and author of You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health  With Advice From Experts and Wisdom From Real People and Families.

Duckworth wasnt involved in the research.

How to cope or support someone else

If youre feeling suicidal this holiday season, you may have a mental health condition that needs self-care and professional help, Harkavy-Friedman said. Social support is important, especially for combating loneliness, but avoid spending time with people who make you feel worse, she recommended. Also ensure you get enough sleep, hydrate, feed yourself nutritious food, refrain from substance use and keep your body moving.

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You can also call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time of day to receive free and confidential support during a crisis or assistance in finding professional help, Duckworth said. Support groups can be useful and comforting as well.

Having a religious faith, spirituality or strong sense of purpose in life can provide hope and resilience, said Dr. Urszula Klich, an Atlanta-based health psychologist and president of the Southeast Biofeedback and Clinical Neuroscience Association. Klich wasnt involved in the study.

If youre worried about someone, take action, Harkavy-Friedman said. Dont wait for things like holidays or birthdays or special occasions  check in right away.  Its really about learning suicide risk factors, warning signs and finding out  how theyre doing and if there are any changes in their thoughts and feelings around the holidays.

Some of those risk factors and signs include the following:

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Comments about wanting to die  by suicide or otherwise  or lacking reasons to live

Extreme mood swings

Substance abuse

Mental disorders such as depression or anxiety, schizophrenia, and personality disorders, especially when untreated

Familial or personal history of suicide

Job or financial loss

Relationship problems or loss

Loss of interest in activities or school

Prolonged stress from other causes

Easy access to potentially fatal means

Insufficient social support or sense of isolation

However, not every person considering suicide exhibits these signs.

Talking openly about suicide does not plant the idea, Klich said. Instead, it opens the door to a conversation that can prevent a tragedy.

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President-elect Trumps administration has promised a fresh approach to internet bans, government spending, border security and immigration policies, warranting each topic a top spot on the Republican list of priorities for the 119th Congress. All four of these topics will likely be discussed on this weeks Sunday talk shows.

The incoming president recently urged the Supreme Court to delay a ruling to save TikTok from a ban slated ahead of his administration. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has been critical of lawmakers divest-or-ban pressure on the China-based parent company in a crossfire argument of First Amendment freedoms.

The California representative will likely share his opinion on the swiftly impending case during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Khanna may also hint at comments regarding Silicon Valley CEOs eruption of outrage as Trump floated H-1B visa discussions after appointing Sriram Krishnan to be a White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence.

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The circumstances have propelled foreign affairs to the center of political discussion amid global conflicts including Russias war in Ukraine.

Incoming House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) has discouraged the continual flow of U.S. funds to the Eastern European nation and holds tight to homeland rule. The veteran will appear on Sunday Morning Futures and likely outline his committees direction for the new year.

Outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is set to appear on ABCs This Week and may address his concerns with Georgias democratic institutions. He advocated for the U.S. to impose sanctions on former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and condemned the leader alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Heres the full list of appearances on this weeks Sunday talk shows:

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NewsNations The Hill Sunday: Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.); Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.); Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer (R); Frederick Hess, Senior Fellow and Director, Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

ABCs This Week: Sen. Ben Cardin, (D-Md).; Rep. Mike Lawler, (R-N.Y.)

CNNs State of the Union: Sen. Andy Kim, (D-N.J.); Gov. Chris Sununu, (R-N.H.)

CBS Face the Nation: David Rubenstein, co-chairman of The Carlyle Group; Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore health commissioner; Aditya Bhave, managing director of Bank of America Global Research.

Fox News Sunday: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.); Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-Calif.)

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FOXs Sunday Morning Futures: Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.); Rep. James Comer (R-Ky); Alina Habba, Incoming Counselor to President-elect Trump; Robert OBrien, Former National Security Adviser

NBCs Meet the Press: Rebroadcasts of previously aired interviews.

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Strawberry, a profitable cash crop traditionally grown in winter, is making strides in Tripura's agricultural landscape. With its favourable winter climate and growing local demand, the State Horticulture Research Station in Nagicherra has undertaken experimental cultivation of the crop in both open fields and naturally ventilated playhouses for the first time this year. Strawberries are widely cultivated in regions like Mahabaleshwar, Nainital, Bangalore, and Kalimpong in India. Inspired by this success, Tripura is now tapping into its potential to grow this high-demand fruit. The experimental project aims to extend the crop's yield period, allowing farmers to benefit from longer harvesting times and improved financial returns. The project utilizes four improved strawberry varieties--Festival, Winterdon, Ileana, and Formuna. These varieties, grown from tissue-culture-produced seedlings sourced from Pune, were planted on November 13 and 14. A total of 900 plants were cultivated in the playhouse, and 304 plants were planted in open fields. Over the past 40 days, the plants have been carefully monitored and cared for, with growth and flowering showing promising results. Experts predict that the yield will meet expectations, providing a significant boost to the state's agricultural economy. This initiative not only highlights Tripura's potential for diversifying its agricultural produce but also offers a model for other farmers to adopt strawberry cultivation as a means of enhancing their livelihoods. The extended harvest period expected from this experiment could further strengthen the state's position in the growing strawberry market. Sagarika Bhattacharjee, Assistant Director of the State Horticulture Research Center, Agartala, told ANI, "The Horticulture Research Station here is where I have been working for the past three years. Every year, we cultivate different varieties of strawberry plants. The tissue culture plants we are importing are from Pune, and we observed that the winter variety produces very well. For the climate and soil of Tripura, this is the first time we are starting to use naturally ventilated playhouses as protected structures" "This year, we are cultivating in ventilated poly houses because these structures maintain a controlled temperature, which takes about three months for strawberry plants to fruit. After three months, the production is typically over. However, by using these protected structures, we can extend the production period. We plan to complete the process by February, as the temperature rises after that," Bhattacharjee added. She also spoke about the challenges of the rain for the strawberry production. "With the use of our protective structures, we can extend the strawberry production period to three to five months. The only challenge might be the rain, which can cause some difficulties. I would advise the farmers of Tripura that this method is very profitable, as both the temperature and soil conditions here are very favourable for strawberry cultivation," Bhattacharjee further mentioned. (ANI)
BARNWELL, S.C. (WJBF)  An arrest has been made in an October 2023 Murder of a woman on Quail Road in Barnwell.

Tyren Dickson of Columbia, South Carolina, has been arrested and charged with Murder, Attempted Murder and Possession of A Weapon During a Violent Crime.

His bond has since been denied.

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A man accused of being involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed a Vietnam War veteran in Santa Monica is now in custody, authorities said.

Rod Sharif, 30, was arrested Friday at his Santa Monica Canyon home five days after the collision, which took place at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Chelsea Avenue, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. He was booked on suspicion of murder and felony hit-and-run, police said.

The victim was walking in a crosswalk on Wilshire Boulevard around 6:40 p.m. Sunday when she was struck by a white Toyota RAV4 and sent flying several feet into the air, according to a video and information shared by Santa Monica police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Her name has not been publicly released. Authorities identified her only as a Santa Monica resident and a Vietnam War veteran.

Witnesses saw a vehicle speeding away from the collision, prompting police to launch a multiday search and enlist the public's help in identifying the driver. Traffic investigators identified Sharif and on Friday served search and arrest warrants at his home, police said.

Police said they recovered several pieces of evidence from his residence, including a white Toyota RAV4 with significant front-end damage.

Sharif has previously been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and reckless driving, according to authorities.

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A toddler and woman are dead after a car driving the wrong direction on Interstate 182 slammed head on into the car they were riding in Friday evening, according to the Washington State Patrol.

A 6-year-old boy and the driver of the car that was hit survived, but the boy was has been declared brain dead, WSP Trooper Sarah Clasen told the Tri-City Herald Saturday.

Charges against Zachary N. Schwartz, 37, of Yakima, are pending after he drove eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-182 in Pasco.

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Clasen said Schwartz is still at Kadlec as of Saturday afternoon, recovering from surgery for a broken arm. He will be arrested and booked into the Benton County Jail on suspicion of two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of driving under the influence once he is released from the hospital.

Clasen expects a third vehicular homicide charge to be added once the 6-year-old is removed from life support.

Schwartzs black Ford Mustang hit a gray Honda Civic driven by Rodrigo Torres-Gonzalez, 42, of Pasco, between North Fourth Avenue and Highway 395 about 5:30 p.m. according to WSP.

Two of the passengers in the Honda, Guadalupe Vergara Gonzalez, 39, of Pasco, and a boy who would have turned 2 in two months, died before they could be taken to a hospital.

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The 6 year old in the Honda was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, and its driver, Torres-Gonzalez, was taken to Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco.

Everyone involved was wearing seat belts or in car seats, according to WSP.

The westbound lanes of the interstate were blocked and traffic was diverted onto southbound Highway 397 until the interstate reopened at about 10:45 p.m., according to the Washington state Department of Transportation.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AP) 

Burial associations in Sweden are looking to acquire enough land for something they hope they'll never have to do: bury thousands of people in the event of war.

The search follows recommendations from the Church of Swedens national secretariat, which reflect crisis preparedness guidelines from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and the Swedish Armed Forces.

The preparedness guidelines have been put in a new light by Sweden's decision to join NATO and tensions with Russia in the Baltic Sea region.

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According to the Church of Sweden provisions, supported by legal paragraphs in Swedens Burial Act, burial associations are responsible for ensuring the availability of enough land to bury roughly 5 percent of the population within a parish, if needed.

The Goteborg Burial Association, which operates in Swedens second-largest city, is currently trying to navigate the challenge of acquiring at least 10 acres (40,470 square meters) of land to ensure it can handle urgent casket burials for some 30,000 dead in case of war. That is in addition to another 15 acres (60,700 square meters) of land needed for building graveyards for regular use in Goteborg.

The (recommendations) mean that we need more land for burial grounds and this is a phenomenon in the big cities, and a problem in the big cities, where land resources are scarce to begin with and not always sufficient to meet burial ground needs even in times of calm and peace, said Katarina Evenseth, senior advisor at the Goteborg Burial Association.

Together with the local municipality, which has a monopoly in making decisions about land usage in Goteborg, the burial association has identified a vast area appropriate for building a large-scale cemetery for the intended purpose.

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But a lengthy approval and building process means it could take approximately 10 years to complete, posing further challenges in uncertain times.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) continues to stress the importance of crisis preparedness and highlights the efforts of the Church of Sweden.

Already back in 2015 the Government assigned various authorities to once again start engaging in civil defense planning, and many organizations have started planning, with the Church of Sweden being at the forefront of that planning, said Jan-Olof Olsson, Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) expert at MSB.

Unfortunately it is the case that we are reminded to a greater degree that war could happen and that we simply need to be prepared for that, Olsson said.

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Sweden pursued a policy of neutrality from the early 19th Century, including during World War II.

But public opinion shifted sharply in 2022 after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leading to Sweden and Finland applying to join the transatlantic alliance out of concern about the threat from their newly aggressive Russian neighbor across the Baltic Sea.

Sweden and Finland sent out updated civil preparedness guides in November with instructions on how to survive in war. The guides are similar to those in Denmark and Norway, though they don't mention Russia by name.
(Reuters) - The newly appointed head of intelligence services in Syria said the country's security institution will be restructured after all current security entities are dissolved, the state news agency reported on Saturday.

(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Tahlequah, an orca who carried around the body of her dead calf for more than two weeks in what experts called a show of grief, has given birth again.

One of the Southern Resident orcas of the Pacific Northwest, Tahlequah made headlines around the world in 2018 when she swam with her deceased offsprings body on her head for 17 days in what many saw as a heartbreaking spectacle. The infant female had died within a half hour of birth, and her mother swam with the body for an estimated 1,000 miles.

Around two years later, the killer whale mother gave birth to a healthy and playful male calf.

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However, researchers are worried about the health of her latest offspring. On Christmas Eve, the Center for Whale Research confirmed on social media that a new female calf spotted with Tahlequahs pod in the Puget Sound area was hers.

The Washington state nonprofit said that a research team that included multiple experienced killer whale researchers has expressed concern about the calfs health based on the behavior of both the calf and her mother. However, the center expressed hope for the young animal, noting that Tahlequah is an experienced mother.

Tahlequah is known to researchers as J35, indicating her status as a member of a pod of orcas designated J Pod. Her new calf has been dubbed J61. The mother became widely known as Tahlequah after she was given the name by the Whale Museum in Washington state through its adopt an orca program.

Prior to her calf dying in 2018, Tahlequah gave birth in 2010 to a surviving male calf, J47. According to the nonprofit Orca Conservancy, the calf she had in 2020, called J57, is often seen playing with his older brother.

Related...
The Biden administration has been blocked from getting rid of any border wall materials over the next 30 days, passing the materials on for President-elect Trump to use as he chooses, according to a press release from the Texas attorney general office.

We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in the release issued Friday.

This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nations border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trumps immigration agenda, he added in the release.

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The order followed a hearing requested by Paxton over reports that the Biden administration was selling parts of the border wall. Last week, Trump asked a court in the Southern District of Texas to intervene in alleged sales of border wall materials, accusing the Biden administration of selling off the materials after it was required to do so by Congress.

According to the release, Texas is also entitled to documentation that proves that the Biden administration has not disposed of border wall materials, which would violate an injunction from Paxton earlier this year that required the Biden Administration to spend statutorily obligated funds on building the wall.

If it is shown that the Biden Administration disposed of border wall materials purchased with funds subject to that injunction in violation of a court orderor that the Department of Justice made misrepresentations regarding the border materials that have been auctioned offthis would constitute unethical and sanctionable conduct, and the responsible parties could be held in contempt of court, the release read.

Trump has repeatedly vowed to crack down on immigration, suggesting he wants to completely reshape the nations immigration laws starting Jan. 20, the day he officially takes office. In an interview earlier this month, he signaled that he intends to push for mass deportations and an end to birthright citizenship.

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Within weeks of his presidential victory, Trump also announced several appointments on immigration that reinforce those intentions.

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A man from Texas is accused of vandalizing Leavenworths Gazebo Park.

On Friday, the Chelan County Sheriffs Office sent out a picture of Zachary Soltis, a Texas man accused of vandalizing Leavenworths Gazebo Park, saying they have probable cause to arrest him for the crime.

Solis is accused of driving a truck through the park over the weekend, causing excessive damage, and then driving away.

There is a video of the incident circulating on Facebook that has thousands of views. It shows a large Toyota truck doing donuts and kicking up mud and dirt in the park. The driver of the truck also got close to two people, nearly kicking up mud onto them and forcing them to run from the moving vehicle.

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The damage was so extensive that the city had to shut it down temporarily.

Thanks to the Patrol Deputies tireless efforts, and with help from our citizens and visitors, the suspect has been identified, the Chelan County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

The department is currently working with the Chelan County Prosecuting Attorneys Office to file charges against him.




Kullu police said that a rescue operation was launched on December 27 after about 1,000 vehicles got stranded in Solang Nala.

https://x.com/PoliceKullu/status/1872682278217990521

"Due to fresh snowfall today on 27.12.2024, about 1000 tourists and other vehicles were stuck in Solang Nala. There were about 5000 tourists in these vehicles. The vehicles and tourists have been rescued by Kullu Police and taken to safe places. The rescue operation is still going on," Kullu police said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall and cold waves will continue to grip Himachal Pradesh, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday.

The IMD issued an orange alert for snowfall and cold waves in the state for December 27 and 28.

Himachal Pradesh has witnessed heavy rainfall and snowfall across six districts, including Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, and Kinnaur.

From December 29 onwards, a renewed cold wave is expected to impact the plains, including Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Una districts. These areas, along with Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba, are likely to remain under severe cold conditions until January 1.

Dense fog is also expected in isolated locations on January 1, which could further reduce visibility and worsen travel conditions.

Shimla city recorded a temperature of around 5C on Friday, with a slight rise expected on December 28. However, after December 29, a significant drop in minimum temperatures is likely.

The IMD has advised residents and travellers to remain cautious and take necessary precautions, especially in snow-affected regions, where road blockages and disruptions are expected.

With heavy snowfall and severe cold conditions intensifying, the state is bracing for a challenging weather phase in the coming days. (ANI)
LONDON (AP)  Travelers flying to or from the U.K. faced further disruptions Saturday as thick fog and low visibility restricted air traffic on one of the year's busiest weekends.

Gatwick Airport in London warned that some flights may be delayed throughout Saturday and apologized for the inconvenience. Flights were delayed by up to three hours late Friday because of poor weather conditions, and at least 40 flights from the airport, mostly short-haul to Europe, were delayed Saturday morning.

Heathrow Airport, one of Europe's busiest, advised passengers to check with their airlines regarding potential delays. Disruptions were also reported at other U.K. airports including Stansted Airport in London and Manchester Airport.

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The U.K.'s weather forecasters, the Met Office, said thick fog patches could reduce visibility to just 100 meters (328 feet) in some areas across the country. It said travelers should allow a little bit longer for journeys and warned drivers to be extra careful.

Kiera Quayle and her husband, who were visiting family for Christmas on the Isle of Man, were among many affected. Their return flight to London was delayed by hours and then canceled late Friday.

Its frustrating and stressful but I overheard a few families who are now missing holidays and work who have it worse at this point," she said.

Conditions are expected to improve Sunday, the Met Office said.

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The country's main air traffic control organization said the restrictions would remain in place in areas with low visibility.

Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety," it said. Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimize disruption.

The restrictions came at a busy time of year when many people travel following the Christmas holiday and ahead of the New Year.
Thousands of Georgians demonstrated in Tbilisi on Saturday, calling for the release of imprisoned protesters and denouncing the country's government as illegitimate ahead of a contested presidential inauguration.

According to media reports, a human chain stretched through the entire capital before protesters gathered in front of the parliament building in the capital.

The rally was initially peaceful, with protests also recorded in other cities.

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The inauguration of the disputed new president of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, is set for Sunday despite weeks of protests.

The outgoing pro-Western head of state, Salome Zourabichvili, plans to prevent his inauguration as she does not recognize Kavelashvili's legitimacy.

Zurabishvili called on her supporters to gather in front of the presidential palace on Sunday.

"I am waiting for you in front of the Orbeliani Palace," she was quoted as saying by the NewsGeorgia agency. She said she would then decide with her supporters how to proceed over the next few days.

For weeks, thousands of people have been demonstrating daily in Georgia for a return to the country's pro-EU policies and for a re-run of October's parliamentary election, which saw the nationalist ruling Georgian Dream party declare itself the winner.

Protesters fear the party is too close to Russia and will bring the country further into Moscow's orbit, decades after it won independence from the Soviet Union.
Thousands of military personnel are having to claim benefits because of their low pay, damning new statistics reveal.

Official figures show that there are 4,500 people who are currently serving in the Armed Forces and are also on Universal Credit.

Meanwhile the number of veterans who are claiming the handout soared to 65,000 in the month before the election was held.

Labour said the statistics showed previous Tory governments had eroded this nations moral contract with defence personnel and veterans.

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It comes after the Government announced that it will change eligibility rules so that all veterans can get access to social housing.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, also handed soldiers their biggest pay rise in 22 years just after the election, increasing salaries by 6 per cent.

The Government is focusing its attention on the Armed Forces, with Rachel Reeves handing soldiers their largest pay rise in 22 years - Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

A Labour spokesman said: Our brave veterans should be able to celebrate this festive period with loved ones, not struggling to make ends meet.

This Labour Government is hugely proud of our Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families.

We will ensure that veterans have the security they deserve, with a roof over their head.

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The Ministry of Defence first started collecting data just over two years ago on serving personnel and veterans who are claiming benefits.

The latest statistics show that, as of June, there were 4,500 serving personnel and 65,000 veterans who are on Universal Credit.

That compares with 3,000 serving personnel and 39,000 veterans who were registered as claiming the benefit in July 2022.

Labour analysis found that over the past two years the Tories oversaw a 50 per cent increase in serving personnel and a 65 per cent rise in veterans on welfare.

But ministers cautioned that the nature of the figures made such comparisons difficult.

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The statistics are being compiled as and when soldiers and veterans declare themselves to be on benefits, meaning the numbers are expected to grow.

Sir Stephen Timms, the welfare minister, said: It should be noted that Armed Forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans Affairs.

Increases in the numbers of claimants with a recorded status of currently serving or served in the past do not necessarily mean the overall numbers of claimants who are currently serving or have served in the past have increased, and may reflect increases in the number of claimants for whom data is held as data coverage improves over time.

Sir Stephen Timms says the figures may not portray an increase in veterans on benefits, but an improvement in data coverage - House of Commons/PA Wire

Labour ministers have announced that they are going to move veterans to the front of social housing queues by exempting them from local connection tests.

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Councils use the tests, which are based on how long a person has lived or worked in the area, when they are deciding who to allocate council houses to.

Under the changes veterans, who are already supposed to get priority treatment, will be exempted from the tests.

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Three Ohio moms want to continue working as their developmentally disabled children's paid caregivers.

They allege in a complaint that a rule adopted by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities earlier this year unlawfully requires them to instead search for and accept replacement caregivers who they are not comfortable caring for their vulnerable kids.

Three parents  Theresa Grant of Delaware County, Brittney Seymour of Fairfield County and Lindsey Sodano of Warren County  and Sodano's daughter filed the complaint in the Ohio Supreme Court earlier this month.

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A spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities said they were aware of the complaint but could not discuss pending litigation.

All three mothers currently are or previously were paid through Medicaid to care for their children. But the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities instituted a rule in January that requires parent caregivers every four to six months to search for another provider and accept someone if the county board deems them "willing and able."

The parents allege this rule being enforced by the department is illegal because it is not in the Ohio Administrative Code and puts families in a "near-constant state of upheaval and instability."

The complaint states, for example:

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"If a disabled teenage girl is not comfortable having her bathing, diapering, dressing, and menstrual care done by a revolving group of unfamiliar men and rejects the agency that employs those men after the county board (of developmental disabilities) judges them to be 'willing and able,' under the DODD guidance, the teens mother cannot be her direct care worker."

Sodano's 16-year-old daughter has a rare genetic disorder that impacts her brain, according to court records. Seymour is the mother of a teen boy who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy who recently turned 18 and is now free to pick her as his caregiver, court records state. Grant has a daughter who is autistic, according to court records, and was first approved to be her daughter's caregiver in October 2023 after an incident with a previous caregiver.

Grant has been caring for her daughter without pay since rejecting applicants the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities deemed acceptable, she says in court documents.

Those applicants include a woman who did not have valid first-aid certification but who was willing to get certified before her first day of work, Grant alleges. She said one agency brought a worker to the interview who wore a hat that contained expletives, and another agency brought a staff member who did not appear to be fluent in English.

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Sodano runs a website called End Ohio's Parent Penalty. In a post on that website, Sodano made this statement:

DODDs guidance is creating chaos for families who already face the enormous challenge of caring for children with profound disabilities This policy forces families into a cycle of instability, requiring parents to try to replace themselves as care workers every few months, disrupting consistent care for children, and putting the childrens health and safety at risk.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Three Ohio moms of disabled children are fighting an Ohio agency rule
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Before celebrating Martin Luther King Jr Day on Jan. 20, Wichita Falls will honor his legacy with its longstanding scholarship and prayer breakfast.

The line opens on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7 a.m. at the MPEC. Ms. Rhonda L. Dawson, retired Air Force Major and attorney, will be this years keynote speaker.

RELATED: East Project Network Committee invites WF to MLK festivities

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Attendees can purchase general admission tickets for $25 online. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will not be sold at the door to the event.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr Parade will follow the prayer breakfast at 12 p.m. After briefly being canceled due to confusion about city policy, Mayor Tim Short said in a Facebook comment that the issues on the citys side had been resolved, and the East Project Network released a statement finalizing the parades details.

Parade organizers still seek participants to round out the floats, bands and vehicles marching through city streets on Jan. 18.

East Project Network Committee seeks entries for MLK Jr. Day parade

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The Martin Luther King Scholarship and Prayer Breakfast is an annual event hosted with support from the Wichita Falls Area Community Fund and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. For 36 years, the event has helped fund scholarships for area students pursuing higher education.

Applications for the scholarship are open, and the deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2025. Find more information about scholarships offered through the Wichita Falls Area Community Fund on its website.

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Dora Moono Nyambe  an influencer known for teaching hundreds of students, opening a school in Zambia and promoting her humanitarian efforts to millions of people on TikTok  has died. She was 32.

On Friday, Dec. 27, a message shared to Nyambe's TikTok and Instagram accounts confirmed her death with a note to followers about a burial service scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 28.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sudden departure of our beloved Dora," the message read. "She will be remembered as a loved mother, heroine, eace philanthropist and an extraordinary woman."

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A teacher, who identified herself as Nyambe's best friend, shared on TikTok that she died on Wednesday, Dec. 25.

A cause of death for Nyambe  who gained more than 4 million TikTok followers since March 2020  has not been revealed.

On Dec. 16, Nyambe shared on TikTok that she suffered a leg injury; however, its unknown whether the leg injury is connected to her death.

A contact for Nyambe did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday.

Dora Moono Nyambe/Facebook Dora Moono Nyambe Dora Moono Nyambe

Related: Inspiring TikTok Star Beandri Booysen Dies at 19 from Rare Aging Disease: 'Radiated Hope and Joy'

In her final TikTok video, uploaded days before her death, Nyambe reflected on her life. "When I started to adopt, people said I couldn't do it because of my age and being unmarried," she wrote over the compilation clip, which showed glimpses of her supporting hundreds of kids throughout the years. "One day at a time," she captioned the video.

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After growing up in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, Nyambe visited the village of Mapapa to see a friend in 2019, according to Northeastern University's website, which cites a book tour from Nyambe and Northeastern alum Joseph Schmitt  who wrote about her experiences in 2023's Under a Zambian Tree. Once there, the teacher and influencer saw the impacts of poverty, malnutrition and a lack of access to education, as well as girls being forced into early marriages, per the outlet.

By the second or third day, I was asking, Why arent these kids in school?  she told a crowd during a Boston book event.

She and her adoptive children then moved to the village with the plan of building and opening a school under a large mpundu tree. While there, one of her daughters introduced her to TikTok, which eventually allowed her to promote her charitable organization, Footprints of Hope.

According to her LinkedIn, Nyambe attended Immaculata Teaching College from 2011 to 2013 before founding her nonprofit in January 2019.

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Her videos  which allowed her to raise money for the nonprofit, expand the school and raise awareness of child marriages  have since earned more than 171 million likes on TikTok.

Per Northeastern, as of last year, Footprints of Hope had a campus of 350 students and featured dormitories, a library and a dining hall that serves three meals a day. At the time, the school employed 15 teachers going up to grade 7. According to her Instagram, Nyambe fostered 200 children and fed and educated 500 with her work.

Dora Moono Nyambe/Facebook Dora Moono Nyambe Dora Moono Nyambe

Related: TikTok Star Taylor Rousseau Grigg Dies at Age 25, Her Husband Announces

Yes, there are kids that are suffering. But thats not all they are. They are also amazing human beings, Nyambe said, per Northeastern.

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They make this amazing art. They love sports. They love to read, she continued. I show these other aspects that you wouldnt typically see in a traditional African story of the poor child wanting help."

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Nyambe's most-viewed TikToks include clips in which she amplifies the individual struggles of her students  including students in need of food for their families  and details her story as she fed, clothed and provided an education to hundreds of children.

As she detailed in December on TikTok, her efforts had "rescued over 500 children" from sexual assault and abuse.



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Her final Instagram post was a collaborative upload with Mr. Beast's Beast Philanthropy account  showing her rebuilding dorms following a "devastating storm" last year.

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In a brief filed with the US Supreme Court on Friday, TikTok reiterated its position that a law requiring the Chinese-owned short video app to be banned by January 19, 2025, unless sold to a non-Chinese buyer, was unconstitutional and should be blocked.

The argument by the platform was unexpectedly supported in its effort to pause the ban by US president-elect Donald Trump, who filed an amicus brief asking the court for a halt on the ban so he could officially take office and "resolve" the dispute through "political means".

"Shuttering the platform will silence the speech of petitioners and the more than 170 million monthly American users that communicate there about politics, arts, commerce, and other matters of public concern - as illustrated by the massive interest expressed during the recent presidential election," TikTok argued in its filing.

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It contended that "Congress targeted TikTok based on disagreement with the substance of the content posted by TikTok's users and TikTok Inc's alleged editorial choices in disseminating that content".

In the filing, TikTok described itself as a US company, though it is owned by ByteDance, which was started in Beijing in 2012. According to TikTok, ByteDance was "founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, but today, roughly 60 per cent of the company is beneficially owned by global institutional investors".

"Congress has no legitimate interest in disrupting the US operator of a US speech platform to alter editorial choices about the mix of content to disseminate - whether or not Congress deems some aspect of that content mix foreign propaganda," the brief said.

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In his filing, Trump acknowledged that the "case presents an unprecedented, novel and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other", urging the top court to "consider staying the act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case".

The brief described Trump as "the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means" and that he "alone possesses the consummate deal-making expertise, the electoral mandate and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national-security concerns".

In April, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was subsequently signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The law provides that, if ByteDance does not sell TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer, and the ban is enforced, cloud service providers such as Google and Apple would be required to remove TikTok from their US app stores or face penalties. New users would be blocked from downloading the app, while existing users would be unable to update it on their devices.

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On December 6, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the law, stating that "the government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary's ability to gather data on people in the United States".

It also denied TikTok and ByteDance's request to temporarily block the ban pending a review by the Supreme Court, the nation's highest court.

The Supreme Court's decision on December 18 to hear the case following an emergency motion by TikTok surprised some legal analysts, given the unanimous ruling by the lower court panel. Oral arguments are scheduled for January 10, nine days before the ban is to go into effect.

After an appeal court supported a law forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or see the app banned in the United States, TikTok's last legal option has been to win a reversal by the US Supreme Court. Photo: Zuma Press Wire/dpa alt=After an appeal court supported a law forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or see the app banned in the United States, TikTok's last legal option has been to win a reversal by the US Supreme Court. Photo: Zuma Press Wire/dpa>

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The Biden administration argues that Beijing could pressure ByteDance to manipulate the app's algorithm and collect personal data of its users in ways that might undermine US national security interests.

In its brief, TikTok said that the appeal court "failed to hold the government to its burden of proving that it considered less-restrictive alternatives and found them ineffective", adding that the court "never even required" the government to prove the law's "core premise" that TikTok is "foreign adversary controlled".

Several other amicus briefs were also filed on Friday, including one from three US lawmakers - Senator Edward Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts; Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky; and Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California - opposing the law.

Their brief argued that the US government "must meet a very high burden when seeking to restrict speech in the name of national security," adding that the case against TikTok "has all the telltale signs of overreach".

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An amicus brief by the American Civil Liberties Union, in partnership with seven other free speech organizations, also argued that "claims of national security do not diminish the government's burden under the First Amendment".

But another filing, submitted by the leaders of the House select committee on China, argued that the US Constitution "vests Congress with authority to protect Americans from foreign national security threats".

Representative John Moolenaar, the committee's Republican chairman, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, its senior Democrat, contended that in writing the law, Congress had identified specific threats and "appropriately exercised its constitutional authority".

Also in support of the law, seven other groups focused on alleged human and political rights violations in China against Uygurs, Tibetans and Hong Kong residents asserted that "TikTok and ByteDance are surveillance and repression instruments" of the Chinese Communist Party.

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Their filing argued that the law included "necessary safeguards" to prevent the Chinese government from using it to "surveil or target activists".

Separately, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and PEN America contended that the law restricted Americans' access to "ideas, information, and media from abroad".

It failed First Amendment scrutiny, the groups said, because suppressing speech was not a valid way to address foreign content manipulation.

In an amicus brief filed last week, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accused TikTok of resorting to delay tactics in "vain hopes" that the ban would be deferred to the next administration.

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On Sunday, US president-elect Donald Trump, who in his first term as president signed an executive order to ban TikTok - which a lower federal court rejected - suggested that he would offer the app a lifeline.

"We did go on TikTok and we had a great response with billions of views," Trump said at an event in Phoenix, Arizona, hailing the app's contribution to his popularity among young American voters.

"They brought me a chart ... and as I looked at it, I said, maybe we got to keep this sucker around for a little while," he added.

As president, Trump could allow TikTok an extra 90 days to find a new buyer and ask the Justice Department not to enforce the ban.

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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.
Dec. 28On Nov. 4, The case against a Newfane farm animal sanctuary owner accused of stealing a neighbor's cows in 2022 was officially declared over.

It was the deadline for Niagara County prosecutors to file an appeal of a Wheatfield Town Court justice's ruling, that stripped them of key evidence in the case. It upheld the dismissal of criminal theft charges against Tracy Murphy by Town Justice Gary Strenkoski.

"We did not file an appeal, there will be no further action in this case," Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman said Monday afternoon. "It's over."

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It was a long time coming for Murphy who was charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony, on Aug. 2, 2022, after being indicted by a Niagara County grand jury. That charge was later reduced by prosecutors to a petit larceny count.

The indictment against Murphy was unsealed on Aug. 1, 2022, after New York State Police troopers and criminal investigators executed a search warrant at the farm sanctuary and took custody of Blackie and Hornee, two cattle who reportedly had wandered onto Murphy's Asha's Farm Sanctuary on Coomer Road in Newfane from a nearby neighbor's property.

A key detail discovered days before her trial derailed the prosecution's entire case  the state police senior investigator who supervised the warrant execution, the seizure of the cattle and the arrest of Murphy was her "neighbor's brother-in-law."

It was one of several mistakes in the execution of a search warrant at Murphy's sanctuary.

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Murphy's lawyers also told Strenkoski that rather than use state police vehicles to transport the animals to a safe and secure holding place, troopers and investigators "allowed "a group of civilians" to load the cattle onto a private vehicle and trailer and return them directly to her neighbor.

The neighbor, Scott Gregson, told a reporter at the time, "I was advised by the state police that they were going to be executing a search warrant for my cattle. The police requested that I didn't go onto the property, so I sent someone else to pick them up. They asked me to reach out to someone who was familiar with cattle to assist in removing them from the property."

Murphy's defense argued to Strenkoski that the search warrant signed by Niagara County Court Judge Caroline Wojtaszaek called for the seized cattle to be "returned to the court." Instead, after getting the cattle back from the state police, Murphy's defense said Gregson "disposed of them."

Prosecutors had offered Murphy a deal to plead guilty to a single count of disorderly conduct. In return for that plea, Murphy would have received a suspended sentence.

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Murphy reportedly rejected the plea because it required her to admit that she violated New York law by refusing to return the cows. That admission of guilt, Murphy said, would be "dishonest."

One of Murphy's defense attorneys, Louis Mussari, said his client is pleased with the DA's decision not to appeal.

"Tracy, and everyone at Asha's who take such wonderful care of these animals, can finally move on from this unfortunate experience," Mussari said.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, speaks to a crowd of supporters in Helena on Nov. 4, 2024, a day before the 2024 election. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Were not certain if its a good thing or a bad thing, but the staff at the Daily Montanan had a lot of discussion about what stories belong on the Top 10 story list, and which ones didnt make the cut.

Translation: It was a very newsy year, and Montana was part of many larger stories, from its unparalleled and turbulent election cycle that began even before the calendar turned to 2024 to the effects of climate change and the Held trial, which was part of 2023, and played a very big role recently.

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Every year, news organizations compile these lists, and every year, people point out something they didnt like; or something we missed; or argued about our rankings. That is part of what it means to read and consume news: Asking the questions about what all of this means, and how it will affect your household. Regardless of what you think about our list and our rankings, were glad youre here.

And now, in the waning moments of 2024, are the Daily Montanans Top 10 stories as chosen by the staff:

Montana will have a new Senator

Montanas senior Senator, Jon Tester, a self-proclaimed dirt farmer from Big Sandy sought his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. He also had the distinction of being the only Democrat elected statewide. Previous elections had all been tightly contested. During his four elections, he took only 50% or more of the vote once, while running against Rep. Matt Rosendale in 2018. Political neophyte Tim Sheehy was a hand-picked selection by Montanas other senator, Steve Daines, a Republican who was leading the Senates Republican election efforts. Though Tester outperformed many Democrats on a state and national level, he was soundly defeated by Sheehy who had capitalized on an increasingly conservative trend in Treasure State politics.

Montana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy and former President Donald Trump at a rally in Bozeman on Aug. 9, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

But Sheehy was not without problems on the campaign trail. Not only did the race bring in as much as $350 million to the state of just 1.2 million people, it also brought intense media scrutiny of Sheehys background, including many questions that have never been completely answered. Those rumors were far-ranging and spotlighted in national media, far beyond the states borders. Those included questions of a bullet wound in Glacier National Park, a financially distressed company, more questions about military training in Glacier, and allegations of plagiarism in a book meant to introduce himself as a pilot, soldier and firefighter. Sheehy also ducked and dodged much of the media, speaking to carefully curated audiences. Leaked audio of some of those speeches included disparaging remarks about Native Americans and insulting comments about women.

2. Montana Supreme Court says clean and healthful environment means what it says

Back in 2020, 16 Montana youths sued then-Gov. Steve Bullock, the state and several state agencies alleging violations of their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. Last summer, the lawsuit was heard in

Most of the Held v. Montana plaintiffs and their attorneys pose outside the courtroom for photos halfway through the trial. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

a Helena District Court, grabbing headlines around the world as the first climate change trial of its kind. Following seven days of testimony from the youth and expert witnesses, Judge Kathy Seeley ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, saying they have a fundamental right to a clean and healthful environment, which includes climate as part of the environmental life support system.

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The state immediately appealed the decision to the Montana Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments over the summer. The courts 6-1 decision was released on Dec. 18, affirming the district courts opinion and explicitly stating that Montanas greenhouse gas emissions are proven to be a substantial factor in causing climate impacts to Montanas environment, and harm and injury to the youth plaintiffs. The opinion of the courts majority emphasized that Montanas constitution contains some of the strongest, all-encompassing environmental protections in the nation. The court also found a Montana law limiting analysis of greenhouse gas emissions during environmental reviews to be unconstitutional.

3. Knudsen is found guilty on ethics charges, will be suspended

More than three years after two attorneys filed ethics grievances against Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen and his deputies alleging he committed misconduct while representing the Legislature in a fight with the Supreme Court and court administrator regarding subpoenaed judiciary emails, Knudsen faced a Commission on Practice panel during a two-day hearing in October to determine if he would face any discipline from the commission and Montana Supreme Court.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen listens to a witness at his Commission on Practice disciplinary hearing on Oct. 9, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel had charged Knudsen with multiple legal ethical violations in a 41-count complaint, while Knudsens attorneys told the commission panel that Knudsen had either made or agreed to sign off on statements from his deputies simply because he was rigorously defending his client, the Legislature.

But the panel sent down a recommendation that the Supreme Court suspend Knudsen from practicing law for 90 days because of his conduct in 2021 and 2022. Montanas attorney general must be an attorney in good standing with the State Bar, and a suspension would in theory prohibit Knudsen from doing his job if the Supreme Court agrees that is the discipline that should be handed down.

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Knudsen, who handily won re-election in November to another four years in office, is appealing the recommendation to the Supreme Court and has until the end of the day on Monday, Jan. 6  also the first day of the 2025 legislative session  in order to file his objection to the recommendations.

4. Constitutional initiative that will enshrine abortion passes handily

Montanans voted 58% to 42% in November to pass Constitutional Initiative 128, which enshrines abortion protections in Montanas Constitution and keeps a persons medical decisions regarding abortions protected from government interference at least until a fetus is viable. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights, the consortium of organizations that ran the initiative, called the measures broadly supported passage a consequential day for Montana because the measure will add new language protecting abortion rights to the constitution in addition to the long-held state Supreme Court precedent from 1999 that said Montanas right to privacy includes a right to abortion.

Signs supporting and opposing CI-128 in front of the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds polling location on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

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The measure was one of several run in different states during the general election, as groups sought to put abortion protections into state constitutions in the wake of the Dobbs U.S. Supreme Court decision that undid Roe v. Wade protections and put the question of abortion legality into the hands of each state government. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights faced hurdles throughout the process of even getting the language finalized and out for petition, as Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen challenged the language and initiative process for the measure before the Montana Supreme Court allowed the measure to go out for signature gathering.

Despite opposition groups running an anti-128 campaign during the signature gathering phase, proponents ended up submitting a state record 117,000 signatures from all 56 counties, and after verification by the counties, the measure was certified for Novembers ballot  one of three constitutional amendments Montanans voted on this year.

The measure is set to take effect July 1, 2025, but abortion providers and others working to help people obtain and pay for them said earlier this month they still have concerns that the Republican-led Legislature and Gov. Greg Gianforte will try to undermine and get ahead of the measure taking effect by seeking to pass more laws to restrict abortion access and other reproductive medical care where possible.

5. Rosendale jumps in, out and away

For two-term U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, whose district spanned central and eastern Montana, it was no secret that he wanted a rematch of the 2018 Senate race in which Tester beat him, despite former and future President Donald Trump making several visits to Big Sky Country to defeat Tester. But it appeared that the Senate Republicans had

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale before going on a broadcast on Newsmax on March 3, 2022 (Photo credit via Rep. Matt Rosendale).

other ideas as Rosendales time in Congress lower chamber had earned him a reputation of being an ultra-conservative firebrand who wasnt afraid to characterize some Republican leaders, including minority leader Mitch McConnell, as part of a swamp and cabal. That led Daines to pick Sheehy, who ultimately received the endorsement of Trump.

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Undeterred, Rosendale filed to run against Sheehy in the Senate, touring the state with fellow House firebrand Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, who resigned to become Trumps pick for U.S. Attorney General, but then had to bow out after damning reports of sexual conduct with minors. Rosendales bid to beat Sheehy was short-lived  six days  after rumors swirled around Rosendales conduct, which lasted briefly. Rosendale then announced hed continue to seek election for his current Congressional seat, but as rumors persisted, Rosendale quickly withdrew from the race, opting not to run at all, becoming a lame-duck for nearly a year. Meanwhile, Republican state auditor Troy Downing took out a crowded primary field to win the very, very Republican district, replacing Rosendale  the same man hed replaced as auditor four years ago.

6. St. Marys siphon disaster

For 110 years, the St. Mary Canal has diverted water from the St. Mary River to the North Fork of the Milk River, delivering drinking water to 18,000 people and irrigating more than 700 farms. In June of this year, two 90-inch riveted steel barrels in the St. Mary river siphon failed, causing extensive damage from local flooding and erosion. An emergency authorization through the Bureau of Reclamation allowed repairs to begin immediately, but the total cost of the project is estimated at around $90 million.

7. Problems with Medicaid as rolls cut

This year saw the official end of a massive undertaking to review the eligibility of Montanans enrolled in Medicaid, but not the end of the problems related to redetermination, or unwinding.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government declared a public health emergency, and it generally prohibited states from cutting off most people from insurance through Medicaid.

Photo illustration by Getty Images.

On April 1, 2023, states could start terminating people again based on eligibility, and Montana released a final report on Medicaid Unwind this summer.

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The report said the Department of Public Health and Human Services assessed eligibility for 280,180 individuals, and of those, 51% were renewed, 41% were disenrolled and 8% were still pending.

The health department said the number of people who remained enrolled in Medicaid wasnt far off from the number of people it had projected.

However critics pointed out that 64% of people who lost coverage did so for procedural reasons, such as botched paperwork, and the American Academy of Pediatrics found Montana had the highest portion of children who lost coverage in the U.S. from April through December 2023, a 26.6% loss based on federal data.

Nursing homes saw delays in reimbursements related to both redetermination and new applications, and at one point, late payments totaled $8.8 million for 25 nursing facilities, according to the Montana Health Care Association.

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Charlie Brereton, head of the health department, said redetermination revealed some cracks in the public assistance delivery system  ones his agency pledged to address.

8. Property taxes become one of the biggest issues in the states affordable housing crisis

The portion of property taxes coming from residential payers has increased from 51% in 2023 to 59% this year, and just last month, Montana lawmakers heard property taxes could jump again.

(Screenshot from a chart in a Montana Department of Revenue presentation.)

The sticker shock from a huge increase after the 2023 session led to legal fights and finger pointing in 2024.

At a meeting in November, the Department of Revenue told lawmakers that market values are expected to increase 21% for the 2025 reappraisal cycle, but payments could be offset by reducing the assessment rate.

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A Republican-controlled Montana Legislature didnt take that step in 2023, and homeowners faced a 21% median property tax increase.

Gianforte proposed rebates to help, although those $675 payments in 2024 and 2023 brought their own package of criticisms, including that renters were left out.

The governor, though, also formed a task force to figure out a solution to property taxes, and proposals are headed to the 2025 Montana Legislature.

In the meantime, at least one lawsuit that estimates residential property taxpayers have been overcharged more than $100 million is still pending.

9. GOP sweeps most state offices, but Dems break a supermajority

In November, Montana turned a new shade of red amid record voter turnout.

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Voters ousted Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, meaning Montana has an all-GOP Congressional delegation. U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke will head back to the House, and incoming Rep. Troy Downing will join him. In the U.S. Senate, political newcomer and Sen.-elect Timothy Sheehy will join soon-to-be senior Sen. Steve Daines.

The five-member Montana Public Service Commission and all statewide elected offices remain all Republican, and Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte coasted to re-election to lead Montana for a second term.

In the legislature in 2023, Republicans strutted their supercontrol of the Montana Legislature, but redistricting cut into their margin this time around. In 2025, the GOP still will have majority control, but not a veto proof one.

10. MHP investigation shows massive problems with leadership, morale

A deep division between Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the Montana Highway Patrol division revealed itself this year.

(Provided by the Montana Highway Patrol social media feed on Facebook.)

A workplace climate survey showed troopers dont have a lot of faith in Knudsens leadership, and financial reports show a high vacancy rate persists at the Highway Patrol.

The Attorney Generals Office tried, unsuccessfully, to keep the survey results under wraps.

Survey participants and top leaders who left the Highway Patrol under Knudsen said the division is in turmoil under Knudsen. They alleged the Attorney Generals Office micromanages the agency and improperly uses human resources.

At least a couple of related complaints are pending.

One filed by the Montana Federation of Public Employees alleged retaliation and wrongful termination of a trooper. Another, filed in district court by the former head of the Highway Patrol, also alleges wrongful termination and forced resignation.

The Attorney Generals Office has denied the allegations.
Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, scheduled for Saturday. The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to avoid certain roads and use public transport to help ease congestion. "The dignitaries of many of foreign country and other VIPs/VVIPS and the general public will visit Nigham Bodh Ghat on the occasion of state funeral of late Dr. Sh. Man Mohan Singh, Former PM of India on 28.12.2024," Delhi Traffic Police said in its advisory on Friday. According to the advisory, diversion points include Raja Ram Kohli Marg, Rajghat Red Light, Signature Bridge, and Yudhister Setu. Traffic restrictions, regulations, and diversion may be imposed on Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg), Nishad Raj Marg, Boulevard Road, SPM Marg, Lothian Road, and Netaji Subhash Marg from 7.00 am onwards, likely till 3.00 pm. The advisory advises people to avoid the mentioned roads and stretches, as well as the area where the procession will take place. Commuters going to Old Delhi Railway Station, ISBT, Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, and Tis Hazari Court are advised to leave with sufficient time to accommodate possible delays on the route. It is also recommended to use public transport to reduce road congestion. Vehicles should only be parked in designated parking lots; roadside parking should be avoided as it obstructs the normal flow of traffic. In case any unusual or unidentified object or person is noticed in suspicious circumstances, the public is urged to report it to the Police, they added. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon. "Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister passed away at 9.51 PM on December 26, 2024 at AllMS Hospital, New Delhi. It has been decided by the Government that State funeral will be accorded to Dr Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 AM on December 28, 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for State funeral will full military honours," the MHA stated. Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
A Boulder District Court judge upheld the Board of County Commissioners decision to conditionally terminate a conservation easement in Longmont.

In November, District Judge Michael T. Kotlarczyk upheld the ruling made in August of 2023 to terminate the easement. The decision rejects an appeal by a group known as Keep Airport Road Environmental and Safe, the members of which complained about the proposed development of Somerset Village in southwest Longmont.

Somerset Village would be built along the east side of Airport Road, half a mile north of Colo. 119, also known as the Diagonal Highway. The proposed development would include up to 426 housing units with a combination of single-family homes, duplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, flats and cottages.

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The easement, known as the Kanemoto Estates Conservation Easement, is 41 years old. By rejecting the complaint, Kotlarczyk allows developer Bestall Collaborative Ltd. to seek annexation of the 40-acre property.

KARES, the plaintiffs, had argued that Boulder County Commissioners went against the countys Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Code. In a 15-page ruling, Kotlarczyk emphasized that Boulder County did not exceed its jurisdiction with its decision to terminate the easement, since the terms of the easement give the county that jurisdiction.

Kotlarczyk wrote that the county did not abuse its discretion by terminating the easement, because the comprehensive plan supports affordable housing and development near existing municipal areas.

Kotlarczyk also found that Somerset Village would be built on land annexed into the city of Longmont, making it exempt from the Boulder County Land Use Code. The development would be subject to the Longmont Development Code, instead.

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The Commissioners decision to terminate the easement last year included conditions aimed to make Somerset Village a lower-cost housing development.

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Top 10 stories of 2024:

The Times-Call is counting down the top 10 stories of the year as voted on by editors.

No. 10  State pauses progress on Draco Pad

No. 9  Wind storm triggers preemptive outage from Xcel, prompting outrage

No. 8  Winchells still not open

No. 7  Evans, Woog win key races in Congress, state house

No. 6  Defendant in King Soopers shooting trial guilty on all counts

No. 5  Residents raise concerns about airplane noise to City Council

No. 4  Longmont mother navigates recovery after being shot in the neck, thigh

No 3  Judge upholds Kanemoto easement ruling
Dec. 28The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo's "Road to Renewal" took a heavy tool on local parishes.

The diocese announced in late May its aim to close or merge about one-third of 160 parishes in Western New York, in response to trends including decreasing member attendance, decreasing availability of priests and ongoing financial pressure. The diocese previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a financial restructuring in the wake of hundreds of lawsuits filed under New York State's Child Victims Act.

Seven Niagara County parishes were among 78 parishes and worships sites announced to be closed in September. In all, the diocese kept 79 parishes and 39 secondary worship sites open.

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The impacted parishes were:

All Saints, St. Patrick site, Lockport

All Saints, St. Joseph site, Lockport

St. Brendan on the Lake, Wilson site

Holy Trinity (St. Stephen worship site), Middleport site

St. Raphael, Niagara Falls

St. John de LaSalle, Niagara Falls

Divine Mercy, Niagara Falls

"The fact is, the Diocese of Buffalo, like dioceses across our nation and around the world have had to deal with the very same harsh realities  the decline in church attendance, the decline of those pursuing a life in ordained ministry, the rise of secularism and shift away from the parish as the defining center of Catholic identity  and of course the horrendous toll that the sexual abuse scandal by clergy and others has inflicted on parish life and the personal faith of so many; and most especially on those who have been forever harmed in body, mind and spirit," Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher said Sept. 10 in announcing the closures.

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Fisher explained the Road to Renewal was about optimizing parish and diocesan resources, and increasing the impact of our varied ministries among the countless who benefit from them across Western New York.

"The ultimate goal is for all parish families to be and remain vibrant communities of faith, focused on their evangelizing mission  and serving  always serving!  those in need," he said.

Those on final closure list struggled with the news.

St. Raphael priest Father Luke Uebler confirmed on the church's Facebook page that it would close and merge with St. Peter's in Lewiston, with all the buildings at its 3840 Macklem Ave. location to be sold. Immaculate Conception in Ransomville will also join that church family, which includes St. Bernard's in Youngstown.

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"Although we have known our situation for some time, we understand the difficulty of such an announcement, and we share together in the pain and grief of God's people in this time of loss, particularly our family members of St. Raphael parish," Father Uebler said in the Facebook post. Church services and religious education are expect to continue through this coming May.

Despite efforts by parishioners of Our Lady of the Rosary, a pitch to keep the Wilson church open was not included in the church family's counterproposal to the Diocese of Buffalo.

Mary Moley-Palacios, a longtime Our Lady of the Rosary Parishioner, said that it was "sickening" to hear the news despite knowing that keeping the church open was not in the family's nor the diocese's plans.

In addition to church activities, Our Lady of the Rosary currently also houses the Wilson Community Food Pantry and a preschool program.

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"We are throughly disappointed with the news of our closing. Our church does God's work every single day. We open our doors to the poor, we teach the littlest children at preschool and welcome the faithful on weekends and holy days. Yet we will sell the building to the highest bidder. That is not the Catholic way," Moley-Palacios said.

They both contend that OLR was in good financial shape prior to the diocese's 2007 round of parish mergers and church closures. During that so-called Journey in Faith and Grace, masses were reduced and neighboring churches were directed to share resources, then as now to combat declining church membership.

In Wilson, the reduction in masses led to greatly decreased attendance at OLR, particularly by summer visitors coming from Wilson Harbor.

"When (the diocese) took away our money on Saturday and Sunday masses," fellow longtime parishioner Carol Hartwig observed. "That's when it all went downhill, because they didn't even look at our income. We were a million dollar parish."

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While both anticipate on still actively practicing their faith, their trust in the Diocese of Buffalo has been gravely shaken.

"I will never trust the Diocese of Buffalo," Hartwig said.

Wilson Food Pantry organizer Janet Hoffman said their lease with the church expires June 1, 2025 and anticipate having to find a new place to base their operations, preferably in the village, before that date.

"We're under the assumption that we have through next year," Hoffman said. "We're kind of going along business as usual, and we're basically looking for a new home. So unless somebody buys it and they're going to let us stay, but we don't know. Everything is still so new and up in the air."
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump carries a pair of his new signature shoes before taking the stage at Sneaker Con at the Philadelphia Convention Center on February 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Campaign catchphrases aside, we can probably all agree that this was a very weird year in politics, particularly in Pennsylvania, the swingiest of swing states. Before we look ahead to 2025 lets review the ways Pennsylvanias politics and politicians got a little (or a lot) weird in 2024.

As unlikely as it may seem, President-elect Donald Trump did, in fact, take the stage at Sneaker Con in Philly back in February to unveil an official sneaker: gold high-tops with American flag logos, available for pre-order at $399 (limit three pairs per customer). Reporter John Cole had to convince his editor it wasnt a social media joke, and ended up with a front row seat despite little advance notice from the campaign about where and how to catch Trumps appearance.

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Trump admitted the sneakerhead crowd was a slightly different audience than Im used to, but also said launching the shoe line was something he had wanted to do for a long time. He did not wear the shoes on stage. And further proving that politics make strange bedfellows, we discovered that according to filings with the Federal Election Commission, the president of Sneaker Con made donations to Trumps 2024 campaign and a Trump-affiliated PAC, although in relatively small amounts.

During a budget hearing in February, the head of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) talked about the agency tracking UFO sightings, to the surprise of committee chairperson Jordan Harris. It took a while to receive them, but senior reporter Peter Hall sought records on the sightings, which showed PEMA investigated more than a dozen incidents over the past decade.

The sightings included mysterious lights following a motorist on a dark country road, a saucer-shaped craft hovering over a suburban subdivision, and a flaming orb falling into the woods, the records show. Many of the incidents are reported to Stan Gordon, a Westmoreland County resident who operates a 24-hour UFO, bigfoot and cryptid reporting hotline, who said the line has never stopped ringing since the Kecksburg UFO incident of 1965.

Weve always taken these cases very open mindedly, Gordon told the Capital-Star We approach them scientifically.

Mold in a government office does not seem like the kind of situation that would require a whistleblower, but here we are. A staffer at Rep. Eric Davanzos (R-Westmoreland) district office in West Newton complained of foul odors, and bought tests to check for the presence of mold. That didnt go over too well when the tests came back positive, and she was later fired. She sued for wrongful termination and the Commonwealth Court ruled she could move forward with a whistleblower lawsuit.

First things first: If you want to try to modify the weather in Pennsylvania, you need a license  but since the law took effect in 1967 no one has applied for one (we asked).

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But state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), former GOP nominee for governor, claims that new technology and a proliferation of weather modification patents owned by a combination of Federal Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, and large multinational corporations have brought forward the need to update Pennsylvanias law. He wrote a memo seeking co-sponsor for legislation he intends to introduce.

The legislation would ban the release of substances within the borders of Pennsylvania to affect the temperature, weather or intensity of sunlight, and appears to be rooted in the false belief that condensation trails left by high flying aircraft are actually trails of chemicals  aka chemtrails  released by the government for nefarious reasons, that has become conflated with techniques being explored to reduce the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere.

Its not often you get the opportunity to write a story with so much potential to use the phrase red wave. Alas, it only occurred to our headline writer much later (which, truly, is probably for the best). In June, Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R-Clinton) objected to a bill to create a grant program that would make pads and tampons free for public school students. She didnt like that the bills cosponsorship memo referred to menstruating women as people, and claimed the bill was just another step by the governor and Democrats to have government provide everything for you, which leads to communism.

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One of the bills prime sponsors, Rep. Darisha Parker (D-Philadelphia), said the bill would serve to restore the dignity to these women and girls who have gone unsupported far too long.

The bill passed the House by a vote of 117 to 85. It did not advance in the Senate.
CNN

Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss suggested that the real reason for President-elect Donald Trumps about-turn on TikTok policy is because of his ego.

Auchinclosswho is a member of the subcommittee focused on competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Partyspoke about Trumps desire to delay banning TikTok, despite previously being in support of the bill.

Trumps new approach to the Chinese app simply doesnt pass the common sense test, Auchincloss told Jim Sciutto on Fridays Anderson Cooper 360.

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Earlier that same day, Trumps lawyers urged the Supreme Court to hold off on implementing a TikTok ban until he is in office and able to save the app while addressing the national security concerns with the platform.

"This is undermining the ideological coherence of the next generation of Americans":

Democratic Rep. Auchincloss joins @jimsciutto after President-elect Trump asks the Supreme Court to pause the TikTok ban. pic.twitter.com/OqRLF9Tt0b  Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) December 28, 2024

According to Auchincloss, that thought process doesnt hold.

I think it would be important for Congress to issue a resolution stating that we stand by the original law, and that if he tried to issue an executive order that undermined the effectuation of the law, that Congress would override that, said Auchincloss on CNN. Now, whether or not my Republican colleagues have the spines to stand up to Donald Trump remains to be seen. I would say their track record over the last decade does not inspire confidence in that regard.

Auchincloss claimed that he trusted his Democrat colleagues to understand that allowing Gen Z to develop their sense of American society from an algorithm dictated by a politburo in Beijing is a really bad idea, adding, And Donald Trump himself understood that.

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He then theorized, The fact that hes changing his mind now makes me think that his inner circle has been bought and paid for by the TikTok lobby.

Host Sciutto added more context to his theory, outlining Trumps links to the big wigs behind the app.

We should note that President-Elect Trump met with the TikTok CEO this month, and we just learned, according to two people familiar with the matter, that the TikTok CEO spoke with Trump this evening after he filed this request with the Supreme Court, said Sciutto.

He added, And earlier this year, before Trump reversed his position on TikTok, he met with Republican mega-donor Jeff Yass, who has a multi-billion dollar stake in TikTok. Although Trump said the subject of TikTok did not come up, I wonder, do those meetings do the timing of those meetings and the nature of those meetings raise any concern for you?

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Auchincloss replied: Absolutely. And we know that members of his inner circle have strong ties to TikTok in particular, and China more generally.

Auchincloss wagered that Trumplike the Gen Z TikTok users the bill revolves aroundhas been similarly influenced by his popularity on the platform. He has 14.7 million followers.

With Donald Trump, its always some combination of two things, Jim. Its [number] one, flattery and inflating his ego. Hey, youre so popular on TikTok and youre a dominant social media presence, and the young people love you, said Auchincloss. And then number two is the soft corruption and sycophancy of his inner circle. Those two threads can intertwine and they can change American policy.

Auchincloss concluded, And its up to Congress and in particular, Republicans in Congress, to put the well-being of the country ahead of Donald Trumps ego on this issue.
A video published on TikTok by Yuriy Boyko, a pro-Russian lawmaker and former head of the banned Opposition Platform  For Life, was met with public outrage in Ukraine.

In his Dec. 14 video, Boyko repeated long-standing Russian propaganda points of radicals controlling Ukrainian streets.

Sitting in his office and looking at the camera, Boyko said that alleged "radicals" in Ukraine "started demolishing monuments, renaming towns, forbidding people to speak their native language" and not allowing people to "go to the church they want to go to."

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Yet, Boyko wasn't recording the video from Moscow, he was doing so from Kyiv. Despite three years of all-out war, the businessmen and politicians with strong ties to Moscow were able to keep their standing in Ukraine.

"Sometimes, I attend events organized by diplomatic missions of other countries. I regularly see Boyko there. And I always have the same question: why is he here and not in jail?" politician and volunteer Serhiy Prytula said.

"Sometimes, I attend events organized by diplomatic missions of other countries. I regularly see Boyko there. And I always have the same question: why is he here and not in jail?"

As talks about potential elections in Ukraine are gaining momentum, the Russian-friendly group began to speak up.

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"This is a statement that launches a political process. The question is which one and why now," Mykyta Poturayev, the chairman of the parliament's Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, told the Kyiv Independent.

After the public uproar, Boyko was questioned by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He was also expelled from the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, yet only after the second try.

In a subsequent video, the lawmaker apologized and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal." Despite that, Boyko did not delete the previous video and continued to publish new ones, gaining tens of thousands of views.

Following the failed first attempt to sack Boyko, political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko wrote that the pro-Russian lawmaker had "friends or sympathizers" in all factions and parliamentary groups. He called this the hidden side of politics, which involves informal relations.

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"It should not come as a surprise that Yuriy Boyko and his political comrades felt and still feel good under different governments and presidents. They knew how to negotiate with everyone. And this is the secret of their political survival," Fesenko said.

Read also: Fall of Assads regime disrupts Russian army recruitment in Syria

Who is Yuriy Boyko?

Boyko, 66, is a well-known face in Ukraine.

An energy minister under pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych, Boyko ended his tenure in government as the country's deputy prime minister during the EuroMaidan Revolution that ousted Yanukovych and his government.

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In 2011, a journalistic investigation revealed that Boyko was allegedly involved in a corruption scheme now bearing his name, which is thought to be one of the largest in Ukraine's history.

The state-owned company Chornomornaftogaz, which was subordinated to Boyko's energy ministry, bought two oil rigs in the Black Sea through offshore companies. The state's losses from the purchase were estimated at $400 million.

The rigs had been occupied by Russia since 2014. Kyiv regained control of them in the fall of 2023.

Before his tenure as minister Boyko led Ukraine's Naftogaz, a state-owned oil and gas company, and was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine for "settling Ukraine's gas debt to Russia."

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With such a trail, it came as a surprise that Boyko did not flee in 2014, soon reinventing himself as one of the leaders of several pro-Russian political projects.

Boyko advocated for Ukraine's "neutrality and non-alignment" and for granting the Russian language the status of the state language, proposals that echo Putin's ultimatums.

Boyko ran for president in 2014 and 2019, coming in fourth place in the latter.

Along with his tentative ally, pro-Kremlin businessman Viktor Medvedchuk, Boyko traveled to Moscow to meet with then-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The two visited Russia again in a few months.

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The SBU launched investigations into the trips, but there were no further developments. Boyko was neither suspected nor charged.

The joint political project of Boyko and Medvedchuk, Opposition Platform  For Life, secured second place in the 2019 presidential elections with 13 percent of the vote and 44 seats.

Former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes hands with pro-Russian politician Yuriy Boyko as Ukrainian pro-Kremlin businessman Viktor Medvedchuk stands nearby during a meeting outside Moscow, Russia, on March 22, 2019. (Yekaterina Shtukina/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Following the start of the all-out war, Medvedchuk was arrested and sent to Russia amid a prisoner exchange. Boyko wasn't touched.

On the third day of the full-scale invasion, when Russian troops were moving deeper into Ukraine, reaching the outskirts of Kyiv, Boyko was interviewed by Russian propaganda mouthpiece Vladimir Solovyov. The politician claimed that his faction and people were ready "to do everything" to start Ukraine-Russia talks as soon as possible.

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"I did not think about leaving Ukraine at all. If you leave Ukraine, you put an end to your political career," he said later.

As the war progressed, Boyko rebranded himself, disowning his pro-Russian associates who had not done so. He condemned Russia's aggression and supported Ukraine in restoring its 1991 borders.

Oleksandr Salizhenko, editor in chief of the political watchdog Chesno, said Boyko had been careful following the EuroMaidan Revolution, yet he soon drifted back to an outright pro-Russian stance.

"It seems to me that the situation is now repeating itself, in terms of various indicators, voting, speeches, and the rhetoric of speeches (in parliament)," Salizhenko said.

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Read also: Historian Marci Shore: Putins obsession with denazification is Freudian projection

Rebranding in the parliament

In September 2022, Ukraine's Supreme Court banned the Opposition Platform. Faction members attempted to rebrand themselves, splitting into two parliamentary groups  Platform for Life and Peace and Restoring Ukraine. The first one is led by Boyko.

"This is a Russian party sitting in Ukraine's parliament," Mykola Davydiuk, a political observer, told the Kyiv Independent.

"This is a Russian party sitting in Ukraine's parliament."

Olena Shuliak, the head of the governing Servant of the People party, praised MPs from the banned pro-Russian party for "very constructive" cooperation with the ruling one, without elaborating on the terms.

Pro-Russian Opposition Platform-For Life party leaders Viktor Medvedchuk and Yuriy Boyko give a speech at the party's election headquarters in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 21, 2019. (Vasily Maximov / AFP via Getty Images)

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Some lawmakers and experts suggest that the remnants of the pro-Russian groups in parliament help Zelensky's party stay afloat by voting for controversial bills in exchange for avoiding sanctions or criminal prosecutions.

Yet, not all were saved from prosecution. A number of pro-Russian politicians are now either behind bars, fled Ukraine or ended up in Russia. According to Chesno, nine lawmakers from two parliamentary groups, successors of Opposition Platform, have been suspected of crimes against Ukraines national security.

According to Salizhenko, after the outbreak of full-scale war, the lawmakers of the former Opposition Platform changed their approach to voting.

"They are trying to demonstrate their usefulness to the authorities. They want to be counted on," he said.

He also does not rule out that Boyko will be easier to control than a potential pro-Russian political newcomer.

Publicly, Boyko said that his group supports Zelensky. Poturayev called the allegations of a deal between the ruling party and the Opposition Platform a "manipulation."

At the same time, according to the analysis of the Chesno, in 2022-2023, 86% of decisions could have been adopted without the votes from the former members of the Opposition Platform. Only 9.1% of initiatives could not have passed without their votes.

"The lawmakers of the former 'Opposition Platform' do not vote with the majority when Russia has at least some interest in a particular issue. For example, on the ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)," said Salizhenko.

They voted against the decision to dissolve the Kremlin-linked church, a number of priests of which were charged with treason for assisting Russia during the war.

Even though Boyko's statement on TikTok was harshly criticized by many lawmakers and top officials, the parliament barely supported his expulsion from the Human Rights Committee, failing the first round of voting.

Russia's candidate

Throughout the war, Boyko posted videos on his YouTube channel, as well as gave interviews to pro-Kremlin former journalists from TV channels linked to Medvedchuk, that were banned in 2021 for spreading disinformation and Kremlin's propaganda.

However, the launch of his TikTok channel brought Boyko back into public space.

Although the social media platform is used by many Ukrainian politicians, Boyko's video has sparked speculation that it could be a sign that he is doing groundwork for the post-war presidential and parliamentary run.

The law does not allow Ukraine to hold elections during martial law. Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's presidential office, said that presidential elections would be held "immediately" after the end of the war.

Lawmaker Yuriy Boyko talks to the press after the morning extraordinary session of Ukraine's parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. (Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

After Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election this November, Kyiv has shifted its rhetoric on potential negotiations with Russia amid growing expectations of possible ceasefire talks.

Despite multiple media reports about the preparations for elections, Poturayev denied that the ruling party is getting ready for the election.

Salizhenko questions the assumptions about elections, saying that it is impossible to even organize them now.

Over 20% of Ukraine's territories are occupied by Russia, with electoral infrastructure destroyed in multiple settlements in Ukraine-controlled territories. Additionally, there are over 6 million Ukrainians abroad and another 4.5 million internally displaced.

"These multiple problems simply mean that talks about elections are too early," he said.

"Politicians should talk about how we are going to solve these problems related to the elections, and not about how to hold these elections as soon as possible."

Note from the author:

Hello there! This is Kateryna Denisova, the author of this piece. I hope you found this article informative. Despite ongoing Russias full-scale war, Ukraines domestic politics has been brewing over the past year.

Please consider supporting our reporting. We promise to deliver more stories on this topic going forward.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Neighborhood activist Regina Hammond proclaimed, The dust is flying in Johnston Square. By this week, her words assumed a new reality. The dust has indeed settled in this East Baltimore community, which now has its largest project to date well underway. Its out of the ground and wrapped in construction insulation. It is one of the milestones of 2024 in Baltimore.

At the corner of Biddle Street and Greenmount Avenue, the framing is visible on a 109-unit apartment building that will include a new Enoch Pratt Free Library branch. Its called, for now, the Greenmount Park Apartments and is a component of the rebuilding of the Johnston Square community.

Its taken 11 years, said Hammond, executive director of the Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization, when ground was broken this past summer. It took a lot of faith and a lot of working together.

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Hammond is working closely with ReBuildMetro, the nonprofit organization that has focused on the Oliver, Johnston Square and Johns Hopkins Hospital-adjacent communities for the past 18 years. ReBuilds work involves a house-to-house preservation approach.

Another Baltimore neighborhood thats taken decades to transition stretches along Howard Street. Once a thriving center of shopping with numerous movie theaters and dozens of small businesses, this part of Baltimore collapsed in the 1990s as investment moved to the Inner Harbor, Harbor East and Harbor Point.

Building by building, the Howard Street sector moved ahead this year. It took some observing to note the changes  its a large, often confusing area where crowds once flocked to stores named Hutzlers, Hochschilds, Hechts and Stewarts, and more.

The arrival of the venerable Faidleys seafood stall into the new Lexington Market marked a final transition from the old market. This seafood stall functions as an ambassador for Baltimores role in the crab and oyster food preparation industry. Faidleys took a good while being uprooted from the 1950s market to its new home. With it came its overhanging signs and related paraphernalia  and, blessedly, its atmosphere.

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The area around the market in the old department store district remains a work in progress.

During 2024, the land around the old Marticks beatnik-era bar and French restaurant became a new apartment house. Individual buildings along Park Avenue and Lexington Street underwent conversion to apartments.

The former Pollack Blums store at Howard and Saratoga streets was completely renovated and benefits from substantial investment. It now houses large, attractive apartments created in space that once held rugs and bedroom furniture sets. Skeptics questioned if renters would want to pay into a neighborhood that still faces years of redevelopment challenges.

Chris Mfume, a partner in this project  officially named Crook Horner Lofts  said the building is 100 percent leased.

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Another neighbor, the former Greyhound bus station at Howard and Centre streets, is being transformed into a squash court so the sport can be taught to aspiring players.

If anyone doubts that Baltimores big real estate investments moved to the harbor, look at the new T. Rowe Price and Allied Harbor Point structures on the water. Both were completed this year. Allied Harbor Point includes 312 apartments for rent and spaces for restaurants. Harbor Point is located at the end of Central Avenue on the waterfront.

Changes arrived at the Village of Cross Keys in 2024 at its thriving town center with a batch of new restaurants and shops.

The Old Goucher neighborhood saw the reopening, after a fire, of Hooper House and its Mama Kokos restaurant in a Victorian mansion at St. Paul and 23rd streets. Like so much in Baltimore, it deserves a close look. The interior finishes and exotic woodwork are amazing.

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Sweeping change marked the Perkins Square area of East Baltimore in 2024. New apartment buildings were completed along South Caroline Street in the effort to rebuild a community on the site of a World War II-era housing project. This is a developing story that should come to fruition in 2025.

Speaking of markets, Hollins Market in Southwest Baltimore reopened after a careful restoration. This transition was curated to ensure that the 19th-century touches in the old headhouse and stall area survived, with the benefit of new plumbing.

Baltimore, once a city of manufacturing and industry, surrendered that status years ago. Its curious to watch how a former Western Maryland Railway marine terminal, known as Port Covington, changed with its 2020-era rebuild. Now it has an Under Armour headquarters, numerous offices, a thriving restaurant and blocks of new townhouses at the old Locke Insulator property.

Take a look and use the Hanover Street Bridge as a landmark. Its not the Baltimore of 1974 anymore.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570.
The trial for a motorist who allegedly killed a man while driving under the influence with his children in the passenger seats was postponed to January.

At a readiness hearing Monday in Kern County Superior Court, Judge Eric Bradshaw said defense attorney Jesse Duran asked about possible alternatives to resolve the case. However, because the prosecution didnt make an offer to resolve the case, Bradshaw said the court was not inclined to do that.

Neither Duran nor Deputy District Attorney Kacie Barrier made a comment that day.

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In September, Sean Pierre Pantoja, 32, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol and causing bodily injury, DUI with a 0.08% blood alcohol content level causing bodily injury and two counts of willful cruelty to a child.

Pantoja was involved in a crash Sept. 22, 2023, in which he was driving his 2022 Dodge Ram east on Randsburg Cutoff Road in Mojave, west of Highway 14, before he reportedly passed across the center line of the road and into the westbound lane. He crashed into a Toyota Camry traveling west, according to the probable cause statement on this case.

The driver of the Camry, Garrett Houston, died at the scene, the report said.

Pantoja had his two children in the vehicle, both of whom were moderately injured with whiplash, cuts and scrapes, according to the report. The children were sent to an emergency room at an Antelope Valley hospital for treatment.

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According to the report, Pantoja had extremely glassy and red eyes and slurred his speech with a strong alcoholic odor coming out of his mouth. Pantoja admitted to drinking three Long Island iced teas, an alcoholic beverage, at a Tehachapi restaurant before he drove.

Pantoja was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

In a later interview, Pantoja told investigators that he was aware of the severe dangers to human life that could be caused by DUI. However, he also said he was not affected by the alcohol and that he often drove himself home after drinking alcohol if he felt well enough to do so.

Pantoja is currently out of custody on $200,000 bail.

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At this week's hearing, Bradshaw expressed concern about Pantoja's potential behavior while out on bail, especially during the holiday season. Bradshaw emphasized that Pantoja is not allowed to possess alcohol at all and said he would likely be taken into custody without bail if he were to get arrested for another alcohol-related offense.

Pantojas trial is set to start Jan. 13.
Hoosiers value their environment and the many natural resources that dot the state. Preserving and protecting those resources have always been high on their list of public policy priorities.

Indiana has taken a step in further addressing that priority with the recent announcement that the states Department of Natural Resources has acquired nearly 4,000 acres of forests, marshland and upland habitat in Sullivan County, just east of the city of Sullivan. The property is set to become the Busseron Creek Fish & Wildlife Area.

The state is no stranger to the site. The DNR once leased the land and operated it as the Minnehaha Fish & Wildlife Area, although its 30-year partnership with the landholders expired in 2016. Prior to the states involvement at the site, much of the vast property  3,950 acres in all  was heavily mined for coal and the land reclaimed to meet environmental standards at the time.

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According to the DNR, the land has been permanently conserved and protected through a collaboration with the Conservation Law Center and its Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape initiative and The Conservation Fund. Additional project support came from The Nature Conservancy in Indiana.

The DNRs acquisition gives all Hoosiers an opportunity to enjoy this valuable and environmentally rich property. DNR Director Dan Bortner, in a press release announcing the purchase, called the development a win for conservation and a win for Indiana.

We agree with his assessment, and we hope all Hoosiers do as well. It comes at a time when Indianas political leadership at the Statehouse in Indianapolis has repeatedly rolled back protections for the states wetlands in favor of further commercial development.

Those legislative maneuvers, according to environmental scientists, are reducing the positive impacts wetlands can have on flood control, soaking up storm water and cleansing underground aquifers that supply drinking water to citizens.

Given state leaders continued willingness to compromise environmental protections to serve business interests in some areas, having the Busseron Creek area in Sullivan County secured by another arm of the state is a strong and positive move that will benefit all Hoosiers for years to come.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday expressed deep grief over the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that he gave the nation a new direction and will always be remembered. "It is a moment of extreme grief. Dr Manmohan Singh is no longer with us... He gave a new direction to the nation. May God grant him peace... This is the fate, but Dr Singh will always remain in our memories," CM Soren told ANI. The Jharkhand CM, along with his wife and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Kalpana Soren, visited the residence of Dr Manmohan Singh in Delhi to pay their last respects to the departed soul. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and wife of Hemant Soren, Kalpana Soren, also paid tribute, saying that Dr Singh kept the country strong. "... The nation was his (Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh) family... The nation has lost a person who kept his family and the whole country strong... We pray that his soul rests in peace," Kalpana Soren told ANI. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at the Nigambodh Ghat in the national capital on Saturday afternoon. Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday evening at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the AIIMS Delhi. Dr Manmohan Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. Dr. Singh's political career spanned several decades, with prominent roles including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he initiated key economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI)  Joseph Cheever was filling up his tanker at Global Partners Thursday afternoon when he suddenly started hearing an usual ticking noise.

I heard what seemed to be like an old timer or pressure cooker, Cheever recalled. It was whistling.

Cheever then heard what sounded like an explosion behind the building.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the top of [a storage tank] blow off and go flying through the air, he said.

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Cheever said flames began shooting from a 20,000-gallon storage tank, which contained more than 3,000 gallons of corn oil.

Im thinking its Armageddon, like its going to be  these tanks blowing up consecutively, Cheever said. Im thinking probably the worst.

RELATED: Corn oil storage tank catches fire in Providence

Cheever said a terminal manager from Global Partners immediately ran outside and assessed the situation.

There wasnt a minute or a second that went by that he wasnt doing something to prevent further alarm, Cheever said. These guys are willing to do whatever it takes to keep everybody safe.

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Cheever said the terminal manager was able to keep the flames at bay with a fire extinguisher until the firefighters got there.

Ive been a truck driver for about 15 years now, and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened, Cheever said. It was just crazy.

The storage tanks cap blew off in the explosion and crashed into a telephone pole more than 300 feet away on Terminal Road. (Corey Welch/WPRI-TV)

Workers remove the storage tanks cap from Terminal Road using a crane. (Corey Welch/WPRI-TV)

Firefighters were eventually able to smother the flames with a blanket of foam. No one was injured and the flames did not spread beyond the storage tank.

Corn oil is a biodiesel that is typically used for heating, according to Global Partners.

Rhode Island mandates a 10% biofuel blend in heating oil to support sustainable energy practices, Global Partners explained.

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Cheever said corn oil is overall not a harmful product and theres no need for nearby residents to worry.

[Corn oil] has a flash point, but its controllable, Cheever said. It could have been a lot more serious if it were any other product.

Global Partners resumed operations at its Providence terminal Friday afternoon.

The affected tank has been taken out of service and will remain offline until the root cause [of the fire] is identified and appropriate corrective actions are implemented to prevent future occurrences, Global Partners wrote.

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump appears to be siding with Elon Musk and his other backers in the tech industry as a dispute over immigration visas has divided his supporters.

Trump, in an interview with the New York Post on Saturday, praised the use of visas to bring skilled foreign workers to the U.S. The topic has become a flashpoint within his conservative base.

Ive always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. Thats why we have them," Trump said.

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In fact, Trump has in the past criticized the H-1B visas, calling them very bad and unfair for U.S. workers. During his first term as president, he unveiled a Hire American policy that directed changes to the program to try to ensure the visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants.

Despite his criticism of them and attempts to curb their use, he has also used the visas at his businesses in the past, something he acknowledged in his interview Saturday.

I have many H-1B visas on my properties. Ive been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. Its a great program," Trump told the newspaper.

He did not appear to address questions about whether he would pursue any changes to the number or use of the visas once he takes office Jan. 20.

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Trump's hardline immigration policies, focused mostly on immigrants who are in the country illegally, were a cornerstone of his presidential campaign and a priority issue for his supporters.

But in recent days, his coalition has split in a public debate largely taking place online about the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Hard-right members of Trump's movement have accused Musk and others in Trump's new flank of tech-world supporters of pushing policies at odds with Trump's America First" vision.

Software engineers and others in the tech industry have used H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers and say they are a critical tool for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated.
President-elect Trump asked the Supreme Court to delay the deadline for a potential TikTok ban, which is slated for the day before his inauguration.

The court has agreed to hear TikToks challenge to the potential ban on an expedited schedule, but Trump told the justices that delaying the law until he returns to the White House could obviate the need for the court to weigh in.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns, wrote D. John Sauer, one of Trumps personal appellate attorneys.

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Sauer is Trumps nominee for U.S. solicitor general, which would have him take over managing the governments defense of the ban from the Biden administration.

In light of these interestsincluding, most importantly, his overarching responsibility for the United States national security and foreign policyPresident Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office, Sauer wrote.

During the campaign, Trump voiced opposition to the law, which requires TikToks China-based parent company to divest from the app or face a ban by Jan. 19, and vowed to save TikTok. However, the president-elect has offered few details about his plans to protect the app since winning the election.

CNNs Kaitlan Collins reported Friday night that Trump spoke with TikTok CEO Shou Chew following his request to the Supreme Court asking to pause the social platforms ban, according to two people familiar with the matter.

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TikTok has noted the president-elects sympathies in its legal arguments, suggesting the trajectory could change once he takes office.

The new brief repeatedly touts Trumps unique interest, calling him one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history and noting his social media platform, Truth Social.

Indeed, President Trumps first Term was highlighted by a series of policy triumphs achieved through historic deals, and he has a great prospect of success in this latest national security and foreign policy endeavor, Sauer wrote.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 on TikToks First Amendment challenge to the new law, giving the justices an opportunity to weigh in before the ban potentially goes into effect.

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Trump said he takes no position on the merits of the First Amendment issue but called it a historically challenging question.

Updated at 10:18 p.m. EST. Juliann Ventura contributed to this report.

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(The Hill)  President-elect Trump asked the Supreme Court to delay the deadline for a potential TikTok ban, which is slated for the day before his inauguration.

The court has agreed to hear TikToks challenge to the potential ban on an expedited schedule, but Trump told the justices that delaying the law until he returns to the White House could obviate the need for the court to weigh in.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns, wrote D. John Sauer, one of Trumps personal appellate attorneys.

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Sauer is Trumps nominee for U.S. solicitor general, which would have him take over managing the governments defense of the ban from the Biden administration.

In light of these interestsincluding, most importantly, his overarching responsibility for the United States national security and foreign policy President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office, Sauer wrote.

During the campaign, Trump voiced opposition to the law, which requires TikToks China-based parent company to divest from the app or face a ban by Jan. 19, and vowed to save TikTok. However, the president-elect has offered few details about his plans to protect the app since winning the election.

TikTok has noted the president-elects sympathies in its own legal arguments, suggesting the trajectory could change once he takes office.

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The new brief repeatedly touts Trumps unique interest, calling him one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history and noting his own social media platform, Truth Social.

Indeed, President Trumps first Term was highlighted by a series of policy triumphs achieved through historic deals, and he has a great prospect of success in this latest national security and foreign policy endeavor, Sauer wrote.

The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10 on TikToks First Amendment challenge to the new law, giving the justices an opportunity to weigh in before the ban potentially goes into effect.

Trump said he takes no position on the merits of the First Amendment issue but called it a historically challenging question.

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Two weeks before the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments over TikTok's future, President-elect Donald Trump has asked the justices to delay a Jan. 19 deadline for the app to be sold to a new owner or face a ban in the U.S.

An amicus brief filed by Trump's nominee to be solicitor general, John Sauer, is asking the court to grant a stay delaying the deadline so that the incoming president can work out a "negotiated resolution" that would save the app.

The filing casts Trump as someone who "alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government."

PHOTO: This combination of pictures shows a man holding a smartphone displaying the logo of Chinese social media platform Tiktok and former President Donald Trump. (Antonin Utzseth Wenig/AFP/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Supreme Court to hear arguments over TikTok ban on Jan. 10

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Trump's brief says he "opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture," but does not express the view that the law requiring the sale violates the First Amendment, saying he takes no position on the merits of the case.

Instead, the filing from Sauer asks the court to put the deadline on pause to allow Trump's incoming administration "to pursue a negotiated resolution that could prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thus preserving the First Amendment rights of tens of millions of Americans, while also addressing the government's national security concerns."

MORE: Trump meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at Mar-a-Lago

TikTok, which has over 170 million U.S. users, has sued over the law requiring it to be sold by its current Chinese-based owner ByteDance by Jan. 19 or be banned in the U.S.

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A federal appeals court earlier this month rejected the company's request for an emergency pause in the deadline.

MORE: TikTok denied emergency request to stop ban from taking effect

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case on Jan. 10.

President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was part of a massive, $95 billion foreign aid package passed by Congress, on April 24.

Biden and some congressional leaders argued that the ultimatum against TikTok was necessary because of security concerns about ByteDance and its connections to the Chinese government.

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Trump originally tried to ban TikTok in his first term, but has since reversed course, vowing during the 2024 presidential campaign to "save" the app.

In Trumps amicus brief, Sauer raised the idea of social media censorship, invoking Brazils recent month-long ban of social media platform X, the treatment of the Hunter Biden laptop story and government efforts to stamp out COVID-19 misinformation as incidents that should give the justices pause.

This Court should be deeply concerned about setting a precedent that could create a slippery slope toward global government censorship of social media speech, Sauer wrote in the filing. The power of a Western government to ban an entire social-media platform with more than 100 million users, at the very least, should be considered and exercised with the most extreme carenot reviewed on a highly expedited basis.

While Sauer acknowledged that TikTok may pose national security risks while it remains under ByteDances control, he also urges the justices to be skeptical of national security officials, whom, he said, have repeatedly procured social-media censorship of disfavored content and viewpoints through a combination of pressure, coercion, and deception.

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There is a jarring parallel between the D.C. Circuits near-plenary deference to national security officials calling for social-media censorship, and the recent, well-documented history of federal officials extensive involvement in social-media censorship efforts directed at the speech of tens of millions Americans, Sauer wrote.

Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok sale deadline originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
President-elect Donald Trump urged the Supreme Court on Friday to delay the imminent ban of TikTok in the U.S., saying a court-ordered delay would give him time to strike a deal to save the popular social media app.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the government, the president-elect wrote in an amicus brief filed on Friday.

Trump said he takes no position on the merits of the dispute between the government and TikTok. He instead wants the Supreme Court to delay the ban past the statutory Jan. 19 deadline so that his incoming administration can pursue a negotiated resolution and potentially obviate the need for this Court to decide the historically challenging First Amendment question.

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The president-elect was by far the most high-profile person to weigh in on Friday, the deadline for interested parties to submit briefs to the Supreme Court as it prepares to decide the constitutionality of the law to force the sale of TikTok. Under a law signed by President Joe Biden this spring, the company must break ties with its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance in a few weeks or else app stores and internet hosting companies will be barred from distributing the app.

The case is running on an unusually expedited schedule, with oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10. But its not clear whether the justices will rule before the ban is set to go into effect on Jan. 19. The outcome will have sweeping implications for national security, tech and the freedom of speech, and has now entangled Trump in defending the app against the desires of Congress and the Biden administration.

TikTok and the Department of Justice also launched their opening arguments on Friday. In legal documents filed to the court, TikToks lawyers wrote that the First Amendment fully protects it from Congresss attempt to ban its operation of the platform based on its purported susceptibility to foreign influence. They also noted that TikTok is used by over 170 million Americans and that the company has worked to address the governments national security concerns.

In its own Supreme Court filing, the Justice Department defended the laws constitutionality, arguing that it at most incidentally burdens protected speech. DOJ lawyers also claimed that the law is narrowly tailored to address national security threats posed by foreign-adversary control of TikTok: namely, the collection of sensitive data of U.S. persons and malign foreign influence of the platform targeting U.S. persons.

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Lawmakers and U.S. officials have long argued that the apps ownership poses risks because Chinese national security law could compel TikTok to hand over sensitive information about Americans or change its algorithm to spread propaganda.

TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court after a lower court upheld the law as constitutional. The justices agreed to take up the companys appeal on an accelerated timeline, with oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10  nine days ahead of the laws deadline.



While the high court taking up the case was a win for TikTok, the justices did not grant its request for an emergency injunction to temporarily freeze the law and suspend its deadline, which could have dragged the process out for months.

Lawmakers, advocacy groups and former officials also weighed in on the high-profile case on Friday.

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Congressional stances cut across party lines. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) joined Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) in opposition to the law to force the sale of TikTok, saying it does not survive First Amendment scrutiny and that the governments claim of protecting users from manipulation reflects a desire to control the content on the TikTok platform. Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), chair and ranking member of the House Select Committee on China, argued that the law is backed by extensive factfinding about the national security threat to the American people and is narrower than numerous other restrictions on foreign ownership that Congress has enacted.

A bevy of think tanks and First Amendment groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed a brief urging the high court to reject a sweeping ban on free expression that triggers and fails the most exacting scrutiny under the First Amendment.

A group of former national security officials, including former attorneys general Michael Mukasey and Jeff Sessions, claimed there are serious national security threats posed by the [Chinese Communist Partys] control of TikTok and urged the Supreme Court to uphold the law. So did former Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai, who served under Trump, and Thomas Feddo, a former Treasury Department official who oversaw the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States during Trumps first term.

The president-elect has spent months signaling he would try to prevent a TikTok ban. On Sunday, he told a crowd in Phoenix that he is going to have to start thinking about TikTok and praised the app for his gains with young voters in the 2024 election.

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We did go on TikTok, and we had a great response. We had billions and billions of views, he said. As I looked at it, I said, Maybe we gotta keep this sucker around for a little while.

But his direct intervention in the Supreme Court case on Friday ratchets up the stakes for the president-elect, pitting him against most of the Washington establishment and the many China hawks in his own party.

Trump tried unsuccessfully to ban the app in his first term but flipped his stance ahead of the TikTok ban laws passage this spring  a shift seen by some as driven by the interests of billionaire TikTok investors tied to his presidential campaign.

What happens next will depend on the Supreme Court  but before Trump weighed in, TikTok opponents were hopeful that the justices would find in their favor. On Monday, Moolenaar told Fox News that after TikTok exhausts its legal options and they realize theyre required to follow U.S. law, I believe this will move forward fairly quickly. He added that negotiating a forced sale of TikTok could be the deal of the century for Trump.

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ByteDance, TikToks parent company, has repeatedly said that divestiture is not possible, and that the ban will go into effect Jan. 19 without intervention.

Both sides have until Jan. 3 to file their reply briefs.
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday defended the visa program that allows highly skilled foreign workers to immigrate to the US, marking his first comments on an issue that has divided his supporters this week.

Trump said in an interview with The New York Post that hes a believer in H-1B, referring to the visas granted to thousands of foreign workers who immigrate to the US to fill specialized jobs. In his first term, Trump restricted access to foreign worker visas, and he has previously criticized the program. But during the 2024 campaign, Trump signaled openness to giving some foreign-born workers legal status if they graduated from a US university.

Ive always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. Thats why we have them, Trump told The New York Post on Saturday.

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I have many H-1B visas on my properties. Ive been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. Its a great program, he added.

Many of the workers at Trump properties, however, are granted visas through the separate H-2B program, which allows employers to bring foreign workers to the United States for temporary non-agricultural jobs such as landscaping and hospitality.

The Department of Labor posts detailed visa-worker data online going back to 2008. During that time, Trumps businesses requested and received government approval to hire foreign laborers for more than 2,100 positions. About 70 of those positions were for high-skilled workers through the H-1B program. Most of the requests for H-1B workers were made more than a decade ago by companies such as Trump Model Management and Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York.

The last time a Trump company appears to have hired an H-1B visa worker was in 2022, when Trump Media & Technology Group Corp was approved to hire a data analyst.

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Trumps comments to the New York Post on Saturday mark the first time hes weighed in on the H-1B issue since entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tapped to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, defended the foreign worker visa program, igniting sharp criticism from MAGA loyalists hoping to restrict immigration.

Over several days this week, Musk has passionately defended H-1B visas in social media posts, arguing for their importance in allowing tech companies  including his own  to grow their businesses. In a post Friday, Musk said he will go to war to protect access to H-1B visas.

The reason Im in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B, the tech mogul wrote. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.

Musk, who was born in South Africa and obtained Canadian citizenship through his mother, came to the US as a foreign student and later worked on an H-1B visa.

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Musk and Ramaswamys defense of foreign worker visas has been met with strong pushback from the anti-immigration supporters in Trumps coalition. Former Trump aide Steve Bannon called H-1B visas a scam on an episode of his podcast Saturday, joining a vocal contingent of loyal Trump supporters that includes former Rep. Matt Gaetz and far-right provocateur Laura Loomer.

The H-1B visa program allows 65,000 highly skilled workers to immigrate to the US each year to fill specific jobs and grants another 20,000 visas to such workers who have received an advanced degree in the US. Economists have argued the program allows US companies to maintain competitiveness and grow their business, creating more jobs in the US.

Trump has previously opposed the H-1B visa program as part of his platform to encourage US companies to prioritize American labor over hiring foreign workers. During his 2016 campaign, Trump accused US companies of using H-1B visas for the explicit purpose of substituting for American workers at lower pay.

In 2020, Trump restricted access to H-1B visas on several occasions, part of his administrations effort to curb legal immigration while responding to the changing economic conditions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Trumps comments siding with Musk represent another instance of the president-elect growing closer to the tech mogul. On Friday, the president-elect posted on social media a private message apparently intended for Musk asking when he plans to pay another visit to Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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Europe must stop relying on America for defence and rebuild its own capabilities, a senior executive at aerospace giant Airbus has warned.

Ben Bridge, chairman of the companys defence and space business in the UK, said Donald Trumps demands that the Continent pay more towards its own security were both reasonable and the right thing to do.

The US president-elect is reportedly pushing for Natos defence spending target, which covers the alliance of countries across Europe and North America, to be increased from 2pc of GDP to as much as 5pc when he returns to the White House in January.

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I think we can expect him to push European countries to increase their spending, and certainly to honour their Nato commitments, and I dont think thats unreasonable, Mr Bridge said.

Many governments have had the same reflection and, in no small part, its because of the threat to Europe at the moment, most clearly the threat from Russia which is real and happening and shows no sign of abating in the short term.

Of course, there are further threats as well, from whats happening in the Middle East to things over the longer term and longer distances.

So its very changeable, its turbulent, and certainly it appears that the US may be focusing more and more on the Asia Pacific.

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With that shift of focus, theres another good reason for Europe to increase its defence spending. And by that I mean not only more on defence but indeed more on defence in Europe, on our own industries.

He added: Now is the time for Europe to stand up  and I include the UK in that.

Mr Trump has repeatedly accused some European countries of freeloading on Americas defence budget, with his officials consistently pushing for much higher spending by the Continent.

Only 23 of Natos 32 members currently meet the alliances spending target of 2pc of GDP, including the UK.

But as previously reported by The Telegraph, Mr Trumps transition officials have suggested they could pitch for 5pc or settle for lower levels such as 3pc or 3.5pc  numbers that would still mean huge increases for the military.

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Those who fail to do so could face being hit with American trade penalties such as tariffs, the Financial Times reported.

It presents a potential dilemma for Sir Keir Starmers Labour Government, which has promised to increase spending to at least 2.5pc of GDP but has so far failed to spell out its timeline for doing so.

The plan is expected to be fleshed out as part of an ongoing strategic defence review, which will report back in 2025.

When it comes to increased defence spending, Mr Bridge called on European governments to funnel more investment into domestic companies.

Several industry executives have complained about a lack of concrete orders for equipment despite calls for rearmament following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

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At the same time, some experts have called for the UKs Ministry of Defence to save money by purchasing more off-the-shelf kit from American manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martins F-35 stealth jet.

The Ministry of Defence is facing calls to buy more off-the-shelf kit from US manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martins F-35 stealth jet - Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Mr Bridge pointed to Mr Trumps support for US firms, arguing that Europe needed to adopt a similar approach towards its own industries.

Donald Trump is impressively supportive of all things US, Mr Bridge said.

Yet Europe tends to spend outside of Europe to a great degree. Our chief executive, Guillaume Faury, is encouraging Europe to spend more in Europe  and certainly I would also encourage that.

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Relying too heavily on kit bought from the US also risked a situation where Britain and its allies lacked their own expertise and capabilities, leaving them critically dependent on US support, he added.

Quite often, things that are bought from the US come in black boxes and dont bring real intellectual property, real technological benefit to the countries that they go into, he said.

Whereas at the moment, across Europe  certainly in the UK  there are world-beating strengths, technologies, people and knowledge, in areas such as space for example, which should be preserved.

Its important that we as countries have the right capabilities and the operational independence to face the threats that we see, while at the same time benefiting from maintaining our industrial base.

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Airbus can trace its roots back to the 1960s when European companies first began to club together to design aircraft that could better compete with the likes of bigger US rivals Boeing and Lockheed.

However, today the company and its European peers struggle to compete with the larger American defence primes, which benefit from the scale of pooled US spending.

The Pentagon alone commands an annual budget of about $800bn (635bn), versus the 279bn (231bn) spent by all 27 European Union states combined, and the UKs budget of about 57bn.

This, plus the more fragmented nature of Europes defence industry, has led some experts to question whether it is realistic for there to be two competing sixth-generation fighter jet programmes on the Continent: one led by Britain, Italy and Japan known as Tempest or GCAP (global combat air programme) and the other by France, Germany and Spain.

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Airbus is part of the latter scheme, known as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

The US F-35 programme for the design and development of a fifth-generation stealth jet, which has been in service for over a decade now, is expected to cost $2 trillion over its lifetime.

Mr Bridge insisted the FCAS programme was working and running, adding: Greater minds than mine put these programmes in place and theyre successful.

Much of it will come down to cooperation. You see it with the UK programme, with Japan and others, and we have a very strong team in Europe.

He called for greater collaboration between European defence companies on other programmes.

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There are lots of good examples of strong European defence cooperation already, he said.

For example, you could go back to the Tornado or the Eurofighter Typhoon  Airbus is the biggest partner in the Typhoon [consortium] and thats a great success.

I think the time is right for more European consolidation, collaboration and cooperation.

He added: Now is the time for Europe to make sure it maintains its own defence capabilities, for its own sake and as a partner to the US.

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AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai on Friday paid his tributes to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in Delhi, highlighting his pivotal role in reforming the Indian economy. "I have come here to pay tribute and respect to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. We have always held him in high regard and respect for his leadership," the AIADMK MP told reporters. "As Finance Minister, he brought reforms to the Indian economy. Thanks to Manmohan Singh's efforts, we are witnessing economic development today," he said, acknowledging his enduring legacy. "Not only India, but the entire world appreciated his contributions." "We lost an eminent leader today," Thambidurai expressed his grief over the passing of Dr Singh. BRS working president KT Rama Rao also paid his last respects to Dr Manmohan Singh in the national capital on Friday. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon. "Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister passed away at 9.51 PM on December 26, 2024 at AllMS Hospital, New Delhi. It has been decided by the Government that State funeral will be accorded to Dr Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 AM on December 28, 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for State funeral will full military honours," the MHA stated. Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay implementation of a law subjecting TikTok to a national ban on Jan. 19 if its parent company doesnt sell the platform.

The President-elect, in a friend-of-the-court brief supporting neither side filed on Friday, says he can reach a deal to balance the national security and First Amendment considerations posed by the contentious law.

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While underscoring that he takes no positions on the merits of the dispute, Trump says he alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government.

ByteDance has 22 days remaining to sell the platform. If it doesnt meet the deadline, web-hosting services and mobile app stores would be barred from carrying the app, which amounts to an effective national ban.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court said it would review the case on Jan. 10 after a federal appeals court sided with the government in upholding the law. Under the streamlined schedule, the justices would have just nine days to issue a ruling deciding the fate of the leading video-sharing app in America with more than 170 million domestic monthly active users.

In Fridays filing, Trump cautions the court against deciding unprecedented and very significant constitutional questions on a fast-tracked schedule.

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Staying this deadline would provide breathing space for the Court to consider the questions on a more measured schedule, and it would provide President Trumps incoming Administration an opportunity to pursue a negotiated resolution of the conflict, writes D. John Sauer, a lawyer for Trump.

Also at play: the possibility that the disputed law encroaches on Trumps authority as president to oversee foreign policy. He points to the imposition of a deadline for divestment one day before he takes office.

As to TikTok alone, the Act makes the determination for the Executive Branchthus effectively binding the hands of the incoming Trump Administration on a significant point of foreign policy, Sauer writes. But the Executive, not Congress, is primarily charged with responsibility for the United States national security, its foreign policy, and its strategic relationship with its geopolitical rivals.

Overall, Trump signals his support for TikToks opposition to the law, which he says exercises an extraordinary power in effectively shutting down a massively popular platform critical to free speech. He cites the possibility of inadvertently setting a troubling global precedent that started when a Brazil court blocked X for failing to deactivate the accounts of supporters of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro who allegedly spread false information and threats against Supreme Court justices.

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Trump argues that the federal appeals court that upheld the law gave limited consideration to the free speech interests of TikTok users. He says the court gave too much deference to national security officials calling for social media censorship.

Government officials and lawmakers have repeatedly said TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese internet company ByteDance, poses a national security threat. Thus far, theyve offered no evidence that TikTok has provided user data to the Chinese government or that its been directed to influence the content users see on the platform. Amid years of congressional infighting to ban the app, lawmakers have failed to pass comprehensive data privacy legislation that would protect all users from companies that indiscriminately amass all kinds of personal information on consumers.

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President-elect Donald Trump is telling the Supreme Court that he can make a deal that will resolve the national security dispute over TikTok and preserve the video site for 170 million Americans.

All the justices need to do, he says, is to stand aside and suspend a pending law that could shut down TikTok on Jan. 19, the day before Trump takes office again.

"President Trump alone possesses the consummate deal-making expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform," his attorney said in a friend-of-the court brief filed Friday night.

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His plan might work, at least to buy more time.

The justices had agreed to make a fast-track decision on the potentially momentous issue involving social media and free speech.

"I think the court is likely to see great benefit in issuing a stay and little downside," said UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. "The case poses a novel and very difficult 1st Amendment issue. Never before has the government tried to ban a medium of communication, but there also is a history of judicial deference to national security claims."

Prior to Trump's intervention, TikTok appeared to face a difficult fight in the court.

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The House and Senate had passed legislation by large bipartisan majorities requiring the platform to separate itself from its Chinese owner or to shut down in this country.

President Biden signed the bill into law in April. And by its terms, it was due to take effect in 270 days.

Although the justices are not shy about striking down federal regulations, they are wary of overturning an act of Congress, particularly one that is based on threats to national security.

The U.S. appeals court in Washington cited national security when it upheld the law earlier this month. In a 3-0 decision, the judges said the law did not target speech or expression. Rather, lawmakers were convinced the Chinese parent company could gather personal data on millions of Americans, the judges said.

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If the law took effect on Jan. 19, Apple, Oracle and other U.S. companies could have faced large civil fines if they continued to work with TikTok.

Trump's attorney D. John Sauer filed a friend-of-the-court brief that differed in tone and substance from all the others. Rather than weigh in on the 1st Amendment question the justices had agreed to decide, he explained why Trump was better-suited to decide it.

"Through his historic victory on November 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free-speech rights of all Americans  including the 170 million Americans who use TikTok," he wrote. "Moreover, President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history."

Noting that Trump has 14.7 million followers on TikTok, Sauer argued that the president-elect is well-positioned "to evaluate TikToks importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech."

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He also wrote that as the founder of another social-media platform, Truth Social, Trump has "an in-depth perspective on the extraordinary government power attempted to be exercised in this case  the power of the federal government to effectively shut down a social-media platform favored by tens of millions of Americans."

"In light of these interests  including, most importantly, his overarching responsibility for the United States national security and foreign policy  President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office."

Read more: Supreme Court to hear TikTok case before ban deadline

In 2020, Trump had voiced alarm over TikTok because of its Chinese ownership. Lawmakers later heard classified briefings that convinced them the foreign ownership posed a danger.

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But by the time the law won approval, Trump had switched sides. He said he believed TikTok helped him win the support of young voters.

"TikTok had an impact, so we're taking a look at it," he told reporters two weeks ago. "I have a little warm spot in my heart."

A year ago, his attorney Sauer drew criticism from some legal experts for boldly asserting that Trump as a former president had an absolute immunity from criminal charges for his official acts while in office.

But in July, he won a 6-3 ruling from the Supreme Court that gave him and Trump what he had sought.

Read more: Supreme Court gives Trump broad immunity from prosecution  for the past and perhaps future

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Sauer is now set to represent Trump and his administration before the Supreme Court as U.S. solicitor general.

He did not say precisely what the court should do now, only that it "should consider staying the statutory deadline to grant more breathing space" to the incoming administration and that one provision in the law allowed for a 90-day extension before it took effect.

The court asked for responses to the competing briefs by next Friday. It scheduled two hours of argument for Jan. 10.

It's not certain the justices will readily comply with Trump's request.

Two weeks ago, former Trump attorney Noel Francisco filed an appeal on TikTok's behalf urging the justices to put the law on hold for a brief period. But the justices brushed aside that suggestion and said they would decide whether divestiture law violated the 1st Amendment.

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"I am skeptical Trump's intervention will make a difference," said Alan Rozenshtein, a University of Minnesota law professor who has written about the pending law.

He noted that the Supreme Court denied TikTok's request to stay the law because it did not think TikTok could meet the requirements for a stay: a reasonable chance of winning on the merits.

"Trump's argument does not change that," he said. "It may be bad luck for TikTok (and Trump) that the law goes into effect the day before inauguration, but such is life."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
As tensions flare between Elon Musk and Trumps MAGA allies, President-elect Donald Trump posted what appeared to be a personal message to Musk on Truth Social, claiming that fellow billionaire Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago.

In an early morning post on Friday, Trump suggested the Microsoft co-founder had asked to come to Mar-a-Lago. The 78-year-old Republican encouraged him to visit.

Where are you? When are you coming to the Center of the Universe, Mar-a-Lago. Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Years Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! Trump wrote. He signed it DJT.

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Its not immediately clear whether Gates would visit Trump at his Florida estate. The Independent has reached out to a representative for Gates for comment.

Gates, whose net worth Forbes estimated to be more than $104 billion, reportedly first met with Trump in December 2016 after he clinched his first presidential election. He congratulated Trump after he won again in November.

Businessman Bill Gates exits through the lobby at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City in December 13, 2016 (REUTERS)

Trump has met with a handful of billionaires in recent weeks at Mar-a-Lago, including Amazon founderJeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!! Trump boasted on Truth Social after dining with Bezos.

The X mentioned in the post appears to be a reference to the Space X founders son, X  A-Xii, whom Musk calls X for short, CNN reported.

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The strange public note comes as Musk, Trumps best buddy, has been clashing online with other close Trump allies over the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix (AP)

Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who together will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency office, have defended the tech industrys need to bring in foreign workers while Laura Loomer and others have criticized it.

On Thursday, the feud escalated to a new level when Loomer accused Musk of removing her blue checkmark on X, the social media platform he owns, because I dared to question his support for H1B visas, the replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants, and I questioned his relationship with China, she wrote in a post.

She continued: Donald Trump promised to remove the H1B visa program and I support his policy. Now, as one of Trumps biggest supporters, Im having my free speech silenced by a tech billionaire for simply questioning the tech oligarchy.
President-elect Donald Trumps continuing threats of massive tariffs are sparking global supply chain concerns as both American and European companies are frontloading orders and considering raising prices while Chinese factories look for buyers outside of the U.S.

Businesses across the world are pushing out orders ahead of Trumps inauguration January 20, choosing not to wait to see which products or countries will be on the list of targets in Trumps expected trade war.

The president-elects threat of universal tariffs has set off a scramble to get orders out thats creating bottlenecks and higher costs.

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The president of the brokerage and logistics advisory firm Krieger Worldwide in Los Angeles, Robert Krieger, told Bloomberg: Were still in the freakout period.

Theres about to be a king tide in the supply chain, he added.

At JLab in California, CEO Win Cramer moved his supply chains away from China to avoid tariffs during Trumps first term in the White House. He has put in place a hiring freeze until June, and he will impose price hikes on headphones and wireless products if universal tariffs are put in place.

Some companies are frontloading orders, while others are looking for new suppliers or trying to negotiate new agreements with their current suppliers. Consumers are set to pay for the higher costs that come with larger inventories, expedited shipping, or beginning relationships with new business partners.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during Turning Point's annual AmericaFest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 22, 2024. His threats of imposing tariffs have set off a mad scramble among companies to find new suppliers (AFP via Getty Images)

But while preemptive moves can be made, theres no way to know for sure if they will insulate businesses from Trumps trade actions.

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Last month, Trump threatened to add an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese products and another 25 percent on all goods from Canada and Mexico.

Raine Mahdi is the CEO of Zipfox, which sources products between businesses in the U.S. and factories mostly based in Mexico. According to Mahdi, the company has had a 30 percent rise in quote requests and signups of new buyers, adding that requests also rose when Trump threatened 100 percent tariffs on BRICS nations.

Most of the requests are from goods importers taking in products from China.

If you wait too long, youre going to find yourself trying to make the transition in a pinch, Mahdi told Bloomberg. This time youre not catching the tail end of the Trump administration, youre catching the entire thing and with a new wrath.

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In the two weeks around the election, the ports in China had a double-digit growth in container throughput which kept rising to an almost 30 percent gain in the middle of this month.

Similarly, International freight flights have risen by at least a third every week since the middle of October and economists believe that trend will continue as customers frontload orders.

This month, the CEO of the Port of Long Beach, Mario Cordero, told reporters that the surge in imports nationwide could continue into the spring of 2025.

Back in 2018, tariffs initiated during the first Trump administration resulted in a 20 percent decrease in imports from China and a 45 percent decrease in exports to China due to retaliatory actions, he added.
President-elect Donald Trump is looking to delay a ban on TikTok in the United Statesat least until he can assume office and use his consummate dealmaking expertise to address the platforms national security concerns.

In a Friday filing, Trumps lawyers told the Supreme Court that there may be no need for them to weigh in on a challenge to the TikTok ban if they hold off on taking any action until he returns to the White House. The ban is expected to take effect the day before Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns, wrote D. John Sauer, who is Trumps nominee for U.S. solicitor general, in the filing.

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Sauer added, In light of these interestsincluding, most importantly, his overarching responsibility for the United States national security and foreign policyPresident Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.

Trump vowed that he would save TikTok on the campaign trail, but did not delve into exactly how he planned to do so. In its Supreme Court challenge, TikTok has also highlighted Trumps sympathies for the company as an incoming president.

Playing up Trumps influence, the brief claimed the president-elect is one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history.

Indeed, President Trumps first Term was highlighted by a series of policy triumphs achieved through historic deals, and he has a great prospect of success in this latest national security and foreign policy endeavor, wrote Sauer.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for TikToks challenge on Jan. 10, with time for the justices to make their decision before Trump officially takes office.
President-elect Donald Trump believes he can cut a deal that would keep TikTok legal  while addressing the U.S. governments national security concerns.

TikTok, under a law passed this year, faces a looming deadline that will make the video app illegal in the U.S. as of Jan. 19 unless Chinese parent ByteDance divests its ownership stake. TikTok challenged the law on First Amendment grounds, and after losing an appellate court ruling is seeking an emergency injunction from the Supreme Court to block the law from taking effect.

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Trump, in an amicus brief filed on his behalf with the Supreme Court on Friday, asked the high court to stay the Jan. 19 deadline  one day before Trump takes office  in order to grant more breathing space to address these issues.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government  concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged, the brief says. The Jan. 19 deadline interferes with President Trumps ability to manage the United States foreign policy and to pursue a resolution to both protect national security and save a social-media platform that provides a popular vehicle for 170 million Americans to exercise their core First Amendment rights.

Trumps brief does not detail what kind of deal his administration might work out that would be acceptable to TikTok and ByteDance while also satisfying the concerns of the laws supporters, who argue that TikTok is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, to keep the popular app legally available in the U.S.

SEE ALSO: TikTok Ban: Free-Speech Groups, Members of Congress Urge Supreme Court to Save App on First Amendment Grounds

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was signed into law by President Biden on April 24, 2024, after the bill passed in Congress with solid bipartisan support. U.S. lawmakers have expressed deep concern about TikToks Chinese ownership, suggesting that the Chinese communist regime could use the app to spy on Americans or use it to spread pro-China propaganda.

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President Trump takes no position on the merits of the dispute, the president-elects amicus brief says. Instead, he urges the Court to stay the statutes effective date to allow his incoming Administration to pursue a negotiated resolution that could prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thus preserving the First Amendment rights of tens of millions of Americans, while also addressing the governments national security concerns. If achieved, such a resolution would obviate the need for this Court to decide extremely difficult questions on the current, highly expedited schedule.

While Trumps brief says he takes no position on the TikTok ban, it also says that the First Amendment implications of the federal governments effective shuttering of a social media platform used by 170 million Americans are sweeping and troubling. There are valid concerns that the Act may set a dangerous global precedent by exercising the extraordinary power to shut down an entire social-media platform based, in large part, on concerns about disfavored speech on that platform.

The brief continues, Perhaps not coincidentally, soon after the Act was passed, another major Western democracy  Brazil  shut down another entire social-media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), for more than a month, apparently based on that governments desire to suppress disfavored political speech. Trumps brief also says the D.C. Circuits opinion rejecting TikToks challenge to the law as violating the First Amendment grants only cursory consideration to the free-speech interests of Americans, while granting decisive weight and near-plenary deference to the views of national-security officials. Yet the history of the past several years, and beyond, includes troubling, well-documented abuses by such federal officials in seeking the social-media censorship of ordinary Americans.

Trump also says in the brief that the law raises concerns about possible legislative encroachment on prerogatives of the Executive Branch under Article II of the Constitution.

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This case presents an unprecedented, novel and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other, according to Trumps filing. As the incoming Chief Executive, President Trump has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions, and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means.

During his first term as president, Trump was unsuccessful in his efforts to force ByteDance to sell majority control in TikTok to U.S. owners, also citing national security fears. Trumps divest-or-ban executive order was found unconstitutional by federal courts on First Amendment grounds.

At a press conference at Trumpet Mar-a-Lago compound this month, when asked about TikTok, Trump replied, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because of his belief that the app helped drive young voters toward his side of the ballot. On Sept. 4, 2024, Trump posted on Truth Social, FOR ALL THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP!

Per the president-elects filing with the Supreme Court, Trump is in a unique position to obtain a resolution to the TikTok situation in part because he is one of the most powerful, prolific and influential users of social media in history. The brief notes that Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikToks importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech.

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In addition, Trump, as founder of social media platform Truth Social, has an in-depth perspective on the extraordinary government power attempted to be exercised in this case  the power of the federal government to effectively shut down a social-media platform favored by tens of millions of Americans, based in large part on concerns about disfavored content on that platform, the brief says.

Also Friday, several free-speech groups and three members of Congress filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court advocating for the court to grant TikToks emergency injunction blocking the law on First Amendment grounds.

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President-elect Donald Trump on Friday asked the Supreme Court to pause implementation of a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. starting Jan. 19 if the app is not sold by its Chinese parent company.

The court is due to hear arguments in the case on Jan. 10.

President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute, wrote D. John Sauer, Trumps lawyer who is also the president-elects pick for U.S. solicitor general. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Acts deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trumps incoming Administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case.

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The law at the heart of the suit is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bipartisan measure passed by Congress and subsequently signed into law by President Joe Biden in April.

The law would require TikToks Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban.

Earlier this month, the court decided to hear the case and fast-tracked the schedule for briefing and oral arguments. However, the court punted on TikToks request to pause implementation of the ban, leaving just nine days after oral arguments for it to issue an opinion or indefinitely block the law.Trump, who tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but was blocked by the courts, suggested in Fridays court filing that he could negotiate a political resolution to the matter before the court needs to rule.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Governmentconcerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged, Sauer wrote.

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Trump previously met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in December, hours after the president-elect expressed he had a warm spot for the app, a reversal from his opposition to it four years ago.

The Justice Department and TikTok also submitted briefs in the case on Friday, mainly rehashing arguments they made before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

That court upheld the law, concluding that the governments national security justifications for banning the app, including concerns that the Chinese government could access data about American users and manipulate content on the app, were legitimate.

Chinese government officials have consistently rejected the argument that TikTok is a threat to U.S. national security.

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In its court filing Friday, the Justice Department defended the law, citing national security concerns that the Chinese government could influence the company.

TikTok, meanwhile, opposed the law, saying in its brief that banning the app would violate free speech rights protected under the First Amendment.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
CHEYENNE  With less than a month until President-elect Donald Trumps second term begins, his campaign promise of eradicating the U.S. Department of Education has been gaining traction nationwide.

In his Person of the Year interview with Time magazine, Trump reiterated his intent to virtually close the department, turning the schools back to the states.

While many of his supporters responded positively to this campaign promise, the results could be incredibly damaging. The executive action could mean a myriad of things, depending on how successful Trump is in convincing Congress to act, according to several Wyoming lawmakers.

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Its a challenging question, first of all, because theres so much federal legislation thats wrapped up with the U.S. Department of Education, state Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, said. As the entity that implements that, I dont know how you just shut it down, and what that actually would mean.

Reporting

While the funding for things like special education programs comes from the federal government, most of Wyomings reporting in compliance with federal law to access those funds goes through the U.S. Department of Education.

Should the department be successfully gutted, its unclear how that funding would be managed or to which department states would report, Wyoming lawmakers say.

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If tomorrow you just randomly made the U.S. Department of Education vanish, I dont know how those programs would be carried out, Rothfuss said. I dont know who we would report to. I dont know exactly how those funds would come back down to the state. Theres a lot of question marks and uncertainty, but what I do know is that we would still be obligated to follow all of the federal statutes that are in place.

Education is already primarily a state and local responsibility in the U.S., according to the departments website. The federal role is to cover the gaps in funding that state agencies cannot handle or to step in when critical national needs arise.

Whether the department exists or not, the state is still required to comply with federal statute, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

All this federal legislation that we have to comply with and our counterparts, according to federal statute, are in the U.S. Department of Education, so its not really very plausible to just make it suddenly go away, Rothfuss said. Because none of our obligations, as a state, are obviated by an executive action. We still have to follow IDEA (for example), we have to do it all, or were open to massive lawsuits.

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An unlikely act of Congress

Dismantling the department would require an act of Congress, which is unlikely, several lawmakers told the WTE.

I think that the frustration is justified at the federal level, Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, said. It is also not something that was declared in the Constitution, so therefore it should be a states rights issue. But what this also means is (Trump) does have to get congressional approval.

Obtaining approval to shut down an entire federal agency will likely prove incredibly difficult, but it is possible.

Its not going to be anything that happens anytime soon, Brown said. So it gives us, as a state, a little bit more time to understand what the implications would look like.

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Trump has promised a virtual closure. However, shutting the department down through Congress isnt the only way to weaken the department.

If you want to accomplish something like that, youre going to have to act through Congress, and a lot of laws are going to have to be rewritten to comport with that reality, Rothfuss said. Now, what he can do, probably, is dramatically reduce the number of personnel and therefore efficiency of the U.S. Department of Education.  I would anticipate a great deal of frustration on behalf of the state of Wyoming and all other states where we are obligated to engage with a department that would potentially be completely gutted and dysfunctional.

A gutted department would be difficult to work with, according to Rothfuss. The state would not be able to carry out its job regarding special education and other heavily federally influenced programs.

The state of Wyoming is going to foot a great big bill, state Rep. David Northrup, R-Powell, said. Because we get millions and millions of dollars from the federal government.

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Freedom or limitation?

While some are deeply concerned about the implications of gutting the department, others find the idea appealing, believing it would increase the freedom of the states to dictate educational standards.

Regarding federal funding, I am very much looking forward to the Trump administration returning greater authority over education to the states, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder said in a statement. Money and authority in education should flow through directly to states, without edicts from the federal government.

Here in Wyoming we already know that Washingtons one size fits all approach doesnt work, Degenfelder continued. With President Trump as our partner, we can prioritize parental involvement, academic excellence and teachers over bureaucratic mandates, ensuring every dollar spent actually benefits the classroom.

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Many are frustrated with the state of education in Wyoming and the broader U.S. However, it is unlikely that dismantling the department alone would free states of their federal obligations.

We have to comply with that law, whether the Department of Education is there or not, Rothfuss said. So this idea that the Trump administration can make the Department of Education go away and free all of the states from any federal educational requirements is delusional and naive. We follow federal law and are obligated to do so. Those wont go away without Congress taking action, and Congress seldom takes action.

It is also unclear whether being free of these obligations would be beneficial to schools in Wyoming.

Theres some things we might want to change and because of federal funding and the strings attached (we cant), Northrup said. But I think theres so much money thats involved with the federal funding that I dont know if its worth it.

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Like many states, Wyoming receives significant federal funding for education, which is essential for special education programs and equitable education. The state also tends to receive more federal funds than it contributes in tax dollars.

Historically, Wyoming always receives more money back than it pays in taxes, Brown said. Thats always been a very, very known fact. That would just be more money that were not getting back out of the taxes that we are paying. It would definitely be a culture shock to the state of Wyoming and the amount of money we receive for educational purposes.

There are 23 federal units in the 2025-26 Wyoming Department of Education budget, according to WDE Chief Communications Officer Linda Finnerty.

Those units include, but arent limited to, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD), Title I and special education funds, the Deaf/Blind Grant, Title III English Language Acquisition, homeless education, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and many more.

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While the Department of Education doesnt determine the amount of federal funds that a state receives, it does help manage the distribution of those funds. They are also responsible for ensuring schools meet the federal standards to be eligible for these funds.

Children with disabilities

Regardless of the Department of Educations status, there are federal laws that enforce Title I funding, the Every Student Succeeds Act and the IDEA.

Parents and guardians of students in special education would likely be heavily impacted by gutting the department, Laramie County School District 1 parent Annie McGlothlin told the WTE.

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Children with disabilities come from all families, whether youre rich, poor, white, Black, Democrat, Republican, Independent, it doesnt matter, McGlothlin said. Children with disabilities need specific services in order to be able to be educated appropriately within the school system.

McGlothlins grandson has dyslexia, and she has had to be incredibly vigilant with his independent education plan (IEP) to ensure that LCSD1 complies with it, she told the WTE.

My concern, obviously, is that there are different states where the services for disabled children are better than others, McGlothlin said. There are certain states where you have to fight more or fight less in order to get an appropriate and meaningful education. Unfortunately, in my opinion, Wyoming is one of those states that you have to (fight more).

McGlothlin is concerned that should federal oversight of education be removed, so will the protections for students with disabilities or unique needs in education.

Right to education

Through case law and the state constitution, Wyoming has uniquely protected the right to education, a right established constitutionally prior to the U.S. Department of Educations creation in 1979.

The 1995 Campbell County v. State of Wyoming case solidified the right to education in Wyoming, meaning regardless of Trumps actions, the state is on the hook for quality education to the best of its ability.

The Campbell decision pretty much nails it down pretty hard and tells the Legislature what youre going to do with your money, Northrup said. Because it said, to the best of the ability of the state, and when youre putting money in savings, guess what? You certainly have the ability to pay for it.

However, just because something has legal precedent behind it doesnt mean no violations of law occur. Education has been a hot topic in the past year, with parents across the state fighting school closures and advocating for several different visions of education through parental rights and book policies.

While the state protected the right to education, and local debate points to the many issues in the system, Trump successfully dismantling the department and cutting funding for the states wont inherently fix those issues.

If people have problems with federal education policy, its reasonable to protest those problems to the federal level, Rothfuss told the WTE.

Communicate that with our federal delegation and try to get those statutes changed in a way that provides the state of Wyoming with more flexibility in education policy. Thats the rational approach here, Rothfuss said. Thats the non-reactionary approach to managing education concerns at the federal level. We would need Congress to actually make some changes, not just the president giving talking points and then waving a wand.
The TSA and Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines are investigating yet another stowaway on a flight.

The plane was headed from Seattle to Hawaii.

The unticketed passenger sneaked on the plane on Christmas Eve.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Brady Blys flight to Honolulu took a turn.

Nobody knew really what was going on. So we were kind of left in the dark, Bly told Channel 2s Steve Gehlbach.

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Bly said while taxiing they were told of a security breach and returned to the gate.

Its kind of scary if somebody could just sneak on the plane like that through two security checks, Bly said.

The secret stowaway got off the plane with everyone else and port police in Seattle found them hiding in a terminal bathroom.

According to the TSA, the unticketed passenger bypassed the boarding pass and ID check, went through normal screening, then the next day somehow made it past gate agents and onto the flight without documentation.

In a statement to its employees, Delta said that it has, followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended.

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But Bly still feels unsafe and questions their security.

I dont think Delta did everything they could to protect people on the flight. Um, passing, getting by two security breaches. I can understand one maybe, but the second, I dont think thats, thats almost impossible, he said.

This is the second stowaway to board a Delta flight in recent weeks.

Just before Thanksgiving, a woman who is a Russian national, was caught only after making it all the way to Paris from New York City.

I think everyone just has to do a better job making sure that people are where theyre supposed to be, Bly said.

The flight did eventually make it to Hawaii after more than a two hour delay.

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The airline has not released the identity of the suspect, but that person was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing.

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Mathew Ford Jr., age five, left, and his father Mathew Ford Sr., right, head to their truck with their load of fireworks as they leave the Texas Outlaw fireworks stand in the mid-afternoon Saturday, July. 4, 2020 in Conroe, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor Fireworks will light up the sky during Celebrate SA, the citys free New Years Eve celebration held in downtown San Antonio every year. JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News Customers line up to buy half-priced fireworks at the Texas Outlaw Fireworks stand in the mid-afternoon Saturday in Conroe. Fireworks sales boomed across Houston this month. Michael Wyke / Contributor

Theres a law that declares igniting fireworks inside San Antonios city limits is illegal, a low-level misdemeanor that can lead to a fine of up to $2,000.

However, that wont stop untold numbers of New Years revelers from lighting up the citys skyline with cascades of colorful, vibrant explosions at midnight anyway.

Based on San Antonios time-honored tradition, the horizon will be a kaleidoscope of color as far as the eye can see, invoking feelings of pride and achievement among the citys residents, much like Fiesta or a Spurs win.

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But, like finger-wagging parents, we should remind you that fireworks can cause serious injuries. Buyers are advised to purchase fireworks only from licensed vendors. Children should be kept a safe distance away when the fireworks are launched. Keeping a hose or a water bucket close by is a must.

Fireworks also can cause real fear and trauma to pets. Owners are advised to bring their furry companions indoors or to at least update their microchips and identity tags, since many animals will escape their yards and take off running when they hear loud, startling sounds.

Revelers also should be reminded that certain fireworks were recently banned in unincorporated Bexar County due to drought conditions.

That order, enacted by Commissioners Court earlier this month, outlawed the sale and use of fireworks classified as skyrockets with sticks or missiles with fins. All other legally sold consumer fireworks can still be used in the countys unincorporated areas.

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Violations of the countys order also are considered a Class C misdemeanor  about the equivalent of a traffic offense  and can carry fines of up to $500.

Those who want to enjoy fireworks without getting their hands dirty can watch them at the citys Celebrate SA New Years Eve Party and Countdown, a free event held downtown.

That celebration runs from 6 p.m. to midnight and will feature live music, food and carnival games. A fireworks display will light up at the sky as midnight arrives.
Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Arun Giri Maharaj of Shri Panchdashnam Aawahan Akhara has been injured in a road accident in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh on Friday night. Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Arun Giri Maharaj, the Peethadheeshwar of Awahan Akhara, sustained injuries in a road accident while travelling from Delhi to Allahabad. The incident occurred approximately 20 kilometres before the city when the vehicle collided head-on with an Innova attempting to overtake recklessly on Friday night. Arun Giri has been admitted to Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital in Prayagraj in an injured condition. Speaking to ANI, Bhanu a driver said, "An Innova came from the front and hit us directly while cutting across lanes. Maharaj Ji was hit in the chest, and I suffered a head injury. Our Fortuner is completely damaged from the front." Dr Neeraj, an Emergency Medical Officer from SRN Hospital said, "Maharaj ji is under observation in a private room. His condition is stable, and he is receiving thorough medical attention. Full medical care has been provided and the Acharya Ji will be kept under observation for the night." The Secretary of Awahan Akhara, Geetanand Giri, confirmed the incident. "Acharya Ji was on his way from Delhi to attend a meeting in Allahabad. The accident happened suddenly when an Innova overtook recklessly. Thankfully, the injuries are not life-threatening," he said.(ANI)
ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey's foreign minister discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday the need to act in cooperation with the new Syrian administration to ensure the completion of the transition period in an orderly manner, the ministry said.

In a phone call, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Blinken that Ankara would not allow Kurdish YPG militia to take shelter in Syria, the ministry spokesperson said.

During the call, Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that "upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government," according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

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Blinken and Fidan also discussed preventing terrorism from endangering the security of Turkey and Syria, the statement said.

(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Alison Williams and Chizu Nomiyama)
When Brandon Miller took his own life in the garage of his $15 million Hamptons home, it ended an apparently idyllic family life which his wife had detailed on the Mama and Tata Instagram account.

Now, The New York Times reports, the eye-watering debts Miller left behind have been revealed: His widow got just $8,000 in the bankand $33.6 million in debt.

The former influencer is now dealing with the mountain of debts her failed property developer husband incurred, while the family have been hit by fresh tragedy, with his elderly mother dying with a broken heart last month.

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Millers Instagram account had shown her, her husbanda New York property developerand their children attending parties, going on vacation, enjoying their multiple homes and private planes, earning her a legion of followers. She deactivated the account immediately after her husbands death.

But since then, just how that life was financed has become clear. He owed more than $20 million in unsecured loans, according to legal filings reported by The New York Times from lenders including UBS Bank, to which he owed $2.1 million, and Chicago-based BMO Bank, which had advanced him $11.25 million. He owed American Express more than $300,000 and had a series of other debts, including to individuals who had loaned him money knowing that he was in financial trouble.

However, as his widow Miller has benefited from life insurance policies worth $15 million, which her husband mentioned in a suicide note he left behind, sources told The Times. Many policies suicide exclusion lapses after two years, while some are issued without such an exclusion.

Miller has also sold the home where he died at an apparent profit. Documents suggest it had $12 million in mortgages against it but was listed for as much as $15.5 million and sources told the paper it had been sold last week.

Brandon Miller and his wife, Candice. / Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com/Shutterstock

His widow told friends she had no knowledge of his dire financial state before he died, The Times reported.

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She is using her claims of lack of involvement in his finances to fight one suit brought against her, for $194,881.89 in unpaid rent at the Park Avenue, Manhattan, home where the family had lived since 2021. Her lawyers claim she cannot be liable because she did not sign the lease herself.

Miller and her two daughters now live in a $10 million apartment in Miami, which has been loaned to them by its owner, an LLC connected to Alexander von Furstenberg. Von Furstenberg is a director of IAC, which is part owner of the Daily Beast.

When Brandon Millers father Michael died, he also left his family in debt, a fact that was discovered at his funeral, the Daily Beast first revealed. Brandons name had been forged by Michaels assistant on the debts.

Following the recent death of Brandon Millers mother, Brandons sister Maurley Miller said, We are desperately trying to find comfort and peace in knowing that she has been reunited with her beloved husband, Michael, and precious son, Brandon.
Dec. 27Two people are confirmed dead as a domestic incident at a Mexican establishment in Great Bend escalated into a high speed chase into Stafford County Friday morning according to accumulated agency reports.

The Great Bend Police Department was called to 1500 block of Seventh Street for a reported dispute at approximately 9:12 a.m. Friday where it was determined upon arrival that one person had been shot.

Officers observed a suspect fleeing the scene at a high rate of speed toward South U.S. 281 where a pursuit by a Barton County Sheriff's deputy began. A dense fog Friday morning added to driving difficulties as the chase escalated to speeds in excess of 90 mph, as well as preventing the pursuing officers from BCSO and GBPD from obtaining accurate identification of the vehicle tag or the number of occupants of the vehicle. During the chase, officers were told that a requested aircraft to assist in the pursuit would be unable to comply due to the foggy conditions.

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Stafford County law enforcement responded in assistance from the south, and stop sticks were deployed as more BCSO officers joined the chase. Effective deployment of the stop sticks resulted in damaging both tires on the driver's side of the vehicle, identified as a white Chevrolet pickup. The chase approached the St. John roundabout at approximately 9:30 a.m., when the driver accessed U.S. 50 driving westbound via the west truck bypass at speeds approaching 100 mph. Law enforcement was able to engage the vehicle, which rolled across U.S. 50 into the south ditch and ending up on its wheels near the intersection of S. 60th Ave in Stafford County.

Officers advancing upon the crash site were advised to use extreme caution so a drone was deployed, with the availability of K-9 unit available if necessary. At approximately 9:40 a.m. officers located the vehicle's driver, who was deceased from an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound; a Code Black was issued from the scene.

BCSO and Kansas Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control to one lane along the highway near the crash scene at approximately 10 a.m. The dense fog began to lift at approximately 10:30 a.m.

At the hospital

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The female victim of the early morning incident in Great Bend was transported to University of Kansas Medical Center  Great Bend campus. The Barton County Coroner was summoned to the hospital at approximately 10:30 a.m. and the victim pronounced deceased. The Center for Counseling and Consultation was also notified to assist with family members.

Names of the victims and other details regarding this ongoing investigation will be released as they become available.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Christmas is a difficult holiday for two mothers who live in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Both of their sons were murdered in the month of December just a few years apart and their killers have never been caught.

This is the first year Ive put up a tree in the last three years and thats because one of my best friends basically forced me to, said Dana Godfrey.

Her son, Christian Olivarez, was murdered on December 30, 2018, just two days after he turned 20 years old.

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Man dies weeks later in deadly Northeast Kansas City shooting

The night of the murder Christian kissed his mom and sister goodbye and headed out to drop off a friend.

And he said, Okay, love you guys. Ill see you later. Thats the last time we saw him.

Godfrey said in a 2019 interview with FOX4 that her son got a call and went out to meet some people with a friend around 10:15 p.m. He parked outside a home at 75th and Oakland Avenue, talked with someone who came up to his car and got out. Immediately after that, he was shot.

I think people have that same thought in their mind that Ive heard my whole life, that it gets easier with time. So why, after six years, does it seem to get harder? I think thats the thing they dont understand.

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Thats something Elisha Gatson can relate to. Her son, Matthew Gatson Junior (MJ) was killed on December 11, 2022. Just like Christian, MJ was 20 years old when he died.

It hasnt gotten easier, but Ive learned to at least cope with it. I keep looking at his picture. When I look at it, it keeps me going.

MJ was shot near 63rd and 71 Highway just after 3 p.m. He and his fiancee were driving home after running errands for the holiday when an SUV pulled up next to them and started shooting.

Elisha rushed to Research Medical Center, saw the bullet-ridden car out front, and watched as her oldest child took his final breath.

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It doesnt get better. A lot of people say over the years it gets better, but it doesnt. It seems like it gets harder.

Not only that but Gatsons husband, Matthew Gatson Sr., was shot in the head on New Years Eve 2016. He survived, but the shooting caused permanent damage; hes no longer able to speak or take care of himself.

Elisha said hes lived in a nursing home ever since while she continues to care for their six surviving children.

When asked what they do to honor their sons during the holidays each year, both women had different answers. Godfrey said she sets a place at the table for Christian, similar to what youd see for fallen service members.

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I set a separate side table for him with a plate, picture of him, and a poem about the empty chair.

Inattention a leading factor in deadly Missouri crashes: MSHP

Gatson, on the other hand, organizes balloon releases.

Im always making videos of him. Ive always got to keep him alive.

Both women said there are days when they cant get out of bed due to their grief, but they know they must keep going to make the best of it for the people who are still on Earth with them.

Its very painful and its very difficult to continue to keep going for my grandkids and my daughter because of how much I grieve for my son during this time, Godfrey said.

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They also turn to others who can help them through the difficult days.

As long as I still got God, Hes going to carry me through everything, said Gatson.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A couple days after a portion of the pier featured in The Lost Boys collapsed into the ocean, a scene reminiscent of Chinatown played out along the coast a few hundred miles south.

The same massive winter swells that sundered the wharf in Santa Cruz pushed ashore a portion of a severed human leg in Palos Verdes. The limb was discovered on Christmas Day. On Thursday, a second leg was found along the local shoreline.

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Ironically, the grisly remains washed up just a couple miles north of where Roman Polanski filmed Jack Nicholsons Jake Gittes discovering that precious water is being dumped into the ocean in Chinatown. Its also just block from the location of the building that stood in for the estate of water overlord Noah Cross, played by John Huston in the film.

Authorities are now working to determine any potential connection between the remains and two men who went missing early Tuesday while fishing in rough surf off the shoreline.

The first limb was found around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday in roughly the same spot where the mens boat capsized.

Around 1 p.m. Thursday, authorities searching the area found a second leg, according to Aaron Belda of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department.

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While unconfirmed, a human femur was also reported discovered, according to Belda.

The search efforts on Thursday had concluded as of 3:45 p.m.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will investigate the remains to assess its possible connection to the missing boaters.

The Coast Guard was notified just after 5 a.m. Tuesday that the boat was overdue, Lt. Sondra Kneen told City News Service. The men had been scheduled to arrive near Cabrillo Marina but never turned up.

Tuesdays search effort began at first light and included a helicopter, which arrived at the scene at 8:30 a.m. Other agencies were using drones to search the water, Kneen said.

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The fishermen, described as two men in their 50s, launched from Cabrillo Beach on Monday and were supposed to return by midnight, KTLA5 reported.

Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department began a search at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and found a boat up against the rocks near the 1800 block of Paseo Del Mar, but the men remained missing, the fire department said.

The search resumed Wednesday morning. However, in an update at 1:41 p.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard announced the search was called off due to no signs of distress and no response to UMIB (Urgent Marine Information Broadcast).

Authorities had warned the public to stay out of the water at Southland beaches Tuesday and Wednesday due to large waves and dangerous rip currents. A high surf advisory was issued by the National Weather Service that continued until 9 p.m. Wednesday for Los Angeles County beaches.

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Forecasters said large breaking waves of 8 to 13 feet impacted west-facing beaches Tuesday morning. That would have been especially true for Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes, which funnels in especially large swells.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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One of Americas prized Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries fired an interceptor in combat for the first time Thursday. The system, forward-deployed in Israel, was employed against an incoming medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) fired by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, a U.S. military official told TWZ. The official added that it was unclear as of Friday if the U.S. interceptor or an Israeli one actually took out the missile. A THAAD battery belonging to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) scored the systems first kill overall in 2022, as you can read more about here.

Video appeared online purportedly showing the U.S. THAAD interceptors launch in Israel earlier today. A voice was heard saying he had spent 18 years waiting for this, a potential reference to the systems age, as the U.S. Army stood up its first THAAD battery in 2008, after it was developed beginning in the early 1990s.

 - THAAD         .        "18   " pic.twitter.com/s4VoMfMhaF     Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) December 27, 2024

The THAAD battery and about 100 soldiers were deployed to Israel in October to bolster Israels defenses ahead of an expected Israeli retaliation for Tehrans massive missile barrage earlier that month. A counter-attack from Iran never came to fruition, but the battery has stayed in place.

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Houthi rebels have launched sporadic missile barrages at Israel for months, including while Israel was conducting airstrikes on multiple targets in Yemen during the early hours of Dec. 19.

A supporter of Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels fields a diorama of a U.S. warship under a Houthi missile during a demonstration in the capital Sanaa on Dec. 6, 2024. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

On Friday, the Yemeni rebel group said it had launched a missile at Israels Ben Gurion Airport and also targeted Tel Aviv with a drone attack, all in retaliation for recent Israeli strikes on Sanaa International Airport, the Guardian reported. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the ballistic missile was intercepted before it reached Israeli airspace. Still, residents in central Israel were ordered into shelters for fear of falling debris, the publication noted, adding that there were no reports in Israel of hostile drones over Tel Aviv.

The exact configuration of the THAAD battery currently in Israel is unclear, but a unit of this kind can include up to nine transporter-erector-launchers, each carrying eight interceptors, a long-range AN/TPY-2 X-band radar, a mobile fire control and command and control center, and various supporting equipment. Additional interceptors would be available to reload the launchers during a combat deployment, as well. It is a terminal missile defense system, meaning it takes out short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the final stages of flight as they careen down through the atmosphere to their final targeted destinations.

A briefing slide showing the general composition of Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries as of 2016. (U.S. Defense Department)

For Israel, the THAAD sits at the top end of air defense systems in the country capable of terminal phase missile defense, which also includes Davids Sling and the Arrow 2 system. Israel recently retired its Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries, which had terminal missile defense capabilities. The land-based terminal phase intercept capability can be augmented by positioning U.S. Aegis-equipped surface combatants loaded with SM-6 missiles off the Israeli coast. Israel also has a robust mid-course intercept capability in the form of the Arrow 3 system and the same U.S. Navy ships loaded with SM-3s can also provide this capability.

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The U.S. Armys seven THAAD batteries have seen multiple short and long-standing deployments in the past. In addition to the one presently in Israel, two more of the units are currently forward-deployed, one in Guam and one in South Korea.

While Thursdays intercept was the first time the U.S. Army had fired the system to defeat an incoming threat, as we noted earlier, the UAE used its THAAD system to bring down a Houthi ballistic missile that was targeting an oil facility near Al Dhafra Air Base, which was hosting U.S. and French forces in addition to Emirati personnel when the attack took place in January 2022. Go here to read TWZs past reporting on that intercept.

A Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) array fires. www.twz.com

The deployment this past October was not the first time a THAAD had been sent to Israel, either. The U.S. Army sent the system there in 2019 for an exercise, part of a Pentagon effort to test quickly deploying capabilities, while keeping adversaries from having too much foreknowledge about U.S. military plans, TWZ reported at the time.

The U.S. Army has maintained a long-range AN/TPY-2 X-band radar at Site 512, a so-called cooperative security location in Israels Negev Desert, since 2012, to bolster Israeli and U.S. missile defenses. The service also started manning a location known as Site 883 in 2017 at Israels Bislach Air Base, also in the Negev, seemingly to help streamline the flow of critical data from Site 512, another sign of Americas burgeoning air and missile defense capability in Israel before the current conflict erupted.

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While Thursdays intercept marks a THAAD milestone for the U.S. Army, it once again highlights strains in the services air defense systems and the soldiers who man them, finite capabilities that are increasingly deployed around the world. TWZ investigated the issue in-depth in 2023, and you can read that coverage here.

Demand within the U.S. military for advanced air defense systems, including THAAD, and the interceptors that go with them has only increased since then. Obligations in the Middle East, including to help defend Israel, as well as in Europe, particularly to Ukraine, have been important driving factors. Growing concerns about Chinese military threats in the Pacific have also prompted new air and missile defense needs.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth acknowledged the stressors being placed on air defense batteries at the time of the THAAD deployment to Israel. Wormuth noted that the air defense artillery community is the most stressed, and said that such units have the highest operational tempo.

To mitigate that, Wormuth said the service was trying to modernize its integrated and missile defenses to create more capacity. That in part involves integrating the Patriot batterys new Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) into the Armys Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) network. Wormuth said that integration would greatly increase the capacity of the existing Patriot force that we have, and that will help reduce some of the stress on our soldiers.

Test firing a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor. (U.S. Army)

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TWZ has previously broken down what LTAMDS brings to the table:

LTAMDS is designed to provide higher-fidelity sensing capability at much further distances and process a wider array of data more quickly than the Patriots current radar. It can also offer 360-degree coverage, which the current system cannot. The IBCS connects various sensors to effectors like, gun systems, lasers, missile systems, and electronic warfare capabilities and combines all this data on the entire air defense situation into a single actionable picture for operators. The combination is meant to give air defenders a much greater ability to better react to and if necessary shoot down a multitude of threats at once.

Still, while this force multiplying new technology will certainly help, physically more missile batteries are also a critical part of the solution but just how much investment will be poured into doing so remains to be seen.

Other Army lines of effort involve being as choosy as we can about what we take on, so as to minimize stress on the force, Wormuth said.

Update: Dec. 30, 1:32 PM Eastern 

A U.S. government official confirmed to The War Zone Monday that a THAAD successfully intercepted a Houthi medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) fired at Israel last week. Fox News was the first to report a successful interception.

Contact the author: geoff@twz.com
This week, China potentially unveiled the first of what may be their sixth generation fighter jets. Also, President-elect Trump is receiving backlash from world leaders for his comments on Greenland, Panama, and Canada. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., shares his thoughts on these events, Russian President Putin apologizing for the Azerbaijan plane crash incident in Russian airspace, and more.
The Ukrainian Air Force struck a military facility in Russia's western Oryol region, destroying a drone storage, maintenance and repair facility, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Facebook on Dec. 28.

The General Staff said this combat operation "significantly reduced the enemy's ability to carry out airstrikes using kamikaze drones against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."

The attack took place on Dec. 26 and targeted a Russian Defense Ministry military facility between the village of Tsimbulova and the village of Rudnevo in the Bolkhov district of Russia's Oryol region.

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Russian news outlet Astra claims that the facility was hit by three British-built Storm Shadow missiles, and that two people were killed and seven wounded in the attack. This information can't be independently verified.

The Oryol region had seen another Ukrainian attack on Dec. 22, when drones targeted an oil depot and set it on fire.

The same depot had been attacked just a week earlier, on Dec. 14, when Ukrainian drones caused a large fire to break out. The fire reportedly burned for several days after the attack.

The General Staff said after that attack that the depot in the region was one of the largest oil product terminals in Russia and was "part of the Russian military-industrial complex, supplying the Russian army with petroleum products."

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Ukraine first deployed the British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles on Nov. 20, just one day after also deploying U.S.-made long-range ATACMS for the first time.

Since then, Kyiv has intensified its strike campaign on Russian territory, targeting military and industrial facilities to weaken Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Read also: Two Russian airports suspend flights after Ukrainian drones target Kazan, media, officials report

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine plans to open over 150 underground educational facilities by September of 2025, Deputy Education Minister Nadiia Kuzmychova said at a briefing on Dec. 27.

Ukraine's underground schools are a response to Russian aerial attacks, which regularly target civilian infrastructure, including education facilities.

Ukraine has initiated plans to build 139 underground schools and several dozen underground vocational education institutions, Kuzmychova said at a Dec. 27 briefing, as reported by the news outlet Suspilne.

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There are currently 79 underground education facilities under active construction, she said. Construction is ongoing in front-line regions and areas most affected by Russian shelling.

"We expect the construction of absolutely all facilities to be completed by September 1, 2025," Kuzmychova said.

Kharkiv was the first Ukrainian city to open schools underground to protect students from shelling and aerial attacks, while still offering in-person learning. The city operates schools in its metro stations.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has damaged one in every seven Ukrainian schools and completely destroyed over 400 educational institutions, the Education Ministry reported in February 2024.

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When the school year began in September 2024, Russian strikes damaged at least 12 education facilities in just three days, leading to dozens of casualties.

Read also: As Ukrainian children return to school, Russia launches missiles at educational facilities

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine on Dec. 27 received its first shipment of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said on Dec. 28.

The shipment reached Ukraine via an LNG terminal in Greece.

"This is not just a cargo  it is a strategic step," Yermak said.

"Despite Russia's attempts to destroy our energy system during the war, we have won another victory on the energy front."

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Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, signed a deal on LNG supplies with the U.S. firm Venture Global in June. The agreement marked the first time Ukraine purchased LNG from the U.S.

DTEK accepted the first shipment, which contained approximately 100mn cubic meters worth of natural gas, at the Greek port on Dec. 27. The LNG will be re-gasified and exchanged throughout EU and Ukrainian gas networks.

The company said it expects to receive similar cargoes in the future.

"The arrival of this LNG cargo is a clear signal of DTEK's determination to play its part in strengthening Ukraine and Europe's energy security," DTEK CEO Maksym Timchenko said.

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The arrival of the first U.S. LNG shipment comes just days before a deal to transit Russian gas to EU countries via Ukraine is set to expire.

The EU imposed its first major restrictions on Russian gas, including LNG, in its 14th sanctions package in June. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has suggested replacing Russian LNG supplies with exports from the U.S.

Read also: Russia officially halts gas supplies to Moldovas Transnistria

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
As the nation is bidding farewell to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde said that he was a gentleman and was one of the important Prime Ministers of the country. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said, "He was a gentleman. He was an important PM for our country. He used to listen to everyone and always spoke of the poor. He introduced the Aadhar Card." Shinde also reacted on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for Manmohan Singh and said, "We will fight for him." Congress leader Pawan Khera refused to comment on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial, though he said that the entire country is seeing what is going on. "This is not the right time to comment on this issue. The entire country is seeing what is going on. Not only Congress but the leaders of different political parties are also reacting to it..." Khera told reporters. The mortal remains of late PM Manmohan Singh are kept at the AICC headquarters for the party workers to pay their last respects. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today. Earlier today, the commoners started gathering outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their last respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, said that she has come with her husband Hatendra Pal to pay tributes to Manmohan Singh who she credits for making India famous, globally. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
(Reuters) - Ukraine said on Saturday it had struck a storage and maintenance depot for long-range Shahed drones in Russia's Oryol region, adding that this had "significantly reduced" Russia's ability to launch mass drone attacks on Ukraine.

Ukraine military's general staff said in a statement on Telegram the attack took place on Thursday and was conducted by Ukraine's air force.

"As a result of the strike, a depot for storage, maintenance and repair of Shahed kamikaze drones, made of several protected concrete structures, was destroyed," it said.

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"This military operation has significantly reduced the enemy's potential in terms of conducting air raids of strike drones on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."

Moscow has not made any comment on the attack.

Russia has regularly launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine throughout its 34-month invasion.

For the past several months, Moscow has launched near-daily barrages of dozens of drones at Ukraine, hoping to damage its infrastructure and wear down air defences leaving them less able to shoot down missiles.

Ukraine's air force said earlier on Saturday it had downed 15 out of 16 drones launched by Russia overnight, with the other one disappearing from radars.

(Reporting by Max Hunder. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Max Hunder

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday of opening a "second energy front" against Ukraine on the orders of Russia, as a gas transit dispute between the countries deepened.

Ukraine pumps Russian natural gas through its territory to several European countries including Slovakia, but it is expected to halt the flow when the existing transit deal - signed before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine - expires at the end of the year.

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Fico, who visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week, said on Friday Slovakia would consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine such as halting back-up electricity supplies if Kyiv stops the gas transit from Jan. 1.

"It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people's interests," Zelenskiy wrote on the X social media platform.

Slovakia wants to maintain Russian gas supplies via Ukraine, saying alternative routes would hike costs and hit its own transit operations, causing it to lose 500 million euros in fees.

Ukraine has said it will not sign any new deal for gas transit with Moscow due to the invasion launched by Russia in February 2022.

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Ukraine has been forced to import electricity from several of its neighbours since Russia began targeting its power grid in late 2022, damaging or destroying much of the country's non-nuclear generation capacity.

Zelenskiy said Slovakia currently accounted for 19% of Ukraine's power imports, and that Ukraine was working with its European Union neighbours to bolster the supply.

"Slovakia is part of the single European energy market and Fico must respect common European rules," he wrote, adding that cutting power supplies to Ukraine would deprive Slovakia of $200 million a year.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Fico was siding with Putin by making "senseless threats" to cut off Ukraine's power imports.

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Since taking office in 2023, Fico has been one of the EU's most outspoken opponents of military aid to Ukraine.

After his talks in Moscow, Fico said Putin had confirmed Russia's willingness to continue to supply gas to Slovakia, although this was "practically impossible" once the transit deal expires.

(Reporting by Max Hunder; Editing by Alison Williams and Helen Popper)
Ukrainian defenders destroyed all 16 drones launched by the Russians on the night of 27-28 December.

Source: Ukraines Air Force

Details: In particular, 15 of the 16 UAVs launched were shot down, and one was a decoy drone.

All 15 were shot down in Mykolaiv Oblast.

The fall of drone wreckage damaged the property of a company and an apartment building in Mykolaiv, with no casualties.

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Ukrainian drones accounted for over 96% of all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by the military in 2024, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Dec. 28.

Kyiv has ramped up domestic drone production over the past year. Various aerial, naval, and ground drones have been developed and often successfully used for reconnaissance, combat, and other tasks throughout the full-scale with Russia.

The drone industry "reached unprecedented production volumes" in 2024, Umerov said in a Facebook post. Domestically produced drones accounted for 96.2% of all UAVs used by Ukrainian forces this year.

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Ukraine manufactured over 1.5 million first-person-view (FPV) drones in 2024, Umerov said.

Ukrainian enterprises also produced reconnaissance drones, kamikaze aircraft, copter-bombers, and long-range drones, he added.

"Such figures indicate a new level of efficiency in the interaction between the state and Ukrainian UAV manufacturers," Umerov said.

President Volodoymyr Zelensky said in December 2023 that Ukraine aimed to produce one million drones in the coming year. In April 2024, Kyiv launched the Brave1 government initiative to invest in defense tech innovations.

Ukraine in recent months has championed the development of long-range "missile-drones," upgraded UAVs with turbojet engines that can act as alternatives to cruise missiles. Kyiv unveiled its Palianytsia and Peklo hybrids in the second half of 2024.

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Zelensky has said Ukraine aims to produce at least 30,000 long-range drones next year.

Read also: How Ukraines new drone-missile hybrids are changing long-range weapon technology

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, has said that there are currently approximately 600,000 Russian troops in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Source: Yusov in an interview with Novyny.LIVE TV channel

Details: Yusov stressed that the losses of Russian troops were enormous and showed an upward trend. Nonetheless, the number of Russian soldiers that are deployed on the territory of Ukraine has remained constant recently.

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Quote: "The number of Russian soldiers in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is about 600,000. The recruitment and conscription measures taken by the enemy are primarily aimed at replenishing losses, because they are enormous and are tending to increase."

Background:

As of 26 December, the Russians total combat losses were estimated at around 780,860 people.

In addition, Russia is engaging the North Korean military in the war against Ukraine. Following a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on 23 December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, as early reports showed, the number of North Korean soldiers who have been killed or wounded in Russias Kursk Oblast exceeded 3,000.

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Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), has said that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can operate at a distance of up to 2,000 kilometres.

Source: Yusov in an interview with Novyny.LIVE TV channel

Details: Yusov said that the potential of Ukrainian drones allows them to operate over long distances. Nonetheless, there are no official comments on the incidents on the territory of Russia, but, as Yusov said, "there is a reason for the explosions there".

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Quote: "From what we can tell, and it's no longer a secret, Ukrainian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles can hypothetically operate up to 2,000 kilometres. In most other cases, we neither confirm nor deny. I can only say that there is a reason for the explosions there."

Details: The DIU spokesperson also reiterated that all strikes on Russian territory are aimed exclusively at military targets related to the army or infrastructure that provides its funding, logistics or defence products. This is in stark contrast to the tactics of the Russian side, which has been targeting Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.

Background:

On the morning of 6 November, a special DIU operation resulted in a Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea being struck for the first time by kamikaze drones. The distance from the Ukrainian state border to the target is about 1,500 kilometres. At least two targets in the city of Kaspiysk (Republic of Dagestan, Russia) were damaged by the UAV strikes.

On 26 May, a Ukrainian drone attacked the Voronezh M long-range target detection radar station located in Orsk, Orenburg Oblast. The Ukrainian drone covered a distance of more than 1,800 kilometres to the target.

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HALEIWA, Hawaii (KHON2)  The 2024 Rip Curl Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational winner Landon McNamara spoke exclusively with KHON2 about the adversity he overcame this past year and how he was able to win the most prestigious event in surfing.

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For the people who know 28-year-old McNamara, his Eddie win last week is more of an inspirational story than some might think.

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From last January to this January, I made some monumental changes in my personal life that I directly credit to this all happening, McNamara said. Being able to stand by who I am and How Im living versus how I was living last year. To me, everyone has their cross to bear in this life, and I had certain ones I needed to cross myself, and being able to conquer those things led me to be able to conquer this win.

That sealed my fate as the winner, Landon McNamara on Eddie Aikau win

Landon started the year behind bars for criminal property damage. He had been following a path of addiction other surf legends have also tried to navigate through.

McNamara said he knew he could make it to the top, he said he just had to make the changes to make it happen. So he made those monumental changes in early 2024.

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Im proud, very proud, very taken back and very grateful, but I think Im still processing all of it, he added.

He said he was inspired by the legacy his dad and uncle built for him while he was growing up.

They have created this legacy for me that if they were to die tomorrow, I still can reap the fruits of what they built for me, and I had a very sobering realization that I wanted to do the same for my son, McNamara said. And I wanted to build something for him, like my parents and my uncle and my family built for me, and I was able to do that. And thats one of the most special things from all of this, is that my son, for the rest of his days, will be able to be proud of something that his dad did.

And I had a very sobering realization that I wanted to do the same for my son. Thats one of the most special things from all of this, is that my son, for the rest of his days, will be able to be proud of something that his dad did.

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He was also inspired by his best friend, former Eddie winner Luke Shepardson.

McNamaras brother posted about them saying underground to the crown.

The Eddie Big Wave Invitational from Waimea Bay

To me, growing up on the North Shore, me and my friend group, all of us have amazing talent and amazing drive and it felt like none of us were recognized in the way we felt that we should have been, McNamara explained. I grew up with the awesome family and other essentials that I needed to have an amazing life, but that being said, growing up on the North Shore, you see everyone come in and theyre making careers and making millions and kind of having, having all of the glitz and glamor and recognition, and for us, we just wanted a piece of that.

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Luke winning last year, and then me winning this year is a testament to the fact of why the Eddie contest is so amazing because it gives people like us an opportunity to have a life-changing moment that otherwise we might not have, McNamara said. Ill be part of the underground forever because Im rooted in that, and I love my community and I just want to be able to give everybody the opportunity they deserve like I got.

He said the win involves more people than just himself. Its been a wild ride along the way to get here, some friends didnt even make it, so this is for all of us. When one of us wins, all of us win, he continued.

Landons father, Liam McNamara, said hes never been more proud of his son. If we go back a year, weve always known my son had it in him, it was a matter of him just really grasping that like hes got to really focus on his goals, focus on what he wants to achieve and put 110% into it, and thats what he did for the last year.

Landon hopes his story of overcoming adversity in just a year can help inspire others. What makes me feel good is being able to help other people and thats the coolest thing about coming to a point where you have maybe some more recognition and a little more influence is that youre able to do more powerful things in a sense, because theres a lot more people willing to listen.

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The day after winning the Eddie contest, Landon was told he had a warrant for his arrest for criminal property damage from a case exactly one year ago.

Landon turned himself in on Christmas Eve and he was released after posting bail.

Because its an active case, he wont comment on it, but those closest to him know this is a small setback and his future is still bright.

Check out more news from around Hawaii

At this moment in time, life couldnt be better when it comes to him as my son, and Im not talking about him just winning the Eddie, Im talking about who he is as my son and when I see him with his son, Liam McNamara said. Hes being the best father he can be, the best son he can be and like he said, hes there for the community and hes here to spread the love and joy in the message of what you can do if you put your mind to it.

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Underground to the crown, just like his music and songs like Deep Water, theres lyrics there that can be something to help people achieve their dreams, Liam concluded.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
21 Members of Congress sent a letter urging President Biden to exonerate the late civil rights leader Marcus Garvey. The plea is part of a decades-long effort to clear Garveys name, who was convicted of mail fraud in 1923 following a campaign of government surveillance and targeting  charges Rep. Barbara Lee, one of the letters co-signers, calls fabricated. Theres a lot of unfinished business in America as it relates to African American equity and justice, says Rep. Lee.
UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Unicoi County has seen an increase in unemployment numbers after Hurricane Helene. The flood waters swept away six manufacturing companies in Erwin, leaving many people without a job.

We had about 300 total people unemployed in September, said Austin Finch, member of the economic development board for Unicoi County. Now thats crept up to about 435 total unemployed.

Finch told News Channel 11 that some businesses could keep employees working by cleaning up debris and that not all companies laid off employees.

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Sides in JCPD/Jane Doe lawsuit in settlement talks

What were noticing is that most companies havent laid off all of their employees; several companies have managed to retain all of their employees through this process, said Finch. All six of those manufacturers have indicated that theyre looking to bring back all the employees they had before.

County leaders are working with state lawmakers to provide relief for businesses and employees impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Were working with the Tennessee Department of Economic Community Development to get incentives directly to those businesses, said Finch. The idea is that we want to facilitate in any way possible, letting people go back to work and doing that as soon as we can.

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The Industrial Park in Erwin is essentially gone, and these businesses impact the county as a whole.

Its not just jobs in manufacturing, but jobs in outdoor recreation and then retail hospitality in general, said Finch. Were going to see a lot of that impact more in springtime, as you would expect, jobs relating to whitewater rafting and just the servicing of the outdoor recreation economy here.

Finch said they are also working to rebuild the road into the industrial park to help businesses start rebuilding. They hope to start construction in January.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday praised Dr Manmohan Singh for bringing many "revolutions" during his tenure as the Prime Minister of India. He reiterated the words spoken by the former PM, saying that the media and opposition will have to remember him. The citizens will remember him for the works he undertook and the rights he granted through Constitutional means, he added. "Before he died, Manmohan Singh had made it very clear that the media and opposition would have to remember him. Every citizen of this country has to remember him for the work he undertook. He gave rights through the Constitution. Be it the right to education, right to food, right to employment, and right to transparency...he brought many revolutions...he looked at every section of the society," Shivakumar told reporters as he arrived at AICC headquarters to pay his last respects. Speaking on the issue of allocating space for a memorial for Dr Singh, Shivakumar said, "This the need of the hour...I hope good mind will prevail upon them (Government) and they will give whatever is the request of the Congress party." The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on Saturday. The mortal remains have been kept there for the party workers to pay their last respects. Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid their final respects to the veteran politician who died on Thursday night. Several other politicians are arriving at AICC HQ for 'last darshan' ahead of the cremation ceremony which is scheduled to be held at 11:45 PM at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate. Meanwhile, the preparations for the funeral march are underway at Nigambodh Ghat in honour of Dr Manmohan Singh. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their last respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, said that she has come with her husband Hatendra Pal to pay tributes to Manmohan Singh who she credits for making India famous, globally. Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory earlier, outlining restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to avoid certain roads and use public transport to help ease congestion. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
A Rutland firefighters wife and newborn twins have passed away, days after the pregnant mother suffered a severe medical emergency and was rushed to the hospital, officials announced Saturday morning.

The Chief of the Department regrets to announce the sudden passing of firefighter Patrick Sullivans wife, Ciara, age 30, along with their 11-day-old twins, James and Elizabeth, the Rutland Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post.

James and Elizabeth passed away quietly and peacefully alongside Ciara, the Rutland Regional Emergency Communication Center wrote in a separate post.

Words cannot express the total devastation and unimaginable loss this tragedy has brought, the Rutland RECC stated. Please keep Pat in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult timehe needs all the strength and support we can give him.

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Ciara suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday, December 17, just hours before she was to deliver her babies. She was rushed to Memorial Medical Center in Worcester and intubated.

Patrick and Ciaras twin babies were delivered prematurely via emergency C-section and put on ventilators.

Patrick Sullivan spoke with Boston 25 on Thursday night from the hospital and said, The prognosis is not good...Im devastated and furious this is happening.

In an update shared early Saturday on Facebook, Patrick wrote, I cant explain the total and utter devastation, anger, rage, and loss I feel that this unnecessary tragedy has brought me.

Rutland first responders and residents gathered at a vigil in the towns community park earlier this week to pray for the Sullivan family.

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Patricks colleagues were some of the first responders to Ciaras 911 call.

It broke my heart to hear my fellow firefighter crying and yelling while his wife was lying on the front steps, one colleague explained.

Patrick currently serves as a town firefighter and worked as a 911 dispatch supervisor for more than 13 years. The Rutland Fire Department remembered Ciara as a dedicated public servant who previously worked as a 911 dispatcher and an emergency management specialist for FEMA.

The Sullivan family would like to express their deepest, heartfelt appreciation for the outpouring of love and generosity during this difficult time, the department added.

A fund set up to support the Sullivan family has raised $79,387.

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During the American Civil War, huge metal monsters roamed the Mississippi River. Called ironclads, these boats were about 50 yards long, carried 75 tons of armor on their hulls and decks, sported up to 13 guns, and had crews numbering up to 250 men.

The seven city-class ironclads, sometimes called the turtles, were the most recognizable boats in the fleet, but northern laborers also converted a few existing steamboats into armored vessels.

The Union used this cutting-edge naval technology to attack Confederate forts at places like Tennessees Fort Henry and Island No. 10, and Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The USS Essex operating on the Mississippi River on Nov. 1, 1862, as drawn by William M.C. Philbrick, a crew member of a nearby Navy ship. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

But these conventional battles are only one part of the larger story of the Unions Mississippi River Squadron.

Piecing together fragments

As a Civil War historian who has been researching the Unions river navy for seven years, I have learned that the fleet was important in ways beyond its attacks on southern forts. It protected Union transports and supply boats from Confederate ambushes. In the process, the Union navy waged a nasty war against southerners who supported the insurgents.

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The evidence for this unconventional war is hidden in the shadows of the archives. Bits and pieces of information are littered throughout the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, materials in the National Archives, collections of sailors letters and diaries, and post-war accounts.

Piecing together this fragmentary material, I created a database of 559 separate episodes where gunboats attacked a target, southerners shot at a federal boat, or there was a mutual fight. I then worked with my universitys mapping experts to analyze the data using computers.

As the resulting map makes clear, combat between Union gunboats and southerners occurred across the Civil Wars western theater but was also clustered in a few important areas. My research also reframes our understanding of the Civil War away from well-known battles to a constant, grinding war that sucked in thousands of civilians.

Confederates seek loot and supplies

This irregular guerrilla war was an improvisation that began in earnest in the summer of 1862. By that point, Union ironclads and speedy rams had squashed the measly Confederate River Defense Fleet at Memphis. As northern armies began to march overland toward Vicksburg and elsewhere, they depended on steamboats for supplies.

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The Confederates created mobile ambush squads that were conglomerations of artillery and cavalry and sent them to the shores of the Mississippi River and its tributaries to attack Union supply boats and the ironclad gunboats that protected them.

One of these ambush groups was a mixture of about 250 men from the Third Maryland Artillery and a squadron of Texas cavalry. They had four cannons, including one christened Black Bess. On May 3, 1863, they captured the Minnesota, a steamer carrying US$40,000 worth of Union supplies.

Hungry Confederates swarmed aboard to find flour, bacon, potatoes, pickles of all sorts, sugar, coffee, rice, ginger, syrup, cheese, butter, oranges, lemons, preserves, canned oysters, whiskey, wines, musquito [sic] nets, clothing, stationery, tobacco, etc. etc. After wolfing down a luxurious dinner, a member of the artillery remembered how the rebels shared their extra food with sympathetic civilians in the area.

The USS Rattler, a so-called tinclad gunboat made by putting armor on a rivergoing steamboat. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

Union fights back

Union commanders realized that their ironclads clustered their men into a few boats, so they improvised and created a fleet of tinclads, also known as mosquitoes. These boats were lightly armored, had a crew of about 70 men, carried six to eight light cannons and could go just about anywhere because they had a draft of 30 inches of water.

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By the end of 1862, the Union put 17 tinclads into action and fitted out 74 by the time Robert E. Lee surrendered in 1865.

The crews of the tinclads and the other gunboats waged a deadly game of whack-a-mole along the western rivers. Whenever rebels popped up and attacked a boat, the fleet tried to smite it.

This reactive strategy failed because rebels could quickly retreat into the southern countryside, so Admiral David Dixon Porter devised a new strategy.

He gave Union commanders the authority to confiscate or destroy civilian property, including food, animals, cotton, buildings and personal property. Porter intended to starve rebels by depriving the men and their horses of food. He also hoped to inflict enough punishment on civilians that they would withdraw their support from the insurgents.

Punishment turns to plunder

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Union sailors were quick to carry out Porters orders. For instance, when Confederate-aligned guerrillas near Helena, Arkansas, killed one sailor from the USS Cairo and nearly captured another, revenge was swift. Union sailor George Yost, who was a 14-year-old cabin boy, reported that 40 sailors from the boat landed at a nearby plantation and burned up all the houses barns and everything combustible near the scene of the assassination.

But such punitive attacks often became plundering sprees. When the USS Cincinnati stopped at a plantation on the Mississippi River in March 1863, sailors went ashore and, after chasing away the owner, took 150 chickens, 600 pounds of bacon, a bull, some geese and a couple of guinea hens.

According to a sailor whose letters are in the Buffalo History Museum, they also helped themselves to bed clothes, pictures, crockery, &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. &c.  a clear implication that they took all kinds of personal possessions.

This strategy of exhaustion produced indifferent results. The Mississippi River Squadron was not able to quash resistance. Many civilians stayed loyal to the Confederacy and supported guerrillas until the war ended.

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And since the boats only patrolled the water, they could not occupy the land and drive out the rebels. But the river navy provided enough protection to Union supply lines to ensure victory over the Confederate army. The Unions Mississippi River Squadron didnt have to win its war; it merely had to prevent the rebels from winning theirs.

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: Robert Gudmestad, Colorado State University

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Robert Gudmestad 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.
CHEYENNE  Foy Jolley Jr. is a retired Vietnam veteran whos lived many lives, and continues to help veterans wherever and whenever he can.

Born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina, as one of eight siblings, Jolley raves about its beauty, but noted that growing up there didnt come without struggles.

As a Black kid growing up in North Carolina, a lot of people met (us) with discrimination. (Even today) people there arent a fan of interracial marriage, he said.

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Jolley was nominated as an Unsung Hero by C.J. Brown, a fellow Wyomingite and Vietnam veteran who served from 1968-69 as a combat medic.

Brown said in a letter sent to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Jolley has given several presentations (related to veteran aid and benefits). ... He also had paperwork to help aid and make things better for all veterans. ... He changed the way I see the (Department of Veterans Affairs). Jolley and other VA workers make the learning process easier.

Brown went on to say Jolley is a part of many community organizations and performs many unnoticed acts of kindness that encourage him and others to go the extra mile to help and benefit others.

One of the first times they met, Jolley allowed Brown to meet other veterans and helped him get signed up for VA hospital care. Brown isnt the only person hes done this for, either; Jolley helps many veterans who have PTSD or other mental illnesses, advocates for them and educates them on VA benefits and the PACT Act.

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Another thing he does is go around to local churches, including his home church at St. Marks Episcopal, to ask people if they know where their DD Form 214 (a service members official discharge paper) is, as well as how to get their flags and markers for their graves after they pass.

On top of all of that, Jolley is also the chairman of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Wyoming, attending meetings to help find solutions for struggling veterans and their families.

Arguably the biggest task that Jolley has is getting veterans signed up for Honor Flights. Since hes the chairman of High Plains Honor Flight, based in Ault, Colorado, he assists in giving World War II, Vietnam and Korean war veterans the opportunity to see the memorials in D.C. built in their honor. Jolley took his own Honor Flight back in 2018 from Denver, Colorado.

An Honor Flight is life-changing, said Jolley. They act as an official welcome home to veterans and gives them an opportunity to see their monuments. ... Were able to give anyone thats fought in the military or anyone that has a Purple Heart the privilege of going on a flight. ... You will not forget that experience.

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Jolleys time in service

As a boy, I was fascinated with airplanes. I would watch them fly overhead and see the contrails, and it made me want to be a part of the Air Force. Two other classmates of mine, now deceased, had the same vision, Jolley told the WTE.

In January 1956, Jolley left North Carolina to head to the Bronx in New York. He stayed there until he left for basic training in September 1957 in San Antonio, Texas.

After his basic training, he served in Germany (1962-63), Turkey (1963), North Carolina (1963-65), Thailand (1965), the Philippines (1965-67), New York (1968), Vietnam (1968-69), Australia (1969), Japan (1969-72) and finally landed in Cheyenne, where he was stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base from 1972 to 1977.

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The year that the Tet Offensive broke out in the Vietnam War was 1968, and Jolley was given notice to go on a special assignment with temporary duty (TDY) and route training for 189 days, which he denied. He was then sent to the Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam for a whole year. It was during the war, too, that he was exposed to Agent Orange while in Thailand.

Brown, like Jolley, said he found things less than welcoming when he got home from Vietnam.

(Vietnam) was a nasty place to be, and the American public didnt give us the (same) welcome home as veterans who fought in other wars, said Jolley.

It was around the time he was stationed in Cheyenne that he met his wife, Cheryl. He finally took a terminal leave in 1977, but found himself in another uniform right after, working as a police officer for the Wyoming State Capitol and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) until January 1998.

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His life post-active duty

Due to his experience after coming back from Vietnam, Jolley is determined to make the world, or at least Cheyenne, a better place for veterans to come home to. He wants an environment where they and their families are educated on their benefits and ensured they get the help they need post-active duty.

After retiring from the Air Force, Jolley joined the Regional Planning Commission for Cheyenne and served on the Senate staff for the Wyoming Legislature. Alongside the Honor Flight program and VFW organization, hes also a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association, the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, the American Legion and the Retired Enlisted Association.

Jolley still lives in Cheyenne with his wife; in January, they'll celebrate 46 years of marriage, and theyve been living in Cheyenne since 1976 together. The rest of his family, including his daughter and grandchildren, reside in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has two children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

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When looking to the future, Jolley said that he would like to see more African American and Native American faces on the Honor Flights.

Im there for every flight to see our troops off, and I just want to see more (representation) among the groups that fly back and forth for their memorials, said Jolley.

Corrections: Jolley took his Honor Flight out of Denver, not Loveland; Jolley and his wife started living in Cheyenne together in 1976, but they met in 1974 and will be married 46 years this January; Jolley spent a whole year in Vietnam, not 189 days. The 189 days was for his training en route to Vietnam. He went straight to Vietnam instead.
The United States plans to provide Ukraine with another major military aid package worth US$1.25 billion. This was stated by US officials, emphasising that the Biden administration is committed to supporting Kyiv as much as possible before the end of his presidential term.

Source: Associated Press, citing US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity

Details: According to the report, the new military aid package will include a significant amount of ammunition for the NASAMS anti-aircraft missile system and the HAWK air defence system. In addition, Ukraine will receive Stinger MANPADS and 155 mm and 105 mm artillery shells.

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The announcement of the aid, according to officials, is expected on Monday, 30 December.

Background:

On 20 December, the media reported that the Joe Biden administration would announce its final Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package in the coming days, using the remaining funds to purchase new weapons for Ukraine.

On 26 December, Biden reacted to the Russian large-scale attack on Ukraine on Christmas Day and promised to strengthen the country's air defence.

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The US said it has "early indications" that suggest Russian air defenses downed a passenger plane.

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed while trying to land after diverting to Kazakhstan, killing 38.

Experts pointed to damage to the plane before it landed, suggesting it had been hit by a missile.

A White House official said the US has seen "early indications" that the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane was caused by a Russian air defense system.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that the US has "seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems."

Kirby did not provide further details, but he said Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan were investigating the incident and that the US had offered to assist if needed.

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When pressed for more information on whether the US had seen intelligence that pointed to the involvement of an air defense system, Kirby said the short answer was "yes" but that he would "leave it at that."

The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 plane was en route to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, from Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, on Wednesday.

Flight 8243 then changed course over Russia and was trying to reach Kazakhstan's Aktau airport when it crash-landed.

Kazakh authorities said 38 people died, including the pilots, and 29 others survived.

The crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Meiramgul Kussainova/Anadolu via Getty Images

The airline's president praised the pilots' "heroism" and said the crew's dedication to their duties and prioritization of human life had "immortalized their names in history."

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Russian air defenses have been active around Grozny as Ukrainian drones have targeted the area as part of Ukraine's fightback against Russia's invasion.

Multiple experts and reports have pointed to Russia likely being behind the crash, citing the plane's erratic route as well as photo and video evidence of the aircraft that show holes in its fuselage and tail while it was still in the air.

Oliver Alexander, an OSINT analyst, said in a message to BI that "at this point, I don't think there is enough available evidence to conclusively say what exactly happened (type of missile etc)."

But he said "all the evidence I have seen points to the aircraft being hit by shrapnel from an air defense missile which severely damaged the elevator and rudder controls."

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Sources with knowledge of Azerbaijan's investigation told The Wall Street Journal that Russia had redirected the aircraft from its airspace and jammed its GPS system.

Azerbaijani sources with knowledge of the country's inquiry also told The New York Times that Azerbaijani officials believed a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system had damaged the aircraft.

Rashan Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's minister of digital development and transportation, told the country's media that "preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact," the AP reported.

"The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe," he added.

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Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday that a preliminary inquiry had blamed both "physical and technical external interference" but did not give any details.

Multiple airlines said after the crash that they would suspend flights to Russia and avoid Russian airspace. Most Western airlines have already been doing so since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Kremlin has refused to comment on reports that Russian weaponry caused the crash.

Speaking at a news briefing on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Currently an investigation is in progress. Any air incident should be investigated by specialized aviation authorities."

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"It would be wrong to build any hypotheses before the panel of inquiry presents its conclusions. Of course, we cannot do that. No one should do it," he added.

Russia's civil aviation authority pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the crash.

After a missile system shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet in 2014, international investigators concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin had likely given the system to separatists who used it.

All 298 people who were on board flight MH17 were killed.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The U.S. is planning to send $1.25 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Dec. 27, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

The announcement is expected to come on Dec. 30, officials said.

The outgoing White House administration has ramped up materiel shipments to Ukraine in the weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Previously, the U.S. announced $500 million in military aid for Ukraine on Dec. 12.

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The upcoming aid package is expected to include a substantial supply of munitions, officials told AP. This includes munitions for crucial air defense systems, such as the Hawk air defense system and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).

Stinger missiles and artillery rounds (105- and 155-mm) will also likely be provided, U.S. officials said.

The promised air defense delivery comes as Ukraine faces intensifying Russian aerial attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure. Russia directed a mass missile and drone strike against Ukraine's power grid on Christmas morning, leading U.S. President Joe Biden to promise a "surge" of weapons deliveries to Kyiv in response.

Ukraine on Dec. 3 asked NATO countries for at least 20 air defense systems to repel Russian attacks.

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The situation on the ground is also "challenging" and "trending towards escalation," Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 9. Russia has been making a series of territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, advancing in Donetsk Oblast and now attempting to shift its offensive into the south.

Read also: Ukraine ends year battered, with Russian troops pushing north, east, and south

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Chickens gather around a feeder at a farm on August 9, 2014 in Osage, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Despite remaining tight-lipped about its investigation into Tyson Foods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has collected nearly 18,000 related documents. However, some worry the inquiry could end under the next Trump administration.

In August, Investigate Midwest reported that the nations largest poultry processor was under investigation by the USDAs Packers and Stockyard Division, the office that enforces longstanding regulations meant to protect livestock producers from unjust practices.

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The current investigation follows Tysons sudden closure of several meatpacking plants last year, which left many poultry farmers in debt and facing bankruptcy.

While the USDA has not publicly confirmed the investigation, former Tyson contract growers have acknowledged being approached by federal investigators.

Tyson Foods declined to comment.

In May, Investigate Midwest filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to a potential investigation, including interviews and documents provided by former Tyson broiler chicken contract growers.

The agency denied Investigate Midwests request in June. An appeal was also rejected last month.

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[The exemption] of the FOIA protects law enforcement records if their release could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings. The relevant law enforcement purpose in this instance is enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, Bruce Summers, USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service administrator, wrote in a November letter to Investigate Midwest. For the materials that have been withheld under [the exemption], we have determined that they are enforcement records for an active investigation.

The agency said there are approximately 18,000 records related to the active investigation into Tyson Foods.

Antitrust experts believe the investigation is related to Tyson Foods closure of nine meatpacking plants across the country, beginning in early 2023. When these plants closed, contract growers who raised chickens for Tyson were left with millions of dollars in debt and no company to grow chickens for.

After closing a Missouri plant, Tyson Foods was urged to sell the facility to a competitor by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. The two Republicans said not doing so could violate state and federal antitrust laws. Instead, Tyson sold the plant to Cal-Maine Foods, the nations largest egg production company, which would not be able to work with local farmers under their current operations.

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Former Tyson contract growers sued both Cal-Maine and Tyson, alleging the companies colluded to prevent a different meatpacking company from purchasing the Missouri plant.

Former contract growers who spoke to Investigate Midwest said they could face bankruptcy and would have to sell land or take on additional debt to become contract egg farmers with Cal-Maine because each company has different growing, barn and equipment specifications.

Preston Arnold, a former Tyson contract grower who was approached by Cal-Maine to become an egg grower, said it would take nearly $2 million to update his barns for the company, on top of a nearly million-dollar debt balance on his Tyson barns.

Preston Arnold on his farm near Sikeston, Missouri, where he raised chickens before market changes on April 17, 2024. photo by Daniel Byrd, for Investigate Midwest

Arnold, who said he was questioned by Packers and Stockyards employees after Tyson closed plants last year, is now a part of the ongoing class-action lawsuit. He told Investigate Midwest he had to take matters into his own hands as many growers were nearing foreclosures of their personal homes and businesses.

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Growers dont have time to wait around for the federal government to act, he said.

Pending rules under a new Trump administration

A second Donald Trump administration could mean investigations into Tyson Foods are put on hold or dismissed altogether, said David Muraskin, managing director for the agricultural legal advocacy group FarmSTAND.

We would expect to see an investigation like this closed or just die, said Muraskin, citing Trumps history of deregulation and business-friendly policies.

During his first term, Trump rolled back pending Packers and Stockyard updates implemented by the Obama administration. Some of these rulings were revitalized during the Biden administration.

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The revitalized rules under Biden included protections for livestock and poultry growers based on race, sex, age, or disability from the companies that purchase their animals and set contracts. Another recent update requires processing companies to disclose financial risks associated with poultry growing contracts, as well as provide details about how payment is assessed.

No grower would enter in the contracts that they were told a slaughterhouse is going to close six months after they spend somewhere between $100,000 and a million dollars in upgrading their houses, Muraskin said.

Even with the new rules, some farmer advocates say that the Biden administration dragged its feet in finalizing the updates.

Various other rules have been opened for public comment and are still being reviewed by the agency, including a rule that would address certain problematic practices, such as the common occurrence of contractor growers taking out debt to build or upgrade production barns and equipment. The proposal would require poultry companies to disclose risks, incentives and compensations associated with taking on capital anytime a company makes the request of a grower to expand.

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The USDA declined to answer questions about the investigation and its collection of documents.

Muraskin said any rule not yet finalized could be subject to congressional review when the new administration takes office. But he added that stronger rules are best for rural communities, which Trump has pledged support for.

If Trump is who he ran to be, this is something that the agency should very much be interested in, Muraksin said. This is companies exploiting the free market in ways that make it not operate cleanly, and are destroying rural America.

Trump has routinely sided with large meatpacking and processing companies, including in helping the industry continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A 2022 Congressional Select Subcommittee report found that Tysons legal department drafted the executive order Trump signed forcing meatpacking plants to stay open as the virus raged through plants.

The report states that after the order was signed, the Trump administration asked meatpacking companies to issue positive statements and social media about the Presidents action on behalf of the industry.

On a November 2024 earnings call, Tyson CEO and President Donnie King said the company has successfully operated this business for over 90 years, no matter the party in control, the environment, he said. We look forward to working with the incoming administration.

This article first appeared on Investigate Midwest and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  While the U.S. Postal Service has moved forward with plans to slow delivery for some mail to save on costs nationwide, local union reps are addressing the service speeds were seeing here at home.

So, if youve wondered why it might be taking longer for your holiday cards to get delivered this season, officials say its not a staffing issue.

Instead, a change in standards from the U-S postmaster general. The proposals are part of a 10-year plan, but the postal service has stressed all first-class mail will still be delivered in one to five days should these changes take effect.

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The president of our local chapter for the national association of letter carriers shares more.

They have relaxed the standard of percentage that they feel should be on a regular basis. For 2024 their goal was 90 to 93 percent depending on what was sent first class, President of Letter Carriers Local Monique Mate said. This year the postmaster general actually sent a letter to the postal regulatory commission that theyre relaxing the standards for fiscal year 2025 in the 80 percent range.

She goes on to say staffing for letter carriers in the 1-4-4, 1-4-5, and 1-4-6 zip codes is stronger this year comparatively with about 1500 members in the ranks.

Meantime to our south, a mail consolidation is planned between Elmira and Corning set for late spring of 2025.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and his daughter Daman Singh on Saturday paid their last respects to him at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in the national capital. Several politicians including Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also paid last respects to Singh. Meanwhile, the preparations for the funeral march are underway at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in honour of Dr Manmohan Singh. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed today. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their last respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, said that she had come with her husband to pay tribute to Manmohan Singh who she credits for making India famous globally. Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory earlier, ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to avoid certain roads and use public transport to help ease congestion. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today at 11:45 PM, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
A Utah man died Saturday in his sleep after an illness while serving as a mission president in France for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We are saddened to announce that President Jason Michael Soulier, serving in the France Lyon Mission, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on Saturday, December 28, 2024, church spokesman Sam Penrod said.

Penrod said Soulier had been ill for a few days preceding his death. An official cause of death has not been determined.

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Soulier, 54, is the father of four adult children. He and his wife, Sister Jennifer H. Soulier, were members of the Salt Lake East Mill Creek Stake when he was called to lead the Lyon Mission beginning in June.

We express our love and deepest sympathies to President Souliers family and all the missionaries in the France Lyon Mission during this difficult time, Penrod said. We pray all will feel the Saviors love as they honor and remember President Souliers faithful service.

Soulier was leading approximately 200 full-time missionaries serving in the Lyon region.

Elder James W. McConkie III, second counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency, and his wife, Sister Laurel McConkie, are traveling to Lyon to support Sister Soulier.

Elder McConkie will lead the mission on an interim basis.
Valley fever cases are skyrocketing in California, with this year's tally already far exceeding the number recorded in all of 2023 and set to climb even higher once figures from the typically active month of December are reported.

As of the end of November, 11,076 valley fever cases had been confirmed statewide, a 20% increase compared to last year's total and a nearly 47% jump from 2022, according to state health data.

Valley fever is caused by inhaling spores of coccidioides, a fungal pathogen that thrives in the drier and dustier regions of the state. The fungus is released when the dry soil where it grows is disturbed.

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Kern County has long been a hot spot for the disease and fungus, and this year is no different. The county accounts for 3,768, or just over one-third, of reported cases.

While several counties have seen relatively modest growth in case numbers through November compared with what was reported over the same time frame in 2022, including Los Angeles and Riverside, a few have increased by 100% to 200%  including Fresno, Kings, Merced, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Stanislaus.

Read more: Valley fever is a growing risk in Central California; few visitors ever get a warning

The largest jump occurred in Monterey County, where case counts tripled, from 100 as of Nov. 30, 2022, to 299 by the same time in 2024.

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Experts say the rise in cases  and the geographic spread of the fungus  is likely the result of a combination of several factors, including a series of wet winters on top of a historic drought, a changing climate, shifting demographics and increased construction in areas once left to coyotes, desert rodents and cacti.

Most people who are infected by the fungus will not experience symptoms; their bodies will fight off the infection naturally. But in some cases, the fungal spores can cause life-altering damage or death.

The disease can be especially problematic for people who live outside the fungus' region of endemism, because the early stages often resemble the onset of COVID-19 or the flu. Physicians who are not familiar with the disease may misdiagnose these patients or fail to consider it.

That's what happened to several concertgoers in May who camped out at the Lightning in a Bottle music and art festival, held at Kern County's Buena Vista Lake. Among them was San Francisco artist Nora Bruhn, who returned home with what she assumed was a cold. But over the following weeks, her symptoms worsened and intensified.

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It was only when her brother, an emergency room physician, suggested she might have valley fever that she was finally diagnosed and started on an antifungal regimen.

Read more: Superblooms of fungus: Climate change is making valley fever worse

For others, the delay of treatment can be deadly  allowing the fungus to spread and grow in the lungs and occasionally the brain.

Outside of California, valley fever is also prevalent in Arizona and some areas of Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Texas, as well as parts of Mexico and Central and South America.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A U.S. law that would force the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok to either sell the service or face a U.S. ban is constitutional, a panel of federal appeals judges ruled Friday. In this 2020 photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone. (Photo Illustration by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Following the passage of a federal law earlier this year that calls for the owners of social media app TikTok to either sell it or be subject to a ban on the app in the U.S., Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an amicus brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to uphold the law.

TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, sued the U.S. government over the law, saying it impeded their First Amendment rights, but a federal appeals court recently upheld the law. The high court will hear oral arguments in the appeal case Jan. 10.

Attorney General Jason Miyares (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

Allowing TikTok to operate in the United States without severing its ties to the Chinese Communist Party exposes Americans to the undeniable risks of having their data accessed and exploited by the Chinese Communist Party, Miyares, a Republican, said in a statement announcing the amicus brief. The Supreme Court now has the chance to affirm Congresss authority to protect Americans from foreign threats while ensuring that the First Amendment doesnt become a tool to defend foreign adversaries exploitative practices.

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When the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was introduced in March, members of Virginias congressional delegation supported it. Democratic U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Bobby Scott said the measure would protect Americans against foreign digital threats, while U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, and Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who co-chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, supported the Houses action against TikTok.

In December 2023, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order banning the use of TikiTok on any government-issued devices, including state-issued cell phones, laptops, or other devices capable of connecting to the internet except for public safety purposes.

Miyares co-led the amicus brief alongside Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. Attorneys General in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah also signed on in support.

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(NewsNation)  The Metro Richmond Zoo in Virginia needs help naming its newborn Moo Deng look-alike.

A pygmy hippopotamus arrived in time for the holidays on Dec. 9 to hippo parents Iris and Corwin, weighing 15 pounds at birth. But she needs a name, and the zoo is asking people to submit their vote through New Years Eve.

Name options include Poppy, inspired by the flower like her moms name; Juniper, an evergreen shrub to remember winter when she was born; Hammie Mae, a sweet and southern tie to Virginia ham; and Omi, which means water in Yoruba, a language spoken in West Africa.

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Pygmy hippos are an endangered species native to West Africa.

Less than 2,500 mature individuals remain in the wild, the Metro Richmond Zoo said in a news release. This birth  like all of Iris births  plays an important role in helping protect this rare and elusive species.

The newborn favors another pygmy hippo who took the internet over in a viral meme  Moo Deng. She lives at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, born in July. Her name was voter-selected in a public naming poll.

The baby hippo has two sisters, who were relocated to other facilities to live with future mates. Fully grown adults weigh upward of 600 pounds.

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The zoo will announce the hippos official name on New Years 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 NewsNation.
Vladimir Putin has apologised for the Azerbaijan Airlines crash but stopped short of accepting responsibility for what he described as a tragic incident.

In a phone call with Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, Putin offered his apologies and admitted that the problems began in Russian airspace.

He told Mr Aliyev that Russian air defences had been responding to an attack by Ukrainian drones on Grozny, southern Russia, where the plane was due to land, according to the Kremlin.

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The plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 of 67 passengers. The pilots, who both died in the crash, were credited with saving many lives by managing to land part of the plane.

In his statement, which broke three days of official silence from the Kremlin, Putin did not attribute the downing of the plane to the actions of Russian air defences.

But in its own statement, Baku suggested that the blame did lie with Moscow.

Credit: X / @yarotrof

Mr Aliyev reportedly emphasised to Putin that the plane was hit by external interference over Russia and said it wanted those responsible held accountable.

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Mr Aliyev said that multiple holes in the aircrafts fuselage and injuries sustained by passengers and crew were due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight.

He also noted that testimonies of the surviving flight attendants and passengers of the plane confirm the fact of external physical and technical impact.

In their call, Putin told Mr Aliyev that a criminal case had been opened by the Investigative Committee of Russia. The Azerbaijani president called for regular public updates and a completely transparent process.

Vladimir Putin told Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, that a criminal case had been opened by the Investigative Committee of Russia - Sergei ILYIN/AFP via Getty

The phone call came after the White House on Friday said that early indications were that Russian air defences were to blame for the incident.

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Putin rarely offers official apologies of any sort. He has consistently denied Russia bears any responsibility for the 2013 downing of flight MH17, which was shot out of the sky by Moscows proxy forces in eastern Ukraine, killing 283 passengers and 15 crew.

But Azerbaijan, a former Soviet state, has become increasingly critical to the Russian economy since the war in Ukraine began. It buys Russian oil and gas and provides trade links to Iran, a key ally, that cannot be hit by sanctions.

Officially neutral on the war, Baku has also sought to build economic ties with the West since Moscow invaded in 2022.

Anton Barbashin, the editorial director of online journal Riddle Russia, said that Putin had no option but to apologise to Mr Aliyev given Azerbaijian is crucial for Russias regional infrastructure ambitions.

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An apology would have been especially sensitive, as in 2020 Mr Aliyev personally apologised to Putin after his countrys armed forces mistakenly shot down a Russian helicopter.

Ukraine said Russia should be held responsible for the crash, with leader Volodymyr Zelensky holding his own call with Mr Aliyev.

Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation, Mr Zelensky said, adding that the footage makes it look very much like an air defence missile strike.

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Telegram: @LADA.KZ

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Mr Zelensky accused Slovakia of opening a second energy front against Ukraine on the orders of Putin, as a gas transit dispute between the countries continued to escalate.

On Friday, Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine if it follows through on its pledge not to renew a contract that allows Russian gas transit through the country to Europe from Jan 1.

Kyiv has offered to supply nations that rely on the gas with its own domestic supplies instead.

But Mr Fico said ending Russian gas transit would drive up costs for the EU and Slovakia. But who cares about Slovakia, right, Mr Zelensky? he said.

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After Jan 1, we will consider the situation and the possibility of reciprocal measures against Ukraine, Mr Fico, who is also one of the EUs most outspoken opponents of military aid to Kyiv, said. If it is unavoidable, we will stop the supply of electricity, which Ukraine urgently needs in the event of grid failures, he said.

Russia has targeted Ukrainian power plants in heavy barrages throughout the winter.

Mr Zelensky said on Saturday: Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak peoples interests

Ficos threats to cut off Ukraines emergency power supply this winter, while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid, can only be explained by this.

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Details of the Murdoch family succession feud may soon be unsealed if Smartmatic, a voting machine company that is suing Fox News, is successful in its bid to use the secret court documents as evidence.

Smartmatic has asked the commissioner of Nevadas probate court for access to certain documents pertaining to the secretive succession struggle, according to CNN.

The company may want to use the contents of the sealed documents to strengthen its defamation case against Fox, a source told CNN. Documents that could be revealed include deposition transcripts and trial testimony from Rupert Murdoch and other family members.

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The defamation lawsuit kicked off after current President-elect Donald J. Trump lost the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The channel broadcast false accusations against Smartmatic, claiming that the results were fixed in Democrats favor. The company is now suing Fox News and Fox Corporation, with Fox denying defamation.

A Reno court has seen a different side of the media empire. The Murdoch family has been engaged in a secretive battle to establish who will lead the massive company after 93-year-old Murdoch ends his reign.

Earlier this month, Rupert Murdoch failed to amend his trust in favor of his eldest son, Lachlan. His reasoning was that Lachlan would protect conservative valuesas well as profits. His three other childrenJames, Elisabeth and Prudencereleased a statement saying that they welcomed the decision in early December and hoped that the family can move beyond this litigation to focus on strengthening and rebuilding relationships among all family members.
Dec. 27Four adults found dead of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in a Wakefield home on Christmas Day were all members of a Massachusetts family.

Matthew Goldstein, 52, Lyla Goldstein, 54, Valerie Goldstein, 22, and Violet Goldstein, 19, all of Newton, Mass., were found inside a home at 2962 Province Lake Road (Route 153) in East Wakefield after Wakefield police responded to a request for a welfare check.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined Matthew Goldstein's cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, and the manner is pending. The cause and manner of death of the three women remain pending the results of additional blood testing, officials said.

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"All accounts are that this is an accidental and a very tragic story during the holiday season," state Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said in a video briefing Friday.

No carbon monoxide alarms were found in the home, Toomey said. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause serious illness and death at high levels.

Matthew and Lyla Goldstein have owned the Wakefield property since 2018, online tax records show.

Linus Guillory, superintendent of schools in Brookline, Mass., confirmed Matthew Goldstein was an eighth-grade teacher at Brookline's Baker School.

"We are deeply heartbroken to learn of the passing of Mr. Matt Goldstein, an exceptional educator and a beloved member of our (school) community," Guillory said in a statement. "Mr. Goldstein's dedication to inspiring students and shaping young minds has left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.

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Toomey said investigators have identified the home's propane gas heating system as the source of the carbon monoxide leak.

"We believe it to be an accidental case," Toomey said. "We believe there was some sort of malfunction of the propane gas heating system which allowed carbon monoxide gas to not exit through the normal venting system like it should and exit to the outside. We're still looking into all of the details of that failure at this point."

Toomey said three of the victims were found in bedrooms in the home, while the fourth was found in a bathroom. He would not say which victims were found where, and said investigators are still working to confirm they died overnight, the current working theory, based on the locations of the bodies.

The Goldsteins had been expected to attend a holiday event, and when they did not show up as expected, family members contacted Wakefield Police and requested a welfare check.

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When officers arrived, they made a forced entry after finding no signs of activity, and found the bodies. Wakefield firefighters were called in and found elevated carbon monoxide levels in the house.

Ten CO deaths this year

Toomey said the latest deaths bring the total number of lives lost to carbon monoxide poisoning in New Hampshire this year to 10, when typically in a year there are two or three.

Toomey said a "stress debriefing session" was held Thursday night in Wakefield for first responders to talk about the incident.

"Our office, unfortunately, has to respond to all fire deaths and carbon monoxide deaths in the state," Toomey said. "This has been a terribly tragic year for both fire deaths and carbon monoxide deaths. I think it wears on all of us. It comes at a terrible time of year  the holidays, during which we spend time with family and friends.

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"So to lose a whole family of four right in the peak of the holiday season, it hits home even more."

The State Fire Marshal's Office offers the following tips for making sure the carbon monoxide alarms in homes are maintained and working properly:

Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms in a central location outside each separate sleeping area, on every level of the home, and in other locations, as required by laws, codes, or standards.

If you have combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, follow the directions for smoke alarm installation.

Test carbon monoxide alarms once a month and replace them if they fail to respond correctly when tested.

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Replace the carbon monoxide alarm according to manufacturer's instructions or when the end-of-life signal sounds.

Know the difference between the sound of the carbon monoxide alarm and the smoke alarm, and each alarm's low-battery signals. If the audible low-battery signal sounds, replace the batteries, or replace the device.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is encouraged to contact the State Fire Marshal's Office at 603-223-4289 or fmo@dos.nh.gov.

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ST. LOUIS  Authorities are renewing calls for help in the search for Daja Lucas, a woman who has been missing for nearly two weeks. Family members also continue to plead for help.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department reports that Lucas has been missing since Dec. 17.

On Friday, SLMPD told FOX 2 that it followed up on several tips and reported sightings shortly after her disappearance, though such tips have slowed in recent days.

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St. Louis police hope to deploy canines to assist in tracking Lucas but are looking for information on her last known sightings to do so. As a result, police are renewing calls for help in finding her.

He died a hero that night: Mom speaks out after son allegedly killed by his father Christmas Eve

SLMPDs Missing Persons Unit says Lucas left her home in the 3700 block of Texas Avenue around 11 a.m. on Dec. 17. Police say she was last seen wearing a nightgown and blue-and-green socks.

Officials say she has a tattoo on her right bicep with the name Timothy and a tattoo on her chest with the name Mike.

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FOX 2 previously spoke to Lucass Aunt, Anetra Thornton, who expressed the familys deep concern for her safety.

She was talking to her father on the phone, and the conversation started to change. And her father noticed she was in distress, said Thornton. She is missed. We are looking for her. We want her to come home. Her daughters want her to come home. They are missing their mommy.

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Police have disclosed that Daja suffers from mental health conditions. They warn that if you find her, she might not provide her real name.

Family members have previously noted that Lucas is known to go near bodies of water and urge the public to keep an eye on such locations.

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SLMPD urges anyone with information to contact their department at 314-444-2500 or their nearest law enforcement agency.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Warmer weather will move back into New Mexico again this weekend with highs staying well-above average. Cooler air moves in though to start the New Year.

Another round of light snow and rain moved through northern New Mexico Friday, bringing some very light snowfall accumulations to parts of the northern mountains. Temperatures were warmer across the state today too, thanks to a stronger westerly wind that is still sticking around Friday evening in the southern half of the state. These winds will actually stick around overnight, keeping temperatures warmer overnight compared to what weve been used to. The light rain and snow will move out of New Mexico overnight, but skies will stay partly cloudy to mostly clear.

Drier weather returns statewide Saturday as temperatures continue a warming trend and winds will be lighter in the afternoon. Sunday and Monday will be the warmest day for many of us over the next several days. Stronger winds will pick up again Monday afternoon.

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A strong cold front will move into New Mexico from the northwest Monday night and through the day Tuesday. This will bring in cooler air to start the New Year.

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Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid his last respects to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi. Sonia Gandhi, the chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), also paid her last respects to former Prime Minister. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid their last respects to the former PM at the Congress party headquarters. Several leaders of Congress, including general secretary KC Venugopal are present at the party headquarters. The mortal remains of late PM Manmohan Singh are kept there for the party workers to pay their last respects. The last rites of former PM Manmohan Singh will be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 105.

Upton was surrounded by his "loving family" when he died on Wednesday, Dec. 25 following a "short hospital stay," according to a Facebook announcement from the Pacific Historic Parks nonprofit.

Upton's Christmas Day death  at a hospital in Los Gatos, Calif.  followed a bout with pneumonia, Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, told the Associated Press.

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Beyond being the oldest living survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Upton was also the last living survivor of the USS Utah  a naval ship that sank after being hit by two torpedoes during the early minutes of the Hawaii attack, per the nonprofit.

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Deanne Fitzmaurice/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Warren Upton photographed in December 2003 Warren Upton photographed in December 2003

Related: Prince Harry Salutes Navy Servicemen in New Photos from Surprise Pearl Harbor Visit on Veterans Day

Upton was 22 when he served as a radioman on the ship before it capsized. He and others escaped and swam to Ford Island, per the Pacific Historic Parks. Upton also helped another man who couldn't swim escape, according to the nonprofit.

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Of the 58 crew members who died aboard the ship, many couldn't escape while it rolled over. The wreck itself now marks the site of a memorial at Pearl Harbor.

Upton continued to serve as a radioman during World War II and later started a family with wife Gene, who Pacific Historic Parks said died in 2018.

The late veteran previously told the AP in 2020 that he was about to shave before the first torpedo struck the USS Utah. He added that nobody on board understood why the ship had shaken ahead of the second torpedo, which then caused it to capsize.

The outlet, which cites military historian J. Michael Wenger, said 87,000 military personnel were on Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941, and only 15 are still alive following Upton's death.

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Related: Remains of Ohio Sailor Identified 80 Years After Pearl Harbor Attack, Officials Say

Upton's death comes months after Lou Conter, a fellow Pearl Harbor survivor and the last known survivor of the USS Arizona battleship, died at age 102 in April.

According to multiple local outlets, Conter had congestive heart failure and died at his home in Grass Valley, Calif.

Conter was serving as a quartermaster at the time. He was standing on the main deck of the ship when it was attacked.

The veteran later served in three wars, flew in 200 missions as a pilot and retired in 1967 after nearly 30 years in the Navy, per multiple outlets.



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On December 7, 1941, 22-year-old radioman Warren Red Upton was getting ready to shave when a Japanese torpedo struck his ship, USS Utah (AG-16). In 2020, Upton recounted to The Associated Press that no one knew what caused Utah to shake. The battleship-turned-target ship was then struck by a second torpedo, which caused her to roll over and sink quickly. Upton abandoned ship, scraping barnacles on Utahs hull on his way down. He swam to shore with many of his shipmates. The ships service officer was wearing a life jacket but could not swim, so Upton helped him through the water and to the shore. Still, 58 of Utahs crew were killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

USS Utah Survivor Warren Upton is greeted by Michael Ferreira, commander of Pearl Harbor American Veterans, following the USS Utah Memorial Sunset Ceremony in Pearl Harbor, Dec. 6, 2019. The ceremony honors the loss of the USS Utah and 58 crewmen after the ship was torpedoed during the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941. The USS Utah was the first ship torpedoed in the attack; it sank 12 minutes later. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Allen Michael Amani)

Upton made it to nearby Ford Island. As Japanese planes strafed men on the ground, he ran for a nearby ditch and took cover. From there, Upton and other sailors witnessed the devastation of the attack. When the USS Arizona was hit, it sounded like everything was going up, Upton told Don Downey in a 2018 interview. We thought maybe it was a fuel tank. The sailors remained in the ditch for 30 minutes until a truck came along and took them to safety. After Pearl Harbor, Upton continued to serve as a radioman. When the war ended, he returned home and married his wife Jeanne, a former Navy nurse, and started a family; Jeanne passed away in 2018. In the wake of Pearl Harbor and WWII, Upton remained a proud member of the USS Utah and Pearl Harbor survivor communities. While he did not mind sharing his experience of the attack, the loss of his shipmates over the years saddened him.

Upton celebrated his 105th birthday on October 17, 2024 (Friends of the National World War II Memorial via Facebook)

On December 25, 2024, Upton passed away at a hospital in Los Gatos, California; Hawaii News Now reports that he was surrounded by family when he passed. At the time of his death, Upton was the oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Moreover, he was the last crew member of the USS Utah. Hawaii Public Radio reports that only three surviving sailors from Utah were still alive in 2020, including Upton. HPR also notes that, following Uptons death, just 15 service members of the estimated 87,000 on Oahu during the attack are still alive.
Dec. 27Money for bosque restoration, a new wastewater system in Bernalillo and floodplain research in Estancia will be authorized by a federal water infrastructure bill Congress passed last week.

The Water Resources Development Act is meant to improve ports, harbors, inland waterway navigation and flood and storm protection by authorizing Army Corps of Engineer projects and other water infrastructure funds. In New Mexico, that means projects related to watersheds, sewer systems, ecosystem restoration and flood risk management rely on the legislation for funding approval. The WRDA has to be authorized every other year. It is headed to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.

"One of the things that we have really been trying to do is use the Water Resources Development Act to get projects funded for New Mexico that we were otherwise struggling to get funding for," said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M.

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The Town of Bernalillo has struggled to put together the financing for wastewater upgrades, so legislators got $20 million authorized in WRDA. Improving the wastewater plant should support population growth happening in Sandoval County, Stansbury said. Sandoval County saw a 4.8% population increase between 2020 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Ensuring that Bernalillo has efficient wastewater treatment is also important for downriver communities such as Albuquerque, Stansbury said.

Bosque Farms in Valencia County will also get much-needed funding, with $10 million authorized to upgrade its wastewater facilities.

The legislation includes a wildfire prevention and wildlife restoration project in the Middle Rio Grande bosque, the forest adjacent to the river. The project would remove jetty jacks, which were built in the 1930s and 1940s for flood control.

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The jetty jacks forever altered the course of the river and impacted endangered species, Stansbury said, and removing them is important to river health.

The legislation also authorizes a hydrologic study in the East Mountains.

"For many, many years, in the springtime there was some level of flooding that came through that area, and that's why Estancia, historically, was always a stop where ranchers in particular, who were transporting their cattle or their sheep, would stop," Stansbury said.

Part of Estancia was built in a floodplain. But as snowpack patterns have changed, it appears the floodplain has also changed, Stansbury said. Estancia has been unable to qualify for some types of federal funding to help it build water infrastructure, roads and buildings because, according to the out-of-date floodplain map, part of Estancia's major municipal areas are in the floodplain. An updated hydrologic study should help the town prove the floodplain has shifted and make it possible for Estancia to qualify for more federal infrastructure funding.

"Making sure that Estancia can qualify again for federal infrastructure funding literally will transform that community," Stansbury said.
EDISON, N.J (PIX11)  The aftermath of a major water main break that impacted around 20,000 residents has spilled over into day two.

Cant take a shower. We have no water at all, said resident Tracy Spurlin. I know some people have trickling water, right now we have none.

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Theres no water anyplace in the house, said Ronald, another resident of Edison.

Hundreds in town without water came to the fire station on Plainfield Avenue Friday morning to take home gallons of fresh drinking water. Still, that wont solve all of Annette Berrues problems; the water main break is keeping her from seeing her family.

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Im going to Maryland to visit my son and the grandchildren, said Berrue. And I cant get down there because I have to be in the house because theres no water.

Progress has been made since the 20-inch main broke around midnight Thursday. After repairs, water began to flow again on Friday, but officials say it wont be like flipping a switch.

Valves have to be opened carefully, which means it will take some time.

Many people have come to the Senior Center on Woodbridge Avenue to use public restrooms. The town government posted updates Friday afternoon on where residents could get water, access to restrooms and use shower facilities.

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We are doing every single thing we possibly can to address this but we have to do so with patience and diligence, said Mayor Sam Joshi. We will get through this as best as we can.

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MARIANNA, Ark.  Theres a very good chance some communities in our area will see stormy weather for the last weekend of 2024, with the possibility of heavy rain, hail and damaging winds.

In Marianna, Arkansas, folks watch the sky closely when weather threatens, and for good reason.

Miranda Stanbery, manager of OReilly Auto Parts in Marianna, vividly remembers the morning of May 22, 2024.

We were here at work and the power went out. We saw a transformer blow across the street. We went to the front door and opened them up and was watching it rain, Stanbery said. It got really loud, really dark, real fast and then the storm blew the roof off the building.

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A powerful storm sent employees running to their safe place for shelter.

Powerful storms leave damage, outages in AR town

That storm left folks in this Lee County community without power for days.

But Stanbery is watching the sky, hopeful there wont be another disaster, with the possibility of severe weather for this last weekend of 2024.

The main thing were concerned about is flash flooding or flooding, said Brandon Richardson, Director of the Lee County Office of Emergency Management. Since weve already had all the rain over the past few days and theyre anticipating another one to three inches of rain, were just watching for flooding right now.

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Friday, the Marianna Police Department alerted residents though social media to the possibility of strong storms Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight.

Folks here can stay weather aware by downloading the free Code Red weather alert app. Its the system used by the Lee County Office of Emergency Management during severe weather.

But just the thought of a repeat of Mays storm is too much for Ellen Fraction, manager of Cheers liquor store.

It makes me feel a little scary but Im just going to leave it in the hands of the Lord and pray. Thats all we can do is pray. Thats all I can do, she said.

Richardson says should the need arise, the Lee County Courthouse basement serves as a shelter.

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Check the latest forecasts from WREG Weather

You can also stay weather aware by downloading the free WREG weather app.

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In June, at his doctors recommendation, Tom Contos of Chicago underwent a procedure thats performed more than 15 million times a year in the United States: a colonoscopy. When the hospital charged nearly three times what it had estimated, he wanted to know why. (Taylor Glascock for KFF Health News)

Tom Contos is an avid runner. When he started experiencing rectal bleeding in March, he thought exercise could be the cause and tried to ignore it. But he became increasingly worried when the bleeding continued for weeks.

The Chicago health care consultant contacted his physician at Northwestern Medicine, who referred him for a diagnostic colonoscopy, at least partly because Contos, 45, has a family history of colon issues.

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I work out a lot, he said. But my partner said this isnt normal. My primary care physician said, Given your family history, lets get you in.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital asked him to prepay $1,000 out-of-pocket, and he underwent the procedure in June.

Then the bill came.

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The medical procedure

Colonoscopies are performed in the United States more than 15 million times a year. Rates of colorectal cancer are on the rise, particularly among younger people.

The procedure, which is also a recommended screening for people 45 or older, involves examining the large intestine using a tube with a video camera that can also collect tissue samples.

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It typically takes less than one hour, with another hour spent taking the patients history, administering anesthesia, and monitoring their recovery, said Glenn Littenberg, a physician who recently chaired the reimbursement committee of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

According to Contos medical record, the gastroenterologist who performed his colonoscopy described it as not difficult. He biopsied and removed small growths called polyps from two spots and identified large internal hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins.

The biopsy samples were sent to pathology for testing and found to be precancerous. But the gastroenterologist reported finding no evidence of cancer, and after reviewing the pathology report, he concluded hemorrhoids were the likely cause of the bleeding.

The final bill

The hospital charged a total of $19,206 for the procedure, including physician fees. The insurer negotiated the price to $5,816 and paid $1,979, leaving a patient share of $4,047. (It wasnt clear why the payments added up to slightly more than the negotiated price.) After Contos had paid $1,000 up front, plus $1,381 right after the procedure, the hospital said he still owed $1,666.

The billing problem: Colonoscopies that find polyps cost more

Contos was shocked and angry when he received his itemized bill. I said, I dont understand this. Then I started to research the cost.

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He asked the hospital what it charges for a diagnostic colonoscopy and was told hed been sent a cost estimate through his online patient portal prior to the procedure.

The estimate, which took his deductible of $3,200 into account, listed a total price of $7,203, with an out-of-pocket bill of $2,381. He asked Northwestern why the charges were nearly three times the estimate and why his out-of-pocket share was nearly twice as high.

One big reason was revealed in an explanation of benefits (EOB) statement from Contos insurance company, Aetna: Northwestern had charged for two colonoscopies, at $5,466 each. And there were two fees for the gastroenterologist  $1,535 and $1,291.

The first procedure was listed as colonoscopy and biopsy, while the second was listed as colonoscopy w/lesion removal. Aetnas negotiated member rate reduced the first $5,466 hospital charge to $3,425, while the charge for the second procedure was lowered to $1,787  $1,638 less.

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Neither the bill nor the EOB explained why there was a second procedure listed, at a reduced price.

After examining Contos bill, Littenberg said its standard for providers to bill for two colonoscopies if they remove two or more polyps in different ways, because of the extra work. As in this case, hospitals typically use a modifier code that reduces the amount charged for the second billed colonoscopy so they charge only for the extra work, he added.

How do you explain that in sensible terms that anyone could understand? Littenberg said.

Tom Contos paid a fee up front, then made another payment after his colonoscopy. He was shocked and angry when he got his itemized bill showing he still owed more. (Taylor Glascock for KFF Health News)

Even with that reduction, Littenberg said, he thought Contos total out-of-pocket cost of $4,047 was a lot, though not rare for large academic centers.

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Contos insurance documents show Aetnas negotiated rate for his colonoscopy at Northwestern was more than twice the insurers median negotiated rate for the same procedure at other Chicago-area hospitals, according to Forrest Xiao, director of quantitative research at Turquoise Health, a company that gathers health care price data.

In exchanges with Northwestern and Aetna representatives, Contos asked why he was charged for two colonoscopies. A Northwestern representative said that because of the modifier code, he wasnt actually being billed for two procedures, which Contos found bewildering.

I told Northwestern, Im not paying that, and I dont care if you send me to collections, he said. He filed appeals with the hospital and Aetna but was ultimately told the billing was correct.

The resolution

In an email, Contos told the billing department that its charge was ridiculously high. A representative responded that Northwesterns pricing is in line with other academic medical centers in Chicago and non-negotiable  and that his account would be turned over to a collections agency.

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CVS Health spokesperson Phillip Blando said in a written statement to KFF Health News that the claims for Contos were paid accurately by Aetna, declining further comment. (CVS Health owns Aetna.)

Northwestern did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Contos said he wrote to his physician that he was regretfully dropping him and leaving Northwestern entirely because of the health systems high pricing.

He said hes still experiencing periodic symptoms, which he relieves with over-the-counter Preparation H. A one-ounce tube of the ointment costs $10.99 at CVS.

The takeaway

To get a colonoscopy at a lower price, Littenberg said, patients should consider going to a freestanding endoscopy center or ambulatory surgery center not associated with a hospital. A 2023 study found that ambulatory surgery centers billed insurers an average of about $1,030 for a colonoscopy with biopsy or with removal of a polyp, compared with $1,760 at a hospital.

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To get a sense of how much a diagnostic colonoscopy could cost, patients can consult a hospitals price website and an insurers cost-estimator website, both required by federal price transparency rules.

Patients also can look up a good-faith estimate of the cash price, which can be lower than the price for patients using insurance to pay for a procedure. In addition, they can check prices through websites such as Turquoise Health and Fair Health, which draw from federal price transparency data or claims data from insurers.

Still, the actual cost could be higher than the estimate if the colonoscopy finds one or more polyps that need to be removed and biopsied, which occurs in at least 40% of all colonoscopies, Littenberg said. Patients should ask whether the price includes those potentially extra services. After all, the point of a diagnostic colonoscopy is to find and, if necessary, treat lesions that could cause problems  regardless of the number found.

It all should be easier for patients, Xiao said: You shouldnt have to be a medical billing expert to know what youre going to pay.

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This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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MIDLAND/ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  Both Midland and Odessa are providing free drop-off locations for residents who are looking to dispose of live Christmas trees from the holiday season.

It gives citizens a convenient way to dispose of their trees responsibly, Becsave Pacheco with Keep Odessa Beautiful said.

The City of Odessa said the trees are recycled into mulch, which is then offered to citizens of free, with the aim of helping to enhance landscaping projects while reducing waste. Odessa residents can dispose of live Christmas trees at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, located at 814 West 42nd Street.

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Midland residents can drop off cut Christmas trees at one of two locations:

Hogan Park, located behind the Armory on Lamesa Road, between Field 7 and the Bill Wiliams Softball Complex.

Citizens Collection Station, located near the Airpark at 4100 Smith Road.

The City of Midland is asking residents to remove all lights and decorations from the tree before dropping it off.

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When Masie and Larry Bross founded City Care OKC in 1996, a nonprofit foundation aimed at helping unsheltered people, the group's board of directors asked how they could help break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Masie found reading levels were directly connected to that goal.

They found a possible solution in Denver, where their daughter lived and volunteered with Whiz Kids, a tutoring and mentorship program that partners schools with local churches.

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The Brosses brought the program to Oklahoma, at first reaching out to Oklahoma City Public Schools. The large district had a lot of questions and didnt say yes immediately, so the Brosses then presented the idea to Crooked Oak Public Schools' elementary site. Crooked Oak officials were excited to have literacy tutors help their students, Larry recalled.

If a person cant read, then thats where were looking at seeing somebody in poverty and maybe in our soup kitchen, he said.

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Oklahoma City Public Schools soon signed on as the second district, and by the end of 1996, Whiz Kids had 64 volunteers in two schools.

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Having churches located near schools recruit volunteers from their congregation was an obvious choice, because churches already had ministries that reached out to the community around them, Masie said.

Twenty years later, in 2016, there were 1,330 volunteers and 35 schools.

It is working statistically for improving reading scores. It is working in neighborhoods where parents want us to be, school districts want us to be, Masie said. Its changing neighborhoods. Its changing lives.

In August, the program received its own nonprofit status, and the now 28-year-old organization plans to continue growing its mission to provide elementary students with reading support and friendship, and seeks more volunteers and host sites.

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The need continues to be pressing.

Oklahoma ranks 49th in education overall in the nation, and the most recent statewide report card showed only 36.1 % of students met or exceeded grade-level reading standards by scoring at or above the proficient level on their state tests, a number that may have been inflated because of lowered performance standards.

Mentor Gail Thompson talks with Emily Nichols, 8, during a Dec. 17 Christmas party for Whiz Kids program at Wickline United Methodist Church in Midwest City.

How the program works

The program structure has been strong and steady throughout the years, and its resulted in many success stories.

Amy Bruce started as a volunteer at a church in Del City in 2012 and fell in love with the program. The director asked her to join the staff, and in 2016, she said yes. Six years later she became the executive director.

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The most important thing is that we say if you can be a friend, you can be a mentor, Bruce said. You just have to be somebody that has the heart for kids and wanting to help the next generation.

Parents, mentors and children visit Dec. 17 during a Christmas party for Whiz Kids program at Wickline United Methodist Church.

Bruce shared how the program works. Students in first grade through fourth or fifth grade can attend Whiz Kids, usually at the recommendation of their teacher who has noticed they just need a little extra help to succeed, but do not have the resources at school or at home to supplement what they learn. They are kids without individualized education plans.

Students may not have technology available to them, or their families might not be available to help them, and theres also a lack of reading materials in lower-income homes, Bruce said: The income disparity just creates a resource disparity at no fault of the child. It is just the reality of what theyre facing.

The program runs for the whole school year, and kids attend one day a week for two hours. To make it easier for parents, churches send vans to pick up kids from school and bring them to the church. Churches recruit volunteers from their congregation and community. After a background check, Whiz Kids trains all of its volunteers to help kids learn how to read, Bruce said.

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Kids share a meal with their mentors, giving them the opportunity to get to know one another, talk about whats going on and share life together. Then kids go to a club time lesson, which is usually a faith-based character lesson that could be on honesty, loving your neighbor or being a good friend. Churches can individualize lessons within the parameters set by Whiz Kids.

Then kids spend at least an hour working on reading, which might include word games, puzzles, worksheets and other literacy tools. Whiz Kids main office has a whole library of possibilities.

Literacy is just tied to so many outcomes in life. If you cant read, youre not going to succeed in school. Youre going to have a hard time finding a job, Bruce said. Whiz Kids is committed to helping our community build stronger readers so that we have stronger citizens.

The program also features Stars of the Week, and for some students, thats a big honor, Bruce said. These are kids that probably arent always getting honored at school like the other kids. For them to be a student of the week is huge.

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During the last year, 88% of kids increased their reading scores, and 184 kids moved up one reading level. One hundred students moved from below reading level to grade-level proficiency, according to statistics provided by Whiz Kids.

Some sites also host activities such as interactive book reports, which gives students opportunities to practice public speaking.

Ken Wright works with Travis Cunningham over a book at Meadowood Baptist Church.

The site in Spencer, nine miles northeast of Oklahoma City, is a community model where kids in grades K-12 can get help with homework. It serves mostly Title I schools, which are schools that have high poverty rates.

Bruce said they try to attract students as young as first grade. Third grade is often the springboard to determine if a kid is reading at their grade level. If not, theyre going to have a harder time in upper grades, she said. Most kids stay with the program until fourth or fifth grade, depending on the schools structure.

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The program isnt trying to reinvent the wheel on teaching reading.

A certified teacher is on staff, and teacher liaisons work at every site, one from each school, Bruce said. Whiz Kids has access to kids test scores to identify weaknesses and then works with the kids to improve skills such as fluency, sight words or comprehension.

Feedback from schools and teachers shows the program works.

Bruce said kids attend school more regularly because they want to go to Whiz Kids, as attending school is a requirement to participate in the program. It also helps kids build better relationships with their friends and classmates and perform better in the classroom and at home, she said. Telling their mentor how well theyre doing is also a bonus.

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They want that praise. They seek that attention, and their mentors give it to them, Bruce said.

The program is in high demand. Bruce said they get calls and emails from people asking if their kid can join. The greatest need is for churches and other organizations to host Whiz Kids. The more volunteers we attract, the more students we can serve, she said.

Jessie Brown, the teacher liaison with Midwest City Elementary, serves food Dec. 17 during a Christmas party for Whiz Kids program at Wickline United Methodist Church.

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Kids get more than just reading help

Its not just tutoring that helps Whiz Kids students improve their way through reading. Its also the relationships that kids and mentors build.

Luke McConnell, director of the community outreach facility at Council Road Baptist Church, has watched lasting friendships develop between kids and their mentors.

Every week theyre asking and making sure that their tutors going to be there, he said. They love having a consistent adult figure in their life that is spending time with them, that is loving them and helping them and investing in them.

This year is the congregations fifth year as a host site. Even though they started during the pandemic and taught kids virtually, the program was met with enthusiasm from the 20 or so volunteers, McConnell said. Now, there are about 33 kids and 40 volunteers who mentor and help serve food.

Mentors are encouraged to get to know not only the student, but their family, as well. Families do not pay to participate in Whiz Kids, and they are not required to become members of a church. Sites often host at least two events a year for family to attend, such as a Christmas and Easter party.

McConnell said several families decided to join Council Road on their own. He said hes excited about new members coming to church because its helped the congregation pay more attention to the community around them, he said.

It reaches into the community where our church is physically located, and its not something where were coming as a church into an area, meeting a need, and then leaving again, McConnell said.

Families also have come to trust mentors beyond reading help, even if theyre shy at first. One family asked their kids mentor for help when they faced a housing issue.

It was a really cool full-circle moment to see them come from, I dont really want to come to anything that you guys offer besides him being in Whiz Kids to Youre our first call when were in trouble, McConnell said.

He said their biggest need is for more volunteers at all of the sites, given where Oklahoma stands in education rankings.

Mentor Janet St. George visits with Kiyah Jackson, 9, during a Dec. 17 Christmas party for Whiz Kids program at Wickline United Methodist Church in Midwest City.

Whiz Kids 'growing up and going to college'

After 28 years under City Care, Whiz Kids has become a strong, independent program, Bruce said. The organization did a strategic study in 2023, surveyed its stakeholders, conducted interviews and hired a firm to help strategize the next best steps.

It wasnt the easiest process ever, but they determined the program could stand on its own, Bruce said.

Like were growing up and going to college, she said. It's been a little scary to roll off as our own program, but I'm also very confident in the relationships that have been built over the years, and I think we're going to be great.

Some of the kids who participated in the programs early years have grown up and gone to college themselves and still maintained their friendships with their mentors, she added. Its a well-known program that has created a lot of connections in the city.

She said there were no hard feelings about leaving City Care, and the founders  Masie and Larry Bross  along with early backers like former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys still support the program.

A lot of times the volunteer signs up and thinks they're going to help the child, but the child ends up helping them. One of the other great things that we love about Whiz Kids is that our volunteers build their own little community, Bruce said.

Bruce said the pandemic decreased the number of volunteers and schools, but Whiz Kids turned to porch drop-offs and virtual meetings to keep kids on track. The number of volunteers dropped to 557. Now in 2024, the number of volunteers and schools is climbing back up. Currently, the program serves 568 students, 975 volunteers and 27 schools all over the metro area.

Bruce added future goals include helping the program stay focused on current sites and expanding to more areas, including Edmond.

We just want to support our schools and our teachers as much as possible and just tell them that they do have community support. Its not just for the schools. This is important for our community, Bruce said. We want our students to be thriving because thats a better future for all of us.

People pray during a Dec. 17 Christmas party for Whiz Kids program at Wickline United Methodist Church.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Whiz Kids takes on Oklahoma's low reading scores to break cycle of poverty
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's last rites should be performed at the same place where his memorial is to be built. His reaction came after a row emerged over the place of Manmohan Singh's last rites and a memorial for him. While the Congress demanded a funeral in a place where a memorial to Singh could be built, the Centre said the former Prime Minister would be accorded a state funeral with full military honours at the Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in north Delhi, on Saturday. The Centre also said land for a memorial would be earmarked in the next few days. But it would not be the place where the funeral took place. "This is not an issue at all, PM Modi's government should have thought about it beforehand. The whole country wants that his last rites should be performed at the same place where his memorial is to be built," Partap Singh Bajwa told ANI. "This demand is not just of Congress, not just of Punjab and Sikh community, this is a worldwide demand of all Indians. There is no need to think about it, the government should have thought about it beforehand," he added. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had said that the people of the country are simply unable to understand why the government could not find a location for his cremation. "Earlier this morning, the Congress President had written to the Prime Minister, suggesting that the cremation of the former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, take place at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy. The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, the record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades. This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh," Jairam Ramesh posted on X. The last rites of Manmohan Singh are to be performed at the Nigambodh Ghat in the national capital on Saturday afternoon. "Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister passed away at 9.51 PM on December 26, 2024 at AllMS Hospital, New Delhi. It has been decided by the Government that State funeral will be accorded to Dr Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 AM on December 28, 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for State funeral will full military honours," the Ministry of Home Affairs stated. (ANI)
Far be it from me to suggest a New Years resolution to the police. But given the rows over two-tier policing and non-crime hate incidents in 2024, a January reset might be a good idea.

Ideally, the boys in blue would resolve to go back to upholding the law without fear or favour. Given how far standards have slipped, however, that might be setting the bar too high. Instead, heres an achievable goal to kick off 2025: stop the pro-Palestinian marches from going past synagogues on Saturdays.

Seven forming-up points have been authorised in central London this year, two of which are near synagogues. Funnily enough, those are the two that are used most regularly. For ordinary Jews, the experience has often been ugly.

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Shabbat prayers have been disrupted by chants of from the river to the sea, with Palestinian flags lurching past the windows. Synagogues have been covered in spit and banners draped over their walls. One was temporarily besieged.

As one might expect, attendance has halved as many congregants, particularly the elderly and young families, have stayed at home rather than risking assault. Celebrations and events have been cancelled. Observant Jewish life in the capital has been strangled as the city is conceded to the mob.

For Jews in central London, the Metropolitan Police has almost certainly failed to uphold Article 9 of the Human Rights Act, which enshrines freedom of religion. This is little short of capitulation to racism. Blocking marches near synagogues would not inhibit anyones right to free expression  the activists could simply use the other five routes  but it would send a strong message to the right people. The Met, however, has turned a deaf ear to pleas from Jewish leaders.

Its not that the police are progressive anti-Semites. Rather, they are intimidated. They are up against a well-oiled machine that has deep pockets and learnt long ago how to play the system.

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Some pro-Palestinian activists have experience stretching back to the million march against the invasion of Iraq in 2003. They are intensely litigious, supported by experts in public order and human rights legislation, areas of law dominated by Left-wing barristers.

The police  who have been forced to pay large sums in compensation to radical activists, sometimes losing on technicalities  now dread legal action and accusations of Islamophobia. As a result, they treat pro-Palestinian thugs far more gingerly than the far-Right, who in August were suppressed with riot helmets, batons and horses.

This timidity has allowed pro-Palestinian demagogues to push the boundaries. After the from the river to the sea slogan became normalised, more extreme chants, such as globalise the intifada, resistance is justified and Zionists not welcome here, were tested on police. When no punishment came, they became widespread.

Activists have used the permissive atmosphere of the past 12 months to recruit volunteers, build press and propaganda teams and refine their tactics on the streets. Some now send hard-Left, pro-Palestinian Jews to negotiate with the police, obscuring the anti-Semitic undercurrents of the rallies in the eyes of non-specialist officers.

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Synagogue leaders, who have no experience of activism, are unable to wield any comparable heft. With all the muscle on one side, the police have modified their policing accordingly. This sets a worrying precedent.

In January, the police, under Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, will decide where the first rally of 2025 will take place. Allowing it to menace synagogues would represent cowardice towards Islamists and appeasement towards progressive ideologues, two threats that both police and society ignore at their peril.

As ever, this isnt just about the Jews. Its about Britain.

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.
This article was originally published in The Conversation.

In 1975, only 1% of public schools had their own police officers. Today, 44% do. A large reason for the increase is the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which led to the creation of the federal Community Oriented Policing Services to oversee funds for the hiring of police in schools. Another reason is the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. From the federal government down to individual districts, the idea that schools need police officers to keep kids safe is prevalent.

However, research shows that police officers in schools dont always prevent violence, including school shootings. In fact, their presence can harm students.

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Here are five reasons police in schools, also known as school resource officers, actually make students less safe in school:

1. They dont address the root problems

State legislators that advocate for police in schools believe that by hardening schools  increasing police presence, adding metal detectors, requiring clear backpacks and mandating active-shooter safety drills  students will be safer from school shootings.

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Academic research supports a different strategy. Most school shooters are known to administrators prior to committing assault. Many of these students struggle to make friends, experience challenges in their home lives and have multiple behavioral and mental health needs that havent been addressed.

School police officers cannot fix societal problems. Instead, researchers and policy advocates recommend that districts invest in the people who are better equipped to address these issues, like social workers and therapists.

Related

10 Charts That Explain How Schools Have Grown Less Violent Since COVID

2. Their role is not well defined

The role of school police officers, as well as their training, varies from school to school. This means that some may have a more positive impact on students than others.

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Research shows that school resource officers are effective at detecting drug-related activity on campus and addressing violent crime related to gang activity in schools. But officers do not lower instances of bullying and low-level crime like vandalism and schoolyard fights.

School police officers play various roles on campus, but research shows that they are most effective at helping students when they focus on specific types of crime occurring in the school or building relationships with the students who are known to commit them. When they focus on punishment and discipline, their effectiveness decreases.

Related

New Report: School Cops Double Student Arrest Rates and Race, Gender Key Factors

3. They do not increase students feelings of safety

Most students either do not realize that their school has a school resource officer or dont mind that one is present. In fact, most students report liking the officer at their school.

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However, students report that the presence of school resource officers does not make them feel more positive about school safety and climate. Students report feeling safe in the beginning of the year with officers in the building but feel less safe as the year goes on. The more contact students have with an officer, for any reason, the more disconnected they begin to feel. Researchers suggest a possible reason why is because they start to worry that their own behavior can result in harsh punishment.

This can lead to other negative consequences, like increased absenteeism, failure to graduate and delinquency outside of school.

Students who frequently encounter school police officers can begin to develop subconscious feelings that their school is unsafe, particularly if their encounters were related to discipline. Even students who dont directly interact with the officers, but witness other students get arrested, can begin to feel afraid that they will be arrested for minor disturbances, too.

4. They contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline

Research shows that the presence of school police officers increases the likelihood that a school will report common forms of student misbehavior, like cafeteria fights and vandalism, to law enforcement agencies  contributing to what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline by criminalizing such conduct.

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For example, schools that use on-campus police for law enforcement and other duties, like mentoring, are 118% more likely to record property crimes than schools without police. Schools that use officers primarily for student discipline and crime response report 91% more nonserious crimes, property crimes and instances of disorderly conduct to police than similar schools that dont use school police.

Supporters of school police officers may argue that reporting crimes keeps students safer. However, for some students, the consequences can be devastating and lifelong. For example, in one study, North Carolina middle schools with on-campus police officers recorded 38% fewer violent offenses than schools without police. But they were also more likely to respond to student misconduct with harsher disciplinary practices such as school suspension, transfers to alternative learning environments, expulsions and referrals to police. Studies often find that these exclusionary responses are mostly experienced by Black and Hispanic students.

5. They sometimes infringe on students rights

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.

However, research is clear about the threats to students rights that school police officers can pose. These include invasion of privacy, unlawful searches and seizures and violations of rights of students with disabilities and special education students.

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Schools that plan to keep their police officers can follow these guidelines to ensure they are more effective in actually helping students:

As the nations schools continue to grapple with how to keep students safe, a careful review of the research shows that school police officers may not be the answer.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A two-year fundraising effort paid off with a remembrance bench to honor Wichitas Karla Burns, a Broadway star who fought color barriers on and off the stage.

KSN spoke with her sister and the student who helped spearhead the fundraising.

On Friday afternoon, Donna Burns was brought to tears seeing the bench put in to honor her sister Karla.

Her grave sat unmarked from 2021 until this week. Those here who performed with Karla over the years said they jumped at the opportunity to help; this honor was long overdue.

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I am happy that we got it done because she deserved it. She really deserved it, said Donna.

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Karla was known by many in town for her performances at the Forum and Roxys, but she took her talents to the big stage on Broadway.

She eventually won an Oliver, the British equivalent of a Tony, becoming the first Black person to win the award.

Her sister said that Karla helped fight the color barrier for that award, and she is happy that Karla now has the proper final honor.

Let the world know how great she was and what she truly meant to art itself, said Donna.

Nursing student says she wants to be a solution to shortage

One of Karlas students, Rose Palmer, started the fundraiser two years ago after she realized the grave sat unmarked.

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She said the funds were raised, but it took a year to track down Karlas sister for the necessary signature.

Palmer believes its something Karla would appreciate.

There was nothing there. There was no marker, no name, and Karla, being such a loud and expressive and vibrant person, she would have been rolling in her grave, she said.

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Meeting Karla in grade school, Injoy Fountain credits Karla with success in her career.

Just her joy and her heart, and her professionalism and fire. The representation that I never saw. I was in fifth grade, I hadnt seen anything like her, someone that looked like me, doing what I want, doing what I am doing today. She is the sole reason why I am doing everything today, and she was the representation I needed and was trying to be that now for the younger African American kids now, said Fountain.

Karla, an inspiration to others, is now given a well-deserved honor.

Fountain said they hope to plan a final tribute performance to honor all those memories Karla Burns brought to the audience. She and others hope to put it on in Wichita before summer.

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Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
The Latest from Storm Team 5

An area of low pressure moving up through the Mississippi River Valley into the western Great Lakes is our next weathermaker, bringing with it widespread rain into northeast Wisconsin. Expect widespread coverage of the showers this evening and into the overnight hours, with some pockets being steady at times. Lows tonight will hover on the north and south side of 40 degrees. Total rainfall half to three quarters of an inch, slightly lower lakeside.

The Dense Fog advisory that was issued earlier by the National Weather Service for Waupaca, Shawano, Menominee, Northern Oconto and Northern Marinette counties has been canceled, as visibilities have improved to above advisory criteria. However, the advisory continues for Menominee County Michigan.

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Saturday morning we will see some lingering rain showers north of Green Bay and where it is cool enough in central and north central Wisconsin, it could be more of a wintry mix. This system should lift off into the U.P. around or just before the lunch hour Saturday. Highs run way above average in the low to mid 40s. The breeze will kick in out of the SW gusting 20-25mph.

There could be a few breaks in the clouds toward sunset to let a few rays of sun in, but overnight, plan for mostly cloudy skies and the potential return of some areas of fog. We will monitor if the National Weather Service issues another dense fog advisory.

Sunday will be a quiet day, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the middle 30s north, upper 30s to around 40 for the rest. Now another wave of low pressure will pass through lower Michigan, and models are indicating some moisture could back in and clip our lakeshore communities.

Monday looks very nice, mixture of sun and clouds with temperatures a degree or two warmer. Quiet weather for New Years Eve and Day, but temperatures begin a down hill tumble, falling into the low 20s by weeks end and lows in the teens.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
WILLIAMSVILLE, Ill. (WCIA)  Alex Doom, a 7th grade student in Williamsville-Sherman CUSD #15, died suddenly on Friday and the district is mourning the loss.

In a Facebook post, the school district announced the sudden death of Doom. They offered their thoughts and prayers to the Bjork and Doom family as well as everyone else who knew him.

ALPLM adds historic Springfield tent company artifacts to collection

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The sudden loss of a student has a devastating impact on everyone in the school district and throughout the community, said Tip Reedy, district superintendent. Students can have a particularly hard time coping with such a tragic loss and we urge you to discuss the situation with them.

Jamie Dodd-Graff, a mom of one of Dooms friends, said in a Facebook post on Dec. 26 that Doom with hospitalized with complications from Influenza A. Doctors attempting to treat him said, his influenza turned into bacterial pneumonia that turned into septic shock.

The district said that Williamsville Junior High School will have grief counselors at the school for students who would like to talk. WCUSD #15 guidance counselors will also be made available to meet with students and staff.

Langfelder stops petition for recount in Sangamon County Recorder race

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Parents can reach out to Amanda Mandeville, WJHS Guidance Counselor at mndeville@wcusd15.org, WJHS Principal, Clay Shoufler at shoufler@wcusd15.org or WJHS Assistant Principal, Megan Doerfler at doerflerm@wcusd15.org to set up meetings for their children.

Rachelle Benedict, organizer of Dooms funeral and family expenses on GoFundMe, said, we are all devastated by this unexpected loss and were not prepared for the high cost of a funeral service. We want to give Alex the memorial he deserves, to honor his memory and say our last goodbyes.

The GoFundMe is currently at over $57,000 of the $100,000 goal. To donate, click here.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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 article by Alexander Ayala about the city of Milwaukees police shortage is his professional opinion for the right direction to go in resolving police department membership (Shortage is critical; city must negotiate contract, Dec. 22).

Opening the process of monetary payment and benefits is a very important part of hiring police officers. As citizens, we have been severely deprived of a successful police department function. Going back in time - at least two of our past mayors - our police department has been admittedly undermanned.

We have heard continual stories from these mayors of the problems, and we have seen the Wisconsin state legislation deny Milwaukee money to remedy our problem. It is about time for the legislature to take responsibility for funding local police in our major cities.

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The use of political ploys denies responsibility, especially for past defunding of the cities. It is the most important problem facing large urban centers in the state.

Patrick J. Curro, Milwaukee

Opinion: Public safety in jeopardy. Milwaukee needs police contract to stop attrition.

Opinion: UW-Milwaukee would be demoted by plan to split apart Wisconsin university system

John Gurda: Milwaukee's Black history has been neglected for too long. Let's change that.

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.

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: Milwaukee police department has been chronically underfunded | Letters
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (WFRV)  A 45-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 18 after a County Sheriffs officer in western Wisconsin conducted a traffic stop.

According to a release from the Crawford County Sheriffs Office, an officer initiated a traffic stop in Prairie Du Chien. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 45-year-old Garrett Nundahl from Richland Center, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin teenager cited for OWI, vehicle totaled after hitting multiple trees, igniting

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Prairie Du Chien K-9 Phoenix assisted and detected the presence of at least one illegal and controlled substance in the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed the following drugs in the vehicle:

Methamphetamine

LSD

Marijuana

Additional drug paraphernalia

It was also determined that Nundahl was driving a stolen vehicle. He was arrested and taken to the Crawford County Jail on the following charges:

Possession of methamphetamine

Possession of LSD

Possession of marijuana

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Theft

Violating probation

No more details are available at this time.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A school shooting in Wisconsin in December made national headlines after a 15-year-old girl allegedly killed two people before turning the gun on herself. The incident refocused the spotlight onto the subject of school security.

The issue is one that some Washington state lawmakers are working to address in the upcoming legislative session.

State Sen. Nikki Torres, a Pasco Republican, is sponsoring a pair of bills aimed at improving school safety. She wants to make sure that kids  her grandchildren included  are able to attend class without fear.

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They should be there to learn and not to worry about having to learn how to drop, roll, hide for cover, lock the doors  even though its good to know that stuff, Torres told McClatchy. But priority should be learning, and they should be in a safe environment while theyre learning.

State lawmakers in December began prefiling legislation, which will be officially introduced the first day of session on Jan. 13.

As of Dec. 16, at least 83 school shootings have occurred nationwide in 2024, per CNN. Nearly a quarter of educators report feeling unsafe at work, Tri-City Herald previously reported.

Torres Senate Bill 5003 would create a grant program in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction meant to bolster campus security. The competitive program would fund projects like fencing, updated entrance and door security  including panic buttons  and perimeter security infrastructure, for example.

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School districts would be eligible for up to $2 million per biennium, with funding prioritized for the most in-need schools.

SB 5004, meanwhile, would enhance schools emergency-response systems by incorporating panic or alert buttons, which can be pressed to notify authorities of an emergency. It would also help expedite law-enforcement response through live audio and video feeds.

Districts would tell OSPI about their emergency-response systems progress by Oct. 1. By next December, OSPI would report to the state Legislature on what kinds of systems are in use.

Torres knows that it can be costly to install panic buttons, but the proposed grant program would help offset that expense. Only about 50% of schools in Educational Service District 105, covering Yakima and Kittitas counties and parts of Klickitat and Grant counties, have panic buttons, the lawmaker said.

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She would love to see consistency in terms of security features, particularly when it comes to public schools and rural campuses.

Torres said she visited schools during her campaign and remembers seeing a difference in security among them. Some were brand new and up-to-date. Others, especially in rural areas, didnt have a fully fenced perimeter and lacked funding for security upgrades.

Usually the busier schools, say more metropolitan or more densely populated areas, tend to get more of the attention, Torres said. But these rural-area schools, they may also not be able to pass bonds, for example, and/or levies. So thats the other hiccup that they may run into, and this grant program would help alleviate that.

Washington Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, said in an April 17 statement that she will not move her family into a new legislative district to continue serving in the state Legislature after her term is up in 2026.

Other legislation prefiled in December is geared toward school safety.

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House Bill 1011, sponsored by Puyallup Republican state Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen, would similarly launch a school-safety capital grant program. HB 1085, spearheaded by state Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, a Spokane Valley Republican, aims to boost safety via harsher penalties for violence or threats at schools and extracurricular activities like sports.

Washington, like many other states, is not immune to school shootings. Seven people were killed or injured in a Washington school shooting  across five incidents  from 2018 to 2023, according to U.S. News & World Report.

In 2015, a 16-year-old who shot two bullets in the air at North Thurston High School was tackled by a teacher; no one was injured. The year prior, a student at Marysville Pilchuck High School opened fire on his classmates, killing four and wounding another.

And firearms are the top cause of death for Washington kids and teens, per the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.

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The Legislature will soon be tasked with passing a balanced budget, and for Torres school-safety grant program to work, lawmakers would need to find the funds.

But Torres hopes to see her complementary bills get signed into law. As Washingtons population grows, she wants to ensure that students are protected.

Its always better to be prepared than to be reactive in emergency situations, Torres said. So this is one of the big reasons why Im really pushing for these two bills to go through.
A Wisconsin woman arrested after allegedly starting a fire in her apartment earlier this month has provided an unconventional explanation for the blaze: "witchcraft."

The woman, Charmilia Jeffries, was charged with one felony count of arson of building without owner's consent after allegedly starting a fire in her apartment in northwest Milwaukee on Saturday, Dec. 21, according to jail records viewed by PEOPLE.

First responders were ultimately able to tame the blaze, and nobody was hurt in the fire, Milwaukee TV station WISN reported.

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According to a criminal complaint obtained by the outlet, Jeffries, 36, had previously told her son to take the smoke detectors out of her unit because they were suspicious.

Milwaukee Sheriff's Department/Facebook A Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department vehicle A Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department vehicle

She also allegedly gave a cryptic statement to authorities, telling detectives that someone had been putting witchcraft traps in her home, and referring to the culprit or culprits only as they.

"It is a satanic, um, ritual that they do, they do around these times, she told authorities, per WISN. They been sitting me up, putting witchcraft traps around my house."

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Jeffries was taken into custody the same day as the apartment fire, Dec. 21, according to jail records.

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She is currently being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on a $7,500 cash bail, and is next due in court on Jan. 24.

The Milwaukee Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Read the original article on People
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav on Saturday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying, that the country will never see a politician like him again. Being asked about the demand of building a memorial for the late PM, the former Bihar Chief Minister said, "He should get it." "The country will never get a politician like Dr Manmohan Singh. I was a part of his Council of Ministers. I was very close to him," he added. Meanwhile, the preparations for the funeral march of Manmohan Singh, who passed awy onThursday night at AIIMS Delhi, are underway at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate. The last rites of the former PM are to be performed today around 11:45 am. Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and his daughter Daman Singh on Saturday paid their last respects to him at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in the national capital. Several politicians including Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also paid last respect to Singh. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their last respects. Jasmeet, a resident of East Delhi, said that she has come with her husband Hatendra Pal to pay tributes to Manmohan Singh who she credits for making India famous, globally. Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory earlier, ahead of the funeral of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The traffic advisory outlines restrictions and diversions on major routes in New Delhi, urging the public to avoid certain roads and use public transport to help ease congestion. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Dr Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Europe is worried that Russia could attack countries beyond Ukraine.

At the same time, Trump has suggested the US would be less involved in helping its NATO allies.

Without US support, Europe lacks a key capability needed in a conflict with Russia, experts told BI.

If President-elect Donald Trump cuts US military cooperation with Europe, its NATO allies there would lose a key capability needed to resist Russian aggression.

Europe relies heavily on the US for the use of aircraft and weaponry to target air defense systems, known as suppression of enemy air defenses, or SEAD.

If a military can't execute this critical mission, its aircraft are hindered and vulnerable, unable to strike or protect, leaving its ground forces much more exposed and less effective.

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"One of the most crucial things that Europe is lacking is SEAD," Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, told BI. He described SEAD as "a crucial role," but one Europe has let "wither the vine."

Reliance on the US

There are few dedicated SEAD platforms on the continent. Germany and Italy's Tornado aircraft carry the AGM-88 HARM munition for targeting radars and are equipped with the needed Emitter Location System, but those are set to be retired next year.

Other NATO partners operate F-16s, which can have a SEAD role, but only US Air Force Fighting Falcons are equipped with the HARM Targeting System for better SEAD.

US allies in Europe are increasingly looking to replace older aircraft with F-35s, but only a few are also acquiring AGM-88 missiles.

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(These missiles are highly capable for SEAD missions and were delivered to the Ukrainian air force for this purpose, but less so for the destruction of enemy air defenses, or DEAD, missions.)

"The F-35 was designed specifically to be able to operate against modern SAM systems in both the penetrating strike and SEAD/DEAD roles," Justin Bronk, an air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute, wrote early last year.

He highlighted the fifth-generation jet's advanced stealth, electronic warfare, and active and passive sensor suite for detecting enemy surface-to-air missile systems.

"Despite these very impressive capabilities, simply fielding the F-35 is not sufficient as an answer to European NATO's SEAD/ DEAD problem in itself," he said.

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This situation has left Europe heavily dependent on the US, less than ideal amid questions about US reliability and as Russia's war in Ukraine has shown how important defeating enemy air-defense batteries is in modern conflict.

In Ukraine, neither side has been able to conduct successful SEAD operations, leaving both air forces hugely hampered and forcing ground units into grinding battles with heavy casualties.

Mattias Eken, a missile defense expert at the RAND Corporation, said an important lesson from the Ukraine war has been that "air forces must be able to find, suppress, and destroy" mobile surface-to-air missiles to achieve air superiority "against even moderately equipped state opponents."

An American-made Patriot air defense system fires a missile. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images

Eken added that no other Western air force except the US has significant SEAD capabilities. All other NATO forces "have limited penetrating assets, munitions stocks, and experience in operating large, mixed strike packages."

American SEAD might and a lack of European capability

Retired US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon "Skip" Davis, who served as NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general for its defense-investment division, said "the vast majority of the SEAD aircraft, in the event of aggression, would be provided by the US."

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Davis told BI that the US has the stealth aircraft, including penetrating bombers, needed to locate and destroy Russian air defenses, and US aircraft have intelligence capabilities "that NATO would have great difficulty in replacing."

He warned that without better SEAD capabilities or US support, NATO "would be hard-pressed to be effective in a large Russian aggression."

Warfare experts at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in April 2023 that "NATO is now wholly dependent on the United States for SEAD capabilities."

A key example was the large-scale NATO air campaign over Libya in 2011, where the US provided almost all of the alliance's SEAD capabilities despite having planned to only play a supporting role in that situation.

A rocket launches from a S-400 missile system at the Ashuluk military base in Southern Russia. Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Looking ahead, Europe may not be able to count on the US. Trump has been a strong critic of NATO and, in his first term, threatened to withdraw from the military alliance if other nations didn't spend more on their defense.

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European countries have dramatically increased their defense spending since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, and some now spend more on defense than the US as a percentage of GDP. (Warfare experts say that's a response to Russian aggression, not Trump's pressure.)

But Europe is acutely aware of Trump's threats, and military experts warn that the continent's increased expenditure is not enough to support Ukraine and prepare for Russia's threats alone. It still needs the US.

Thinking about the Russian threat

Russia has repeatedly threatened to attack elsewhere in Europe, and many countries have warned that it could happen in the next few years, especially if Moscow emerges victorious in Ukraine.

It's unclear if the US would or even could withdraw its support, especially for allies who already spend a lot on defense.

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US forces are now so integrated in Europe that, if something happens soon, "they're automatically involved" unless the US makes a major policy shift to return forces to the US, Gordon said.

Europe is nevertheless taking actions to address its deficiencies, like a pan-European defense company now developing a new SPEAR-EW missile.

A Pantsir-S1 and an S-400 at a Russian base in Syria. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

"I think the penny has dropped," said Robinson, but he added that not enough was happening. "It's taking time, I think, for European capitals and maybe multinational organizations to get the momentum going."

Michael Bohnert, a warfare expert at the RAND Corporation, said that it could take years to reconstitute a supply chain for necessary missiles. That means "there really aren't any good options" to cover a deficit in the short term if the US pulls back, he told BI.

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Robinson said Europe has an advanced industrial base, but "the difficulty is it's all fragmented."

Some cooperation has taken place, including four European nations agreeing to operate their jets as a single fleet.

Jan Kallberg, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a fellow at the Army Cyber Institute at West Point, said "acquisition, cooperation, and collaboration are essential."

He said countries should buy assets together and "operate jointly as a multinational force," especially given how large Europe is and how much land may need to be defended.

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Fixing Europe's SEAD deficits will take time, during which it will be more vulnerable to attacks. But Russia has demonstrated an inability to effectively use its own assets  a flaw that could ultimately aid Europe.

"Europe will lack enough SEAD capabilities for the next 10 to 15 years," said Kallberg, but "the Russian air force and air defenses can't get their intelligence, command, and control to act together, and lack resources for broad modernization."

"If there is a war," he said, "it is not Europe's abilities that save the day. It is the Russian inability."

Read the original article on Business Insider
WAYLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Friday morning brought some Gun Lake Marina customers to the storage lots to check on their boats after a fire the day before.

An official with the Wayland Fire Department said crews were dispatched to the marina on Patterson Road near 124th Avenue in Wayland Township right before 7 a.m. Thursday. The call came in from someone passing by.

Additional crews were called in from Martin, Orangeville, and Yankee Springs townships when it was learned that three boats were on fire. Crews were able to knock out the flames within 10 minutes. The investigation was turned over to Michigan State Police when there was indication that the fire was set on purpose.

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MSP: Gun Lake Marina fire was likely intentional

Brock Crane was installing power poles nearby when he started to hear the sirens race to the marina. He said he checked in with one of his truck drivers to make sure there wasnt an accident at the job site first.

Weve seen a bunch of firetrucks going by, called one of our drivers, wanted to make sure it wasnt him in an accident, Crane said. I basically pulled out, followed the firetruck down here, because thats where our job site was at, as we saw the big old blaze going.

With the marina just several hundred feet from the work site, Crane said he could see the flames despite the foggy weather.

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It was pretty foggy out, so I couldnt see how bad the smoke was. But the fire, I would say, was about 7 or 8 feet high, he said.

Behind the marinas office, three boats were left in ruins. A fourth boat bore the scars of melted shrink wrap in the line of pontoons in the lot.

One woman who spoke to News 8 off camera owns ones of the damaged pontoons. She said the marina has never had a problem like this before. While the situation is upsetting, she said marina staff have been helpful through the ordeal.

In a phone call, a marina staff member said they are waiting on the results of the investigation and have been in close contact with customers.

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Authorities are asking anyone with information on the case to reach out to MSP Wayland Post at 269.792.2213.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
A 51-year-old woman was killed early Saturday after a yellow cab involved in a crash vaulted onto a Queens sidewalk, striking her and two others, police said.

The 23-year-old cabbie was driving his Toyota RAV4 cab near the corner of 115th Ave. and Lefferts Blvd. in South Ozone Park about 3:10 a.m. when he collided with a Honda Accord driven by a 25-year-old man, cops said.

The force of the crash sent the cab veering onto the sidewalk, where it struck Vidya Dookran-Franco, 51, and two men, ages 49 and 44.

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All three were rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where Dookran-Franco died. The two men were listed in stable condition.

Both drivers remained at the scene. No arrests have been made.

Members of the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad were investigating the crash Saturday.

The accident happened three days after a yellow cab jumped a curb on Christmas Day and plowed into six tourists outside the Macys flagship Manhattan store. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
A woman died and three others were hospitalized after two townhomes caught fire in Panorama City overnight.

According to a Los Angeles Fire Department emergency alert, the blaze was first reported around 3:30 a.m. Saturday in the 9200 block of Wakefield Avenue.

There were four people inside one of the townhomes, LAFD Cpt. Adam VanGerpen confirmed to KTLA just after 6 a.m., three of whom were hospitalized in stable condition. Two of them were identified as a 25-year-old man and an 83-year-old woman; the age of the third person was not listed.

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A fourth person, only identified as an adult woman, was found deceased in a downstairs bedroom, Cpt. VanGerpen said.

A woman died and three others were hospitalized after two townhomes caught fire in Panorama City on Dec. 28, 2024. (KNN) A woman died and three others were hospitalized after two townhomes caught fire in Panorama City on Dec. 28, 2024. (KNN) A woman died and three others were hospitalized after two townhomes caught fire in Panorama City on Dec. 28, 2024. (KNN) A woman died and three others were hospitalized after two townhomes caught fire in Panorama City on Dec. 28, 2024. (KNN) A woman died and three others were hospitalized after two townhomes caught fire in Panorama City on Dec. 28, 2024. (KTLA)

When our firefighters arrived on scene, this townhome was fully engulfed in flames with heavy fire showing, he stated. The fire did spread up into the attic and an adjacent unit, so we have two townhomes that have heavy fire damage, but our firefighters were able to prevent flames from spreading to other units within the complex.

Video captures woman lighting car on fire at Hollywood gas station

Thick smoke was seen billowing into the night sky and flames were seen shooting out of the top of the structure as more than 70 firefighters mounted an aggressive interior fire attack.

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The two residences were red tagged, Cpt. VanGerpen said.

Crews are expected to remain at the scene for several hours. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
HAMMOND, Ind.  A woman has died after a shooting Friday afternoon in Hammond, Indiana.

The Hammond Police Department said just before 2:30 p.m., officers were sent to the area of Cleveland Street and Jackson Avenue to investigate reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found a woman who had been shot multiple times.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and authorities said the incident may have been domestic-related as witnesses told investigators a man pursued the victim before shooting her.

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Woman, 73, killed, man injured in Gary shooting

Police said the suspect ran off and remains at large.

Residents in the area are urged to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hammond Police Department at 219-852-2982.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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.
CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo.  A woman from Linn Creek, Missouri, has died after a single-vehicle accident near Sunrise Beach Friday night.

Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) says a 38-year-old woman was driving a 2014 Jeep Patriot north on Camden County Route TT north of Crabapple Pass when the crash occurred.

Report: Childcare shortage holding back growth for Missouri manufacturers

According to the MSHP crash report, at 9:48 p.m., the Jeep was at a high rate of speed and started to skid as it came up on a curve. The Jeep then traveled off the roadways right side and struck two trees, causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times and eject the driver.

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The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene by a Camden County medical examiner. The next of kin have been notified of her passing.

This is the 52nd fatality for MSHP Troop F in 2024.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
CHICAGO  A search is underway this week for a woman who officers said has been missing for several days.

Chicago police said 21-year-old Eraniesha Drake has been missing since Christmas Eve.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

According to officers, Drake was last seen in the 6400 block of South Vernon Avenue in Woodlawn on the citys South Side.

Officers said the missing woman, who has red hair and brown eyes, stands 5-foot-5 and weighs around 200 pounds.

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Police say Drake was last spotted wearing a black Adidas sweatsuit with white shoes.

Chicago police said 21-year-old Eraniesha Drake has been missing since Christmas Eve.

A photo provided by police shows the missing woman wearing a pair of plastic frame glasses however officers did not say if she was wearing them at the time of her disappearance.

Authorities provided details on the missing womans disappearance in a news release that was shared on Thursday afternoon.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 21-year-old Eraniesha Drake is asked to contact CPD Area One Detectives at 312-747-8380 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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Condoling the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Dr M Veerappa Moily on Saturday called him "champion of peace" and said that he was one of the greatest prime ministers India has seen. Praising the former PM, Moily said that there were no major conflicts between India and neighbouring countries during his regime and even former US President Barack Obama took advise from him when banks were collapsing in the US. "He is the greatest prime minister this country has seen... He was invested in the Constitution of India... He lifted millions of people out of poverty. He eradicated the License Raj and lifted the economy of this country... He was a champion of peace... During his regime as Prime Minister, there were no major conflicts between India and neighbouring countries. US President Barack Obama mentioned that when banks were collapsing in the US, Manmohan Singh gave the solution to prevent bankruptcy..." Moily told ANI. Congress MP from Telangana, Vamsi Gaddam, who is also the grandson of Kaka Venkatswamy Garu, recalled how his grandfather worked closely with Manmohan Singh. Speaking to ANI, Gaddam said, "I am the grandson of Kaka Venkatswamy Garu, who worked closely with Manmohan Singh... Manmohan Singh gave a special loan waiver of Rs 10,000 crores to Ramagundam Fertiliser Corporation which was under heavy loans... All of us know about the 1990s reforms he did when India was in a difficult situation financially... Everybody talks about how silent he was, but everybody should also know how effective he was in decision-making. He was an aggressive leader... As a Finance Minister, he took immediate action to improve the Indian economy against the Licence Raj. Today is a sad day for all of us. Today I am going to pay my respects to him on behalf of my family..." The last rites of Dr Manmohan Singh are to be performed at Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi today. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  The Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in the Missouri Ozarks has welcomed its fifth group of critically ill sea turtles for rehabilitation.

Since its Sea Turtle Center was founded in 2020, Wonders of Wildlife has successfully rehabilitated more than 40 sea turtles, including loggerheads, green sea turtles, and Kemps ridley sea turtles.

The latest arrivals  20 loggerhead and Kemps ridley sea turtles  were transported to Wonders of Wildlife on Saturday, Dec. 21.

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These turtles were rescued from the northeastern U.S. coast, where rapidly dropping ocean temperatures have caused a surge in stranded sea turtles. When water temperatures drop suddenly, turtles can suffer from cold-stunning, a condition that renders them immobile and can lead to severe complications like hypothermia, pneumonia, and dehydration.

The turtles are undergoing life-saving treatments, including hydration therapy, wound care, nutritional support, and specialized veterinary attention. Once stabilized, they will be released back into their natural habitats in coordination with federal and state wildlife agencies.

Our team is passionate about giving these turtles the best chance for survival, said Mike Daniel, Director of Animal Care at Wonders of Wildlife, via a news release. Every rescue is a step toward protecting the future of these endangered species, and were honored to be a key part of that effort.

This season alone, NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have reported more than 400 cold-stunned sea turtles across the East Coast, each requiring urgent medical attention. With only one in 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings surviving to adulthood  and three sea turtle species classified as endangered  every successful rehabilitation and release is crucial to their survival.

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For more information on Wonder of Wildlife and its sea turtle rehabilitation efforts, click here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
China has unveiled amphibious assault ship with jet-launching capability. The first Type 076 ship features an electromagnetic catapult enabling fighter jets to launch from its deck, according to Xinhua.

The new vessel, independently developed and named after Sichuan Province in Southwest China, was launched at a ceremony and given hull number 51.

Integrating troop deployment and air support capabilities

For over a decade, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy has focused on modernizing its fleet to expand its reach beyond coastal waters and operate globally. The Fujian, Chinas domestically built aircraft carrier launched two years ago, was the first to use new electromagnetic technology for launching fighter jets.

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Now, the Sichuan features a double island superstructure, a full-length flight deck, and advanced electromagnetic catapult and arresting technology. It can carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and amphibious equipment.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship stands out for its large displacement (a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons), ranking among the highest globally. This allows it to carry more weapons and equipment, extend its range, and enhance its combat capabilities, according to Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe, speaking to the Global Times.

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1872593920888348868

Zhang added that the Sichuan is the worlds first amphibious assault ship with electromagnetic launching technology, allowing it to carry both helicopters and fighter jets like the J-15. The technology increases launch efficiency and speed, giving the Type 076 strong capabilities in air superiority and land assault missions.

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With strong amphibious assault capabilities, the vessel can carry an amphibious combat battalion for rapid deployment to target areas. It also offers versatile combat capabilities, able to perform both horizontal landings and airborne operations, the expert further noted.

New Type 076 amphibious assault ship set to carry more aircraft

As of 2024, the PLA Navy has commissioned three Type 075 amphibious assault ships: the Hainan, Guangxi, and Anhui. The first Type 075 was launched on September 25, 2019, and commissioned on April 23, 2021.

Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times that the new Type 076 is larger than the Type 075 and can carry more aircraft. He added that the Type 076 is expected to support both manned and unmanned aerial combat platforms, making it nearly a light aircraft carrier.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship incorporates elements from destroyer and frigate radars, the electromagnetic catapult of the Fujian aircraft carrier, and the design of the Type 075, according to Song. As the first ship of its kind, it highlights Chinas progress in warship design, making advanced features more feasible, Song said.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TPSJ2yB1mM&t=10s

Along with the launch of the first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, the PLA Navy's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, began sea trials with its maiden voyage on May 1 of this year, following its launch on June 17, 2022. It has since completed several additional test voyages.

Moreover, China, which has the largest navy in the world, is actively working to upgrade its fleet. Recently, researchers discovered that the country is designing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, enabling it to deploy ships in distant waters without relying on a base for refueling.
Dec. 27LIMA  After two years of work, the West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization (WORPO) has been officially designated by Gov. Mike DeWine as one of seven Regional Transportation Planning Organizations in the state of Ohio, according to a Friday release from the Lima/Allen County Regional Planning Commission.

Representing Auglaize, Putnam, Hancock, Hardin, Mercer, Van Wert and Wyandot counties, WORPO will serve as a way of pooling ideas, plans and resources when it comes to rural transportation infrastructure, according to RTPO Manager and Senior Planner Colleen Barry.

"This is an exciting time because we have been working with these counties on an official basis for two years to establish this designation," she said in a statement. "Being a part of the RTPO strengthens cooperation between agencies on a multi-jurisdictional level, which streamlines planning and creates uniformity in regional representation."

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This organization addresses issues of limited resources and funds that each county alone would bring to any infrastructure issue. These limitations would often curtail access to grant and other funding allocations since local entities would first be required to raise whatever matching funds the program required. Having a single planning organization representing these different jurisdictions provides more clout when it comes to securing funds at both the state and federal level.

WORPO will operate within the LACRPC, which will serve as its administrative and fiscal agent. This was a requirement that needed to be met in order to gain RTPO designation, along with having planning staff and a policy committee in place, conducting events that fostered public involvement and completing a regional long-range transportation plan, a draft of which was released by WORPO in October.

For more information on WORPO, visit https://bit.ly/409KlDD.

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Dec. 28Kassandra Vogel is bringing a unique perspective to the Washington State University Board of Regents.

The applied economics graduate student was welcomed onto the board to serve a one-year term in September. Since then, she's been representing the student population with the goal to give them a seat at the table.

One of the most commonly asked questions Vogel gets is "what's a student regent?" Other than being enrolled at the university, she serves as a full regent and attends all board meetings. What sets her apart is being a member of the student body, she said, and serving one year rather than the standard three years for faculty.

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Vogel said not many students know the position exists, and while she's a member of the board, her aim is to make the role better known within the community.

Hailing from Vancouver, Wash., Vogel attended Running Start on her local WSU campus as a high schooler. She was hesitant about continuing her education at the university, but after visiting and falling in love with WSU Pullman, it was the only school she applied to for undergrad.

"My mom was the one who pushed me to visit," she said. "The first thing I noticed was how friendly everyone was, and I hadn't experienced that on any other campus. ... After that, it kind of changed everything. I knew that's the one I wanted to go to and pushed the others out of my mind."

Vogel graduated in May with bachelor's degrees in English and economics. While completing a double major, she still found time for several commitments outside her program.

Her first semester she attended at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but was able to stay connected to on-campus life through reporting at The Daily Evergreen. When in-person classes resumed, she worked at the WSU Creamery, Office of Admissions and a few research lab positions.
Dec. 28From Massena, where a duo began a millennium disaster food drive, to Glens Falls, where a company that supplied portable toilets saw a run on rentals, there were some serious preparations 25 years ago on the eve of the Y2K computer bug.

A look at Times' stories on the matter reflect a sense of calm preparation and a bit of alarm. But it was mostly a sense of the unknown as to what was to come.

In early 1997, Willie C. Kennedy Jr., Year 2000 Engagement Manager for KeyCorp., owner of Key Bank of New York, told the Times he had a recurring dream: as he drives to his first day of work in 2000, he notices that all the traffic lights are off. He arrives at work, swipes his access badge through a scanner, but he cannot get in. Then he tries to make a telephone call to report the problem, and the phone system is down.

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"When Nostradamus predicted the end of world, I think this is what he meant," he said.

But he also replayed a happier scenario to himself. He is at a New Year's Eve party in a huge ballroom with every other computer programmer in the world. After the countdown of the last seconds of 1999, pagers start beeping and programmers leave in droves. But his own pager stays silent.

At the center of Y2K computer glitch concern was that some older computer systems listed years by the last two digits, such as 99 for 1999, rather than four digits. A computer could mistake 00 for the year 1900 with the arrival of 2000.

As the calendar flipped to 2000, Kennedy's scenario of silence regarding Y2K computer issues largely came to pass for north country residents. Locally, there were some hiccups, but no disasters. The fixes to prevent calamities were not cheap.

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Watertown City Hall overcame anticipated Y2K compliance problems and upgraded its computer system by stuffing shortcomings with $697,000 ($1.3 million in today's dollars) for consultants and new hardware and software. Virtually every department relied on suppliers' assurances that the Y2K problem was licked. "We obviously didn't put out a city bid to buy hardware and software that would fail," City Manager Jerry C. Hiller told the Times.

On Jan. 2, 2000, Hiller said, "It was kind of anticlimactic."

The Y2K warnings arrived at a time when north country residents had chilling memories of the Great Ice Storm of 1998, which paralyzed the north country area and the Northeast. That ice storm hangover had not completely thawed. In an effort to be better prepared for the possibility of a loss of power on Dec. 31, David A. Luyk, station manager for WUZZ-AM, WTNY-AM, Z-93 and Froggy-97 purchased three commercial grade generators, one to power its offices at 134 Mullin St., the others to operate the FM stations and WTNY.

Thomas C. Bowman, director of Jefferson County emergency management, and Mark A. Pacilio, director of the local American Red Cross chapter, said in early December of 1999 that north country residents should prepare at least three days' worth of food in addition to some other supplies as they would for preparing for a winter storm.

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"Our experience from the ice storm is that after three days, we're able to get outside resources," Mr. Bowman said. "We're putting a lot of stress on family preparedness. I don't think there's an awful lot that's going to happen, but it's better to prepare than hope for the best."

Approximately 20 people from various police and public service agencies rotated in two shifts manning the emergency operations center in the Jefferson County Office Building on New Year's Eve (a Friday night) and early New Year's day, waiting in readiness for glitches to strike.

"We called it the Y2K non-event practice run," Bowman said on Jan. 1 after the Y2K crew went home.

Some computers in the Jefferson County Office Building did hiccup on Monday, Jan. 3, the first day of business of 2000, with date-related glitches in the county's payroll and the treasurer's office.

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Another glitch involved computerized judgment records at the county clerk's office administered by an outside firm. The issues were easily fixed, including one computer update that was sent by overnight mail from a firm in Troy, Michigan. Jefferson County spent just over $1 million (more than $1.5 million today) to bring the county's hardware and software into Y2K compliance.

Meanwhile, Massena's three big industries sailed through Y2K unscathed. For example, Alcoa Inc. had already shut down its Y2K command center at 1:20 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1 after deciding at 1 a.m. that all of its systems were operational.

Y2K was also mostly a non-issue for north country broadcasters and telecommunications companies. The only reported problem occurred at WBQZ-TV in Watertown.

Ray Dobmeier, master control operator at WBQZ, said an old computer responsible for coordinating the entire station had problems with the 2000 date when it was rebooted Saturday morning. He manually punched in the correct date and got the computer back up and running.

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Telephone companies echoed the no-news-is-good-news theme. Terry Stenzel of Cellular One told the Times that the company had about 50 extra people testing equipment at various locations on New Year's Eve. Nothing happened and testing was wrapped up by 2 a.m.

Geographic Internet Services Co., Clayton, reported no disruption of service.

The Y2K glitch did hit a half dozen St. Lawrence County police agencies in January of 2000 when new, high-tech blood alcohol testing machines failed to work properly. The machines differed from earlier versions because they were linked by a computer phone line to Albany. Data about suspected drunk drivers and the results of their breath tests were printed locally by the machines and transmitted to state computers in Albany.

Canton Police Chief Alan P. Mulkin said his department was the first to discover the glitch at about 4 a.m. on New Year's Day 2000 after a suspected drunken driver was stopped.

"When the operator got to the date of birth, it wouldn't take the date," Mulkin told the Times. "You couldn't get beyond that point. We ended up processing the suspect at the state police with their instrument."
Dec. 27The Young Men's Christian Association of St. Joseph currently sits with $13 million to go towards a public aquatic facility, the organization needs roughly $15 million for the facility to be built.

The initial end of year deadline has been extended until the end of April, and the YMCA are preparing for a public campaign to start the new year.

"That way we can involve the public, educate them a little bit more on what this whole project is about," Chief Executive Officer for the St. Joseph YMCA Tammy Killin said. "It's an Area Community Aquatic Center. Helping people understand that it will be treated as a public entity."

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The public will not have to be members of the YMCA to be a part of it. Several donors have helped get the project to its current standing. Some of the donors include the government for the City of St. Joseph, The government of Buchanan County and the Mosaic Life Care Foundation.

"It was nice to get a phone call just a day before going to council with an update of the three large donors... Then we had another one come aboard right after that meeting with the significant donation saying we want to be a part of this project," Killin said. "We love that because it really isn't about the Y, it's about the community. It's about providing an opportunity for everyone with this facility."

Killin said the YMCA is still working on the drawings to help with the budget and make it as affordable as possible. With an estimated $2 million left to get, Killin is optimistic the goal will be reached.

"We are now at $13 million secured which I think is phenomenal," Killin said. "We've been able to do that in such a short amount of time, seven months."
New York prison guards beat a handcuffed inmate hours before he died, a newly released video has revealed.

Bodycam footage of the incident shows three correction officers repeatedly kicking and punching Robert Brooks before leaving the prisoner unconscious in an examination room at Marcy Correctional Facility in Upstate New York.

In the video, which was taken on Dec 9, Brooks is repeatedly struck in the face and groin as he sits handcuffed to a medical examination table while other prison staff watch the assault take place.

At one point, one of the officers uses a shoe to strike Brooks in the stomach while another yanks him up by his neck in a choke hold before dropping him back on the table.

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After the 30-minute attack, Brooks was left stripped down to his underwear, lying motionless and bloodied on an examination table.

The 43-year-old, who was serving time for assault, was pronounced dead at a hospital the next day.

Footage of the shocking and disturbing attack was made public on Friday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

I do not take lightly the release of this video especially in the middle of the holiday season, she said, as she offered her deepest condolences to Brooks family.

Ms James said her office was investigating the use of force that led to Brooks death, but did not say whether any of the officers would be charged with crimes.

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Thirteen correctional officers and a nurse implicated in the attack will be fired, according to New York governor Kathy Hochul, who said she was outraged and horrified by videos of the senseless killing.

Robert Brooks, left, is seen with his son Robert Brooks, Jr

The final results of Brooks post-mortem examination are still pending, but preliminary findings cite asphyxia due to compression of the neck as a potential cause of death, court filings show.

State corrections commissioner, Daniel Martuscello III, said he was deeply repulsed and nauseated by the footage and has so far suspended those involved without pay, while another employee resigned.

There is no excuse and no rationalisation for a vulgar, inhumane act that senselessly took a life, Mr Martuscello told the New York Post, adding that the states department of corrections and community supervision was carrying out an internal probe.

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The department issued a directive in the wake of Brooks death requiring staff to use body cameras in all interactions with prisoners.

With the release of the videos, members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks, a lawyer for his family, Elizabeth Mazur, said.

As viewers can see, Mr Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe, Ms Mazur said.

He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 28 that his team is "preparing several important personnel decisions" that will be "announced soon."

Zelensky's comments followed meetings with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

"We are preparing several important personnel decisions," Zelensky said via his official Telegram channel the evening of Dec. 28.

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"The decrees will be announced soon."

Zelensky did not provide any further details on what departments or officials would be affected by the new decisions.

Earlier this year, Zelensky launched a major government reshuffle, replacing key ministers and appointing a number of new advisors and deputies.

In February 2024, Zelensky also replaced Ukraine's top military leadership, dismissing former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and appointing Oleksandr Syrskyi in his place.

Ukrainian media outlets reported in fall 2024 that Zelensky was considering dismissing Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov. The president has denied those reports.

Read also: Zelensky approves over 30 new ambassador appointments

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on China to exert influence on North Korea in response to the deployment of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian troops in the Ukraine war.

"The Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, particularly by Korea's neighbors, especially China," Zelensky said in his evening video address on Friday.

"If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not escalate, it must exert appropriate pressure on Pyongyang," he added. China is the closest ally of the isolated communist country.

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Moscow is mainly using the North Korean troops in its attempts to regain the Russian area of Kursk, which is partly occupied by Ukrainian troops, Zelensky said.

"We can see that the Russian military and the North Korean enforcers have no interest in the survival of these Koreans at all," Zelensky continued.

North Korea has reportedly sent some 10,000 troops to Russia to support Moscow in its fight against Kiev.

Injured North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine dies

Earlier on Friday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that a captured North Korean soldier had died of injuries sustained in combat in Russia.

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The wounded man was captured by Ukrainian troops on Thursday in the front-line Kursk region and succumbed to his injuries a day later, Yonhap reported, citing the South Korean intelligence service (NIS).

The NIS in turn cited the "intelligence service of a friendly country." It was not stated which country this was.

A photo purporting to show the captured soldier had been circulating on the Telegram messaging app.

After undergoing brief training and being equipped with Russian weaponry, the North Korean troops were reportedly integrated into Russian forces in the Kursk region, which Ukrainian troops invaded in August.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers have either been killed or wounded, though this estimate cannot be independently verified.

US: North Korean troops face heavy losses

The US government has also stated that North Korean troops have been deployed in large numbers on the front lines near Kursk.

On Friday, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said that these forces are believed to have carried out extensive assaults against Ukrainian positions.

Kirby noted that the "human wave tactics" of unprotected foot assaults have proven highly ineffective, resulting "in heavy casualties for these North Korean forces."

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US estimates suggest that over 1,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in the past week alone, he said.

Additionally, reports indicate that some North Korean soldiers have chosen suicide over surrender, likely driven by fear of reprisals against their families in North Korea should they be captured, Kirby added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress for indulging in "politics" over the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. He said that Congress never respected the former PM. Trivedi said it was Congress' history that they never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family. "At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided," he said, adding that the Modi government has respected all leaders irrespective of the party affiliation by giving Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narsimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malviya and former President Pranab Mukherjee. "It is saddening that the Congress party, which never respected Dr Manmohan Singh in their lifetime, today even after his death, they are seen doing politics. I want to remind the country that Dr Manmohan Singh was the first Prime Minister of the country outside the Nehru Gandhi family who held the post of Prime Minister for 10 years. It has been Congress' history that they have never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family - from Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri to PV Narsimha Rao. At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided. As far as our government is concerned, the Modi government has given respect to all the leaders by rising above party feelings. We have given Bharat Ratna to three Congress leaders including Narsimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Pranab Mukherjee," Trivedi told ANI. The BJP MP further said that the cabinet had finalised a memorial and mausoleum for the late Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had conveyed the same to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. "BJP and the NDA government led by PM Modi are fully committed to giving due respect to him who laid a major foundation for the country's economic development. In view of this, yesterday the cabinet decided in its meeting that a memorial and mausoleum will be built in the memory of Manmohan Singh and this was conveyed to the Congress party. Union HM Amit Shah conveyed to the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, that the government has decided to build a memorial and whatever time it takes after the completion of processes like land acquisition, formation of a trust and transfer of land, the work will be done appropriately and as soon as possible," Trivedi said. Earlier, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that important personnel decisions will be made in the near future.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's evening address

Quote from Zelenskyy: "We are preparing several important personnel decisions. The decrees will be announced soon. I want to thank everyone who helps!"

Details: Zelenskyy did not specify what personnel decisions he was talking about.

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He further stated that on Saturday, he spoke with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. In particular, he examined the specifics of electricity imports from the European Union to Ukraine via Slovakia, which account for around 19% of total energy imported.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "And I have instructed our Government officials to do everything possible, together with the European Commission, together with all our partners in Europe, everything possible to maintain the stability of the united European energy system and uphold European energy rules. Whatever Putin may have told Fico during his visit to the Kremlin, European rules must prevail over any individuals ties with Moscow."

Background: On 28 December, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the dismissal of Ruslan Kravchenko, Head of Kyiv Oblast State Administration and Filip Pronin, Head of Poltava Oblast State Administration.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has had a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, during which they discussed the crash of an Embraer plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Ukrainian president expressed condolences over the plane crash, which claimed 38 lives.

Quote: "The key priority now is a thorough investigation to provide answers to all questions about what really happened," he stressed.

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Zelenskyy said Russia "must provide clear explanations" in connection with the crash, adding that photos and videos "clearly show the damage to the aircrafts fuselage, including punctures and dents, which strongly point to a strike by an air defence missile".

"We will support Azerbaijan in this situation with all necessary means and call on other countries to assist as well," the Ukrainian president tweeted.

Zelenskyy added that he and Aliyev had agreed to strengthen bilateral contacts in the near future. .

Background:

On 25 December, an Embraer aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau, the administrative centre of Kazakhstan's Mangistau Oblast. The crash killed 38 people.

Azerbaijan Airlines said that the crash on 25 December was caused by "physical and technical external influence".

Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transportation of Azerbaijan, said that eyewitness accounts and holes in the fuselage of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan indicate external influence.

In turn, the United States saw signs of Russian air defence involvement in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directed Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (DIU) to share information about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash with its partners and called for putting pressure on Russia to stop lying about this.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's evening address

Quote from Zelenskyy: "I have no doubt that the full truth about the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane can be established and that Russia will not succeed in concealing anything. Now there are already partners involved, who can be trusted, first of all, by Azerbaijan itself.

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Ukraine will provide all the necessary assistance, and we call on every country to support Azerbaijan in this situation. And we call on every country to put pressure on Russia to stop the lies about this crash  the same lies as were told about MH-17, about the Boeing shot down over the Donetsk region.

In our conversation with President Aliyev, we acknowledged the heroism of the crew, who managed to steer the plane onto Kazakhstan territory, saving 29 people. But tragically, there were many fatalities, and for all this, the accountability must be borne  the accountability of those who hit the plane, and those in Russia who made all this possible: that the plane was targeted.

Today I received an intelligence report on what happened and the data we currently have. I instructed that all facts be shared with our partners."

Previously: On 28 December, Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev, during which they discussed the crash of an Embraer plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines.

Background:

On 25 December, an Embraer aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau, the administrative centre of Kazakhstan's Mangistau Oblast. The crash killed 38 people.

Azerbaijan Airlines said that the crash on 25 December was caused by "physical and technical external influence".

Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transportation of Azerbaijan, said that eyewitness accounts and holes in the fuselage of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan indicate external influence.

In turn, the United States saw signs of Russian air defence involvement in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.

During a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian leader Vladimir Putin apologised for the "tragic incident" involving an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that occurred in Russian airspace.

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Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Saturday slammed the BJP-led central government on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that it is unfortunate that leaders even have to talk about this issue. He further stated that this shows "obnoxious" thinking of the government. Singh asked the government to tell the name of any former PM whose last rites were performed at Nigambodh Ghat and not in the Rajghat premises. Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh said, "It is unfortunate that we even have to talk about this. This shows how obnoxious the government's thinking is... I want to ask PM Narendra Modi, why are you not ready to give space for PM Manmohan Singh's last rites in the Rajghat premises? This party calls itself the most cultured? Tell me the name of one former PM whose last rites were performed in Nigambodh... How disrespected the Sikh community must feel..." Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said, "This is not an issue at all, PM Modi's government should have thought about it beforehand. The whole country wants that his last rites should be performed at the same place where his memorial is to be built. This demand is not just of Congress, not just of Punjab and Sikh community, this is a worldwide demand of all Indians. There is no need to think about it, the government should have thought about it beforehand..." Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on Congress for indulging in "politics" over the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. He said that Congress never respected the former PM. Trivedi said it was Congress' history that they never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family. "At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided," he said, adding that the Modi government has respected all leaders irrespective of the party affiliation by giving Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narsimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malviya and former President Pranab Mukherjee. On Friday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Yet another stowaway managed to board a major airlines plane  renewing serious questions and concerns about airport safety during the busiest travel season of the year.

This time, a stowaway tried to hitch a ride on Delta Air Lines Flight 487 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve.

The unticketed passenger was discovered while the plane was still taxiing out for takeoff to Honolulu, Delta Air Lines told CNN. The Transportation Security Administration and the Port of Seattle confirmed the incident to CNN.

The incident came less than a month after another stowaway boarded a Delta airplane Thanksgiving week. That unticketed passenger made it all the way from New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris before she was eventually arrested.

And on Christmas Eve, a body was found in a wheel well of a United Airlines plane shortly after it traveled from Chicagos OHare International Airport and landed in Maui.

Hiding in a planes wheel well is the most common method used by stowaways, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Stowaways often get crushed when the landing gear retracts, and oxygen levels plummet as a plane reaches higher altitudes.

In the Seattle incident, the stowaway went through a TSA security checkpoint the evening before the flight but wasnt holding a boarding pass, an airport spokesperson told CNN.

The next day, the person gained access to the loading bridge without a scanned ticket at the gate, airport media relations manager Perry Cooper said.

Once the person was discovered, the Airbus A321neo returned to the gate to remove the unticketed passenger, Delta said.

Port of Seattle police officers were dispatched to gate B1 at the airport around 1:05 p.m. for a report of a suspicious circumstance on the Delta flight. The person ran out of the aircraft before officers arrived, Cooper told CNN Friday.

The aircraft returned to the terminal and the subject departed the aircraft, the Port of Seattle said. With the help of video surveillance, POSPD were able to locate the subject in a terminal restroom. The subject was arrested for criminal trespass.

The unticketed passenger didnt have any prohibited items, the TSA told CNN.

The aircraft was swept by K9 as well as all areas in the terminal accessed by the subject, the Port of Seattle said. The aircraft was deplaned and all passengers were escorted by TSA to return to the security checkpoint for rescreening.

CNN has reached out to the Port of Seattle for additional comment.

Delta said the flight was delayed by two hours and 15 minutes. After the rescreening, it continued to Honolulu at 3 p.m.

As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended, the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.

TSA said it takes any incidents that occur at any of our checkpoints nationwide seriously. TSA will independently review the circumstances of this incident at our travel document checker station at Seattle/Tacoma International.

Embarrassing for TSA and Delta

How the person got through airport security is a question many want answered. There are a number of factors at play, according to former commercial airline pilot and aviation analyst, John Nance.

There are multiple causes that come into this, and they probably involve not only a bit of lackadaisical inattention, Nance told CNN affiliate KING. It may be training, it may be compliance, but its probably all of that.

Its embarrassing for this situation to happen twice to the same airline and TSA, according to former Department of Homeland Security official Keith Jeffries, who was federal security director when he left the DHS in 2022.

In his 20 years working with DHS and the TSA, Jeffries said hes seen these situations multiple times.

It has happened before. It will happen again until they continue to strengthen that vulnerability, Jeffries said.

The fact that it happened to the same airline, of course, couldnt be more embarrassing, especially back-to-back, and during the holiday season, when theres an extra alertness associated with the large holiday season, Jeffries added.

During the holidays, Jeffries explained, theres typically more staffing at the airports being extra vigilant. TSA, airlines and airports have even more people present to ensure things like this dont fall through the cracks, making these cases even more concerning, he said.

If there is a silver lining, Jeffries said, its that Delta did catch the stowaway during the taxi, and they didnt make it to Hawaii. The stowaway also didnt have prohibited items when scanned through TSA, which is another plus, he said.

Everybodys going to have to work together; TSA and the airlines on how they can strengthen both of those vulnerabilities, and in some cases, even work with the airport, he said.

Congress will likely scrutinize these incidents, Nance added. But there will be no one paying more attention than the airlines themselves, he said.

___

CNNs Holly Yan, Pete Muntean, Amanda Musa and Nicole Chavez contributed to this report.
New Delhi: Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu has brought the spotlight back to the debate on a 70-hour workweek, a concept earlier proposed by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. He shared his perspective in a post on X (formerly Twitter) and stated, The rationale behind the 70-hour work week is 'it is necessary for economic development.' If you look at East Asia - Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China have all developed through extreme hard work, often imposing punitive levels of work on their own people."

Vembu pointed out that these countries, despite their economic success now face low birth rates and have to encourage people to have more children. Vembu then went on to frame two questions based on this: 1) Is such hard work necessary for economic development? 2) Is such a development even worth the price of a lonely old age for a large mass of people?

The rationale behind the 70 hour work week is "it is necessary for economic development". If you look at East Asia - Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China have all developed through extreme hard work, often imposing punitive levels of work on their own people.



These very  Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) December 27, 2024

In response to the first question, Vembu explained that only a small percentage of the population needs to push themselves hard for economic development. He emphasized, Some percentage of the population will drive themselves hard (maybe 2-5%). I believe that is sufficient for broad-based economic development, and the rest of us can have a decent work-life balance. I believe such a balance is needed.

Regarding the second question, he expressed that the cost of extreme work cultures is not worth it. He said, I don't want India to replicate China's economic success if the price is China's steep demographic decline (which has already started). India is already at replacement level fertility (southern states well below that already) and further declines to East Asian levels won't be good.

He ended his post by expressing his belief that "we can develop without needing to work ourselves to demographic suicide." This debate follows comments made by Narayana Murthy, who argued that India's workforce needs to boost productivity to compete with countries like Japan and China. He suggested that young Indians should be ready to work 70 hours a week to improve the country's competitiveness.
A 21-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into a vehicle on the city's South Side on Friday. mbbirdy/Getty Images

A 21-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into a vehicle on the citys far South Side on Friday.

According to a police report, the man was riding a 2004 Yamaha 600 around 3 p.m. in the 10200 block of South Zarzamora Street, near Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

Witnesses reported seeing the motorcyclist weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed before the crash occurred.

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ALSO READ: San Antonio police looking for suspect accused of killing man on Christmas Eve

The 21-year-old struck a blue 2020 Ford Explorer that was making a left turn into an apartment complex. He was ejected from the motorcycle, causing life-threatening injuries, the report states.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

No other injuries were reported.
The SWAR (Speech and Written Analysis Resource) platform was launched on the occasion of Good Governance Day on December 25.

The release dated December 28 reads, "Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Team Gujarat has consistently implemented various initiatives and schemes aimed at improving the "ease of living" for its citizens. On December 25, Good Governance Day, the Chief Minister launched a new citizen-centric initiative called the SWAR (Speech and Written Analysis Resource) platform."

As per the release, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's Bhashini Team (National Language Translation Mission), has developed the SWAR platform.

This innovative platform leverages technology to overcome language barriers. The Speech-to-Text feature has also been integrated into the Gujarat CMO website.

With the Speech-to-Text functionality, citizens can dictate their messages instead of typing them manually. The SWAR platform uses the indigenous artificial intelligence system, Bhashini, to facilitate this.

This technological advancement will enable the state government to reach a larger audience and significantly improve grievance redressal and feedback mechanisms.

In the future, the SWAR platform will support the Chief Minister's Office by incorporating advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. Resources such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Open Source Generative AI (GenAI), Machine Learning (ML), and Computer Vision will be integrated into the resource library as per CMO requirements.

Through the SWAR platform, even citizens unfamiliar with English keyboards can easily submit their applications or grievances by voice. (ANI)
The Madras High Court has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case of a 19-year-old engineering student who was sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus in Chennai.

The incident took place on December 23, 2023, when the survivor, a second-year student, was sitting in an open area with her male friend.

The accused, identified as 37-year-old Gnanasekaran, allegedly attacked the male friend before dragging the survivor behind a building and sexually assaulting her. The police arrested the accused after the survivor filed a complaint.



The Madras High Court, led by Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayan, responded to the case with strong measures.

The court criticized the Tamil Nadu Police for serious lapses, particularly regarding the public disclosure of the survivors identity in the First Information Report (FIR) available on the police website.

In light of these mistakes, the court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to provide interim compensation of 25 lakh to the survivor. Furthermore, the court instructed the police to ensure protection for the survivor and her family.

Formation of SIT and Investigation Lapses

The court also took action by ordering the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to handle the investigation. The SIT is to be comprised of three officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS).

The bench noted that there were significant lapses in the initial handling of the case, and the investigation was not proceeding as it should have been. The decision to form an SIT underlines the seriousness with which the court views the case.

Criticism of FIR and Victim Blaming

A significant aspect of the court's ruling was its criticism of the language used in the FIR. The FIR contained details that the court described as "victim blaming."

The survivor had alleged that the accused recorded intimate moments between her and her boyfriend, and then threatened to share the footage with her family and college authorities.

The court deemed this language "deplorable," stating that it contributed to victim shaming and mental distress for the survivor.

The bench expressed shock at how the FIR had been drafted, suggesting that it resembled something one might find in a boys hostel, filled with judgmental assumptions about the survivors actions.

The court emphasized that the FIR violated the survivors rights to dignity and bodily autonomy, as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

National Commission for Womens Intervention

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took immediate action after the incident. The NCW condemned the assault in the strongest possible terms and expressed support for the survivor in her pursuit of justice.

Taking suo motu cognizance of the case, the NCW formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the details of the assault.

The commission highlighted that the accused had a history of criminal behavior and suggested that the negligence of the Tamil Nadu Police had emboldened him to continue his criminal actions.

The NCW further directed the Tamil Nadu DGP to ensure that the survivor received medical care and protection. It also recommended adding Section 71 of the BNS Act, 2023, to the FIR to impose stricter penalties on the accused.

The NCW emphasized the need for accountability at every level, especially in light of the police's mishandling of the case. It called for action against officers who publicly revealed the survivors identity, which is a violation of Supreme Court guidelines.
Delhi Election: Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP have been locked in a fierce war of words over the two welfare schemes promised by Arvind Kejriwal. While Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered a probe into the alleged personal data collection, Kejriwal accused the BJP of trying to stop the free electricity-water-bus schemes.

The fresh row is related to two new schemes announced by Kejriwal - Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjivani Yojana. While the AAP cabinet has approved the Mahila Samman Yojana schemes, a government notification is still pending. However, the AAP volunteers started collecting data on probable beneficiaries through registrations. The concerned Delhi government departments earlier distanced themselves from the registration campaign saying no such scheme exists and an online registration will commence once the schemes are notified.

As BJP sharpened its attack on the ruling AAP, Delhi LG VK Saxena ordered a probe into the collection of city residents' personal data by AAP volunteers for the scheme. "LG has desired that Chief Secretary to get an inquiry conducted through Divisional Commissioner in the matter of collection of personal details and forms by non-government people. Further, Commissioner of Police may direct the field officers to take action as per law against the person who are breaching the privacy of gullible citizens by collecting their personal details in garb of giving benefits," wrote Principal Secretary of LG to Delhi Chief Secretary and Delhi Police Commissioner.

Hitting at Delhi LG and AAP following the probe order, Kejriwal accused the BJP of conspiring to stop the AAP government's schemes like free electricity, water, bus ride as well as the two newly announced schemes. "I had said that after winning the election, we will give Rs 2,100 to women and free treatment to the elderly above 60 years of age. Both these schemes were so beneficial for the public that lakhs of people registered for them already. This made the BJP nervous....First, they sent their goons, then sent the police and uprooted the registration camp, today they have ordered a fake investigation that there will be an investigation," said Kejriwal.

The former CM futher said, "What will be investigated? We had made an election announcement that if we win the election, we will implement it. I am happy that with this step BJP has made it clear why they are contesting the election. Today, they have told that if you vote for them, they will not implement the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana. They will stop free travel for women in buses, they will stop your free electricity, free water, mohalla clinics, free treatment and free education. BJP is contesting the election to stop everything."
Bihar's political circles are abuzz once again with speculations doing rounds about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's next move. The buzz gained momentum after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in which when asked about contesting the next Bihar assembly elections under Nitish Kumar's face, Shah said that such decisions are taken in alliance meetings and media will be informed when a final decision will be taken. Amit Shah's statement gave rise to speculations that the BJP has yet not put a final stamp on Nitish Kumar's name.

Bihar Leaders Back Nitish

A day after Amit Shah's statement, Bihar BJP president and minister in Nitish government, Dilip Jaiswal, openly supported contesting elections under Nitish's leadership. However, within days, he changed his stance, referring to himself as a 'junior leader', adding that such decisions are taken by party high-command. Leaders such as Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, and others consistently advocated for contesting elections without Nitish at the helm.

Nitish Breaks Silence

Nitish Kumars recent political manoeuvres further fueled the speculations. After Amit Shah's remark, Nitish called sick and did not attend some key government schemes. While BJP leaders kept making statements about contesting the elections under Kumar, the JDU chief maintained a silence as RJD extended feelers to him once again. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has even claimed that four close aides of Nitish have taken him, hostage, as the CM himself is unable to run the government. Tejashwi said that these four leaders are making decisions on Nitish Kumar's behalf.

However, after being assured that his CM post is not at stake, Nitish Kumar has now reacted to the speculations of leaving the NDA once again. Speaking in Bihar's Sitamarhi on Thursday, Kumar said that he already made a mistake twice and now he won't go anywhere and work for the country's development in alliance with the BJP. Now, Kumar is visiting Delhi on December 29 and Amit Shah will visit Bihar in January. These developments appear a bid by the NDA leaders to remove the misconception that Shah's remark may have caused.

Bihar Elections 2025

Bihar is set to hold assembly elections at the end of next year. In 2020, the NDA secured victory, and a government was formed under Nitish Kumar's leadership. However, by August 2022, Nitish shifted allegiance to the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and formed a government with the RJD. During this period, he united opposition parties and laid the foundation for the INDIA alliance. In January 2024, Nitish returned to the NDA fold. Since then, he has repeatedly stated on public platforms that he has no intention of switching sides again.
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Saturday directed constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual assault of a woman student in the Anna University campus here recently. All three members of the SIT will be women IPS officers. The court also directed the state government to pay the victim a compensation of Rs 25 lakh.

A bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice V Lakshminarayan gave the order while hearing a plea for transferring the probe into the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The bench further said the victim's studies should not be affected. Anna University should not charge any fees from her.

The woman was sexually assaulted in the campus of the premier technical varsity recently, prompting widespread outrage from opposition parties and the civil society. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.
Indian Air Force vs Chinese Air Force: Two months ago, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh drew a comparison between the Indian and Chinese air forces. Speaking during a media interaction in October, Singh acknowledged that China has recently gained a technological edge over India. However, he emphasized that the Indian Air Force remains far superior to the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in terms of training and the skill of its personnel.

This week, China unveiled two fifth-generation fighter jets, sending shockwaves not just through India but also across the United States. With advanced aircraft carriers and state-of-the-art fighter jets, many social media users believe China has secured a significant edge over India. The dramatic debut of these new fighter jets has sparked a frenzy on Indian social media platforms.

Criticism has mounted against successive Indian governments and defence research organizations, with users highlighting their inability to deliver a fully indigenous, cutting-edge fighter jet system.

"While Tejas was dissed for years, HF 24 was cancelled, Kaveri never tested even for low and high-speed taxi trials, here is a 3-minute video on the underperforming stuff that the IAF got from abroad," said a defence enthusiast.

While Tejas was dissed for years, HF 24 was cancelled, Kaveri never tested even for low and high speed taxi trials, here is a 3 minute video on the underperforming stuff that the IAF got from abroad (edit from my Youtube video) pic.twitter.com/s3FZAXj56D December 27, 2024

"This new Chinese jet has really thrown people for a loop. A lot are pushing this as a 6th Gen Fighter b/c it shares a lot of vague commonalities with the NGAD artistic depictions. I dont believe this to be the case, but theres still a lot to be inferred from the pics so far," said another user.

This new Chinese jet has really thrown people for a loop. A lot are pushing this as a 6th Gen Fighter b/c it shares a lot of vague commonalities with the NGAD artistic depictions. I dont believe this to be the case, but theres still a lot to be inferred from the pics so far pic.twitter.com/utqItKfsyy  Prez (@PrezGHz) December 26, 2024

A Chinese journalist posted, "As early as at the 2022 Airshow China, Chinas 6th-generation fighter jet made an appearance. The model was placed in a corner and did not attract much attention. The Chinese state media has already hinted that this is Chinas next-generation fighter jet."

As early as at the 2022 Airshow China, Chinas 6th-generation fighter jet made an appearance. The model was placed in a corner and did not attract much attention.

The Chinese state media has already hinted that this is Chinas next-generation fighter jet. pic.twitter.com/AHHPKlBsB3  Li Zexin (@XH_Lee23) December 27, 2024

"China is testing prototype of a revolutionary tailless stealth fighter. Meanwhile Indians are racing to overtake the Chinese by digging for our famed pushpaka vimana. Indians very smartly realised that's the only way we can beat or confuse the Chinese!" said another Indian user.

China is testing prototype of a revolutionary tailless stealth fighter.



Meanwhile Indians are racing to overtake the Chinese by digging for our famed pushpaka vimana.



Indians very smartly realised that's the only way we can beat or confuse the Chinese! pic.twitter.com/cIZEXqGBjS  JD (@jillsdaniel) December 27, 2024

India relies on Russian and French fighter jets for air-to-air combat. The country is importing Rafale jets from France to help its air force be prepared for eventualities. The homegrown Tejas aircraft relies on Israel, Russia and Ukraine for several components.
New Delhi  The Congress and its leaders have criticized the central government over the cremation of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at Nigam Bodh Ghat, calling it an "insult" to his legacy and demanding a more befitting tribute. Dr. Singh, a globally respected economist and the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, passed away on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related complications.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed his discontent on social media, stating that Dr. Singh's contributions to the nation warranted "the highest respect and a memorial."

"The great son of India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at Nigam Bodh Ghat," Gandhi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The Congress Party demanded that Dr. Singhs cremation take place at a location where a memorial could be built to honor his legacy. Party leaders emphasized the importance of such a gesture to commemorate his remarkable contributions as an economist, Finance Minister, and two-term Prime Minister.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh called the cremation at Nigam Bodh Ghat a "deliberate insult," stating on X, "The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation."

Following the backlash, Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Dr. Singh's family that the government would allocate land for a memorial in the coming days. However, the cremation had to proceed at Nigam Bodh Ghat due to procedural requirements.

A Cabinet meeting was held on Friday, during which it was decided that a trust would be formed to manage the memorial. The government assured that the allocated space would appropriately reflect Dr. Singhs legacy.

Despite the controversy, Dr. Singh was accorded a state funeral with full military honors at Nigam Bodh Ghat on Saturday. Leaders across political parties, foreign dignitaries, and citizens from all walks of life mourned the loss of the statesman who played a pivotal role in shaping modern Indias economic policies.

Dr. Singhs tenure as Prime Minister, spanning a decade from 2004 to 2014, saw significant economic growth and social welfare initiatives that uplifted millions of Indians. Under his leadership, India earned global recognition as an economic superpower.

During his tenure, the country became an economic powerhouse, and his policies continue to support the poor and backward classes even today, Rahul Gandhi noted in his post.

Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, after suffering a sudden loss of consciousness at home. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be revived.
New Delhi: While studying in Cambridge University on a scholarship in the mid 1950s, money was the only real problem for Manmohan Singh and there were times when he had to skip meals or live on a sixpence bar of Cadbury's chocolate, according to his daughter Daman Singh.

Singh earned a First Class Honours (Tripos) degree in Economics in 1957 from University of Cambridge.

Daughter Daman Singh came out with a book "Strictly Personal: Manmohan and Gursharan", published by HarperCollins in 2014, to tell the "story of her parents".

She also mentioned that her father often spoke about his early years, of the hard life in the village as well as the charm of a simpler existence. Singh was born in Gah in Punjab province's western region, which now falls in Pakistan.

Daman recalled that when once her sister Kiki asked Singh if he wishes to go back to Gah, he replied mildly, "No, not really. That is where my grandfather was killed."

Writing about her father's days at Cambridge, Daman said money was the only real problem that bothered him as his tuition and living expenses came to about 600 pounds a year while the Punjab University scholarship gave him about 160 pounds.

"For the rest he had to depend on his father. Manmohan was careful to live very stingily. Subsidized meals in the dining hall were relatively cheap at two shillings sixpence. He never ate out, and seldom indulged in beer or wine," she wrote.

Yet he would be in crisis if money from home fell short or did not arrive in time. "When this happened, he skipped meals or got by on a sixpence bar of Cadbury's chocolate. He would never borrow money his entire life, but this was when he came closest to doing so. The only person he could think of turning to was Madan (close friend Madan Lal Sudan)," the book said.

After the results of the first-year Tripos examination were declared and Singh came first, he wrote to Madan asking not to send him any money from then on.

"I think I will get some prize worth about 20 pounds and if I press I might get an Exhibition (an allowance or scholarship), but I am not so greedy. I prefer to wait till next year," Singh wrote.

Daman also mentioned how her father used to sing at family get-togethers and picnics. "Whenever we went on a picnic, people used to sing. He knew a couple

of songs. He sang 'Lagta nahin hai ji mera' and Amrita Pritam's poem

'Aakhan Waris Shah noon, kitey kabran vichon bol'," she wrote.

"Aakhan Waris Shah noon..." is about Partition and Amrita Pritam invokes Waris Shah to come and write about what happened to Punjab.

"Lagta nahin" is the poem penned by last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar when he was in exile in Rangoon, where he later died.

According to Daman, her father had a good sense of humour.

"This was evident when he was with friends, even if they were economists. It was comforting to know that he could laugh and crack jokes as well. With us, he rarely did either."

He also liked to give nicknames to people.

"Unknown to them, one of our uncles was 'John Babu', another was 'Jewel Babu', and a third - to commemorate his pointed turban - was 'Chunj Waley'. My mother was

'Gurudev', and the three of us were 'Kick', 'Little Noan' and 'Little Ram'. Some of the other names he coined were less charitable," Daman wrote.

Singh gave their pet dog Penu a string of affectionate names such as 'Nut Babu', 'Nutter' and 'Douse Fellow' and even composed little jingles around them.
A social media influencer from India, Akash Sagar, is under investigation after a video of him and his companions chanting religious slogans inside a church went viral. The video, posted by Sagar on his Instagram accountwhich has over 1.5 million followersshows him entering the Church of Epiphany in Mawlynnong, located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

The video quickly spread across multiple platforms, drawing widespread criticism

In the footage, Akash Sagar, along with two companions, is seen entering the altar area of the church, chanting religious slogans such as "Jai Shri Ram," and mocking Christian hymns.

Their actions were perceived by many as a deliberate attempt to desecrate the sanctity of the church, sparking a public outcry. The videos content, including the chants and altered hymns, raised concerns about potential harm to religious sentiments, particularly in a region known for its religious diversity.

Police Complaint and FIR Filed

The controversy took a legal turn when a Shillong-based activist filed a police complaint at the Laitumkhrah Police Station, condemning the incident as premeditated. The activist accused Akash Sagar and his companions of intending to insult the Christian faith and incite communal tensions.

As a result, the Meghalaya Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Sagar and his companions, with charges related to trespassing, disturbing public peace, and insulting religious beliefs.

Influencers Response and Justification

In the wake of the FIR, Akash Sagar responded on social media, attempting to defend his actions. In a now-deleted post, he questioned the legitimacy of the complaint, asking, "For saying Jai Shree Ram?" He also shared screenshots of media reports about the FIR, accusing his critics of behaving like traitors.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar concluded a two-day conference of the team at the Indian Embassy in the US and Consuls General. He expressed confidence in the deliberations and noted that they would plummet the India-US partnership.

Jaishankar wrote on X, "Concluded a very useful two day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC today. Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated."

As per a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs, S Jaishankar is visiting the United States of America from December 24 to December 29.

On Thursday, Jaishankar met with the United States National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, in Washington, DC. He said that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership and exchanged views on current regional and global developments.

Jaishankar also held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington, DC on Thursday. The two leaders reviewed the advancement of India-US partnership over the past four years and agreed that cooperation has strengthened in many sectors.

Jaishankar expressed confidence that ties between India and US will serve mutual interests and global good.

Jaishankar, during his visit, met India's Ambassador to US, Vinay Kwatra and Consul Generals based in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and Atlanta.

The officials discussed opportunities for deepening India-US partnership, focusing on technology, trade and investments.

The visit by the External Affairs Minister comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US earlier in September and participated in the fourth Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.

The US and India have seen frequent high-level interactions.

Earlier on Tuesday, senior diplomats from India and the United States, including Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, highlighted the strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries.

India-US bilateral relations have developed into a "global strategic partnership," based on shared democratic values and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues.

Regular exchange of high-level political visits has provided sustained momentum to bilateral cooperation, while the wide-ranging and ever-expanding dialogue architecture has established a long-term framework for India-US engagement.
Kerala Lottery Results Saturday 28-12-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "KARUNYA KR-686" Lucky Draw Result today Karunya Kr-686, December 28, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Karunya KR-686" 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 Karunya KR-686 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 80 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-686 results today.

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KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 28-12-2024 December TODAY: KARUNYA KR-686 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS

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A thorough Vision Document has been released by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to promote peace, integrity and progress in the Bodoland region of Assam. The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) has prepared a Vision Document for all round developments and preserve, and protect the language, culture, and identity of 26 ethnic, and tribal groups who are living in the region. Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief and NDA's ally party United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) president Pramod Boro said, "Vision Document is one of the dream projects of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) government." Speaking to ANI, Pramod Boro, BTC Chief and UPPL President said, "By the end of this year, we are going to give something to the people of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) through this Vision Document as a New Year gift. We have collected this Vision Document from them only and they submitted many memorandums in previous times. We also formed some small groups and the groups went to those particular communities and interviewed them in different sections - women, farmers, teachers, and youths and collected their issues." "The groups also interacted with the organisations and community leaders. The expert group has designed this Vision Document and the government has extended its support. Those issues can't be resolved at the Bodoland Territorial Council level; issues will be forwarded to the state and centre," he added. Boro further added that the expert committee has prepared this Vision Document for 26 communities of the Bodoland Territorial Region. "In this Vision Document, the expert committee has found out all the issues and problems of those communities. Some people wish to protect their language & culture, tradition, and identity; some people want to protect their lands, enjoy their land rights, and develop in education and economic aspects, and these are written in the Vision Document. Some people want recognition and notification of their community because they don't have any recognition in the constitutional framework," Boro told ANI. The BTC Chief said, "Maximum people want peace and integrity among the people because in Bodoland there have been conflicts between the communities, within the communities, in the past several decades, so that kind of situation should be permanently removed from the Bodoland region." People want sustainable peace and integrity among the communities living in the Bodoland region. Those issues will come up in the Vision Document. Every community wants quality education and to develop human resources in many fields. Boro said, "Vision Document is a New Year gift to the people of the Bodoland region and they will receive a good Vision Document through which they can make a roadmap for the development of their own communities." "It is coming out from my three decades of social activities. When I was an activist moving around in the BTR region and sometimes in Assam, North East and parts of the country, at that time I realised that the people of the country who are underprivileged faced lots of problems. For many reasons, the bureaucracy and public representatives can't reach out to them to address their grievances. Sometimes they got frustrated and deprived and they had gone for agitation. In the last 70 years of independence, there have been movements of different indigenous communities in different parts of the country. In Assam and Northeast India, we are very small ethnic groups, tribes and indigenous communities, and when their democratic rights are not heard, some people have arms in their hands and that is the story of the arms revolution in the northeastern part of the country," Boro added. The BTC Chief also said that, for this Vision Document, we have calculated in terms of all-round development. Some communities want good infrastructure and this is the normal course and it is being done by the government. "In the Vision Document, some are short-term and some are long-term visions. Once we release the Vision Document, we will have another expert committee for the implementation of the Vision Document, where we can resolve their issues at the council level, and those issues that can't be resolved at the council level, we will forward to the higher authority, the concerned authority, with a proper approach paper," Boro told ANI. Boro also emphasized that some people have suggested for conservation of forests, water bodies, plantations, biodiversity, and water conservation; to resolve the matter of an elephant conflict and these kinds of issues are also mentioned in the Vision Document. The expert groups prepared the Vision Document based on the memorandums submitted by the people and different communities. "Given the national leadership and state leadership, we can't predict what they will do or will not do," Boro told ANI. Boro further added, "The priority of the nation is prepared by the national leadership. Maybe in 2025-26, the priority of the nation will be something different and the state priority may be something different. These are the continuing and common issues. What I have realised and understood is that when the Constitution was framed and drafted, it was passed at that time. Those people who drafted the Constitution had those things in their minds at that time and they brought all in the clauses." "The Constitution doesn't have any voice and the parliamentarians and policymakers should have to check. We need to discuss every clause, schedule, and amendment and relook all the clauses to see whether this clause is implemented for this purpose or not," Boro said. The indigenous and tribal people should have deserved to enjoy every right of the constitution, but many people are still deprived and there should be a mechanism to relook those issues. There are many ethnic groups in Northeast India and they deserve to protect their language, culture, and everything, but sometimes those issues are ignored. In the last 30 years, Bodo signed three accords and I thanked the Bodo leadership and national leadership as well for understanding our problems. This is the Amrit Kaal and our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has given a very beautiful vision to the people that India should be a Vikshit Bharat and I agree with the Prime Minister. I am convinced that this goal set by our Prime Minister should be realised and understood by every person in the country. I am hopeful and people are always positive. India is a big country and different issues will come. So the instruction setup, the mechanism setup, should be activated," Boro said. The BTC Chief Boro described the Bodo Peace Accord of 2020 as a successful agreement. The prime objective of the Accord signed in 2020 is to sustain peace in the region. The number one objective is already fulfilled and successful. Some groups were in Myanmar, and Bangladesh, someone in jail, and our brothers who took arms long back for Bodo rights, socio-political rights, and cultural and economic rights. Some of them had lost their lives, that was a very pathetic situation, a panic situation. Boro said, "We tried to resolve the arms conflict for all, arms movement should be resolved for all. At that time our organisation was convinced and we approached the central government the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were very fair and decisive in the matter and it was a very positive situation for us and signed the 2020 Accord." Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma was instrumental from the state side in resolving the problem. After that, our vision was to sustain the peace bring back normalcy and ensure the security of the people who felt insecure for a couple of decades. We engaged in dialogue with the communities and started dialogue with the organisations. In the last 4 years during our BTC government regime, this is the first 4 years in the last 40 years there is not a single incident of killing and violence, not a single incident of communal conflict in Bodoland. There is no difference between the Bodo and Non-Bodo in Bodoland, all the tribes, communities, and ethnic groups understand each other. The integration process has again started in Bodoland. That's the reason our MP won in the last 2024 Lok Sabha election. "In the last 4 years, we are focusing on various issues including rural issues, ethnic communities and their aspirations. We tried to regenerate the forest, we announced altogether 800 sq km of national parks - Raimona National Park, and Sikhna Jehwlao National Park, to restore and regenerate the forest and this is our big achievement," Boro added. More than 4000 youths who came to the mainstream from the arms revolution, received rehabilitation packages from the government. Some martyr's families also received ex-gratia and some non-heinous cases were also withdrawn. The council which was running without any rules, or any policy, has been streamlined. "In 2021, we joined the council and immediately we faced a challenge with liabilities of Rs 3000 crore. The council has Rs 800-900 crore annual budget for development and for that council Rs 3000 crore liability is huge. We audited the whole government mechanism, and fund utilisation in previous times and everything is now in a position. In previous times the funds were misused and we audited all and we passed a resolution in the council assembly to give it to the right authority for investigation like CID, CBI," Boro told ANI. He further stated that they have focused on the agriculture sector because the maximum number of people in the Bodoland region are dependent on agriculture. "We are organising the agriculture sector and mechanising it; we are skilling and training the farmers for better productivity. There is no panchayati Raj in Bodoland, but we have more than 400 Village Council Development Committees (VCDCs)," Boro said. The BTC government has also made strides in the areas of agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure. Key initiatives include the creation of national parks, rehabilitation of former militants, and improvements in rural infrastructure. The region has also seen advances in technology, with the establishment of an e-office and the digitization of land records. (ANI)
Manmohan Singh Funeral Live Updates: The last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be performed at Delhis Nigambodh Ghat crematorium on Saturday, December 28, at 11:45 am, the Union Home Ministry announced on Friday. Dr Singh, 92, passed away on Thursday night at All Indi Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. He served as Indias 13th Prime Minister and was the first Sikh to hold the position, leading the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014.

"It has been decided by the Government that State funeral will be accorded to Dr. Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 AM on 28h December, 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Friday.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was rushed to AIIMS, New Delhi, on Thursday evening at 8:06 pm. Doctors tried to save him but could not revive him. He was declared dead at 9:51 pm, the hospital said in a statement.

Dr. Singh retired from active politics after the Congress lost the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to the BJP. His last public appearance was in the Rajya Sabha in August 2023, where he was a sitting member. Ex-PM is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur, a history professor, and three daughters.

Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), called Dr. Manmohan Singhs passing a personal loss. In a heartfelt statement, she said, For me, Dr. Manmohan Singhs death is a deeply personal loss. He was my friend, philosopher, and guide.
In the news for being the location of former prime minister Manmohan Singh's State funeral, Nigambodh Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna is not only Delhi's oldest, largest and busiest crematorium but also a haven for bird watchers and photographers. Believed to have been established by Yudhishthira, the king of Indraprastha, the crematorium has witnessed the last rites of several political heavyweights -- from former Union minister Arun Jaitley to Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Sunder Singh Bhandari.

On Saturday, the mortal remains of Singh -- who led India on the path of economic liberalisation in the 1990s -- were consigned to flames at the ghat. The Congress had demanded the funeral take place at a location where a memorial to Singh could be built but the government said he would be accorded a State funeral at Nigambodh Ghat. The Congress called the decision a "deliberate insult to India's first Sikh prime minister".

Among the top political heavyweights to be cremated at Nigambodh Ghat are Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya, former vice-president Krishan Kant and Delhi ex-chief minister Sheila Dikshit, whose official residence was converted to Singh's post-retirement home.

Singh was accorded a State funeral at the ghat, whose last rites were performed with military honours. The ghat consists of a series of bathing and ceremonial-stepped piers leading to the river. The electric crematorium was built in the 1950s. A CNG-powered crematorium was added in the early 2000s. According to legends, the ghat was blessed by the presence of Hindu gods.

One such legend mentioned in a scripture says that more than 5,500 years ago, in the times of Mahabharata, when gods walked on Earth, Brahma bathed at the ghat and regained his divine memory -- leading to the ghat acquiring its "Nigambodh" name, which means regaining knowledge.

Another legend mentions that Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers of the Bharat dynasty and the king of Indraprastha, constructed the ghat. These days, the ghat serves two purposes -- being the largest and busiest cremation ground, and as a haven of sorts for bird watchers and photographers.

Author Swapna Liddle, in her book "Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi", says ancient tradition associated Delhi with Indra-prastha -- the holy place where Indra, the king of the gods, performed sacrifices and worshipped Vishnu.

"This spot on the bank of the Yamuna was then blessed by Vishnu, who called it 'Nigambodhak' where knowledge of the Vedas could be gained simply by taking a dip in the waters. The name Nigambodhak literally meant 'that which makes known the knowledge of the Vedas'," she says in the book.

The ghat was officially established by the Bari Panchayat Vaish Bisa Aggarwal, which was instituted in 1898 when Delhi was known as Shahjanabad. The crematorium is currently operated by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

"At that time, major business and trade activities were conducted by Vaish Agarwals. The entire society was scattered and used to perform birth and death ceremonies as per their wish and status which affected the lower strata of people," according to the description on Nigambodh Ghat's website.

"The Vaish Bisa society then took a pledge to stop the over expenditure made on marriages, son's birth and death rituals and standardise the rituals so that even the poor could perform them with much less expense. Since then, Vaish Beese Agarwal Badi Panchayat has been diligently managing these important phases of life," it added.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader, Asaduddin Owaisi, has criticised Uttar Pradesh government for the recent construction of a new police outpost outside Jama Masjid in Sambhal.

Owaisi took to social media to slam the state government for its apparent allocation of funds, pointing out that it seemed to focus on building police posts and liquor bars rather than essential infrastructure like schools and hospitals.

In his post on social media platform X, the Member of Parliament remarked, "A police post is being built in front of Jama Masjid in Sambhal. Go to any corner of the country, the government there neither opens schools nor hospitals.

The government does not have money for anything else, it only has money for police posts and liquor bars."

Owaisi also accused the government of neglecting Muslim-majority areas in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that these regions lacked basic facilities. His statement comes amid rising tensions in Sambhal, which has witnessed violent incidents related to a mosque survey aimed at investigating the presence of a Hindu temple in the area.

Security Measures After Sambhal Violence

The decision to build a police outpost near Jama Masjid follows the eruption of violence in Sambhal, triggered by the controversial survey. To bolster security and prevent further unrest, the Uttar Pradesh administration has announced the deployment of a Rapid Action Force (RAF) team in the region.

Sambhal's Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Shrish Chandra, explained that the construction of new police posts across the district is aimed at improving security, ensuring swift justice, and enhancing crime surveillance.

The district administration, led by Dr. Rajender Pensiya, revealed plans to install smart meters and CCTV cameras in Sambhal for better public safety. Furthermore, ongoing anti-encroachment drives are being carried out in the area, targeting both temporary and permanent encroachments.

While temporary encroachments are being removed, permanent ones are addressed through official notices and cooperation from local residents.
As the countdown to the New Year begins, the Delhi Police has issued a comprehensive traffic advisory to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles and prevent any untoward incidents during the celebrations across the national capital.

In preparation for the surge in traffic and pedestrians on New Years Eve, the Delhi Police will deploy additional personnel across the city. Special attention will be given to areas that are popular among revellers, including key shopping districts, malls, and celebration hotspots such as Connaught Place and Hauz Khas.

Authorities have assured that traffic personnel will be stationed strategically to manage the expected crowd and maintain order.

Traffic Restrictions from 8 PM Onwards

To ensure public safety and prevent traffic congestion in key areas, the police will implement several restrictions beginning at 8 pm on December 31st, continuing throughout the night until the end of the celebrations. Key areas where restrictions will be enforced include Connaught Place, one of Delhis most popular destinations for New Years Eve celebrations.

Vehicles will not be allowed to proceed beyond specific points such as Mandi House, Bengali Market, and Ranjit Singh Flyover. Traffic diversions will be in place, and vehicles will be restricted from entering the inner, middle, or outer circles of Connaught Place unless they have valid passes.

Parking Guidelines for New Years Eve

Finding parking in central locations during New Years Eve can be a challenge, and the Delhi Police is taking necessary steps to streamline the process. Designated parking spaces will be available at locations such as Gole Dak Khana, Patel Chowk, and Mandi House.

However, parking near Connaught Place will be extremely limited and will operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Additionally, vehicles parked in unauthorized areas or restricted zones will be towed and penalized. Commuters are advised to park their vehicles at designated spots to avoid fines and unnecessary hassles.

Traffic Diversions Near India Gate and Rajpath

As large crowds are expected to gather at India Gate, the police have issued a traffic diversion plan for the surrounding areas. Vehicles traveling near key locations like C-Hexagon, Rajpath, Rafi Marg, and Mathura Road may be diverted due to heavy pedestrian movement.

Commuters are encouraged to use public transportation to reach these popular areas, especially given the limited availability of parking and the likelihood of congestion.

To further alleviate congestion, the police have urged commuters to avoid Bhairon Road and Mathura Road between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pragati Maidan. The area around the Delhi Zoo is expected to experience significant traffic buildup, making it challenging for vehicles to navigate smoothly.

Strict Actions Against Drunk Driving

In addition to traffic-related concerns, the Delhi Police is emphasizing strict measures against drunk driving. Authorities will conduct random checks to deter individuals from driving under the influence of alcohol.

The police have urged citizens to avoid driving after drinking and make use of alternative modes of transportation such as cabs or public transit to ensure a safe and enjoyable New Years celebration.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday gave the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for over a month, to shift to hospital. In an unprecedented hearing, a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan pulled up the Punjab government for allowing the situation to escalate and not complying with its earlier directions to provide medical assistance to Dallewal.

Expressing helplessness, the Punjab government said it is facing huge resistance from protesting farmers who have encircled Dallewal and are preventing him from being taken to hospital. Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the bench that a team of experts visited the protest site and tried to persuade Dallewal to shift to hospital and take medical help.

"He (Dallewal) has refused any kind of medical aid, including (IV) drips, saying that it will undermine the cause of movement," he said. This infuriated the bench which blamed the Punjab government for not doing enough to contain the situation and said the farmer leaders who are not allowing Dallewal to be taken to the hospital are involved in the criminal offence of abetment to suicide.

The top court allowed the Punjab government to seek any kind of logistics support from the Centre if the situation warrants, and hoped that the state government would comply with its direction of shifting Dallewal to hospital. The bench said Dallewal is under some kind of "peer pressure" and those farmer leaders who are not allowing him to be shifted to a hospital do not seem to be his well-wishers.

"Are they interested in his life or something else? We don't want to say much and only hope that the Punjab government will comply with our directions," the bench said. On Friday, the top court expressed concern over the condition of Dallewal and directed the Punjab government to ensure he is given medical assistance.

It had issued a notice to the Punjab government on a contempt petition against its chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) for non-compliance of an order directing that medical aid be provided to Dallewal. Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26 to press the Centre to accept farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.

On December 20, the apex court left it to Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on Dallewal's hospitalisation. The court said Dallewal, 70, could be moved to the makeshift hospital set up within 700 metres of the protest site at Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana.

On December 19, the bench referred to civil rights activist Irom Sharmila continuing her protest for more than a decade under medical supervision and asked the Punjab government to convince Dallewal for an examination. It had pulled up the state for not running medical tests on Dallewal.

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.
Hours before former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's funeral on Saturday, a war of words erupted over a memorial for Dr Singh. Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of the late former President Pranab Mukherjee criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's proposal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a separate memorial dedicated to Dr. Manmohan Singh. She asserted that the Congress did not even bother to convene a condolence meeting by the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

She shared a post X and claimed that Congress leaders did not even bother to convene a condolence meeting by CWC at the time when her father and the former Indian President died in August 2020.

She further accused the Congress leadership of misleading her at that time. According to her, a senior leader of the Congress told her that it is not for Indian Presidents.

"When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me its not done 4 Presidents. Thats utter rubbish as I learned later from babas diaries that on KR Narayanans death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by baba only," she said in post on X.

When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother 2 call CWC 4 condolence meeting. A senior leader told me its not done 4 Presidents. Thats utter rubbish as I learned later from babas diaries that on KR Narayanans death, CWC was called & condolence msg was drafted by baba only https://t.co/nbYCF7NsMB  Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) December 27, 2024

Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday night due to age-related illnesses at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Sharmishtha Mukherjee referred to a post by BJP's CR Kesavan, who highlighted that Congress never built a memorial for former PM Narasimha Rao ji, who passed away in 2004.

Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday night due to age-related illnesses at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Manmohan Singh's Funeral: The Congress party seems to be unhappy with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decision of performing Late Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs last rites at Delhis Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday. The grand old party criticised the central government calling it a deliberate insult to India's first Sikh Prime Minister.

During a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, MP Priyanka Gandhi reportedly suggested using a part of Veer Bhumi or Shakti Sthal for Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites. The proposal aimed to allow the site to serve as a memorial as well.

However, the request faced delays. Despite Congress' push, the government confirmed Nigambodh Ghat crematorium as the venue for the funeral. There has not been any official announcement from the government about setting up a memorial yet.

What Are Congress' Demands

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct the last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a location where a memorial can be built.

In a letter, Kharge wrote, "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals."

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed disappointment over the decision, questioning why a more suitable location for cremation and a memorial was not considered.

"This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh," part of Jairam Rameshs X post read.

Rule Under Congress-led UPA Govt

The political row emerged after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to PM Narendra Modi appealing for a separate memorial of Dr Singh even though previous Congress-led governments established a common memorial, Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, for the cremation of VVIPs.

This site, located between the memorials of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri, has been the location for the last rites of former Prime Ministers since its inauguration in 2013. Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also cremated there in 2018.

The Congress party's current demand for a separate memorial for Dr Singh stands in contrast to the UPA government's earlier stance when it rejected proposals for individual memorials for former Prime Ministers.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: As the new year approaches, anticipation builds among central government employees who are awaiting the announcement of the next dearness allowance (DA) revision. This much-anticipated DA hike which is scheduled for January 2025, could offer financial relief amid the rising cost of living.

How Is DA Determined?

The Dearness Allowance (DA) is revised twice a year using the All-India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) as a key indicator of changes in the cost of living. The government evaluates AICPI data for two periods: January to June and July to December. The DA percentage is calculated based on the average AICPI over the past 12 months using this formula:

DA Percentage = ((Average AICPI for the past 12 months - 115.76) / 115.76) x 100

While slight adjustments may apply for central public sector employees, the overall method remains consistent.

Anticipated DA Increase in January 2025

According to current AICPI trends, the Dearness Allowance (DA) is likely to increase by 3 per cent in January 2025. The DA could go up to 56 per cent with the index reaching 144.5 in October 2024 and anticipated to rise further. If approved, this hike would bring notable financial benefits for employees and pensioners alike.

For example, an employee earning a minimum salary of Rs 18,000 may see a boost of Rs 540 while those with a maximum salary of Rs 2,50,000 could gain Rs 7,500. Pensioners would also benefit, with increases ranging from Rs 270 to Rs 3,750, depending on their pension amount.

The Future of Salary Reforms

Employee Unions have been actively advocating for the introduction of the 8th Pay commission. However, the government has clarified that there are no immediate plans for it. Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary recently informed Parliament that no proposals for the 8th Pay Commission are currently under consideration. This has left employees and pensioners uncertain about the timeline and direction of future pay reforms.
Bank Holidays In January 2025 In India: As we are heading towards New Year, it's crucial to stay informed about bank holidays in January 2025 to plan your financial and personal activities effectively. With approximately 15 holidays in the first month of the year, including the regular second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays which are weekly holidays. Moreover, the banks will also observe additional regional and national holidays, varying across states.

The bank holidays in January provide an opportunity for relaxation but also require careful scheduling of banking tasks. Whether you're managing payments, visiting branches, or planning trips, knowing the holiday calendar can save you time and effort.

Notably, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has yet to release its official list of bank holidays for the year. In the meantime, you can continue to conduct daily transactions via internet banking and ATMs. However, banking operations may be limited during these holidays, so it's good to verify the dates with your local bank branch to avoid any inconvenience. To assist you in planning your work and banking activities, we have put together a list of significant holidays for next year in January 2025.

Bank Holidays In January 2025 In India

Date Day Holiday Region/States 1 January 2025 Wednesday New Year's Day Across the country 6 January 2025 Monday Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti Several states 11 January 2025 Saturday Missionary Day Mizoram 11 January 2025 Saturday Second Saturday Across the country 12 January 2025 Sunday Swami Vivekananda Jayanti West Bengal 13 January 2025 Monday Lohri Punjab and other states 14 January 2025 Tuesday Sankranti Several states 14 January 2025 Tuesday Pongal Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh 15 January 2025 Wednesday Thiruvalluvar Day Tamil Nadu 15 January 2025 Wednesday Tusu Puja West Bengal and Assam 23 January 2025 Thursday Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti Many States 24 January 2025 Saturday Fourth Saturday Across the country 26 January 2025 Sunday Republic Day Across the country 30 January 2025 Thursday Sonam Losar Sikkim

It is important to note that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will officially announce the holiday list soon.
Redmi 14C 5G India Launch: Xiaomi sub-brand has officially announced the launch date of the Redmi 14C 5G smartphone in India as well as select global markets after launching the Redmi Note 14 series. The handset will launch in India on January 6, 2025, according to an official landing page. It will be arriving as the successor to the Redmi 13C 5G handset that debuted in the country last December in the year 2024.

Both Flipkart and Amazon have put up a microsite confirming the smartphones availability on the e-commerce platforms respectively. As per the microsite, the upcoming smartphone will be available in Purple with a gradient finish, Black, and Blue with star trails-like design colour options. The Redmi 14C 5G is likely to be a rebranded version of the Redmi 14R 5G, which debuted in China this September.

Redmi 14C 5G Price In India And Availability (Expected)

According to reports, the Redmi 14C is expected to be priced between Rs 11,000 to Rs 12,000. However, the company has not confirmed the exact details of the pricing as of now. A live Amazon microsite for the handset hints at its eventual Amazon availability alongside the company e-store.

Redmi 14C 5G Specifications (Expected)

The smartphone is anticipated to feature a 6.68-inch HD+ LCD display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, promising an immersive viewing experience. The device is expected to run on Android 14-based HyperOS, delivering a seamless and intuitive user interface.

The smartphone is expected to run on Android 14-based HyperOS, delivering a seamless and intuitive user interface. Under the hood, the phone could be powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC, paired with a robust 5,160mAh battery supporting 18W fast charging for extended usability.

On the photography front, the handset is set to sport a 50MP AI-powered main camera, complemented by a 5MP front camera for selfies. The rear camera module is a standout design element, featuring a centrally placed circular module that houses a dual-camera setup and an LED flash unit.
The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi's Kashmere Gate. The last rites with full state honours will be performed in the presence of government dignitaries and officials including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived at Nigambodh Ghat to attend the last rites of the former Prime Minister. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also reached the location. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will also remain present at the VIP Ghat where the rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed. Acharya Yogesh Kumar Sharma said that rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed using sandalwood sticks and the last rites will be performed as per the Sikh rituals. "The rituals will be performed using sandalwood sticks... The last rites will be performed as per Sikh rituals at the VIP Ghat. Those who are coming for the last rites will reach here including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister. Homage will be offered to him once everyone arrives," Sharma told ANI. While paying tribute to the late Dr Singh, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry said that he made lifelong laws that benefited crores of people. "His demise is a loss for everyone," he added. Congress leader Mumtaz Patel said "Today, India has lost a great man. He was not just a good leader but also a very good human being. People called him a weak Prime Minister but it was absolutely wrong. He always worked for the country, he was a strong and kind person." Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "Today is a very poignant moment. A very fine person, a renowned economist, a world statesperson is not with us today...It is a sad day not only for India but for the world...He lived a very noble and simple life...May his soul rest in peace..." The mortal remains were kept at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters on early Saturday morning for the party workers to pay their final respects. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
The Afghan Taliban forces on Saturday launched attacks on "several points" in Pakistan, following aerial bombardments by Pakistani aircraft earlier this week. The Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed the strikes, claiming they targeted hideouts of "malicious elements" beyond the "hypothetical line," a term used by Afghan authorities to refer to the disputed Durand Line border with Pakistan. The statement did not directly name Pakistan but emphasized that the targets were bases used to organize and coordinate attacks within Afghanistan.

Several points beyond the hypothetical line, serving as centers and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organized and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan, were targeted in retaliation from the southeastern direction of the country, the Taliban's Defense Ministry said.

Cross-Border Clashes and Casualties

Accoding to News 18, multiple attacks were launched on Pakistani posts in border areas, specifically targeting Kurram and North Waziristan tribal districts. While the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, local reports from Kurram indicate heavy exchanges of fire, with both sides deploying heavy weaponry.

Taliban officials described the strikes as retaliation for Pakistans airstrikes on Afghan territory earlier this week, which allegedly targeted hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani officials had accused the TTP of orchestrating deadly attacks on their soil.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that Pakistan's airstrikes in Paktika Province killed 46 people, including women and children, sparking outrage across Afghanistan. "The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defense of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right," he said.

The Durand Line, a colonial-era boundary drawn by the British in the 19th century, remains a longstanding point of contention between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghan authorities have never recognized the border, calling it an artificial division of their tribal lands.

The recent clashes have further strained already tense relations between the two neighbors. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring militant groups that carry out attacks on its soil, a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.

A Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed, and seven others were injured in cross-border exchanges earlier this week. Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghans staged protests against Pakistans airstrikes, condemning the loss of civilian lives.

The Pakistani military and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not issued a statement regarding the recent attacks. However, Pakistan had earlier justified its airstrikes, stating they targeted terrorist hideouts along the border.
South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Saturday denounced the Opposition-led impeachment of acting President Han Duck-soo as an attempt to bring down the government, saying that his impeachment should be nullified. The opposition-led National Assembly voted Friday to impeach Han less than two weeks after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his botched imposition of martial law on December 3.

Han was suspended from duties, with Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok assuming office as acting president. The impeachment motion against Han was introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) after he refused to appoint additional justices to the Constitutional Court that will adjudicate Yoon's impeachment trial.

"The impeachment of Han should be nullified as it did not meet what is required for an impeachment of an acting president as well as the quorum for approval," Seo Ji-young, a spokesperson at the PPP, said. "We are strongly denouncing the DP's attempt to break down the government," she said.

Denouncing National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik for proceeding with the impeachment vote with a simple majority, Seo said that his decision opened the way for incapacitating the administration and amounted to abuse of legislative powers, Yonhap news agency reported.

The PPP said that Friday's vote was invalid as Woo announced the quorum for impeachment was a simple majority in the 300-member National Assembly, not a two-thirds majority. A simple majority applies to Cabinet members while two-thirds are required for the impeachment of the president.

Friday's vote marked the first time in Korean history that an acting president has been impeached by parliament. Acting President Choi said on Friday that the government will do its best to focus on stabilising state affairs amid concerns that a deepening political turmoil could hurt the country's diplomatic activity and rattle financial markets.

Choi, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Minister, stepped into the interim leadership role following the suspension of acting President Han Duck-soo's duties by the National Assembly on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his apologies to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following a devastating plane crash that occurred earlier this week. The crash, which took place in Russian airspace, resulted in the tragic loss of 38 lives, with 29 survivors.

The incident has deeply affected both nations, prompting condolences and calls for further investigation.

Details of the Incident

The flight involved an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft, which was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia. During its journey, the plane encountered severe difficulties and was forced to divert to the Grozny airport.

However, at the time of the attempted landing, the area was under attack by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to the Kremlin, the plane made repeated attempts to land at Grozny, but Ukrainian drones were attacking multiple cities in the region, including Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz.

Russian air defense systems reportedly repelled these UAV attacks, but the plane crashed near the western Kazakh city of Aktau, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The aircraft went down in a ball of fire, and it was later revealed that the crash occurred after diverting from southern Russia due to the ongoing drone strikes.

Putin's Apology

In a statement, the Kremlin confirmed that President Putin had apologized to President Aliyev for the tragic incident and expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Putin also wished a speedy recovery to those who survived the crash.

The Kremlin's statement elaborated on the sequence of events, noting that the plane had been on schedule but was caught in a dangerous situation as it tried to land amidst ongoing attacks on nearby cities.

Speculations and Airline Responses

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, there have been suggestions from Western experts and the U.S. that the plane might have been accidentally downed by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

Moscow has refrained from commenting on these reports, leaving the speculation unresolved for now.

Following the incident, several international airlines have announced the suspension of flights to Russian cities, citing safety concerns. Notably, Turkmenistan Airlines, the national carrier of Turkmenistan, has canceled flights between Ashgabat and Moscow from December 30, 2024, to January 31, 2025.

Similarly, Flydubai, an airline based in the UAE, has halted its services between Dubai and southern Russian cities such as Mineralnye Vody and Sochi, affecting flights scheduled between December 27 and January 3.
Washington: US President Joe Biden on Saturday paid heartfelt tributes to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, describing him as a "true statesman," a "kind and humble person," and a "dedicated public servant."

Dr Singh, who served as India's 14th Prime Minister and was widely regarded as one of the nation's most distinguished economists, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Acknowledged as the 'Architect of India's economic reforms,' Dr Singh led the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as Prime Minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014, leaving a lasting legacy on India's economic and diplomatic landscape.

In an official statement issued by the White House, President Biden said, "Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."

He emphasised that "the unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister's strategic vision and political courage."

President Biden credited Dr Singh for key milestones in Indo-US relations, including the landmark US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement and the establishment of the Quad between Indo-Pacific partners.

He added that Dr Singh charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations and the world for generations to come.

"He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person," Biden stated.

Recalling his personal interactions with Dr Singh, Biden mentioned their meetings during his tenure as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during Dr Singh's official visit to the United States in 2009.

"He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013," Biden said, noting their shared belief in the US-India relationship as one of the most consequential in the world.

Expressing his condolences, Biden added, "During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India."

Earlier on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also expressed his sorrow, calling Dr Singh "one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership."

Blinken highlighted Dr Singh's pivotal role in advancing the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement and his contribution to India's rapid economic growth.

"The United States offers our sincere condolences to the people of India for the passing of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh," Blinken stated, adding, "We mourn Dr Singh's passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together."
Tunis: Tunisian security forces have dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the northwestern province of Siliana, arresting three individuals, the Tunisian National Guard said on its Facebook page.

The arrestees include a woman, it said on Friday, without mentioning the timing of the operation or the identities of the suspects.

National Guard units targeted the criminal network in the town of Rouhia in Siliana, and a quantity of narcotic pills, sharp tools, and a sum of money were seized during the operation.

Upon reviewing the case, the public prosecution authorised their detention pending investigations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on December 26, security forces dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the capital Tunis, seizing 3.5 kg of cocaine.

National Guard units targeted the criminal network operating in the neighbourhood of Ain Zaghouan, the Tunisian National Guard said, without elaborating on the details of the operation or the number of arrests.

The operation followed investigations that resulted in the seizure of an unregistered car parked outside a residence in Tunis. Inside the vehicle, authorities seized 3.5 kg of cocaine.

Earlier in the month, in a similar operation, security units dismantled a drug trafficking network active in the Grand Tunis area, the largest metropolitan area in Tunisia, seizing 3 kg of cocaine.

In two separate operations, the security units arrested five individuals and seized the cocaine, varying quantities of narcotic pills, money, jewellery, and three vehicles, said the National Guard.

In a separate operation on December 1, the forces dismantled two drug trafficking networks in Ben Arous and Ariana provinces near the capital Tunis, the Tunisian National Radio reported.

The Tunisian government has taken a strong stance against drug trafficking, arresting hundreds of suspects in recent nationwide operations.
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed he Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and accused the ruling party of "playing politics." Attacking BJP further, Sidhu asked how had the party felt if Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not got a memorial at Rajghat. He further said that this issue is not of one party but of entire country's history. Speaking to reporters, Sidhu said, "When a person dies, all enmity vanishes with him... but politics is being played here. I ask a small question if Atal Ji's last rites were to be performed and someone had said that the memorial would not be built at Raj Ghat, it would be built somewhere else, how would you feel?... This issue is not of any party but of the country's history..." Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP-led central government on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that it is unfortunate that leaders even have to talk about this issue. Singh asked the government to tell the name of any former PM whose last rites were performed at Nigambodh Ghat and not in the Rajghat premises. Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh said, "It is unfortunate that we even have to talk about this. This shows how obnoxious the government's thinking is... I want to ask PM Narendra Modi, why are you not ready to give space for PM Manmohan Singh's last rites in the Rajghat premises? This party calls itself the most cultured? Tell me the name of one former PM whose last rites were performed in Nigambodh... How disrespected the Sikh community must feel..." Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said, "This is not an issue at all, PM Modi's government should have thought about it beforehand. The whole country wants that his last rites should be performed at the same place where his memorial is to be built. This demand is not just of Congress, not just of Punjab and Sikh community, this is a worldwide demand of all Indians. There is no need to think about it, the government should have thought about it beforehand..." Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on Congress for indulging in "politics" over the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. He said that Congress never respected the former PM. Trivedi said it was Congress' history that they never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family. "At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided," he said, adding that the Modi government has respected all leaders irrespective of the party affiliation by giving Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narsimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malviya and former President Pranab Mukherjee. On Friday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. "I am writing this in the context of the sad demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Apropos our telephonic conversation this morning, wherein I requested to hold Dr Manmohan Singh's last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for the memorial of the great son of India. This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals," Kharge wrote in his letter. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of Late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid his last respects to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat. He arrived at the VIP Ghat to attend the last rites which will be held in some time. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid his final respects to Dr Manmohan Singh by placing a wreath near his mortal remains. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects to the former Prime Minister. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar also paid tributes to the former Prime Minister. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda paid his last respects to the former Prime Minister. Earlier, Acharya Yogesh Kumar Sharma said that rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed using sandalwood sticks and the last rites will be performed as per the Sikh rituals. "The rituals will be performed using sandalwood sticks... The last rites will be performed as per Sikh rituals at the VIP Ghat. Those who are coming for the last rites will reach here including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister. Homage will be offered to him once everyone arrives," Sharma told ANI. While paying tribute to the late Dr Singh, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry said that he made lifelong laws that benefited crores of people. "His demise is a loss for everyone," he added. Congress leader Mumtaz Patel said "Today, India has lost a great man. He was not just a good leader but also a very good human being. People called him a weak Prime Minister but it was absolutely wrong. He always worked for the country, he was a strong and kind person." Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "Today is a very poignant moment. A very fine person, a renowned economist, a world statesperson is not with us today...It is a sad day not only for India but for the world...He lived a very noble and simple life...May his soul rest in peace..." Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Paying respect to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away on Thursday evening, Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad urged the central government to dedicate a site in Rajghat for the cremation of the former prime minister. "... He is among those leaders whose place should be in Rajghat... I hope the BJP does not narrow down their ideology... dedicates a site so that the people continue to bow down to him... We (the Samajwadi Party) insist to the Prime Minister and Home Minister that there is no negligence in this respect," Awadhesh Prasad told ANI in Saturday. Earlier, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and accused the ruling party of "playing politics." Attacking the BJP further, Sidhu asked how the party would have felt if Atal Bihari Vajpayee had not gotten a memorial at Rajghat. He further said that this issue is not of one party but of the entire country's history. Speaking to reporters, Sidhu said, "When a person dies, all enmity vanishes with him... but politics is being played here. I ask a small question: if Atal Ji's last rites were to be performed and someone had said that the memorial would not be built at Raj Ghat, it would be built somewhere else, how would you feel? ... This issue is not of any party but of the country's history..." Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP-led central government on the issue of allocation of space for a memorial for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that it is unfortunate that leaders even have to talk about this issue. Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Singh said, "It is unfortunate that we even have to talk about this. This shows how obnoxious the government's thinking is... I want to ask PM Narendra Modi, why are you not ready to give space for PM Manmohan Singh's last rites in the Rajghat premises? This party calls itself the most cultured? Tell me the name of one former PM whose last rites were performed in Nigambodh... How disrespected the Sikh community must feel..." Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi launched a scathing attack on Congress for indulging in "politics" over the demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh. He said that Congress never respected the former PM. Trivedi said it was Congress' history that they never respected any leader outside the Gandhi family. "At least today, in this hour of grief, politics should be avoided," he said, adding that the Modi government has respected all leaders irrespective of party affiliation by giving the Bharat Ratna to former Prime Ministers PV Narsimha Rao, Madan Mohan Malviya and former President Pranab Mukherjee. On Friday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home, after which he was rushed to the hospital. (ANI)
Top leaders of the country including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi are attending Manmohan Singh's last rites.

The state funeral took place with full military honours at Nigam Bodh Ghat.

Acharya Yogesh Kumar Sharma said that rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed using sandalwood sticks and the last rites will be performed as per the Sikh rituals.

"The rituals will be performed using sandalwood sticks... The last rites will be performed as per Sikh rituals at the VIP Ghat. Those who are coming for the last rites will reach here including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister. Homage will be offered to him once everyone arrives," Sharma told ANI earlier.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid their last respects to Manmohan Singh.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects to the former Prime Minister.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar also paid tributes to the former Prime Minister.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda paid his last respects to the former Prime Minister.

Manmohan Singh, 92, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here on Thursday evening.

Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy.

After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday slammed the Congress, accusing it of "unsuccessfully trying to politicise the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh." "The Congress is unsuccessfully trying to politicise the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. They should remember the deadly 1984 riots in which our Sikh brothers and sisters were massacred under their watch," Kesavan told ANI. He also accused the Congress of disrespecting former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao by not allowing his funeral in the national capital. "A former media adviser to Manmohan Singh claimed in his book that the Congress party made him convey to Narasimha Rao's family that his cremation should not take place in Delhi and instead should be in Hyderabad... It was PM Narendra Modi in 2015 who ensured and honoured Narasimha Rao with a memorial in Delhi and conferred the Bharat Ratna to him," Kesavan said. He also said that the Congress party never even convened a working committee meeting to condole former President Pranab Mukherjee's demise. "Again it was PM Narendra Modi who bestowed him the Bharat Ratna in 2019. When the union cabinet has allocated space and ensured a memorial (for Dr Manmohan Singh), Congress is trying to indulge in their old dirty tricks," he added. Congress had demanded a funeral in a place where a memorial to Singh could be built. However, the Centre said land for a memorial would be earmarked in the next few days. But it would not be the place where the funeral took place. The Congress called it a "deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India." "Earlier this morning, the Congress President had written to the Prime Minister, suggesting that the cremation of the former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, take place at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy. The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, the record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades. This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh," Jairam Ramesh posted on X on Friday. Manmohan Singh was accorded a state funeral with full military honours at the Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in north Delhi, on Saturday.(ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday offered his heartfelt condolences to the family of late Dr Manmohan Singh, saying that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated his life to the economic betterment of the country. "The nation is mourning the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. I offer my heartfelt condolences. I wish strength for his family so that they can bear this loss. He dedicated his life to the economic betterment of the country," Pathak told ANI. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday was cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains earlier today. The rituals for the cremation ceremony were performed for the former Prime Minister. The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Dr Singh's mortal remains were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes. Earlier, after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of the late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was laid to rest at Nigambodh Ghat, the government dignitaries and leaders across party lines paid their respects to the former Prime Minister. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said that his biggest achievement was to give the country the right to food, employment, and education. "He left after giving directions to the country. When the country was going through an economic crisis, he was the Finance Minister. He served as the Prime Minister for 10 years. Sonia Gandhi nominated him as the PM. He gave the country the Right to Food, Right to Employment, and Right to Education. This was his biggest achievement," Sukhu told reporters while leaving from Nigambodh Ghat. Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi said that the government of India should award the former PM with Bharat Ratna and allocate space for a memorial. "He gave a lot to the nation and worked towards nation-building. He will always be remembered for improving the economic conditions of this country. I appeal to the government of India that they should award Bharat Ratna to a man who was honest and simple. They should allocate space to him...He should be given the respect he deserves..." Channi, former Chief Minister of Punjab, told ANI. Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said, "The government should have been sensitive and allocated space for his memorial...He served the nation and did a lot of work for the welfare of the nation...A space was allocated to Atal Bihari also when he died...So the government should have done the same here also." Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday was cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains earlier today. The rituals for the cremation ceremony were performed for the former Prime Minister. The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Dr Singh's mortal remains were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes. Earlier, after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of the late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
The San Antonio Police Department said Avory Michael Rowe is wanted in connection to the slaying of Robert Ibarra on the citys West Side. San Antonio Police Department The San Antonio Police Department said Avory Michael Rowe is wanted in connection to the slaying of Robert Ibarra on the citys West Side. San Antonio Police Department

San Antonio police are asking for the publics help in finding the man they believe killed a 49-year-old man on Christmas Eve.

SAPD said Avory Michael Rowe is wanted in the slaying of Robert Ibarra on the citys West Side.

The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office said Ibarra died from a blunt-force head injury and manual strangulation. His death is listed as a homicide.

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ALSO READ: Man found dead on West Side trail on Christmas Eve

On Tuesday, Ibarra was found unresponsive by San Antonio Park Police officers on a trail near San Jacinto and West Martin streets.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information on Rowes whereabouts should call 911 or contact SAPDs homicide office at 210-207-7635.

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Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has initiated inquiry into the allegation that "non-government" people are collecting personal details of residents of Delhi in the name of registration for Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) proposed welfare scheme 'Mahila Samman Yojana'. The letter further stated that the Commissioner of Police may direct the field officers to take action as per law against the person who are breaching the privacy of citizens by collecting their personal data in the name of registration for AAP's poll promise of giving Rs 2,100 to women. The letter dated December 28, reads, "Lieutenant Governor has desired that Chief Secretary to get an inquiry conducted through Divisional Commissioner in the matter of collection of personal details and forms by non- government people. Further, Commissioner of Police may direct the field officers to take action as per law against the person who are breaching the privacy of gullible citizens by collecting their personal details in garb of giving benefits. DCP's may be advised to take action against private individuals organizing camps for fraudulent enrolment of Government Schemes." The directive was issued by the Delhi LG after receiving complaints from the Congress' New Delhi assembly constituency candidate Sandeep Dikshit, following Delhi Women and Child Development (WCD) department public notice that Mahila Samman Yojana had not been notified by the government and "no such scheme is in existence." The letter further stated that Congress' candidate Dikshit has alleged that a "fraud" is being perpetrated by the AAP and he has requested to institute a high level inquiry in the matter. The letter reads, "This has reference to representation dated 25.12.2024 received from Sandeep Dikshit, former Member of Parliament and proposed candidate of Indian National Congress for the Delhi Vidhan Sabha Elections, 2025 wherein he has alleged that the Chief Minister of Delhi and Arvind Kejriwal have been announcing that Delhi Government is going to give every female in Delhi ( above the age of 18 years) an amount of Rs 1000 per month. They have further announced that if AAP is elected back in 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections, they will raise the amount to Rs 2100/- pm. Further, Dikshit has informed that they are going door to door making women sign some forms." "Dikshit has requested that in view of the clarification submitted by the Women and Child development department, GNCTD, it is clear that this is a fraud being perpetrated by the AAP and has requested to institute a high level inquiry in the matter," it added. As per the letter, the Chief Secretary may also bring this matter to the knowledge of Election Commission of India through Chief Electoral office, Delhi. On December 22, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in February, announced the launch of registrations for the 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana' and the 'Sanjeevani Yojana'. "You don't have to queue anywhere. We will come to you for the registration process. Teams have been formed across Delhi to assist women with registration and to provide them with cards," Kejriwal said at a press conference. "Our team will go door to door to register beneficiaries for the Sanjeevani Yojana and the Mahila Samman Yojana. It is mandatory to have a Delhi voter ID card for registration. You can check on the website whether your vote has been cancelled," Kejriwal added. The Mahila Samman Yojana is aimed at providing women residing in Delhi with Rs 2,100 per month. (ANI)
Amid the ongoing protest by aspirants demanding a re-examination of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Patna Sadar, Gaurav Kumar, announced that a board comprising five representatives would submit a memorandum to the BPSC secretary on behalf of the protesters on Saturday. Speaking to mediapersons, SDM Gaurav Kumar said, "A board of delegates of 5 people will give the Memorandum on aspirants' behalf to the BPSC secretary. BPSC is ready to conduct an unbiased investigation in a reasonable time period." Speaking to ANI, Guru Rahman an Educator said," The attitude of the police was very loving and the police clearly said how it is against you, how you are involved in this. So we put forth our whole point that it was a matter of normalization." Rahman, further added, "I'll not go to the protest site till 3rd, under any circumstance. I was accused of instigating the students." Meanwhile, on Friday, Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore on Thursday gave an "ultimatum" to the Bihar government, demanding that the issue of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants be resolved within three days or he will lead the protests himself. Speaking to the students at Gardanibagh in Patna, Kishore condemned the 'lathi-charge' on the students and called on the NDA-led government to take immediate action on two points."The government should meet with student representatives and consider their demand for a re-examination. "On Thursday, a student committed suicide, which is unfortunate. The government should announce a compensation of Rs 10,00,000 for the family of the deceased without delay," Kishore demanded. The BPSC aspirants had gathered outside the commission's office in Patna, demanding the cancellation of the exam. The protests, which began on December 13, were triggered by allegations of irregularities during the exam conducted by the BPSC. Candidates have claimed that the question paper was leaked, and there were delays in distributing the papers. Several candidates also reported receiving the question paper nearly an hour late, while others claimed that answer sheets were torn, fuelling suspicions of a potential leak. (ANI)
The Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) has officially announced its first-phase candidates for the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha Election 2025. The declaration was made after receiving approval from the party's Parliamentary Board. Brijmohan Shrivastav, the National General Secretary and Chief National Spokesperson, shared that a total of 11 candidates will represent the party in the first phase of the election. These candidates will contest across various constituencies in Delhi, reflecting the party's effort to ensure strong representation in the capital. Shrivastav in the release emphasized that these candidates represent the core values of the NCP. "We believe that these candidates will best represent our party's vision and commitment to the city's future," Shrivastav remarked. Ratan Tyagi from Burari, Shri Mulayam Singh from Badli, Khalid Ur Rehman from Chandni Chowk, and Narender Tanwar from Chhatarpur are among the key candidates. In Okhla, Imran Saifi and in Sangam Vihar, Qamar Ahmad will fight the elections for NCP among other. Meanwhile, ahead of the upcoming 2025 Delhi assembly elections, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed the Commissioner of Police (CP) to carry out immediate checking of "private" cars coming from Punjab at the border of the national capital. This comes following the allegations levelled by Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, who alleged that cash in crores was being transported to Delhi from Punjab for the upcoming assembly polls. Dikshit, who is contesting on Congress seat from the New Delhi assembly constituency, said that private vehicles, with Punjab police escorts, were being used to transfer huge amounts of cash. Dikshit also requested the Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab, and the state governments in Haryana and Rajasthan to remain vigilant and monitor the movement of such vehicles. The Delhi LG said the possibility that such "illegal" money will be used to influence the voters ahead of the elections cannot be ruled out. He said that such actions could undermine the free and fair elections. "Lieutenant Governor has noted that the elections to Delhi Legislative Assembly are likely to be conducted shortly and possibility of using such illegal money in the ensuing election to influence the voters of Delhi cannot be ruled out. Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor has also noted that use of money power in election is not only an offence under section 170 & 171 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and section 123 of Representation of People Act, 1951 but also an impediment to free and fair elections," the letter signed by Principle Secretary to Delhi LG read. (ANI)
Yellampalli Lakshmi, who was deceived by agents and faced severe hardships in Kuwait, was safely brought back to the state and reunited with her family.

Lakshmi, a resident of Rajiv Nagar in Srikalahasti, Tirupati district, had gone to Kuwait to earn a livelihood. However, she was subjected to constant harassment and physical abuse by her employer, who even confined her in a room and inflicted severe torture. Unable to bear the situation, she sought help from Minister Nara Lokesh through X (formerly Twitter).

Responding promptly, Minister Nara Lokesh coordinated with his team and successfully rescued Lakshmi, bringing her back safely to her family.

Expressing their gratitude, Lakshmi and her family thanked Minister Nara Lokesh for his swift intervention and timely assistance.

Earlier in a post on X, Nara Lokesh had said, "Rest assured. I'll do everything possible to bring her back home safely."

Nara Lokesh has been extending his support to those who face adverse situations after migrating to Gulf countries in search of livelihood. So far, he has successfully rescued around 25 individuals stranded in various countries and ensured their safe return to their hometowns. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai paid tribute to actor Captain Vijayakanth in Chennai.

"Captain Vijayakanth was the first to make us believe that a change can be brought in Tamil Nadu," Annamalai told media persons.

BJP leader Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan also paid tribute to Vijayakanth on his death anniversary in Chennai.

Visuals showed a large number of people gathered in Chennai to pay their tributes.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam also paid tribute to actor Captain Vijayakanth.

Vijayakanth died on December 28, 2023, due to COVID-19 and prolonged illness.

Vijayakanth has acted in more than 150 films and is known for action movies. As a Nadigar Sangam president, President Vijayakanth helped cinema artists. Vijayakanth founded his party in 2005 called 'Desiya Murpoku Dravida Kazhgam.'.

In the 2011 State Elections, Vijayakanth DMDK won 26 seats from 41 contested seats and became the principal opposition. (ANI)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday met Rahul Kamboj, Member of Parliament, Frankfurt (Germany) here and discussed making the youth of the state skilled and employable. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, special emphasis is being laid on skill development. "Under the Chief Minister's Skill Upgradation and Global Employment Scheme run by our government, the youth of the state are getting employment opportunities in Japan," CM Dhami said. The Chief Minister said that in view of the demand for a skilled labour force in Germany, the state government is continuously working to provide skills to the youth in accordance with modern and global standards. He said that concrete steps are being taken by our government to connect the youth of the state with employment in developed countries like Germany. On this occasion, Frankfurt MP's Advisor Saurabh Bhagat, Director of Healthcare Kapil Kumar and other dignitaries were also present. Rahul Kumar Kamboj is a parliament member in Frankfurt, Germany. He was born in Alahar, Haryana and later moved to Frankfurt. On Friday, Uttarakhand CM Dhami participated in the Jan Milan program organized at Gautam Farm Nagla Imarti in Haridwar and said that the overall development of rural areas is the priority of the state government. CM Dhami said that the Ganga of development will flow in the rural areas and no stone will be left unturned in the all-round development of rural areas. The CM said that more than 30 new policies have been made to increase self-employment, and employment opportunities are increasing due to increased investment in the state. He said that for the welfare of the SC and ST classes, many such welfare works have been done including an increase in the general budget, so that the economic assistance and social status of the people of the SC, and STs can be strengthened. (ANI)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the centre and questioned why former PM Manmohan Singh's last rites were performed at Nigam Bodh Ghat, stating that the last rites of all other Prime Ministers were carried out at Raj Ghat. He further said that the BJP government could not even provide 1000 yards of land for Dr Singh's last rites at Raj Ghat. "I am shocked to hear this news. The last rites of the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh were performed at Nigam Bodh Ghat. Before this, the last rites of all the Prime Ministers of India were performed at Raj Ghat. The BJP government could not provide even 1000 yards of land for the last rites and burial of Dr Manmohan Singh, who belonged to the Sikh community and was renowned all over the world and was the Prime Minister of India for 10 years," Kejriwal posted on X. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away at AIIMS at the age of 92 due to age-related ailments on Thursday, was cremated today with full state honours at Nigam Bodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains earlier today. The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Singh's mortal remains were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes. Manmohan Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Saturday, has expressed that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has swiftly ordered action against the accused in a recent case of alleged sexual assault of a student inside Anna University campus. Speaking to ANI, Kanimozhi stated that the accused had been arrested, with swift and unbiased action taken in accordance with the Chief Minister's directive. "The Chief Minister has ordered action against the culprit without any bias. Accordingly, the accused has been arrested and action has been taken...The Chief Minister and DMK continue to work for women's rights and women's education and to increase their rights. The Chief Minister and the government are very concerned about women. That is why immediate action has been taken.," she said. The National Commission for Women on Saturday constituted a two-member fact finding committee to investigate alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old student at Anna University in Chennai. The committee will investigate the case, examine the circumstances leading to the incident, and assess the actions taken by the authorities, as per the release. The committee will also interact with concerned officials, the victim, her family, friends, and various NGOs to ascertain the facts and propose measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The Commission had taken a suo moto cognizance of an alleged sexual assault of a student at Anna University. It has already issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) in this regard. The fact-finding committee is likely to visit Chennai on Monday, December 30. The two-member committee comprises Mamta Kumari, Member of the National Commission for Women, and Praveen Dixit, IPS (Retd.), former DGP of Maharashtra, and Special Rapporteur for the Maharashtra and Goa zone, NHRC. "The National Commission for Women has taken suo moto cognizance of a media report regarding a disturbing incident at Anna University, Chennai. According to the report, a food vendor named Gananasekran allegedly entered the university campus, sexually assaulted a 19-year-old girl, and physically assaulted her male friend. The accused is said to be a habitual offender with a history of such crimes. The NCW has already issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu DGP in this regard," the commission stated in a release. On Saturday, the Madras High Court ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising three IPS officers to investigate the Anna University alleged sexual assault case. On Friday, BJP protested against the DMK government over the sexual assault incident in Anna University. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai whipped himself in front of his house here to mark protest against sexual assault incident. A second-year student of Anna University was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Anna university campus on Monday night, Chennai Police said. One person has been arrested in connection with the case. In her December 23 complaint to police, the student alleged that an unidentified man had threatened and sexually assaulted her when she was talking to her friend on campus on Monday around 8 pm. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered at the Kotturpuram AWPS and investigation is underway. (ANI)
The region's premier biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak has launched an outreach initiative to highlight and commend sustained efforts by community members in conservation vultures so that their efforts could be emulated by others in the greater interest on conservation of vultures in Assam. There are nine species of vultures found across India and out of those six species are found in Assam. Certain community members in certain vulture bearing areas of Assam's Sivasagar district and Dhakuakhana sub division of the Lakhimpur district, have been appreciated for their efforts in protecting vultures in their areas through various means. Phuleswari Dutta from Koraghat, Dhakuakha, received an appreciation certificate from Aaranyak in the early part of December this year in recognition of her selfless work in protecting vultures. A few trees in the residential complex where Dutta lives have vulture nests. Despite the economic hardships she has faced, she never thinks of cutting down those trees. When Aaranyak's Eastern Assam Zone Coordinator Hiren Dutta visited her residence, she said "I have special affection for these birds. I have been hearing that this bird species which is nesting on my trees is getting vanished rapidly. There have been many times when I have faced with a situation where I had no other option than to cut down some of my trees, but I have always avoided that. As long as I live, I would like to preserve my vulture breeding trees". Another such samaritan Rajen Mili of Disangmukh in Sivasagar has also been commended for his unique efforts to save vultures in the vicinity through an appreciation certificate by Aaranyak this month. As an act of voluntary service, Mili collects the dead cows in his area and feeds them to vultures. There are eight more individuals from Sivasagar, Dhakuakhana, and Sadiya of Tinsukia district of Assam to whom Aaranyak is planning to honour for their efforts to protect vultures in their respective areas. The vulture, unfortunately has seen a low conservation importance compared to other avian species. "Last year we lost 30 vultures due to poisoning in my area. As a result of cattle carcass poisoning, vultures in this area are dying at a rapid rate. To save the future of this important bird, a mass public awareness campaign is necessary to change the course of events," Hiren Dutta said. Aaranyak has also started a mass awareness campaign for the future stewards and community people of these areas, in order to make a positive change in the situation. As of now a total of six such outreach programmes have been conducted in Dikhoumukh College, Na Katani High School, Geleki Triveni High School, Nazira Bartal High School, Mogarhat Gyan Bikash High School of Sivasagar district and Harhi Academy High School of Dhakuakhana. This ambitious initiative is being led by Aaranyak's Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, along with senior conservation biologist Dr Dipankar Lahkar, Outreach Facilitator Wasima Begum and Hiren Dutta, who coordinates from the field. Local residents of various walks of life Ramen Kalita, Michel Taye, Dipak Arandhara, Uddipta Gogoi, Achinta Borthakur, Joyjyoti Gogoi, Parama Dutta, Dhrubajyoti Chetia, and Ashraf Ahmed have contributed in the outreach programmes. (ANI)
BJP State President Virendraa Sachdeva has levelled allegations against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government, accusing them of settling illegal voters in Delhi ahead of upcoming elections. Sachdeva claims that this has been a recurring issue, with Kejriwal government facilitating the illegal voter settlement before every assembly election. "Arvind Kejriwal and his party's government are continuously settling illegal voters in Delhi. Today we showed 6 examples... Arvind Kejriwal does the work of settling illegal voters in Delhi before every assembly election," Sachdeva said during a press briefing. He further pointed to the increase in voter numbers during previous elections, alleging a pattern of fraudulent voter additions. "In 2015, 14 lakh votes were increased, in 2019, 9 lakh votes were increased, and the same conspiracy is being hatched in Delhi now," he added. According to Sachdeva, this practice has been a tactic employed by the Delhi government to sway election results in their favour. The BJP leader emphasized that his party would not allow this alleged scheme to succeed. "The Bharatiya Janata Party will not let this conspiracy succeed. We have complained to the Election Commission, and we will do it today also," he said Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Tuesday slammed Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over the issue of Rohingya immigrants in India, holding them accountable for the settlement of Rohingyas in the country. Kakkar stated that if Rohingyas are present anywhere in India, it is Shah's responsibility, while Puri is to blame for the settlement of Rohingyas in Delhi. She also stressed that the resources of Delhi's people should be reserved for them, ensuring that Rohingyas cannot access them. The AAP spokesperson said, "If there are Rohingyas anywhere in the country... Amit Shah is directly accountable as he is the Home Minister." She added that if Rohingyas are present in Delhi, the responsibility lies with Hardeep Singh Puri, who had publicly tweeted about Rohingyas being settled in Bakkarwala. "If there are Rohingyas in Delhi, Hardeep Singh Puri is responsible, who publicly tweeted tagging PMO on 17/08/2022 that Rohingyas are being settled in Bakkarwala," Kakkar added. (ANI)
Melissa Manno is a reporter covering education for the San Antonio Express-News. She can be reached at melissa.manno@express-news.net.

She graduated from Penn State University in 2022 with a bachelors degree in journalism and minors in geography and digital media trends and analytics. She is also the 2021 Hearst National Journalism Writing Champion.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that performing the last rites of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Nigambodh Ghat is a "deliberate attempt to erase" his immense contributions from public memory. "The BJP government's decision to deny Dr. Manmohan Singh's family the right to perform his last rites at a befitting site for his memorial is a direct insult to his towering legacy and the Sikh community. Refusing the family's request and relegating a two-term Prime Minister to Nigambodh Ghat reeks of arrogance, bias and a deliberate attempt to erase his immense contributions from public memory," MK Stalin posted on X. He further said that Manmohan Singh's "leadership transformed India's economy and lifted millions out of poverty." "To disrespect a statesman of his stature is to disrespect India's progress itself. The stain of dishonouring great leaders never fades from history!" he added. Earlier, Congress Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lashed out at the Centre's decision to conduct Manmohan Singh's cremation at Nigambodh Ghat and said that the Centre should have thought "beyond politics and narrow-mindedness" in this matter. "By not providing an adequate place for the cremation of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Government has not done justice to the dignity of the post of former Prime Minister, the personality of Manmohan Singh, his legacy and the self-respecting Sikh community," Priyanka Gandhi posted on X. The Wayanad MP further said that "earlier all former Prime Ministers" were given the highest honour and respect and Manmohan Singh deserves this "honour and Samadhi Sthal." "Today the whole world is remembering his contribution. The government should have thought beyond politics and narrow-mindedness in this matter. This morning, I felt this when I saw Dr. Manmohan Singh ji's family members struggling for a place at the funeral site, trying to find a place in the crowd, and the general public getting troubled due to lack of space and paying tribute from the road outside," she added. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi also attacked the central government for performing the last rites of Manmohan Singh at Nigambodh Ghat and said that the former Finance Minister deserves the "highest respect and a memorial." "The great son of India and the first Prime Minister of the Sikh community, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji has been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites today at the Nigambodh Ghat," Rahul Gandhi posted on X. He further said that he was the Prime Minister of India for a decade, during his tenure the country became an "economic superpower" and his policies still support the poor and backward classes of the country. "Till date, respecting the dignity of all former Prime Ministers, their last rites were performed at authorized burial sites so that every person could have the last darshan and pay homage without any inconvenience. Dr. Manmohan Singh deserves our highest respect and a memorial. The government should have shown respect to this great son of the country and his proud community," he added. Congress had demanded a funeral in a place where a memorial to Singh could be built. However, the Centre said land for a memorial would be earmarked in the next few days. But it would not be the place where the funeral took place. The Congress called it a "deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India." After the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of the late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Manmohan Singh was accorded a state funeral with full military honours at the Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground in north Delhi, on Saturday. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. (ANI)
Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishore on Saturday joined the protesting Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants who are demanding a re-examination of the 70th BPSC exam. Prashant Kishore expressed solidarity with the cause of the protesting students and stressed that the movement is entirely student-driven and that students will lead the protests moving forward. "This entire movement is of the students, it will be led by the students only," said Kishore. Criticising the current political leadership, Prashant Kishore said, "Bihar is the mother of democracy; no Nitish Kumar or leader can turn it into a lathi system." The protest has gained momentum, with students across the state joining the call for a fair re-examination process. Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishore said, "Everyone has decided together that for the future of the children of Bihar. Tomorrow all the students, all the youth, and people concerned about their future will sit together under the Gandhi statue in Gandhi Maidan and together a plan will be decided as to how the future of the students of Bihar can be saved. This entire movement is of the students, it will be led by the students only. Bihar is the mother of democracy, no Nitish Kumar, no leader can make it a lathi system." Meanwhile, Delhi Police on Saturday detained members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) who were protesting outside Bihar Bhawan against the lathi-charge on BPSC aspirants in PatnaThe protesters were raising slogans and carrying posters. Protesting students in Patna are demanding the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13. Reports said police resorted to a "lathi charge" on Wednesday against the protesting aspirants marching towards the BPSC office in Patna. The protestors are demanding a re-examination of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Patna Sadar, Gaurav Kumar, said earlier that a board comprising five representatives would submit a memorandum to the BPSC secretary on behalf of the protesters. Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishore gave an "ultimatum" to the Bihar government on Thursday, demanding that the issue of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants be resolved within three days or he will lead the protests. (ANI)
Manali DSP KD Sharma told ANI, that a rescue operation was launched yesterday after over 2000 vehicles were stuck between Solang Valley and Atal Tunnel due to adverse weather conditions. Sharma confirmed that nearly 1800 vehicles have been safely evacuated, while around 200 vehicles remained stuck.

"Yesterday, we closed the movement of vehicles from Solang Valley to Atal tunnel due to the weather forecast. Over 2000 vehicles were stuck and we began the rescue operation which continued till morning, today. 1800 vehicles have been evacuated, approx 200 vehicles were stuck - we evacuated the travellers in those stuck vehicles from there..," he said.

Authorities successfully rescued the travelers stranded in those vehicles, bringing the operation to a close this morning.

The cold weather has gripped North Indian hill town Dharamshala. It is also raining here in small intervals and the dense fog has covered Dhauladhar mountains.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature was recorded between 0 and 1 degree Celsius in Naddi, Dharamkot, Bhagsunag, McLeodganj, and other upper parts of Dharamshala.

Meanwhile, the daytime temperature in the region reached around 4 to 5 degrees Celsius. The Dhauladhar mountains received fresh snowfall, and tourists are eagerly awaiting more snow in the region.

Shimla and the upper regions of Himachal Pradesh have been grappling with relentless heavy rainfall and snowfall over the past 24 hours, leading to landslides and significant disruptions in daily life. The continuous downpour has melted the snow in Shimla and surrounding areas, further dropping temperatures and creating a bone-chilling cold.

The harsh weather conditions are not only affecting residents but also those who rely on daily wage work for their livelihood. (ANI)
A Cabinet meeting was held on Saturday at the Chief Minister's office under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, to make important decisions for employee welfare, the benefit of youth, ensuring good governance, and overall development of the state, an official release said. Cabinet Minister Jogaram Patel briefed the media about the decisions taken in the meeting. The Cabinet has decided to redefine the districts and divisions created by the previous government, after which Rajasthan will now have a total of 7 divisions and 41 districts, according to the release. Minister Patel stated that the previous government, in its last year, decided to create 17 new districts and 3 new divisions. In this context, the Revenue Department issued a notification on August 5, 2023, for the creation of these districts and divisions. Three new districts were announced just one day before the 2023 Assembly elections' model code of conduct was implemented, and their notification could not be issued. Minister Patel explained that the previous government had created new districts and divisions purely for political gain. The creation of new districts did not take into account important factors such as financial resources, administrative needs, law and order, or cultural harmony. The previous government did not create the necessary offices or buildings for the new districts, nor did it provide budgets and other necessary resources. He further mentioned that, to review the previous government's imprudent decision, the state government formed a Cabinet sub-committee and a high-level expert committee headed by retired IAS officer Dr Lalit K Panwar. The expert committee submitted its report and recommendations on the reorganization of newly created districts and divisions. After considering these recommendations, the Cabinet decided not to retain 9 new districts--Anupgarh, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore, and Shahpura--along with the 3 newly created divisions--Banswara, Pali, and Sikar. Additionally, the three districts announced just before the election code of conduct--Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchaman City--will also be cancelled. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot criticised the decision saying it showed confusion in the mind of the state leadership. "The state government took 1 year to take this decision. From this, it can be guessed how much confusion was in their minds regarding this work... Rajasthan is the largest state in the country... If three divisions were created, then they were created after some thought...In many ways, small districts are beneficial for the public. Gujarat is a state with less population than us (Rajasthan) but still, there are 33 districts there... We took this decision for good governance," he said. Rajasthan will have a total of 7 divisions and 41 districts. For the 8 newly retained districts--Phalodi, Balotara, Kotputli-Bahrood, Khairthal-Tijara, Beawar, Deeg, Didwana-Kuchaman, and Salumber--the state government will provide all necessary financial resources and other amenities to establish the administrative framework. According to the state government, this will ensure that the common people in these districts will truly benefit from the formation of these districts. He also mentioned that the Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and Gram Panchayats will also be reorganized. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara, in the media briefing, announced the Cabinet's approval for various amendments, including the extension of the CET score validity to 3 years instead of 1 year, providing a third promotion opportunity for livestock assistants, and changing the designations within the technical cadre under the Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Subordinate Service Rules, 1977. Impact of Penalty under Minimum Assured Career Progression (MACP) Scheme Removed Minister Godara further stated that the Cabinet approved the removal of the penalty effect under the Minimum Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme for employees who have been penalized under the Rajasthan Civil Services (CCS) Rules, 1958. Previously, employees who were penalized could only avail financial promotion after a year of regular service, but this will now be waived. Minister Godara also highlighted that the validity of the CET score under the Rajasthan Subordinate and Clerk Service (Common Eligibility Test) Rules, 2022, has been increased to 3 years instead of 1 year. As per the release, this will ease the financial and administrative burden on the boards and give candidates relief, as the number of applicants had been growing each year. Minister Godara confirmed that a third promotion opportunity would be provided to livestock assistants, and designations would be changed. The new designations include Livestock Inspector for the Livestock Assistant, Livestock Extension Officer for the Veterinary Assistant, and Senior Livestock Extension Officer for the Assistant Information Officer. This will improve the dignity and work efficiency of these employees. The state Cabinet also approved renaming the Government College in Churu, Siddhmukh, to "Shreemati Shakuntala Devi Government College, Siddhmukh" in honour of a donor and to encourage other philanthropists. (ANI)
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has strongly criticized the BJP government's decision to annul nine newly created districts, describing it as an act of political revenge and shortsightedness. In a statement shared on X, Gehlot outlined the rationale behind the formation of these districts during his government, emphasizing their positive impact on governance and administrative efficiency. "The decision of the BJP government to cancel 9 of the new districts created by our government is an example of imprudence and mere political vendetta," Gehlot wrote. He explained that a committee, chaired by senior administrative officer Ramlubhaya, was formed on March 21, 2022, to reorganize districts. The committee's findings, based on reports from multiple districts, led to the decision to create new administrative units. Gehlot pointed out that after the separation of Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan became the largest state in the country, yet its administrative units remained unbalanced compared to other states. He highlighted that Rajasthan's districts had an average population of 35.42 lakh and an area of 12,147 square kilometers before the reorganization. "After the formation of new districts, the average population per district was reduced to 15.35 lakh, and the area to 5,268 square kilometers," he said. Gehlot defended the creation of smaller districts, stating that such changes improve governance, make service delivery more efficient, and allow for quicker resolution of public grievances. "Due to the smaller population and area of the district, the reach of the administration improves and better delivery of facilities and schemes is ensured. Due to the smaller administrative unit, the public's complaints are also resolved quickly," he wrote. Gehlot also criticized the BJP's justification that smaller districts should have at least three legislative assembly constituencies, referencing the example of Pratapgarh, which still has only two constituencies, despite BJP's delimitation in 2007. Furthermore, Gehlot rejected the BJP's argument regarding the size of districts, pointing to examples from Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab, where districts with smaller populations are functioning effectively. "The BJP government's decision to cancel the districts citing their small size is also unfair. The size of a district depends on its geographical conditions. Our neighbouring states have districts with low population like Dang (2 lakh 29 thousand), Porbandar (5 lakh 85 thousand) and Narmada (5 lakh 91 thousand) in Gujarat, Panchkula (5 lakh 59 thousand) and Charkhi Dadri (about 5 lakh 1 thousand) in Haryana, Malerkotla (about 4 lakh 30 thousand), Barnala (5 lakh 96 thousand) and Fatehgarh Sahib (6 lakh) in Punjab," he wrote. Gehlot also noted that his government had already appointed district-level officers, allocated budgets, and planned resources for each district, underscoring that the annulment by the BJP was unnecessary and politically motivated. (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Congress chief Deepak Baij on Saturday recalled the significant contributions of Manmohan Singh and said the former Prime Minister introduced landmark legislations which have had a profound influence on governance and the empowerment of citizens. Baij said that Singh's demise has caused an irreparable loss to the party and that it can never be forgotten. "Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister of the country for 10 years. If we recall his works, he brought laws like the Right to Information, the Right to Education etc. Certainly, he has contributed to the growth of the country's economy, this can never be forgotten. His departure has caused an irreparable loss to the Congress party," Baij told ANI. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was cremated on Saturday with state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains. The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Dr Singh's mortal remains were placed on a pyre of sandalwood sticks. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were brought to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi from his residence on early Saturday morning for party workers to pay their respects. Several people also gathered outside the residence of the former Prime Minister in Delhi to pay their tributes. After the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of the late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernising India's economy. Singh was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
The Haryana Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, approved amendments to the Common Eligibility Test (CET) Policy, 2022, for Group-C and D posts during a meeting held in Chandigarh on Saturday. The revised policy will now be referred to as the Policy for Recruitment to Group-C and D Posts through the Common Eligibility Test (Amendment) Rule, 2024. As per the amendments, the 5 per cent weightage for socio-economic criteria previously provided to bona fide residents of Haryana has been removed. This change aligns with the directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The amended policy will apply to direct recruitment for Group-C posts, including positions in Police Services, Prisons, and Home Guards, with the following exceptions: (i) Teaching posts, (ii) Ex-Agniveer posts, and (iii) Group-D posts where the minimum educational qualification is below Matriculation, as defined under the Haryana Group-D Employees (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2018 (5 of 2018). It will cover recruitment in state government departments, boards, corporations, statutory bodies, or any other agencies owned or controlled by the state government, excluding universities established under a State Act. Another major amendment increases the maximum number of eligible candidates for the skill and/or written examination to ten times the total number of advertised posts. Previously, candidates equal to four times the number of posts advertised were eligible. The State Government first introduced the Common Eligibility Test for Group-C and D posts on May 5, 2022. The initiative aimed to secure and sustain public confidence by ensuring credible and transparent recruitment processes for government posts in Haryana. It also sought to standardize the recruitment process for direct recruitment to all Group-C and D posts, including positions in Police, Prisons, and Home Guards, while excluding teaching posts. (ANI)
Farmers on Saturday called for a "Kisan Mahapanchayat" at the Khanauri protest site on January 4 in a protest against centre. Farm leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha made the decision unanimously. Farmer leader Abhimanyu kohar said, "On 4th January at Khanauri Border Lakhs of farmers will be gathering and a Mahapanchyat will be held as leaders of both forms have decided". Farmer leader Abhimanyu kohar added, "Jagjit singh Dellewal said to us that I want to see all those farmers whomever I served from the last 44 Years. As we all know that his health is deteriorating continuously, Doctors are saying that his health situation could be out of control anytime". "Sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal will address farmers on 4th January at Khanauri Border During Mahapanchyat of farmers as Dellewal ji appeals to all farmers to gather at Khanauri Kaisan morcha" Kohar told ANI Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal is continuing his hunger strike, now in its 33rd day, at the Khanauri Kisan Morcha to demand a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Earlier, the Supreme Court raised serious concerns over some farmer leaders preventing Dallewal, who has been on a fast-unto-death since November 26, from being shifted to a hospital due to his deteriorating health. "Please communicate to them that those who are resisting Dallewal's hospitalisation are not his well-wishers," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia told the Punjab Chief Secretary, who was appearing before the bench via video conferencing. The court also expressed dissatisfaction with the Punjab government's argument that it was "helpless and saddled" because other protesting farmers were obstructing its attempts to secure medical aid for Dallewal. "If the state machinery says you are helpless, then do you know what the repercussions are? You are a constitutionally elected government... The court is not saying to use unwanted force," said Justice Kant. Dallewal, the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The top court has been urging the Punjab government to ensure that Dallewal receives proper medical aid during his fast-unto-death. (ANI)
A huge cache of weapons was recovered from the general area along the Miao-Vijaynagar axis in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh following a "well-coordinated" joint operation by security forces in the region, a press release said. The joint operation was carried out by the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, in coordination with the Arunachal Pradesh Police. "During the extensive search by the specialised teams specialist drones, tracker dogs, metal detectors etc were employed." "During the operation, a total of ten different types of Assualt Rifles were recovered from different locations, making it one of the largest recoveries in the region. The weapons were concealed in the forest area and were being searched by insurgent groups operating in Changlang for over six months," the release stated. It is alleged that these weapons were buried by the Eastern Nagaland National Government (ENNG) before their surrender last year. "The security forces utilizing their expertise and reliable information have managed to uncover the hidden cache in thickly forest area" Further as per the release, before the operation, the security personnel ensured the safe passage of tourists present in the Namdapha Reserve Forest. The operation was carried out with the utmost professionalism and precision to ensure that the large cache of weapons did not fall into the hands of insurgents. "Numerous inputs have been received in past six months regarding attempts by various insurgent groups, including NSCM(IM) & NSCN (KYA), with the help of ENNG cadres, to recover the said cache," the release added. (ANI)
He accused the CPI(M) of orchestrating the murders, alleging a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy involving party leaders who reportedly aided and abetted the culprits.

Satheesan expressed strong protest and sorrow over the case, criticizing the misuse of taxpayers' money in the process. "The judgment is a welcome step toward justice," he remarked, adding that the Indian National Congress in Kerala stands firmly with the victims' families.

He noted that while some of the accused have been acquitted, the families of the victims plan to appeal. "The court's findings have vindicated the family's struggle for justice. This is a victory for them and for the Indian National Congress, which has supported them throughout this ordeal," Satheesan said.

The judgment, delivered by the CBI Court in Kochi, marks a major milestone in exposing the alleged conspiracy and criminal involvement of CPI(M) leaders in the double murder case. (ANI)
Faith Goynes, 40, was charged with murder in connection to the death of Tomas Calavera Jr., 30. Calhoun County Sheriff's Office

A 40-year-old woman faces murder and arson charges in connection to the death of a man found in a closet in a West Bexar County home on Monday.

Faith Paige Goynes was charged with murder in the death of Tomas Calavera Jr., 30, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office.

She has also been charged with arson in Calhoun County, accused of setting Calaveras vehicle on fire in Port OConnor on the Texas coast.

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According to an arrest affidavit, a Calhoun County Sheriffs Office detective contacted BCSO on Monday to conduct a welfare check on Calavera at a home in the 14000 block of Gunsight Pass.

At the residence, BCSO spoke with Calaveras father, who had also been contacted by Calhoun authorities. He told Bexar deputies that he had gone inside the home to search for his son but did not find him.

ALSO READ: San Antonio police looking for suspect accused of killing man on Christmas Eve

Later, deputies searched the home and found Calavera dead in the closet of the master bedroom, the affidavit states.

A Bexar County Medical Examiners Office investigator stated that Calavera had a gunshot wound to the center of his face.

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Meanwhile, the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office responded to a call for a vehicle fire in Port OConnor.

There, Calhoun deputies found a 2024 GMC pickup truck that had significant burn damage to the interior. A yellow gas can and a lighter were found behind the vehicle.

A witness reported seeing a woman extinguishing herself while walking away from the burning vehicle. She was later identified as Goynes.

The deputy and a Texas Parks and Wildlife officer found Goynes, who had been seen paddling away in a kayak. She had severe burn marks on her right hand and Calaveras ID.

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Calhoun officials later confirmed that the pickup truck belonged to Calavera.

Goynes was arrested. She later confessed to shooting Calavera  the father of her child  and to taking his truck and setting it on fire, the affidavit states.
The Mahakumbh, held every twelve years, will commence on January 13 and conclude on February 26, 2025. Preparations are in their final stages, with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department working to provide new and exciting experiences for visitors under the guidance of CM Yogi Adityanath.

Ahead of this, UP CM also extend invitation to former President Ram Nath Kovind and newly appointed Governor of Mizoram, General VK Singh (retd) and BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda.

According to a press release, the Tourism department is set to mesmerise the attendees at Mahakumbh 2025 with a spectacular drone show, showcasing mythological tales linked to the Mahakumbh and Prayagraj.

The show will feature 2,000 drones and light up the skies over Sangam Nose, marking the grand opening and conclusion of the world-famous religious gathering. District Tourism Officer, Aparajita Singh stated that the drone show will be held at the Sangam during the opening and closing of the event.

"A fleet of around 2,000 illuminated drones will bring to life the legendary tales of "Prayag Mahatmyam" and the Mahakumbh. The spectacular show will depict iconic events like the mythical Samudra Manthan (ocean churning) and the emergence of the Amrit Kalash (Nectar Pot), creating a magical visual narrative in the evening skies", she added.

The event will feature floating restaurants, water activities, hot air balloons, and laser light shows. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is introducing innovative attractions to enhance the experience for visitors. Starting in early January, a musical fountain laser show on the Yamuna River at Kali Ghat will provide a mesmerizing experience for tourists visiting Prayagraj.

Moreover, the spectacular lighting drone show will be a highlight during the Mahakumbh, offering a memorable experience for both visitors and residents of prayagraj, (ANI)
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi underlined the Northeast's strategic importance, calling it a top priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his two-day visit to Tripura, the Union Minister reviewed the implementation of various flagship schemes of the Prime Minister and highlighted the government's commitment to the region's development. "Since 2014, when PM Modi became the PM, his goal has been 'Act East'. For this, all the cabinet ministers have to visit the states of North East states through the DoNER Ministry (Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region). The Government of India is currently running a special scheme for nurses under the leadership of PM Modi, which also has to be reviewed," Joshi told ANI. The senior BJP leader praised Chief Minister Manik Saha. "I have come to Tripura to see how the implementation of the programs of our department is progressing. Along with this, I have reviewed the flagship schemes of the Prime Minister. Very good work has been done here under the leadership of CM Manik Saha," Joshi added. "Some issues have also been brought to my notice by the CM, his ministers and officers. Some have been solved here, and the remaining issues will be addressed after discussing with the concerned ministries...," he said. He also slammed the previous Congress government for neglecting the region."Northeast is our topmost priority of the PM... This area is strategically important but in the last 70-75 years, under the Congress government, there has been very little work towards development here... The PM sends us here to fulfil that...," he added. (ANI)
Incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged that he was offered the option of house arrest in exchange for agreeing to negotiations. However, Khan rejected the offer, saying that political prisoners must first be released. Speaking to lawyers and journalists at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Khan, described the year 2024 as a challenging year for Pakistan. In his post on X, Khan said, "The proposal I received for a deal was: "Negotiate with us, and we will give your party 'political space', but you will be placed under house arrest and moved to Bani Gala." My response was that all other political prisoners must first be released. I would rather stay in jail than accept any deal. I will neither go into house arrest nor to any jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. My message to my nation is to not lose heart; your captain is standing firm!" Khan also called on overseas Pakistanis to join a campaign to boycott remittances. He criticized the lack of attention to the rule of law in the country, which he said had led to investors withdrawing their capital and factories shutting down. Khan argued that had the rule of law been prioritized, Pakistan would have attracted investments, stabilising the country's economy. Speaking about the use of military courts in trials of citizens and the divergence of Pakistan's intelligence agencies towards "political engineering and dismantling PTI", Khan said, "A transparent trial is a fundamental constitutional right of citizens. Trying cases in military courts has violated the basic rights of citizens and has caused severe embarrassment for Pakistan at an international level." He added, "Intelligence agencies are meant to safeguard our borders and prevent terrorism. Who will guard our borders if their focus is on political engineering and dismantling PTI? They must rethink their policies. Afghanistan has been bombed twice. Earlier, it was claimed that forcibly repatriating refugees would reduce terrorism, but it only fueled hatred, which is detrimental to regional peace. Not once did Bilawal, when he was the Foreign Minister, visit Afghanistan although that should have been the priority. I had even told General (Rtd.) Bajwa to not replace General (Rtd.) Faiz because the situation in Afghanistan would be very different after the US forces exited. However, he was making decisions to enable his own extension rather than to benefit Pakistan. Which is why Pakistan suffered as there was an increase in terrorism." As per Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf, Imran Khan has been in jail for over 500 days now. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar concluded a two-day conference of the team at the Indian Embassy in the US and Consuls General. He expressed confidence in the deliberations and noted that they would plummet the India-US partnership. Jaishankar wrote on X, "Concluded a very useful two day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC today. Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated." https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1872742388386677023 As per a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs, S Jaishankar is visiting the United States of America from December 24 to December 29. On Thursday, Jaishankar met with the United States National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, in Washington, DC. He said that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership and exchanged views on current regional and global developments. Jaishankar also held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington, DC on Thursday. The two leaders reviewed the advancement of India-US partnership over the past four years and agreed that cooperation has strengthened in many sectors. Jaishankar expressed confidence that ties between India and US will serve mutual interests and global good. Jaishankar, during his visit, met India's Ambassador to US, Vinay Kwatra and Consul Generals based in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston and Atlanta. The officials discussed opportunities for deepening India-US partnership, focusing on technology, trade and investments. The visit by the External Affairs Minister comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US earlier in September and participated in the fourth Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. The US and India have seen frequent high-level interactions. Earlier on Tuesday, senior diplomats from India and the United States, including Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, highlighted the strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries. India-US bilateral relations have developed into a "global strategic partnership," based on shared democratic values and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues. Regular exchange of high-level political visits has provided sustained momentum to bilateral cooperation, while the wide-ranging and ever-expanding dialogue architecture has established a long-term framework for India-US engagement. (ANI)
Jerusalem [Israel], December 28 ANI/TPS): The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) reported that Friday morning Israel Air Force fighter jets attacked infrastructure at the Janta crossing on the Syria-Lebanon border, which was used to transfer weapons through Syria to the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon. "These attacks are another part of the IDF's effort to hinder the transfer of weapons from Syrian territory to Lebanese territory and to make it difficult for the terrorist organization Hezbollah to rehabilitate the axis of the transfer of weapons," said the IDF. These efforts include the assassination of the commander of Hezbollah's Unit 4400, Muhammad Jafar Katzir, in early October in Beirut and his designated replacement, Ali Hassan Harib, a few weeks later in Damascus. Along with them, several other senior commanders in the unit, which is responsible for attacks on Israel, were eliminated. (ANI/TPS)
Major General Ahmed Saif Bin Zaitoon Al Muhairi, Director of Central Operations Sector at Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters explained that Abu Dhabi Police have developed a joint security plan to safeguard tourist areas, commercial centres, and traffic during the New Year celebrations, guaranteeing the safety and well-being of the public.

The Traffic and Patrols Directorate within the Central Operations Sector at Abu Dhabi Police has affirmed its readiness to enhance road safety by taking necessary precautions and measures. They urged road users to remain vigilant, adhere to traffic laws and speed limits, avoid using mobile phones while driving, and maintain a safe distance between vehicles.

The Directorate warned against uncivilised behaviours, including using party sprays, reckless driving, and excessive noise. They called upon the public to comply with guidelines and advice aimed at ensuring safety and creating a positive atmosphere for the New Year celebrations, reflecting positively on the nation.

In the meantime, the Command and Control Centre within the Central Operations Sector has completed its preparations for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

Brigadier General Nasser Sulaiman Al Maskari, Director of Operations Department at the Central Operations Sector, stated that Abu Dhabi Police have equipped its operation room with cutting-edge technology and highly trained personnel.

In case of an emergency, members of the community are urged to contact the Central Operations Room immediately by dialing 999, he added. (ANI/WAM)
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Saturday reported the operation of seven Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels around its territory. "7 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," the MND said in a post on X. https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/1872809697390268613 Earlier on Friday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence reported the operation of five Chinese military aircraft and five naval vessels. On Thursday, MND reported the operation of five PLAN vessels around Taiwan. Meanwhile, in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi expressed concerns about the situations in the South China Sea and others, and with regards to Taiwan, he stated that Japan is closely monitoring relevant developments, including the recent military activities, and reiterated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is extremely important for the international community, including Japan. Recently, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also criticised China's stance towards Taiwan and said that "China is bullying Taiwan, and pursuing access to critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple societies." He said, "We need to be clear-eyed about China's ambitions. China is substantially building up its forces, including its nuclear weapons - with no transparency and no limitations. From 200 warheads in 2020, China is expected to have more than 1,000 nuclear weapons by 2030. Its space-launch investments are skyrocketing. China is bullying Taiwan, and pursuing access to our critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple our societies." The Taiwan Strait remains a focal point of heightened tensions, with Taiwanese officials repeatedly condemning the increase in Chinese military operations as a direct threat to the island's sovereignty and regional peace. However, China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. (ANI)
Former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley has entered the debate of H1B visa allocations in the US, amid discussions by billionaire Elon Musk, Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy, along with Sriram Krishnan--President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence--on expanding the visa programme. Nikki Haley shared that during her tenure as Governor of South Carolina, the state's unemployment rate went down from 11 per cent to 4 per cent because the government recruited foreign companies to invest in South Carolina and not their workers. She told how South Carolinians were trained for the new jobs that have now resulted in the people building planes and automobiles amongst others. She emphasized the importance of investing in the American workforce, stating, "If the tech industry needs workers, invest in our education system. Invest in our American workforce. We must invest in Americans first before looking elsewhere. Don't ever underestimate the talent of Americans or the American spirit." https://x.com/NikkiHaley/status/1872667361473368504 According to CNN, social media posts by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy arguing in favour of expanding the H-1B visa programme for highly skilled workers have sparked a debate among supporters of Trump about how the programme should be fit into the incoming administration's immigration agenda. The debate around the H1B visa controversy was sparked by Trump on Sunday when he announced he was appointing Sriram Krishnan to be a White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence. Krishnan quickly came under fire for a November post suggesting immigration changes: "Anything to remove country caps for green cards / unlock skilled immigration would be huge," as reported by The Hill. The Hill reported that by law, no more than 7 per cent of green cards issued per year may be given to applicants from any one country, with Indian workers making up 72 per cent of H-1B recipients in fiscal year 2023. A wave of Trump supporters in the tech industry, meanwhile, voiced support for bringing in high-skilled foreign workers. Despite the criticism, figures like David Sacks, a key Trump ally set to serve as White House czar for AI and cryptocurrency, defended Krishnan's stance, emphasizing that he was calling for the elimination of per-country caps on green cards, rather than remove all limits. Immigration had been an important issue for American voters during the 2024 US Presidential elections. While President-elect Trump has promised to shut down illegal immigration at the southern border and start a mass deportation effort, the current debate focuses on legal immigrants, exposing larger, sometimes racist, anti-immigrant fault lines, as reported by The Hill. (ANI)
US President Joe Biden expressed condolences on the passing of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, recognising his contributions to US-India relations and global cooperation. "Jill and I join the people of India in grieving the loss of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," President Biden said in an official statement by the White House. "The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister's strategic vision and political courage. From forging the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations--and the world--for generations to come. He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person." Biden also recalled his meetings with Singh during key moments in their professional lives. "I had the chance to meet Prime Minister Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during his Official State Visit to the United States in 2009. He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013." "As we discussed then, the US-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world. And together, as partners and friends, our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people," he continued, as per the statement. Singh, who passed away on Thursday night due to age-related medical conditions, is remembered for his role in shaping India's modern economic landscape. His legacy includes the economic liberalisation reforms he introduced as Finance Minister in 1991, which opened India's economy to global markets. During his tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Singh worked to strengthen India's global standing, especially in its relationship with the United States, and foster regional cooperation through initiatives like BRICS. Singh will be cremated near Rajghat, where many prominent Indian leaders are laid to rest. "During this difficult time, we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life," Biden concluded. "And Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur, their three children, and all the people of India." (ANI)
US President-elect Donald Trump has filed a brief with the US Supreme Court urging the justices to block a law that mandates the popular social media platform TikTok to either sell its US operations or shut down by January 19, the New York Times reported. The timing of the deadline--days before Trump's inauguration--has led to calls for a delay so that the incoming president can address the issue himself. In his brief, President Trump refrains from taking a stance on the constitutional issue regarding the First Amendment, which will be argued by the court next month. The First Amendment challenge centres around whether Congress violated free speech rights by effectively banning TikTok. Instead, Trump's brief focuses on his ability to resolve the matter through political means once he assumes office. "President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture," the brief stated. "He seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office." The brief further emphasised Trump's "deal-making expertise," which it claims makes him uniquely qualified to negotiate a solution that would protect both national security and the interests of TikTok's 170 million US users. Additionally, the brief highlights Trump's prominent role in social media, specifically his 14.7 million followers on TikTok, which underscores his recognition of the platform's importance for free expression, including political speech. "President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific and influential users of social media in history," it said. "Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikTok's importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech." TikTok's own brief takes issue with the law's application, arguing that the government's approach infringes upon the First Amendment by restricting speech without sufficient evidence. In response, the Biden administration argues that the law is a necessary step to protect US national security. The administration contends that the Chinese government's control of TikTok poses significant risks, particularly in terms of data privacy and potential influence operations. "The law addresses the serious threats to national security posed by the Chinese government's control of TikTok, a platform that harvests sensitive data about tens of millions of Americans and would be a potent tool for covert influence operations by a foreign adversary," the brief stated. The administration's defence of the law has sparked a strong response from content creators and users of TikTok, who argue that it violates their First Amendment rights, as per the report by The New York Times. In a brief filed on behalf of users, it was pointed out that while the US and China are engaged in a geopolitical rivalry, the law's sweeping actions against TikTok unjustly curtail Americans' rights to free expression. "Nothing like the act here has ever been countenanced," the user brief stated. "Its suppression of Americans' speech flies in the face of our history, tradition and precedent." These competing briefs set the stage for the Supreme Court's consideration of TikTok's challenge to the law. The Court has scheduled a special session on January 10, in which it will hear arguments on both TikTok's case and a separate case filed by creators and users of the platform. The outcome of these hearings will have significant implications for both national security and free speech. The law at issue mandates that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, sell the app's US operations or face a ban due to concerns over Chinese influence. The government contends that TikTok's ownership structure, which includes ByteDance's control from China, exposes the platform to undue influence from the Chinese government. ByteDance is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, with its headquarters in Beijing, making it subject to Chinese regulations. The Supreme Court's decision, which will come before the January 19 deadline, will determine the future of TikTok in the United States and shape the broader discourse on the intersection of technology, national security, and First Amendment rights. (ANI)
Russia's aviation chief said Friday that an Azerbaijani Airlines plane that eventually crashed in Kazakhstan tried to land in the Chechen city of Grozny as it was being attacked by Ukrainian drones.

The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday after attempting to land at its destination in Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea.

Thirty-eight of the 67 people on board died, with some reports suggesting the plane could have been accidentally shot at by Russian air defences.

A surviving passenger told Russian TV that an explosion appeared to take place outside the plane, with shrapnel flying in.

The head of Russia's civil aviation agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said in a statement that "the situation on this day and at these hours in the area of Grozny airport was very complex".

"Ukrainian attack drones at this time were making terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz," Yadrov said, referring to a nearby city.

Yadrov said the Azeri pilot made "two attempts to land the plane in Grozny that were unsuccessful" in "thick fog".

"The pilot was offered other airports. He took the decision to go to Aktau airport," he added.

The Kremlin earlier Friday declined to comment on the deadly crash.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "until the conclusions of the investigation, we do not consider we have the right to make any comments and we will not do so".

Some aviation and military experts have pointed to apparent shrapnel damage on the plane wreckage as evidence that it was hit by air defence.

Azerbaijan's pro-government website Caliber and several other media have cited unnamed Azerbaijani officials as saying they believed a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defence system caused the plane to crash.

Ukraine's presidency said Russia "must be held responsible for the downing" of the plane.

Russian survivor Subkhonkul Rakhimov told RT state broadcaster that an explosion appeared to happen outside the plane, causing shrapnel to penetrate inside.

He said the explosion took place as the plane made a third attempt to land in Grozny in fog.

"The third time there was an explosion. I wouldn't say it was inside the plane because the skin of the fuselage near where I was sitting flew off," he said.

"I grabbed a lifejacket and saw there was a hole in it -- it was pierced by shrapnel."

"Somewhere between my legs this piece of shrapnel flew in and went right through the life jacket. I took a picture of the hole on my phone."

The daughter of an air steward on the plane told AFP that her father, Zulfugar Asadov, was being treated in hospital for injuries to his head and back but had not broken any bones.

"He is in pain, his back hurts, he cannot speak much," the woman, Konula Asadova, told AFP.

Azerbaijan Airlines said Friday it was suspending flights to 10 Russian cities, "taking into account flight safety risks".

Contacted by AFP, Azerbaijani government officials did not respond to questions about the possible causes of the crash.

But Rasim Musabekov, an Azerbaijani lawmaker and member of the parliament's international relations committee, urged Russia to apologise for the incident.

"They have to accept this, punish those to blame, promise that such a thing will not happen again, express regrets and readiness to pay compensation," Musabekov told AFP.

"We are waiting for Russia to do this."

He said the plane "was damaged in the sky over Grozny and asked to make an emergency landing".

"According to all the rules of aviation, they should have allowed this and organised it."

Instead the plane was not allowed to land at Grozny or nearby Russian airports and was "sent far away" across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan with "GPS switched off", Musabekov said.

He suggested that the aim could have been for the plane to crash into the sea to "cover up a crime".

If air defences were operating near Grozny airport, "they should have closed the air space. The plane should have been turned around as it approached Grozny. Why wasn't this done?" he added.
Indian Army contingent comprising more than 300 personnel departed for Nepal today to participate in India-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran, set to be held in Saljhandi from December 29-January 13. During the exercise, the soldiers of two nations will be able to share best practices, enhance interoperability and foster a stronger bond in conduct of joint operations. In a post on X, Additional Directorate General of Public Information stated, "#Indian Army contingent comprising over 300 personnel departed today for the joint military Exercise #SuryaKiran, between #India and #Nepal. The exercise will be held at Saljhandi, #Nepal from 29 December 2024 to 13 January 2025. The exercise will provide a platform for soldiers from both the nations to share best practices, enhance interoperability and foster a stronger bond in conduct of joint operations." Exercise Surya Kiran showcases the strong bonds of friendship, trust and common cultural linkages that exist between India and Nepal. It also gives a platform for a productive and fruitful engagement between the armies of India and Nepal. The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare, counter-terrorism operations in mountains and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief under United Nations Charter, according to the statement released by the Indian Army on Thursday. In a post on X, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), stated, "The 18th edition of Exercise #SuryaKiran, a joint military exercise between #India and #Nepal, is scheduled to be held at Saljhandi, Nepal from 29 December 2024 to 13 January 2025. The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare, counter terrorism operations in mountains and Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief under #UnitedNations Charter." "Exercise #SuryaKiran signifies the strong bonds of friendship, trust and common cultural linkages that exist between India and Nepal. It also provides a platform for a productive and fruitful engagement between #IndianArmy & #NepaliArmy, showcasing the unwavering commitment of both the nations towards a broader defence cooperation," it added. Earlier this month, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel, was on a three-day visit to India from December 11 to 14. A press statement by the Ministry of Defence noted that the visit featured key engagements between senior leaders and officials from both sides, further reinforcing the foundation for enhanced bilateral military cooperation, exchanges, and collaboration in strategic and defence-related areas. During his visit, General Ashok Raj Sigdel held a series of productive discussions with his Indian counterpart, General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army. The talks focused on expanding and deepening cooperation between the two armies, yielding several key outcomes that are set to further strengthen the bond between the two nations. Highlights of the visit included several high-level engagements aimed at bolstering bilateral defence cooperation and strategic alignment between India and Nepal. General Sigdel was conferred with the Honorary Generalship of the Indian Army. He also served as the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun. According to the Ministry of Defence, the visit resulted in agreements to enhance the operational and technological capabilities of the Nepali Army, including the scope of joint exercises. As part of the defence cooperation, General Upendra Dwivedi announced the transfer of a target practice drone and medical equipment for Field Hospitals to the Nepali Army. General Sigdel also visited key Indian defence industries, including Tata Aerospace & Defence Ltd (TASL) and Bharat Forge in Pune. (ANI)
Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has expressed concern over the rise in incidents of "military barbarism", enforced disappearances and dumping by local militias backed by state security forces in Pakistan's Balochistan province. She said that "military barbarism" is being conducted with full force, especially in Balochistan's remote areas. Highlighting a case of enforced disappearance, she alleged that Zareef was disappeared in Tump town of Kech on Friday night and later killed. She expressed solidarity with the family of the deceased and urged people of Balochistan to join the sit-in in Turbat. "The intensity of military barbarism, along with enforced disappearances and dumping by local militias backed by state security forces locally known as "Death Squad," has intensified recently. The military barbarism is being carried out with full force, particularly in Balochistan's remote areas. As part of this campaign, Zareef, son of Homar, was disappeared last night in Tump town, Kech, and later killed. BYC and I stand in full solidarity with the deceased's family and appeal to the Baloch nation to join the sit-in in Turbat," Mahrang Baloch posted on X. https://x.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1872870132290359485 On December 26, families of missing persons staged a protest in Hub Chowki, Balochistan, to mark the sixth anniversary of Rashid Hussain's enforced disappearance. The protest came mid the ongoing enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan by Pakistan armed forces. Rashid, a Baloch activist, was abducted in 2018 while in the United Arab Emirates and has been missing ever since. The protesters called for his immediate release and demanded justice for other individuals who have fallen victim to enforced disappearances in the area, The Balochistan Post reported. Rashid Hussain had been living in exile in the UAE since 2017 before he was allegedly abducted and detained for six months in the Gulf country. His family claims that, after his detention, he was transferred to Pakistan without any legal procedure or documentation. Since then, his whereabouts have remained unknown, and attempts to trace him through legal channels, including courts and commissions, have been unsuccessful. At the protest, Rashid's mother shared the anguish of her six-year-long fight for her son's release, The Balochistan Post reported. "I have approached every court and commission, but no one has responded to my cries for help. My son was abducted unlawfully, and the justice system has let me down. If he has committed a crime, he should be brought to court, but keeping him missing for six years is intolerable." She urged international human rights organizations to step in, describing her son's disappearance as a serious violation of human rights.According to the report, the families of other missing persons, civil society members, and political leaders also joined the protest. Rashid's sister, Fareeda Baloch, also spoke at the gathering, expressing the family's ongoing suffering and tireless efforts for justice. She criticized Pakistan's judicial and legal systems for neglecting her family and countless others in Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported. Fareeda Baloch said, "It has been six years since my brother was abducted in the UAE and transferred to Pakistan without any legal process. Despite our persistent efforts both nationally and internationally, including appeals to the UN, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations, the authorities have provided no answers." (ANI)
Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Dhananjay Ramful and Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck have arrived in New Delhi to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to sources. The mortal remains of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reached Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi's Kashmere Gate. The last rites with full state honours will be performed in the presence of government dignitaries and officials including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived at Nigambodh Ghat to attend the last rites of the former Prime Minister. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also reached the location.Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will also remain present at the VIP Ghat where the rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed. Acharya Yogesh Kumar Sharma said that rituals for the cremation ceremony will be performed using sandalwood sticks and the last rites will be performed as per the Sikh rituals. "The rituals will be performed using sandalwood sticks... The last rites will be performed as per Sikh rituals at the VIP Ghat. Those who are coming for the last rites will reach here including the President, Vice President and Prime Minister. Homage will be offered to him once everyone arrives," Sharma told ANI. While paying tribute to the late Dr Singh, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry said that he made lifelong laws that benefited crores of people. "His demise is a loss for everyone," he added. The mortal remains of Manmohan Singh were kept at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters on early Saturday morning for the party workers to pay their final respects. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and requested to have the funeral of Dr Manmohan Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, according to a post by the Indian National Congress on X. Kharge further said that a memorial would be a fitting tribute to a leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a statesman of immense stature. Immediately after the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Home Minister Amit Shah communicated to Congress President Kharge and the family of late Manmohan Singh that the Government will allocate space for the memorial. In the meanwhile, cremation and other formalities can happen because a trust has to be formed and space has to be allocated to it. Dr Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the 13th Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. After his second term, Dr Singh retired from public life, having led India through a period of unprecedented growth and international recognition. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge d'affaires of the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi, expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, offering condolences to the Congress party, the people of India, and Singh's family. He stated, "I am here in India posted since 2014 to represent my country - my people. We today present our deepest condolence to the Congress party and the people of India, to all the friends and family on the loss of a wise man, former Prime Minister." He further described Singh as a "remarkable Indian politician and economist" and emphasised that Palestine stands with Singh's legacy. Abu Jazer also highlighted the long-standing relationship between Singh and Palestine, recalling their interactions over the years. "Palestine is with the former PM of India, Manmohan Singh. We have a history of relationship with him when he was in the Ministry of Finance in 1991. When he became the PM in 2004, he had met the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas many times." He noted that this partnership began in 2005, after Mahmoud Abbas was elected President of Palestine, and continued with meetings in Delhi in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Abu Jazer fondly recalled Singh's support in establishing the Palestinian Embassy in Delhi, stating, "He honoured Palestine's people by giving a piece of land for establishing the Palestine Embassy in Delhi, and he also gave support to build this embassy." Singh's contributions to the India-Palestine relationship culminated in the inauguration of the Palestinian Embassy in Delhi in September 2012. Abu Jazer emphasised his gratitude for Singh's support, saying, "We really appreciate his support to Palestine and we remember together his contribution as an economist and politician, and we stand with the Indian people from different parties, with the Indian government and the Congress party to show our appreciation and respect for this remarkable leader of India." Manmohan Singh passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. Known for his pivotal role in India's economic liberalisation, Singh's legacy includes transforming the nation's economy and strengthening its global presence. He will be cremated near Rajghat, where prominent Indian leaders are laid to rest. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with the next US National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz on Friday evening (local time) during his visit to the United States. The two leaders held discussion on bilateral partnership and current global issues, and Jaishankar said that he is looking forward to working with Waltz. "Delighted to meet Rep. @michaelgwaltz this evening. Enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral partnership as well as current global issues. Look forward to working with him," Jaishankar said in a post on X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1872802352178360583 Michael Waltz would succeed Jake Sullivan as the US National Security Advisor after Donald Trump assumes office as 47th US President in January. Earlier in November, Trump picked Florida Republican leader as his National Security Advisor. Waltz also served as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Mike served 27 years in the US Army and National Guard. Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to US, concluded a two-day conference of the team at the Indian Embassy in the US and Consuls General. He expressed confidence in the deliberations and noted that they would plummet the India-US partnership. "Concluded a very useful two day conference of team @IndianEmbassyUS and our Consuls General in Washington DC today. Confident from the deliberations that the continuous growth of the India-US partnership will be accelerated," Jaishankar posted on X. On Thursday, Jaishankar met with the United States NSA Jake Sullivan, in Washington, DC. He said that the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership and exchanged views on current regional and global developments. Jaishankar also held a meeting with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington, DC on Thursday. The two leaders reviewed the advancement of India-US partnership over the past four years and agreed that cooperation has strengthened in many sectors. Jaishankar expressed confidence that ties between India and US will serve mutual interests and global good. "Delighted to meet @SecBlinken yesterday evening in Washington D.C. Reviewed the advancement of India - US partnership over the last four years. Agreed that our cooperation has strengthened in many domains, just as our comfort levels have grown correspondingly. Confident that India-US relationship will serve our mutual interests as well as global good," he stated in a post on X. (ANI)
INS Sarvekshak, the Indian Navy's hydrographic survey ship, arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius, on December 26, 2024, to undertake a joint hydrographic survey, an official press release by the Ministry of National Defence stated. Upon its arrival, the ship was welcomed by Anurag Srivastava, the High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, Captain C G Binoop, Commandant of the Mauritius National Coastguard, and other military and civil dignitaries. The visit kicked off with a preliminary survey coordination meeting with the Hydrographic Survey Unit of Mauritius. During its stay, INS Sarvekshak will collaborate with Mauritian authorities through various activities such as technical knowledge exchange, professional interactions, and training sessions on hydrography. These engagements are crucial for enhancing Mauritius' maritime capabilities. The survey itself will help the island nation in areas like maritime infrastructure development, resource management, and coastal development planning, the press release stated. As stated in an official post by the Indian Navy on X (formerly Twitter), "INS Sarvekshak, Hydrographic Survey ship of the Indian Navy arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius on 26 December '24. The ship was received by Shri Anurag Srivastava of the High Commission of India in Mauritius, Captain C G Binoop, Comdt Mauritius National Coastguard & other military & civil dignitaries. A preliminary survey coordination meeting was held with the Hydrographic Survey Unit of Mauritius." This collaboration is vital in strengthening the long-standing relationship between India and Mauritius. The visit also highlights the strong maritime partnership between the two nations, with a focus on regional development and cooperation. It reflects India's vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing security and growth in the Indian Ocean region. The activities conducted during this visit are aligned with the broader goal of deepening bilateral ties and fostering mutual cooperation in maritime affairs. (ANI)
Kazakhstan has solidified its position as the leading investment destination in North and Central Asia, drawing USD 15.7 billion in new projects in 2024, as per the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) report released on Dec. 25. This marks an 88 per cent year-on-year surge, with Kazakhstan accounting for 63 per cent of the region's total investments, The Astana Times reported. The region witnessed a 27 per cent rise in overall foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, totaling USD 24.8 billion in 2023. ESCAP highlighted Qatar's UCC Holding as a significant contributor to Kazakhstan's FDI growth, with USD 11 billion committed to the development of critical gas infrastructure projects. "The growth in Kazakhstan now sees it attracting 63 per cent of the region's total FDI in thus far 2024, led by investments totaling USD 11 billion from Qatar's UCC Holding to establish two gas processing plants, a new compressor station, and two additional trunk gas pipelines throughout the country," stated the report. The projects include gas processing plants with annual capacities of one billion and 2.5 billion cubic meters, aimed at optimising raw gas usage. Agreements for these initiatives were formalised between QazaqGas, the national gas company, and Qatar's UCC Holding during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to Qatar. Additional developments encompass the construction of the Aktobe-Kostanai gas pipeline and the expansion of the Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent pipeline, which is anticipated to enhance Kazakhstan's energy infrastructure. ESCAP emphasised the pivotal role of proactive investment strategies in sustaining such momentum, particularly for emerging markets. "In this context, proactive investment promotion by line ministries and investment promotion agencies (IPAs) becomes increasingly crucial, particularly in sectors contributing to sustainable development. For emerging investment destinations, success depends not only on creating the right policy environment but also on offering investors a comprehensive suite of support services and aftercare," the report noted. While Kazakhstan led the subregion, Uzbekistan secured USD 4 billion in FDI, followed by the Kyrgyz Republic with USD 2.1 billion, Azerbaijan with USD 1.2 billion, Turkmenistan with USD 339 million, Georgia with USD 126 million, and Armenia with USD 67 million, reported The Astana Times. Despite robust inflows into certain countries, outward investments from North and Central Asia declined significantly in 2024, with total outflows falling by 58 per cent to USD 2.3 billion. Russia accounted for 90 per cent of these outflows, channeling USD 847 million into India and Belarus's coal, oil, and gas sectors. The broader Asia-Pacific region recorded USD 292 billion in FDI between January and September 2024, down from USD 339 billion during the same period in 2023. India led the region with USD 76 billion in inflows, followed by Australia at USD 38 billion, China at USD 28 billion, and Japan at USD 25 billion. ESCAP attributed the decline to global economic uncertainties and geopolitical shifts. "The landscape of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Asia-Pacific continues to evolve rapidly amid global economic uncertainties, geopolitical shifts, and technological transformations. While 2024 has witnessed some moderation in investment flows following the record-breaking announcements of 2023, the region has demonstrated remarkable resilience and maintained its position as a premier destination for international capital," the report highlighted. The report identified several factors reshaping investment patterns, including the acceleration of digital economy investments post-COVID-19, heightened energy security concerns, and supply chain restructuring influenced by geopolitical tensions. Experts also noted a transition in investment pace as projects announced in 2023 moved into implementation. The services sector continued to dominate FDI inflows in the Asia-Pacific, accounting for 55 per cent of the total, while manufacturing contributed 41 per cent. The share of the primary sector declined to 4 per cent in the first three quarters of 2024, compared to 9 per cent during the same period in 2023. Within manufacturing, semiconductors, electronic components, and metals attracted the highest investments, with USD 28.2 billion, USD 19 billion, and USD 12.5 billion, respectively, in the first three quarters of 2024. However, metals investments saw a steep 61 per cent decline compared to 2023 due to weakened global steel demand, falling prices, increased Chinese exports, and reduced domestic consumption, The Astana Times reported. Kazakhstan's remarkable performance in attracting FDI underscores its growing appeal as a hub for regional development and international collaboration. The investments, driven by strategic agreements and infrastructure projects, signify the nation's proactive approach to fostering economic growth and sustainable development. (ANI)
The graduation ceremony, held at the Al Qasimia University Theatre in Sharjah, brought together graduates from the five colleges of the university: the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, College of Arts and Humanities, College of Economics and Administration, College of Communication, and the College of the Holy Quran.

The event began with the UAE national anthem being played and a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.

Jamal Salim Al Turaifi, President of Al Qasimia University, delivered an address in which he expressed sincere gratitude to Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Founder of the Al Qasimia University, for his unwavering support of the university.

He highlighted that the university's achievements and growth are a direct result of the leadership and vision of the Ruler of Sharjah.

Professor Awad Al-Khalaf, Director of Al Qasimia University, praised the Ruler of Sharjah for his continuous support of the university and its goals. He also spoke about the impressive growth of the university, mentioning that Al Qasimia University is now home to students from 128 different nationalities.

Al-Khalaf highlighted several key achievements of the university during the academic year 2024-2025, particularly in the areas of curriculum development and international collaborations. (ANI/WAM)
Two persons have reportedly gone missing after allgedly being detained by Pakistani armed forces in Balochistan. The first case involves a 13-year-old boy named Balach, the son of Sabrullah, from the Panjgur district. Family sources claimed that Balach was forcibly taken from his home ten days ago during a raid by Pakistani forces. Reports suggest that the boy was physically abused by the forces before being taken away while still injured, The Balochistan Post reported. Notably, this is not the first time the Pakistani military has targeted the family. Earlier, a raid was conducted at their home, with property damaged and two hand grenades thrown outside, although no casualties occurred. Locals have claimed that the forces have regularly raided the house, subjecting the family to ongoing harassmen, the report stated. In a separate incident, Pakistani forces also arrested a man named Fazal Bashir from the coastal city of Gwadar. Fazal, who lives in the Hirabad area of Kech district, was taken into custody on December 23, and his current whereabouts remain unknown, The Balochistan Post reported. His family has appealed to human rights organizations for assistance in locating him, expressing deep concern for his safety and well-being. The increasing instances of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have been a persistent issue, with local activists and human rights organizations consistently calling for accountability and the immediate release of the missing individuals. Despite repeated demands for justice, these cases underscore the continued allegations of abuse by Pakistani security forces in the region. The families of Balach and Fazal have appealed to the authorities to address their concerns and provide answers regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones. The ongoing unrest in Balochistan is characterized by a disturbing pattern of abductions and killings, with a wide range of individuals including activists, politicians, journalists, and ordinary civilians falling victim to enforced disappearances by security forces. The Pakistani military is frequently accused of using enforced disappearances as part of a broader strategy to target insurgents or separatist groups. However, human rights organizations and Baloch nationalist groups contend that these abductions are primarily intended to suppress dissent. Enforced disappearances are often followed by torture and extrajudicial killings, further exacerbating the human rights crisis in the region, the report added. (ANI)
TP-Link, which makes this Deco-brand router and others, holds a whopping 65% of the market for home routers in the United States. Dwight Silverman

Do you own your home network router, rather than using one supplied by your internet service provider? If so, theres a very good chance its made by TP-Link, which holds a whopping 65% of the market for home routers in the United States. The company, based in Shenzhen, China, is the target of multiple U.S. government investigations into whether its products pose a national security threat, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

But some experts are skeptical, noting that most consumer electronics contain at least some Chinese components, and that TP-Link is not unique in the router realm. Regardless of whether its a true concern or a case of Sinophobia, its an opportunity to highlight the need for good network security at home.

Probes are being conducted by the Justice, Defense and Commerce departments, and could result in a ban of TP-Link routers in 2025, the Journal reported. Detractors say TP-Link routers ship with security flaws the company is slow to patch, and that it doesnt engage with security researchers in finding and fixing them. A company spokesperson told the Journal that it indeed looks at security flaws and addresses them.

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The moves follow the banning of network equipment made by China-based Huawei and ZTE in 2022, and a law requiring China's ByteDance to sell its popular social media service TikTok to a U.S. firm or face a ban of the app in this country.

The issue of TP-Link as a security threat is not a new one. For example, in September the computer security trade publication CSO posted an analysis casting doubt on many of the claims. The essay, by cybersecurity analyst Cynthia Brumfield and headlined No evidence that TP-Link routers are a Chinese security threat, argued that the issue is overblown.

A US House committee on Chinas request for a probe into an alleged security threat posed by routers made by Chinese Wi-Fi giant TP-Link Technologies is based on scant evidence and misleadingly singles out just one company among a host of Chinese manufacturers, experts say, Brumfield wrote. She asserted that the government had provided no real evidence that TP-Links products were a threat.

Brumfield added that the allegations made about TP-Links attitude toward vulnerabilities can be leveled at other router manufacturers. Ive written about home networking equipment over a period of decades, and complaints about the security of that gear have long been commonplace.

Anshel Sag, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, an Austin-based research firm, agreed that TP-Link has plenty of company.

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I think TP-Link is actually a fairly good router manufacturer, Sag told me. While I do believe it's true that they've been slow to patch certain vulnerabilities, I don't think they are alone and it's really a symptom of a bigger problem in the industry. Router manufacturers simply don't have any incentive to keep routers updated fixing bugs or patching vulnerabilities.

TP-Links routers, sold under the sub-brands of Archer and Deco, are well regarded among reviewers and product recommendation publications. Two of the three top picks by the New York Times Wirecutter are TP-Link models, and a TP-Link mesh system is among Consumer Reports top recommendations.

Routers are often targeted by creators of malware designed to infect and leverage unpatched devices. A common practice is to interconnect infected equipment and form a so-called botnet, which can be used to attack targets on the internet. Router malware can also be used to infiltrate a business network. These attacks happen to routers made by many manufacturers, including Cisco, Netgear and Asus, as well as TP-Link.

In general, the industry has improved its security over the years, and that includes TP-Link. One of the concerns has been that owners of home and small-business routers didnt update the devices firmware, the built-in code that controls their functions. Today, nearly all modern routers automate these updates, including TP-Link. In most instances, this feature is on by default, but owners of the devices can disable it.

On the other hand, many people dont replace routers very often. And as is the case with nearly all updateable consumer electronics, older models quit getting firmware patches, including those that might fix security flaws.

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Most home users  52%, according to Dallas market research firm Parks Associates  rely on equipment provided by their internet providers, usually in the form of a combined cable or fiber modem and router, commonly called a gateway. The providers assume the task of patching flaws in those products, and consumers usually are never aware of updates  or if theyre even being done.

It's also worth noting that TP-Links Aginet division, which sells managed network equipment to businesses, struck a deal this year with more than 300 ISPs to provide networking equipment.

All router-makers are targeted by those with bad intentions, so its worth taking a few steps to make sure your home network stays secure.

If your current router auto-updates its firmware, make sure that setting is turned on and make sure its actually happening. For example, I own a trio of Amazons eero mesh routers that are set to auto-update between 3 and 4 a.m. Eero is very good at issuing updates, sometimes as often as every two weeks, but on my set its not very good at installing them in a timely manner. The eero smartphone app shows when new firmware is available, and when I notice this I do it manually.

If your router cant update automatically, I urge you to replace it. Except for very inexpensive, no-name devices, most routers made in the past five years have an auto-update feature. Replacing a router older than this has another security benefit: As mentioned earlier, older models often lose support and dont get patched after a while.

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Its also a good idea to occasionally restart your router. Some forms of malware only exist while the router is powered up. Restart it  or even better, disconnect it from its power source briefly  and any digital parasites may vanish.

Most modern routers require you to adopt a network name and a unique password for accessing settings rather than sticking with the default credentials that came with the router. The password should not be the same as the one that lets you and guests access your networks WiFi.

Finally, if you are using your internet providers equipment, contact them and ask how often updates are made, and if theres a way you can confirm that it happened. And if you have an ISP gateway thats been in your home a long time, ask them if a newer model is available. Often theyre happy to swap it out for free.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to offer condolences on the passing away of former PM Manmohan Singh. In his letter to PM Modi, Abbas stated, "It is with deep sorrow that we have received the news of the passing of His Excellency Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India, a distinguished leader who dedicated years of service to his country and its people." "On behalf of the State of Palestine and its people, I extend to Your Excellency, the Government of India, the friendly Indian people, and the family of the late Dr. Singh, our most heartfelt condolences. We join you in mourning this great loss, and we pray for peace and mercy upon his soul," he added. He expressed hope that India under PM Modi's leadership will continue to prosper and thrive. In the letter, he wrote, " May the Republic of India, under your esteemed leadership, continue to prosper and thrive. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest respect and sympathy and our sincere condolences." In his letter to Mallikarjun Kharge, Mahmoud Abbas extended condolences to him, members of Congress and Manmohan Singh's family. "On behalf of the State of Palestine and its people, I extend to you, the members of the Party, and the family of the late Dr. Singh, our most heartfelt condolences. We join you in mourning this great loss, and we pray for peace and mercy upon his soul," the letter read. Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had a sudden loss of consciousness at home after which he was rushed to the hospital. Earlier in the day, Charge d'affaires of the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Singh, offering condolences to the Congress party, the people of India, and Singh's family. He stated, "I am here in India posted since 2014 to represent my country - my people. We today present our deepest condolence to the Congress party and the people of India, to all the friends and family on the loss of a wise man, former Prime Minister." He further described Singh as a "remarkable Indian politician and economist" and emphasised that Palestine stands with Singh's legacy. Abu Jazer also highlighted the long-standing relationship between Singh and Palestine over the years. "Palestine is with the former PM of India, Manmohan Singh. We have a history of relationship with him when he was in the Ministry of Finance in 1991. When he became the PM in 2004, he had met the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas many times," he said. He noted that this partnership began in 2005, after Mahmoud Abbas was elected President of Palestine, and continued with meetings in Delhi in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Abu Jazer fondly recalled Singh's support in establishing the Palestinian Embassy in Delhi, stating, "He honoured Palestine's people by giving a piece of land for establishing the Palestine Embassy in Delhi, and he also gave support to build this embassy." Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours at Nigambodh Ghat in Delhi's Kashmere Gate in the presence of his family, friends, colleagues and government dignitaries on Saturday. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their last respects to the former PM by placing a wreath near his mortal remains earlier today. The last rites were carried out at the VIP Ghat as per the Sikh rituals. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present for the cremation ceremony after they paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. Singh's political career spanned several decades, with notable positions including Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, during which he spearheaded economic reforms that transformed India's economy. He served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014, succeeding Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His tenure is particularly remembered for his steady leadership during economic crises and his contributions to modernizing India's economy. He was succeeded by Narendra Modi in 2014 after the Congress-led UPA lost the general elections. (ANI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev for the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 in which 38 passengers were killed near Aktau in Kazakhstan, Euro News reported. According to Kremlin sources, Putin has reportedly called Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, to apologise, after the fatal plane crash on Wednesday, adding that he also expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims." During a phone call with President Aliyev, it was noted that the plane had repeatedly attempted to land at the airport in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, as per Euro News. Further, Putin claimed that at the time, Grozny, as well as the cities of Mozdok and Vladikavkaz "were attacked by Ukrainian combat unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defence systems repelled these attacks." Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 38 after an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed near Kazakhstan's Aktau city on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported. The plane, which had 62 passengers and five crew members on board, crashed after being forced to make an emergency landing about three kilometres from Aktau. "The situation is not very good, 38 dead," Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said as quoted by Russia's Interfax news agency, Al Jazeera reported. The Embraer 190 aircraft was en route from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, a Russian city in the North Caucasus. Azerbaijan's prosecutor general's office earlier said that 32 out of the 67 people on board survived the crash. "We cannot disclose any investigation results at this time. All possible scenarios are being examined, and the necessary expert analyses are underway," it said in a statement, as reported by Al Jazeera. Azerbaijan Airlines announced it would suspend all flights from Baku to Russia's Chechnya region until the investigation is concluded, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Russian state news agency TASS. Russia's aviation watchdog said in a statement that preliminary information suggested the pilots decided to make an emergency landing after a bird strike. Aktau is located on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea from Azerbaijan and Russia. Preliminary reports show that the plane requested to land at an alternative airport before the accident due to heavy fog in Grozny. Passengers included citizens from Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 28 (ANI/WAM): The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the diplomatic efforts of the brotherly Republic of Turkiye to resolve the ongoing crisis in Sudan, which also represents a priority for the UAE. The UAE emphasised that these efforts reflect Turkiye's steadfast commitment to promoting regional peace and stability, and contributing to the strengthening of international relations. The UAE is fully prepared to cooperate and coordinate with the Turkish efforts and all diplomatic initiatives to end the conflict in Sudan and find a comprehensive solution to the crisis. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed the UAE's steadfast position in relation to the crisis, stressing that the primary focus remains on reaching an immediate ceasefire and an urgent cessation of hostilities in the internal fighting in Sudan between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, while also addressing the catastrophic humanitarian crisis through the provision of urgent relief aid to the brotherly Sudanese people. The Ministry emphasised that the UAE is working with all relevant parties, regional partners, and the international community to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, in an effort to stop the escalation, achieve a ceasefire, and begin an intra-Sudanese dialogue that involves all political factions and the warring parties to fulfill the aspirations of the Sudanese people for development, security, and prosperity. Moreover, the UAE stresses the importance of the warring parties' respecting their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, and the mechanisms proposed by the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Group. The Ministry highlighted that the absence of the Sudanese Armed Forces from the latest peace talks - which the UAE participated in, alongside several countries and regional and international organisations, as part of the ALPS Group in Geneva - demonstrates a blatant disregard for the suffering of the brotherly Sudanese people, and reflects their strong unwillingness to cooperate and engage in peace talks aimed at resolving the crisis and achieving lasting peace. Furthermore, the UAE underscored the importance of dialogue and negotiations as the only path to resolve the conflict and secure a political process and national consensus towards a civilian-led government. The UAE continues to call on all the concerned parties to return to negotiations and actively engage in efforts to achieve peace in Sudan. (ANI/WAM)
Kuwait City [Kuwait], December 28 (ANI/WAM): The State of Kuwait condemned the heinous crime the Israeli occupation forces committed by burning down Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, which resulted in the evacuation of patients and medical staff, in a grave breech of international humanitarian law and all international conventions and norms. In a statement on Saturday, carried by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed Kuwait's call on the international community to end such violations immediately, bring perpetrators to accountability, and protect civilian properties and medical and humanitarian aid staff. (ANI/WAM)
The Skardu Municipal Library in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), a vital resource for residents and students, has been facing significant operational challenges due to an ongoing power outage, as per Pamir Times. For several days, the library has been without electricity, leaving the facility in darkness and making it difficult for visitors to access its resources, as per Pamir Times. In addition to the power outage, the lack of a functional heating system has further exacerbated the situation, particularly during the cold winter months. With temperatures dropping, the absence of warmth has made the library uncomfortable for those relying on it for studying, research, and recreational reading, as reported by Pamir Times. Local students have expressed their frustration, "Electricity is the most crucial issue, and frankly, it seems the authorities prioritize shops and markets, which have dedicated power lines. Meanwhile, the library, an educational place where students come to study, has no electricity. The air conditioners were functional for a while, but they've been out of service for some time, and there is no heating system." Another student added, "We are all sitting here out of our own willpower and determination for study, enduring all weather conditions." Library visitors are urgently calling for immediate action from local authorities to restore electricity, install a reliable heating system, and repair the inverter air conditioners to create a comfortable and functional environment for all users, Pamir Times reported. One more student said, "We ask the authorities to address our concerns. Many of us come here to prepare for exams, and from 9am to 5pm, we face the same problems. The primary issue is electricity. There should be electricity 24 hours a day, with a dedicated power line for the library. The second issue is internet access." "In today's digital era, many students rely on the internet for their studies, using platforms like YouTube and other online resources to learn from world-class teachers. The third issue is water. The drinking water situation is also problematic, as the plumbing system is unreliable year-round." He added. As per Pamir Times, education in Pakistan-occupied areas faces numerous serious challenges that hinder its development. There is insufficient investment in the education sector, resulting in shortages of schools, teachers, and essential resources. The ongoing issues in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan highlight broader concerns about infrastructure and basic services, shedding light on the region's enduring challenges since its disputed occupation by Pakistan. Persistent problems such as frequent power outages, inadequate educational facilities, and high unemployment rates have contributed to growing frustration and discontent among the local population. (ANI)
The All Pakistan Lawyers Action Committee (APLAC) has reaffirmed its call for a full hearing by the Supreme Court regarding the petitions challenging the 26th Amendment. In a statement released on Friday, leaders from both current and former bar councils and associations emphasised that the demand is not politically motivated but is a constitutional imperative to uphold public trust in the judiciary's independence. The APLAC also criticised a press statement from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), calling it misleading and factually incorrect, particularly in response to the legitimate concerns raised by the APLAC regarding the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and judicial independence the news international reported. The action committee asserted that the SCBA's assertion, which labeled the lawyers supporting the APLAC as 'unelected representatives,' was blatantly false. The APLAC statement clarified that key signatories of its demand, including Abid S Zuberi, Tahir Faraz Abbassi, Munir Kakar, Shafqat Mehmood Cohan, Maqsood Buttar, Asad Manzoor Butt, Riasat Ali Azad, Salman Mansoor, Haider Imam, Rahib Buledi, Naeem Qureshi, Abdul Hafeez Lashari, and Rehman Korai, were all elected representatives who had served as office bearers of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and various bar associations nationwide. Their voices, the statement emphasised, represented the collective will of the legal community. The APLAC stated that any effort to undermine the legitimacy of such senior lawyers was both unnecessary and harmful to the unity and integrity of the legal profession. The statement emphasized the importance of recognizing that all members of the PBC and SCBA, whether past or present office holders, were democratically elected representatives of the legal community. It highlighted that the voices of these leaders reflected the trust and confidence of the legal fraternity, and undermining their legitimacy would directly challenge the core principles of democracy and representation upheld by the bar associations. The APLAC stated that the SCBA had traditionally been an institution that supported the rule of law and judicial independence. According to the report, however, it expressed regret that the current SCBA leadership had chosen to overlook the contributions of its former presidents and legal icons. The action committee noted that the SCBA had always recognized, respected, and valued its former presidents as champions of the bar's principles and ideals. "This tradition should be preserved, not diminished," the statement emphasized. The APLAC stated that the SCBA's support for the executive-driven extension of the constitutional bench overlooked historical lessons and weakened judicial independence. They recalled that during the 2007 lawyers' movement, it was this very kind of executive interference that had triggered a judicial crisis. The APLAC stated that the 26th constitutional amendment and its implementation by an executive-dominated Judicial Commission directly violated the constitutional principle of judicial independence outlined in Article 175(3) of the Constitution. They expressed disappointment and concern over the SCBA's failure to recognize this constitutional violation. The action committee reaffirmed its commitment to upholding Pakistan's constitutional framework, ensuring judicial autonomy, and protecting the rule of law. On Thursday, SCBA President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta had condemned the APLAC's statement regarding the Judicial Commission's meeting on December 21. He called the statement from the APLAC representatives "unfounded and reprehensible," labeling their actions as a politically motivated campaign aimed at undermining and politicizing the fair and transparent proceedings of the JCP. Atta further claimed that the APLAC was attempting to tarnish the reputation of prestigious institutions. (ANI)
Unidentified individuals set fire to more than a dozen houses, including the residence of a prominent religious scholar, in the Diamer Valley of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit - Balistian (PoGB). Sources report that the incident took place in Sarwan village, located in the Thor area of Diamer district, where unidentified militants set fire to several houses, including those of Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Abdul Qudoos, former Director General of the Mountain Agriculture Research Centre (MARC) Shafiqullah, and their family member's local media outlet reported. The militants also vandalised a traditional flour mill, cowsheds, and orchards, leading to significant damage and losses for the local community. More than 100 walnut trees were felled, and a large amount of hay and fodder was set on fire. The incident has caused widespread alarm in the region, with many viewing it as a test for law enforcement agencies to ensure peace and security in the area. The Diamer Valley is also the site of the ongoing Diamer-Bhasha dam controversial project. The local community has called on the government and law enforcement agencies to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident, hold the responsible individuals accountable, and offer compensation to the affected families. They have also urged the government to take decisive actions to ensure the safety and security of residents and uphold the rule of law in the region. Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the PoGB government, confirmed the incident and stated that the police are investigating all possible angles. He suggested that the attack could be linked to an old feud, as such disputes are common in Diamer due to the tribal system. In July, terrorist commander Hameed, who had been injured during an operation in the Darel area of Diamer district, died from his wounds at a hospital in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On July 4, security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation in the Badan area of Darel sub-division, killing terrorist commander Shah Faisal, who was involved in the Hudur Bus Attack. Commander Hameed was injured during that operation. ( ANI)
Israel's detainees from its raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital have been released, but the fate of the hospital's director, Hussam Abu Safia, remains unknown, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as reported by Al Jazeera on Saturday. The detainees reported being beaten, spat on, stripped, and left in the cold for hours while being held and interrogated, Al Jazeera stated in its reporT. A fire, ignited by Israel's direct attacks, caused "significant destruction" to most of Kamal Adwan's wards, with local authorities describing the raid as "barbaric," according to our correspondent. The UN's World Health Organization (WHO) condemned Israel's "systematic dismantling" of Gaza's health system, calling it a "death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians." The UN's agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) urged for the "immediate flow" of humanitarian aid, as babies freeze to death in Gaza, as reported by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, two rockets were fired at West Jerusalem from northern Gaza, according to a military statement. "Interception attempts were made, and details are under investigation," Al Jazeera reported. Israel had been attacking Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza for days, which eventually led to the army's raid and clearing of the facility. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar told local media that Israel would maintain a military presence in Gaza for the foreseeable future, as reported by Al Jazeera. "My working assumption is that, in the foreseeable future, only we can ensure our security," he said. "Although I opposed the disengagement [from Gush Katif, the illegal Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005], the goals set by the cabinet do not include such plans," he added. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that they carried out operations at Kamal Adwan Hospital after suspecting terrorist infrastructure and operatives engaged in terrorist activities. Since October 7, last year, Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 45,484 Palestinians and wounded 108,090. In the same period, at least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during Hamas-led attacks, with more than 200 people taken captive. (ANI)
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif lashed out at former Prime Minister Imran Khan, accusing him of seeking foreign intervention from the United States despite his past statements rejecting such involvement. Ary News, citing Asif, stated that Khan is the first politician to 'beg for America's assistance,' adding that Asif said, 'He once said, "Slavery is unacceptable," and now says, "Slavery should be immediately accepted."' Further, as per Ary News' report, Asif questioned the former Prime Minister's loyalty, stating, "This person has a history; someone tell me, to whom has he been loyal? Not even his own party members can name anyone he has been loyal to." Khwaja Asif also expressed confusion over PTI's sudden shift in stance, asking, "What happened in the last 15 days that PTI agreed to talk? Was it a charm or a spell that made them change their mind?" He also mentioned that no one consulted him about the necessity of negotiations, stressing the importance of including all power centres in the process. Asif concluded by suggesting that negotiations with PTI should involve all power centres to ensure a balanced and inclusive approach. Despite conflicts and differences with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif emphasised that they continue to respect the Charter of Democracy, according to Ary News. Earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, said that PTI founder Imran Khan, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari should come together to resolve Pakistan's problems, as reported by Ary News. Rana Sanaullah stated that national issues can only be resolved through talks. He added that PML-N saved the country from default, even by suffering a political setback. (ANI)
Jerusalem [Israel], December 29 (ANI/TPS): As the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah holds, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) keep uncovering a significant cache of weapons hidden within civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These discoveries underscore ongoing concerns about Hezbollah's military buildup and its exploitation of civilian areas for terrorist purposes, regardless of the ceasefire conditions. "Those aren't villages with some military infrastructure, this is a military base disguised as a civilian area," Sarit Zahavi, president of the Alma Research Center, commented to The Press Service of Israel. Among the discoveries made on Friday was a truck mounted with 40 rocket launcher barrels, located by the IDF's 226th Brigade near Naqoura, a village close to the Israeli border. Additional military equipment, including explosives, RPG missiles, and rifles, was found concealed inside a pharmacy, while underground facilities held "Burkan" missiles and other weapons ready for use. Also on Friday, the IDF carried out an airstrike targeting Hezbollah's Unit 4400, which oversees weapons smuggling from Iran through Syria into Lebanon. According to the IDF, these actions aim to disrupt Hezbollah's rearmament efforts following the war. Zahavi, who resides in northern Israel, stressed the ongoing tension among Israeli communities near the border. She emphasized that the IDF's findings illustrate the extent of Hezbollah's military buildup. Hezbollah appears to be preparing for the next phase of conflict. Zahavi noted that the group is already coordinating reconstruction efforts through its organization, "Jihad al-Bina". "They've set up a command center in southern Lebanon to map damages, assist residents, and rebuild infrastructure," she explained. These activities raise questions about how Hezbollah might use the current lull in hostilities to strengthen its military capabilities. The discoveries come amid growing friction between the IDF and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). In a statement on December 26, UNIFIL urged both sides to respect the ceasefire agreement and adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1701. (ANI/TPS) "Any actions that risk the fragile cessation of hostilities must cease," the statement read, highlighting concerns over IDF operations in residential areas. UNIFIL emphasized its role in ensuring that the area south of the Litani River remains free of armed personnel and weapons other than those of the Lebanese government and the mission itself. However, Zahavi criticized UNIFIL's effectiveness, arguing it has done little to counter Hezbollah's efforts, leaving a significant portion of southern Lebanon unchecked. "UNIFIL has failed to identify and dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure, much of which was built in open areas under their watch," Zahavi said. She described Hezbollah's systematic embedding of weapons in civilian areas as a deliberate strategy to exploit both UNIFIL and international law. The IDF dismissed the UNIFIL criticism, asserting in the comment for TPS-IL that its operations are in line with the ceasefire understandings. "The IDF operates in accordance with the agreements and understandings between Israel and Lebanon, maintaining the terms of the ceasefire. The IDF remains deployed in southern Lebanon and will act to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens," the IDF stated. It reiterated the commitment to protect Israeli citizens and ensure that southern Lebanon does not become a launching pad for future attacks. As the ceasefire's one-month mark passes, uncertainty looms over what comes next. While the IDF continues to uncover and dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure, Zahavi warned that the current peace is tenuous at best. "There's a deep fear here in North Israel about what will happen once the ceasefire ends," she said, pointing to the unresolved tensions and the limited trust in international mechanisms. Under the terms of a two-month ceasefire that went into effect on November 27, Hezbollah is supposed to withdraw its armed presence from areas of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River. Israeli forces will also withdraw from southern Lebanon in stages. The Lebanese Armed Forces are to be deployed there first, including along the 120 km border with Israel, with monitors from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah is forbidden from operating in southern Lebanon south of the Litani River. (ANI/TPS)
Xi says China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project strategic decision for regional connectivity, prosperity

Xinhua) 09:48, December 28, 2024

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the three governments to promote regional connectivity, prosperity and stability.

Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the railway project.

Noting that the construction of the railway reflects the shared aspiration of the three countries to open up this strategic corridor, Xi said that the commencement ceremony marks the transition of the project from conception to implementation, taking a critical step toward the goal of completion and operation.

Xi emphasized the need for close collaboration among the relevant departments and enterprises of the three countries to ensure high standards and high-quality progress in the construction of the railway.

Xi said that efforts should be made to build the railway into a new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to better contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people's well-being in the region along the route and to inject new momentum into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, attending the ceremony held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, said that the railway is not only a transport corridor, but also an important strategic bridge connecting countries of the East and the West.

The project will strengthen Kyrgyzstan's status as a transportation hub, create a large number of jobs, and promote the development in fields including trade, tourism and industries, Japarov said, adding that he believes the three countries will complete the project with high quality, so as to open up new broad prospects for common development in the region.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in a congratulatory letter to the ceremony, said that the commencement of the railway project is an important measure in implementing the consensus of the three heads of state, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, and advancing Belt and Road cooperation, which has great historic significance.

The railway will help promote regional trade and integration, promote personnel exchanges and cultural ties, build an important bridge for mutual learning among civilizations, and benefit countries and peoples in the region, he added.

The ceremony was jointly held by the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Zhong Wenxing)
A snapshot of Biologique Rechere's portfolio of products for face, body and hair. "The way it works with us, were highly personalized brand and start every moment with the client with a diagnostic using a device that has five probes to measures different components of your skin," Margot Humbert, general manager of Biologique Rechere USA, told the Chronicle. Courtesy of Biologique Rechere

For a few, short years, Houstonians accessed an amuse bouche of Biologique Recherche when the exclusive, Parisian-based skincare maison was available at Skinney Medspa in Saks Fifth Avenue's Galleria location. The outpost, with its abbreviated services, has since closed.

Next month Houston's beauty obsessives will get the full experience. Biologique Recherche has expanded its presence into River Oaks District; beginning Jan. 8, the French brand opens its third stateside ambassade, or 'embassy,' and first location in Texas.

"We are thrilled to welcome Biologique Recherche to River Oaks District. As the first flagship in Texas and third ambassade in the U.S., this exclusive partnership underscores our commitment to bringing world-class luxury brands to Houston," said Tilman Fertitta, River Oaks District owner and CEO, via statement. "Biologique Recherches esteemed reputation seamlessly aligns with our elevated shopping experience; and were excited for Houstonians to discover their revolutionary skincare treatments and this state-of-the-art boutique.

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Sister locations are in Los Angeles and Boston. River Oaks District will offer face, body and scalp treatments based on each individual clients' Skin Instant, or skin diagnosis which analyzes external and internal factors such as climate, smoking, pollution, stress, hormones and more. The clinical, scientific approach is followed by fully-customized services ranging from $275 for 60 minutes to $375 for 90 minutes.

A peek inside a Biologique Treatment room. When the River Oaks District location opens on Jan. 8, Houston will become the brand's second-ever outpost to boast a hair salon with blowout services, alongside Los Angeles. Courtesy of Biologique Rechere

"We don't technically offer massage, because we're more about treatment," Margot Humbert, General Manager of Biologique Recherche USA, told the Chronicle. "We have a pregnant women treatment and one for heaving legs, if for example, you've come back from a long flight. And lymphatic draining, where you see the waist snatch. It's incredible, the before and afters."

Biologique Recherche opened its inaugural U.S. storefront in Los Angeles in 2022, largely based on the luxury-minded clientele and concentration of celebrities. The maison looked to secondary cities next, prioritizing regions with less brand awareness and high market spend. Boston fit that bill.

"Texas is an area where we have not been able to develop the brand as we would like to," Humbert said. "We looked for very high purchases of beauty, and wanted to be in River Oaks District in Houston and Highland Park in Dallas."

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The Houston location becomes one of the largest in the brand's portfolio, with 14-foot ceilings that Humbert describes as cathedral-like. Each design aesthetic is unique. When the River Oaks District's ambassade doors open, clients can expect curved walls and doors. Plus, there's a special service on the menu for Bayou City.
No injures have been reported.

The IDF has issued evacuation warrants for civilians in Gaza's far north where the rockets were launched from.

Early in the morning sirens sounded in Jerusalem, as well as in central Israel and near the Dead Sea, triggered by a ballistic missile from Yemen. No injuries were reported, apart from one person suffering from acute anxiety. (ANI/TPS)
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a leading human rights organisation in Balochistan, has reported that two sit-in protests are ongoing in Pakistan, protesting against state atrocities on the Baloch people. One protest is in response to the brutal torture and death of Zareef Baloch, with a shutter-down strike in Tump to condemn his killing and the inhumane treatment of his family.BYC called on the people of Kech to join the demonstration at Fida Chowk, resisting the violence and barbarity they faced. The organisation also condemned Pakistani forces and law enforcement agencies for being responsible for the act, demanding accountability for the perpetrators. In a statement, BYC wrote, "They aim to crush us daily, but we will continue to resist." "Zareef Baloch was subjected to horrific torture, with his tongue cut out while he was still alive. This barbaric act appears to be a deliberate attempt to silence and suppress Baloch voices while concealing decades-long atrocities against the Baloch people", the post noted. "While the past offers little hope for justice in cases of extrajudicial killings and systemic violence against the Baloch people, resistance remains the only means of survival and defiance," BYC wrote on X. It also mentioned the enforced disappearance of Akhter Sha. "Simultaneously, the family of Akhter Sha, a victim of enforced disappearance, has blocked the Karachi-Quetta Highway at Kalat. Despite previous protests and sit-ins, their demands for the safe return of their loved ones have been ignored. Akhter Sha remains in illegal detention by Pakistani forces, highlighting the state's continued disregard for human rights and justice," the post mentioned. BYC condemned the systematic oppression and militarized siege that Baloch people have endured for over seven decades.(ANI)
The nine-year-old boys wearing matching knapsacks walk down the street in the morning light, but they are not going to school. In their hands are loaded guns, and the boys know how to use them. One aims his pistol at the Haitian police officers engaging them in a firefight a few hundred yards away. The children are members of one of the gangs that control at least 80% of Port-au-Prince, where they have effectively replaced the government. The knapsacks are for goods they find or loot.

In a country where the United Nations estimates 5,000 people have been killed by gangs this year alone, and more than 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, children have become a largely voiceless victim of the crisis. Orphaned, left homeless, or abandoned by families that cannot afford to care for them, many youth roam the streets of the capital before being recruited by gangs that are a rare source of ready cash.

The boys might be used as lookouts or runners to buy cigarettes before being given weapons themselves, said Mary Durran, Haiti program director for Development and Peace Caritas Canada, a Montreal-based Catholic charity. The girls are used as sex slaves or as cooks and cleaners.

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The U.N. estimates that the number of children in the ranks of Haitis gangs has increased by 70% in the past year, and that children now make up roughly half of the gangs fighting force.

The use of child soldiers is considered a war crime by the International Criminal Court.

A teenage gang member wears a dress and stands with an AK-47 rifle after he raided a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince with other gang members, on Dec. 6, 2024. The boy stole the dress during the raid and thought that wearing it would be easier than carrying it.

As the situation in Haiti unfolds, it appears that individuals under the age of 18 are becoming involved in irregular armed forces, said Theresa S. Betancourt, Salem Professor in Global Practice at the Boston College School of Social Work and author of the forthcoming book Shadows into Light: A Generation of Former Child Soldiers Comes of Age. So yes, I would say that the situation meets the definition.

Haiti has spiraled into a state of bloody anarchy since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

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Shortly after Prime Minister Ariel Henry was barred from the country by threats of violence from the gangs while he was abroad this March, the country was nominally placed under the control of a transitional council with the blessing of the regional Caribbean Community bloc known as CARICOM.

But governmental power on the ground is virtually absent. No elected officials remain in office, the largest prison was virtually emptied in a jailbreak during the gangs uprising, and the national police are widely perceived as ineffective, corrupt and brutal.

A UN-authorized police force largely composed of Kenyans has been in Haiti since June but a promised 2,500-officer coalition has never numbered more than 416. They have made no major arrests and seized no gang territory.

Even before the escalation of violence in the past three years, millions of impoverished Haitian youth faced grim prospects thanks to a very, very poor educational system with very little investment from the government, said Durran of Caritas Canada.

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Children sent by poor rural families to work as domestics in the cities were sometimes effectively enslaved by their employers.

Gang members man a checkpoint in the Delmas 28 neighborhood.

Services for children have been gutted since gangs took over. About 1,000 schools have been closed to use as shelters for displaced persons, or because gangs occupied the area. The pediatric ward of a prominent Port-au-Prince hospital was burned by gangs with Molotov cocktails in mid-December.

Several orphanages in the capital were forced to relocate to the north of the country when armed groups captured their neighborhoods, said Hunter Picken, an executive with HERO Client Rescue, the armored ambulance and helicopter service that evacuated many orphans.

The gangs dont spare children in their violent rampages. Amnesty International decried an October massacre in the Artibonite region in which 70 people were killed, including minors.

Two nine-year-old boys guard a street during a raid in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on Dec. 7, 2024. The child in the foreground is aiming his pistol at the police.

The enlistment of children as perpetrators of violence is, of course, its own kind of violence. No child joins an armed group voluntarily, said Emmanuel Camille, director of the Haitian child advocacy group KPTSL. Some are forced to join gangs at gunpoint while others are forced by circumstance, but they have all been manipulated in one way or another.

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The militias use various forms of deception and coercion to enlist young members. A typical recruitment strategy might involve offering a young boy a motor bike or cash, before threatening to denounce him to police or vigilante groups if he ever threatens to defect. Other gangs will give boys more alcohol than they can handle, sometimes laced with drugs, and then film the children in compromising situations to use as blackmail, Camille said.

In a practice seen as particularly horrifying by a country where slaves were once branded with the names of their masters, young members of armed groups are often required to have the name of their gang leader tattooed on their bodies, like in the time of slavery.

A child screams and covers his ears while gang members clash with police. The man on the left was helping the child. Hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced by the violence gripping the country, and a smaller number have been killed in the periodic massacres including one in the Artibonite region in October.

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Extracting children from the clutches of gangs is extremely difficult, Camille said. Her organization is working with 30 to 40 children who seem like candidates for defection but has only successfully freed one, a boy of 16. He was from a middle-class family who were determined to save him; he and his parents eventually fled their home for another region of the country with the help of funds from KPTSL. The boy only recently broke off contact with his former bosses in the armed group.

Today he is back in school, said Camille, but involvement in brutal violence often leaves children traumatized in a lasting way.

He has a life, she said, more or less.

A man wheels away the body of a civilian killed in the crossfire during a gun battle between gangs and police in the Bel Air neighborhood. They are going to the morgue.

A gang checkpoint in a neighborhood recently taken by gangs in Port-au-Prince, Dec. 5, 2024. Checkpoints litter the capital and make navigating the city almost impossible without paying bribes to armed groups.

Gang members carry stolen goods after a raid in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on Dec. 7, 2024.

Gang members set cars on fire during a raid in a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on Dec. 7, 2024.

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Gang members carrying a doll they picked up during a day-long raid in Port-au-Prince on Dec. 9, 2024.

A gang member from the Viv Ansam coalition takes cover during a shoot-out with police in the Nazon neighborhood, Dec. 9, 2024.

A nine-year-old gang member walks with a pistol after he and other gang members raided a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Dec. 6, 2024.

A mother and child flee a gang raid on their neighborhood of Poste Marchand.

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Since launching his career in Republican politics nearly a decade ago, Donald Trump has never taken much of an interest in the Panama Canal. A search of his tweets, for example, turned up exactly zero references to the canal.

That changed late last week, however, when the president-elect published a couple of unexpected items to his social media platform, declaring his belief that the Panama Canal is a VITAL National Asset for the United States. He added that hes prepared to demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question.

This was not, evidently, a passing thought. Trump soon after started making public comments about Panamanian control of the canal, adding that without changes to shipping costs and fees, he will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States.

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On Christmas Day, he published a head-shaking follow-up missive that included false claims about Chinese soldiers who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal.

I wont pretend to know why this has suddenly become Trumps latest fixation. Whats more, given that the United States signed a ratified treaty that ensures Panamanian control of the canal, its a mystery as to how, exactly, Trump intends to pursue his newfound goals.

But it was against this backdrop that the incoming American president made a notable announcement on Christmas day. NBC News reported:

President-elect Donald Trump announced his pick for American ambassador to Panama, days after suggesting that the United States should take control of the Panama Canal. I am pleased to announce that Kevin Marino Cabrera will serve as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, a Country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams, Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social late Wednesday.

The fact that the online announcement took yet another rhetorical shot at the Panamanian government was a timely reminder that the next U.S. ambassador to the Central American country will face a real diplomatic challenge.

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As for whether or not Cabrera, whose prospective nomination will require Senate confirmation, is up to the task, The Miami Herald highlighted a notable element of the would-be ambassadors recent record.

Critics called Cabrera extreme for his role in a 2018 protest of a Nancy Pelosi visit to Coral Gables organized by the local GOP that also drew members of the far-right Proud Boys organization. Video showed Cabrera and others banging on the door of a Democratic campaign office and demanding Pelosi and other Democrats inside open up.

Oh. In other words, as Trump targets Panama with needlessly caustic bombast, he also appears to have chosen a Miami Republican who might not be especially well suited for a job in diplomacy.

What could possibly go wrong?

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Smartmatic, the voting technology company suing Fox News over its promotion of 2020 election lies, is trying to obtain evidence from the secret court battle between Rupert Murdoch and his children over the future of his right-wing media empire.

For the first time, Smartmatic has gone directly to the probate court in Nevada and asked a commissioner to turn over some of the secret documents in that case, a source told CNN.

The voting technology company wants to examine sealed documents from the family fight that it thinks will bolster its defamation lawsuit against Fox, according to a source familiar with recent filings in the Murdoch trust case. The source said these documents could include transcripts of depositions or trial testimony from media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his and family members, who control Foxs parent company

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After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, many of Fox News on-air hosts and guests falsely accused Smartmatic of rigging the results to help elect Joe Biden. Those lies are at the heart of Smartmatics massive defamation suit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation. The Fox entities vehemently deny that they defamed anyone.

The Murdoch family has battled over succession in compete secrecy in a Reno court. Earlier this month, a probate commissioner rejected an attempt by Murdoch, 93, to retool the irrevocable family trust so his most conservative son, Lachlan, could singularly lead Fox Corporation after his death, instead of sharing power with his three siblings as planned.

The source said Smartmatics filings say testimony from the Nevada case might contradict past assertions in the 2020 election litigation, where Fox claimed control of the parent company doesnt impact the editorial direction of Fox News. In the Nevada case, Rupert has argued that Lachlan must succeed him in order to maintain his outlets right-wing political bent.

On the public docket in Nevada, there are indications that an outside party filed a motion last week. The records are sealed and CNN has not obtained Smartmatics filing.

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A Fox spokesperson and attorneys for the Murdochs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers for Fox previously said in Smartmatics election defamation case that they oppose disseminating the records from the family trust fight.

That litigation is entirely irrelevant to this case, Fox lawyer Winn Allen told a judge during a hearing last month. That is litigation pending in a Nevada probate court, and concerns changes that Mr. Murdoch made to the family trust in 2023, years after the alleged conduct in this case It has nothing at all to do with the issues in this case.

CNN previously reported that the Nevada probate commissioner eviscerated Rupert and Lachlan for acting in bad faith to manipulate the family trust, rejecting their bid to amend the family trust. They can appeal the decision.

That ruling was sealed. The New York Times, which obtained the full 96-page ruling, reported that the commissioner further concluded Ruperts proposal was a carefully crafted charade and that his representatives demonstrated a dishonesty of purpose and motive.

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Smartmatics defamation case against Fox is slated for trial next year in New York, unless there is an out-of-court settlement, which is common in these cases. Smartmatic is also trying to obtain the Nevada records through the discovery phase of the New York litigation.

The lawsuit is just one of many 2020-related cases that are still pending in the courts. Smartmatic is suing Trump allies Mike Lindell and Sidney Powell. The company has settled similar litigation against conservative network Newsmax and the far-right channel One America News.

A separate but similarly aggrieved voting technology company, Dominion Voting Systems, famously settled with Fox for more than $787 million after jury selection began in that defamation trial last year. Dominion is still suing Newsmax, OAN and other Trump allies.

All of the media outlets and Trump allies facing lawsuits deny wrongdoing.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The claim: Trump said the US, Italy have been allies since the time of ancient Rome

A Dec. 19 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes an image showing a woman seated behind President-elect Donald Trump with a perplexed expression.

Trump said that the United States and Italy have been allies since the time of Ancient Rome, reads the text on the image. The translators reaction is priceless.

It was shared more than 1,000 times in a week. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook and X.

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More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

Trump said the two nations have a shared cultural and political heritage that dates back to ancient Rome, not an alliance. His comments were made during a joint news conference with the Italian president, not the Oval Office meeting in which the translator shown in the image was seated behind him.

US, Italy's diplomatic ties date back to 1800s

The photos included in the image were taken when Trump hosted Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the White House in October 2019.

The pair held a joint press conference, during which Trump made a remark about the countries' ties. But he didnt say their alliance dated back thousands of years.

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The U.S. and Italy, of course, have not been allies throughout history. The U.S. and Italy first established a diplomatic relationship in 1861, but the countries were at war in World War II as Italy joined Germany and Japan in the Axis powers that opposed the Allied powers led by the U.S. Italy and the U.S. re-established a diplomatic relationship after Italy withdrew from the conflict in 1944.

The United States and Italy are bound together by a shared cultural and political heritage dating back thousands of years to ancient Rome, Trump said in his opening remarks.

The woman shown in the image wasnt behind him when he made those comments. Rather, she translated Trumps remarks during his Oval Office meeting with Mattarella on the same day.

Fact check: No, researcher didnt warn of unleashed viruses after Trump takes office

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USA TODAY has debunked an array of claims related to Trump, including false assertions that an authentic image shows a Trump post telling Elon Musk to stay in your lane, that Trump cant travel to Canada because hes a convicted felon and that Trump picked Hulk Hogan to be secretary of labor.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Snopes and FactCheck.org also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

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This story was updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump spoke of mutual US, Italian heritage in 2019 | Fact check
Women watch as debris is removed from a property after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

A 48-year-old woman was reported dead Saturday due to tornado activity in the northern side of Brazoria County, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office. Four others in the county were reported to have suffered nonfatal injuries, authorities said.

Communities across southeast Texas mobilized resources in response to widespread damage from a series of tornadoes that struck the region. The damage reported included destroyed homes, flipped cars, peeled roofs and debris in multiple counties.

Men work to wrap a mobile home after damage from strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Debris block a portion of Porter Lane after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Power lines lean toward Porter Lane after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Men work to remove debris and cover a damaged roof after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Men work to cover a damaged roof after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Metal roofing is seen in trees after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Men work to remove debris and cover a damaged roof after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Debris is removed from a property after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Ominous skies over the Windward subdivision as most homes lost power following a tornado Recover from a tornado that went through on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Debris sticks onto trees following a tornado that went through on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Debris clings to power lines following a tornado that went through on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer J.C. Betanzos, 11, looks for items from his sisters business and things his deceased mother gave them, that were blown away during a tornado on Noel Lane on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. The family wasnt home when the tornado hit, their home wasnt damaged, but his sisters nail business, which was in a different structure, was totally gone. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Installation and branches cling to a gate outside a home on Noel Lane following a tornado on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A Consumers Energy employee inspects part of a pole after it was damaged following a tornado on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A brick and wood gate lays on the ground following a tornado on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A tornado-damaged mobile home on Noel Lane, according to the owner, no one was living there at the time on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Debris clings to power lines following a tornado that went through on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Saul Rodriguez uses a chain saw to remove debris atop a car from a womans home after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Rodriguezs own home was damaged, but said he felt he needed to aid his widowed neighbor first. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Aircraft wait as storms move through the area Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Repeated lightning strikes led to ground stops, according to airline staff. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer People remove debris from a street after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Sheet metal from a nearby home is seen after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Ricardo Rodriguez uses a chain saw to remove debris from a womans home after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Neighbors move debris from a womans home after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Saul Rodriguez repositions himself as he uses a chain saw to remove debris atop a car from a womans home after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Rodriguezs own home was damaged, but said he felt he needed to aid his widowed neighbor first. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Brazoria County

A 48-year-old woman was reported dead as a result of tornado activity in Brazoria County, with four others having suffered nonfatal injuries, according to Madison Polston, a spokesperson for the Brazoria Sheriff's Office.

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The deceased was found approximately 100 feet away from her residence near Liverpool, Polston said.

The cause of the 48-year-old womans death had not yet been confirmed, but the sheriffs office said initial reports indicate her death was the result of the storm.

Over a dozen homes, several businesses and an elementary school were damaged as a result of the storm as well, according to the sheriff's office.

I can tell you firsthand that local businesses, churches, neighbors, and our entire community is already pulling together to get building materials and supplies for those affected, Polston said.

Manvel Mayor Dan Davis said he received confirmation of the fatality, which he later said was not in Manvel, Saturday afternoon and asked the public to join him in praying for the affected residents.

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Close to 1 p.m. the weather service reported multiple homes had been destroyed between Alvin and Liverpool, with significant debris on parts of State Highway 35.

Late Saturday afternoon, the Alvin Volunteer Fire Department said multiple homes and schools near Mustang Rd. were severely damaged, and that Mustang Rd. will be shut down for several hours.

"We encourage the public to stay home and not move throughout the city due to the large amounts of traffic being diverted throughout the town," the department said.

Montgomery County

Saul Rodriguez guides a large crane to life a downed tree from his home after strong thunderstorms pass through the Greater Houston region, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Porter Heights. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

There were reports of damage to structures in Montgomery County from a possible tornado in the Porter area, according to the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

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A little after noon on Saturday, the National Weather Service reported several mobile homes were damaged or destroyed and a brick home had the roof completely removed in the Porter Heights area.

The weather service also reported the East Montgomery Fire Department station was hit, with the bay doors blown in and the metal roof peeled back. Debris was also scattered across the area, according to forecasters.

An official with Station 154 of the East Montgomery Fire Department said it "sustained extensive damage" due to the tornado, but no injuries to the firehouse team had been suffered. The department said a camper was provided to house active firefighters, "ensuring no interruptions in service."

"Despite the challenges, we remain fully operational and committed to serving our community," the department said in a Facebook post. "Our crews are actively surveying the affected areas to ensure everyone is safe, especially those who may not have been able to call 911."

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A tornado was also spotted near FM 2090 and the Splendora High School area, with a lot of debris, the weather service reported at 12:18 p.m.

County Judge Mark Keough said he activated the countys emergency operation center and was en route to the areas command center to assess damage.

I will be reaching out for state assets as soon as I have the ability to survey damage, Keough said in a in a Facebook post.

Waller County

Workers remove tree limbs from the top of a truck following a a tornado on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024 in Katy. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

Around 10:40 a.m., a mobile home park near Noel Lane sustained tornado damage and multiple cars had flipped over, forecasters said.

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Chambers County

A car was thrown near Smith Point in Chambers County around 2:30 p.m, forecasters said.

Galveston County

The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management said in a statement Saturday the tornado caused straight-line wind damage across several areas in central and southern parts of the county, including Sante Fe, Bacliff and Port Bolivar, which caused localized power outages, downed power lines, downed trees and debris. Parts of State Highway 124 are impassable due to downed transmission lines, the office said.

The office encouraged residents to exercise caution around downed power lines as the office monitors and coordinates recovery efforts.

Harris County

Precinct 4 Constable Mark Hermann shared a video a resident originally posted of a funnel cell in the Katy area.
Osamu Suzuki, the man behind the success of Japanese automobile company Suzuki Motor, died on Christmas, the company said on Friday. He was 94.

Suzuki, who served as the CEO of Suzuki Motor from 1978 to 2015, died of malignant lymphoma, a type of cancer that occurs when white blood cells become cancerous and form lumps in the lymph nodes and organs.

Suzuki remained a senior advisor of the company until 2021, when he retired at age 91. His eldest son, Toshihiro Suzuki, is the company's current CEO.

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Funeral services for Suzuki will be held privately for the family, who respectfully decline condolence visits and messages, monetary offerings, or floral tributes, the company said in a news release.

Who was Osamu Suzuki?

Suzuki was born on Jan. 30, 1930, in Gifu, a prefecture in central Honshu, Japan. He studied at Chuo University Law School in Tokyo before joining Suzuki Motor in 1958.

Suzuki's joining of the company occurred after marrying Shoko Suzuki, the granddaughter of the Suzuki Motor patriarch, Michio Suzuki. At the time, Shoko was president of the company, according to the Suzuki Motor website.

Under Osamu Suzuki's leadership, the company established ventures in the United States, Australia, India, Pakistan, Spain, New Zealand, France, Germany, China, Canada, Hungary, Egypt, Vietnam, Italy, Thailand and Argentina, among others, according to Suzuki Motor.

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According to CBS, the company's sales grew more than tenfold to about $19 billion in the 2000s under Suzuki's leadership.

The Suzuki Motor brand dates back to 1909, when Suzuki Loom Works was founded in Japan, according to Suzuki Motor. That's right. Before getting in the car business, the company manufactured looms.

The Suzuki company didn't dive into the automobile industry until 1955, with the debut of the Suzulight, a two-door mini-vehicle.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Osamu Suzuki, former CEO of Suzuki Motor, dies at 94 on Christmas
An online debate over high-skilled immigration between Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and MAGA evangelists reveals Donald Trumps Republican Party is grappling with growing pains as it prepares to retake the White House.

Days after the powerful allies of Trump in Silicon Valley took to social media to argue for a greater number of high-skilled immigrants, with a side-swipe at American culture for emphasizing "mediocrity over excellence," some members of the far-right said such policies would make America "look like India."

Enter Republican leaders like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is trying to bridge the partys divide on a key electoral issue for Trump, even as the president-elect has yet to weigh in on the debate.

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Everyone fighting over high-skilled immigration "is engaged in saving this country, she wrote on X.

She continued, Here is some tough reality for some of you: There are some big MAGA voices with large social media platforms throwing down their opinions yet they have never run a company that relies on thousands of skilled/highly trained workers with a constant need for reliable labor yet they claim authority over the subject matter.

Her comments come as other Republican lawmakers have publicly denounced calls from tech entrepreneurs to increase foreign high-skilled immigration.

"The United States graduates over half a million STEM students per year. If there is an issue in the tech workforce, then we need to address it at the educational level, not import a problem away," said Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) in an X post on Thursday.

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A Trump transition spokesperson declined to comment but pointed POLITICO to an X post from incoming White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller wrote Thursday that cited a Trump speech from four years ago. Above all, our children, from every community, must be taught that to be American is to inherit the spirit of the most adventurous and confident people ever to walk the face of the Earth, Miller quoted Trump from the speech given July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore, which went on to cite many examples of American innovation.

Its the latest chapter in a controversy that spread after far-right activist Laura Loomer criticized Trump for naming Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American technology entrepreneur and investor who has advocated for lifting country caps on green cards, as his senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence, calling him a "career leftist."

Loomer wrote, "We are substituting a third world migrant invasion for a third world tech invasion," and later followed up with, "'High skilled immigrant' doesnt have running water or toilet paper."

Musk hit back, writing on Christmas Day that a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent, is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley that could be addressed through an increase of skilled-labor visas. Ramaswamy followed on Thursday with a post that blamed a culture that "venerates Cory from 'Boy Meets World,' or Zach & Slater over Screech in 'Saved by the Bell,' or Stefan over Steve Urkel in 'Family Matters'"  a favoring of popularity over smarts that "will not produce the best engineers."

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That earned a swift rejoinder from Nick Fuentes, a conservative firebrand who wrote, I dont know who needs to hear this but the latest push for H-1B visas actually has nothing to do with jocks and nerds or high school prom  its about whether we want 500 million indians to move here.

H1-B visas, which allow U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in tech and other specialized jobs on a short-term basis, have come under scrutiny as hardline immigration advocates claim they lower wages for U.S. workers.

In the latest twist, Loomer said Musk removed her X verification on Friday, first reported by the anti-Trump outlet Meidas Touch. "So much for free speech. Quite totalitarian if you ask me," Loomer wrote in a post. A spokesperson for X did not respond to questions.

Some of the newest arrivals to the Republican party, MAGA converts in Silicon Valley are pushing an immigration agenda that boosts their industry in a party that has built its brand on anti-immigrant sentiment.

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Some of those recent converts are hoping to recast the heated disagreement as a healthy and open conversation  and a better alternative to how Democrats handle the issue.

"MAGA debate is about people sharing their ideas and getting others to subscribe to them," said Cameron Winklevoss, a tech executive who backed Trump, in a post on X. "Left debate is about people sharing party talking points (usually wrong) and getting others who dont subscribe to them cancelled."

Meanwhile, Democrats are praising immigration as one of America's powerful drivers of prosperity.

In a Washington Post interview, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who represents Silicon Valley, supported Krishnan and entrepreneurs in tech who have chosen to become American citizens.

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He posted, "It is GREAT that talent around the world wants to come here, not to China, & that Sriram can rise to the highest levels. It's called American exceptionalism."

And it's causing some other Democrats to cast the division between Republicans and the Trump movement at large as racist.

The far-right backlash against Indian immigrants confirms what we in the Democratic Party have long known, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) said in a post on X. That the far right is implacably hostile to all forms of non-European immigration regardless of legal status. Its not about status. Its about race. The far right prefers 'purity' over prosperity.
The Eagle S  a tanker ship carrying Russian oil and suspected of severing the Estlink 2 power cable running under the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia  was reportedly brimming with spy equipment. The cable incident is the latest in a series of such events in this strategically important region as tensions with Russia have mounted in the wake of its war on Ukraine.

After being seized by Finnish Police, the Eagle S was found to be kitted out with special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity, according to a source with direct involvement in the ship, Lloyds List reported. That equipment effectively allowed it to become a spy ship for Russia.

Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland was loaded with spying equipment https://t.co/ev4ijrRRBl  Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) December 27, 2024

The hi-tech equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ships generator, leading to repeated blackouts, a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago, the publication noted.

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The listening and recording equipment was brought on to the 20-year-old tanker via huge portable suitcases along with many laptops that had keyboards for Turkish and Russian languages when calling at Turkiye and Russia, Lloyds List reported. The equipment was kept on the bridge or in the monkey island, the uppermost portion of the ship.

The transmitting and receiving devices were used to record all radio frequencies, and upon reaching Russia were offloaded for analysis, the outlet added. They were monitoring all NATO naval ships and aircraft. They had all details on them. They were just matching their frequencies.

The equipment was being operated by Russians, Turkish, Indian radio officers, Lloyds List stated.

Eagle S also dropped sensors-type devices in the English Channel during a transit, the publications sources claimed.

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The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims, however, a shipping industry security source told us that they are plausible.

After the Eagle S was seen in the location within the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where the Estlink 2 cable was severed, the Finnish police, in cooperation with other authorities, boarded and seized the 750-foot-long, Cook Island-flagged oil tanker and took it into their territorial waters. Finnish authorities also launched a criminal investigation.

The vessel movement of Eagle S is very irregular and corresponds with the location and time of the damage to the Estlink 2 cables. pic.twitter.com/IpEUq13n3k  Kamsarmax (@cashsarmax) December 25, 2024

The Helsinki Police Department and the Border Guard have conducted a tactical operation on the vessel, the Finnish Police said in a statement on Thursday. The authorities have taken investigative measures on the vessel, with access there provided by the Finnish Border Guard and the Defence Forces helicopters. The police are also looking into other possible damages in the maritime area.

Finnish investigators believe Eagle S may have caused the damage by dragging its anchor along the seabed, Reuters reported.

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United Arab Emirates-based Caravella LLC FZ, which owns the vessel according to MarineTraffic data, did not respond to our request for comment.

The 658 megawatt (MW) Estlink 2 outage began at midday local time on Wednesday, leaving only the 358 MW Estlink 1 linking Finland and Estonia, the countries electricity grid operators told Reuters. The following day, officials said that four telecommunications cables connecting Estonia with Finland under the Baltic Sea were also out of service.

Fingrids EstLink 2 transformer station in Anttila in Porvoo (Borga), Finland (Photo by Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland) MARKKU ULANDER

Friday morning, Finnish President Alex Stubb said that the situation is under control.

We have no reason to be concerned, he added on Twitter. We are investigating what happened.

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Kokoonnuimme tanaan tasavallan presidentin ja ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittisen ministerivaliokunnan ylimaaraiseen yhteiskokoukseen. Kasittelimme Suomenlahden kaapelivaurioita.



Kolme viestiani:



1. Suomella on vahva kyky vastata taman kaltaisiin tilanteisiin. Viranomaisemme pic.twitter.com/O1cjk7RGrX  Alexander Stubb (@alexstubb) December 27, 2024

As a result of the suspected sabotage, NATO is boosting its Baltic Sea presence and the U.S. may as well.

After Estonia experienced power outages following the severing of Estlink 2 on Dec. 25, its officials, along with those from Finland, asked NATO for help protecting the Estlink 1 undersea power cable about 25 miles to the west. On Friday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded by saying the alliance will enhance its presence in the Baltic Sea without offering any details. When asked for specifics by The War Zone, a NATO spokesman declined to provide operational details at this time.

Spoke w/ @alexstubb about the ongoing Finnish-led investigation into possible sabotage of undersea cables. I expressed my full solidarity and support. #NATO will enhance its military presence in the Baltic Sea.  Mark Rutte (@SecGenNATO) December 27, 2024

Meanwhile, the Estonian Navy sent the Raju, a 148-foot-long patrol boat to protect Estlink 1, which runs from Helsinki, Finland to Tallinn, Estonia.

The Estonian Navy is commencing the protection of the Estlink 1 sea cable with the patrol ship Raju, cooperating with the Finnish Navy and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO (SACEUR) to secure energy connections between Estonia and Finland, the Estonian Navy said on Twitter.

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The Estonian Navy is commencing the protection of the Estlink 1 sea cable with the patrol ship Raju, cooperating with the Finnish Navy and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO (SACEUR) to secure energy connections between Estonia and Finland. pic.twitter.com/YGctwT6D8z  Estonian Defence Forces | Eesti Kaitsevagi (@Kaitsevagi) December 27, 2024

A spokesman for Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the SACUER, told us he is considering a serious response that could involve U.S. assets.

The Supreme Allied Commander Europe has followed this closely since the beginning, SACUER spokesman Martin ODonnell told The War Zone. The possible sabotage of undersea cables is a serious matter, and it requires an equally serious and thoughtful response.

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) has options and assets from 32 countries, including the U.S., available to respond, he added. SHAPE, in close coordination with Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, Allied Maritime Command, and the involved nations are coordinating employment of those options and assets, but I am not in a position to provide further operational details at this time.

A spokesman for the Finnish military declined comment, deferring questions to the Finnish police, who are leading the investigation into the cable rupture.

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The suspected sabotage of the Estlink 2 power cable is the most recent of several such incidents.

In November, Germany said damage to two communication cables running under the Baltic Sea was most likely the result of sabotage. The two cables in question are both fiber-optic communication cables, running along the Baltic seabed. One of these runs between the Swedish island of Gotland and Lithuania, and the other between Finland and Germany. Gotland is about 280 miles southwest of where the Estlink 2 cable was severed.

A day later, Denmark confirmed it was monitoring a Chinese cargo vessel at the center of allegations surrounding that damage. The 735-foot-long Yi Peng 3 was identified as operating near the cables when the incidents occurred. The Chinese vessel had departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga, in the Leningrad region, close to the Estonian border, on Nov. 15 and had been scheduled to sail to Port Said, Egypt, where it was originally due to arrive on Dec. 3.

Based on publicly available ship-tracking data, the Yi Peng 3 appears to have passed overhead both of the cables around the same time incidents of damage were first reported.

The Chinese ship, bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 is anchored and being monitored by a Danish naval patrol vessel (unseen) in the sea of Kattegat, near the City of Granaa in Jutland, Denmark, on Nov. 20, 2024. (Photo by Mikkel Berg Pedersen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT MIKKEL BERG PEDERSEN

According to the German newspaper Kieler Nachrichten, when the damage to the C-Lion1 cable was confirmed, the Yi Peng stopped, drifted, and sailed two circles in the sea area south of Oland for almost 90 minutes.

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No one believes that the cables were accidentally damaged, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at the time. I also dont want to believe that the ships anchors caused the damage by accident. We have to assume, without certain information, that the damage is caused by sabotage.

Two undersea communication cables, one linking Finland to continental Europe via Germany and another linking Lithuania and Swedens Gotland Island were damaged last month. (Photo by Murat Usubali/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu

Other suspicious activities have taken place in the Baltic Sea, including suspected sabotage.

Most notoriously, there were a series of explosions along the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. The cause of these is still being investigated by German authorities, however, The Wall Street Journal reported in August that it was a Ukrainian sabotage operation. Ukrainian officials denied that accusation.

Outside of the Baltic, there have been other incidents of reported sabotage of critical communications cables, including one associated with Evenes Air Station, in northern Norway, which happened in April but was only disclosed in August, as TWZ reported at the time. Norway has seen other suspicious incidents in the past, notably the cutting of a vital undersea cable connecting Svalbard to mainland Norway in 2022.

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While the Baltic Sea has long been of strategic significance for both Russia and NATO and its allies, there has been a spike in incidents in these waters since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Though no blame has yet been officially assigned for the Estlink 2 cable cut, the fact that a Russian-connected ship packed with surveillance equipment is suspected only adds to the regional tension.

Update: 6:17 PM Eastern 

Images emerged on social media showing Finnish authorities boarding the Eagle S Christmas Day.

Photos of Finnish authorities boarding EAGLE S at midnight on Christmas Day. pic.twitter.com/smLJGtk5X6  Tomi    (@TallbarFIN) December 27, 2024

A screenshot of the ship taken after it was seized showed it missing its port bow anchor.

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EAGLE S today. One of the anchors is missing.



Finnish authorities have questioned the crew of the tanker.



Ship has more than 20 crew members. Crew members are citizens of Georgia and India.



Nationality of officers and captain has not yet been revealed to public. pic.twitter.com/MEag75UlU9  Tomi    (@TallbarFIN) December 27, 2024

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
US soldiers have launched high-tech interceptor missiles from inside Israel for the first time since the system was deployed earlier this year.

Footage on social media showed what security sources later confirmed as the firing of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery missile to intercept a Houthi attack from Yemen early on Friday.

After the missile is fired, an American soldier can be heard saying: Eighteen years Ive been waiting for this.

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The Israeli military confirmed only that an interception had taken place, but security sources told news site Walla that THAAD had been responsible.

The Pentagon announced it would be deploying its THAAD battery to Israel, along with roughly 100 soldiers, to operate it in an effort to bolster Israel's air defence system amid fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

The announcement followed a call between president Joe Biden and Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel's retaliation against Iran's 1 October attack when it rained nearly 200 missiles on Israel.

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system is displayed (AP)

Despite Israel housing some of the best air defences in the world, its anti-missile systems failed to deter drone attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have killed dozens in the north of the country since last October. A Hezbollah airstrike on an Israeli army base on Sunday killed at least four Israeli soldiers and injured dozens in one of the deadliest strikes in a year, underscoring the potential need for greater protection.

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Mr Biden said the US was sending THAAD to "defend Israel" from further airstrikes, without providing information on when the system would be moved. US officials said it would take a number of days for the system to be moved from the continental US to Israel and for American soldiers to arrive.

Israels military in the past acknowledged that its expensive multilayer air defences, which included the celebrated Iron Dome, can be overwhelmed if a large number of projectiles are fired simultaneously.

The THAAD is a critical part of the US militarys layered air defence systems, which usually require about 100 soldiers to operate.

The system would be operated by American troops in a departure from Israeli military policy, Bloomberg reported.

US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Blis (U.S. Air Force)

The system, made by Americas biggest arms maker Lockheed Martin, is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate-range missiles at high altitudes.

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A THAAD battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers with eight interceptor missiles on each launcher and a powerful radar. Reloading each launcher takes about 30 minutes, according to reports.

The system is equipped to communicate with a range of US missile defences, including Aegis systems and Patriot missile defence systems.

THAAD doesn't carry explosive warheads and instead destroys targets using kinetic energy with the help of its accurate radar system.

The battery's radar operates in two ways. The radar is configured to track targets at ranges up to 3,000km and in its terminal mode it is aimed upward to acquire targets during their descent, CCN reported.

Protesters previously marched toward the US embassy against deploying the THAAD in Seoul, South Korea (AP)

The US Army currently has seven THAAD batteries, which are deployed in conflict zones as part of its defensive strategy, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.

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THAAD would add as a further deterrent to an attack and not act alone in defence of Israel, said Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst.

When it is put in place, it will actually add a layer to the existing Israeli air and missile defences, he added.

The Pentagon said a THAAD was deployed to southern Israel for drills in 2019, the last and only time it was known to be there.

Everybody wants US Army air defence forces, Army chief of staff General Randy George said on Monday at the Association of the US Armys annual conference. This is our most deployed formation," he said.

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Israel has been escalating its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border after a year of exchanges of fire. Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hamass ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

US army leaders on Monday said the deployment of THAAD will add to already difficult strains on the armys air defence forces and potential delays in modernising its missile defence systems.

The air defence artillery community is the most stressed. They have the highest optempo really of any part of the army, US Army secretary Christine Wormuth said, using a phrase that means the pace of operations.

Were just constantly trying to be as disciplined as we can, and give Defence Secretary (Lloyd) Austin the information he needs to accurately assess the strain on the force when hes considering future operational deployments, she was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

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Deployment of THAAD adds to what has been growing tensions within the US defence department about what weapons Washington can afford to send to Ukraine, Israel or elsewhere and the resulting risks to Americas military readiness and its ability to protect the nation.

We need to be able to bring these units home to be able to go through that modernization process, Ms Wormuth said.

So were trying to lay that out for Secretary Austin so that he can weigh those risks  essentially current versus future risks  as he makes recommendations to the president about whether to send the Patriot here or there.
OARAI, Dec 28 (News On Japan) - As dry conditions persist and residential fires break out across Japan, Oarai Town in Ibaraki Prefecture has introduced an AI-powered "fire watchtower" to enhance early fire detection.

With the dry season underway and fires occurring daily across various regions, Oarai Town has implemented a cutting-edge disaster monitoring system called the "fire watchtower," equipped with artificial intelligence.

Oarai Town Mayor Kunii Yutaka: "This system allows for faster initial response times."

The system features a 17-meter tower at the local fire department, equipped with cameras capable of monitoring a 360-degree radius up to 800 meters. When detecting unusual phenomena such as flames or smoke, the system displays an enlarged warning on the central monitor. An operator confirms the situation and alerts the fire department to dispatch firefighters.

But how accurate is the AI in identifying fires? The president of the system's developer, Earth Eyes, shared insights.

Earth Eyes President Yamauchi Saburo: "When flames are detected, a percentage appears like this. Once it exceeds 80%, it's almost never wrong."

The AI's development began by teaching it to recognize fires. Initially, it was trained on everyday landscapes, into which CGI flames and smoke were added. By identifying these differences, the AI learns to distinguish fire.

Yamauchi: "Because of this training, it won't mistake car headlights for flames."

The AI is also trained to recognize similar phenomena and differentiate them, ensuring that false positives are minimized. The systems accuracy improves the more it is used.

Yamauchi: "Perfection isnt possible from the start. With continuous retraining, this system will become highly reliable and beneficial."

Source: ANN
Dec 28 (NHK) - The man who led the Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor for more than 40 years as president and chairman has died. Suzuki Osamu was 94 years old.

Suzuki joined the automaker in 1958, as the son-in-law of the company's second president. He was appointed president in 1978, and the following year, scored a major hit with the mini-vehicle, Alto. The car was priced at less than half a million yen, or around 3,000 dollars at today's exchange rate.

Suzuki Motor actively expanded overseas under Suzuki's helm. It began producing cars in India in 1983, and eventually earned the top share in the country's market.

Suzuki flexed his management skills after becoming chairman in 2000.

The company's annual sales jumped around 10-fold compared to when Suzuki became president, to over 3 trillion yen, or about 19 billion dollars.

As part of its strategy to survive intense competition, Suzuki Motor formed partnerships in the past with global automakers General Motors and Volkswagen.

In 2017, the firm sealed a business tie-up with Toyota, which developed into a capital partnership two years later. The alliance was aimed at responding to rising demand for electric vehicles.

Suzuki, as chairman, continued his active involvement in the automaker's management and decision-making. He was popular for his frank and easy-going personality.

Suzuki retired as chairman in June 2021, and took the post of senior advisor. He died of malignant lymphoma on Wednesday.
TOKYO, Dec 28 (News On Japan) - The shadowy practices of the former Unification Church, involving Japanese female members, have come under scrutiny in recent months. From forced adoptions to missionary assignments and massive financial contributions, these practices highlight the harsh realities faced by these women.

The controversial adoption practices of the church came to light in November, revealing a doctrinal foundation that emphasizes childbearing and family as central to attaining God's kingdom. According to church teachings, children are indispensable in building a God-centered family. As a result, female members were often pressured to offer their children for adoption to families within the church who were unable to have children. A former member noted, "Childbearing is viewed as a blessing and central to fulfilling one's role as a woman in the church." This pressure extended beyond reproduction; women were sent across the world to evangelize, often under harsh conditions. Many Japanese women were dispatched globally as part of the churchs efforts, enduring years of grueling missionary work.

In the late 1970s, allegations of abuse surfaced when a former member in South Korea, a close associate of the churchs leader, sought to revoke the groups status as a Christian organization. Though the petition was unsuccessful, it exposed troubling incidents, including inappropriate relationships between male leaders and female members. A former Japanese member explained, "We were taught to follow our leaders directives without question, including participating in activities that defied common sense."

By the 1990s, the church shifted its strategy from anti-communist activism to promoting world peace. This included founding the Womens Federation for World Peace in 1992, which heavily relied on Japanese female members. They were called to attend training sessions in South Korea, where they were reportedly required to donate significant sums of moneyamounting to 1 million yen or $10,000 per person. The church claimed over 160,000 participants in these sessions, but repeated attendance inflated the financial burden on members. One member revealed, "The church called it a donation, but it was a coercive demand. Some women paid millions of yen over multiple sessions."

In 1996, Japanese women were sent to Uruguay as part of a plan to establish the country as a "model nation" for the church. Over 4,000 Japanese women gathered in a gymnasium there, with the churchs leader providing encouragement. Uruguay was chosen due to its geographic position opposite South Korea, which the church saw as a divine connection. The womens role extended beyond missionary work. They were involved in financial transactions, reportedly carrying large sums of cash to banks. One former member described seeing women with "gift-like bags filled with cash" that were deposited into church-controlled accounts. On one occasion, $19 million was deposited in a single day.

The forced deployment of women overseas had a devastating impact on families. Husbands and children left behind struggled with the absence of mothers, often during crucial developmental years. A former member recounted, "My wife left when our children were young, and it deeply affected their emotional growth."

One of the most harrowing aspects involved women offering their own children for adoption to other church families. A Japanese woman who bore five children decided to give her fifth child for adoption, a decision that later contributed to her declining health and eventual death. The churchs leader reportedly stated, "There is nothing more shameful than being unable to bear children." Women were summoned to headquarters and persuaded to offer their children to others in the congregation. Those who agreed raised their hands in acceptance during group sessions.

The Womens Federation for World Peace, celebrated for its charitable work and recognized by the United Nations as an NGO, has a troubling history of exploiting its members. For decades, Japanese women bore the burden of childbearing, missionary work, and financial contributions, often at great personal and familial cost.

Source: TBS
TOKYO, Dec 28 (News On Japan) - AutoReserve AI booking calls are leaving Japanese restaurant owners increasingly frustrated. The service, designed to streamline reservations for customers, is causing confusion and operational issues for businesses.

One such business is Yoshoku Bulldog, a popular Western-style restaurant near Tokyo's Oimachi Station. Owner Junichi Suzuki expressed his frustration, stating, "These AutoReserve calls are a real nuisance."

AutoReserve, launched in 2018, uses artificial intelligence to place automated phone calls to restaurants, making reservations on behalf of customers who book online. While it aims to make reservations possible at establishments without online booking options, its implementation has raised concerns.

According to Suzuki, Yoshoku Bulldog has no agreements with AutoReserve, yet the service listed the restaurant without permission. Suzuki noted that much of the posted information is inaccurate. "Dealing with these calls takes time away from our operations, reducing the quality of service we provide," he explained.

Similar issues have surfaced at other establishments, such as mipig cafe Meguro, a Tokyo cafe where patrons can interact with miniature pigs. Popular among foreign tourists, the cafe began receiving AI-driven calls from AutoReserve in the fall of 2024, despite never granting listing permissions.

Cafe staff member Shiho Kitagawa shared a specific incident involving a foreign tourist who believed their AutoReserve booking, which included a service fee, was a pre-payment for the cafe. "This kind of misunderstanding has led to disputes," Kitagawa said. She added that contacting AutoReserve to resolve such issues has proven difficult. "We would like them to remove our listing immediately."

In response to these concerns, AutoReserve's operating company stated, "There is no illegality in our service. Restaurant pages are created using publicly available information and user feedback. If inaccuracies are reported, we promptly review and correct them." The company emphasized its commitment to service improvement and pledged to take feedback seriously.

Despite these reassurances, affected restaurants remain skeptical, highlighting the need for better communication and accountability from the AI-powered service.

Source: FNN
By Enioluwa Adeniyi

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of two soldiers following an attack by operatives of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The incident occurred on Friday at Osina in Ideator North Local Government Area of Imo State.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Nigerian Army revealed that the attack happened when troops from the 34 Artillery Brigade were returning from a routine patrol and responded to a distress call about an IPOB/ESN attack on Osina community.

The Army stated that its troops engaged the terrorists with overwhelming firepower, forcing the attackers to retreat in disarray.

While the Army did not disclose the number of casualties on the side of the IPOB/ESN operatives, it confirmed the loss of two soldiers and reported that weapons were carted away during the confrontation.

The Army described IPOB and its armed wing, ESN, as dissidents and reiterated its commitment to maintaining peace and security in the South-East region.

It stated, Unfortunately, two security agents had been killed in action and one other missing in action and their weapons, an AK 47 Rifle and a Tear Gas Launcher were carted away by the terrorists.

The statement noted that the corpses of the slain agents had been recovered, and the troops had proceeded in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists.

The statement added, Contact was again made with the criminal IPOB/ESN elements at Nkwachi Community and in the firefight that ensued, one of the dissidents was neutralised while others who could not withstand the troops fire power ran into the nearby forest. One (1) AK-47 rifle with a fully loaded magazine was recovered.

The unrelenting troops continued to pursue the remnant of the criminals deep into Umalouma forest where a heavy firefight further broke out. The dissidents finally abandoned their weapons due to troops superior fire power and scampered into the thickly forested area with severe gunshot injuries. An additional five (4) Ak  47 rifles, one (1) Fabrique Nationale Rifle and five (2) Magazines were recovered. A total of six (5) AK 47 Rifles and a Tear Gas Launcher were recovered.

Further exploitation is ongoing as troops will continue to trail the injured terrorists and smoke them out of their hideouts and places of treatment. We urge all IPOB/ESN irredentists and other criminal elements hiding in the bushes to surrender to the nearest troops location or meet their waterloo as troops of the Brigade will continue to ensure that Imolites celebrate the Yuletide Season in peace without fear or intimidation.

The army in the statement appealed to the people of Imo State to continue to support the military by giving them timely intelligence on the hideouts and movements of the terrorists to enable us rid the state of all criminality.
The risk for severe weather on Saturday is centered farther north and east of Houston than it was earlier this week on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. National Weather Service

Southwest Texas on Saturday will be sandwiched between another weak cold front creeping in from the northwest and a resurgent warm front easing in from the Gulf Coast. Trapped along with us will be plenty of rain-making atmospheric moisture.

Houston this weekend also is preparing to say goodbye to 2024, which daily temperature averages indicate is likely to be the citys hottest on record. Fittingly, these final days of the year will be much warmer than normal, according to the National Weather Service.

Several months this year have already recorded historically high average monthly temperatures at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houstons official climate observation site. Early in the year, Houston logged its eighth-warmest February. In the spring, the city recorded its ninth-warmest April and sixth-warmest May.

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HISTORIC HEAT IN 2024: Houston on pace for hottest year ever. Will we break the record?

During the summer, June 2024 became the 10th-warmest June in Houston weather history, and August was the citys fourth-warmest ever. An unusually hot autumn produced Houstons sixth-warmest September, third-warmest October and second-warmest November.

Houstons average daily temperature for 2024 to date is 73.2 degrees, or 2.5 degrees above normal for the year to date. This year is on track to replace 2023, with its average daily temp of 72.5 degrees, as Houstons hottest year ever.

Southwest Texas on Saturday will be sandwiched between a weak cold front from the northwest and a resurgent warm front from the Gulf Coast. The region will be trapped along with plenty of rain-making atmospheric moisture. National Weather Service

Saturdays forecast

Houston is facing another round of strong showers and persistent rain on Saturday, thanks a resurgence of tropical air and atmospheric moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. According to the National Weather Service, the weak cold front that was responsible for the storms and tornado sightings on Thursday reversed course and returned to Southeast Texas as a warm front late Friday.

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FOG EXPLAINED: What causes fog and why is Houston is seeing it now?

This return of warmer/moist air will be favorable for the return of fog, with dense fog likely a bit more widespread (on Saturday), the weather service said in a forecast bulletin. Isolated streamer showers could develop as well.

Houston on Saturday can expect widespread fog mainly before 9 a.m., while an 80% chance of rain means showers and possible thunderstorms could occur throughout the day. As much as a quarter-inch of rainfall is likely Saturday with higher amounts possible from strong thunderstorms.

Shown is the cumulative rainfall forecast for Saturday from the National Blend of Models, a composite forecast model used by the National Weather Service. Pivotal

Some of the storms could be severe, courtesy of the cold front. As of Friday, the weather services Storm Prediction Center had placed Harris County and several neighboring counties to the north and east under a level 2 of 5 risk for severe weather. That opens the possibility of scattered severe thunderstorms capable of producing hail an inch or larger, damaging winds or a tornado.

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In Houstons western suburbs, particularly along the Interstate 10 corridor, the risk for severe weather is lower but the threat of isolated severe thunderstorms remains.

Temperatures on Saturday will peak at 76 degrees or so, which is about 12 degrees warmer than the climate-normal high for Dec. 28 in Houston. Although the forecast high is still short of the daily record high of 82, set in 2021, the unusually warm temperatures will persist into Monday.

By Saturday night, the weak cold front will be pass beyond Southeast Texas and the westerly winds of 5 to 10 mph will become northwest breezes after midnight.

The extended daily forecast for Houston. WeatherBELL

New Years cold front

Sunday and Monday will be typified by spring-like sunshine and clear skies. Sundays high temperature of 72 and Mondays high of 78 wont put any heat records in jeopardy, but those readings will still be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than normal.

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Then, on the last day of the year, Houston and Southeast Texas will receive its final cold front of 2024.

A cold front will be moving into northern parts of the region Tuesday morning and off the coast during the afternoon hours, the weather service said. This front should knock temperatures down to near seasonable norms through the end of the work week with lows in the 30s and 40s, and highs in the upper 50s-low 60s.

Houston on Tuesday will be sunny with temperatures soaring only as high as 68, which would be 10 degrees lower than the previous day's high temp. At night, under mostly clear skies, Houston temperatures could sink into the mid-40s.

On New Years Day, Houston first taste of 2025 should include mostly sunny skies but temperatures will stay below 60 degrees. Meanwhile, Wednesday night temperatures into the predawn hours Thursday could get as low as 40 degrees.
By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin

..vows to sustain the initiative

..to roll out free WAEC, NECO, and JAMB forms in 2025..

The Senator representing Kwara Central in the National Assembly, Saliu Mustapha, hosted 200 beneficiaries of his university scholarship programme to dinner in Ilorin on Friday night, even as he charged them to make the best use of the opportunity and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

The event, themed Securing the Future Today, featured prominent personalities and community leaders from the district.

Senator Mustapha in his address, emphasized the importance of academic excellence, urging the beneficiaries to justify the investment made in them through commitment to their studies and contributing meaningfully to their communities.

You are the future governors, senators, ministers, and professors of Kwara State. The path to these heights lies in your commitment to education and personal development. Work hard, avoid distractions, and make Kwara Central proud, he said.

The Senator, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, also cautioned the students against engaging in social vices that could derail their academic progress.

He announced plans to sustain and expand the scholarship programme, revealing that free WAEC, NECO, and JAMB forms would be distributed in 2025 to assist more students in accessing higher education.

At the event, the legislator assured the attendees that the scholarship initiative would be extended to more beneficiaries in the coming year.

My commitment to education remains unwavering. We will not only sustain this programme but increase the number of beneficiaries next year to provide even more opportunities for the youth of Kwara Central, he affirmed.

The Senator also called on parents to actively support their childrens educational pursuits, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative effort to ensure the success of the scholarship programme.

The Talba of Ilorin and former Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Professor Shuaibu Oba AbdulRaheem, who chaired the occasion, lauded Senator Mustaphas foresight and dedication to human capital development.

AbdulRaheem, a one-time Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, underscored the transformative power of education in society and encouraged the beneficiaries to utilize the rare opportunity.

The only way to repay the Senators effort is by excelling in your studies and becoming scholars in your respective universities, he said.

Chairperson of the Education Committee of the Saliu Mustapha Foundation, Professor Binta Sulyman, recalled the meticulous planning behind the scholarship initiative, acknowledging the Senators financial support, which ensured a smooth and transparent process.

She said, This scholarship programme is not just about funding education; its about empowering the next generation to become self-reliant and impactful members of society. It started with the distribution of WAEC, NECO and JAMB forms to the beneficiaries and moved to their sponsorship to the University level.

In his lecture, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor AbdulRasheed NaAllah, who spoke through Mr Nasir Abdulkadir, commended Senator Mustapha for prioritizing human capital development, noting that the legislator had trained thousands of Kwara Central indigenes in various vocations, equipping them with the skills and resources needed to thrive.

Senator Mustaphas commitment to education and skill acquisition reflects his dedication to alleviating poverty and transforming lives, he noted.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellors of the beneficiary universitiesUniversity of Ilorin, Kwara State University, and Ahman Pategi University, the Vice Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University, Professor Kazeem Gbolagade, expressed pride in the Senators gesture.

He described it as a rare and commendable initiative, noting the uniqueness of a serving legislator awarding full scholarships to 200 students.

Those who graced the event include former Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Professor Shuaib Oba AbdulRaheem; Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh (Dr) Muhammad Bashir Soliu; Balogun Alanamu of Ilorin, Dr Usman Jos; Balogun Gambari of Ilorin, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu;

Magaji Aare of Ilorin, Alhaji Shuaib Aremu; retired permanent secretaries, community leaders, National President of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Abdulmumin Malik; IEDPU National Secretary, Abubakar Imam; IEYDA President, Muhammad Uthman Jagunma, as well as parents of the beneficiaries.
Guineas opposition and civil society groups, united under the Forces Vives platform, have announced that they will no longer recognize the authority of the countrys military junta after 31 December, when a promised return to constitutional rule was meant to take place.

While this deadline as the transition period was initially agreed with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS following the 2021 coup, Chads transitional government has, however, since announced a delay, citing the need for a re-foundation of the state. In a statement, Forces Vives has called for the establishment of a civilian-led transition, accusing the current authorities of failing to deliver on their promises. Abdoul Sacko, coordinator of the Forum of Social Forces of Guinea, one of the signatory organizations, expressed frustration at the lack of progress, stating that there is no relevant, visible or perfectible approach to a return to constitutional order.

The Guinean juntas growing repression and intolerance for dissent risk derailing the promised transition back to civilian government while deepening the countrys humanitarian crisis, said an analysis titled A Stagnant Transition in Guinea that was published by Africa Center for Strategic Studies. The Forces Vives rejection of the transition extension is widely seen as signaling a new phase in Guineas political crisis when the opposition and civil society may escalate their efforts to demand the military junta to adhere to the original timeline and a swift return to constitutional order. The announcement comes amid growing pressure from the ECOWAS on military-led governments in West Africa to honor their commitments to restore democracy.
The plan includes utilizing Argentina's uranium reserves for domestic use and export, aiming to position the country as a global leader in nuclear energy.

In a bold move to transform Argentina into a global energy powerhouse, President Javier Milei introduced the "Argentine Nuclear Plan" on Friday, with the goal of harnessing nuclear energy as a core component of the nation's future. The plan outlines the construction of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), compact nuclear units designed to provide power to commercial sectors and other large-scale operations.

"After years of stagnation, nuclear energy is making a powerful comeback, and we are determined to lead, not follow," Milei declared confidently, emphasizing the country's abundant natural resources, skilled workforce, and Patagonia's cold climate, which he described as ideal for housing energy-intensive technologies like AI. "Nuclear energy is the only source that is sufficiently efficient, abundant and rapidly scalable to cope with the development of our civilization," he added.

The project will have the backing of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi joining Milei and his key advisor, Demian Reidel, during the plan's official launch. Reidel stressed that the increasing demand for energy, particularly from AI advancements, makes nuclear power crucial to Argentina's energy strategy, jpost.com reports.

The first phase of the plan will focus on the construction of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) at the Atucha Nuclear Power Plant. The reactor is expected to help meet rising energy demands and alleviate power shortages throughout Argentina.

Reidel emphasized the significant contribution of Argentine nuclear engineers to the initiative. "We will do so with 100% Argentine technology, developed by our nuclear engineers, who are recognized among the best in the world," he stated, according to Rosario3. He added that the plan "will give us energy sovereignty, will allow us to export this technology to the world," and assured that "blackouts will be just a bad memory," according to La Nacion.

In the second phase of the initiative, Argentina aims to capitalize on its untapped uranium reserves to meet domestic needs and establish itself as a leading exporter of nuclear fuel. The government envisions positioning Argentina as a global leader in the peaceful use of atomic energy, while also advancing its aspirations to become an international hub for AI innovation.

Currently, Argentina operates three nuclear power facilitiesAtucha I, Atucha II, and Embalsewhich together supply around 9% of the nation's electricity consumption, according to government data from July 2023.

The announcement comes as Argentina has officially emerged from a severe recession, a milestone that marks a major success for Milei and his bold economic reforms. According to data from Argentina's statistics agency, GDP grew 3.9% in the July-to-September quarter compared to the previous three months. This growth was driven by robust performances in agriculture, mining, and consumer spending, signaling a recovery in key sectors of the economy, the Financial Post reports.

On Monday, Milei eliminated a 30% inclusive surcharge tax on foreign currency debit and credit card purchases imposed by the previous socialist government. The now-repealed "Tax for an Inclusive and Solidary Argentina," or "PAIS" for short, was a temporary surcharge introduced by former socialist President Alberto Fernandez. He enacted it in December 2019 during the early days of his administration.

I have more good news, and that is that the lowering of taxes will continue, as is our irrevocable commitment, to return the surplus in the form of relief to the taxpayer, because less taxes is more competitiveness, the president said in a statement announcing the move.

By Zerohedge.com

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Exports from America's eighth liquefied natural gas facility began this week, highlighted by an LNG carrier departing for Europe. This reinforces the US' position as the world's leading LNG exporter and provides tailwinds for President-elect Donald Trump as he urges Europe to increase US energy product purchases in his upcoming second term.

Venture Global, one of the largest US LNG developers, shipped its inaugural cargo of LNG from its Plaquemines export facility in Louisiana via a company-owned carrier named "Venture Bayou."

According to Bloomberg ship tracking data, the newly built carrier is en route to deliver the first LNG cargo from Plaquemines to the German utility company EnBW. The shipment is expected to arrive in early January.

More details on the vessel via Bloomberg...

Venture Global wrote in a statement cited by Bloomberg that the Plaquemines will "produce and export LNG while construction and commissioning continue for the remainder of the project's 36 trains and associated facilities."

Plaquemines has several long-term customers, including European utility Electricite de France SA, Polish energy firm Orlen SA, China's Sinopec and Cnooc Ltd., and Shell plc.

When the Plaquemines LNG facility becomes fully operational, expected in late 2025 or early 2026 according to Venture Global's project timeline, it will rank among the world's largest LNG export plants, further securing the US' position as the world's top LNG exporter. This development is pivotal, as US LNG has been offered to Brussels as a replacement for Russian piped NatGas.

Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel wrote in a statement: "In just five years, Venture Global has built, produced and launched exports from two large-scale LNG projects which has never been done before in the history of the industry."

The potential LNG export boom will likely please President-elect Trump, who recently threatened Europe with tariffs unless it increased its purchase of US energy products next year.

Also, Venture Global has filed for an initial public offering, with JPMorgan analysts estimating the enterprise value is around $100 billion.

In response to Trump's comments about the US-EU LNG trade, Goldman analysts said US LNG could "theoretically" replace piped Russian NatGas to the EU.

By Zerohedge.com

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The return of Donald Trump to the White House is expected to significantly impact international relations, from trade to regional conflicts.

The Ukraine war has become a global conflict, with Western democracies pitted against a bloc of nations challenging the existing world order.

Last year, we challenged 10 of our journalists from across our broadcast region to peer into the future and predict what the year ahead might bring. Gluttons for punishment, they're back again -- reflecting on 2024 and sharing their insights on what 2025 might have in store.

A few recurring themes emerge from their predictions:

The war in Ukraine has become a global conflict, broadly pitting the West against an emerging bloc of states that are challenging the current world order.

Populist movements and authoritarian leaders are gaining traction globally, putting pressure on democracy and democratic institutions.

So much will hinge on Donald Trump. The president-elect's return to the White House in January 2025 is already reshaping international dynamics -- from transatlantic trade to politics in the Balkans.

For all this and more, read on.

Ukraine: Ending Putin's War

By Vital? Portnikov

At the end of 2023, I argued that even if one side achieved a military victory in Ukraine in 2024, it would not necessarily bring us closer to a political resolution.

This was true then and is true now, largely because Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine is part of a broader agenda, an attempt to restore, if not the Soviet empire itself, then at least its sphere of influence.

What could push the war in Ukraine closer to a resolution is the upcoming change at the White House. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump continues to assert his readiness to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

The question, though, is whether Trump's intentions and determination will be enough. After all, change would require not only the incoming U.S. president's commitment to ending the war but also agreement in Kyiv and Moscow to cease hostilities.

If Putin were to agree to end the conflict -- despite continued Russian offensives on the battlefield and relentless strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure -- it would likely hinge on two key factors.

The first is the Russian president's recognition that his country's economic situation cannot sustain a prolonged war. The second is Putin's readiness to shift from military pressure on Ukraine to political influence and destabilization.

Under such a peace, Ukraine's future would depend on the security guarantees provided by its Western partners and the resilience of Ukrainian society in resisting Russian attempts at destabilization, for example, a barrage of disinformation during a future presidential election.

If Putin concludes, however, that he has sufficient resources to continue the war, hostilities will persist -- certainly into 2025 and even beyond.

Iran: A Challenging Year Ahead

By Hannah Kaviani

Following the sudden death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, a more moderate politician, Masud Pezeshkian, was elected as president.

Some Iranians saw Pezeshkian's election as a potential sign that the country's clerical rulers might soften their hard-line approach. However, by the end of 2024, Pezeshkian has yet to deliver on promises to ease restrictions on Iranian life.

There will be plenty for Pezeshkian to deal with: currency depreciation, environmental crises, an aging population, and worsening brain drain. Looming fuel price hikes, critical to addressing budget deficits, risk igniting protests like those in 2019 that left hundreds dead.

Internationally, Iran might have an even harder time. With Tehran's allies -- Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and the ousted Syrian leadership -- facing significant setbacks in 2024 and Israel launching attacks on Iran during the same year, Iranian politicians are for the first time in a while openly discussing developing nuclear weapons as the ultimate deterrent.

Tehran's relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is in a precarious state. As a result, European powers censured Tehran twice in 2024 -- and if Western concerns are not resolved, then the process of reimposing UN sanctions on Iran could begin in the spring of 2025.

International pressure on Iran is only likely to ramp up with the arrival of Trump in the White House. In his first term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal and argued for strict economic sanctions to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and regional influence.

Hungary: The Rise Of Peter Magyar

By Pablo Gorondi

There weren't any pundits who predicted the rapid rise of Peter Magyar. Less than a year ago, Magyar was a loyalist of right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban; now, he is the popular and dynamic leader of the Hungarian opposition.

Magyar's Tisza Party shook the Hungarian political scene in June, winning a third of Hungary's 21 seats in the European Parliament elections and performing well in local polls.

His rapid rise has created a headache for the ruling Fidesz party, which under Orban's guidance has been widely criticized for democratic backsliding and authoritarian tendencies. The party resorted to attacks in the press and is even said to be contemplating early elections.

Orban, who has been widely criticized for leading Hungary, didn't let the Magyar party spoil his time in the limelight, as Hungary held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of the year.

Orban began the presidency in spectacular and controversial fashion: In early July, he traveled to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and Mar-a-Lago, trips he framed as efforts to end the war in Ukraine and for which European officials heavily criticized him for.

In December Orban, who endorsed Donald Trump as early as 2016, again visited the president-elect at his Florida residence. To put it mildly, European officials weren't happy, criticizing Orban for his unauthorized and uncoordinated visits.

EU: Populism In 'Fortress Europe'

By Rikard Jozwiak

The idea of "fortress Europe" ruled the roost in 2024, with member states increasingly tough on migration and looking for creative ways to outsource the issue to third countries. (Italy, for example, has set up migrant-processing centers in Albania.)

But even though there were gains for far-right and populist parties in national and European Parliament elections in 2024, the center still held -- and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen won her coveted second term.

In 2025, it will be more of the same. Populist parties will continue to shape policies and politics within EU member states. In the Czech Republic, Andrej Babis, a populist billionaire and former prime minister, is likely to return to power in the fall, forming a neat Eurosceptic triangle with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

In France, the populist left and right will continue to cause headaches for President Emmanuel Macron after his failed parliamentary elections gamble this summer. New elections will likely be held in the summer and Macron could suffer even a bigger defeat, with either the hard-left or hard-right securing a majority.

Germany is also heading to the polls, with parliamentary elections in February. And while the far-right Alternative For Germany party should get their best ever result -- potentially 20 percent of the vote -- you can expect a grand coalition of the center-left Social Democrats and the center-right Christian Democrats, with the latter's leader, Friedrich Merz, set to become chancellor.

Donald Trump will be shaping Europe's politics as much as any European during the year ahead. The U.S. president-elect could well push his European allies to spend more on defense at the NATO summit in the Netherlands in June.

And transatlantic trade frictions are also a distinct possibility, especially if Brussels hits Elon Musk, the tech tycoon and key Trump ally, and his X social media platform with billion-euro fines for not respecting social media rules in the bloc.

Belarus: Lukashenka Fears Being Left Out In The Cold

By Valer Karbalevich

In 2024, the authoritarian regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka continued its rapid evolution into a totalitarian state. Political repression intensified further, legitimized by two electoral campaigns that only outwardly resembled democratic elections.

Early in the year, a puppet parliament and local councils were elected. By the end of the year, a presidential campaign had begun, set to conclude in January 2025.

The alliance between Belarus and Russia strengthened and deepened, particularly in the military sphere, where Lukashenka is trying to bolster Belarus's strategic position by hosting modern Russia weapons. The culmination of this process was the decision, announced in December, to deploy Russia's advanced Oreshnik missile system in Belarus in the second half of 2025.

The main challenge for the Lukashenka regime in the next year will be navigating the new geopolitical reality shaped by potential peace talks on Ukraine. Minsk fears that its interests will be overlooked in the construction of a new security architecture for Eastern and Central Europe, which could emerge from these negotiations.

This is why he has brought forward by six months the presidential election. His goal is to secure renewed legitimacy as leverage for participation in such negotiations.

If the conflict in Ukraine remains frozen, however, Belarus could also remain frozen for years. The Lukashenka regime would consolidate and strengthen while all aspects of Belarusian life -- from the economy to culture -- would slowly degrade.

Afghanistan: A Grim Fight Over Women's Rights

By Malali Bashir

The year 2024 was yet another desperate time for women's rights in Afghanistan, culminating in December when the Taliban expanded its educational restrictions to prohibit private institutions from teaching women critical fields like midwifery, nursing, and laboratory sciences.

The latest restrictions build on measures from recent years that keep Afghan girls out of secondary schools and university educations

"This doesn't just mean destroying the dreams of those girls who wanted to study and contribute to their communities," said Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at the New York-based Human Rights Watch. "It also means this will cause deaths for women who won't be able to access medical care."

Unprecedented worldwide legal momentum against these limitations has also been building over the past year. Shukria Barakzai, the former Afghan ambassador to Norway, highlighted progress in 2024, pointing to international efforts to hold the Taliban accountable.

A major breakthrough came in November 2024 when a key UN General Assembly committee approved negotiations for the first-ever treaty specifically targeting crimes against humanity. This development could potentially address gender apartheid under international law, a crucial step long advocated by Afghan women's rights activists.

Looking ahead to 2025, Barakzai sees some cause for optimism. "2025 could become the year of justice for Afghans, particularly Afghan women, as countries begin to mobilize against what is happening inside Afghanistan," she said. However, Barr also emphasized that meaningful change requires sustained international pressure and advocacy.

Serbia: Vucic's World

By Milos Teodorovic

Relations between Kosovo and Serbia remain at a historic low, at least since the start of EU-mediated negotiations in 2011. Efforts to normalize relations have stalled, still damaged by the 2022 withdrawal of Serb representatives from Kosovo's state institutions, violent clashes in northern Kosovo the following year, and the killing of a Kosovar policeman in September 2023.

Despite the impasse, Serbia has maintained its signature balancing act in foreign policy: for example, refusing to sanction Russia while supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity. Belgrade has also deepened ties with Beijing.

In regional politics, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic remains a key player, and is particularly influential in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is known to hold sway over pro-Russian populist leader Milorad Dodik from Republika Srpska, one of the two entities that make up Bosnia.

By appearing to pacify Dodik, Vucic regularly positions himself to the EU and the United States as a moderating force capable of tempering the destabilizing tendencies of Balkan extremists. However, his ambiguous stance often leaves observers questioning whether he contributes to stability, instability, or both.

In terms of the EU accession progress, Serbia is actually lagging behind Montenegro, after Podgorica made rapid progress within the last year. Some EU diplomats have even said Montenegro could potentially join the bloc this decade.

But it is the change at the White House that diplomats in the Balkans are now fixated on. Vucic, for one, is certainly hopeful. He and his allies have expressed optimism about Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency, hoping for a shift toward a more "Serbian-friendly" approach in U.S. policy.

Caucasus: Karabakh Peace Stalls While Georgia Explodes

By Joshua Kucera

A year ago, it looked as if a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan was on the horizon. Azerbaijan had just regained control of all of Nagorno-Karabakh, the territory at the heart of the conflict between the two sides. Both sides spoke of being nearly ready to sign a deal, with most of the fundamental issues agreed on.

Now, and we are more or less in the same place, with Armenia and Azerbaijan still debating the finer points of the peace deal, and sometimes it seems as if Azerbaijan may not actually want a deal at all.

Meanwhile, the attention in the Caucasus has shifted to Georgia. Its parliamentary elections in October were always going to be pivotal, but the crisis that has emerged is as dangerous as anyone could have expected.

The opposition and protesters have refused to accept the results of elections they say were illegitimate. The government crackdown is already the harshest in Georgia's post-Soviet history. President Salome Zurabishvili, whose term ends December 29, is refusing to step down, setting up a high-stakes clash with the government. And relations with the United States and European powers, Georgia's traditional main partners, keep getting worse.

At the time of writing, neither the government nor the opposition and protesters show any willingness to compromise. Making any predictions now would be foolhardy. Except that a year from now, Georgia's politics are going to look a lot different than they do now.

Central Asia: Growing Authoritarianism

By Chris Rickleton

The conditions looked ripe for a renaissance of Russian power in Central Asia in 2024 and so it proved -- although Moscow did not have everything its own way.

The Kremlin's state-backed energy companies Gazprom and Rosatom enjoyed a banner year in Uzbekistan, with Russian gas exports roughly tripling and Moscow and Tashkent finally inking a deal for a small nuclear power facility.

Following a referendum on nuclear power in October 2024, Kazakhstan is also set to build a larger nuclear plant, and it would be a shock if Rosatom was not somehow involved.

At the same time, both Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan resisted pressure to join blocs important for Moscow's prestige, while spats over the Russian language and Russia's colonial legacy in the region do the Kremlin's soft power prospects no good.

China, meanwhile, will continue winning friends in Central Asia in the year ahead via quiet diplomacy and multi-billion dollar investments, especially in the region's emerging transport and renewable energy sectors.

The region as a whole will also become even more authoritarian. In Tajikistan and Turkmenistan that would appear almost impossible, but expect both to make an effort.

Meanwhile, in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, journalists and regime critics are steadily running out of rope thanks to restrictive new laws, chilling prison sentences, and an apparently shared sentiment across these governments that phasing out freedoms is all for the best.

Final Remarks: The Global War

By Sergei Medvedev

The war in Ukraine has reached truly global proportions. While it is fought in Ukraine, it involves dozens of countries, affecting populations as far away as Africa, South America, and East Asia.

It has caused the biggest global military buildup since the height of the Cold War, challenging the credibility of international institutions from NATO and the European Union to the UN and the International Criminal Court.

On one side, there is the Western alliance led by the United States and NATO supporting Ukraine. On the other, there is an emerging bloc of non-Western states who are challenging the current world order.

China is the heavyweight in this informal group, with Russia as a junior partner, and it is supported by the likes of Iran and North Korea. These states represent an alternative kind of globalization, with their new mechanisms to circumvent Western sanctions, new financial systems based on cryptocurrencies, and their own international institutions such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The battle lines are in Ukraine, but the war is taking place everywhere: Russia is meddling in elections all over the world (with Romania perhaps the most recent example) and is thought to be carrying out acts of sabotage in many Western countries. Meanwhile, the Middle East is once again engulfed in war; Venezuela is making territorial claims against its neighbor Guyana; and China is carefully watching the Ukraine conflict as it contemplates its own operation against Taiwan.

In 2025, that global war will gain momentum, and it is likely to expand irrespective of the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Even a possible cease-fire will likely not stop the global turmoil, let alone Russia's expansionist zeal or the Kremlin's desire to eliminate Ukrainian statehood and challenge NATO and the United States.

War in Ukraine has set off an avalanche. The elites of anti-globalization -- from the Islamists to revanchists -- are sensing blood, and there will be new outbreaks of conflict in unexpected places across the globe.

In this sense, Putin has succeeded in his long-term plan of turning this conflict into a global one and challenging the world order. Drawing an analogy with World War II, we are now somewhere in 1938, with a global challenger, an undecided West, and a new Munich Agreement looming. One can only hope to live to see a new 1945.

By RFE/RL

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Shinshun no Utage (New Years Celebration) (Photo by Shoji Kudaka)

The New Years holiday is an important tradition in Japan. The customs surrounding the holiday include everything from toshikoshi soba (soba noodles to be eaten on New Years Eve) to hatsumode (the first visit of a year to a shrine), and youll find many traditional events taking place across the country. Okinawa is no exception, and the best way to experience a New Year in a traditional Okinawan way is to attend the New Year ceremony at Shuri Castle.

From Jan. 1 through 3, Shinshun no Utage (New Years Celebration) will take place at the world heritage site, featuring ceremonies, traditional music, and dance performances. The main attraction on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 will be Chouhai Okishiki, where a king and a queen join a ceremonial ritual. On Jan. 3, Kokuou Ouhi Shutsugyo will be held and the royal couple greets their subjects in front of the main gate as they would during the times of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429 -1879).

While Shuri Castle is still undergoing reconstruction after it burned down in 2019. At one corner of the side, visitors can see the restoration in progress.

Why not join Okinawans and celebrate the year 2025 together at Shuri Castle and wish for the comeback of the symbol of Okinawas history and culture?

Shinshun no Utage (New Years Celebration)
The world is eagerly counting down the weeks until Samsung's first Unpacked event of 2025, expected to unveil the highly anticipated Galaxy S25. However, the event may bring more than just a new smartphone lineup. Samsung is rumored to offer a sneak peek or teaser of its upcoming wearables, continuing the innovation streak it began last year with the introduction of the Galaxy Ring. For 2025, speculation suggests the tech giant will deliver a sequel to this groundbreaking device, the Galaxy Ring 2.

Adding to the excitement, one of the most talked-about rumored wearables from the South Korean company is its plan to launch new augmented reality (AR) smart glasses. These futuristic devices could steal the spotlight during Unpacked 2025.

New Samsung Wearables Coming This 2025

According to DigiTimes, Samsung is planning a grand Unpacked 2025 event, starting the year with major announcements. The company may unveil the Galaxy Ring 2 and its rumored AR smart glasses, significantly expanding its wearable technology lineup. These devices represent Samsung's commitment to innovating and enhancing its ecosystem, positioning it as a leader in wearable technology.

While the Galaxy S25 will undoubtedly be the main attraction, with rumored improvements like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, the wearables segment is shaping up to be a key highlight.

The Galaxy Ring 2, AR Smart Glasses

The Galaxy Ring 2 is among the most anticipated devices for next year, surprising many who didn't expect a sequel so soon. This next-generation wearable promises enhanced accuracy for health tracking, integration with Galaxy AI, and a larger battery for extended usagefeatures that could solidify its position as a must-have device for health-conscious users.

Meanwhile, Samsung's AR smart glasses could rival Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, reportedly combining sleek, modern aesthetics with advanced AR functionality. Unlike overly futuristic designs, Samsung seems to aim for a contemporary look, making the device more appealing to everyday users.

Samsung's Wearables Are Expanding

Wearables have carved out a significant niche in the tech market, proving they are more than just accessories for smartphones. Devices like Samsung's Galaxy Ring have shown their potential to offer deeper, more personalized insights into users' health and lifestyles. The Galaxy Ring, introduced last year, marked a new form factor for Samsung, blending health-tracking capabilities with convenience.

One standout feature of the Galaxy Ring is its impressive battery life, lasting over a week before needing a recharge. This longevity makes it ideal for continuous use, including while sleepinga feature that sets it apart from smartwatches like the Galaxy Watch, which often require daily charging. In fact, Samsung claims the Galaxy Ring's battery life outperforms similar devices by around 30%.

With wearables like the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch, Samsung offers users a complete smart ecosystem that integrates seamlessly with Galaxy smartphones. These devices enable deeper analytics and personalized data insights, enhancing the overall user experience. Now, with the rumored Galaxy Ring 2 and AR smart glasses, Samsung appears poised to elevate its wearable lineup further, potentially redefining what's possible in the world of personal tech.
Private and public sectors experts have affirmed the importance of the development of Islamic finance to the economy.

Experts agreed that Islamic finance holds immense opportunities for financing of critical infrastructure and unlocking dormant capital in Nigeria.

Experts spoke at the inaugural edition of the IFN Nigeria Forum organised by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in partnership with REDmoney Group.

The forum themed, Harnessing the Islamic finance sector for infrastructure development and economic growth, brought together decision-makers, regulators and investors to discuss and share experiences on opportunities in the Nigerian Islamic finance market.

The IFN Nigeria Forum 2019 featured a mix of panel sessions, onstage interviews and interactive sessions on a number of themes in Islamic finance including corporate financing and capital raising in Nigeria; funding infrastructure and social welfare requirements in West Africa and Islamic finance, investment, banking and takaful in Nigeria.

Divisional Head, Trading Business, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Jude Chiemeka, noted that Islamic finance sector has grown noticeably over the years, from about $1.5 trillion in 2016 to about $2 trillion in 2018, driven by growth in Islamic banking assets as well as growth in Sukuk issuances.

He pointed out that while this growth has largely been concentrated within GCC region and in Asia; recent data suggest that Islamic financing is beginning to take root in Africa, with issuers across Gambia, Sudan, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Togo, as well as Nigeria in more recent times.

Chiemeka, who represented the Chief Executive Officer of NSE, Mr Oscar Onyema, said Islamic finance marked a turning point and new paradigm for the financing of infrastructure in Nigeria with issuances such as the 2013 raising of N11.4 billion in a seven-year Sukuk by the Osun State Government to finance construction and rehabilitation of 27 schools in the state.

According to him, the subsequent issuance of two N100 billion tranches of Federal Government of Nigeria Sukuk instruments by the Debt Management Office (DMO) were huge success and the proceeds were also used to finance the maintenance and construction of critical road infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The Islamic finance sector presents numerous opportunities for enhancing the economic fortunes of this country. From a domestic perspective, Islamic finance presents opportunities to unlock the dormant pools of capital present within our nation, Chiemeka said.

Read Also: Islamic banking can help economy out of recession

He added that the development of a viable Islamic economy in Nigeria has far reaching implications within global markets, for investment managers seeking to achieve portfolio diversification.

According to him, the ability for fund managers seeking Shariah-compliant investment products to diversify into the Nigerian markets will facilitate more foreign inflows which has implications for the economy through the attraction of low-cost funds for development.

He assured that the NSE will continue to work with market stakeholders to ensure the development of a robust Islamic finance sector in Nigeria noting that the Exchange had in 2016 developed and publicized its rules governing the listing of Sukuk and similar debt securities to provide regulatory guidance for issuers seeking to list their instruments on its platform.

He added that in line with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SECs) Non-Interest Capital Markets Product Master Plan, the Exchange identified five strategic pillars critical for the growth of the sector including a strong regulatory framework, capacity building, product development, robust primary and secondary markets, and market awareness programmes.

We have already started executing on these pillars and recently hosted a training exercise for the market. We will also continue to provide an efficient and liquid market for investors and businesses in Africa, to save and access capital. We promise to continue our collaboration with all market stakeholders, to collectively contribute towards the enhancement of this new asset class, and ultimately towards the growth Islamic finance in Nigeria and Africa at large, Chiemeka said.

Other speakers spoke on the opportunities in the Islamic finance sector. Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO), Ms Patience Oniha, reiterated the commitment of the government to diversify the Nigerian capital market.

She noted that the governments issuance of sovereign Sukuk was aimed simultaneously at raising funds to finance critical infrastructure and to develop the domestic capital market.

Other speakers at the event included Ms Mary Uduk, acting director-general, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),represented by Abdulkadir Abbas; Hajia Aisha Dahir-Umar, acting director-general, National Pension Commission (Pencom), represented by Dr Umaru Farouk Aminu, Head, Research & Strategy Management Department, Pencom; Hajara Adeola, managing director, Lotus Capital; Adeola Sunmola, Partner, Udo Udoma & Belo Osagie and Oluseun Olatidoye, Head, Debt Capital Markets, FBNQuest Merchant Bank.


REPUBLICAN LEADER CALLS FOR MORATORIUM ON REGULATION FOLLOWING BILLION CHIPS INVESTMENT LOSS

By Oregon House Leader Christine Drazan, By Oregon House Leader Christine Drazan,

SALEM, Ore.  House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released the following statement following the announcement that Governor Kotek and her team failed to secure essential federal investment in Oregons semiconductor industry prior to year-end, under the Biden administration:

The criteria for CHIPS Act R&D site selection was not simply, do you have dirt to build on? The fact that Oregon is likely to have missed out on nearly a billion dollars worth of investments and good-paying jobs means that competing states not only had available land, but they also had the ecosystem to support the investment long term. We did not.

Oregon has earned a reputation as one of the most anti-business states in the nation. We have thrown more money at bike lanes than we have invested in tax credits for research and development. We have focused more on enabling drug use than investments in higher education. Our leaders continue to pursue fiscal policies that make Oregon unserious as a competitive economic powerhouse. This was made abundantly clear when we attempted to compete head to head with states who are serious about investment and growth. Our beautiful state is squandering its potential as business leaders and everyday Oregonians alike tell politicians that our state has become unaffordable and over-regulated  yet their concerns fall on deaf ears.

Governor Koteks oppositional approach to the incoming Trump administration makes it even more unlikely she will work with them in pursuit of a much-needed transformational investment in Oregons economy. This will hamstring Oregon for a generation as Kotek and her colleagues look for opportunities to spit and claw at the incoming administration rather than work with whoever is in the White House to serve the needs of all Oregonians.

To take the first step in turning our state around, I am calling on Governor Kotek to issue a moratorium on new regulations and roll back existing regulations that are uniquely impacting affordability and investment in Oregons economy.
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

South Florida water managers approved a breeding program for an endangered Everglades sparrow that for decades has fluttered at the center of the debate over how to move water into parched marshes to restore the wetlands.

The pilot program for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow will now likely change seasonal flood control for sparrow habitat that managers say could stymie future restoration work.

"We can't wait and build all of this infrastructure associated with [the Central Everglades] and then be in a place where we can't move water south because we haven't figured out how to conserve the bird," Jennifer Reynolds, director of ecosystem restoration for the South Florida Water Management District, told the governing board. "This is a half a million-dollar investment to protect billions of dollars of infrastructure investment."

Added to the endangered species list in 1967, the sparrow population hovered near 7,000 in the 1980s at just six locations in Everglades National Park. Its survival was considered a feathery measure of Everglades health. But by last year, the population had plummeted to the lowest on record, Reynolds said.

That's despite years of trying to protect a critical nesting area that had also become a battleground that pitted the bird against restoration.

Located just west of Shark River, the area once drew the largest number of birds and offered better protection from storms and sea level rise. But during the breeding season, flood gates to the north were closed to protect nests the birds build in tall grasses just inches from the ground. That led to high water in the conservation area to the north, drowning tree islands used by the Miccosukee Tribe in their ancestral homeland. The islands also shelter wildlife.

With the captive breeding program, wildlife officials say they will likely end seasonal flood gate closures and instead determine operations on conditions.

"A captive breeding program or a conservation breeding program, whichever we want to call it definitely gives us more flexibility in what can be done there," said Larry Williams, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Florida supervisor for ecological services.

On Thursday, water managers also approved taking over construction of a project that had been managed by the U.S. Army Corps to speed up restoration. The project north of sparrow habitat would start next year and move more water south.

The spillway is part of restoration work for a Central Everglades flow-way that would also help relieve high water in the conservation area to move more water into Shark River.

Conservationists who long fought to keep the gates closed rallied around the breeding program as a way to help the ailing birds, saying broader restoration efforts will ultimately help with the long-term survival of the sparrows.

" The prognosis for both the bird and its habitat is grim without intervention," said Audubon Florida executive director Julie Wraithmell, who pointed to a grasshopper sparrow breeding program in Central Florida as a measure of success.

Grasshopper sparrows had dwindled to about 100 when a breeding program was started in 2015. This year, the 1,000 captive-bred sparrows were released into the wild.

The five-year pilot program is expected to cost just over $584,000 and be overseen by White Oak Conservation, the same wildlife facility north of Jacksonville that managed grasshopper sparrow breeding. Like the grasshopper program, seaside sparrow breeding would likely continue for years.

2024 Miami Herald. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This year has filled the memory vault for earnest K-pop fans, as many of their favorite idol groups trended across music releases, world tours, achievements, and more. At the end of 2024, the Korean Business Research Institute released its brand rankings for rookie K-pop groups.

The list, which was derived from data gathered from November 3 to December 3, composed of idols who had debuted in 2023 or later on. Various factors such as the participation of consumers, media coverage, and overall engagement were analyzed.

Here are the 30 most popular rookie K-pop groups in December 2024.

1. TWS

TWS claimed No. 1 this December after seeing a brand reputation index of 1,960,986.

2. QWER

QWER followed in No. 2 with an index of 1,545,693.

3. ILLIT

ILLIT claimed No. 3 with a brand index of 1,447,686.

4. BABYMONSTER

BABYMONSTER followed in fourth place after gaining a brand reputation index of 1,139,952.

5. RIIZE

RIIZE completed the top five with an index of 867,083.

6. tripleS

After gathering an index of 672,450, tripleS claimed No. 6.

7. MEOVV

The seventh place was secured by MEOVV with a brand index of 616,428.

8. izna

The No. 8 spot was taken by izna after garnering an index of 575,889.

9. ZEROBASEONE

ZEROBASEONE collected a brand index of 544,045.

10. BOYNEXTDOOR

Lastly, BOYNEXTDOOR claimed No. 10 with an index of 517,205.

See the remaining ones below:

11. KISS OF LIFE

12. KATSEYE

13. SAY MY NAME

14. UNIS

15. YOUNG POSSE

16. NOWADAYS

17. Candy Shop

18. Burvey

19. RESCENE

20. The Wind

21. ARTMS

22. BADVILLAIN

23. Big Ocean

24. NEXZ

25. ODD YOUTH

26. NiziU

27. HORI7ON

28. Geenius

29. FANTASY BOYS

30. 8TURN
From finances to diapers, one budding Quad-Cities nonprofit is helping local fathers learn the skills they need to succeed as responsible parents.

The Quad Cities Responsible Fatherhood Initiative is a new program aimed at building a supportive community of involved, responsible and committed fathers by providing monthly workshops, family engagement opportunities and other resources.

"Studies show that if there's a responsible father in the home, children are 85% more likely to succeed," said Michael Cribbs, executive director of Quad Cities Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. "I just think this will be really good for the (overall) community."

Housed in TMBC at the Lincoln Center in Davenport, he said the organization officially "got off the ground" this fall and was initially founded by his longtime pastor, Rev. Rogers Kirk Jr. of Third Missionary Baptist Church. Formerly serving as outreach director for the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley  coupled with his own experience as a father and youth minister  he felt called to lead QCRFI.

"I had the privilege of growing up with strong men in my life, like my pastor," Cribbs said. "So, this initiative is like, my niche. I love it."

So far, QCRFI has served as a support system for five local fathers by offering resources, supplies and mentorship. Cribbs said most of these connections came organically, nodding to Third Missionary churchgoers.

The first QCRFI skills workshop is tentatively set for Saturday, Feb. 15. These monthly workshops will cover a range of topics, such as personal finance, marriage preparation, child support, career readiness and more  but first, Cribbs and other QCRFI leaders need to gauge participants' needs.

"There are so many fathers who just need certain tools or resources, and they sometimes just don't know how to (access) those," he said. "It could be an ID, birth certificate  small barriers we want to help them get over, (to) be a more responsible father."

While he suspects there will be barriers along the way, Cribbs said QCRFI is going well so far.

"Fathers have to open up, and sometimes we don't say what we need," he said. "So we want to create that 'safe space' and give them the proper resources (they need) to flourish."

One local father, 16-year-old Gerimiah Westerfield, said he's already become more confident in navigating fatherhood thanks to QCRFI  especially while balancing his junior year of high school.

"If you have a kid, it's your responsibility to take care of them," he said. "I'm young, but I still can do it; I just need a little extra help, and that's what (QCRFI) is here for."

After serving a jail sentence, Westerfield got connected to QCRFI through Frank Klipsch, a mentoring and engagement specialist for Davenport schools. Westerfield said he wanted to get involved to ensure his daughter, Na'riyah - who will be 2 in February  has a different fatherhood experience than he had growing up.

"When I was little, my dad was always in jail  He's still in jail right now, I've only seen him about 10 times my whole life," Westerfield said. "So when I went, I was like, 'I can't be like my dad.'"

So for the last eight months, he's used QCRFI to "do better" and learn from other local fathers, like Cribbs  an experience the latter calls "reciprocal."

"I'm learning from him, too," Cribbs said.

Nariyah got to hear her father speak at QCRFI's inaugural banquet on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

"She was running all over the place, happy, and you could see the joy in Gerimiah's face," Cribbs said. "He really likes being a father, and when he looks at his daughter, I'm just like, 'Wow, this is incredible.'"

To Cribbs, it's easy to tell if a child is comfortable around their parents  and Nariyah passes the test with flying colors. In getting to know Westerfield, witnessing his growth as a young man and father, Cribbs said he's even more motivated to see QCRFI grow.

"Even if you are a 'responsible' father, there's always some tweaking and learning we can do," he said.

Especially because just like every person, every father's story is different. Cribbs plans to create individualized plans for QCRFI participants on top of the monthly workshops.

"(To) set small goals, and even incentivize the fathers when they complete those goals," he said. "Because we want rewards sometimes too, right?"

Cribbs also hopes to host regular "family night" events to engage participants and their families as QCRFI gains momentum, but he said community support is vital.

"We already have a list of volunteers," he said. "I really want to bring in (community) partners and build stronger relationships with them, too, so we can create a network of help  not just for our fathers, but their families as well."

Cribbs said he'll post volunteer interest forms to the QCRFI Facebook page in the coming weeks, adding he's always open to ideas from community members, too.

"Everybody can't always come to the Lincoln Center, but it seems like everybody's on Facebook," he said with a laugh. "We want to make that opportunity accessible to the community."

Giving kudos to his small team of supporters and volunteers, Cribbs said he hopes to reach at least 10 fathers in QCRFI's first year.

"My goal is to (find out) what their needs are, address them and just continue to (create) stronger families  I want this to be around long after Im gone," he said, plugging Westerfield as his successor.

But in the meantime, Westerfield said hell focus on being the best, most responsible father he can be and learning via QCRFI.

"It's harder for us, yeah  But if we (young fathers) are trying, and we're doing it, yall should do it, too," he said, urging other local fathers to prioritize both their kids and self-responsibility.

Westerfield said he particularly looks forward to the forthcoming marriage preparation workshop.

"I want to get married," to his girlfriend, Nariyahs mother, he said with a closed-lip smile.

After high school, Westerfield also plans to pursue welding, eyeing John Deere as a hopeful employer.

To learn more about QCRFI, or for program updates, visit the QCRFI Facebook page.
Puerto Morelos tightens holiday security on public beaches

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  Municipal police have tightened holiday security by carry out patrols on Puerto Morelos beaches. The patrols are carried out in coordination with Mexicos Marina and National Guard. According to Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Munoz, the patrols are to keep the beaches under surveillance and provide timely assistance to beachgoers who require it.

Irma Avila Mendez, head of Puerto Morelos Civil Protection, reported that so far this month, the number of people on municipal beaches remained low, however, the flow of visitors began to increase a few days ago.

Avila Mendez said that during the first holiday week, authorities attended to three situations on the beach, one of which was the death of a tourist on a boat who suffered a heart attack.

He says the increased patrols will remain in place on Puerto Morelos beaches for the remainder of the holiday season.
Tactical drone locates criminals and suspicious boats in Cancun, Riviera Maya flyovers

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  The tactical drone team of the Secretary of Citizen Security (SSC), Itzamna, located criminals and suspicious boats from the air. The 39 people known to police were identified last week using tactical drones in 43 coastal flyovers between December 20 and 26.

Police identified and arrested three known criminals found breaking the law during the flyovers. Photos: SSC

Of the criminals located, three were arrested when they were found breaking the law during the drone flyovers. The drones were used despite the recent heavy rain.

The SSC (Secretaria de Seguridad Ciudadana) of Quintana Roo reported also finding three suspicious boats during those six days while using the drones to monitor the states coast.

Three boats considered suspicious were located along the coast. Photo: SSC

In a statement, the SSC reported in the week of December 20-26 of this year, the Itzamna drone group, despite adverse weather conditions, carried out a total of 43 flights with tactical drones on the coast of Quintana Roo.

In the municipality of Benito Juarez, in support of the Cancun Tourist Police, 39 people were identified of which one was arrested for street vending without the necessary permits and two more for drug trafficking.

Three suspicious boats were also seen, with no incidents reported, they said. On Thursday, National Guard responded to reports of a boat that landed on a Tulum beach. On board, personnel found 12 Cuban nationals. This boat is in addition to the three found abandoned by the SSC drone flyovers last week.

Support was provided in surveillance and identification flights for the search for a specific target in the town of Alfredo V. Bonfil (outside Cancun) who is believed connected to illicit activities. Reconnaissance flights were carried out with the Investigation Group, the agency reported.

In the municipality of Tulum, surveillance, prevention and deterrence of crime was reinforced through an Institutional Inspection Filter operation in coordination with the municipal, state and federal governments.

During the operation, 30 people, 60 vehicles and 15 motorcycles were inspected, the SSC said.

The SSC began using drones in September of 2023 to help fight state crime. They are used by a specially trained police team, the Itzamna Drone Group, in coastal flyovers.
As 2024 began, Siouxland needed moisture. After experiencing months of drought and dry conditions, the area was in desperate need of above-normal spring rainfall to make up for long-term moisture deficits.

Mother Nature granted that wish. From March through May, much of the region saw plentiful rains that replenished dry soil conditions.

The elation of emerging from drought turned to despair over the course of one weekend in June, when record-breaking rains swelled area rivers already running higher than normal because of the wet spring to levels never seen before and led to flooding that devastated several Siouxland communities.

"You had everything necessary for an event like this to happen come together at the same time," said Justin Glisan, Iowa's state climatologist.

Flooding caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure across the area. That catastrophic flooding, along with the ensuing cleanup and ongoing recovery, is the Journal's top story of 2024.

By June 20, areas of Siouxland already had seen consecutive months of above-average rainfall. In many locations, the ground was nearly saturated and had little ability left to absorb more water -- certainly not as much as was to come.

From June 20-22, a stationary front parked over the Iowa-Minnesota border sucked up moisture coming from the Gulf of Mexico and from the atmosphere. The front produced heavy rainfall across eastern and southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. In some areas, between 10 to 20 inches of rain fell -- six month's worth of rain in three days. It was the perfect storm, one might say, of hydrological and meteorological conditions.

"When you have all these ingredients come together along a stationary front, you can see these events," Glisan said.

The water quickly overwhelmed creeks and rivers and surged downstream, striking one town after another, resulting in a flooding event likely to occur once every 1,000 years.

In just hours on the night of June 21 into the following morning, the Rock River left a large portion of Rock Valley under water. At the same time, the Little Sioux River at Spencer swamped homes and businesses on both sides of the river that runs through town.

Water continued to pulse down the Little Sioux valley, leading to widespread flooding in Sioux Rapids, Cherokee and Correctionville. The Rock River dumped its contents into an already swollen Big Sioux River, which flooded along Iowa's western border in Plymouth and Sioux counties, and a record amount of water swept across Union County in South Dakota late on June 23, wiping out a number of homes along McCook Lake in North Sioux City and causing damage in Sioux City's Riverside neighborhood.

Rivers hit record levels at nearly every measuring gauge.

In Rock Valley, the Rock River reached 27.64 feet, well above the former record of 22.7. The Little Sioux River at Correctionville reached 33 feet. The previous record was 27. The Big Sioux River at North Sioux City and Sioux City crested at 44.98. The former record was 37.7.

"We broke pretty much every record that's in existence on the river with this flood," Union County Emergency Management director Jason Westcott said of readings along the Big Sioux River, where many of the gauges were destroyed or rendered incapable of calculating the high water levels.

As flood waters began to recede, the true impact of the disaster was revealed among the mud and debris. Damage ranged from water-filled basements to homes with collapsed foundation walls or, as was the case at McCook Lake, houses washed away. Roads, bridges and utility lines were damaged. Municipal storm sewer pumps and wastewater treatment plants stressed with the high volumes of water were damaged or failed.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates damage to public infrastructure in Northwest Iowa at $234 million, a number likely to rise as local governments begin to receive more accurate assessments on damages and determine how much repairs or replacements will cost.

"It speaks to the magnitude of the impact," said Mike Cappannari, external affairs director for FEMA's Region 7, which includes Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas

That magnitude also is shown in the impact flooding had on individuals.

Westcott said Union County saw 330 homes affected and an estimated $57 million in damages to individual properties.

Residents in Union County and across Northwest Iowa looked to state and federal officials, namely FEMA, for help. Many learned the hard reality that FEMA doesn't pay 100% of damages.

"They believe if I apply for FEMA, they'll pay for everything. That's not the way FEMA works. I wish it was," Westcott said.

FEMA can provide a maximum of $45,000 to individuals through two separate programs, Cappannari said. Small Business Administration loans and other programs can provide additional assistance.

"In many instances, we are not going to get them back to where they were before the flood. We can only provide so much by law," he said.

Cappannari said more than $65 million was issued to more than 6,000 households across Northwest Iowa, a large portion of them in Spencer and Rock Valley.

A county-by-county breakdown of FEMA awards to individuals illustrates the extent of damage in those two communities and their counties. In Clay County (Spencer), $25.8 million was provided to 2,321 households. Sioux County (Rock Valley) saw $20 million issued to 948 households.

Other counties also saw millions of dollars awarded to hundreds of people: O'Brien County: $3.8 million to 710 households; Woodbury County: $3.4 million, 233 households; Lyon County: $3.3 million, 553 households; Cherokee County: $1.3 million, 97 households; and Osceola County: $1.1 million, 224 households. Households in Buena Vista and Plymouth counties received $662,000 and $322,000, respectively.

With the application period over, FEMA officials are focused on providing temporary housing for residents displaced by the flooding. Cappannari said about 100 temporary housing units, the majority of them in Rock Valley, are currently occupied.

"The focus and priority for all of us is to provide or find more long-term housing options and long-term housing solutions," Cappannari said. "We'll be there as long as it takes. Certainly we will be there as long as we have families in temporary housing."

FEMA officials generally avoid comparing one disaster to another, but the housing mission in Northwest Iowa is the largest in the four-state region since a tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, in 2011, Cappannari said.

Rebuilding continues across the region. Most people have received their FEMA payments by now. Some have made repairs, others are weighing their options, Westcott said.

"Some people have already moved on," he said. "Some people are still debating what they're going to do."

Recovery will take time. Just last month, the North Sioux City Council awarded contracts for the demolition of 20 homes at McCook Lake and installation of a temporary asphalt road on Northshore Drive, which saw large portions swept away. A permanent concrete street will be rebuilt in the future. A solution on removing soil and debris that was swept into the lake is still being sought.

"They've done a lot of improving already, but there's a lot of improving yet to be done," Westcott said of North Sioux City's progress on stabilizing and cleaning up the area around McCook Lake. "Disaster recovery is not a fast process."

Not nearly as fast, many people unfortunately learned in 2024, as a flood can alter the landscape.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/electricity-deficit-and-loss-of-fees-how-halting-russian-gas-transit-will-backfire-for-ukraine-1121292062.html

Electricity Deficit and Loss of Fees: How Halting Russian Gas Transit Will Backfire For Ukraine

Electricity Deficit and Loss of Fees: How Halting Russian Gas Transit Will Backfire For Ukraine

Sputnik International

The Kiev regime's decision not to extend the transit of Russian gas to Europe beyond January 1 is set to backfire on the country, despite Volodymyr Zelensky putting on a brave face.

2024-12-28T14:48+0000

2024-12-28T14:48+0000

2024-12-28T14:51+0000

world

robert fico

volodymyr zelensky

ukraine

slovakia

kiev

international energy agency (iea)

russia

europe

gas

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that his country would halt electricity exports to Ukraine if Kiev stops supplying Russian gas to Central Europe. If Fico follows through, Ukraine will likely face more power shortages. Dependence on electricity imports: Ukraine relies heavily on around 1.7-2.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity imported from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. Loss of Slovakia's imports: Slovakia alone exported 2.4 million megawatthours of electricity to Ukraine between January and November, a 152% year-on-year increase. Uncertain compensation: It is unclear whether Poland, Hungary, and Romania could compensate for the loss if Slovakia ceases its electricity exports to Ukraine. Increased demand and shortages: The International Energy Agency warned in September that peak demand could reach 18.5 GW this winter in Ukraine, with an estimated supply deficit of 6 GW. Additional Impact of Halting Gas Transit

ukraine

slovakia

kiev

russia

poland

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hungary

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/israel-defense-forces-finds-hezbollah-weapons-depot-in-pharmacy-in-southern-lebanon-1121289241.html

Israel Defense Forces Finds Hezbollah Weapons Depot in Pharmacy in Southern Lebanon

Israel Defense Forces Finds Hezbollah Weapons Depot in Pharmacy in Southern Lebanon

Sputnik International

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had discovered a weapons depot belonging to the Shia movement Hezbollah and a truck containing 40 rocket launchers during raids in southern Lebanon.

2024-12-28T05:15+0000

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world

israel-lebanon tensions

middle east

israel

lebanon

hezbollah

israel defense forces (idf)

beirut

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"The troops operating in the Naqoura area, the westernmost village in southern Lebanon, located terrorist infrastructure used by Hezbollah for carrying out terror attacks against the State of Israel. The troops identified military equipment and weapons storage facilities embedded inside civilian buildings, including found explosives, RPG missiles, and AK-47 rifles inside a pharmacy," it said in a statement. Additionally, the IDF said, the troops found "Burkan" missiles, mortars, and other ready-to-use weapons. "In another activity, the troops located launchers directed toward Israel, as well as a truck mounted with 40 rocket launcher barrels," it said. The statement said all the equipment was confiscated and destroyed. A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah came into effect on November 27, after months of fighting. Despite the truce, the Israeli armed forces continued to intrude into Lebanese airspace, striking selected targets in the south, conducting aerial reconnaissance over Beirut and major cities, and raiding border villages.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241221/does-israel-really-dictate-us-policies-in-middle-east-1121230919.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/last-major-medical-facility-shuts-down-in-northern-gaza-after-israeli-attack--who-1121290507.html

Last Major Medical Facility Shuts Down in Northern Gaza After Israeli Attack  WHO

Last Major Medical Facility Shuts Down in Northern Gaza After Israeli Attack  WHO

Sputnik International

Kamal Adwan - the largest medical facility in northern Gaza  has been blockaded by the Israeli army for more than two months as part of its military operations in the area.

2024-12-28T08:48+0000

2024-12-28T08:48+0000

2024-12-28T08:48+0000

world

israel

gaza strip

hospital

world health organization (who)

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hamas

attack

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The last major medical facility in the northern Gaza Strip, Kamal Adwan Hospital, has ceased its operation after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) raid destroyed the key departments, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday."This mornings [December 27] raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital has put this last major health facility in North #Gaza out of service. Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burnt and destroyed during the raid," the WHO said in a statement on X.This past Thursday, about 50 people were killed in Israeli strikes on a building near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital, said.On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from Gaza. In addition, fighters of the Palestinian militant group Hamas infiltrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians and took hostages. Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid.In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords in Gaza and announced a complete blockade of the enclave. The death toll from the Israeli attacks has surpassed 45,300 in the Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241225/hamas-accuses-israel-of-stonewalling-gaza-ceasefire-with-new-demands-1121268579.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/putin-aliyev-discuss-aktau-plane-crash--1121293208.html

Putin, Aliyev Discuss Aktau Plane Crash

Putin, Aliyev Discuss Aktau Plane Crash

Sputnik International

Russia's President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev; the leaders discussed the crash of the AZAL passenger plane, the Kremlin said.

2024-12-28T15:36+0000

2024-12-28T15:36+0000

2024-12-28T15:46+0000

world

vladimir putin

ilham aliyev

plane crash

kazakhstan

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The Russian president apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims.Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed during a telephone conversation that the investigation into the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau will be conducted transparently, and the public will be regularly informed, the press service of the Azerbaijani president said on Saturday. "During the telephone conversation, Vladimir Putin expressed condolences over the tragic incident that occurred on December 25 with an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane en route from Baku to Grozny, which was subjected to external physical and technical impact in Russian airspace... The heads of State also stressed that the investigative process in this case will be conducted transparently, and the public will be regularly informed," the statement read. Aliyev said that a commission of international experts has been formed to investigate the causes of the plane crash near Aktau and has already begun its work.The Kremlin's full report on the phone conversation between the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan: On the initiative of the Russian side, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The presidents discussed in detail the issues related to the crash of an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft repeatedly tried to land at the airport of the city of Grozny. At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled those attacks. The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport). Initial investigative actions are underway; civilian and military specialists are being interrogated. Currently, two employees of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, where they work together with representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee of Russia. The relevant services of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are closely cooperating at the disaster site in the Aktau city area.Putin Has Phone Conversation With Kazakh PresidentPutin has also held a telephone conversation with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Kremlin said. The leaders exchanged condolences in connection with the plane crash."At the initiative of the Russian side, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The heads of state exchanged condolences in connection with the crash of an Azerbaijani Airlines plane near Aktau on December 25, carrying Russian and Kazakh citizens, among others," the statement said.The presidents agreed to remain in contact both on the investigation of the plane crash circumstances, as well as bilateral cooperation issues, the statement said.An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 plane flying from Baku to Russias Grozny crashed on the morning of December 25 near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan. The airline said 62 passengers and five crew members were on board. Kazakhstan's emergencies ministry said 29 people survived in the crash.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/russias-gazprom-to-restrict-gas-supplies-to-moldova-to-zero-starting-jan-1-1121293575.html

Russia's Gazprom to Restrict Gas Supplies to Moldova to Zero Starting Jan 1

Russia's Gazprom to Restrict Gas Supplies to Moldova to Zero Starting Jan 1

Sputnik International

Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Saturday that starting January 1 it introduces a restriction on gas supplies to Moldova to zero due to the debt of Moldovagaz.

2024-12-28T18:40+0000

2024-12-28T18:40+0000

2024-12-28T18:40+0000

world

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"Gazprom sent a notification to Moldovagaz on Saturday in connection with the refusal of the Moldovan side to settle the debt for gas supplies. It says that Moldovagaz regularly fails to fulfill its payment obligations under the current contract, which is a significant violation of its terms... In this regard, based on the provisions of the contract and the applicable norms of Russian legislation, Gazprom introduces a restriction on natural gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova to zero cubic meters per day starting from 8:00 Moscow time [5:00 GMT] on January 1, 2025," Gazprom said on Telegram. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said, commenting on Gazprom's statement, that Chisinau would seek international arbitration if gas supplies stopped. "The [Moldovan] government condemns these repressive tactics and reiterates that it does not recognize any alleged debts that have been refuted by an international audit ... The government will study in detail all possible legal remedies, including applying for international arbitration, to protect our national interests and demand compensation for the decisions of the Kremlin that cause economic damage and threaten the security and well-being of the citizens of Moldova," Recean was quoted as saying by the cabinet. He added that Moldova had diversified its natural gas deliveries precisely to reduce the dependence on the sole supplier. "Our country is ready to handle any situation caused by the decision of the Kermlin. We will continue to ensure gas supplies from alternative sources and protect vulnerable groups of consumers," Recean said. In September 2023, Moldovan Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said that Gazprom's Moldovagaz subsidiary owed the Russian gas giant $8.6 million as of the end of March 2023, a fraction of the $709 million demanded by Gazprom. The minister said the rest of the debt had either expired or could not be confirmed by documents. Gazprom called Moldova's audit one-sided and vowed to take the Moldovan gas supplier to court.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/terror-tactic-what-is-ukraines-special-chemical-belt--1121291758.html

Terror Tactic: What is Ukraines Special Chemical Belt?

Terror Tactic: What is Ukraines Special Chemical Belt?

Sputnik International

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova earlier warned Washington and its satellites "not to play with fire" in order not to completely destroy the Chemical Weapons Convention.

2024-12-28T14:12+0000

2024-12-28T14:12+0000

2024-12-28T14:12+0000

world

ukraine

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The Kiev regime has developed a new illegal tactic to conduct warfare using a special chemical belt, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. Chemical terrorism is a real threat posed by the Ukrainian special services, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said.Where is the Special Chemical Belt Located?The special chemical belt tactic rides roughshod over the Chemical Weapons Convention by detonating containers with hydrocyanic acid and ammonia along highways and at major transport junctions near a number of settlements in southeastern Ukraine, such as the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic and Kupyansk in the Kharkov region.What's the Goal of the Chemical Belt?The purpose is to "significantly complicate" the offensive operations of Russian forces and give Kiev additional time to complete construction of defensive lines in the Zaporozhye region, as well as the Kharkov and Sumy regions.Is the US Involved?The number of toxic substances used by Ukrainian militants was produced and were in service only in the US, the ministrys report says.The Kiev regime has repeatedly used banned Western-supplied agents against Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict zone. More than 400 cases of Kievs use of chemicals such as BZ, prussic acid, chlorine cyanide, and riot-control chemical agents have been recorded in Ukraine since 2022.In February 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry discovered the existence of 30 US-funded military biological laboratories in Ukraine. Russia accuses the US of spending over $200 million to develop biological weapons at the facilities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230208/what-is-the-chemical-weapons-convention-of-which-russia-ukraine-are-members-1107076228.html

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russian foreign ministry spokesperson maria zakharova, kiev regime, chemical weapons convention, toxic substances, ukraine's special chemical belt, ukraine conflict
https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/ukraine-loses-up-to-450-soldiers-in-battles-with-russian-central-forces--1121291369.html

Ukraine Loses Up to 450 Soldiers in Battles With Russian Central Forces

Ukraine Loses Up to 450 Soldiers in Battles With Russian Central Forces

Sputnik International

Russias Tsenter (Center) group of forces has eliminated over 450 Ukrainian military personnel over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said

2024-12-28T10:47+0000

2024-12-28T10:47+0000

2024-12-28T10:47+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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"[Russias Tsenter group of forces] repelled 12 counterattacks by formations of the Ukrainian armed forces. The enemy lost up to 450 servicepeople, two tanks, including German-made Leopard, three infantry fighting vehicles, including a US-made Bradley IFV," the ministry said in a statement. Russia's Zapad (West) group of troops defeated the manpower and equipment of three Ukrainian brigades and repulsed two counterattacks, eliminating more than 440 Ukrainian servicepeople, the ministry said. Kiev has also lost up to 260 soldiers in battles with Russia's Yug (South) group of forces, the ministry said, adding that Russia's Eastern group of troops repelled a counterattack, with Ukrainian armed forces losing up to 160 servicepeople, the statement added.Ukraine Loses Over 250 Soldiers in Kursk Direction in Past DayThe Ukrainian armed forces have lost over 250 soldiers in the Kursk direction in the past day, and one Ukrainian soldier has surrendered, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday."Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 250 servicepeople, and an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored fighting vehicle, six vehicles and five mortars were destroyed. One Ukrainian soldier surrendered as a prisoner of war," the ministry said in a statement.In total, Ukraine has lost over 44,820 servicepeople and 259 tanks during offensive in the Kursk direction, the ministry added.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/ukraine-will-pay-for-western-adventure-with-territory-foreign-troops-presence---fico-1121288497.html

Ukraine Will Pay for 'Western Adventure' With Territory, Foreign Troops Presence - Fico

Ukraine Will Pay for 'Western Adventure' With Territory, Foreign Troops Presence - Fico

Sputnik International

Slovak Prime Minister Fico said Ukraine would pay for the "Western adventure" with its territory and foreign troops.

2024-12-28T02:54+0000

2024-12-28T02:54+0000

2024-12-28T03:54+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

robert fico

ukraine

russia

nato

donbass

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BRATISLAVA, December 28 (Sputnik) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Ukraine will pay for the "Western adventure" with its territory and the presence of foreign troops. "I do not understand that the Ukrainian political leadership is dragging the entire country into disaster, because Ukraine's negotiating position is getting worse every day. Ukraine will pay a huge price for this Western adventure in the form of loss of territory and the presence of foreign troops," Fico said in a video message published on social media on Friday. Fico previously said Ukraine could lose a third of its territory as a result of the conflict with Russia. He said Kiev will not receive an invitation to NATO either. Russia has been conducting its special military operation since February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime." According to the president, the ultimate goal of the operation is to completely liberate Donbass and create conditions that guarantee Russia's security: Ukraine must undergo demilitarization and denazification.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241227/russian-forces-liberate-two-key-settlements-in-donetsk-and-kharkov-region---mod-1121281819.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/us-and-uk-seek-to-force-russia-out-of-syria-to-further-destabilize-middle-east--cia-veteran-1121293730.html

US and UK Seek to Force Russia Out of Syria to Further Destabilize Middle East  CIA Veteran

US and UK Seek to Force Russia Out of Syria to Further Destabilize Middle East  CIA Veteran

Sputnik International

The outgoing Biden administration and the British leadership are looking to maintain chaos in the Middle East while regarding the Russian military presence in Syria as a force hindering their plans, according to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

2024-12-28T18:56+0000

2024-12-28T18:56+0000

2024-12-28T18:56+0000

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The SVR stated that the CIA and MI6 are developing plans to organize a series of terrorist attacks on Russian military facilities in Syria using ISIS* fighters armed with drones as their proxies. The US and its allies believe that they "can inflict enough damage on Russia that it'll pull out of Syria and withdraw its presence from those military bases" since they misinterpret Moscow's patience as weakness, according to Johnson. The SVR noted that the US and UK hope these terror provocations would also cast a shadow on the new Syrian authorities as being incapable of controlling the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, the US also intends to maintain control over oil-rich areas of Syria east of the Euphrates River under the pretext of fighting ISIS, according to the SVR. "The interests of the US are very simple. It's oil control. They've had control of some of the oil in the east for at least eight or nine yearsso this is not new," Johnson stresses. *terrorist organization banned by Russia and other countries

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/us-uk-intelligence-services-preparing-terrorist-attacks-against-russian-military-bases-in-syria-1121289681.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/us-officials-assess-kiev-may-lose-control-of-territory-in-kursk-in-months---reports-1121288784.html

US Officials Assess Ukraine May Lose Control of Territory in Kursk in Months

US Officials Assess Ukraine May Lose Control of Territory in Kursk in Months

Sputnik International

Ukraine may only be able to maintain control of the seized territory in the Kursk region for several months, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing anonymous US officials.

2024-12-28T01:08+0000

2024-12-28T01:08+0000

2024-12-28T05:27+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

vladimir putin

volodymyr zelensky

yuri ushakov

kursk

russia

ukraine

bloomberg

nato

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WASHINGTON, December 27 (Sputnik) - US officials predict that Ukraine may only be able to maintain control of the seized territory in Russia's Kursk Region for several months, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing anonymous US officials. Ukrainian troops might be able to control the territory in the Kursk Region only until spring, if faced with a focused effort by Russia, which could possibly take place as early as next month, to drive them out, the sources said. One of the officials suggested that Kiev's plans for the Kursk incursion have always been about shock value and reducing the number of Russian troops, thus a retreat could still be presented as a success. Meanwhile, two officials expressed hope that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would bring the Ukrainian forces out of Russia soon in order to avoid sustaining significant casualties. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that Russia would immediately cease fire and begin negotiations with Ukraine after Kiev withdrew troops from Russia's new regions and officially abandoned plans to join NATO. After Ukrainian troops attacked Russia's Kursk Region in August, Putin called the prospect of negotiations with Kiev impossible. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that Moscow's peace proposals had not been voided, but Russia would not engage with Ukraine at this point.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241227/ukraines-forces-hope-for-ceasefire-with-russia-do-not-believe-it-arrives-soon-1121279784.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20241228/us-uk-intelligence-services-preparing-terrorist-attacks-against-russian-military-bases-in-syria-1121289681.html

US, UK Intelligence Services Preparing Terrorist Attacks Against Russian Military Bases In Syria

US, UK Intelligence Services Preparing Terrorist Attacks Against Russian Military Bases In Syria

Sputnik International

US, UK Intelligence Services Preparing Terrorist Attacks Against Russian Military Bases In Syria

2024-12-28T06:16+0000

2024-12-28T06:16+0000

2024-12-28T06:32+0000

military

united kingdom (uk)

syria

russia

svr

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Washington and London are preparing terrorist attacks against Russian military bases in Syria, the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has stated. IS* field commanders have received attack drones to carry out attacks on Russian military bases in Syria, according to the SVR.The outgoing US administration and the British leadership want to prevent the stabilization of the situation in Syria, the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service reported. "Washington and London believe that in such conditions they will be able to achieve their own geopolitical goal faster - to ensure their long-term dominance in the region based on the odious concept of a rules-based order."However, this is hindered by Russia's military presence on the Mediterranean coast of Syria, which is still a significant factor in regional stability," the SVR notes.*ISIS (also known as ISIS/IL/ISIS-K/Islamic State) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries.

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us, uk intelligence services preparing terrorist attacks against russian military bases in syria
New York, US (PANA) - In a message commemorating Fridays International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all nations to invest in resilience and equity to make a healthier and safer world for all
Over the course of its history, the site of Freehold Raceway has been home to countless memorable moments, horses, and horsepeople.

Harness racing at Freehold was formally created in 1853, although the location is believed to have hosted racing as early as the 1830s. The areas first star, trotting stallion George M. Patchen, made such an impression that the track in its early days was known by his name. Born in 1849, George M. Patchen, called The Pride of Monmouth County, was a world champion in harness, to wagon, and under saddle. He died in 1864, but his name remained associated with the track for another five decades.

Among the many notable moments at Freehold was the first triple-dead-heat for win in harness racing history, which occurred on Oct. 3, 1953, when Patchover, Payne Hal, and Penny Maid reached the finish together. It happened in the days second race and resulted in a three-way payout for the daily double.

In September 1964, Speedy Scot, the previous years Trotting Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, visited Freehold for a $15,000 semifinal of the Harness Tracks of America trotting series. Speedy Scot and driver Ralph Baldwin won in 2:02.3, breaking the track record by one and two-fifths seconds. Baldwin received a $1,000 bonus for setting a track record.

Four years later, Cardigan Bay capped his career by winning the $15,000 Freehold Special in front of 11,104 fans to become harness racings first millionaire. The victory, with Stanley Dancer in the sulky, lifted the 12-year-old pacers lifetime earnings to $1,000,837. (Dancer had started his own career at Freehold, making his debut as a driver in 1945 at the age of 17 and later getting the first win of his Hall of Fame career at the track. When Dancer passed away in 2005, his funeral service included one last mile around the oval).

Dancer enjoyed another big moment at Freehold in 1972, when he guided Albatross to a 17-length win in the $25,000 Battle of Monmouth Pace. Albatross time of 1:57.3 lowered the track record by four-fifths of a second.

An electrical fire in May 1984 destroyed Freeholds grandstand and dining room. Racing resumed two months later with wagering offered under tents and the following year two air-supported bubbles were added for extra protection during inclement weather. In November 1986, a new $12.5 million grandstand was opened at the track.

In 1988, Freehold hosted its first ever time trial, with four-year-old trotter Mack Lobell and driver John Campbell circling the oval in 1:56 on what was described as an unfavorably crisp November afternoon. The time equaled Mack Lobells world record on a half-mile track and lowered Freeholds track record by two seconds. It also was nearly four seconds faster than any pacer traveled on the days regular 12-race card. The time trial was considered a tightener for Mack Lobells next start in the March of Dimes International Trot.

The Breeders Crown visited Freehold on four occasions over the years, for a total of 10 events. The first was in 1986 when Jefs Spice and driver Bill ODonnell won the three-year-old filly trot. (Campbell, incidentally, tied a national record with eight wins on the day.) The second came in 1989 with Matts Scooter and Mike Lachance taking the Open Pace.

Four years later, Expensive Scooter and Jack Moiseyev won the two-year-old colt pace, Electric Slide and Lachance won the two-year-old filly pace, Immortality and Campbell won the three-year-old filly pace, and Life Sign and Campbell won the three-year-old colt pace.

In 1994, Campbell won the Open Trot with Pine Chip, Stig Johansson won the Mare Trot with Armbro Keepsake, Paul MacDonell won the Open Pace with Village Jiffy, and Lachance won the Mare Pace with Shady Daisy (in a world-record 1:53.1).

Freehold also kicked off the start of two Pacing Triple Crown-winning efforts as Blissfull Hall in 1999 and No Pan Intended in 2003 captured the Cane Pace at the central New Jersey oval.

Other standout horses to compete at Freehold over the years included Abercrombie, Hot Hitter, Niatross, Nihilator, Goalie Jeff, Artsplace, Western Hanover, Cams Card Shark, Art Major, and Rocknroll Hanover  all winners of the James B. Dancer Memorial for three-year-old pacers. The Helen Dancer Memorial for sophomore female pacers saw Roses Are Red, Three Diamonds, Naughty But Nice, Stienams Place, Galleria, and Southwind Tempo among its champions. The Dexter Cup for three-year-old trotters counts American Winner and Mr Lavec among its winners.

Moni Maker made her only trip to Freehold during her U.S. Horse of the Year season of 1999, winning a leg of the Classic Open Trot Series. She was the lone mare in the eight-horse field and stopped the timer in 2:03.3 for the distance of 1-1/16 miles, just one-fifth of a second off the world record.

Drivers to win titles at Freehold have included a number of Hall of Famers, such as Anthony Abbatiello, Carmine Abbatiello, Bob Farrington, Bill Popfinger, Herve Filion, Eddie Lohmeyer, and Cat Manzi. Others with multiple titles have included Moiseyev, Harold Kelly, Andy Miller, and a third Abbatiello  Carmines son, Eric.

Austin Siegelman, who has been Freeholds leading driver three of the past four years, entered Friday with a seven-win lead over second-place Tyler Miller and 10-race cushion over third-place Jim Marohn Jr. (himself a former champ).

The curtain comes down on Freeholds final season of racing with an 11-race card Saturday. Many participants from Freeholds past and present will be remembered and honoured during the afternoon.

Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. with doors opening at 11 a.m. There will be food trucks on the apron for the fans that choose to join in-person. For the afternoons complete entries, click here.

(with files from USTA)
Standardbred trainer Robert (Bob) Marshall of Sweaburg, Ont. passed away suddenly at home on Dec. 11, 2024 in his 85th year.

Bob spent many years fulfilling his life passion of training Standardbreds. Alongside Joan, his wife of 65 years, Bob ran a public stable for many years before working and training for Doug Millard. Bob & Joan also managed Mr. Millard's training centre in Bell, Fl. until five years ago when they retired to their home in Sweaburg.

Loved father of Donna, Karen, Rick and Randy, 14 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Bob was a very hard working man, loving husband and father. He will be sadly missed by all. A celebration of Bob's life was held on Dec. 21.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bob Marshall.
A Utah couple said that their health insurance company refused to cover the prosthetic arm of their nine-year-old daughter, saying it was "not medically necessary." This led the public to band together to raise funds to cover the robotic arm.

Remi Bateman, 9, was born without a left hand, leading her to struggle with basic tasks such as tying her shoes. Her disability has also led her to be targeted by bullies in school. While she has used basic prosthetics, the arms were too stiff and the movements it allowed were too restricted, which prevented her from doing tasks requiring fine motor skills.

To resolve this, Jami, the child's mother, applied for a "Hero Arm," which is a bionic robot arm that functions like a natural arm and hand from the company Open Bionics. The arm would allow Remi to do things such as lift a fork and knife. The Hero Arm go for $24,000---a cost that the family hoped Select Health, their health insurance company, would pay for.

Why Did Select Health Deny Their Request for Coverage?

The Batemans requested insurance coverage with Select Health, but they have been denied twice.

"They sent us a letter saying it was not medically necessary for Remi to have a Hero Arm and that it was for cosmetic use only," Jami said, per The Washington Post. "We appealed twice and were again denied."

The rejection comes even after the family provided Select Health with documentation from medical providers stating that the bionic arm would improve Remi's overall quality of life.

Funding the Bionic Arm

Following the denial of the requests, Jami launched a GoFundMe campaign for her daughter. Within days, the donations surpassed the family's goal of $24,000.

When news of their predicament went viral, CrowdHealth CEO Andy Schoonover contacted the family. The firm said they wanted to cover the entire cost of Remi's bionic arm.

With the cost for Remi's bionic arm now covered, the Batemans contacted Open Bionics and chose Tyraun "Taj" Johnson, also 9, to receive the donations from their GoFundMe campaign to fund his Hero Arm.

Tyraun will get fitted for his bionic arm in January.
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China a driver of BMW's innovation, e-mobility, says CEO

Xinhua) 10:52, December 28, 2024

This photo taken on April 26, 2024 shows a BMW electric vehicle displayed at the signing ceremony for deepening strategic cooperation between BMW and Shenyang, in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

BMW has established its largest research and development location outside Germany in China.

BERLIN, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The top executive of German carmaker BMW has described China as its largest global market of "tremendous importance" and a leading hub for technology and innovation.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse highlighted China's role as a pioneer in technology adoption and innovation-driven purchasing decisions. "To understand what will drive the world tomorrow, you must anticipate what is happening in China," he said.

BMW has established its largest research and development location outside Germany in China. The company operates innovation bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing, focusing on vehicle development, digital services, software systems, and autonomous driving.

Zipse praised China's new energy vehicle (NEV) strategy, describing it as inclusive and pragmatic. Covering battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell electric vehicles, the strategy is "results-oriented and free from dogma," he said.

"This is the most promising and efficient way to ensure the market embraces e-mobility," Zipse added. He noted the alignment between China's approach and BMW's commitment to technological openness, which offers consumers a range of mobility solutions.

A BMW i5 electric car produced by BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) is displayed at an innovation achievements exhibition of the 2024 Global Industrial Internet Conference in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Lei)

China's NEV market has experienced rapid growth, with sales reaching 9.5 million units in 2023 and projected to hit 11.5 million this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

BMW is actively contributing to this growth. In the first three quarters of the year, sales of its battery-electric vehicles in China increased by nearly 10 percent year-on-year.

In April, BMW announced an additional investment of 20 billion yuan (2.74 billion U.S. dollars) to upgrade its Shenyang production base, its largest outside Germany. The expansion targets NEV production.

"Our investments underscore our longstanding commitment to China and the potential we see here for the future," Zipse said. Production of BMW's next-generation electric models, the "Neue Klasse," is set to begin at the site in 2026.

Oliver Zipse, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, speaks during an interview in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, April 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

Marking BMW's 30th anniversary in China, Zipse reflected on the company's growing presence in the country with its Chinese partners such as CATL and Tsinghua University, as well as some 500 local suppliers. "We are at home in China," he said.

Zipse also voiced opposition to the European Union's decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese EV imports. "Free trade has been -- and will always be -- our guiding principle," he stressed, warning that tariffs could disrupt global business models and constrain EV supply in Europe, ultimately hindering decarbonization efforts.

Instead, Zipse called for stronger partnerships between European and Chinese automotive firms. "Global challenges like climate change can only be tackled jointly. I see great potential in fostering such collaborations across borders and regions," he said. (1 yuan = 0.14 U.S. dollar)

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Zhong Wenxing)
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.
InSpotLight, the regions ultimate technology showcase for lighting industry, will return to Light+ Intelligent Middle East expo in Dubai next year featuring 40 international speakers as well as industry leaders, who will discuss the future of lighting, design and technology.

Light + Intelligent Building Middle East is now in its 18th edition and coincides with Intersec Dubai to form the Mena regions largest trade fair covering the building services sector.

The upcoming show will be the largest in the events history, with exhibitors from over 30 countries and an expanded exhibition space of 20% compared to 2024, said the event organisers Messe Frankfurt Group.

It will also host the final round for the Product of the Year category for the Light Middle East Awards.

To be held from January 14 to 16, InSpotLight provides a platform for industry leaders, enthusiasts and innovators to come together to discuss the future of lighting, design, and technology.

Now in its third year, InSpotLight will highlight the latest innovations in lighting, focusing on how these advancements can improve illuminated environments and transform the industry.

The InSpotLight stage will see leading industry experts outline the latest innovations in lighting technology and advancements in international lighting standards, providing invaluable guidance for designers in the region.

The expo's opening day will feature the final round of judging for The Specifiers Arena  Product Pitch, where the overall winner will be awarded the Light Middle East Awards 2025 Product of the Year.

The 'Product of the Year' category covers four subcategories which include 'Indoor Lighting', 'Outdoor Lighting', 'Decorative Lighting', and 'Intelligent Lighting Solution of the Year.'

Representatives from various companies, including LEDFlex Group, iGuzzini, BEGA, Targetti Sankey, Media Facade Limited, Catellani & Smith, Intra Lighting, Arkoslight, Erco Lighting, atelje Lyktan, EWO, Inventronics, Flashnet, Madrix | inoage GmbH and Linea Light, will take the stage to present their shortlisted products to an independent panel of judges.

On the final day of InSpotLight, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) will host an industry workshop on Building Commonality in Global Lighting Best Practices.

Abdul Muhsin, the show director for Light + Intelligent Building Middle East, said: "Each presentation promises to highlight the unique capabilities and advancements of their products, setting the stage for a dynamic competition in the regional lighting industry."

"The Specifiers Arena  Product Pitch perfectly sets the tone for three days of innovation, creativity and industry best practices at InSpotLight," he stated.

The second day of InSpotLight will feature a series of presentations and panel discussions which highlight the latest industry innovations. Tac Lion, General Manager, Media Facade will host a fascinating session on the ways in which smart lighting systems are changing the way we interact with our surroundings.

Meanwhile, Matteo Toscan, Head of Application, Street and Area at Inventronics will conduct a presentation on Outdoor Smart Lighting and IoT integration, exploring how connectivity technology and smart LED systems improve outdoor lighting, helping end-users to reduce energy and maintenance costs.

On the final day of InSpotLight on January 16, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) will join forces to host a workshop on Building Commonality in Global Lighting Best Practices.

As the world becomes more interconnected, the importance of aligning various aspects of lighting has never been greater. This interactive session will examine the core principles that guide the best lighting design practices, including energy efficiency, sustainability, human-centric lighting, dark skies and more.

Brienne Wilcock, Director of Education and Standards, IES said: "Standardisation in lighting has always been a collaborative effort."

"To be impactful for the industry, the IES values any opportunities to partner with organisations that are regional, national, and global to increase awareness and provide education in the context of standards," he added.

During the workshop, IES will also provide an update on the insights shared at the Global Lighting Summit.

An interactive tool developed by the IES will also be showcased, which allows users to find illuminance recommendations in lux and footcandles from any IES standard in one convenient place.

Commenting on the tool, Wilcock said: "We are excited about its potential for widespread use and believe it offers an innovative approach to enhancing the credibility of learning about appropriate light levels."

"In addition, InSpotLight will feature an exclusive workshop on DALI, which will address unique approaches to elevate designs. DALI is the internationally standardised protocol for digital communication between lighting control devices, established by the global industry organisation, the DALI Alliance," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Vatel Bahrain, a part of Vatel network of global hospitality schools, has signed a co-operation agreement with the Onyx Rotana Hotel that will see the hospitality group provide practical training opportunities for the colleges students in various departments within the property.

The deal, which is aimed at enhancing co-operation between the two parties, comes in line with Vatel Colleges commitment to developing the hospitality sector and enhancing opportunities for its students.

This agreement comes as part of the colleges efforts to expand its partnerships with major hotels and resorts in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which contributes to enabling students to gain practical experience and high professional skills that qualify them for the labour market, said a statement from Vatel.

On the occasion, Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, General Manager of Vatel Bahrain, said: "Signing the MoU with Onyx Arjaan by Rotana represents a strategic step towards enhancing our students experience by providing a world-class practical training environment."

"We are committed to providing our students with diverse opportunities that enable them to acquire the skills needed for the job market, and this partnership reflects the colleges vision to develop the level of practical education in the fields of tourism, hospitality and hotels," he stated.

Salman Abdul Ghaffar Al Kooheji, the Rotanas Customer Representative, expressed his pride in this partnership, saying: "We are pleased to cooperate with Vatel College, which is one of the most prominent educational institutions in the field of hospitality in the region."

"Through this agreement, we aim to provide a distinguished training experience for students that enables them to closely learn about the professional work environment, which enhances their capabilities and contributes to preparing them to be future leaders in this vital sector," observed Al Kooheji.

"The MoU provides Vatel students with the opportunity to train in a variety of departments within the hotel, under the supervision of professional hospitality experts, providing them with an integrated educational experience that combines both theoretical and practical aspects," he added.

A prominent hospitality college, Vatel Bahrain is preparing students for successful careers in the hospitality and international tourism sectors.

Vatel Hospitality Management is present in 50 locations worldwide, in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

Vatel relies on teaching management techniques inspired by a long history in the hospitality industry based on quality and customer satisfaction.

It also promotes the French art of hospitality, which is globally recognized as a symbol of quality and excellence. The network now includes 45,000 graduates working in the most luxurious hotels around the world.-TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport, has announced that its senior executives - Leena A. Faraj (the Vice President of Strategic Implementation and Business Development) and Dana Ismaeel (the Senior Environment and Sustainability Engineer), to key leadership positions within the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific and Middle East Regional Committees.

Faraj will serve as the Vice Chair of the ACI Regional Economic Committee (REC), while Ismaeel will be Vice Chair of the ACI Regional Environment Committee (REC) for 2025-2026 period.

Established in 1991, ACI is an organization of airport authorities, informing members of industry practices and airport standards headquartered in Montreal, Canada,. Its 814 members operate 2,110 airports across the globe.

Some of its major programmes include safety enhancement and Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ), based on passenger satisfaction ratings. Other initiatives cover economics, operational security, carbon accreditation, and passenger transportation.

The ACI Regional Economic Committee encourages its member airports to improve operational and cost efficiency to moderate the cost of flying, mitigate capacity shortfalls and create sufficient rates of return.

On the other hand, the ACI Regional Environment Committee (REC) develops initiatives to reduce environmental impacts while supporting economic and social benefits. It creates tools to help airports calculate their greenhouse gas emissions.

On Farajs appointment, BAC said her leadership and strategic expertise have continued supporting the company's growth initiatives during challenging times and coordinating its efforts to explore revenue growth strategies.

On Ismaeel, BAC said her appointment is special as she becomes the first Middle Eastern representative to take on this role, with potential progression to Chair.

Lauding the key milestone, the Bahraini aviation body said Ismaeel's exceptional contributions at BAC include leading key environmental sustainability initiatives and developing comprehensive strategies for decarbonisation and waste diversion.

These appointments reflect BACs commitment to fostering leadership and excellence within the aviation industry and are a testament to the exceptional contributions of both Ismaeel and Faraj, it added.

A major player in the regional aviation scene, BAC is responsible for developing the Bahrain International Airport's infrastructure, facilities, and commercial offerings, transforming BIA into a leading boutique airport in the Gulf region.

With a focus on innovation, efficiency, and culture, BAC aims to establish it as a best-in-class airport that reflects Bahrains unique character and strengthens its role as a financial, cultural, and aviation center in the region.

Since taking over management in 2010, BAC has positioned BIA as the most desirable hub for airlines and passengers.-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.
Perhaps it is because there is no consequence for the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) that it continues to disconnect the electricity supply of its customers without warning.

Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) executive director Dr Michelle Salandy confirmed to a parliamentary Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Local Authorities, Service Commissions and Statutory Authorities (including THA) that T&TEC faces no repercussions for the failure to adhere to its code of practice that gives specific step-by-step guidance on disconnection, reconnection, and theft of electricity, among other things. Now that information is in the public sphere, the public will no doubt hold the commission to account.
Eight years after he left his namesake Tucson burger joint, Lindon Lindy Reilly is heading back to the kitchen at Lindys on Fourth.

Reilly will run the kitchen for the months-old Burgertime Management Corp., which last month bought the iconic North Fourth Avenue restaurant that Reilly launched in December 2005.

Burgertime, which formed in August as a Tucson restaurant management company, acquired Lindys in November from owner Shannon Cronin, Reillys mother and former business partner.

Cronin put the restaurant up for sale last summer after running it since 2017, when Lindys moved across the street from its original location at 431 N. Fourth Ave. to 500 N. Fourth. Reilly left the business shortly after the move.

Burgertime founder and managing partner Conrad Rodriguez said the goal of him and his partners, Ryan Glass and Kristina MacLean, is to bring the brand back to prominence and to give it the love and attention we felt it deserves.

They brought Reilly in several weeks ago to consult on the menu. Eventually, Rodriguez said, Reilly and his wife, Shelly, will become partners in the venture.

Reilly said his goal is to revamp the menu and bring back my attitude in my food.

It will definitely be more bar and grill than burgers, he said. Were going to expand the menu and bring the burger menu down considerably. Were going to return to the original idea of having a full bar and sandwich and burger menu.

Plans include bringing back some Lindys favorites including the hot-and-spicy Donkey Punch and rebuilding the mac n cheese burger. He also wants to add sandwiches and salads, which he is calling burger bowls.

Im just kind of bringing back some of my flavor profiles and what I do with food there, Reilly said Thursday, including reinventing the house Lindys Sauce and adding new appetizers.

Alfredo Aguilar Jr., an award-winning mixologist who worked with Reilly early on at Lindys, also is back in the fold as general manager, Reilly said. Aguilar followed Reilly out the door back in 2017.

Reilly is adding the new Lindys role to his already full plate that includes expanding his 3-year-old Thunder Bacon Burger restaurant at 33 N. Sixth Ave., that he opened with his daughter, Nicole Chisler. In addition to the father and daughter, Reillys wife, son and younger daughter all work at the restaurant.

Reilly plans to open a full-service bar and a deli with grab-and-go items in two neighboring spaces including the former home of Miss Saigon, which has been vacant since the restaurant moved in November 2023 from 47 N. Sixth to the ground floor of the Tucson Electric Power building at 88 E. Broadway Blvd.

Reilly said he hopes to have the bar and deli open by fall 2025.

Reilly admitted he is about to have his hands full, but Lindys coming into the fold was an opportunity I was excited about, he said.

I love Conrad and I love what he wants to do with it, he said. And the opportunity to come back fully felt right.
This years winners of two prestigious book awards  the National Book Award for nonfiction and the Booker Prize for fiction  will be featured at the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books.

Among more than 300 authors who will appear at the festival, March 15-16 at the University of Arizona, theyll be joined by six other writers who caught the attention of National Book Awards judges this year: four finalists, in fiction, young peoples literature and poetry; one semifinalist in poetry; and an author who was longlisted for the nonfiction honor.

Several of these writers topics resonate especially in Southern Arizona, from human smuggling across the border; to copper mines that are controversial but help power green technologies; to Indigenous families whose elders were forced into boarding schools; to poetry that layers English and Spanish together.

Mark your calendars for:

Jason De Leon

Jason De Leon will come to Tucson with Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling, which received the 2024 National Book Award for nonfiction.

It also made notable-books-of-the-year lists compiled by the New York Times, the Boston Globe, NPR and Time. A work of extraordinary reportage and compassion ... (it) will shock you, move you, and leave you changed, says a review by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Matthew Desmond.

Political instability, poverty, climate change, and the insatiable appetite for cheap labor all fuel clandestine movement across borders. As those borders harden, the demand for smugglers who aid migrants across them increases every year.

Yet the real lives and work of smugglers  or coyotes, or guides, as they are often known by the migrants who hire their services  are only ever reported on from a distance, using tired tropes and stereotypes, often depicted as boogie men and violent warlords. In an effort to better understand this essential yet extralegal billion-dollar global industry, internationally recognized anthropologist and expert Jason De Leon embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years, the National Book Awards description says.

Soldiers and Kings gives voice and unprecedented context to the people, most of them young men, who make a precarious living smuggling migrants from Central America and Mexico into the United States, says a website at UCLA, where De Leon is a professor of anthropology and Chicana/o studies.

A 2017 MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow, De Leon also authored 2015s The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail.

Samantha Harvey

Samantha Harvey will come to the festival with Orbital, which won the 2024 Booker Prize as the years best novel published in Great Britain.

Six astronauts observe Earths splendour while navigating bereavement, loneliness and mission fatigue. Compact yet beautifully expansive, this is a love letter to our planet, the Booker Prize judges wrote, using the British spelling of splendor.

The astronauts rotate on the International Space Station. They are there to do vital work, but slowly they begin to wonder: What is life without Earth? What is Earth without humanity?

Harvey has been called this generations Virginia Woolf, and she told The Guardian, I admire Woolf probably more than any other writer I can think of. I didnt think about parallels with The Waves while writing Orbital, but I can see theres something (similar) about the way voices surface and dissipate. Woolfs 1931 novel The Waves, like Orbital, features the voices of six characters.

In a Q&A about the Booker Prize, Harvey said: I think a good book is one that when you close it, gives the feeling of perfect inevitability. So theres a sense that its story couldnt have been told any other way.

Harveys previous books included The Wilderness about dementia; The Western Wind about a murder in medieval Somerset; and The Shapeless Unease, a memoir of her chronic insomnia.

She lives in England in Bath, Somerset, and teaches creative writing.

Pemi Aguda

The Tucson Festival of Books will also feature three other authors who were finalists for 2024 National Book Awards: Pemi Aguda, Violet Duncan and Josh Galarza.

Agudas Ghostroots was a finalist for the National Book Award for fiction, whose website describes it as:

A debut collection of stories set in a hauntingly reimagined Lagos (Nigeria) where characters vie for freedom from ancestral ties ... In Manifest, a woman sees the ghost of her abusive mother in her daughters face. Shortly after, the daughter is overtaken by wicked and destructive impulses. In Breastmilk, a wife forgives her husband for his infidelity. Months later, when she is unable to produce milk for her newborn, she blames herself for failing to uphold her mothers feminist values and doubts her fitness for motherhood.

Originally from Lagos, Aguda lives in Philadelphia.

Violet Duncan

Violet Duncan, an Arizona author, is Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation.

After becoming a mother of four and seeing the need for greater Native representation in literature, Violet authored picturebooks.

Her new middle school novel, Buffalo Dreamer, was named a 2024 National Book Award for Young Peoples Literature Finalist, the festivals website says.

The book is an illuminating novel about a family healing from the brutal treatment of their elders, whod been forced to attend federally run Indian Boarding Schools intent on erasing their native identity, says the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

Josh Galarza

The debut novel by longtime Montessori educator Josh Galarza, The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky, was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for young peoples literature.

Ever since cancer invaded his adoptive mothers life, the books main character, Brett, feels like hes losing everything, most of all control. To cope, Brett fuels all of his anxieties into epic fantasies, including his intergalactic Kid Condor comic book series, which features food constellations.

Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, said: Bretts quirky voice  a mix of self-conscious thoughts, Kid Condor mythology, and bro-isms (You ready for some nuggs, bruh?)  tempers this funny yet bruising narrative about one teens experience with grief and disordered eating.

m.s. RedCherries

m.s. RedCherries received an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop and a JD from Arizona State University College of Law. She is a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation and lives in New York City.

Her debut collection, "mother," was a finalist for the National Book Award in poetry this year.

"mother is a work rooted in an intimate fracture: an Indigenous child is adopted out of her tribe and raised by a non-Indian family. As an adult finding her way back to her origins, our unnamed narrator begins to put the pieces of her birth familys history together through the stories told to her by her mother, father, sister, and brother, all of whom remained on the reservation where she was born," says its publisher.

The award judges wrote: 'Riddled with shadowed humor that would bait the consciousness,' these poems tenderly, vulnerably, and fearlessly sequence threads of familial bonds, heredity, and Indigenous identity. With a captivating and conversant voice, m.s. RedCherries maps the intersections of the historical with the personal and deftly binds the two like strands of DNA, creating the spark of life that courses through this vital work."

Octavio Quintanilla

Two who also caught the eyes of National Book Award judges this year will also be at the festival: Octavio Quintanilla, a semifinalist in poetry; and Ernest Scheyder, who was longlisted for nonfiction.

In The Book of Wounded Sparrows, his second full-length collection of poetry, Octavio Quintanilla sifts through the wreckage left in the pursuit of the American Dream, says the awards website.

This is a book within a book, a memory within a memory, a future within a past, and most urgently  a journey to reclaim the self for what it was and to proclaim what it could be. Nested within one another, the English and Spanish, the poetry and art, create layers ....

Quintanilla was San Antonio, Texas, Poet Laureate from 2018-20.

Ernest Scheyder

A senior correspondent for Reuters, Ernest Scheyder covers the green energy transition and the minerals that undergird it.

His current book is The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives.

To build electric vehicles, solar panels, cell phones, and millions of other devices means the world must dig more mines to extract lithium, copper, and other vital building blocks. But mines are deeply unpopular, even as they have a role to play in fighting climate change and powering crucial technologies, says the National Book Awards website.

The National Book Foundation sponsors the National Book Awards, saying its mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in our culture.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Hoang Xuan Chien and his Russian counterpart Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin have agreed to step up the defense cooperation between the two nations while co-chairing the seventh Vietnam-Russia Defense Strategy Dialogue in Hanoi on Thursday.

At the event, Deputy Minister Chien underlined the crucial role of boosting defense cooperation in the overall traditional friendship as well as in the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

Highly appreciating the results of cooperation between the two defense ministries since the sixth dialogue in July 2023, Chien suggested that the two sides continue to enhance bilateral defense cooperation in various areas, including exchanging delegations at all levels, strengthening important cooperation mechanisms such as the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee on the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, and maintaining strategy dialogues.

He also urged stronger cooperation in training in military medicine and Russian language, as well as collaboration between the two sides military units.

In addition, Chien asked the Russian side to assist the Vietnamese defense ministry in compiling a dossier on 70 years of defense cooperation between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union and Russia today.

He expressed his belief that the results of the seventh dialogue will give new momentum for the two ministries to expand and deepen the defense cooperation.

Treasuring the fruitful outcomes in cooperation between the two ministries, Deputy Minister Fomin emphasized that defense cooperation is an important pillar of Vietnam-Russia diplomatic relations.

Noting that 2025 will mark the 75th anniversary of the two countries diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic Victory of the Soviet people, to which Vietnam had made contributions, Fomin emphasized the need to promote close-knit friendship and mutually beneficial ties between the two ministries.

The Russian defense ministry will continue to actively coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to step up the bilateral defense links in an effective and substantive manner, Fomin told the dialogue.

The two officials also shared their views on the world and regional situations of mutual concern.

Chien affirmed Vietnams consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations.

Vietnam is ready to cooperate with countries and international organizations for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world, Chien said.

He also highlighted Vietnams stance on resolving all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Regarding defense policy, Chien reiterated Vietnam's defense policy of 'four nos,' including no engagement in military alliances, no alignment with any single nation against another, no foreign military bases on Vietnamese soil or usage of Vietnam as a pawn to counteract other countries, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

The dialogue came to an end with the two sides signing two documents which serve as a foundation for cooperation between the two ministries in the coming time.

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Cities and provinces across Vietnam are pursuing green and sustainable tourism approaches and enhancing efforts in environmental protection, while many areas have rushed to the bird aviary model, which is blamed for a decrease in wild bird populations.

The prime ministers Directive 04 stipulates urgent measures to preserve wild and migratory birds in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the number of aviaries in Vietnam has risen sharply over the past several years, and related events, such as sunbird contests, have sparked concerns for the safety of wild birds.

According to several wildlife photographers, sunbirds used to be easy to spot in Da Lat City, a popular tourist site in the Central Highlands region, but have become much more difficult to find in the past several years.

In October, Wildtour and Research Service Company and BirdLife International conducted a survey at 36 bird stores in Ho Chi Minh City; Da Lat and Di Linh District in Lam Dong Province; Pleiku in Gia Lai Province; and Kon Tum Province.

The results of the survey showed that over 5,580 birds belonging to 82 species were up for sale, including 1,721 red-whiskered bulbuls and several endangered orange-breasted laughingthrush and Vietnamese cutia.

The survey also found that 10 species of sunbirds were available at these stores, mainly in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam is home to a wide array of bird species, including various endemic birds such as grey-crowned crocias, collared laughingthrush, cutia, and green-tailed sunbird.

Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province, Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park in Lam Dong Province, Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai Province, and the Kon Tum Plateau are homes to many bird species.

As such, birdwatchers from across the country flock to these parks to photograph birds.

Apart from generating revenue, birdwatching tourism also promotes nature preservation.

Unfortunately, illegal bird hunting and trapping is causing bird populations to dwindle.

In early December, members of the Vietnam Wildlife Photography Club voiced their anger after a clip went viral on social media, showing hundreds of male sunbirds kept in a giant aviary.

The clip was posted on the Internet by a bird food facility, known for sponsoring sunbird contests across the country.

Owners of similar aviaries revealed that the survival rate of captive sunbirds is relatively low.

Illegally hunting wild birds and confining them in aviaries have not only made bird populations plummet, but also disrupted the natural balance of local ecosystems.

The uncontrollable acts could lead to infection disease outbreaks.

Wild birds play a key role in the ecosystem, helping pollinate plants, control pests and maintain the natural cycle.

Rampant bird hunting can lead to multiple negative effects on the environment.

Specifically, a large volume of sunbirds, which significantly contribute to pollination, are being hunted, possibly plunging the natural ecosystem at risk.

Once the number of wild birds falls, the allure of many national parks and wildlife reserves will reduce.

If bird hunting is not controlled strictly, many bird species will be on the brink of extinction, and the natural food chain will be affected.

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Heavy rain caused widespread flooding, submerging many roads in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai province, southern Vietnam on Friday afternoon.

Around 4:00 pm on Friday, a sudden downpour hit Bien Hoa City and surrounding areas in Dong Nai Province.

Within moments, several major roads in Bien Hoa, including Dong Khoi, Pham Van Thuan, Tran Quoc Toan, and National Highway 1, were severely flooded.

In many areas, water levels rose above knee height, making it extremely difficult for vehicles to pass.

Notably, the Trang Dai intersection on Dong Khoi Street was submerged by more than half a meter of water, with fast-moving currents causing several vehicles to stall.

This area has become the focal point of flooding in Bien Hoa, as water overflowed from alleys, submerging both the road surface and sidewalks.

Motorbikes are forced onto the sidewalk of Dong Khoi Street due to flooding in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, December 27, 2024. Photo: A Loc

Additionally, the National Highway 1 near Dong Nai Childrens Hospital also experienced significant flooding.

This area is prone to deep water accumulation during heavy rains, given its low-lying location.

The flooding led to widespread traffic congestion, with many motorists forced to stop and wait for the water to recede before proceeding through the flooded sections.

According to the Dong Nai Hydrometeorological Station, the province received heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on Friday afternoon, with Bien Hoa recording up to 79mm of rain.

Tri An Lake in Vinh Cuu District received 61mm, and Long Thanh District saw 34mm.

The Dong Nai Hydrometeorological Station has issued a warning that flooding could continue in low-lying areas.

Residents are advised to take precautions against potential flooding, especially in areas with inadequate or ongoing drainage system construction and repairs.

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Police in Phu Quoc, an island city off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam, on Friday announced the arrest of three Uzbek men who allegedly used fake U.S. banknotes in scams to appropriate money from local establishments.

These foreign suspects  Nasyrov Odiljon, 31, Ernazarov Feruzbek, 24, and Rasulov Isroil, 31  were detained at the Grand World Phu Quoc resort in Ganh Dau Commune at 3:25 am on the same day.

They have been under investigation on charges of circulating fake banknotes and appropriating assets.

Police officers seized more than US$22,000 in counterfeit $100 bills and over VND330 million (nearly $13,000) in Vietnamese currency.

The arrest came about two months after the city police received reports from many establishments over the loss of a total of over VND200 million ($7,850) due to a group of foreigners who used fake banknotes.

After determining these Uzbeks as alleged culprits of the scams, the police launched an investigation that led to their arrest.

These foreigners admitted they had exchanged counterfeit U.S. dollars for Vietnamese dong or used them to purchase goods and pay for services, thereby appropriating money from shops, hotels and restaurants in Phu Quoc.

The city police said they are coordinating with relevant forces to expand their investigation into the swindling gang to track down the origin of the counterfeit U.S. banknotes.

They have also called on victims of this gang to report their cases to police.

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Vietnam plans to start building a North-South high-speed railway at a cost of US$67 billion in December 2027, Nguyen Danh Huy, Deputy Minister of Transport, said at a meeting on Thursday.

At a meeting of the steering committee for the North-South high-speed railway project and important national railway projects on Thursday, Deputy Minister Huy informed that after the law-making National Assembly approved the North-South high-speed railway project earlier this month, the Ministry of Transport has built a comprehensive plan to execute it, including choosing consultants, making, appraising and approving the pre-feasibility, and holding tenders for packages.

Leaders of relevant ministries and agencies have discussed the development of railway engineering, manpower training, capital mobilization, land use, transit-oriented development, and technology transfer plans.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said the trans-Vietnam high-speed railway project is expected to pave the way for the development of the high-speed railway sector in Vietnam.

Therefore, the plan to execute the project must be scientific, systematic and comprehensive, beginning with developing policies and standards, conducting surveys, producing designs, choosing technology, and then operating and managing the rail line.

Vietnam needs to take the initiative in developing the project and gradually become self-sufficient in the railway sector and related sectors, the deputy prime minister added.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. Photo: Vietnam Government Portal

He ordered a clear legal corridor and policies for the project, specifically amending the Law on Railway Transport by adding high-speed railway standards in technology, operation equipment, information management and construction safety, as well as special policies.

It is important to choose prestigious and experienced international consulting units, identify capital resources and the needed land, and clear the site.

He required determining phases of which Vietnamese enterprises can take control and products and services that they can provide.

Vietnam Railway was told to work out a plan to restructure its personnel to join the execution of the high-speed railway project and manage and operate the rail line when it is in place.

The high-speed rail line, stretching more than 1,500 kilometres from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to reduce the current journey time by rail from 30 hours to around five.

The new rail line will stop at 23 stations in 20 different cities and provinces, boosting connectivity between the regions.

The project is scheduled to take eight years -- beginning in 2027 and aiming for completion in 2035.

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The 240km-long Day River, one of the major rivers in northern Vietnam, is riddled with untreated wastewater and sediment buildup, particularly several sections in suburban Hanoi.

Being fed by the Red River through the Cam Dinh sluice gate, located in Hanois Phuc Tho District, the Day River faces worsening pollution due to reduced water inflow and rampant discharge of raw sewage.

A recent site visit in late December by Tuoi Tre (Youth) correspondents revealed alarming conditions in the outlying districts of Hoai Duc and Quoc Oai, where open sewers kept releasing untreated wastewater into the waterway and a dearth of heavy rainfall has exacerbated the water pollution.

In Hoai Ducs Van Con Commune, parts of the river have narrowed to just 4-5m, with black, oily water that emits a foul stench.

A section of the river in Quoc Oais Yen Son Commune has turned into a wastewater ditch.

A Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment official told Tuoi Tre that untreated domestic wastewater was identified as the primary source of pollution in the Nhue-Day river basin, contributing to over 65 percent of contamination.

In Hanoi, approximately one million cubic meters of wastewater is discharged into the citys rivers daily, with only 22 percent of it being treated.

In neighboring areas, Ha Nam Province daily releases some 114,000 cubic meters of wastewater, with 60 percent of urban areas equipped with wastewater treatment systems.

Ninh Binh Province generates 100,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day, but only 11 percent of urban areas have treatment facilities, with just 15 percent of wastewater treated.

These untreated discharges continue to flow directly into the Day River, worsening its condition.

To combat pollution and revive the river, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment urged the implementation of some immediate actions.

The ministry underscored the need to prioritize cleaning urban rivers in Hanoi, such as the To Lich, Lu, Set, and Kim Nguu rivers, which are primary sources of pollution for the Day River.

Authorities need to adopt measures to improve drainage systems and remove sediment to restore the river's flow, and increase wastewater treatment capacity in Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi, especially in industrial and craft village clusters.

The Institute of Water Resources Planning, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, reported that the significant lowering of the Red River bed is severely impacting the efficiency of irrigation systems, including the Cam Dinh sluice gate in Hanois Phuc Tho District, which channels water into the Day River. A site visit by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondents by end-2024 revealed that the Cam Dinh sluice gate had run completely dry. Photo: Tuoi Tre

According to the Institute of Water Resources Planning, the decline in Red River water levels not only hinders water extraction for ecological preservation but also leads to dead river sections like those in the Day River, where consistent flow can no longer be maintained. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Some sections of the Day River running through Hoai Duc District in suburban Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Some sections of the Day River running through Hoai Duc District in suburban Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Some sections of the Day River running through Hoai Duc District in suburban Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The Day River flows beneath Thang Long Boulevard in Yen Son Commune, Quoc Oai District in suburban Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The Day River flows beneath Thang Long Boulevard in Yen Son Commune, Quoc Oai District in suburban Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In Phu Ly City, Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, the Day Rivers water is less polluted and sediment-free compared to some outlying districts in Hanoi. However, data released by the Ha Nam Department of Natural Resources and Environment showed that ammonia levels at Phu Ly Bridge exceeded the permissible limit by 7.6 times, while dissolved oxygen levels were 2.59 times below the acceptable threshold. Authorities have introduced preventive measures to protect aquatic resources from further harm. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Thi Van, a 70-year-old native of Phu Ly City in Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, elaborated that the Day River started to show signs of pollution about 15 years ago. During dry days, strong winds blow the foul smell into local homes, making it unbearable. Having grown up near the Day River, Van was saddened to see it deteriorate year after year, hoping that authorities would take action to revive the river. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Despite being polluted, the Day River remains a source of income for many who rely on it for fishing and aquaculture in Phu Ly City, Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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Aradhana Pandey, TwoCircles.net

Varanasi: Dalmandi, the heart of Varanasi, a place rich with cultural diversity and historical significance, is now on the brink of a transformative change that threatens not only its geographical landscape but also the livelihood and identity of thousands of families. Once known as the Singapore of Purvanchal, this market is facing a crisis. Here, largely Muslim traders conduct business worth crores every day, and the lanes are filled with centuries-old traditions. But today, they are overshadowed by the looming threat of bulldozers.

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With over 10,000 shops, Dalmandi is at risk as part of the governments plan to widen streets in the name of connecting the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Narrow lanes, some only 8 feet wide, are set to be expanded to 23 feet  displacing traders who depend on these spaces for their livelihoods. The new plan is seen as a direct threat to the very existence of this historic market.

The Pain of Generations

Jeelat Watch, a 129-year-old shop, serves the entire region with timepieces. Zia Kazim, the fourth-generation owner, says, This market is not just our employment; it is our identity. If the shops are demolished, we will be left unemployed. There is no place to go.

For him and countless others, the prospect of losing their businesses is more than financial devastation  it is an erasure of cultural heritage that has shaped their lives for generations.

Dalmandis streets tell the story of our ancestors, he says. The street is full of memories and traditions are being wiped away for a road. We are not just fighting for shops; we are fighting for our very existence.

A Crisis of Culture, Livelihood

The governments promise of development and improved traffic infrastructure rings hollow to many traders who question the cost of this so-called progress. Will this development not come at the expense of our humanity and heritage? they ask. The markets vibrant energy, which once pulsed with life during every festival  whether it was Diwali firecrackers, Eid clothes or Makar Sankranti kites  now seems destined for silence.

Veteran jeweller Zulfikar Alam, who has been in business since 1924, shares the pain of his fellow traders, We have spent three generations here. If this road widening happens, it will wipe out everything  our market, our livelihood, our history.

Dalmandi, a place where thousands of families have worked, lived and thrived, is now under the shadow of development that many see as destruction. For merchants like Mohammad Taj, who has run a textile shop since 1965, the loss is personal. This is not just about losing a shop, he says. It is about losing our entire way of life.

A Glorious Past at Risk

Dalmandi is more than just a market  it is a cultural treasure, woven into the very fabric of Varanasis history. In the past, it was a center for music and art, frequented by legendary figures like Ustad Bismillah Khan. The streets of Dalmandi echoed with the sounds of Shehnai and classical dance, a hub for both cultural expression and commerce.

However, as the cultural significance of the area fades into the background, the people of Dalmandi fear their future is being erased alongside it. Dalmandi, the heartbeat of Banaras, will lose its soul if the governments plan proceeds, says Athar Siddiqui, a 78-year-old watch shop owner. The true essence of this place is its cultural diversity, and that will be lost in the rush for progress.

A Struggle for Survival, Heritage

The traders of Dalmandi are not just fighting for business  they are fighting to preserve the soul of Varanasi. The rich history of Dalmandi, which once nurtured the music of Shehnai and the patriotism of courtesans during the freedom struggle, is at risk of fading into oblivion. It is a place where religion, commerce, art and freedom intertwined, and its demise would mark the loss of an irreplaceable piece of Indias cultural heritage.

Councilor Indresh Kumar, however, defends the plan. He argues that widening the street will improve emergency services and reduce traffic congestion, especially for the millions of pilgrims visiting Kashi Vishwanath. The development is necessary to accommodate the growing influx of tourists, he says, suggesting that the transformation would bring better facilities to the densely populated area.

Development or Destruction?

While there is a need for better infrastructure, the question remains: at what cost does this development come? The traders of Dalmandi want progress but not at the cost of their heritage and livelihoods. Some have proposed an underground market, akin to the ones in Delhi, where businesses could be relocated while preserving the markets cultural essence. But such solutions remain out of reach.

As this historic market faces its most significant challenge yet, the people of Dalmandi are left wondering: will Kashis new dawn be a bright one for its traders or will it mark the beginning of a long, dark night for thousands of families who call this place home?

It is a struggle to balance progress with respect for the traditions that have shaped this sacred city for centuries. As the bulldozers approach, the heart of Varanasi beats on  will it survive the storm of development, or will it be lost forever?
Joe Fong was born in San Francisco Chinatown and became a key figure in the Bay Area skateboarding scene. Courtesy Bryce Kanights/Bryce Kanights

San Francisco skateboarding legend Joe Fong ran across freeway traffic on Interstate 280, hung off the back of a Muni bus and drove a decommissioned ambulance through the streets of San Francisco  all in the service of skateboarding.

But Fong was known, most of all, for bringing people together. Watching Fong in disbelief as he weaved through traffic, hanging onto the bus alongside him and sloshing around in the back of the ambulance were Fongs lifelong friends  whom he met through skateboarding as a teen and continued bringing together at annual barbecues and dinners in the city until his unexpected death last month.

Fong died Nov. 29 at the age of 65.

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San Francisco skateboarder Joe Fong, who died Nov. 29 at 65, nurtured a younger generation of Bay Area skaters. Courtesy Bryce Kanights

I think Joe offered a great gift to everybody that knew him, said Steve Ruge, 59, the former head judge for the World Skateboarding Tour who met Fong at a Milpitas skatepark when Ruge was 13. I work in skateboarding, and thats only possible because of my forefathers  guys like Joe, who kept me skateboarding when I was a little kid.

Fongs Dec. 15 funeral in Daly City was so packed that attendees crammed into the threshold of the entrance during the eulogy, some listening from outside.

Almost everyone in attendance was shocked by Fongs death, just a few weeks before he was supposed to receive the Icon of the Year award from the Sacramento skate crew N-Men. They had no idea hed been diagnosed with liver cancer almost a year prior.

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Jemma Fong, 29, planned on 100 to 150 people attending her fathers funeral. More than 250 people showed up, some traveling from Los Angeles, Oregon and Hawaii. She called the Chinese restaurant where the reception was held in a panic and asked them for as many additional tables as possible.

My dad had the biggest heart, she said. He brought together this community of people that loved what they did.

Born to Chinese immigrants in 1959, Joe Fong grew up in a studio apartment on Sacramento Street in San Francisco Chinatown and then in a house in the Mission District. After his father  a pastry chef at the Fairmont Hotel  was killed in a cable car accident when Fong was 9, Fong and his three siblings and their mother moved to the Richmond District.

He got his first skateboard when he was 6, a 2-by-4 his older brother Michael had attached to a set of steel rollerskate wheels.

He started practicing on steep swimming pools, his daughter said. So when he actually got a real board, he was like, Wow, this is pretty easy.

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As a teen, Fong rolled with folks like now world-famous skater Tommy Guerrero, his brother Tony Guerrero, skate photographer Bryce Kanights and Michael Brown  son of former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

Their multiethnic skate crew was unusual for the times, said Tony Guerrero.

When do you see a Chinese skater in the 70s with long hair just skating around? Jemma Fong said. I feel like it would have been such a rare sight.

Guerrero met Joe Fong outside the federal building at Civic Center when Guerrero was 12 and Fong was 16. Fong saw his skateboard and convinced Guerrero to hop on the bus right then and there to check out an abandoned pool in Sebastapol, which took hours, Guerrero said. The pool was deep and L-shaped.

Back then, there werent a lot of skateboarders, and the ones you ran into you were almost instant friends, Guerrero said. We lived on our skateboards  thats what I knew about Joe and thats what he knew about me.

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Skating was kind of a latchkey kid pastime  it seemed like almost all of our friends came from single-parent families, Ruge said. We became molded together.

In the late 1970s, Fong got sponsored by the skateshop Cal Precision at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Judah Street and joined its skate team alongside the Guerrero brothers. He hung off the backs of Muni buses en route to skating spots with Guerrero to avoid paying the 25-cent fare. The skate photographer Hugh Holland photographed Fong for a 1977 issue of Skateboard World Magazine. Across a two-page spread, a teenage Fong hovers on his board at the edge of a pool.

Fong also became close friends with Thrasher Magazine co-founder Fausto Vitello, who asked Fong to test out skateboard hardware he was developing for his new skate brand, which would become the iconic Independent Trucks and a sponsor for skateboarder Tony Hawk. Fong hosted a memorial barbecue in Vitellos honor every year after he died in 2006.

San Francisco skateboarder Joe Fong skating in Reno, in 1975. Hugh Holland

In his late teens and 20s, Fong became a fixture of the early Bay Area skate scene, transporting skaters all over the city and sometimes as far as Reno and San Diego  sometimes in a decommissioned ambulance Guerrero thinks Fong borrowed from a friend.

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In the world of skateboarding, Joe is definitely a pioneer, Kanights said. He got us around, opened the door for me and showed me the way.

Kanights and Guerrero remembered a time in 1979 when the back left tire flew off Fongs Camaro as they were driving to a skate park in San Jose. Kanights looked back to see a rooster tail of sparks coming off the rear. The tire bounced 15 feet in the air, Guerrero remembered.

Joe pulls over to the right, stops the car, Kanights said. Joe runs across all the traffic and grabs the tire and brings it back to the car. We were like, Youre crazy.

Fong later opened his own flooring business in the 90s and stopped skating competitively. He married in 1990 and had two children. A few years after his divorce in 2011, Fong moved back from the East Bay to his family house in the Richmond District.

From left, Joe Fong, his daughter, Jemma Fong and his mentee and Olympian, Lizzie Armanto. Courtesy Bryce Kanights/Bryce Kanights

But he kept his pulse on the skateboarding world and became a mentor.

Fong scouted and nurtured young talent like Olympians Yuro Nagahara and Lizzie Armanto, who skated at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics  the first to include womens skateboarding.

He was really giving and did so much for the female movement and skateboarding before it was a thing, Kanights said.
HCM CITY  Cargill has successfully completed and handed over three schools in 2024 under its flagship Cargill Cares school building programme in Viet Nam, enhancing educational access in the countrys northern mountainous and Central Highlands areas.

The programme has now delivered 117 schools nationwide, collectively serving more than 18,000 students annually. This progress reflects the companys steady strides toward its ambitious goal of building 150 schools by 2030.

Every new school built represents a step closer to our shared vision of empowering children with education and opportunities. By working together with local communities and governments, were building not just schools, but a brighter future for generations to come, said Nguyen Ba Luan, Country President of Cargill in Vietnam.

Tan Lap Primary School (school No. 117) in Tan Lap Commune, Song Hinh District, Phu Yen Province was opened on December 20. The school site features five classrooms and restrooms, serving over 130 students, with an investment of VN2.3 billion (US$90,384).

Nam Cuoi Kindergarten (school No. 116) in Sin Ho District, Lai Chau Province and Xop Primary School (school No. 115) in ak Glei District, Kon Tum Province, opened in November and September, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ta Cu Ty Kindergarten (school No. 118), located in Ta Cu Ty Commune, Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province, is scheduled for inauguration in the first few weeks of 2025. This school, designed to accommodate 60 students, will include two classrooms, one teacher accommodation room, a kitchen, and restrooms.

As we approach Cargills 30th anniversary in Viet Nam in 2025, this milestone reflects our deep commitment to the communities we serve. Every school built is more than a structure  its an investment in the future of Viet Nam. Together with our partners, we remain steadfast in empowering students, fostering opportunities, and advancing sustainable development across the nation, Luan added.  VNS
HCM CITY  The ASEAN region has become a significant destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) thanks to its 'diverse economic and political landscapes,' an official from Laos said at a forum in HCM City on Friday.

Speaking at the Viet Nam - Laos Trade and Investment Forum 2024, Phaophongsavath Phouvong, chief of Investment Promotion at the Laos Ministry of Planning and Investment, said the redirection of foreign capital towards the region is evident in the sustained growth of FDI over the years, which reached US$230 billion last year.

While global FDI flows have declined, investments in ASEAN now account for 17 per cent of total global FDI flows, he said.

For three consecutive years, ASEAN has positioned itself as the leading investment destination among developing nations, including Laos, where FDI flows have mirrored the regional trend.

In 2023, Laos recorded an FDI value of $4 billion, nearly double from $2.3 billion in 2022.

Laos wants to mobilise investments across all economic sectors, both domestically and internationally, he said.

To do this, it will enhance its transport infrastructure to improve connectivity with regional partners, including Viet Nam, while promoting tourism development and attracting additional foreign investment, he added.

It has implemented policies to attract investors in priority sectors such as clean agriculture, processing, tourism, particularly cultural tourism, and renewable energy.

Cooperative relationships

Speaking at the event, Vo Van Hoan, vice chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, said HCM City has fostered cooperative relationships aimed at socio-economic development with various regions in Laos, he said.

Vietnamese investments are widespread throughout Laos, spanning various sectors including finance and banking, telecommunications, services, agriculture, and forestry, he added.

Laos is currently among the largest investment markets for Viet Nam, with 417 projects valued at $4.9 billion, primarily in agriculture ($680 million), electricity ($980 million), mineral extraction ($1 billion), and other sectors ($2 billion), according to the Laos Ministry of Planning and Investment.

According to a report from the HCM City Department of Planning and Investment, HCM City in southern Viet Nam is host to FDI from 122 countries and territories worldwide.

Total investment from Laos in HCM City has reached $1.9 million, primarily in the wholesale and retail sectors, as well as the repair of automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles.

Conversely, the city's investment in Laos exceeds $500 million, largely in mining, processing, and manufacturing industries.

Trade turnover between the city and Laos amounted to $1.8 million in the first eight months, with the citys exports to Laos totaling $1.6 million and imports from Laos reaching $271,000.

The annual forum was organised by HCM City People's Committee in collaboration with the Lao consulate in the city.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam has recorded a historic low birth rate in 2024, with the total fertility rate (TFR) dropping to just 1.91 children per woman, marking the third consecutive year below replacement level.

This was revealed on Friday at the 2024 National Population Conference, where officials expressed growing concern over the nation's demographic challenges.

The decline in birth rates has been steady over the past few years: from 2.11 children per woman in 2021 to 2.01 in 2022, and further down to 1.96 in 2023.

In 2024, urban areas reported a TFR of 1.67 children per woman, while rural areas saw this rate of 2.08, both below the replacement rate.

This trend is most pronounced in urbanised, economically developed regions, reflecting the societal and economic pressures associated with modernisation.

Despite achieving a higher-than-targeted life expectancy of 74.5 years in 2024 (exceeding the planned 73.8 years), Viet Nams health sector failed to meet two key objectives: addressing gender imbalances at birth and reversing declining fertility rates.

The gender ratio at birth, though improved, remains skewed at 112 boys for every 100 girls.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong highlighted the difficulties in encouraging families to have more children, despite ongoing policy adjustments and public campaigns.

She emphasised that the declining birth rate poses challenges to long-term socio-economic development, including aging populations and workforce shortages.

The government also acknowledged persistent issues in providing reproductive healthcare and addressing gaps in services for seniors.

Officials are ramping up efforts as 2025 marks the final year of Viet Nams 2021-2025 five-year plan and the first phase of its National Population Strategy through 2030.

Priorities include enhancing public awareness about family planning and gender equality, encouraging families to have two children and invest in raising healthy, educated, and well-rounded children, and integrating population targets into provincial resolutions and plans.

Deputy Minister Huong also called for reinforcing the organisational framework of population departments across provinces and cities to improve efficiency in addressing demographic challenges.

Promoting the idea of two-child families, nurturing children well, and building happy, progressive families is crucial, she stated, urging society to shift its mindset from focusing solely on family planning to a broader perspective of population and development.  VNS
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.
Welsh council holds Nuclear Incident and power outage exercises  others ask What is meant by the term local resilience plan?

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Dec 28th, 2024

UK Government quietly launched prepare back in May, providing simple and effective steps people can take to be more prepared for UK emergencies. More recently Norway has published a booklet to its population on emergency preparedness, and Sweden circulated its booklet to all households  In case of crisis or war as War is being waged in our vicinity. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common. Terror threats, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns are being used to undermine and influence us.

At the start of the year a speech by Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin made headlines where he gave a wider context to threats in Europe, and expressed his feeling things are moving too slowly on preparedness, speaking to senior officials, employees and private individuals, stating If you havent started, you are behind.

After that speech Wrexham.com explored the state of local resilience planning at local councils in Wales, following a Freedom of Information request that asked about the timing of their last updates to local resilience plans, desktop exercises, and local risk registers. As is common with FOIs in Wales the responses were varied, from detailed named desktop exercises through to not understanding the terminology.

A local resilience plan outlines the procedures and resources needed to manage major emergencies, hopefully ensuring public safety and effective recovery. These plans are typically part of a broader framework involving Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), multi-agency partnerships tasked with emergency preparedness under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Each LRF coordinates responses to risks such as natural disasters, industrial incidents, and other emergencies.

A local risk register identifies and assesses the specific threats to an area, ranging from flooding to terrorism. It usually is a living document, regularly updated to reflect new data, incident lessons and how the local area is changing.

A desktop exercise (or table-top exercise) simulates an emergency scenario to test preparedness, decision-making, and inter-agency coordination. These exercises are often seen as vital for refining resilience plans and training key personnel as well as building up local communications and face to face introductions so in the event of a problem things (should) run more smoothly.

Wrexham Council, operating within the North Wales Regional Emergency Planning Service, stated their Major Emergency Arrangements Plan was last reviewed in February 2022 and is scheduled for a full review in 2025. A desktop exercise relating to the plan was conducted in December 2022.

Conwy Council reported a robust approach, with numerous exercises conducted annually, with a major desktop exercise in December 2019, they noted risk registers are updated biannually.

Conwy were the only council to give an light insight to the type of issue they carried out exercises around:

2020  Dual Incident Table top

2020  NWP Shelter& Evacuation Exercise

2021  Wildfire Exercise

2021  Exercise Cooper NWC REPS Exercise

2021  Exercise Virtual Reservoir Workshop

2021  Exercise Blue Eclipse  Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking

2022  Exercise Prima  Llandulas Jetty

2022  Exercise Herman  Magnox A55 Nuclear Incident

2022  Exercise Cooper

2023  Exercise Mighty Oak  Nuclear Power Outage

In South Wales Vale of Glamorgan Council confirmed that its Major Incident Protocol was updated for 2023/24, with risk register reviews planned for 2025. Bridgend County Borough Council also highlighted ongoing updates, with a draft plan under consultation and a community risk register due for review this autumn.

Dyfed-Powys Area: Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion County Councils redirected questions to the Dyfed-Powys LRF. They noted that the Joint Major Incident Procedures were revised in February 2024, following lessons from winter storms and flooding in 2023/24. The risk register appears regularly updated, with the most recent revisions in May 2024.

Blaenau Gwent, Newport, Monmouthshire, and Caerphilly Councils deferred to the Gwent Local Resilience Forum, which maintains a Community Risk Register. Blaenau Gwent mentioned a 2023 desktop exercise, with another taking place earlier this year. Monmouthshire cited its experience with real-life incidents as a test of its plans, negating the need for recent exercises, and validating their work.

Swansea Council reported that its plan and risk register are reviewed and exercised annually. Meanwhile, Merthyr Tydfil Council acknowledged that its last desktop exercise occurred in 2019, but emphasised ongoing updates to its Major Incident Plan and risk register, last revised in November 2023.

Some councils appeared uncertain about the terms of the request despite the common wording. Denbighshire, Powys, Anglesey, and Flintshire councils expressed confusion about the meaning of local resilience plan or local risk register, with responses that either lacked detail or deferred to other bodies.

Although the term risk register is grand, the Community Risk Register for North Wales can be viewed here (dated 2020), and contains overviews of a range of risks from flooding to transport incidents along with some light practical advice on how to be prepared.
Wrexham alumni success shared at annual games conference

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Dec 28th, 2024

Gaming industry experts including Wrexham University alumni shared their insights and top tips  as well as hosting masterclasses  as part of the institutions annual games conference.

More than 100 gaming enthusiasts and students from the Universitys Games and Media degree courses attended the event, which saw keynote speakers including Tony Morelli from US-based, Pilot Games; Jo Summers from Global Game Jam; and Tom Stephenson of Free Range Devs.

Organised in collaboration with Creative Wales and Games Talent Wales, the conference also featured sessions with Computer Game Development graduates, Karl Spurgin, Game Programmer at TT Games; and Emmanuel Tsangarakis, who shared his insights and knowledge as a Lead Game Designer.

As part of the conference, a new national competition called Games Talent Next was launched.

The competition will run alongside this years core Games Talent Wales programme  a grassroots talent development initiative founded at Wrexham University and will feature mentoring and game jams leading up to the inaugural Games Talent Wales Awards.

The programme was announced as part of a panel discussion from those involved with the programme or previous programme alumni.

Richard Hebblewhite, Senior Lecturer in Games and Computing at Wrexham University, said: This years conference was another big success  it was epic to hear from not only a host of special guest speakers but also our superb alumni, including Karl and Emmanuel, who have both gone onto have successful careers in the industry.

The conference is a particular highlight in our calendar, having run for 12 years now  its a fantastic event not only for our students but also for anyone from the wider community, who has aspirations to work in the industry.

The feedback weve received from this years event has been fantastic. I know that our students found the alumni sessions particularly valuable. Its helped them to visualise their own success beyond studying with us.

In recent weeks, Richard also hosted a BAFTA Games in Wales panel discussion at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, focussing on the gaming industry.

Speaking following the BAFTA event, he said: Wales is a real bedrock for the gaming industry as its now home to more than 100 video game companies, so it was my absolutely pleasure to host a lively discussion centred around the lead creative talent that makes up these companies.

It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss all the very latest of whats been happening in the gaming industry  from recent successes, as well as any current challenges.

The BAFTA Games in Wales panel featured Dr David Banner MBE, CEO & Co-founder of Wales Interactive; Osian Williams, Director of COPA Gaming; and Rebecca Thomas, Director of Rocket Science Corporation UK.
Sparks Police were called to a report of a shooting near 1000 Greenbrae Drive at 4 a.m. on Saturday, December 28.

Sparks Police arrested 20-year-old Brian Soto of Sparks for unlawfully firing a gun while under the influence of alcohol. SPD also said multiple children were in the area at the time but no one was hurt.

Officers say they took him into custody after he ran from the cops during the initial investigation.

Soto was booked into the Washoe County Detention facility on these charges:

-Child endangerment

-Contributing to the delinquency of a minor

-Minor in possession of alcohol

-Possession of firearm while intoxicated

-Unlawful discharge of a firearm

-Carrying a concealed firearm

-Obstructing with a deadly weapon

-Outstanding warrant

If you witnessed this shooting or know anything about it, you're encouraged to contact the Sparks Police Department at (775) 353-2231 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.
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
People walk on the Great Highway in San Francisco on Sept. 27. In November, voters decided the future of the 2-mile stretch in November. Proposition K will ban private vehicles on the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard. The road has been closed intermittently to traffic on a trial basis, making the road accessible to foot traffic. On Friday, a pedestrian there was struck and killed by a car. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

A female pedestrian was struck and killed by a car along San Franciscos Upper Great Highway in the early morning hours Friday, authorities said.

At about 5:43 a.m., police responded to the Upper Great Highway and Ulloa Street for a report of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian, officials said. Officers arrived to find the woman suffering from life-threatening injuries.

She was transported to a local hospital where she died, officials said.

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The driver of the car stayed at the scene and cooperated with police.

Our hearts go out to this persons loved ones and community, Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco, said in a statement. No ones life should end this way. We should all be able to cross the street safely.

Walk SF said that the fatality is the 24th traffic-related pedestrian death of the year in San Francisco, the highest number since 2014. The organization said that about 70% of the total traffic-related fatalities this year have been pedestrians.

In a statement on X, San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio mourned the pedestrians death, saying, Im sad to learn of a tragic loss of life in the Outer Sunset on Friday morning. Any tragedy like this is a shock and deeply saddening for our community, especially during the holidays. Im grateful to the first responders who serve 24/7 and provide help whenever it is needed.

In November, San Francisco voters approved a controversial ballot measure that will ban vehicles on a 2-mile stretch of the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard, which includes Ulloa. A separate portion of San Franciscos Great Highway is also scheduled to close to car traffic in 2026 due to risks caused by rising sea levels.

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Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Ocean Beach Park, said in a statement Friday that the closed portion of the Upper Great Highway will be turned into a permanent park early next year.
Sanchez Street, seen in 2021, is part of the Slow Streets program in San Francisco, one of the many programs that motorists feel is part of a war on cars in the city. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Soon after Supervisor Myrna Melgar backed plans to overhaul a section of streets in San Franciscos West Portal neighborhood this year after a driver killed a family of four, a man called her office asking to speak to her legislative aide, Emma Heiken Hare. The man complained to Heiken Hare about the proposed changes to the street.

He said, I have a concealed carry permit and I know where you live, Heiken Hare recalled in an interview. Alarmed, she reported the man to the police.

The interaction was an extreme example of the ugliness that transportation projects and proposals appear to invite in San Francisco, part of a rising resistance to the citys ongoing efforts to prioritize train and bus service over personal vehicles.

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The tension comes at a precarious time as the city tries to balance the competing needs of drivers, business owners and pedestrians. As complaints about public transit and the scarcity of parking reach a boiling point, BART and Muni are facing financial troubles that could spur cutbacks in service. Those cutbacks could give more ammunition to drivers who say its already impossible to take public transit around San Francisco and insist they should be allowed to use private vehicles to get where theyre going.

While city officials are accustomed to some measure of pushback, many told the Chronicle that transit projects seemed to generate not just furious debates but also threats of violence toward city employees.

City employees say the hostility surrounding transit projects and changes to streets and parking represent an unsettling chapter in the citys ongoing efforts to improve street safety and reduce traffic deaths, one in which public discourse often devolves into personal attacks.

They were careful to specify that the enmity generated by transit and streets projects goes beyond the usual criticism, and that much of it appears to be an outgrowth of the citys conflict over street usage. Some drivers and merchants believe San Francisco is waging a war against cars in part by eliminating parking spaces, adding bike lanes and prioritizing public transit. Meanwhile, Muni is increasing fares amid looming budget cuts that could lead to cuts in service as soon as summer.

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People on the Great Highway in San Francisco in September. In November Voters approved Proposition K, which will ban private vehicles on the Upper Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard and turn the area into a city park. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Supervisor Joel Engardio, facing a backlash and potential recall over his support of a controversial proposition to close the Great Highway to car traffic, said he has received multiple threats since the measure passed. In late November, a man approached Engardio at Lakeshore Plaza, screamed a string of profanities and threatened physical harm over Prop K, the supervisor said.

It certainly felt like a threat on my life, though I cannot recall the exact words the man used between the torrent of obscenities he hurled, Engardio said.

In early December at the same location, Engardio said a woman approached him, yelled obscenities and threatened him over the same issue. The supervisor did not report either incident to police and said he had not requested additional security, noting that positive interactions with constituents outnumber the negative ones.

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Most of your constituents know where you live now. Remember that.  Most old-school Sunset people wouldnt think twice about treating you to an old school Sunset welcome, according to one of several hostile emails sent to Engardio that the Chronicle reviewed through a public records request.

Videos of confrontations over agency projects have circulated on social media, including one in which a man filmed himself angrily yelling at construction workers he said were making noise on his street before dawn on a September morning last year. In the accompanying post, the poster said the outburst was prompted by his anger over SFMTAs removal of parking spaces of the residents who fight tooth and nail daily to live here.

Now its unfortunate that the city workers had to receive that wrath but fortunately their superiors werent present so in war there must be casualties. A war you want well a war you shall receive, he wrote in the caption that began with the name and email of an SFMTA project manager.

Bikers ride down the center bike lane on Valencia Street in San Francisco on Dec. 4. Several business owners have become upset by the installation of the bike lane, saying it impacts parking access and delivery services to restaurants, bars and businesses in the heavily trafficked area. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

SFMTA Director Jeffrey Tumlin said he believes transit is a particularly divisive issue in part because it pervades residents daily lives.

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Transportation is the only government service that nearly everyone uses every day, Tumlin said Monday in an interview. It is challenging to create positive change in transportation in part because we personalize it.

Tumlin, who is set to step down at the end of 2024 after leading the agency for five years, said his public positions had drawn scrutiny that at times made him fear for his safety.

When we make changes to improve safety, people get angry because we are directly impacting their convenience in order to solve a safety or climate goal, he said. Its one of the reasons why few (people in my field) stay in their jobs very long. At a certain point, if they have been successful in creating change, they have created resentment from people who prioritize the status quo over the environment or the next generation.

None of the seven members of the transit agencys board of directors responded to questions about threats directed at SFMTA employees.

But bike and transit advocates said they have witnessed transportation workers face a steady stream of abuse that at times has resembled an intimidation campaign designed to hamper or altogether halt the citys long-standing transit goals. While advocates focused mainly on threats to transportation planners and engineers, bus drivers and other frontline staff have also faced abuse and violence from riders.

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SFMTA staff have been verbally accosted, aggressively surrounded or approached, said Dylan Fabris, who leads regional policy and advocacy efforts at the nonprofit San Francisco Transit Riders. It does seem like things have gotten worse.

Christopher White, executive director of San Francisco Bicycle Commission, condemned attacks on the agencys planners and engineers during an SFMTA meeting late last month.

They believe in the goals the city has given itself, they want to do their jobs, he said. But I have heard from them that they feel traumatized by the amount of ire and rage that is directed toward them, with little political cover or backup. That rage comes not only from opponents of bike and roll infrastructure but sometimes from advocates themselves.

While tensions spill out at community meetings and other in-person forums, Fabris said he believes much of the animosity is fomented on social media websites like NextDoor and X, where outrage is weighed higher than civil dialogue. Twice last month the SFMTA took to X to urge residents not to use online platforms to spread misinformation about road closures that the agency said in its tweet seemed to be designed to inflame tensions in our city.

A common criticism levied at the SFMTA is that it undervalues or ignores community feedback  an assertion that the agency tries to counter by conducting online surveys, pop-up events and town halls. But citywide priorities often outweigh criticism, and city policy has privileged public transport over cars since 1973, when the Board of Supervisors adopted transit-first guidelines.

Several opponents of recent transit proposals told the Chronicle in interviews that they believed the agencys community meetings are not sincere attempts to understand public sentiment. Fabris said this belief has a tendency to morph into conspiracy on online forums.

Some people think there is some evil power, some conspiracy in the San Francisco government to wage a war on cars, Fabris said. There is nothing going on behind the scenes. There is no conspiracy going on.

A child holds a sign at the intersection of Third Avenue and Lake Street during a community parade in support of Lake Street in the Richmond neighborhood being part of the Slow Streets program. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Some San Francisco drivers feel otherwise, and insist that car owners are shouldering the consequences of efforts to make streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. Older adults who rely on their cars said their way of life is under attack in a city where parking spaces are disappearing. And for some people with limited mobility, using paratransit or taking a private car is the only option without better seating and shelter at bus stops, according to some disability advocates.

White said changes to the city landscape have long engendered fury, noting that the San Francisco Bicycle Commissions headquarters received bomb threats early in his seven-year tenure with the organization. The threats are an extreme way opponents attempt to express their discontent over changes to the citys infrastructure, he said.
BGauss, a lifestyle enhancing solution from one of the veterans in electrical solutions  RR Kabel, and the house of RR Global, today hosted a spectacular event along with renowned actor, Swwapnil Joshi, in Pune. The event seamlessly blended style, sustainability, and culinary adventure. At the heart of the celebration was a grand handing-over ceremony for its latest customers, followed by the exhilarating BG Eats Food Traila gastronomic journey through Punes finest culinary hotspots.

Hemant Kabra, Founder and Managing Director, BGauss, said, At BGauss, our vision extends beyond mobilitywe aim to create an ecosystem where innovation, sustainability, and cultural experiences converge. The RUV350 and C12 bring together performance, style, and a cleaner way forward for modern commuters. By celebrating these vehicles through Punes vibrant culinary landscape, we are fostering a community driven by shared values and meaningful experiences. We are thrilled to have Swwapnil Joshi join us as we welcome new customers into the fold, inspiring everyone to embrace a greener, more connected future.

Superstar Swwapnil Joshi, speaking at the event, said, I have always been passionate about electric scooters and how they are reshaping the way we travel, making commuting cleaner, smarter, and more enjoyable. Its exciting to see BGauss at the forefront of this transformation, merging cutting-edge technology with a vision for a greener tomorrow. Todays event in Punewhere we combined the pleasure of local cuisine with the thrill of next-generation EVstruly embodies the spirit of sustainable progress. I am honoured to be part of this journey as we all move towards a future defined by innovation and responsible choices.

Swwapnil handed over the keys to the proud new owners of BGauss flagship electric vehiclesthe RUV350 and C12. With his signature charisma, Joshi shared heartfelt moments with customers and emphasised the importance of embracing eco-friendly mobility solutions. This exclusive interaction added a personal and memorable touch to the milestone event.

Innovative Food Trail Meets Eco-Friendly Rides

The BG Eats Food Trail, a curated culinary expedition through Punes most iconic eateries, brought together existing owners of BGauss electric two-wheelers to celebrate the citys rich culinary culture. The activity was flagged off by Swwapnil Joshi, who added excitement and energy to the event. Participants proudly rode in a convoy, exploring local delicacies while experiencing the innovation, comfort, and eco-friendly spirit of their BGauss electric rides.

The Food Trail drew food enthusiasts, automobile lovers, and media influencers alike, turning heads and garnering applause for its unique blend of gastronomy and sustainability. Swwapnil Joshi joined the convoy, adding star power as he shared his enthusiasm for the brands mission and interacted with participants.

Revolutionising Mobility with the RUV350 and C12

The BGauss RUV350 and C12 electric vehicles took centre stage during the event, exemplifying the brands commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility:

BGauss RUV350: A premium electric vehicle offering an impressive range of up to 145kms on a single charge, 16 inch alloy wheels, 165 Nm peak torque for unmatched acceleration, and smart features like a Its sleek metal body, vibrant TFT screen, and advanced navigation system offer both style and functionality, while seamless connectivity ensures a smart, modern ride. The RUV350's zero-emission design makes it the perfect family-friendly scooter, contributing to a greener future with every ride.

A premium electric vehicle offering an impressive range of up to 145kms on a single charge, 16 inch alloy wheels, 165 Nm peak torque for unmatched acceleration, and smart features like a Its sleek metal body, vibrant TFT screen, and advanced navigation system offer both style and functionality, while seamless connectivity ensures a smart, modern ride. The RUV350's zero-emission design makes it the perfect family-friendly scooter, contributing to a greener future with every ride. BGauss C12: A stylish electric scooter perfect for urban commuting, boasting a range of up to 135 km, comfortable riding ergonomics, 765 mm long seat. Designed for efficiency and elegance, the C12 is a true companion for sustainable city rides.

A Celebration of Punes Culture and Community

The event culminated in a day of shared experiences, from relishing local delicacies to experiencing the smooth, sustainable rides of BGauss vehicles. The presence of food influencers and local media added a touch of glamour, while Punes rich food culture took center stage.

With this unique event, BGauss has once again proven its ability to merge cutting-edge innovation with meaningful customer engagement, setting the stage for a cleaner, greener future of mobility.
Boeing has appointed Ann Schmidt as its new Senior Vice President of Communications. Schmidt, a veteran of the company since 2005, has been serving as interim head of communications since October following the retirement of her predecessor, Brian Besanceney.

This appointment marks the eighth change in this leadership position within the past eight years, reflecting a period of significant turbulence for the aerospace giant. CEO Kelly Ortberg, who assumed leadership in 2023, has initiated a series of senior management changes as part of his broader efforts to "rebuild trust" and address a "fundamental culture change" within the organization.

Boeing has faced a series of critical challenges in recent years. Two fatal crashes of the 737 Max in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the grounding of the aircraft for 20 months, severely impacted the company's reputation. More recently, incidents such as a mid-air door blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 and a significant strike by employees have further compounded the company's difficulties.

These events have raised serious concerns about Boeing's safety culture and its commitment to employee safety. A report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) raised concerns regarding the effectiveness of the company's Safety Management System, suggesting that employees may not fully understand their role in ensuring safety. Furthermore, employee interviews have revealed concerns about trust in the company's "Speak Up" program, designed to encourage safety reporting.

Schmidt's appointment comes at a critical juncture for Boeing. As the company navigates these challenges, effective communication will be crucial in rebuilding trust with the public, regulators, and employees. Schmidt will be responsible for communicating the company's message and guiding its public image as it strives to recover from these setbacks and restore its reputation as a leader in the aerospace industry.

Also Read: Qatar Airways launches high-speed Starlink WiFi on Boeing 777 aircraft
With every episode, Prime Videos The Rana Daggubati Show continues to attract fans by offering them an exclusive glimpse into the lives of Indian cinemas biggest stars. Known for its impeccable blend of heartfelt conversations, playful banter, behind-the-scenes revelations, and this weeks episode is no different.

In the latest episode, host Rana Daggubati is joined by the ever-charismatic Dulquer Salmaan and the supremely talented Meenakshi Chaudhary for an unfiltered chat brimming with heartwarming moments, laughter, and some interesting insights.

During a candid interaction, Dulquer reminisces about his first meeting with Rana, noting, When I was in ninth standard, you mustve been in eighth. To this, Rana, with his signature humour, quips, No, I wouldve failed two years. I must have been in sixth or something! The easy camaraderie between the two shines throughout the episode, highlighting their long-standing friendship. Dulquer also fondly recalls Ranas visit to his Kochi home during the shoot of Virata Parvam. He shares, That was the first time he came over and met my mom. She loved him! Rana ate a lot, and she has a thing for kids who enjoy eating. It was an instant connection.

The conversation then seamlessly transitions into their career choices, with Dulquer praising Ranas debut in Leader as a brave and unique choice for a first film. He remarks, Ive always admired how Rana doesnt chase stardom but instead seeks out compelling stories and memorable characters. In turn, Rana lauds Dulquers versatility and knack for choosing distinctive roles, particularly in Telugu cinema, expressing, From the moment Dulq started his career, I knew hed do something special. His approach to storytelling and the characters hes brought to life have left an indelible mark in Telugu Cinema

The duo also opens up about their collaboration on Kaantha, a project close to their hearts. Shedding some light on the challenges they faced during its making, Dulquer reveals, This film has been in the making for years. Weve had countless discussions, disagreements, and even fights, which was unusual for us. But no matter what, wed always hug it out and keep moving forward. Rana adds, Producing and acting in Kaantha together has been an incredible journey. Its unlike anything either of us has done before. The process brought us even closer, and the film is a testament to our friendship and shared love for cinema.

Created, hosted, and executive produced by Rana Daggubati under the banner of Spirit Media, the unscripted Telugu Original series boasts an exciting line-up of guests, including Dulquer Salmaan, Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Sreeleela, Nani, S.S. Rajamouli, Ram Gopal Varma, and many more. The sixth episode of The Rana Daggubati Show will be available to stream on December 28, with new episodes dropping every Saturday, exclusively on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Also Read: Somy Ali gets candid about rumours and life
Mad Influence, a full-service creative marketing agency excelling in campaign ideation, content creation, and influencer collaborations, joined hands with Innocean to launch the Origins of Kerala campaign for Hyundai Motor India Limited, a unique initiative celebrating Keralas cultural richness during the Onam festival. Mad Productions, the content arm of Mad Influence, conducted the entire shoot and managed logistics in Kerala, bringing to life a series of visually captivating webisodes that explored the states traditions in food, dance, and martial arts, while seamlessly integrating Hyundai Motor India Limiteds advanced vehicles into the narrative.

The campaign featured three immersive webisodes, each led by a popular regional influencer who explored different aspects of Keralas culture. In the first webisode, renowned food influencer Govind (Kerala Foodie) drove the Hyundai Motor India Limited Exter through Kochi, Thrissur, and Palakkad, uncovering the diverse traditions of the Onam Sadhya, a festive vegetarian feast. Govinds journey highlighted the flavors of Keralas cuisine, featuring insights from culinary experts at Ottupura Catering, Ambiswamy Catering, and a passionate home cook, all of whom showcased the intricate details of preparing an authentic Sadhya.

The second webisode starred actress and classical dancer Anu Sithara, who explored Keralas iconic dance forms while driving the Hyundai Motor India Limited Venue. From Mohiniyattam with Jamsheena Jamal at the RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, to Kathakali with Kshama Raja at the Hill Palace Museum, and finally the vibrant Pulikali in Thrissur, Anus cultural journey was a harmonious blend of tradition and Hyundai Motor India Limiteds modern innovation.

In the third webisode, actress, and dancer Noorin Shereef delved into Keralas ancient martial arts, traveling in the Hyundai Motor India Limited Creta. Her exploration began at the EP Vasudev Gurukkal Academy in Kottayam, where Dr. EP Shaji Vasudevan Gurukkal introduced her to Kalaripayattu. She then met Davis Thomas at Cherai Beach to learn about Vaadi Payattu, a dynamic stick-fighting tradition. The Hyundai Motor India Limited Creta provided a comfortable and reliable travel experience, perfectly complementing the cultural adventure.

"At Mad Influence, we are committed to crafting campaigns that blend cultural authenticity with innovative storytelling. This campaign aimed to connect Hyundai Motor India Limiteds modern vehicles with Keralas timeless traditions, creating a meaningful narrative that resonated with audiences. The Origins of Kerala campaign allowed us to celebrate the vibrancy of Keralas heritage while showcasing the unique attributes of Hyundai Motor India Limiteds vehicles in a relatable and inspiring way." said Gautam Madhavan, Founder and CEO of Mad Influence.

Virat Khullar, AVP & Vertical Head  Marketing at Hyundai Motor India Limited expressed pride in the collaboration, stating, "Through the Origins of Kerala campaign, Hyundai Motor India Limited celebrates the cultural wealth of Kerala, connecting our modern vehicles with the timeless traditions of Onam. This partnership with Mad Influence has helped us create a powerful and emotional connection with audiences across India."

The webisodes shared across Hyundai Motor India Limiteds social media platforms, garnered impressive engagement, with over 962,100 views and 7,043 interactions. The campaigns high production value, led by Mad Productions, ensured an authentic and visually engaging representation of Keralas traditions.
The year 2024 has been a transformative period for India, marked by groundbreaking achievements and significant milestones across various sectors. Among these, the record-breaking success of UPI with 16.5 billion transactions stands out, underscoring Indias leadership in digital payments and innovation. Under the visionary leadership of Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation continues its inspiring journey toward becoming a #VikasitBharat, setting a global benchmark for progress and development.

Adding to these accomplishments is an engaging and creative digital campaign by the Government of India, which celebrates the nations key achievements in a manner that resonates deeply with citizens and global audiences alike.



The campaign has been widely praised for its vibrant energy, humor, and innovative approach, rivalling the creativity of major brand campaigns. By seamlessly blending humor and pride, the campaign highlights Indias achievements in a refreshing and relatable way. Its celebratory and light-hearted tone has struck a chord with people across demographics, fostering a sense of unity and national pride.

This approach not only reflects the governments commitment to transparency and effective communication but also showcases how digital platforms can amplify the nations success story. The campaign serves as a shining example of how creative storytelling can inspire and connect people while celebrating Indias remarkable journey.

Also Read: ABP News Inaugurates "Newsmaker of the Year" Awards
Maharashtra's Landmark Policy: Right to Die with Dignity for Terminally Ill Patients 2

The Maharashtra government has made a groundbreaking decision to grant terminally ill patients the right to die with dignity, marking a historic and compassionate step forward in healthcare policy. This initiative allows patients suffering from incurable and painful conditions to make end-of-life decisions within 48 hours, empowering them with the autonomy to choose a peaceful and dignified departure. The decision aligns with the Supreme Courts guidelines on passive euthanasia and the concept of a living will, emphasising that the right to life inherently includes the right to die with dignity. Passive euthanasia, which involves the withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally ill patient, has been a subject of legal and ethical debate for years.

The Supreme Courts 2018 judgement formally recognised living wills as a valid mechanism for individuals to document their medical preferences in advance for situations where they may be unable to express informed consent. This ruling, delivered in response to a petition by the NGO Common Cause, underscored the importance of personal autonomy, stating that no individual should be forced to endure prolonged suffering against their wishes. The court acknowledged that keeping a patient alive through artificial means without their consent amounts to an assault on their body and dignity. This judgement, which followed earlier recognition of passive euthanasia in the 2011 Aruna Shanbaug case, laid down strict guidelines to ensure that the process is conducted ethically and transparently.

Despite the progressive stance, the policy is not without its complexities. Concerns have been raised about uninformed consent and the potential implications of rapid advancements in medical technology. The government has implemented stringent safeguards, requiring comprehensive training for medical professionals to guide patients and families through this deeply personal decision-making process. In addition, the Centres earlier opposition to living wills, citing ethical dilemmas and global practices, further underscores the need for careful deliberation in implementing these policies.

This decision represents a significant step toward addressing the broader issues surrounding end-of-life care in India. By allowing patients to exercise their right to refuse life support, Maharashtra has set a powerful example for other states, promoting dignity, respect, and compassion in the face of terminal illness. This initiative opens the door to further discussions on patient-centred care, balancing medical ethics with human rights, and ensuring that the most vulnerable individuals receive the support and respect they deserve in their final moments.

The right to die with dignity is rooted in the belief that individuals should have the autonomy to end their suffering through voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide, particularly in cases of terminal illness or unbearable pain. This concept, however, raises significant ethical and legal debates about who holds the authority to make such profound decisions. Cultural and religious perspectives further complicate this discourse, ranging from the acceptance of non-violent suicide practices like Prayopavesa in Hinduism and Santhara in Jainism, to the outright condemnation of suicide in faiths such as Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism.

Indias legal framework on euthanasia distinguishes between active and passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia, involving the administration of lethal substances to end a life, remains illegal. In contrast, passive euthanasiadefined as the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatmenthas been legal in specific circumstances since pivotal Supreme Court rulings, including the Aruna Shanbaug case (2011), the Common Cause judgement (2018), and subsequent modifications in 2023. Patients seeking passive euthanasia must provide consent through a living will and be either terminally ill or in a vegetative state. In January 2023, the Supreme Court further simplified the procedural requirements for creating advanced medical directives, making the process more accessible and efficient.

The legal journey toward recognising passive euthanasia began with the tragic case of Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse who suffered a brutal attack in 1973 that left her in a vegetative state for 42 years. Activist Pinki Virani filed a petition on Shanbaugs behalf in 2009, arguing that her continued existence violated her right to live with dignity. However, the Supreme Court rejected the plea to withdraw life support, citing the opposition of the hospital staff who cared for her. Despite this, the court legalised passive euthanasia as a concept, allowing the withdrawal of medical treatment or sustenance in certain circumstances. Shanbaug passed away in 2015 due to pneumonia, but her case became a cornerstone in Indias euthanasia discourse.

In 2014, the Supreme Court revisited the issue during a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO Common Cause. Observing inconsistencies in the Aruna Shanbaug judgement, the court referred the matter to a Constitution Bench to address the social, legal, medical, and constitutional dimensions of euthanasia. In 2018, this five-judge bench delivered a landmark judgement, recognising the validity of living wills or advance medical directives. This allowed consenting individuals to specify in advance their wish to be passively euthanised if they were to suffer from a terminal illness or enter a vegetative state. The court reiterated its rejection of active euthanasia and clarified that its ruling would serve as the law of the land until Parliament enacted specific legislation.

Before the institutionalisation of passive euthanasia, patients and their families often resorted to measures such as Leaving Against Medical Advice (LAMA) to discontinue life-sustaining treatment, shifting responsibility from physicians to patients. The 2018 ruling provided a legal and ethical framework, ensuring that such decisions were made with informed consent and safeguards. By modifying the Common Cause guidelines in 2023, the Supreme Court addressed procedural complexities, streamlining the process for drafting valid advance medical directives.

Indias evolving stance on euthanasia reflects a delicate balance between upholding individual autonomy and addressing ethical, legal, and societal concerns. While active euthanasia remains prohibited, the recognition of passive euthanasia and living wills has marked a significant step toward respecting the dignity of terminally ill patients. However, the absence of comprehensive legislation continues to highlight the need for Parliament to enact a robust legal framework that aligns with these judicial advancements.
Image: PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will meet the family of Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, whose murder has sparked a huge political row, in the first week of January.

Thackeray will also meet the kin of Dalit man Somnath Suryavanshi, who allegedly died in judicial custody after his arrest in connection with violence over the desecration of a replica of the Constitution in Parbhani.

The Sena (UBT) president will visit Parbhani and Beed to meet the families of Somanth Suryavanshi and Santosh Deshmukh, respectively, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Saturday.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar met the families of Suryavanshi and Deshmukh last week. The leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also met Suryavanshis family in Parbhani.

Police have so far arrested four persons, including former tehsil chief of Ajit Pawar-headed NCP Vishnu Chate, in connection with the sarpanch Deshmukhs murder.

Police are on the lookout for three others who have been named as wanted accused for kidnapping Deshmukh and brutally killing him on December 9.

A preliminary investigation by police shows that Deshmukhs murder was a fallout of his bid to oppose extortion from a windmill company in Beed.

Following Deshmukhs murder, there were protests across Beed, especially after photographs of his body with injury marks were shared widely on social media.

Parbhani city in central Maharashtra witnessed violence after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr B R Ambedkars statue outside the railway station was vandalised on the evening of December 10.

Suryavanshi (35), who was lodged in the Parbhani district central jail after his arrest, died on December 15 at a state-run hospital after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that Suryavanshi was killed because he was a Dalit who was trying to protect the Constitution.
The Albertville High School band has been invited to perform at the 2025 inaugural parade in Washington D.C.

About 350 students from Albertville will load onto buses and travel to the nations capital to perform on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, said Taylor Cash, the director of bands, at Albertville High in northeast Alabama.

This was really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to be a part of history  such a huge event in our nation, Cash said in a video message on Facebook.

We are really excited to put these students on television in front of millions of people around the world, he added. We hope youll tune in and that youll wish us luck.

The parade will take place on the day Donald Trump  the 45th and 47th president  is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol building.

The Albertville City Schools system called the invite an extraordinary honor for our band, our school and our entire community!

Lets give a huge shoutout to these talented students, dedicated directors and hardworking parents who make moments like this possible, the system said in a Facebook post. Go Aggies!

In the past, the Albertville band has been invited to perform in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, and in the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
Lucien Cabrera, 19, posted videos of himself on social media discharging illegal ghost guns, San Jose police say. San Jose Police Department

San Jose police have arrested a 19-year-old man suspected of manufacturing and selling ghost guns, illegally manufactured and unregistered firearms.

Lucien Cabrera, 19, posted videos of himself on social media discharging the illegal weapons in San Jose and East Palo Alto, police said in a news release Friday. The videos depicted him discharging a gun on a school campus, open fields and residential properties in San Jose, as well as brandishing a weapon at a local mall, police said.

Cabrera imported high-capacity magazines from Florida and Nevada to sell in San Jose, investigators said.

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Police arrested Cabrera on Dec. 18 after detectives discovered a social media account used to buy and sell illegal firearms in October. He was booked into the main Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of possessing illegal firearms, manufacturing and selling illegal firearms, and discharging a firearm in a school zone, police said.










English News To jointly build a world of harmonious coexistence

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 27 Decembre 2024



At this critical juncture, it is more important than ever for humanity to uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and let the beacon of civilization illuminate the right path forward for humanity.

By He Yin, People's Daily "As an old Chinese saying goes, 'Passengers in the same boat should help each other.' Today, dwellers of the same planet should help each other," said Chinese President Xi Jinping when attending the China International Friendship Conference and conference marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries on October 11.



This year, Xi reiterated "promoting global solidarity" on many diplomatic occasions, demonstrating China's firm determination to build a community with a shared future for mankind.



Over the past year, China has responded to the fast-changing global landscape with composure and confidence. In pursuing major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, the country has viewed the future of humanity with a broad humanistic value, transcended barriers and conflicts with an open and inclusive mindset, and pooled collective strength for development with a vision of harmonious coexistence, forging widespread consensus and strong synergy for building a community with a shared future for mankind.



The most profound pursuit of a nation has its origin in the national character formed through generations. "The Chinese civilization is the only one that has continued uninterrupted for more than 5,000 years," said Xi when meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in France this year. They discussed how different civilizations could coexist in harmony without seeking uniformity.



The prominent continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peaceful nature of the Chinese civilization serve as the basis for the distinctive characteristics, style, and demeanor of Chinese diplomacy, which facilitate the understanding of the international influence, appeal, and shaping capacity of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.



The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has deep roots in China's profound cultural heritage and represents an innovative transformation and development of fine traditional Chinese culture.



The Chinese nation believes all nations together are one community, advocates fraternity among all peoples and peace for all countries, and pursues a world of fairness and justice for the common good.



To address the vital question of "what kind of world we need and how to build such a world," Xi proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind. This vision integrates Marxism's mission of advancing human progress with the virtues of harmony and unity embodied in fine traditional Chinese culture, enriching and expanding China's philosophy of peaceful development.



It envisions a historic progress in state-to-state relations from the pursuit of peaceful coexistence to that of a future shared by all. It shows the world a bright prospect of peace, security, prosperity, and progress. Humanity can only create a brighter future by working together in solidarity and harmony, and moving toward a community with a shared future for mankind.



Xi has put forth the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilizations Initiative, outlining a path for human progress through the three dimensions of development, security, and civilization. These initiatives provide strategic guidance for building a community with a shared future for mankind, which demonstrates that China is not only committed to its own development but also contributes to the wellbeing of all humanity.



The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has been steadily enriched, with steady progress made in practical actions. China has made efforts to build communities with a shared future with particular regions, including with Central Asia, ASEAN, countries in the Lancang-Mekong river basin, Arab states, and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. These efforts are opening up new vistas of harmonious coexistence between different civilizations.



In May this year, Xi paid a state visit to Serbia, during which the two countries jointly announced the decision to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the first of its kind in China's relations with European countries.



In July, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan, SCO member states reaffirmed their commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind and a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation.



In September, at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the overall characterization of China-Africa relations was elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.



In November, during Xi's visit to Brazil, he and his Brazilian counterpart announced an elevation of bilateral ties to a community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.



These milestones mark breakthroughs made in building a community with a shared future for mankind, which has shaped the historical trend toward a shared future and greater solidarity in our global village.



As the world is faced with accelerating changes unseen in a century, human society is again standing at a crossroads in history. Only by drawing wisdom from ancient civilizations and maintaining a far-sighted vision can the world avoid losing its way amid transformations and ensure that the ship of humanity is always sailing in the right direction.



At this critical juncture, it is more important than ever for humanity to uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and let the beacon of civilization illuminate the right path forward for humanity.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > High-quality Belt and Road cooperation create opportunities for global growth Technological cooperation leads to closer China-Africa economic, trade ties China's economic resilience, vitality in four sets of data Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
I like to study history a bit further than most people  probably not as deep as professional historians, but deep enough to know that much of what drives nations and foreign policies is more mythologized history than actual truth.

During this Christmas break, maybe it is time to take a quick look at just a few of the common misconceptions that many people hold  and yes, these misconceptions do affect us, and our government policies, to this day.

1) The French are Latins.

Sacre bleu! What an exaggeration. The French are primarily Celtic, descended from Gauls. The Romans imposed a Latin tongue on them, like how the English imposed their language on the Welsh. But language is not DNA.

Many of the Roman troops and later Italians who settled in France were themselves the descendants of Cisalpine Gauls  the ancient Gauls who had migrated to North/Alpine Italy when Rome was just starting. These Romans/Italians were just Celts returning home, albeit centuries later.

The Basque of southwest France and the Germans of Alsace-Lorraine are a relatively small percentage of the population. The conquering Franks of the sixth century were a minority elite. And the Bretons in Brittany are descendants of British Celts, who Julius Caesar said were related to the Gauls. They also were just coming home. The result is that the native French  apart from recent Arab immigrants  are remarkably homogenous, particularly in the northern half of the country. Sadly, the Arabs, heavily around Marseilles, do stand out.

But the fact is that France, though it has a Latin reputation, is far more stable and productive than Italy.

2) Spain is a united entity.

Actually, Spain could be broken up into a few distinct countries: the semi-Celtic/semi-Portuguese Galicians, the Basque, the Calatans, the despised Andalusians, and the classic Spanish. These people are sometimes on the verge of insurrection. What is amazing is that Madrid managed to keep them together, often by brute force. Without admiration, it has to be admitted that without Franco, Spain would have blown apart in the 1930s.

3) Scotland is Celtic.

The name Scotland comes from the Irish settlers who moved to Argyll in the 4th to 6th centuries. The Irish at that time called themselves Gaels or Scots  Scots being a demonym taken from the semi-historical origin story of the Irish, who claim they originated from Scythia. (Scyt  Scot). These Scots mixed with a related Celtic tribe, the Picts (what the Romans called them), who also claimed a Scythian ancestry, and who had taken Gaelic wives from the Scots. From these Scythian Celts came the name Scotland (which etymologically means land of the Irish) and the Highlander clans.

Sounds Celtic/Gaelic? Certainly, the Highlanders were.

But the Lowland Scots were of Anglo-Saxon/Viking/Danish/Norman ancestry. They were all but indistinguishable from the English, both being Germanic in ancestry. These eventually took over Scotland. Probably 80% of the Highlanders (those descended from the Gaels/Picts) were driven out in the Highland Clearances.

The real Scots ended up in North Carolina and Nova Scotia. Only the name Scotland remained. This is not the only time in history that a conquering people adopted the name of the vanquished natives. Think of North and South Dakota.

How does this affect Scotland? Despite the clamor for independence, most of the remaining Scottish are all but genetically English and do not want secession. When a Scot has Highland blood, it is probably a small quantum. Much of the clamor for Scottish independence comes from the Irish who migrated to Scotland after the 19th-century potato famine. Ironically, right after England drove out the Celtic Highlanders, they were replaced by the related Celtic Irish (the original Scots) from whom the Highlanders descended. It was Celtic revenge.

By the way, Ireland was not called Ireland until the Norman invasions.

4) Latin America is mestizo.

Actually, many countries in Latin America are very European. Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica are very white. Brazil is half-white, with South Brazil being heavily Italian and German.

Where the Latins differ is in the definition of white. In America, white usually meant 100% European in ancestry. In Latin America, white meant majority-European in ancestry. Oddly, as a percentage, Argentina may be more European than America, on a national genomic level. However, about half those whites will have a small measure of indigenous blood.

And not just Spanish. Argentina is heavily Italian, with large German and Ukrainian communities. This can affect their politics. Argentina has a history of being very racist.

Hence during WW2, with about 80% (or more) of Argentina being descended from Spain, Italy, and Germany (the fascist powers of Europe), the elites of Argentina were reluctant to join the war effort against the Axis, even though the populace was pro-Allied.

5) Latin America is solidly Catholic.

Maybe fifty years ago, but no longer.

Protestants outnumber Catholics in Guatemala, Honduras...almost caught up in Nicaragua...catching up in Brazil, Costa Rica, etc.

And this greatly affects politics. With one third of Brazil being Evangelical  who are usually pro-Israel  even Brazils president, Lula da Silva, has to tone down his anti-Zionism. Latin America is having an Evangelical Revival of sorts, which our media up here are ignoring. The result is phenomenal. Brazils former president, Bolsonaro, was baptized by an Evangelical in the River Jordan, and his administration was very pro-Israel. Guatemala is heavily pro-Israel.

While leftists, and Latins of Arab descent, are entrenched up in Latin Americas elites, the populace is welling up with a pro-Israel theology, thus proving that God, not the elites, is in charge of history.

6) The Great Replacement is a myth.

Actually, whites are being replaced, but this is not a new trend. Whites once roamed out to the border of China. The Uyghurs of Xinjiang in Western China carry a lot of Indo-European (white) DNA.

This explains why a few Uyghurs have light eyes or hair.

The fall of Rome saw Hunnic and Avars attacking Indo-European areas. Asian peoples hammered Indo-Europeans from the east. To the south, waves of Muslims hammered Western peoples who, at that time, constituted the majority of North Africa. Iran (Persia) used to be a white country. Islamic invasions put an end to that, though ethnic Persians can still pass for Italian.

In 711, Moorish forces took most of Spain, and their 800-year residence permanently affected the genetics of the Spanish. Prior to A.D. 711, half of Spain was either Celtic or Visigothic (German) in inheritance. The chef Jose Andres, who hails from Northern Spain, which was never conquered by the Moors, probably represents what many pre-Moorish Spaniards looked like.

In 1683, Muslim forces almost took Vienna.

The former rise and expansion of Western populations worldwide from the 15th to 19th centuries was a result of the scientific and industrial revolutions and was not typical throughout history. The present decrease in percentages is mostly self-inflicted. Stopping immigration would only arrest the problem, not reverse it.

Sweden, Ireland, and Norway  arguably the whitest countries in Europe  are now only 80% native in ancestry.

The solution is to convince white women to once again have three or four children. I am calling not for white supremacy, but for self-respect. Leftist wokism will not allow Westerners to have self-respect.

Mike Konrad, who still struggles with Spanish, is a frustrated web designer and is presently trying to get a humorous short story of his published: The Pirate of Gaza.

Image: Tom Hilton via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
Few people I know trust our government to be truthful.

Perhaps the greatest lie of consequence is an executive-level decision by our country's leaders to hide Irans non-stop efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, the means to deliver it, and its operational uses. It is happening yet all we hear is silence.

Why have Democratic presidents continually protected Iranians this century?

Why did the Biden administration publicly support Israel while effectively knifing it in the back on the world stage and remaining silent as other nations joined in supporting terrorists over Americas greatest ally?

The Middle East will converge into two distinct spheres of influence under a new Trump regime, one led by America and the other led by religious and ideological tyrants.

The reality of daily life in five countries reveals the inherent instability.

 Israel  pluralistic, modern, growing, and militarily the strongest single actor in the region by a wide margin.



 Iran  backward-looking, militarily weak, economically shrinking, unstable in population, and led by religious zealots that reject Western values and sow false narratives that are widely believed.



 Syria  with the overthrow of Assad, a tribal country that will either swing to be just another Jihadist nation or break the mold and move to become a more pluralistic and stable country.



 Saudi Arabia  a country with a tortured history that would seem to favor the worst elements of Jihadism but under the titular leadership of Mohammed bin Salman, nevertheless charting a path much more akin to Switzerland than traditional Muslim caliphates have in the past.



 The UAE  another country with deep resources and an interest in creating a modern version of Islam that is more secular and less strident. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum works closely with other moderate Gulf States that envision the Middle East as the hub of a modern world where commerce is valued more than religious domination.

Saudi Arabia, Israel, the UAE, and other Gulf States have worked with Israel for more than 25 years against the threat posed by Iran within the region and the more significant and violent conflict that Iran believes must come for their version of Islam to survive.

Sometimes, quietly, while at other times more openly, one Arab nation after another has developed military, intelligence, and economic ties with Israel.

Sharing an understanding that on the day that Iran goes for broke and reveals its nuclear capabilities, their populations will have already reaped the benefits of a strong connection to the West and will officially announce their military, political, and economic alliances with Israel and the West; it has already begun, isolating Iran and preventing it from playing one country off against another.

The Abraham Accords are more than just political normalization; they represent only the first of several steps.

The Accords signal an intent to join the 21st century, including peace in the region and with Israel. The events of the past 450-plus days have shown Israels strength, underscoring Irans weakness. Applying a little additional pressure each day and doing what must be done to Iran to contain them is now politically acceptable and inevitable after the fall of the Biden regime.

Expect:

1. A region-wide understanding that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons at any cost. These are already made much easier by Israels recent counterattacks.



2. Sectarian and internecine violence no longer serves the interests of most of the ruling powers that needed a bogeyman (Israel) as an excuse for the failure of their countries' abysmal standards of living and political excesses, especially among the non-oil- and natural gas-producing nations.



3. Middle Eastern leaders have been some of the most politically astute for generations. Oil will diminish in importance over the next 100 years.

China, Russia, and the U.S. will increasingly court Middle Eastern nations with huge sovereign wealth funds to their sides.

Communist China is a dangerous long-term play; Russia has a history of unreliability and duplicity.

Only the United States aligns with many of the imperatives major Middle East countries require. There is a certain inevitability that only a stable, rule-of-law country like the United States can provide.

We frequently allude to the notion that nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.

While many Middle Easterners live subsistence-level lives, a growing number have risen out of poverty, and many leaders in the region have begun to realize that they cannot compartmentalize their nations against the chaos, destruction, and evil that moves across borders like a swarm of locusts.

The time has arrived that this region desires to join the rest of the developed and developing world and get past its sectarian roots.

The major impediment to this is Iran. Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, among several Middle Eastern nations, placated Iran, the Palestinians, and other sects as a means of buying off the plague of sectarianism.

It has not worked, and the price they have paid for partial peace has seen too many of their nations fall behind other regional cohorts. With the inevitability of oil and gas depleting over time, more leaders are seeing the necessity of finding a different, peaceful, and permanent integration with the West.

The Palestinian question must be resolved and removed from the stranglehold it has on the region. This may be Trumps single most important foreign policy challenge.

We often hear that this or that could have been prevented if we had the benefit of hindsight. We know that Irans malign intent threatens not just Israel but that of the world. We have been warned; what we do with that thought should be ringing in our ears.

God bless America.

Allan J. Feifer is a patriot, author, businessman, thinker, and strategist. Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com.



Image: Library of Congress, via Picryl // public domain
Jews first came to Ireland in 1079. But when Britain expelled all of its Jews in 1290, the Jews of Ireland were forced to leave. A small number returned in the late 15th century as refugees from the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. In the 1700s, the synagogue in Dublin was forced to close. In fact, contributing to the closure may have been the governments refusal to grant citizenship to Jews, despite other bills that gave citizenship to other foreign nationals.

In the early 1920s and 1930s, Irish sympathies lay squarely with the Zionists and drew heavily on the presumed parallels between historical Irish and Jewish suffering.

Before 1948, the Irish Jewish community, which had come overwhelmingly from Lithuania in the period from 1880 to 1914, was one of the most pro-Zionist in Western Europe and a major per capita supporter of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), as well as other Zionist organizations and institutions.

But Irish nationalist perceptions toward Israel shifted, and Ireland became increasingly preoccupied with the fate of the Palestinian Arab refugees.

As a result, Ireland failed to give de jure recognition to Israel until 1963, some fifteen years after Israels declaration of independence.

In February 1980, Ireland was the first European Union member to call for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Furthermore, in December 1993, Ireland was the last to allow Israel to open a residential embassy. Moreover, Ireland prevented the European Union from declaring Hezballah a terrorist organization.

Throughout the Oslo Accords era and beyond, Irish governments continued with unlimited support to the Palestinians. In fact, Ireland has one of the most organized and effective chapters of the international Palestine Solidarity Campaign whose goal is to isolate and delegitimize Israel, including an attempt to get Aer Lingus to cancel flights to Israel.

According to Rory Miller, Yasser Arafat, who had long ago mastered the art of telling audiences what they wanted to hear did not miss the opportunity to appeal to Irish sensibilities over Jerusalem during his 1993 speech before the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Community. He stressed that when we [the Palestinians] speak about Jerusalem ... you the Irish people can understand our position. This touches your hearts as it touches mine. Jerusalem is terra sancta.[1]

In fact, the Irish presidency was quite vocal about the so-called illegality of [Israeli] settlement activity.

Even as relations between Ireland and Israel worsened, it was asserted, however, that

Ireland [was] a good case study to prove that no matter how bad political relations are, these do not necessarily impact negatively on bilateral economic relations. It is also a good case study to demonstrate that however good economic relations are, these do not improve the political relationship.

Consequently, many Irish politicians believed that Israel [had] much to offer their country in the economic field and thus [thought] Ireland should not burn its bridges with it.

Yet, in 2017, Ireland held a pseudo-academic anti-Israel hate fest, which, as Denis MacEoin describes, was

not [to] be an academic conference in any real sense of the word. It [was], from the outset, a hate-fest of international anti-Zionist, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric and distortion. It [was] totally without balance. How do we know this? First, because a significant majority of the participants ... made no secret of their support for the boycott of Israeli academics.

In 2019, Peter Baum highlighted how Irelands indignation and legislation banning the import of goods from Israeli communities located beyond the 1949 armistice lines constituted a breach of European trade law.

In 2021, Lawrence Franklin maintained that the Jew-hatred from Ireland

does not well up from the general public but seems clearly driven from the top down. These Goebbels-like attacks on Israel include salvos from several Sinn Fein members of parliament. One of them, Martin Browne, represents Tipperary and claims, falsely, that Israel created ISIS. Another, Matt Carthy representing Cavan-Monahan, has stated that Israel is the worst human rights offender on earth  presumably dwarfing China, North Korea, Venezuela and Iran.

Thus, the fewer than 2,000 Irish Jews remaining in the country expressed concern about degrading Ireland-Israel ties.

And now it can be asserted that the antisemitism of Irish leaders has thrown their own economic interests to the wind. It has now reached the point where relations between the two countries are simply untenable.

As Hugh Fitzgerald succinctly puts it, Ireland has been overtaken by the virus of antisemitism.

Over the years, while Ireland asserted the right of Israel to live in peace and security, this was frequently regarded in Israel as nothing more than lip-service to Israels security concerns.

In fact, Ireland does not appear to realize that it has just strengthened the terrorists in Ireland. The Irish have decided that they are willing to overlook, submit to, or even condone terrorism as they recognize a Palestinian state and continue their hostility toward Israel.

Accordingly, the Irish government has chosen to join South Africa in its charge against Israel at the International Court of Justice hoping to have the tiny and embattled Jewish state declared guilty of genocide.

A few weeks after the heinous and well documented October 7 pogrom in Israel, the Irish parliament passed a motion declaring that genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza.

In an Orwellian perversion of major proportions,

The Irish government has expanded the definition of what constitutes genocide. Now it appears to mean something rather vague  killing too many civilians in a war than we deem necessary, and your intent, or lack of it, no longer matters; you can still be declared guilty of genocide. Using that definition, both the US, with its atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the UK, with the firebombing of German cities such as Dresden by the UKs Bomber Harris, are both guilty of genocide.

Henceforth, Israel has closed its Dublin embassy in fury at Irelands attempt to gerrymander international law.

In other words, Ireland is seeking to convict Israel for a crime that currently doesnt even exist in international law. This is reminiscent of the Soviet Union, where the chief of Stalins secret police, Lavrentiy Beria, said: Show me the man, and Ill show you the crime.

The Irish prime minister, Simon Harris, claimed that Ireland isnt anti-Israel but is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law. Yet he failed even to refer to Oct. 7 and the plight of the Israeli hostages. Instead, he baselessly accused Israel of killing children and causing civilian deaths on a reprehensible scale and claimed falsely that Gazans have been left to starve with humanitarian aid failing to flow.

In essence, [w]hat the Irish want is a definition of genocide so broad that it will fit Israels war in Gaza. This, despite the fact that the Israel Defense Forces make tremendous efforts to minimize civilian casualties by warning civilians away from areas or buildings about to be targeted.

But nothing matters to those whose hatred for Israel and Jews permeates their souls.

And by the way, this will be bad news for trade for the Irish, who need Israeli chip technology more than Israel needs Irish butter.

And what of the other Israeli advances, such as artificial intelligence, medical devices, and weapons technology that will no longer be available because of Irelands latest diatribe?

But this is the outcome as Irelands anti-Israel animus reveals itself. It is the predictable end result of the manipulation of language, the ongoing lies, distortions, and massive rewriting of history through simplistic images by ill informed journalists and hate-filled politicians.

Indeed, the Emerald Isle continues to irrevocably besmirch itself.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com.

Image: AlmazUK via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
In the complex political landscape of America, Alfred Korzybskis profound insight, The map is not the territory, resonates with striking relevance. As we stand on the precipice of another Trump Administration, its crucial to understand that the ideological maps drawn by the MAGA movement and the America First doctrine are not merely symbolic or theoretical; they are blueprints for navigating the tangible, often tumultuous, territory of our nations future.

The conservative ethos, particularly within the context of the MAGA movement, has long been criticized as a nostalgic retreat to a bygone era. Yet, this view misunderstands the conservative map, mistaking it for mere nostalgia when it is, in fact, a strategic guide towards a robust, self-reliant, and sovereign America.

Consider the America First philosophy as a new map, one that diverges from the globalist models which have, for decades, dictated American policy. These globalist maps have often led us through territories fraught with economic dependency, cultural dilution, and a diminishment of national sovereignty. The Trump Administrations return is not about returning to an outdated map but about redrawing one where Americas interests are paramount, where the territory of national prosperity is charted through policies of economic nationalism, stringent border control, and a reinvigorated national pride.

Image by Grok.

This new map acknowledges the territorys complexitiesthe economic disparities, the cultural wars, and the silent cries for a return to a government that serves its citizens first. By advocating for policies like tax reforms that benefit the American worker, reducing regulatory burdens that stifle innovation, and securing our borders, were not just revisiting old paths; were forging new trails through uncharted territories.

The MAGA movement is often painted with broad strokes by critics as a regressive force, but this is to miss the forest for the trees. MAGA, in its essence, is a call to action for rebuilding from within. Its a map that seeks to restore the American Dream by focusing on the middle class, small businesses, and community valueselements that have been overlooked in the rush towards globalization.

This restoration isnt about turning back time but about reclaiming the spirit of American ingenuity and self-reliance. Its about understanding that the territory of Americas potential is vast, yet untapped, under the weight of bureaucratic overreach and international commitments that dont align with our national interest. Here, The map is not the territory serves as a reminder that our political models, our policies, should be dynamic, adapting to the real needs of the American populace rather than adhering to outdated or foreign-centric paradigms.

In the political arena, where narratives often become more influential than facts, Korzybskis principle is a beacon for truth. The media, the political establishment, have crafted maps of Trump and MAGA that do not align with the territory of their actions or intentions. Theyve depicted a narrative of chaos and division, whereas the territory shows a different storyone of economic revival, lower unemployment rates, and a push for peace through strength on the international stage.

The incoming administration must continue to challenge these misrepresentations by focusing on the tangible outcomes of their policies. The territory of Trumps first termmarked by record low unemployment, significant deregulation, and a focus on energy independence  tells a tale of success that the old maps of the political elite refuse to acknowledge.

The Trump Administrations policies have been backed by notable empirical data. Deregulation efforts saved American businesses over $220 billion annually, while tax reforms led to a $40 billion increase in real incomes, empowering the middle class. Unemployment reached historic lows, with Black, Hispanic, and overall unemployment rates at their lowest in decades, highlighting a more inclusive economic growth. Median household income rose to its highest level in nearly two decades, and poverty rates for minorities hit new lows in 2018.

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) replaced NAFTA, promising to generate over $68 billion in economic activity and create upwards of 550,000 jobs, showcasing a commitment to economic nationalism. Furthermore, the administrations focus on energy independence led to record levels of oil and natural gas production, reducing reliance on foreign energy sources. These tangible outcomes provide a solid foundation for the assertion that the MAGA map is one of practical success, not just ideological posturing.

While advocating for this conservative map, we must also recognize the need for balance. The territory of America is diverse, with varied landscapes of thought, culture, and need. The America First doctrine should not isolate but rather unite by fostering an environment where all Americans can thrive. This means ensuring that while we prioritize national interests, we do not neglect the global responsibilities that come with being a superpower. Its about finding a balance where American leadership on the world stage supports, rather than detracts from, domestic prosperity.

As we move forward, let us remember that maps are tools for navigation, not immutable truths. The map of MAGA, of America First, is one that seeks to navigate through the complexities of modern America with a clear vision of what America can be  a nation not bound by the past but inspired by it to forge a future of greatness.

In this era of political realignment, let us be guided by the wisdom that The map is not the territory. The Trump Administrations challenge, and indeed the challenge for all of us, is to ensure that our political maps reflect the true contours of our national landscape  one of opportunity, unity, and unyielding pursuit of the American ideal.

If we can navigate by this principle, understanding that our policies must adapt to the real, living, breathing territory of America, we can indeed make America great again, not just in slogan but in the lived experience of every citizen. This is the map for our future, one where every step taken is towards a stronger, more sovereign, and genuinely prosperous United States.
Europe now has no more corrupt country than Ukraine. For the third consecutive year, the country has been grappling with the repercussions of an ongoing war, seeking ways to sustain and operate all governmental institutions while relying heavily on international aid. Additionally, as was to be expected, within the Ukrainian government, there are individuals who are still attempting to profit amid a substantial budget shortfall.

Most Ukrainian ministers are currently someones proteges, with real power concentrated in the hands of several characters who influence decision-making and receive financial rewards. One such group is the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU), which manages the privatization, leasing, assessment, and seizure of state assets. The SPFU operates under the supervision of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak. Until recently, Yermaks deputy for economic matters, Rostislav Shurma, oversaw the fund.

Shurmas career ended this September after allegations of corruption and fostering a negative image of the official in the media. The US was rumored to have refused to work with him and insisted on his dismissal. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as befits a person who does not make independent decisions regarding his countrys domestic policy, complied with the instructions of Bidens associates. Consequently, Shurma found himself unemployed.

Image by Grok.

In a state with a functioning rule of law, corrupt officials are usually replaced by individuals capable of reinstating order and promoting transparency within their departments. Unfortunately, this approach does not work in Ukraine. One easy money supporter replaces another, and someone behind the scenes continues to make decisions. In this case, the puppeteer is the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov.

Admit it: You dont hear that last name very often. Umerov has headed the Ukrainian defense department for a little over a year, all while avoiding the media. However, despite his low-key presence, Umerov has significant influence and continues to expand it.

Before becoming the Minister of Defense, its worth noting that Umerov headed the SPFU. He was characterized as an effective manager, capable of coping with super-difficult challenges. These included restoring the Ministry of Defense as a body coordinating all armed forces and optimizing the public procurement system in the defense sphere.

However, given how poorly Ukraines military is doing, it seems that Umerov cannot cope with his responsibilities. Ukraine is losing territory. The bridgehead in the Kursk region of Russia is decreasing daily, and weapons supplies are still an issue. But it seems that those might not be Umerovs primary concerns.

According to the information available to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, the SPFU (which, again, Umerov previously headed), still carries his imprimatur. At least two deputy heads of the organization, Oleksandr Fedorishin and Denis Shugaliy, are Umerovs proteges and continue to act in his interests.

Additionally, two of the funds Department heads are effectively subordinates to the current Minister of Defense of Ukraine. In fact, it is Umerov who continues to influence this state body, promoting his people to senior positions (Fedorishin, for example, was the acting head of the SPFU for some time). This means that Umerof still has a hand in the till, with all the risks of corruption go with it. These include underestimating a propertys book value to so that the managers can later resell it at a profit.

Perhaps we shouldnt expect more from Ukraine. What is of real consequence to America, and is something about which Donald Trump must be aware, is that Umerov has moved the Ministry of Defense in Turkeys direction. He has started buying from Turkish defense companies, rather than American ones.

One example is the joint work of Ukraine and Turkey to design a fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet, which Ankara is developing as an alternative to the F-35. Moreover, Umerov appointed his business partners, Snaver Seithalilev and Lenur Mambetov, the former of whom is associated with Turkish investments and the latter of whom may have those connections, as freelance advisers to the Minister of Defense. Any increase in Turkeys influence in Ukrainian politics is a headache for the White House, which has a very tense relationship with Turkish leader Recep Erdogan.

Without a doubt, these problems will raise questions for the new US administration. Donald Trump, who wonders why Washington should sponsor the Ukrainian war, will insist that Ukraine promote American interests. Ukraines chronic problems of corruption and nepotism, along with politicians and bureaucrats focus on their own well-being, rather than that of the state for which they work, suggest that continued US-Ukraine cooperation will bring nothing but financial losses to America.
I want 2025 to be the year that we normals take back the rainbow. Im sick and tired of a small subculture taking for itself a symbol of tremendous natural beauty and of core Judeo-Christian religious significance.

Rainbows are one of Natures great miracles, formed when light is filtered through scattered drops of water in the air, separating lights colors into that exquisite multi-colored arch. Rainbows are also symbols of Gods promise to Noah after the flood never again to wipe out humankind. (Genesis 9:8-17.)

Because they are part of the world around us, rainbows belong to everyone. And because they are an integral part of the Bible, rainbows have special significance to those who ascribe to the Judeo-Christian faiths.

All that changed in 1974 when Harvey Milk, a San Francisco ephebophile (an adult sexually attracted to teenagers) and public figure, challenged Gilbert Baker to create a pride symbol for gay people.

Image by Robert S. Duncanson. Public domain.

So, who was Gilbert Baker? He was a leftist who was also gay. He worked to legalize marijuana, one of the most pernicious things to happen to America. He was an anti-war activist (of course). He was also an early member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a defiantly anti-Christian drag movement that saw gay men dress as drag nuns.

If you check out the Wikipedia page about the gay pride flag, you can see that it went through several iterations before settling on the current form...but it was always a rainbow.

Gilberts been cagey about why he settled on the rainbow, suggesting that it was just a hippie thing. However, when you combine the fact that he was a member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, with the Bibles view that the rainbow is a message from God and that homosexuality is a sin, it beggars believe that he was doing anything other than making a decided anti-biblical point with the rainbow.

Over the last fifty years, the rainbow flag has become the overarching symbol of the alphabet soup movement of deviant sexualities. Of course, all the subsexualities have their own flags, but the rainbow flag is still the primary symbol.

Nowadays, when we see a rainbow, not just on a flag, but in any form, we automatically assume its connected with the LGBTQ+ communities. But thats deeply wrong. Its an offense to Nature, which belongs to all of us, and to practitioners of the worlds Judeo-Christian faithswho number around 2.5 billion (most Christian, with a few millions Jews).

So perhaps its time that we two-billion-plus Judeo-Christian people ReclaimTheRainbow. (No hashtag, because Elon Musk says theyre ugly, and X no longer requires them.) Ive added a rainbow (not a rainbow flag, but just a rainbow) to my X identifier, along with the message ReclaimTheRainbow (Im not gay). That meshes well with the rainbow that streaks across the photo thats long been on my profile.

Its time. Americans have made it plain that theyre done with the craziness of the left. If a few tens of millions of us flood both the online and corporeal world with rainbows, we can take it back from the fringe...as we will take so many things back from the fringe.

Image: X screen grab.
No question about it.

Americans are fed up with criminals.

Including the criminals that Biden decided to pardon on his way out.

Including Hunter.

But I digress.

Were fed up with criminals.

Even in blue precincts.

Its why a New York jury acquitted Daniel Penny.

And told Alvin Brag to go after real criminals for a change.

Its why Soros appointees like Chesa Boudin got the boot.

Does Trumps election have something to do with it?

No question about it.

The New York jury would have been too scared of Harris DOJ to acquit.

No, Im not exaggerating.

And now comes a story of a Florida sheriff using incredibly blunt language.

Nobody would have dared risk being in the cross-hairs of Harris DOJ.

A Florida sheriff said intruders should expect to be shot after releasing information about a homeowner who opened fire at two masked men trying to break into his house, killing one. The deceased suspect was identified as 23-year-old Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, from Mexico, according to the Manatee County Sheriffs Office. The second suspect, Michel Soto-Mella, 39, an illegal immigrant from Chile, is charged with armed burglary, with additional charges pending, according to the sheriffs office. Just after 9 p.m. Thursday, the Manatee County homeowner saw the two men entering the back of his house on his video surveillance system, according to authorities. He knew something bad was about to happen and he didnt stall, MCSO Sheriff Rick Wells said during a press conference Friday. He grabbed his firearm [and] told his wife to get into a safe spot. The homeowner fired multiple rounds, hitting Flores-Toledo several times, while Soto-Mella fled the scene, according to the sheriffs office. [snip] This is the state of Florida, Wells said. If you want to break into someones home, you should expect to be shot. [snip] Flores-Toledo, who also went by the name of Anibal Miller-Valencia, was arrested in Oak Brook, Illinois in 2023 and served four months in jail for residential burglary before being released on parole in November, according to authorities. He had an active warrant for a parole violation and was considered armed and dangerous.

Sheriff Wells can expect a call from President Trump.

Maybe even a job working for incoming border czar Tom Homan.

On the other hand, Sheriff Wells is too valuable in Manatee County.

Will his blunt warning have a rippling effect around the country?

I certainly hope so.

Image by Grok.

A frequent contributor to American Thinker, Arnold Cusmariu is the author of Logic for Kids and is working on a new book to be titled Echoes from Platos Cave, forthcoming next year from Jenny Stanford Publishing.
Elon Musk has waded into the immigration debate with new posts on 'X' leaning in the direction of Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial remarks, blasting American "mediocrity" in favor of imported workers on H-1B visas.

Both Elon and Vivek have a point, even as those who oppose them also have valid arguments -- and a consensus is building on all sides that the H-1B visa program, which imports workers with specialized skilled, could stand for some reform, given the way it's being gamed, particularly from India, as a means of exporting mediocrities who can supplant American workers for cheaper prices to their employers, all by paying consultants to get them to win U.S. H-1B visa lotteries, as Silicon Valley barons keep these workers in indentured servitude, lowering the wages of all workers. That's a bad system.

America should be importing only the best and brightest -- on merit, meritocratic principles -- to help the economy innovate, excel, and grow, so the consensus thinking goes.

I'm not entirely onboard, actually.

Far from importing just the best and brightest, I think America should be importing immigrants on character grounds -- those who truly love the U.S. and who wish to become actual Americans, not hyphenated Americans, not takers of public benefits -- ordinary people not all that different from our own ancestors as they came through Ellis Island and many other places to make America what it was during its years of greatness. People who, as Eric Hoffer characterized them, "want to be left alone."

They don't have to be the math champ. Math champs are often math champs abroad because they've had more opportunities than other kids, owing to political connections, cronyism, conformity to a dictatorship, and ill-gotten gains. Some really are math champs, but they had opportunities that shut out others.

It's far better to import patriots-in-waiting who love America and are willing to die for it. They must be willing to work hard, show family values, and refuse welfare, but more than that, show some kind of life-or-death commitment to America. We don't see that from the best-and-brightest class.

But they are the people we should be letting in. We can get math champs anywhere. We can get university grads anywhere. Credentials abound, especially in places that are all about caste and privilege, which incidentally tend to export migrants.

What's valuable, though, is those immigrants who love America -- and who enrich it through their examples to the benefit and inspiration of the entire country.

It comes down to what Eric Hoffer once observed about the differences between common people and the people that he, for want of a better word, characterized as "intellectuals."

The latter are the people we should be keeping out of the country, discriminating against, given what we have seen from this class already imported in as the best and brightest. I am not going to get into how to sort them out, but I am very wary of people who are imported on "merit" grounds with no regard as to what their views of America are. Often those views are communist or something that comes very close to it, and once in the states they vote Democrat.

I've got a copy of his 'The Ordeal of Change,' and its Chapter 6 titled "The Intellectual and the Masses" in my lap, which offers insight as to why, opening with:

The intellectual as a champion of the masses is a relatively recent phenomenon. Education does not waken in us a concern for the uneducated. The distinction conferred by education is more easily maintained by a sharp separation from those below than by a continued excellence of achievement. When Gandhi was asked by an American clergyman what it was that worried him the most, he replied: "The hardness of heart of the educated." In almost every civilization we know of the intellectuals have been either allied with those in power or members of a governing elite, and consequently indifferent to the fate of the masses. In ancient Egypt and Imperial China the literati were magistrates, overseers, stewards, tax-gatherers, secretaries, and officials of every kind. They were in command, and did not lift a finger to lighten the burden of the lower orders. In India the intellectuals were members of the uppermost caste of the Brahmins. Gautama, who preached love of service for others and the mixing of castes, was by birth not an intellectual but a warrior; and the attempt to translate Buddha's teaching into reality was made by another warrior, Emperor Asoka. The Brahmin intellectuals, far from rallying to the cause, led the opposition to Buddhism, and finally drove it out of India.

V.S. Naipaul, the son of Indian indentured servants on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, boiled with contempt for them, too, and he had their number, marveling at their mediocrity and resentments in his magnificent essays and novels.

Meanwhile, nobody did quite the job of slaying of them as individual people than historian Paul Johnson did in his short masterpiece, "Intellectuals."

Johnson's takedowns of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Karl Marx, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Jean Paul Sartre, and others was devastating, describing from a historian's perspective what a bunch of colossal a-holes they were as people, with vast character flaws and gargantuan egos. My Indian friends and I read it in Singapore years ago, and I recall the amount of fun we had deciding among ourselves which one was "the absolute worst." (Consensus: Marx.)

With this type defined, compare them to this best-and-brightest immigrant pair, who censored President Trump and countless Americans in naked violation of the First Amendment.

These are the two Twitter executives who banned my account for 2 and a half years without cause.



So, yes, I have an axe to grind with "high skill" Indian migrants. pic.twitter.com/JZYi8SBKjm  Josiah Lippincott (@jlippincott_) December 25, 2024

Based on their Wikipedia pages, they are Indian immigrant "success stories," the best and brightest who should always be imported in under this new consensus.

Both Vijaya Gadde and Parag Agrawal were the pampered children of the Indian intellectual elites.

India has lots of different kinds of people, but some of the worst of them are in their intellectual class, a bastion of third world mediocrity if there ever was one, fully vested in strangling power over the little guys.

Censoring others, particularly the little guys and more importantly, the leader they elected, would be second nature to them, so not surprisingly was exactly what they did. What third-world intellectual straight out of the pages of V.S. Naipaul's or Eric Hoffer's nonfiction essays, wouldn't do the same? They are intellectuals, and intellectuals hate the common people.

India, of course, gets a lot of attention because nobody has fostered the concept of intellectuals, and bureaucrats like the the Indians have. Plenty of other places, though, have them -- Somalia, Tanzania, Ghana, Zaire, Egypt, Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Columbia, Mexico, Peru -- any country that had a lot of fist-waving against the U.S. during the 1960s.

Most are wildly anti-American, hating the concept of little guys owning their own cars and taking vacations, not to mention, rising upward in status through hard work, which is the American story. They can't stand that as it challenges their own claims to power over others.

Besides the Twitter elites, take a look at Kamala Harris's heritage on the Indian side -- daughter of the Brahmin intellectual class. You can bet they've kicked around a few common people in their day -- and their legacy is Kamala, the former California Attorney General who kept low-level prisoners in jail beyond their terms to fight wildfires and demanded an illegal security detail from the Los Angeles Police Department to show off as a status symbol when she went to parties.

Her Indian-side family members have turned up in Silicon Valley in elite positions -- without being particularly talented.

That's stuff from the people Hoffer called "intellectuals."

Ditto for Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, both children of the intellectual elites in their home countries. Seems anyone who's anti-American is the child of some fourth-world "intellectual" elitist with a grudge against America and by nature comes here with a desire to stick it to the little guy.

Unfortunately, they can often overlap with "the best and the brightest" as a concept, and that then become a reason to prioritize them over other applicants to live in America.

I deeply distrust this idea of importing intellectual elites billed as "achievers" into this country, based on what the record shows.

Hoffer noted that not only do they look for and glom onto power, they crush creativity. That calls to mind that Silicon Valley started going downhill when they started turning up in big numbers.

I'd much rather see a hardworking family from Guatemala be allowed into the U.S. on some kind of vetted proof of their commitment to America than migrants like Rep. Ilhan Omar, the daughter of confused, resentful radical left-wing third-world intellectuals who clearly has a superiority complex over ordinary Americans and a will to power.

As Hoffer wrote in one of his later books, probably "Before the Sabbath":

It almost seems that nobody can hate America as much as native Americans. America needs new immigrants to love and cherish it.

He was talking about the classic immigrants, the little guys, of which he was probably one (he may have been born in Germany), not this intellectual class.

The quote still resonates with me after all these years.

Image: Wikipedia // public domain
Four months after Hamas's hideous attack on unsuspecting Israeli festival-goers, troops, and people in their homes, I traveled to Israel for two weeks.

There, I picked oranges, refurbished trucks, wrapped packages, painted Kibbutz buildings, planted trees in the names of the murdered, and completed odd jobs on military bases, in hopes of contributing one small bit to Israels war effort.

Ten months later, fourteen months after the initial attack, I returned to Israel for a nieces Bat Mitzvah.

As soon as we departed the El Al aircraft and exited the grand hall walkway towards the luggage area, once again we saw individual posters of hostages, with their names and ages -- some as old as 80, others as tender as one year.

More than 100 human beings are still being held captive by Hamas, now for well over 400 days!

During that time, Israel has fought back against anyone involved in the initial attack, or in a mistaken bid for glory, joined the Hamas-initiated attacks later.

Essentially, Israel has successfully endured a scorched earth policy. Hamas, Hezbollah their leadership and adherents are basically dust.

But like the cockroaches that they are, evil minions continue to rise.

Yes, Syria has experienced a coup d'etat.

Yes, Lebanese fighters had their naughty bits blasted.

Yes, Egypt was caught facilitating the operation of Hamas tunnels.

Yes, Iran, for the moment, is mute.

But the Houthis from Yemen are still lobbing missiles at Israel -- serious and deadly enough that we were forced to run to hotel safe rooms three nights of a six night stay.

And Hamas is refusing to engage in serious hostage negotiation talks or to even name the remaining hostages, dead or alive.

Our Federal Code 18 US Code 1201, known as the Federal Kidnapping Act states:

whoever unlawfully seizes, confines, decoys, kidnaps, abducts or carries away and holds for ransom or reward any person, or when the person is unwillingly transported in interstate or foreign bound commerce across a state and is guilty of kidnapping and shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years and, if death results by death or life imprisonment.

100, yes, 100 Israelis, including seven Americans, are still hostages under complete control of Hamas. What the ... ?

Biden, as is finally evident for all to see, is not competent to threaten anyone, but his handlers and wife surely were.

President Trump has stated that if the hostages arent returned by January 20 - his inauguration day - there will be hell to pay.

Why the hell wasnt the hell to pay, paid a long time ago?

I absolutely trust that President Trump will keep his word.

But what of the radical Islamists? As death cults go, they have proved their bona fides repeatedly. They extol the dead Jewish blood on their hands; the burnt-alive babies, the gang rapes of young Jewish women.

While U.S. federal law provides a penal guideline and international law died as well, death or life imprisonment is not justice in this case.

Justice demands that Hamas, and all the innocent Gazans who spat on dead and naked womens bodies, who helped keep Israelis captive in horrific conditions, who tortured their living relatives with hints and omissions of their captives' conditions must leave Gaza. Every single one of them.

Gazans have proven they have repeatedly and cravenly acted outside the limits of civilization.

They do not deserve a state of their own. Yet even now, the majority want Hamas to remain in governing leadership.

Every single Gazan should be sent into exile and dispersed.

Israel should be granted complete ownership and control of Gaza, and the country should be renamed. That is justice.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
San Francisco police officers patrolling the Tenderloin found a man with gunshot wounds early Saturday. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2022

A man was shot near Eddy and Hyde streets in the Tenderloin shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, San Francisco police said.

Officers patrolling the neighborhood heard gunshots near Eddy and Leavenworth streets, police said. They found the man with gunshot wounds at Eddy and Hyde, along with damage to an unoccupied vehicle. Police did not elaborate on what kind of damage the vehicle sustained or whether it was related to the shooting.

After officers rendered aid to the victim, medics took him to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

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Comparisons are odious, but Americans are used to that from the failing Democrat party  the party of no apology; no matter what.

They refuse to acknowledge the ongoing (how long does it take, really?) Republican-led congressional committee hearings that have unearthed tons of evidence regarding the many irregularities of congressional Democrats, RINOs, and associated DOJ and even Department of Defense actors, in concealing, subverting, and burying critical evidence against all those accused of "insurrection" in the Jan. 6 protests.

We are now apprised of the investigative conclusions regarding the riotous Jan. 6, 2021 protests that point, overwhelmingly, to a false, vicious, and planned insurrection orchestrated by, primarily, the Swamp. Yet, no one in or retired from Congress has been prosecuted  yet.

The Jan. 6, 2021 outrage was directed first at Donald Trump (who endured subsequent, related lawfare for four long years) and then those innocents caught up in what was virtually a political sting on Capitol Hill.

The arresting, beating, charging, jailing, and retaining  still active last month!  of tourists and protestors and patriots at the Capitol on that Jan. 6 is a historic instance of political irony, judicial hypocrisy, lawlessness, covert criminality, and finally, a disturbing governmental mercilessness towards the American people.

On mercy, Vice President Mike Pence still pretends he did O.K. on Jan 6, 2021.

Well, O.K., Mr. Pence is now kicked to the curb  and staying there, we really hope.

Pence does still talk, longingly, about Christian stuff  omitting the moral problems regarding solitary confinement, torture, endless waits for trial, and that type of thing  all meted out to the Jan. 6 prisoners for four long years in D.C.s gulag.

When will Mr. Pence get what he deserves? When his hell freezes over?

Now-former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered the public a slight demurral this month when acknowledging that, yes, she made a few minor errors on Jan 6, 2021.

Too bad for Nancy that the Sergeant at Arms assignee on that day recently confirmed a quite different version of the ex-Speakers story line.

The Department of Defense also recently confirmed that, ahem, (it took them four years!), yes, Donald Trump did request National Guard support days before that Jan. 6 event happened  and was turned down.

Thats just the start of what Defense and the FBI and the Congress have been up to in their rush to political injustice and their protective, self-serving swampiness.

Despite all they havent learned, some Dems and RINOs in the House and Senate are scheming for a reboot of Jan. 6.

It's supported by such as The Hill (a media outlet entirely dependent on the favors of a Democrat majority/minority on Capitol Hill).

The Dems arent done with us yet. They will not be moved.

Some congressional Democrats and their progressive doppelgangers in the media are, this and last week, calling for a new-and-better congressional insurrection on Jan. 6, 2025: Whereby the members of Congress, by internal, conspiratorial sleight of hand on procedural matters, will deny election certification to Donald Trump, our president-elect who overcame by both electoral and popular vote in a massively successful election with not many publicized claims of voter fraud.

Trumps enemies in Congress, and their friends, are tying themselves in knots about how to beat him  and all of us  down again. Most risible is the effort to push Kamala Harris in there in Trumps stead. (Thats pretty sick, given her past and very recent record, no? Hollywood, anyway, likes it.)

O.K., so the Dems arent done with their political stings. They are unrepentant towards their many and various victims. They dont give a Schiff.

We dont want to think about the Dems for much longer. Liz Cheney and others on that closeted committee are favored for prosecution. We find that congressional witness tampering got a major boost after Jan. 6, 2021.

Its probable that the American people know that justice and fair play in Congress is effectively playing dead in this country  thanks to the administration still in effect  and will not be seen in fact again until after Jan. 20, 2025  when Donald Trump regains the office that was very arguably stolen from him in 2020.

What the American people  reputably turning off the tube at record pace  are wanting now is greatly opposed to any Democrat-inspired reboot of deep, disloyal congressional idiocy and fraud in 2025.

The people have turned off their lefty viewing and are about to, in their many millions, celebrate regained freedoms -- theyre probably saying, Bring It On, Mr. and Ms. Last Term Congressperson.

Ready, set, go.

Image: Tyler Merbler, via Wikipedia // CC BY 2.0


For some years now weve been told words are violence. Its a jarring assertion for Americans brought up on the axiom that sticks and stone may break their bones, but words can never hurt them. So, sticks, stones and words can break our bones? Our parents and relatives were lying to us? The center cannot hold. The trans movement goes a bit beyond that assertion with the certainty that the unexpressed thoughts of Normal Americans are a trans genocide, but that was a topic for another article.

The Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) left has always been the nearly exclusive manipulator of language. When one of their perfect, non-falsifiable policies fails, that failure was not a result of their own venal stupidity, but a failure of messaging. If only they had perfected the right turn of a phrase, or the invention of a new term, they would have been able to fool Deplorables into willingly accepting their own destruction. Where Normal Americans are content to consult the dictionary despite its recent turn to the woke, D/s/cs just make things up.

The recent attack on a Christmas market in Germany is a case in point:

Graphic: X Screenshot

It wasnt a Saudi Arabian Muslim who drove a car into the crowded market, no. It was that darned car that drove itself killing five and injuring scores. And of course, the motivation for the car running down all those Germans may never be known, but it certainly had nothing to do with Islam, no sir!

In America another linguistic scourge is gun violence. Its a selective scourge to be sure. When a comic-opera villain named Luigi Mangione assassinated a health care CEO, there was no instant call for common sense gun control, which translates as take guns away from people who will never harm anyone. Instead the comically named, uni-browish killer was lauded as a Robin Hoodish, hunky luv muffin. But when yet another deranged teenaged girl attacked a Christian school, the messaging immediately demanded the banning of assault weapons, though shemaybe heused only a handgun.

Still, if D/s/cs are to be believed America is rife with gun violence, inanimate objects animating themselves and injuring and killing Americans in huge numbers. Allied with this sort of violence is the messaging that America is uniquely violent, unlike the rest of the worlds nations where lions lay down with lambs. The invaluable Bill Whittle put that notion to rest with a classic video that revealed America, despite having more guns per capita than anywhere in the world, is only number 111 in homicides per capita. If statistics from Americas most violent, D/s/c-ruled cities are omitted, America would rank at around 211. Whittles statistics were derived about a decade ago, but things havent changed much, if at all, since despite the FBIs manipulation of statistics to benefit D/s/cs.

With that in mind, lets examine the possibly less politicized statistics from the FBIs Uniform Crime Report from 2015-2019. These stats represent the weapons used to kill Americans:

Graphic: FBI UCR 2019. Public Domain

Notice that in 2019, firearms of all types were used in 10,258 instances. Of that figure 6,368 were handguns and only 364 were rifles. Only 200 shotguns were used, for a total of 564 long guns of all types. The FBI didnt break them down further, but we know only a tiny portion of that 364 figure were assault weapons.

Whats really interesting, however, is there were 1,476 instances of knife or cutting instrument violence, 397 instances of blunt object violence, 600 instances of hand, fist and feet violence, and poison, explosive, fire, narcotics, drowning, strangulation and asphyxiation violence for a total of 356 and a shocking total of 840 other weapons or weapons not stated violence.

Considering hand, fist and feet violence, accounts for far more homicide than murders committed by assault weapons, shouldnt we be advocating common sense murder weapon control by means of hand, fist and feet bans, or at least registration, storage mandates and the red flag laws necessary to control such dangerous weapons?

These statistics were also derived before our borders were thrown wide open, though that probably made no difference. D/s/cs assure us illegal immigrants never commit crimes and are far more law-abiding than legitimate American citizens. Well, apart from the murderers, rapists, drug dealers, child traffickers, cartels, murderous gang members and terrorists that is.

The FBI has also been inventing ghost gun statistics in an attempt to convince us this new linguistic scourge is, well, scourgish (If D/s/cs can make up words, so can I). These arent all used in murders, but apparently criminals who go to the trouble of manufacturing these guns just leave them lying about crime scenes. But even those made-up statistics pale in significance to the real, historic scourge of hand, fist and feet violence. Why arent we hearing impassioned pleas to ban those far more commonly used and deadly weapons?

How about some common sense D/s/c linguistic control?

On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that weve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
It has lately occurred to me that, much as Abraham Lincoln was considered an existential threat to the pro-slavery South, to the institution of slavery itself, and to the Deep South State (to coin a phrase), Donald Trump is seen as an equal threat to the longtime swamp creatures dwelling in and around the capital today. In fact, the similarities are striking.

While Democrats this go-around havent fired on Fort Sumter, those who consider Trump a threat have fired on him.

There was a plan to prevent Lincoln from taking office, much as there have been multiple plans to prevent Trump from doing the same.

Sadly, you can bet that todays Deep Staters will fight a figurative war with Trump and his supporters with the same zealousness and ferocity as the slaveholding, solidly Democrat South fought the free states. Democrats back then sought disunion by literally attempting to secede from it.

And by attacking the northern states militarily, todays Democrats foment disunion by attempting to divide us by promoting CRT and DEI programs, reparations, and countless other policies, ideas, and programs.

Slavery, the peculiar institution of yesteryear, is not dissimilar to the monopoly on power, and indeed mental tyranny, that is the peculiar institution beloved of the modern Democrat party. Let us hope that freedom prevails again today.

As Lincoln said to his fellow Springfield residents upon leaving to take office in Washington, D.C., Let us all pray that the God of our fathers may not forsake us now.

As Trump prepares to take office next month, a similar prayer seems in order now.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
The investigation into the Chinese hacking campaign of the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure continues to yield revelations. The FBI has so far revealed that the incident affected up to eight mobile carriers. However, the latest findings led US officials to add a 9th telecom to the hacked list.

US adds 9th telecom to list of hacked by Salt Typhoon group

US authorities have not revealed the full list of affected mobile carriers. In fact, the name of the allegedly hacked 9th telecom is also secret. However, earlier reports revealed that Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen are part of the list. Although some media outlets have involved T-Mobile in the past, the company has denied this. Plus, later reports even claimed that T-Mobile managed to stop the attack on its network equipment before it succeeded.

Anne Neuberger, U.S. deputy national security adviser, was the one who told reporters that the list of breached telecoms has grown to nine. Authorities received the notice after sharing with mobile carriers a guide on what steps to take against hack campaigns.

Hackers reportedly got call and SMS metadata of millions of Americans

US officials recently said they had no timetable for the complete ouster of the attackers. The alleged perpetrators, the Salt Typhoon group, have been carrying out the hacking campaign for months. The attacks targeted high-ranking officials and presidential candidates in the United States. The group attempted to obtain classified information from the campaign teams of Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and JD Vance, according to reports.

While they didnt get exactly what they were after, authorities say attackers accessed a large number of Americans metadata. If youre not aware, SMS and call metadata includes information that can be used to build a tracking map for a particular person. Salt Typhoon reportedly accessed the metadata of many people in Washington. In fact, there would be around a million Verizon and AT&T customers affected. Speaking of which, a recent report stated that most of them have not received proper notice.

The government has warned US citizens; more measures under study

Amid the situation, a US security official advised Americans to turn to encrypted telecommunications services whenever possible. To try to avoid similar incidents in the future, the FCC proposed a new rule that contemplates sanctions for carriers that do not implement adequate barriers against hack campaigns like those of Salt Typhoon. The US is even considering banning China Telecom operations in the country.

Meanwhile, representatives of China continue to deny that it has anything to do with the hacking campaign. They claim that the country firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms.
The smartphone; the war-torn battleground where Android and iOS have butt heads for years. Both are absolutely fantastic operating systems, but the popularity of Apples devices outshines everything else. Heck, between 50% and 60% of the U.S. smartphone market belongs to the iPhone throughout the year. But, thats just smartphones.

Theres another form factor thats taking flight, and thats the XR headset. This industry is still getting its footing with companies like Meta and Apple having the most notable offerings. However, for how popular (well, meme-worthy) the Apple Vision Pro was, Android XR has a better chance of actually making XR mainstream.

What is Android XR

To catch you up, Google developed an operating system called Android XR with the help of its BFF Samsung. At the time of writing this piece, were still learning about what this operating system will look like and how itll function. However, its basically going to be the Android of the XR world. Just like with the Android smartphone operating system, different manufacturers will be able to load Android XR onto their devices.

This operating system supports visual passthrough, which lets people see the real world around them, along with hand gestures and so on. So far, its shaping up to be a pretty interesting operating system. It basically looks like Android on a floating interface. So, why does this operating system have a better chance of hitting the mainstream than Apples offering?

XR for all

Though the Apple Vision Pro eventually flopped, Apple was able to move a good chunk of units. This was mostly because the company was able to leverage its name. It has a massive fan base of people willing to give it a shot. However, Apple brought the same closed-off mentality to Vision OS that it maintains with iOS.

The company keeps its operating system locked down like Alcatraz and restricted to one device platform. This mentality works for phones, but XR headsets are not quite as ubiquitous as these devices. This means that Vision OS will remain this locked-down operating system on a rather niche device. The fact that the Vision Pro didnt sell well only makes this worse.



Android XRs approach is much better for a market like XR headsets. Again, this industry is still growing into its own at the moment despite having some rather neat devices already. For it to truly take off, the barrier to entry for manufacturers needs to be as low as possible. Developing software from the ground up to work on their headset is one major barrier that manufacturers have to face.

So, releasing a more open operating system that other companies can use will help the XR industry greatly. More companies will be able to launch their own devices because the burden of developing and maintaining their own operating system will be gone. Android XR will have software updates and maintenance via Google.

Software

Also, we cant forget about the other major part of the software puzzle, and thats software. Headsets running Android XR will be able to run apps from the Google Play Store. So, manufacturers wont need to develop their own basic apps to run on their own operating systems. Theyll have access to a wide range of apps from other developers.

Apple remains the only company that makes the Vision Pro and Meta is the only company that develops the Meta Quest devices, and their operating systems are tied to their devices. These two companies cant support the whole XR industry all their own. What will make the industry flourish is access to software. Android XR will give device makers that access.

Lets talk about price

We cant ignore the elephant in the room, the Apple Vision Pro is extremely expensive! Apple brought a truly next-level experience, but lets face it, the company has a fan base of financially endowed individuals. Many core Apple fans have the funds to burn on the newest iPhone each year, so the company saw the opportunity to charge the same price for the Vision Pro as most people pay for engagement rings.

However, for as capable as the Vision Pro is, we know that any company can provide a usable and compelling XR experience for less (A LOT less!). If you want to experience the Vision Pro, thatll be $3,500. However, what about the $400 and $500 headsets that can perform basically the same duty? What about the headsets that you can buy on a more modest budget? Vision OS will remain on the exorbitant Vision Pro, and Apple might not make a successor.

Android XR will be loaded onto headsets in different price ranges. Just like with Android smartphones, people from all walks of life will be able to experience XR for themselves. Whether youre a wealthy person or just an average Joe looking to have a good time, youll be able to see what XR has to offer. Sure, youll run the risk of running into cheaply-made headsets that dont stack up, but thats how it is with all industries.

Apps, apps, and more apps

Why arent there more smartphone operating systems out there? Well, try getting app developers to make apps for iOS, Android, and a bunch more operating systems that all use different code. Nobody wants to use an operating system that nobody is developing for. Well, this also applies to XR headsets.

Providing an operating system that can run on a wider range of devices will open the door for more developers to build XR apps. The Vision Pro remained a pretty niche device, as not many people can afford it. Theres not much incentive for a developer to spend the time and money making an app for a device that appeals to a narrow market. There arent many avenues to earn revenue. Larger companies can recuperate the cost of development, but this leaves smaller, yet still capable, developers out in the dust.

However, would you rather develop an app that will be used by one niche device or by a wide range of more affordable and accessible devices? Having an open platform will encourage more developers to build software for it.

At the time of writing this, we know that Android XR devices will have access to the Google Play Store. Right now, we dont know what apps will be available for headsets. We dont know if the Play Store will have a designated set of select apps or if the company will try to force all available apps to work on headsets. In any case, from the information we do have, we know that youll be able to run apps like Google Chrome, Google Translate, Google One, Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Drive on Android XR. Along with that, we know that youll be able to run games on it as well.

We should expect to see more app developers building for Android XR as the market and community around XR grows. This is similar to smartphone app developers.

Freedom!

This is comedic in nature, but it hints at a pretty substantial issue with Apples mentality toward the Apple Vision Pro. Not too long after the device launched, the internet was rocked by the fact that you couldnt watch porn with the Vision Pro. While thats pretty funny, its rather frustrating when you think about it. Not the fact that you cant watch porn, but the fact that Apple felt the need to dictate what people can and cant do with the device.

Another issue is that Apple didnt design it to do any sort of gaming because it didnt feel that it aligned with the devices intention. The company was heavy-handed with how it wanted to police how people use a device which, let us remind you, costs $3,500! When the end user pays THAT MUCH money for an ultra-powerful multimedia device, Apple shouldnt rightfully restrict what the user can and cant do.

Opening up the XR space to more OEMs and developers will give people more freedom to experience XR to its fullest extent. Were talking about using their headsets for business, art, gaming, and much more.

When Steve Jobs first introduced us to the iPhone, no one could anticipate how the smartphone would revolutionize the world as we knew it. Well, were at the beginning of the XR age, and there isnt a living soul who knows whats to come. We need the freedom to discover whats possible, and we cant with Apples training wheels on the software. Apples suit-and-tie approach to XR only lock the experience down to a certain type of person, and thats not a good way to bring this tech into the mainstream.

More hardware, more innovation

Apple has brought some major innovations to the smartphone over the past nearly 20 years, but its just one fruit on a giant tree. The smartphone is where it is because of the diverse community of OEMs over the years iterating, emulating, and innovating. Weve seen soapple me amazing tech from other companies like Samsung, LG, Google, Motorola, HTC, Huawei, Xiaomi, Sony, Vivo, OnePlus, and thousands more.

The same thing applies to XR. Right now, fledgling XR companies are getting ready to bring their own hardware innovations to the market. Theyll challenge Apple and Samsung to bring their own unique experiences. En route to that, theyre going to bring their own hardware innovations that will push XR forward. And you know what, other companies will wind up challenging those companies and bring further advancements. Iteration, Emulation, and Innovation! Android XR will open the door to this just like what Android did for the smartphone.

Lets wrap this up

Dont worry, this isnt a hit piece on the Apple Vision Pro. Apples device is a marvelous piece of technology and a testament to the quality that Apple has brought over the years. Its the same mentality that makes the iPhone, the iPad, and all of Apples computers/laptops so great.

However, the XR market isnt the computer market or the smartphone market. Its blossoming in a time when we need competition and variety more than ever. Apple cant rely on exclusivity, premium market appeal, and a locked-down operating system anymore. It can with its phones and computers because it has a fan base thats been pretty-much grandfathered in over the decades.

But, its a brave new world, and people want options. They crave an open operating system that lets them be free to explore, invent, and chart new territory. This is what Android XR will facilitate, and its why it can do what Apple couldnt.
Leaks related to the Galaxy S25 series are becoming more frequent as the alleged launch date approaches. We already know some of the key aspects of these devices, although we are still missing pieces to complete the puzzle. In the meantime, an analysis of in-testing Galaxy S25 Ultra files confirms some key details about its hardware, including the storage format implemented, battery, and more.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra will be the most premium model in the lineup, as it has been for years. Leaks about the device have mentioned some interesting improvements, but Samsung will not revolutionize things in 2025 either. You can expect a refined design, more power, better camera quality, and a brighter display. The new Galaxy AI features will probably help round out the experience.

Brighter screen; no support for Find My Device while off

Android Authority has been analyzing Galaxy S25 Ultra files to confirm some key details. There is one negative news, as the device will not offer Find My Device support while it is turned off. The latest Google Pixel 9 series supports this feature, and given the close relationship the two companies have had over the past few years, some were hoping Samsung would integrate the technology into its smartphones. Sadly, it looks like that wont be the case.

As for the display, the Galaxy S25 Ultra files confirm a 3120 x 1440 px resolution. This is the same resolution as the current Galaxy S24 Ultra, so things are staying the same on that front. However, the source did spot an increase in peak brightness to 3000 nits. For reference, the S24 Ultra can output up to 2600 nits of peak brightness.

In October, tipster Ice Universe revealed that the S25 Ultras display will have some notable quality improvements. Plus, Samsung has fixed the grainy effect issue that some S24 Ultra owners complain about.

Galaxy S25 Ultra will remain conservative in battery and storage

Other aspects remain consistent with previous generations. For example, Samsung will keep the same 5,000 mAh battery capacity it has been using for years. The company is notably lagging behind big Chinese brands whose new high-density battery technologies have enabled massive cells without increasing the thickness of phones. The Galaxy S25 Ultra will also implement the same high-speed UFS 4.0 storage format. Lastly, the phone will offer support for seamless A/B updates.

According to leaks, Samsung will hold the first Unpacked event of 2025 on January 22 or 23. In addition to the Galaxy S25 series, the South Korean giant could also tease its Galaxy Ring 2 and smart glasses. In related news, the Ultra variant will be available in a dimmed blue color, according to a trusted tipster.
OnePlus has launched the OnePlus Pad in China during the Ace 5 series launch event. The new tablet is basically a rebranded Oppo Pad 3 which launched just a month ago. Both devices have the same core specs, a powerful chip, and a great display.

It is noteworthy that OnePlus already has a OnePlus Pad in the global market that was launched last year. However, the new OnePlus Pad has different specifications and appears to be China-exclusive.

Here are the features of the new OnePlus Pad

The OnePlus Pad has an 11.61-inch IPS LCD screen with a 2.8K resolution, a 480Hz touch sampling rate, and up to 700 nits peak brightness. The screen also has a 144Hz refresh rate making it perfect for watching high-quality videos and fast-paced games.

The tablet is powered by MediaTeks Dimensity 8350 chipset which provides fast performance and smooth multitasking. You can choose from different configurations up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, so you have plenty of space for apps, games, and media.

OnePlus has equipped the Pad with a 9,520mAh battery. It also supports 67W fast charging so you can quickly top up your tablet and get back to using it without any delay.

The OnePlus Pad has an 8-megapixel front camera for selfies and video calls and an 8-megapixel rear camera for taking photos and videos. It runs on ColorOS 15 which is based on Android 15. It measures 257.75 x 189.11 x 6.29mm and weighs just 533g making it slim and lightweight.

OnePlus Pad pricing and availability

The new OnePlus Pad is available in China starting at CNY 2,099 (~$288) for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model. However, OnePlus is offering a special discount which brings the price down to CNY 1,999 (~$274). There are other models with more memory too. For example, the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage version costs CNY 2,399 (~$329), while the top model with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage costs CNY 3,099 (~$425).

Currently, the OnePlus Pad is only available in China. It seems the tablet will offer a great experience at an affordable price, so its a strong competitor in the budget tablet market. With the new MediaTek chip, a big display, and long battery life the OnePlus Pad is going to be a popular choice for many people.
There has been talk of OpenAI potentially turning into a for-profit organization for some time now. Of course, this has brought controversy among detractors of the movement, including figures like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Now, OpenAI has finally revealed more specific details about its plan to shift to a for-profit model.

This is OpenAIs plan to transform into a for-profit organization

According to the official post, the artificial intelligence company plans to become a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) sometime next year. This particular model involves making profits and revenues like a traditional organization would, but still maintaining a positive impact on society.

To accomplish this, OpenAI will maintain a nonprofit division running alongside the for-profit one. The nonprofit branch will no longer have oversight powers over the companys developments. It will be dedicated to working on charitable projects for fields like health care, education, and science. This branch will operate independently, with its own leadership team. The nonprofit division will also have a number of shares allocated to it from the for-profit one to maintain a stake and a certain voice.

On the other hand, the for-profit branch will be in charge of everything related to operations and business. In other words, it will make decisions about the companys future developments and projects. Analysts estimate that this particular division could be worth up to $150 billion.

A necessary change to compete, according to OpenAI

OpenAI stated that the change is necessary to continue evolving in the AI industry: As we enter 2025, we will have to become more than a lab and a startup  we have to become an enduring company, the blog post says. ChatGPTs parent company also notes that direct competitors are registered as PBCs. The list includes xAI, Elon Musks AI-focused company.

Basically, OpenAI feels that maintaining its current model would leave it at a disadvantage in the industry. [The move] would enable us to raise the necessary capital with conventional terms like others in this space, the company says.

The company will have to overcome some obstacles

The transformation to a for-profit organization will not be a bed of roses for OpenAI. Elon Musk has been engaged in ongoing legal disputes with the company. Plus, Meta sent a letter to legislators urging them to prevent the move that OpenAI intends. Mark Zuckerbergs company says that, if OpenAI succeeds, it could generate a wave of supposedly nonprofit companies that will really just wait to collect enough money to switch to for-profit.
Samsungs official support page recently revealed two new sizes of its popular health-tracking device, the Galaxy Ring. The upcoming Galaxy Ring sizes will include Size 14 and Size 15. The new sizes will join the existing lineup, which only had sizes 5 to 13. Samsung hasnt announced the availability yet, but rumors suggest it will be launched in January 2025 during the Galaxy Unpacked event.

Two Galaxy Rings models, SM-Q514 and SM-Q515, listed on official support pages

According to a report from MySmartPrice, Samsung has listed two new bigger Galaxy Ring sizes with model numbers SM-Q514 and SM-Q515 on its official support pages in the UK, Switzerland, Canada, UAE, New Zealand, Australia, France, Czech Republic, and Ireland.

These model numbers are for Size 14 and Size 15 rings. So people with bigger fingers who couldnt wear the original Galaxy Ring can now wear it and enjoy its health tracking features. The pages didnt have product images, but the model numbers confirm these are new sizes for the Galaxy Ring.

A few days ago, the Samsung User Guide also listed the two new Galaxy Ring model numbers in addition to the nine already available sizes. These model numbers were also spotted on the Nemko platform and TDRA certification, which confirmed that the marketing name is Galaxy Ring. This suggests that these model numbers might not be related to the second-generation Galaxy Ring.

Will the new Galaxy Ring sizes have more features?

While we dont know if the new larger sizes will have more features, some reports suggest they might have better battery life. The current Galaxy Ring in size 13 already has good battery life, but the new larger sizes might have a bigger battery to last even longer. The new sizes might retain the same health-tracking features like activity and sleep monitoring as the existing models.

Earlier leaks have suggested that Size 14 of the Galaxy Ring will weigh 3.2 g with a 23 mm inner diameter, while Size 15 will also weigh 3.2 g but feature a slightly larger 23.8 mm inner diameter.

Apart from the new sizes, Samsung will reportedly tease the Galaxy Ring 2 during the Galaxy Unpacked event in January 2025. But the launch window of the Galaxy Ring 2 remains unclear. Fans are waiting for the official announcement and hoping that the second-generation Galaxy Ring will bring more features.
Seminar held in Zambia to enhance labor relations between Chinese enterprises, local employees

Xinhua) 11:29, December 28, 2024

LUSAKA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- A seminar was held on Friday in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, to enhance labor relations between Chinese enterprises in Zambia and their employees.

Held under the theme "Localization of Talent Resources to Promote China-Zambia Economic and Trade Integration and Development," the event was organized by the Association of Chinese Corporations in Zambia (ACCZ) in collaboration with the Zambia Federation of Employers, gathering officials from the Chinese embassy and the Zambian government as well as members of the ACCZ.

Jin Jun, counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Zambia, commended the ACCZ for carrying out fruitful work in helping Chinese enterprises develop soundly and sustainably in Zambia and promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

He said the Chinese government has always urged enterprises operating overseas to comply with local laws and regulations and fulfill their social responsibilities.

"We urged Chinese companies to benefit local people while achieving their own development, strictly follow local labor laws, effectively protect the safety and legal rights and interests of local workers, fully understand the demands of employees, and promptly resolve conflicts and disputes of employment," he said.

The counselor said the economic and trade cooperation between China and Zambia has become increasingly close, with trade volumes reaching 3.4 billion U.S. dollars from January to October, accounting for 20 percent of Zambia's total trade. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises have invested more than 3.5 billion dollars in Zambia's mining sector, creating about 15,000 jobs.

ACCZ President Liao Zibin said the theme of the seminar emphasized the importance of integrating the workforce with the Zambian community, respecting its laws, and nurturing local talent.

Chinese enterprises are committed to setting a standard for multinational businesses to operate in Zambia and contributing to the economic and trade integration of the two countries, Liao said.

Joy Beene, secretary general of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions, an umbrella body of trade unions, said the holding of the seminar demonstrates a shared commitment to strengthening economic and trade relations while ensuring a conducive and harmonious working environment for all.

He said the seminar will play a critical role in bridging the gap between trade unions, employers, and employees by providing a platform for dialogue and fostering mutual understanding.

Zechariah Luhanga, permanent secretary in Zambia's Ministry of Labor and Social Security, highlighted the significant role of the private sector, including Chinese enterprises, in job creation and economic growth.

He said that investments by Chinese businesses are particularly strategic in the country's economic transformation agenda as the Chinese economy remains one of the best examples of resilience and sustained growth.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Zhong Wenxing)
Oakland is losing thousands of trees each year. An ambitious Urban Forest Plan seeks to remedy this, but it comes with a big price tag. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Earlier this month, Oaklands city council approved an ambitious proposal: To reinvest resources into maintaining and growing the citys vast urban forest, plant thousands of trees each year, and spend millions of dollars caring for the ones we have.

Should we be allocating funds for more arborists? Are trees really the priority here?

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Its an admittedly tough case to argue. But the benefits of having trees in urban areas run deeper than even I, an avid tree lover, had imagined.

Oaklands 180-page plan was four years in the making. With a $1 million grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, arborists visited 68,297 trees in Oaklands parks and streets. They talked to residents and studied the unequal distribution of the citys tree canopy. They noted a year-after-year drop in the citys tree population, and determined that despite the fact that 21% of Oakland is covered with trees, lower-income areas, such as East Oakland, have significantly fewer trees than their wealthier neighbors in the Oakland hills.

There are somewhat predictable environmental benefits to the citys canopy: Each year, Oaklands trees absorb the same amount of carbon emitted by 3,018 vehicles. They cool temperatures on hot days, providing a counterbalance to the 54% of Oakland that is covered by heat-absorbing infrastructure like highways, streets and buildings. They provide a habitat for wildlife. Trees also redirect stormwater, reducing the risk of flooding. More trees in Oakland could mitigate the harmful effects of climate change  like the recent smoggy spare-the-air days or the flooding from strong atmospheric rivers that hit California last month.

Buried deep in the plans findings, however, are other advantages we dont typically hear about about tree cover.

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Studies show that rates of obesity, cognitive decline, high blood pressure, depression and stress drop for residents who live in areas with more trees.

Two studies of tree canopy cover  in Baltimore and New Haven, Conn.  determined that neighborhoods with many trees saw fewer property crimes and violent crimes than areas with none, independent of income, population density and socioeconomic variables.

And then theres the fiscal case: Oaklands 2008 recession-era decision to cut funding to its tree maintenance program has led to an increase in spending in other areas. Most of the citys park and street trees have not been pruned in 15 years, and were seeing the result. Unmaintained trees can drop huge branches in stormy weather, knocking down power lines. Roots pushing up through roads can lead to costly street repairs. Overgrown trees can prevent buses, street-sweepers, or garbage trucks from reaching the curb, and can block sightlines for drivers.

Its hard to quantify exactly how much the disinvestment in Oaklands trees costs the city each year  but its not cheap.

Solutions, unfortunately, wont be cheap, either.

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During the recent tree inventory, 92% were logged as needing maintenance. With so many trees dying from neglect, the city will have to plant 5,903 trees each year just to keep the citys tree canopy coverage stable at 21%. Instituting the plan will require an estimated $17 million to $21 million annually, depending on two different proposals. Thats $11 million to $15 million more than tree services current budget, David Moore, Oaklands senior tree supervisor, said during a plan presentation at City Hall earlier this month.

Thats a lot of money for a town that doesnt have enough of it.

Most cities rely on general funds to pay for their urban forests. San Franciscos 2016 ballot measure to shift the care of street trees from property owners to the city also came with an annual commitment from the general fund of up to $19 million a year annually. That wont work for Oakland.

Shana Hirshfield-Gold, climate program manager for the Oakland City Administrators Office, told me that due to the budget crisis, securing outside funding will be critical to implementing the plan. Its a big lift. One-time grants can help, particularly with efforts to plant trees, but because maintenance work is ongoing, Oakland needs to be aggressive in identifying a consistent funding stream.

The City Administrators Office is also exploring other options. General obligation bonds, parcel taxes, a public tree fund to solicit private donations, and designated special taxation districts  where property owners are charged flat fees for public improvement  are all on the table.

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Somehow, Moore, the tree supervisor, has not slipped into a state of despair, despite the financial obstacles and a study that shows Oakland is losing thousands of trees each year. Before the plan was even approved by the City Council, the U.S. Forest Service gave Oakland an $8 million grant. Half will be spent on street tree maintenance, and the other half will go to two community organizations to plant trees on public and private property.

Were going from no services in this sector to some, Moore told me happily in a call last week.

That sense of optimism is in short supply these days. Oakland does not have enough money to take care of its most vital services.

But if we focus only on cuts and what were losing, we miss out on envisioning a better future.

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

The Urban Forest Plan is a pie-in-the-sky dream. Its ambitious, and expensive. But as an Oakland resident whos felt beaten down by the challenges this city faces, its given me a much-needed boost of hope.

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Maybe itll never happen, but Im rooting for it.
Four out of five drivers are frustrated that a Government-backed code of practice for private parking companies is still not in force five years after becoming law, a new survey suggests.

Some 84% of motorists surveyed for the RAC agreed with the statement that the failure to introduce the code is not right.

The code  due to come into force across Britain by the end of 2023  included halving the cap on tickets for most parking offences to 50, creating a fairer appeals system, and banning the use of aggressive language on tickets.

A Bill to enable its introduction received royal assent under the Conservative government in March 2019.

But the code was withdrawn in June 2022 after a legal challenge by parking companies.

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

More than half (55%) of those polled for the RAC agreed with the statement that the companies enforcement policies are too heavy-handed.

Just 18% believed the operators are necessary to stop a parking free-for-all.

In June, industry bodies the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community published their own code of practice.

The RAC claims this differs substantially from the proposed official Government code.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: Its blatantly apparent from our research that drivers continue to have severe misgivings about the way private parking companies operate, and are therefore very frustrated that the official Government-backed code of practice has still not been introduced more than five years after it became law.

While this lack of trust may be partly addressed by the launch of the industrys own code of practice, we suspect its unlikely to be enough as its not worded to be in the interest of drivers and, crucially, isnt backed by law.

We feel only the introduction of the real, Government-backed code will bring much-needed fairness to the entire private parking sector.

Isaac Occhipinti, head of external affairs for the BPA, said: Our single code meets nearly all the requirements set out by the withdrawn Government code.

We have also been very clear about placing a cap on parking charges and sanctions on operators that dont comply.

Motoring groups like the RAC seem to have a disparaging comment every time parking is mentioned but never a constructive one.

Their rhetoric is about reducing the level of the deterrent which will only help motorists that break the rules, and will lead to worse outcomes for the 99.7% of motorists who dont get a parking charge, who just want to be able to find a convenient and well-managed parking space and not see priority parking bays blocked by unauthorised motorists.

It emerged in November that drivers in Britain are being hit by an average of more than 41,000 parking tickets a day by private companies.

Some 3.8 million tickets were handed out between July and September, according to analysis of Government data by the PA news agency and motoring research charity the RAC Foundation.

Each ticket can be up to 100, meaning the total cost to drivers may be near 4.1 million per day at the current rate.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: Motorists must be protected when using private car parks and we are determined to drive up standards in the industry.

We know how much of an issue this is for drivers, which is why we will set out further details on the private parking code of practice as soon as possible.

 The survey of 1,847 drivers was conducted by research company Online95 between August 20-28.
Former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher has said he knows the work on his small family farm is valued and he takes great pride in producing food.

The actor, 40, embarked on a new life in the country with his wife Liz and their four young children after buying a 120-acre farm in the Peak District in 2021.

The family has since documented their new pursuit in the TV series Kelvins Big Farming Adventure and Fletchers Family Farm, with a Christmas special set to air on ITV on Sunday.

Liz and Kelvin Fletcher share four children (Lucy North/PA)

Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Saturday, Fletcher said: I think for me, I personally dont want to seek any sort of validation elsewhere.

I know how valued we are as a family and what we do in our small family farm, and I share that with every other family farm.

You take great pride in producing food and having a real acknowledgement towards nature, towards the habitat. Youre a custodian of the land, and its a privilege.

Fletcher said he hopes programmes like his help bridge the gap between farming communities and the public by showing who is producing their food.

Once you get an understanding of something, like any subject, then appreciation follows, and thats what we all endeavour to do, he added.

It comes as farmers have been protesting over changes in the recent Budget to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than 1 million.

TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who fronts Prime Videos Clarksons Farm which documents the trials of farming on his land in Oxfordshire, joined thousands of farmers in London last month to protest against the agricultural inheritance tax changes.

Asked if he had to rely on his other TV jobs to support his farm like Clarkson, Fletcher said: I think every farm is different. Theres many farmers out there with second jobs, and I guess Im one of those farmers with with another job.

Like I said, ours is a small family farm. Yes, theres a commercial endeavour there, but I think were very mindful that this is a lifestyle change as well for us and that, for me, is just as important as what it does commercially.

The actor admitted it can feel like they are facing real adversity at times due to battling issues like changing weather and prices of inputs.

He added that the farming life can also feel pretty lonely and like a real commitment, but moments when they are outside in nature make it feel absolutely worth it.

The Christmas special of Fletchers Family Farm sees the family head to Finland to see how a family farm operates in the harsh conditions of the Arctic Circle.

Reflecting on whether Finnish farmers felt more supported by their countrys system than in the UK, Fletcher said: I cant speak on behalf of British farmers, let alone Finnish farmers, I can only give out our take.

We felt immensely part of a real special community that really looks after one another and is really proud of what they do, and that was very similar over in Finland.

Fletcher, who rose to fame playing Andy Sugden on ITV soap Emmerdale between 1996 and 2016, shares four young children with his wife Liz  Marnie, Milo and twin boys Maximus and Mateusz.

The actor said that while they are still on a journey of discovery with their farm, raising four children can feel like the biggest challenge at times.

Fletcher also won the 2019 series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional partner Oti Mabuse after being a last-minute replacement for an injured Jamie Laing.
Gavin And Stacey star Ruth Jones is reprising her role as Vanessa Nessa Jenkins to read Radio 4s Shipping Forecast as the programme celebrates its centenary on the BBC on New Years Day.

Actors Julie Hesmondhalgh, Stephen Fry and Line Of Dutys Adrian Dunbar, and sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur are also among those marking the first broadcast of the Met Offices forecast on the BBC in October 1925.

The famous faces, along with Blur frontman Damon Albarn  who took creative inspiration from the ships for the track This Is A Low, will drop in throughout the day to share historic shipping forecasts along with their personal memories.

Julie Hesmondhalgh (Ian West/PA)

Jones said: Nessa has got quite a colourful history and one of her jobs was on the high seas. The Shipping Forecast was always very important and useful to her.

During the final episode of Gavin And Stacey this year, which attracted the highest Christmas ratings since 2008 with an average audience of 12.3 million tuning in, Neil Smithy Smith (James Corden) stopped Nessa from going back to work on the ships by racing to Southampton Dock.

He proposed to Nessa and the final scene featured a heartwarming montage of a low-key wedding, with her sporting a black dress and the couple finally getting their happily ever after.

Comedian Paul Sinha, poet Imtiaz Dharker and writers Ian McMillan and Val McDermid will also be part of the reading of forecasts.

Adrian Dunbar (Ian West/PA)

Trevor Harrison, who voices Eddie Grundy in The Archers, will be reading the forecast from November 21, 2021  the date when his character and Clarrie Grundy (Heather Bell) renewed their wedding vows.

Meanwhile, Dame Ellen is reading the forecast from June 1, 1995  the day she set off on her round Britain trip and her first solo adventure.

The retired British sailor broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2005.

Director of speech and Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya said: The Shipping Forecast is one of our national treasures. So Im delighted that we are cracking a bottle against the hull to launch 100 years of the Shipping Forecast on the BBC with a special schedule of programming on New Years Day.

As well as providing crucial information for seafarers over the years, the Shipping Forecast is also a cherished ritual that distils the essence of Radio 4 for so many of our listeners. It is also a moment for those great, unsung heroes and heroines of the Radio 4 schedule  the continuity announcers  to shine.

On January 1, we will celebrate our national poem with a dedicated day of fascinating programmes for listeners from Bailey to Viking, Biscay to South Utsire and everywhere in between.

BBC presenter Paddy OConnell will also present a documentary about the history of the forecast, called A Beginners Guide, as historian Jerry Brotton presents an Archive On 4, which will explore how Britain is shaped by its maritime past.

The Shipping Forecast is produced by the Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

This year marked its centenary, after first being heard on January 1, 1924 as a weather bulletin called Weather Shipping.

It moved a year later to the BBC.
Lautaro Martinez ended a near two-month goal drought as Inter Milan closed to within one point of Serie A leaders Atalanta by sweeping aside Cagliari 3-0.

Martinez had gone eight matches since last finding the back of the net against Venezia on November 3 but after Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring in the 54th minute, the Argentina international struck in Sardinia.

The Inter captain took his tally against Cagliari to 10 goals in as many games after 71 minutes before Hakan Calhanoglu capped an excellent night for the visitors from the penalty spot a few moments later.

Inters fifth-successive league victory led to them temporarily leapfrogging Atalanta, who reclaimed top spot but saw their lead cut to a single point following a 1-1 draw at Lazio.

Gian Piero Gasperinis side were grateful for a point in the end after falling behind to Fisayo Dele-Bashirus first-half strike, only drawing level with two minutes remaining thanks to Marco Brescianini.

Lautaro Valentis last-gasp strike condemned rock-bottom Monza to a 10th defeat in 18 matches as Parma edged a 2-1 victory, while Genoa defeated Empoli by the same scoreline.
A 49-year-old man is to appear in court charged with two counts of murder after two women died following a suspected stabbing in Milton Keynes on Christmas Day.

Jazwell Brown, of Santa Cruz Avenue, Bletchley, will appear at High Wycombe Magistrates Court on Saturday after police confirmed the identities of the female victims as Joanne Pearson, 38, and Teohna Grant, 24.

He has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count each of possession of a knife in a public place and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal in connection with the incident, Thames Valley Police said.

Officers were called to Santa Cruz Avenue at about 6.30pm on Wednesday where the two women died while a man in his late 20s and teenage boy were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Police previously said a dog which had been injured in the incident had died, but they have since been informed it survived.

The force confirmed they were supporting the families of those involved.

The man and teenage boy were both said to be recovering in a stable condition.
Displaced children at a camp in war-torn Sudan. Unicef says children are especially affected by malnutrition in times of war. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Nearly one in five of the worlds children live in areas affected by conflicts, with more than 473 million children suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, according to figures published by the UN.

The UN humanitarian aid organisation for children, Unicef, said on Saturday that the percentage of children living in conflict zones around the world has doubled from about 10% in the 1990s to almost 19%, and warned that this dramatic increase in harm to children should not become the new normal.

With more conflicts being waged around the world than at any time since 1945, Unicef said that children were increasingly falling victim. Citing its latest available data, from 2023, the UN verified a record 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children, the highest figures since the security council mandated monitoring of the impact of war on the worlds children nearly 20 years ago.

The death toll after nearly 15 months of Israels war in Gaza is estimated at more than 45,000 and out of the cases it has verified, the UN said 44% were children.

In Ukraine, the UN said it had verified more child casualties during the first nine months of 2024 than during all of 2023, and predicted there would be a further increase in 2025.

By almost every measure, 2024 has been one of the worst years on record for children in conflict in Unicefs history  both in terms of the number of children affected and the level of impact on their lives, Unicefs executive director, Catherine Russell, said.

A child growing up in a conflict zone is far more likely to be out of school, malnourished, or forced from their home  too often repeatedly  compared with a child living in places of peace, Russell added. This must not be the new normal. We cannot allow a generation of children to become collateral damage to the worlds unchecked wars.

Unicef drew attention in particular to the plight of women and girls, amid widespread reports of rape and sexual violence in conflicts. It said that in Haiti there had been a 1,000% increase in the number of reported incidents of sexual violence against children over the course of 2024 alone.

Unicef also pointed out that children were especially affected by malnutrition in times of war, a particularly lethal threat in Sudan and Gaza. More than half a million people in five conflict-affected countries are in famine.

Conflict also seriously affects childrens access to healthcare and education. Forty per cent of unvaccinated or undervaccinated children live in countries wholly or partly affected by conflict, making them far more vulnerable to outbreaks of diseases such as measles and polio. Polio was detected in Gaza in July, the first time the virus had appeared there for a quarter of a century. A UN-led vaccination campaign, enabled by a series of temporary and partial ceasefires, managed to reach more than 90% of the child population.

Unicef reported that more than 52 million children in conflict-affected countries were deprived of education, saying most children across the Gaza Strip, and a significant proportion of children in Sudan, had missed out on more than a year of school. In other countries in conflict, including Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria, schools had been damaged, destroyed or repurposed, leaving millions of children without access to learning.

The impact on childrens mental health is also huge, Unicef said. A study backed by the charity War Child earlier this month reported that 96% of children in Gaza felt that their death was imminent and almost half wanted to die as a result of the trauma they had been through.

Children in war zones face a daily struggle for survival that deprives them of a childhood, Russell said. Their schools are bombed, homes destroyed, and families torn apart. They lose not only their safety and access to basic life-sustaining necessities, but also their chance to play, to learn, and to simply be children. The world is failing these children. As we look towards 2025, we must do more to turn the tide and save and improve the lives of children.
Last year 1,044 assaults were recorded at HMP Wandsworth, in south-west London; more than half of these were on prison staff. Photograph: Lucy North/PA

Assaults in prisons have been rising with an average of 74 a day recorded in England and Wales last year, including 25 assaults a day inflicted on staff, House of Commons library research has shown.

The figures, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, show that of the 26,912 assaults that took place over the course of the year, about 3,200 were deemed to be serious  an average of eight a day.

Related: More than a third of assaults on UK prison officers are not fully investigated

The research also revealed the most violent prisons in England and Wales. HMP Wandsworth in south-west London saw by far the most assaults, recording 1,044, with more than half of these (571) being on staff. HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, north Wales, had the next highest number with 783 assaults, and then Thameside, in Thamesmead, south-east London, recording 667.

Related: Schools, hospitals and prisons among Englands crumbling public buildings

The figures showed a 28% increase in assaults on 2022, at a time when prisons have been struggling with overcrowding and poor conditions in their buildings.

The Labour government inherited such a crisis in prisons when it came to power in July that it had to take a decision to authorise the early release of many prisoners 40% of the way through their sentences.

Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson, urged the government to come forward with an urgent plan to make our prisons safer.

[Labour] must recruit and retain more prison officers, tackle the criminal courts backlog, and invest properly in rehabilitation to reduce reoffending, he said. The Conservatives have left our prisons in utter chaos. With this staggering number of assaults and rates of reoffending through the roof, the Conservatives have left a system that is failing prison staff, failing victims, and failing our communities.

Their neglect of our justice system is unforgivable, and their former ministers should hang their heads in shame for this shambolic legacy.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: The new government inherited overcrowded prisons, plagued by violence and close to collapse. We have taken immediate action to address this crisis, and have a long-term plan to ensure we are never in this position again.

All assaults in prison are taken extremely seriously. Our hard-working staff have tools like Pava synthetic pepper spray and body-worn cameras to keep them safe. We will continue to bear down on violence in our prisons.

David Gauke, the former Conservative justice secretary, who is leading a review of sentencing for the government, told the Times this week that the UK could be making better use of open prisons. He said that we have run out of space in prisons but there was an opportunity for things to change.

Speaking after visits to three prisons in Spain, where reforms have included the greater use of open prisons, Gauke said: We dont make as much use of open prisons as we might do. You might spend part of your day out of a prison working, and then return to sleep at night  if that gets you into the rhythm of working and the disciplines of working, then that is helpful.

The review aims to explore tougher punishments outside prison, while also making sure there is space to incarcerate the most dangerous offenders.
Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, says Wandsworth prison should be closed if there was the capacity to relocate its 1,600 inmates - Lucy North/PA

Violence in British prisons saw an average of 74 assaults take place a day last year, an analysis has found.

A total of 26,912 assaults took place in jails in 2023  up by 28 per cent on the previous year, research by the House of Commons Library shows.

Out of these attacks, more than one in three were inflicted on prison staff. There were 9,204 such incidents throughout the year, figures show, which is the equivalent to 25 a day.

There were more than 3,200 serious assaults  825 of which were on staff  and the stark findings will add to pressure on the Government to get a grip of the prisons crisis.

The analysis, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, found the scandal-hit Wandsworth prison was by far the most violent in the UK, with 1,044 assaults throughout last year.

Charlie Taylors report finds severe problems with prison overcrowding and security failings - Andrew Crowley

The prison attracted nationwide attention after Daniel Khalife, a convicted spy, successfully escaped, triggering a nationwide manhunt before he was caught four days later.

It prompted Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, to say Wandsworth was one of several Victorian jails that should be closed if there was the capacity to relocate its 1,600 inmates.

His report, which was published in May, found severe problems with overcrowding as well as security failings, with more than four in five offenders sharing cells designed to hold one person.

Berwyn was the second-most violent prison, recording 783 assaults, while Thameside ranked third with a total of 667.

Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrats justice spokesman, accused the previous Tory government of leaving Britains prison system in utter chaos.

With this staggering number of assaults and rates of reoffending through the roof, the Conservatives have left a system that is failing prison staff, failing victims, and failing our communities, Mr Babarinde said.

Their neglect of our justice system is unforgivable, and their former ministers should hang their heads in shame for this shambolic legacy.

This is a crisis that needs to be gripped by the new Government with the utmost urgency. It is no wonder that hardworking prison officers are leaving in their droves when many drive to work fearing they may leave in the back of an ambulance.

Mr Babarinde then called on Sir Keir Starmer to produce an urgent plan to make our prisons safer and urged him to launch a new push to recruit more prison officers.

Thousands of prisoners have been released early under Labour as part of the early release scheme, which was designed to tackle the overcrowding crisis.

The programme means offenders are freed after serving 40 per cent of their sentence, rather than having to serve half before being released.

The scheme excludes those who are convicted of sex crimes, serious violence and terrorism, but dozens of prisoners jailed for harassment were accidentally freed as part of the rollout.

Close to collapse

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: The new Government inherited overcrowded prisons, plagued by violence and close to collapse.

We have taken immediate action to address this crisis, and have a long term plan to ensure we are never in this position again.

All assaults in prison are taken extremely seriously. Our hardworking staff have tools like PAVA synthetic pepper spray and body-worn cameras to keep them safe. We will continue to bear down on violence in our prisons.
Rebuilding lives (from left): Daed Almneaid, a clinical psychologist; the hospital director, Roshan Kumarasamy; Dr Rasheed Fakhri, an orthopaedic surgeon; and Dr Samar Ismail, supervisor of the 3D prosthetics. Photograph: Alaa Atwah/The Guardian

A girl slips through the corridors of the hospitals fifth floor with her friend, the pair bright-eyed and shy. Today is her last chance to wear her sparkly new shoes, bought for a party last week. Tomorrow, the 12-year-old Iraqi will have a leg amputated.

The operation was due two weeks ago but the surgeon, who had tried not to weep as he broke the news that amputation was necessary, agreed to delay surgery. She wanted the chance to wear her new shoes to the party first.

Her 11-year-old friend is from Yemen, and her scalp glistens with the plastic-like sheen of burn scars. Her arm and shoulder were also damaged in an accident four years ago when an overcrowded truck crashed while carrying refugees fleeing Saudi fighter jet attacks on their villages.

Victims of different wars, they are among up to 110 war-wounded patients who are treated at the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Mowasah hospital in Amman, Jordan, at any one time. A further 400 are on the waiting list, with 8,500 surgeries already under its belt.

It is a centre of excellence for reconstructive and orthopaedic surgery combined with physiotherapeutic and psychological care, and its staff are entirely focused on getting the best possible outcomes for the war-wounded.

The nationalities reflect the wars of this region, says the hospital director, Roshan Kumarasamy, a veteran of MSF work in global conflict zones. Our patients are from Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Gaza. Almost all have PTSD or some kind of survivor guilt.

There is not another surgical place like this hospital in the world  we are uniquely specialised, he says. This is not the MSF lifesaving frontline operation per se; this is quality of life in the aftermath.

MSF is one of three charities supported by the Guardian and Observers 2024 appeal in aid of victims of conflict, alongside War Child and Parallel Histories. The appeal has so far raised over 1m

At Mowasah, the injuries are from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), flames, shrapnel, barrel bombs, rockets, bullets, sniper drones and exploded apartment blocks.

Taha Saleh, a Yemeni cameraman, has bubbling scars behind each ear where a bullet passed through his head as he was filming in 2015. There were so many injured in the attack that they were prioritising patients, so they left me on the pile expected to die, he says.

For nine years, I struggled to get treatment in Yemen. It was difficult to eat. I had shooting pains constantly in my head.

After a month here at Mowasah, with physiotherapy and mental health support, Salehs cranial tension and constant nightmares have reduced. Now I have hope, and I am blessed to soon return to Yemen, he says.

He met his friend Ahmed Jalal here. Jalal was injured in an explosion that killed five people. His life was saved at an MSF hospital in Aden, Yemen, but war zones have no specialist care, and he was left without the use of his arm. Here, he had bone-lengthening treatment, went home to heal (while connecting to the physiotherapy team by phone), and is now back for his final surgery.

I feel very lucky. Now I will be able to find work and to marry Ahmed Jalal, victim of an explosion in Yemen

I feel very lucky. Now I will be able to find work and to marry, Jalal says.

Behind all the injuries lie many personal stories. But they are stories that orthopaedic surgeon Dr Hanna Janho doesnt always ask for any more. The stories can begin to weigh on you, he says. At the beginning you ask, but there are only so many injuries and incidents. I concentrate on the injury now, on what can be done.

Janho is running his clinic today, seeing a succession of people he has already operated on, perhaps multiple times: bone grafts, and tendon and nerve injuries in the main. Bullets can make a real mess of bones, and snipers are fond of aiming at femurs and pelvises.

People are referred by MSF doctors in their home countries. The team here will consider each case, and those they think they can help will be flown to Amman.

The overwhelming common denominator in Janhos patients is quiet gratitude  at pain relieved, at limbs that move again, at bones that have seen growth and re-fused.

Usually, we will start to see the people about two years after the cessation of fighting, Janho says. So now we have a lot of Yemeni people. Some patients live in rooms in the top floors while their treatment is ongoing, and others will go home and return.

The worst we see? Probably after the barrel bombs were being dropped on people in Syria.

Daed Almneaid is a clinical psychologist who runs the multi-disciplinary mental health team from an office adorned with the artwork of past patients and smelling strongly of roses.

Ah, thats our perfume makers, she says with a smile. We have started doing occupational training alongside therapy, adult education too, and the patients empower each other. We have a lot of integration here.

There is a mindset, especially in Arab cultures, that is: we try to keep silent because everyone is suffering. To speak is to add to someone elses burden. So we have to break down the stigma  to guide people that it is OK to not be OK.

Related: In the DRC, rape is rife. How can women recover in a war zone?

This applies to the staff too. Almneaid says: We worked together step by step with the 12-year-old facing amputation. She is well prepared and the surgeon was well supported.

Mowasah hospital was the brainchild of a group of Iraqi doctors. Dr Rasheed Fakhri was one of them, and is credited as an inspiration by many of the staff. He says: MSF is always acute emergency; the wound and the acute trauma is treated, the patient has survived. So just two weeks after we opened in Amman, we shifted the criteria  the needs are not what we first thought.

The surgeons on the frontline will stabilise and save, but the patient is left with [the need for] soft tissue, tendon or nerve repair. No one can do anything because there is no time and no place for it. So that is what we do here.

Even in a hospital of pioneers like Fakhri, Samar Ismail is holding her own. She is in charge of the 3D printing of prosthetics and works with burns and scars. Today she is helping Janeyah Ahmad, a Yemeni teenager with facial burns, fit a transparent facial mask to help her skin repair.

Customised assisted devices, finding solutions for peoples problems  it means we really need to think imaginatively, she says. Sometimes I wake up in the night and am thinking about some problem or other. We started 3D printing in 2017, so it was self-learning: if we failed, we tried again, and we are sharing the knowledge now with others.

She shows a square device with a pencil sharpener sealed inside. This is a good example. We had a little boy who lost his hand, and we made a prosthetic for him. But he still didnt feel normal because at school he couldnt sharpen his pencil like the other children. So we designed this  he puts it on his prosthetic finger and it holds tight so he can sharpen his pencil.

He was so happy, she says, putting it back with a smile. Thats what we do.
Gregg Treinish spots a wolverine track on a research expedition in Mongolia. Nonscientists can help with conservation and environmental research. Courtesy of Gregg Treinish

Did you know that ants taste like lemons? Or that worms could lay a thousand eggs in a single human heel (my heel to be specific)?

Over the years, in my adventures around the world as a conservationist, Ive been blinded for weeks by gorilla scat I was collecting (on purpose), survived landslides and been charged by hippos. I have always felt called by the wild, and still am despite having had more near-death experiences than my mom has ever been comfortable with.

Science has always been at the forefront of my adventures. I engage with wild spaces because I want to see them protected. And to protect them, we have to understand them.

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Now, in the wake of the November election, Im hearing from many of my fellow conservationists, explorers and climate advocates that all the work theyve done  all the danger theyve put themselves in  might be undermined.

I get it.

As carbon dioxide levels hit records yet again, U.S. leadership on green issues is under threat. Project 2025  a widely disseminated policy blueprint for the incoming Trump administration  calls for environmental deregulation, less protections for public lands and big cuts to climate research. Lee Zeldin and Doug Burgum, Trumps nominees to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Interior respectively, have championed big oil and vowed to act on the president-elects vision to roll back environmental protections.

Its easy to feel hopeless and demotivated in the face of such challenges. But for those of us who love wild spaces, we cant afford to give into despair.

Thankfully, theres a way to take the future of conservation and environmental and climate science into your own hands: become a citizen scientist. No matter your skill set, I can assure you that you are eminently qualified to lend a hand.

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Once viewed as a niche hobby and questioned for its scientific rigor, citizen science, the act of engaging the public in the scientific process, has become a well-recognized and integral part of science around the world. The Global Environment Facility, a leading international climate organization, published a memo this year highlighting the need to incorporate citizen science in environmental work.

Citizen science has been embraced by storied institutions like NASA, where citizen scientists helped discover a new exoplanet, and with the National Weather Service, where volunteers as part of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network collected rainfall data during Hurricanes Helene and Milton that helped inform flood warnings.

With downsizing and budget cuts on the table for 2025, nonprofits, private institutions, and state and local governments will have to pick up the torch on climate action. When they do, citizen science can be an important aid in advancing this critical work.

Data collection is expensive and time-consuming. A project like the Nature Conservancys work to rebuild oyster reefs might have been impossibly costly to complete without the help of volunteers monitoring new oyster ecosystems.

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This model is even more crucial when you think about remote data collection.

Recently, my organization, Adventure Scientists, had adventurers collect scat samples from around the world, including from marmot in Afghanistan, bear in Alaska and fox in Nepal, to analyze antibiotic resistance for researchers with the Harvard Medical School. For scientists alone, collecting those samples would have entailed dozens of plane rides, specialized training and other expensive, time-consuming resources.

And the benefit extends well beyond research and scientific institutions.

More than 85% of young people are worried about the climate, with climate doomers, those who believe the effects of climate change cannot be stopped, now becoming the new climate deniers. Citizen science offers an on-ramp for young people to empower themselves to take tangible action that will help the planet.

Studies have also shown that volunteering makes us happier. Being in nature also makes us happier. What could be a better twin antidote to what the U.S. Surgeon General has called the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States?

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Ive seen the impact of citizen science firsthand and experienced for myself that getting people out in nature may be the key to fostering a sense of connection and hope for the planet. Contributing to the scientific realm is a very real, tangible way for people to make an impact on the climate crisis and connect in an increasingly disconnected world.

Does citizen science sound right for you? If so, I can recommend some ways to get involved. As the holiday season approaches, check out the National Audubon Societys Christmas Bird Count. My organization is signing up volunteers for our California Biodiversity project, which is documenting the states insects and soil biodiversity. SciStarter.org always has interesting projects on the go.

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

If you still doubt the power of citizen science, consider Wikipedia. Volunteer editors  basically citizen technologists  built a repository of knowledge that powers search results, voice assistants, AIs large language models and so much more. The New York Times called Wikipedia a kind of factual netting that holds the whole digital world together.

Just as volunteers made the digital world a better place, I do not doubt that we volunteer citizen scientists can help give the world a greener tomorrow, regardless of what happens in Washington.
Soldiers marching in line

As we approach a new year, and the possibility that once again the young men and women of this country might have to fight another tyrant heading west across Europe, not only do we have a pitifully small army but it would appear that the youth of today would rather ride a bicycle delivering junk food than fighting for King and Country.

Apparently, Generation Z would rather work for Deliveroo than the Armed Forces, and also expect to be bringing home a salary of 55,000 by the time they are 30, new research finds.

On the one hand, this speaks to the entrepreneurial spirit of many young people, who see role models their own age making millions by building their own brand and working flexibly. Its also encouraging theyre not all scrabbling to work for the public sector which seems to be the focus for much of the new Governments money.

Having said that, the Army is part of our voluminous public service with decent pay today, a fantastic pension and a chance for all to send their children to fantastic schools  though the vindictive 20 per cent tax heist on private schools takes a massive perk away from army service. All this is achievable by the age of 30, and must equate to around 55,000  but morally and socially much, much more besides?

But it is profoundly depressing that the Army is deemed so uninspiring, most especially to those of us who have fought the countrys enemies, who currently are on the increase from most angles and dimensions. Maybe we should not be surprised in this age that has criticised the traditional virtues of army service  discipline, mental and physical toughness and sacrifice.

But the Army still has this, and offers so much more which will stand people in much better long-term stead than a fast bike and fast buck. The Army  or rather the MoD, and civil servants  must share much of the blame, by its ridiculously long selection process and trying to be overly woke in order to tempt some of these kids off their bicycles.

I know too many young men and women who give up on army selection after 12 months and know of one boy who took three years to get into the Army. Not surprisingly, when looking at a 12-month, at least, selection process, many go for the rather easier selection boards of Deliveroo, who probably require people who can use a mobile phone, ride a bike and perhaps in extremis fix a puncture, rather than command a tank and defeat the many tyrants who would do us harm.

Its time we started praising the Armed Forces more. Given the crisis in Europe, we need to expand and give it far, far more attention. Our best men and women must be encouraged to join the military rather than waste their time delivering pizzas. For anybody with a bit of gumption and get-up-and-go, the Army offers a career far more fulfilling and worthy than biking around town.
Eva Marie Kogel handed in her resignation on Friday - emkogel

The opinion editor at Die Welt has resigned after the conservative German newspaper printed an article from Elon Musk justifying his support for the hard-Right AfD.

Eva Marie Kogel said she handed in her resignation after the newspaper went to print on Friday.

In his article, Mr Musk said Germanys traditional parties had failed by delivering economic stagnation, social unrest and erosion of national identity.

Mr Musk, who was born in South Africa and became a US citizen in 2002, said Germany had become comfortable with mediocrity and incited cultural tensions by opening its borders to a large number of migrants.

In a series of posts on X in the run up to Christmas, Mr Musk toted his support for AfD, which he deemed the only hope for Germany, and questioned the partys categorisation of far Right.

The Tesla founders endorsement of AfD in December prompted Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, to quip that Germanys free speech allowed multi-billionaires to say things that were incorrect and did not contain good political advice.

Writing in Die Welt, Mr Musk said: The AfD can save Germany from becoming a shadow of its former self, adding that the party could spur economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation.

The Tesla founder said he believed he had the right to speak openly about his political beliefs because he has made significant investments in the nations industrial and technological industries. Tesla has built a gigafactory in Brandenburg, the first such site for the electric carmaker in Europe.

Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive and X owner, said AfD was the only hope for Germany - ALLISON ROBBERT/REUTERS

In the article, Mr Musk sounded the alarm over Germanys decision to open its borders to a large number of migrants, which he said was done with humanitarian intentions but had led to a breakdown in social cohesion.

The AfD is committed to a controlled immigration policy that prioritises integration and the preservation of German culture and security, he wrote, adding: This is not about xenophobia, but about ensuring that Germany does not lose its identity in the pursuit of globalisation.

A nation must preserve its core values and cultural heritage in order to remain strong and united.

The incoming head of the inaugural US Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) also expressed admiration for AfDs drive to deregulate the market, reduce bureaucracy and lower taxes.

He described Germanys decision to phase out nuclear power to rely on fossil fuels and renewable energy as costly and naive, claiming the nation does not have sufficient battery storage to ensure stability of electricity supply, and endorsed AfDs drive to encourage critical thinking in education rather than indoctrination.

Mr Musk took issue with the AfD being branded as far Right, instead deeming the party advocates of political realism without the political correctness.

Pointing to Alice Weidel, the partys leader, who has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka, he said: Does that sound like Hitler to you?, adding: To those who condemn the AfD as extremist, I say: Dont be fooled by the label attached to it.

Alice Weidel, the co-leader of Alternative for Germany (AfD) - Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

The article was commissioned by Mathias Dopfner, the head of the newspaper publisher Axel Springer, and was met with outrage from the newspapers editorial committee, according to Der Spiegel newspaper.

The article was published with a rebuttal by Jan Philipp Burgard, Die Welts editor-in-chief, who stated that while Mr Musks diagnosis of Germanys ills may be correct, his judgment that only AfD could save Germany was fatally wrong.

Mr Burgard called attention to AfDs desire for rapprochement with Russia, with the party calling for a restoration of trade and lifting of sanctions on Moscow.

He also warned of AfDs intention to appease Beijing and leave the European Union, deeming the latter a catastrophe.

The AfD is not just Alice Weidel, but also Bjorn Hocke, Mr Burgard wrote, before scalding the infamous leader of AfDs regional branch in Thuringia for his repeated use of banned Nazi slogans and salutes.

The editor-in-chief pointed out that a court ruling allows Hocke to be described as an extremist. The history teacher turned politician has previously dismissed Berlins Holocaust memorial as a monument of shame and has called for a thousand year future for Germany.

While Mr Burgard conceded that Germany is indeed struggling with out-of-control immigration, he discredits the AfDs remigration plans as unrealistic.
A poster put up in Melitopol, which reads: I dont want flowers. I want my Ukraine. Photograph: Zla Mavka

On 8 March 2023, International Womens Day, Russian soldiers were handing out tulips and boughs of mimosa to women and girls in the city of Melitopol, southern Ukraine  a move designed to promote friendly relations between the occupiers and the inhabitants.

But the night before, someone had been discreetly sticking posters to walls and lamp-posts. They bore the image of a young Ukrainian woman, dressed in a traditional embroidered shirt, smashing a bouquet over a Russian soldiers head. I dont want flowers, read the slogan. I want my Ukraine.

This was one of the earliest acts of a womens resistance movement in Russian-occupied Ukraine that claims hundreds of members, from Crimea in the south to the Luhansk region in the east.

The movement is called Zla Mavka, which, when roughly translated, means wicked forest spirit. The mavky of Ukrainian mythology are female supernatural beings who tempt men to their doom.

Using the figure of the mavka is a twofold joke: it is a reference to a popular drama by early-20th-century Ukrainian feminist Lesya Ukrainka; and is a play on the fact that Ukrainians often refer to the Russian military as orcs, the brutish fighters in JRR Tolkeins The Lord of the Rings. Orc is no match for mavka, reads one of the movements posters.

The women involved in the network undertake small acts of sabotage and resistance: disseminating a Ukrainian news-sheet; burning Russian propaganda; or dropping fake Russian rouble notes in the streets.

We piss off the occupiers, give them a headache and dont let them forget that they are occupiers here, one of the founders of the movement said in an interview from Russian-occupied southern Ukraine via a messaging app.

When curious passersby pick up one of Zla Mavkas sham 2,000 rouble notes, they will find it bearing not, as expected, the image of the Russky Bridge that connects Vladivostok with Russky Island in Russias far east, but instead the Crimean Bridge between Russia and Crimea at the moment it was hit with a Ukrainian bomb in October 2022.

The real Crimea-themed 200 rouble note was issued by the Bank of Russia in 2017, three years after Russias illegal annexation of the peninsula, and shows the archaeological site of Chersonesus near Sevastopol, and on the other side, the early 20th-century Monument to Sunken Ships in Sevastopol Bay.

On Zla Mavkas fake version, though, a Ukrainian flag is seen rising among the classical ruins. Turn it over and the Russian battleship Moskva sinks into the Black Sea. The cruiser went down in April 2022, with Ukraine saying it targeted it with missiles.

Women share photographs of acts of resistance, as well as accounts of their daily life under occupation, on the Zla Mavka channel on the Telegram app. To keep each other safe, they are anonymous, even to each other.

The Guardian was not able independently to verify the veracity of the accounts published on the channel, but they bear the hallmarks of separate accounts of life under Russian occupation. Recognisable landmarks appear in the background of some of the images.

Word of the movements activities is gradually spreading in free Ukraine. Zla Mavka feature in a touring exhibition, Unseen Force, highlighting non-violent resistance to the Russian invasion, in Kyiv, Lviv and, until 5 January, in Dnipro. It opens in Odesa in February.

The women frequently employ dark humour. There are two sides to this, said the co-founder, who asked to be known only as Mavka for safety reasons. First, we ourselves need this humour, because without it you can simply go crazy here. And on the other hand, it really infuriates the Russian occupiers.

Spreading pro-Ukrainian information under occupation is dangerous, and has become more so as time goes on. The proliferation of surveillance cameras in Russian-occupied cities has made putting up posters particularly perilous.

Of course we are afraid, said Mavka. Everyone understands the risks very well and understands what could threaten them in the event of exposure. We try to be very careful and warn all our activists about all the rules. Every woman understands what she is doing and everyone makes her choice.

The early posters, from spring 2023, featured a distinctive illustrated character: a long-haired, smiling young girl wearing a traditional Ukrainian flower garland, accompanied by various slogans: Lets take the Russian rubbish out, for example. In more recent months, the action has included the simple Zla Mavka symbol  a triangle surmounted by a sunburst  pinned to the wall of the lobby of an apartment block.

We wanted it to be simple, first of all, so that it would be easy to draw in difficult conditions, said Mavka of the symbol. It had to have a female form, and then we added the sun that would definitely rise over Ukraine when Russia lost.

Women contact the movement by writing in the first instance to a chatbot. Material appears on the publicly viewable Telegram channel only after it is checked, as far as possible, for authenticity and screened for information that could compromise the womens identities. The diaries published on the Telegram channel are accompanied by drawings provided by a supporter of the movement in free Ukraine.

The accounts of daily life sent in by the women are revealing. One woman in Yalta, Crimea, posted this October about preparing her apartment for rental. I cant afford to take risks. Books in Ukrainian, about Ukrainian art, a history textbook in English, foreign magazines about feminist and queer art, all this needs to be put away before strangers enter the house, she wrote.

Assessing the degree of resistance in occupied areas is difficult. As the diary entries recount, schools have now introduced Russian curricula, and many families from Russia have moved into the occupied areas. One diary describes the proliferation  on public transport, on cars, on buildings  of the letter Z, the Russian symbol of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Difficult subjects are raised in the diaries, such as Ukrainian men being mobilised into the Russian army. Im writing to you, girls, and crying, a woman from an occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region wrote in February this year. They took my son. Told him that he was going to serve in the military  it turns out that he would be treated like a traitor anyway, by either Ukrainians or Russians.

My conscience punished me severely, she added, because he told me to flee, and I said I had no one to leave with the cows. And I considered myself too old to go anywhere. And he stayed with me. And now Im crying, and dont know what to do.

One of the movements helpers from free Ukraine, who asked to be known, for safety reasons, only as Olha, said: They understand each others daily problems. And thats why women started to join them. It has become more and more of a womens community, not solely a resistance movement.

This not some special services operation, it is not something military, it is from woman to woman  woman under occupation to women under occupation.
John Harris and his teenage children hiking across Wavering Down. All photographs by Gareth Iwan Jones Photograph: Gareth Iwan Jones/The Guardian

I moved to Somerset in 2009, from a home in Wales between Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) and the Black Mountains. The change took me closer to London and rid me of painfully long train journeys, but I really missed the landscape  and, more specifically, walking around it. The little I knew about my new home county was mostly centred on two attractions: the Glastonbury festival and Cheddar Gorge  that deep topographical crack that draws thousands of tourists to caves, overpriced cheese and the kind of shops and cafes that make it feel like a mid-level English coastal resort, without any sea. It didnt seem to offer much of a substitute.

What I didnt know about was the other 70-odd square miles of the Mendip Hills, all craggy outcrops, dry-stone walls, waterfalls and dizzyingly beautiful views. After I moved, the weekly walks I eventually started doing with my two kids took us to this part of Somerset again and again. And they still do, not least in the winter. The scenery is, of course, not nearly as spectacular as the landscape Id left behind, but replete with its own charms: faint echoes of the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales, and walks that perfectly suit the cold months. Here, a proper outing can be done without being overly arduous, and if the weather doesnt turn too hostile, a day outside can deliver a lovely cosiness: the landscape is friendly and comforting, rather than challenging.

Start and finish Cross, Somerset

Distance 5 miles

Time 3-3 hours

Total ascent 286 metres

Difficulty moderate

OS map with GPX track of the route

***

My son James, who is now 18, is autistic. In common with a lot of neurodivergent people, he has a deep connection with the outdoors, and a seemingly insatiable love of walking. Some of this, I think, is to do with hills and mountains, and the sensory exhilaration they provide: when he was little, he would greet any downhill section of a walk with a euphoric, high-velocity sprint, which seemed to approximate the feeling of flying. Now, he is an enthusiastic and determined hiker.

With his younger sister, Rosa, we have seen just about every corner of the Mendips. We regularly visit the village of Priddy, with its huge green, gangs of visiting cavers, and bronze age burial mounds. Ebbor Gorge is another wondrous gap in the hills  in this case, unsullied by roads  which can be included on routes that start and end in the small cathedral city of Wells. Walks close to Cheddar might begin among the madding tourist crowds, but you can soon find yourself amid open fields, woodland and paths that wind around its clifftops.

I remember eating sandwiches in a biting crosswind and conditions so clear that we could see all the way to Wales

But our favourite place is the uplands of Wavering Down and Crook Peak, and a five-mile up-and-down loop that starts and finishes in the village of Cross, little more than three miles from Cheddar  and, it is worth pointing out, less than an hours drive from the centre of Bristol. Looking back, this was the first halfway serious hill-walk the three of us ever did, which opened the way to the week-long trails we have done over the past three years (Hadrians Wall was the last), and regular hikes of 10 miles or more.

Our first visit here was when James was eight and Rosa had just turned six. My dad, a former mountaineer whose lifelong love of walking defies his age, last accompanied us when he was 81: the dateline on the photos I took on my phone was 28 December 2017  a sunny, blue-skied day, by the look of it, which was also my 48th birthday. I remember eating sandwiches in a biting crosswind while crouching behind a wall, and conditions so clear that we could see all the way to Wales. As usual, though it took no more than three and a half hours, the experience felt like a proper day out.

All the uphill stuff is at the start, mostly on a 30-minute climb that begins under a big cliff of quarried rock, then ascends through tunnelled woodland. After a slog on a slope that leads to a trig point, you get your first spectacular vistas. To the south are the Somerset Levels, with the perfectly circular Cheddar Reservoir tucked into the hillside and the anomalous Brent Knoll in the middle distance. To the north lies Weston-super-Mare and, once you are further up, a clear view  even on an overcast day  to the Bristol Channel and beyond.

The ridge forms an undulating green ribbon that soon tips into a long descending stretch  the kind that James used to rejoice in running down. Before that, though, we usually take a moment to look at  and sit on  one of this localitys defining sights: a hulking stone bench, seemingly created to resemble a small megalith. In memory of a local man named Herbert Peart, it was created by Barry Cooper, an artist and sculptor who lives in the same town as me: Frome, which is 25 miles away. Cooper painstakingly got the single slab and supporting stones he needed up here using a tractor and trailer, but it was worth it. The bench has now settled into the landscape as a permanent symbol of the simple pleasures it delivers, captured in a chiselled line taken from the mountaineer and poet Geoffrey Winthrop Young: Only a hill but all of life to me.

The winter onset of dusk makes the Mendips landscape look even more dramatic

Twenty minutes further on  and higher up  Crook Peak has a rocky summit akin to one of Dartmoors more modest tors: from a distance, its profile rather suggests a giant reclining figure. Its a great place for a picnic lunch. From here, you can see both the sea and a curving stretch of the M5 surrounded by green fields and bisected by a distant footbridge (James always says it looks like the sleeve art of Kraftwerks Autobahn, an album he has been obsessed with since he was little). I have read accounts of walking here that moan about the motorways distant roar, but I actually like it as it heightens the feeling of being way above the ordinary world.

Once youve come down, theres a gradual  and sometimes muddy  descent into Compton Bishop, a tiny village whose church dates back 800 years. Its a good place to stop, and think: last time James and I went, we took the opportunity to enjoy 15 minutes of serene silence. The route back to the start takes you directly under the ridge you have just ascended and walked along, and within half an hour youll be back in Cross.

I recently found out that from 1969, the village was the home of the genius English comedian Frankie Howerd, who lived there until his death in 1992; if you dont fancy trying to soak up any lingering hilarity he left behind, you might be in the mood to visit one of its two pubs. Alternatively, you could visit nearby Axbridge: Somersets smallest town, whose beautiful medieval square suggests something from rural France or Germany.

By this point, anyone who came here seeking the Mendips magic ought to have felt it. The winter onset of dusk makes the landscape look even more dramatic, and as we get in the car theres always an unspoken resolution to return to this place: only a hill, but so much more.
The TUC chief Paul Nowak said 2024 must be a year of delivery for working people. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Keir Starmers government has been urged to stick to its guns amid growing pressure from business leaders to water down its plans to improve workers rights as the UK economy grinds to a halt.

The head of the Trades Union Congress said company bosses were demanding concessions as a quid pro quo for accepting tax increases in Rachel Reeves autumn budget as they sounded the alarm over Britains flatlining economy.

Speaking to the Guardian as he gave his new years message, Paul Nowak said t Labour needed to show 2025 would be a year of delivery after having spent much of its first six months in power fighting fires.

Making progress on a sweeping package of employment changes  which includes banning zero-hours contracts and introducing protections on day one of a job  was a critical part of this, he said, and could help Labour counter Nigel Farages Reform party.

Nowak said: That whole agenda around improving the world of work was a key reason why Labour won the election. In the face of the populist right of Reform, the government has to prove it is not only serious about delivering its manifesto commitments, but that theyll have a tangible difference on peoples lives.

If its not delivered in full, it will fuel that cynicism that politics cant make any difference; that it doesnt matter who you vote for because theyre all the same. So it absolutely has to be done in full.

Meanwhile, ministers face pressure to change course after economic growth during Labours first months in power was revised down to zero, while the Bank of England forecast no improvement in the final months of 2024.

Business groups have said the chancellors tough rhetoric and 25bn rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) announced in her autumn budget  which comes into effect from April  is chilling jobs and growth.

This week the CBI lobby group said the UK was headed for the worst of all worlds next year as businesses prepared to cut output and hiring, alongside plans to raise prices to help accommodate the changes.

Nowak said it was clear business groups were lobbying to water down Labours employment changes. Frankly its been pretty crude, that the quid pro quo for the employer NICs increase is watering down the employment rights bill.

I think that would be the worst of all possible worlds. Its not a course I think the government will go down. I think theyve been pretty clear that make work pay is a key part of their economic agenda as well, he said.

Labours plans to upgrade employment rights could costs businesses up to 5bn a year, according to the governments own analysis. Ministers argue this is small when considering that total wage costs in the UK were more than 1.3tn in 2023, and highlight that low-paid workers could benefit most.

However, business leaders warn the cumulative impact of carrying out multiple policy changes at the same time growth is slowing could add to the headwinds facing the UK economy.

Rupert Soames, the chair of the CBI, last month accused ministers of treating employers as a cash cow and urged them to water down the changes to workers rights.

Nowak said TUC polling showed a majority of voters supported the changes, while analysis produced by the union movement suggested they could bolster the economy by 13bn by strengthening workers spending power.

When people are in better paid secure employment theyll go out and spend that money in local shops and restaurants, buy a new car, or have extensions done on their homes or whatever that might be, he said.

Frankly those voices that are saying water down the employment rights bill are the same voices that said they didnt want a national minimum wage introduced in the first place, complain every year when it goes up, and have opposed every progressive change in employment rights since time began.

The government absolutely has to hold its nerve. The decisions in the budget were hard but ultimately in the right direction.
While 70 per cent of white children support stop and search, 63 of Asian and mixed race children and 59 per cent of black children feel the same way - Gideon Mendel/Corbis Historica

Children back police use of stop and search by a six to one majority, a major study has found.

Some 68 per cent of children aged 13 to 17 believe police should have stop and search powers, compared with 11 per cent who disagreed. A fifth, at 21 per cent, said they were unsure, according to the survey of 10,000 children by the Government-backed Youth Endowment Fund.

Children were, however, less convinced that police were using the powers fairly  and there were also disparities in support according to their ethnic background.

Just over half  56 per cent  believed the powers were being used fairly by officers compared with 18 per cent who believed they were not being applied appropriately. A quarter were unsure.

While 70 per cent of white children supported police use of stop and search, the proportions fell for Asian and mixed race children to 63 per cent and to 59 per cent for black children.

Just under half (49 per cent) of black and mixed race teenagers felt stop and search was applied fairly, compared with 54 per cent of Asian and 57 per cent of white children.

Fragile trust in police

Jon Yates, the chief executive of the Fund, which received a 200 million endowment from the Government to research ways to prevent children getting involved in violence, said: Stop and search is a necessary police power and, as our findings show, most teenagers support its use.

However, it must be applied fairly, or it risks further damaging the fragile trust that many young people, particularly those from minority backgrounds, already have in the police.

Police use of stop and search has fallen from a peak of more than 1.2 million stops in the year to March 2011 to 535,307 in the year to March 2024. This was largely owing to restrictions introduced by Baroness May when she was home secretary amid concerns over its disproportionate use against young black people.

Her successors have eased those restrictions to encourage greater use of the tactic in the face of surging knife crime.

However, recent controversies have dented communities confidence, making some officers hesitant about deploying stop and search.

Among the 11 per cent of teenagers surveyed who had been stopped and searched in the past year, 70 per cent said the police were polite and 66 per cent felt they were treated with respect.

However, children from Asian, black, mixed and other ethnic backgrounds were significantly less likely to feel they were treated respectfully by the police.

Three quarters  74 per cent  of white children found the police to be polite. By contrast, it fell to 59 per cent of minority ethnic children. While 70 per cent of white children felt respected by the police, it dropped to 54 per cent of children from minority ethnic backgrounds.

However, black teenagers were more likely than their white counterparts to feel the police were doing a good job.

Some 63 per cent of black teenagers said police were doing a good job compared to 54 per cent of white teenagers and 50 per cent of those with mixed ethnic backgrounds.

This could be linked to the more favourable view that children had of police if they had been involved with them in some way.

Teenage children who had had direct contact with the police  whether through being stopped and searched, dealing with a school police officer or being arrested  tended to view the police more positively than those who had not.

For instance, 59 per cent of teenagers with police contact believe the police do a good job in their area, compared to 53 per cent with no contact.

More than six in 10  62 per cent  of children who had been victims of serious violence believed their local police did a good job, compared with 54 per cent of children who had not been a victim.
Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are in a war of words

Elon Musk has put a fact-check alert on Kemi Badenochs tweets in which she claimed that Reform UK had faked its membership numbers.

A war of words has broken out after the Conservative leader accused Nigel Farage of fakery in response to Reforms claims that they had surpassed the Tories number of signed-up members.

Mr Farage is considering legal action against the Tory leader if she fails to apologise for her intemperate outburst after Reform revealed the inner workings of its tracker, saying that it proves his claim that the party now has more members.

Mrs Badenochs tweeting has since been hit with a community note, a form of correction, which says: This claim is false. Its not a fake ticker  the website code clearly shows data being pulled via an API [software].

It comes as grassroots Tory leaders warn that Reforms Trump-style youth movement and razzmatazz threaten to make the Conservatives irrelevant.

Manipulating your own supporters at Xmas eh, Nigel?

It's not real. It's a fake  coded to tick up automatically. We've been watching the back end for days and can also see they've just changed the code to link to a different site as people point this out.



Farage doesn't https://t.co/2tAsszfHsG  Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) December 26, 2024

Claire Bullivant, the editor of the Conservative Post, a grassroots website, said that Reform was fostering a UK version of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement that attracted a broad base of Americans to Donald Trump.

She said: Reform has tapped into the pulse of younger voters, capturing their imaginations with unapologetic patriotism and an electric energy.

The Conservatives must harness the passion and audacity of Reform UK, a rising force igniting what could evolve into a uniquely British MAGA-style movement.

The Tories must wake up. To remain relevant, they need to rebrand with conviction, rediscover boldness, and hold Labours faltering leadership to account with unrelenting vigour.

Reform figures fakery

Reform membership has surged thanks to an influx of younger members attracted by a cheaper fee of 10 for those aged 25 and under. Last weekend, Mr Farage announced that 1,000 young people had joined the party in less than 48 hours.

Earlier this week, Mr Farages party said his party had more members than the Conservatives for the first time.

The announcement sparked a row with Mrs Badenoch, who said figures putting Reform membership at more than 130,000 were fakery.

The news the party had overtaken the Tories in membership numbers prompted Mrs Badenoch to launch a five-part post on X, the social media site owned by Mr Musk, accusing Mr Farage and Reform of bombarding the public with endless lies, smoke and mirrors and a counter that was coded to tick up automatically.

Mr Farage has demanded that Mrs Badenoch apologise for her intemperate outburst and hinted he is considering legal action.

John Strafford, the chairman of the Campaign for Conservative Democracy, said Mrs Badenochs intervention was a major error.

He added: I cant tell you the number of members saying to me on WhatsApp that they are not going to renew their membership. They look at Reform and say it is coming out with Conservative policies.

With reform on a roll up to the local election in May, it looks very clear that we could lose a lot of seats there and it will be a disaster for the Tory party.

Ms Bullivant added: As Labours appeal continues to crumble, young voters will increasingly be drawn to the dynamic, patriotic content that celebrates Britishness and dares to inject some much-needed razzmatazz into the political stage.

Musk a bloody hero

It comes after Mr Farage has claimed that Mr Musk would help Reform win the youth vote because he is an absolute hero figure to young people.

He credited the richest man in the world as a huge help in connecting the party with young people.

Describing Mr Musk as a bloody hero, Mr Farage said: The shades, the bomber jacket, the whole vibe. Elon makes us cool.

Reform only wins the next election if it gets the youth vote. The youth vote is the key. Of course you need voters of all ages, but if you get a wave of youth enthusiasm you can change everything.

Mr Musk, who met Mr Farage at Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida earlier this month, welcomed Reforms rising membership figures earlier this week, saying that change is coming. It has been speculated that he could donate as much as $100 million (78 million) to the party.
Pope Francis waves during his Christmas Day speech - YARA NARDI/REUTERS

Pope Francis has spoken of creating a world full of hope and kindness in a recorded message broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

The head of the Catholic Church wished listeners peace, fellowship and gratitude in the new year as he gave the Thought for the Day on the Today programme on Saturday.

The 88-year-old has begun celebrations for the Churchs Jubilee Year, a centuries-old tradition that now occurs every 25 years and involves the faithful heading to Rome on pilgrimages.

Thought for the Day is a regular segment on the Today programme that welcomes people from all the major faiths to share reflections on the world, airing at 7.45am every Monday to Saturday.

The Pope, who was born in Argentina, was invited to deliver a message by Prof Irene Tracey, the programmes guest editor who is vice chancellor of the University of Oxford.

He recorded his message in Italian before it was translated into English for UK radio audiences.

In the message, Pope Francis said: Hope and kindness touch the very heart of the gospel and show us the path to follow in our behaviour. A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world.

A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane.

Focusing on the theme of hope, he said: Even though we do not know what tomorrow may hold for us, we should not look to the future with pessimism and resignation.

Wars, social injustices, and the many forms of violence we are exposed to every day should not dishearten us nor draw us towards scepticism and discouragement.

Kindness not a diplomatic strategy

The Pope said kindness was not a diplomatic strategy but instead represented a form of love that opens hearts to acceptance, and helps us all to become more humble.

Quoting from the autobiography of British author G K Chesterton, the Pope shared his invitation to take the elements of life with gratitude and not for granted.

He added: I hope that during this Jubilee we can practice kindness as a form of love to connect with others. May the New Year bring us peace, fellowship and gratitude.

It is the second time that Pope Francis has appeared on the Thought for the Day segment, having first spoken in October 2021 ahead of the Cop26 climate summit.

He is only the second pope to take part in segment, after his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Christmas Eve in 2010.
Video released by the administration of the Mangystau region of Kazakhstan, shows the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024

Russia has almost certainly shot down another civilian plane. On Wednesday morning, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan killing 38 people and injuring 29 others. The crash was precipitated by a Russian Pantsir S-1 anti-aircraft missile strike and the alleged refusal of Russian air traffic controllers to grant the plane an emergency landing in a North Caucasus airport.

Russia responded to this tragedy with a familiar mix of obfuscation and disinformation. In a phone call to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a non-apology for a tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and did not take responsibility for the crash.

Russian media outlets have published conspiracy theories to obfuscate the inconvenient truth of what caused the crash. Former Kremlin advisor Sergey Markov blamed the planes downing on a misfired Ukrainian UAV strike. Force majeure rationales like an engine breakdown and collision with a flock of migrating birds have also featured prominently.

This firehouse of falsehoods propaganda strategy mirrors the Kremlins response to the July 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash, which was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air-missile in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. But with one key difference: Russian disinformation was much more effective then than it is now.

After the MH17 shootdown, Russia used allegations of Ukrainian culpability and vigorous denials to polarise international opinion. Western countries linked the MH17 disaster to Russias illegal invasion of eastern Ukraine and used it as a casus-belli for stiffer sanctions against Russia. The Global South largely remained neutral or amplified the Kremlins denials of military assistance to the Donbas separatist militias that perpetrated the attack.

Emboldened by its disinformation success, Russia successfully repeated this playbook after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The March 2022 Bucha Massacre, which saw Russian forces kill hundreds of unarmed civilians in the outskirts of Kyiv, was a case in point.

By describing the massacre as a staged provocation from Ukraine to secure Nato-class weaponry, Russia planted seeds of doubt amongst its anti-Western partners in the Global South. This allowed Russia to avoid international isolation and buttress against the impact of Western sanctions.

This time around, there are signs that Russian disinformation is wearing thin. Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov asked Russia to formally apologise for its role in the latest plane crash and Azerbaijani media outlets are urging Russia to pay reparations to the crashs victims.

The Kremlins refusal to take responsibility for the incident has shaken international confidence in the safety of its airspace. Israels El-Al airline, FlyDubai and Kazakhstans Qazaq Air are amongst the carriers that have either scaled back or indefinitely suspended flight paths to Russia.

As Russias standing as a crisis-proof ally was exposed by its inability to defend Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, it can ill afford further damage to its credibility in the post-Soviet space and Global South. While the shutdown of the State Departments Global Engagement Centre and funding cuts to the BBC World Service complicate matters, the West needs to proactively capitalise on Russian disinformations newfound weaknesses.

As the impending closure of the Russia-Ukraine gas transit route undermines Moscows grip on occupied Transnistria, Moldova is a critical frontline against Russian disinformation. As is the South Caucasus, where Russia is propping up the Georgian Dreams autocratic regime and is trying to thwart Armenias embrace of Europe. In Africa, Russia is trying to reassure its security partners that it will not abandon them like it did to Assad.

Cracks have appeared in the edifice of Russias disinformation machinery. Now is the time for the West to step up its game.
Volunteers clean a beach near the resort of Anapa in Russia after the oil spill in the Black Sea that may have released 4,300 tonnes of oil. Photograph: Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters

Russia has warned of severe environmental damage from a huge oil spill in the Black Sea caused when two tankers were hit by a storm near Crimea, which has declared a state of emergency.

One tanker sank and another ran aground on 15 December in the Kerch strait between Russia and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.

Thousands of volunteers have been mobilised for clean-up operations that have been criticised as insufficient by some Russian scientists.

The tankers were carrying 9,200 tonnes of fuel oil, about 40% of which may have spilled into the sea, according to authorities.

The situation is truly critical, said the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by Russian press agencies.

It is unfortunately impossible to calculate for the moment the extent of the environmental damage, but specialists are working regularly on it, he said.

The Moscow-installed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksionov, said on Telegram he had declared a state of emergency because of the oil products spill in the Kerch strait.

Russias transport ministry said on Saturday that all polluted aquatic areas that have been identified have been cleaned and no recurring pollution has been detected.

But the emergency situations minister, Alexander Kurenkov, was more cautious. He said: The threat of a new fuel oil leak in the Black Sea from the tankers and spills on the coast persists.

Vladimir Putin earlier this month called the oil spill an ecological disaster.
Katie in 2022 with husband Graham and son Ralph, who was diagnosed with liver cancer. Photograph: Family Handout

Just over a year ago, the parents of Ralph Tatham didnt know if they would make it to Christmas, or if liver cancer would take away their three-year-old son.

Now the little boy is just a few weeks away from celebrating his fifth birthday, after receiving a lifesaving multiorgan transplant to replace his liver, pancreas and intestines.

It was the hardest moment of my life, says his mother, Katie Tatham. Its a risky operation, so you dont know if youre going to see him again. Obviously it was his only chance to live, to have this operation. But when you take out a lot of his organs and replace them, then theres a high chance things could go wrong.

She breaks for a moment. Im sorry, I dont normally get emotional like this. I just remember in that moment, his little face when we gave him up. And giving him a cuddle before his operation. And he got scared because of the big room and all the people involved.

Several hours later, she and her husband, Graham, got a phone call from the surgeon: We were able to see Ralph and it was just such a relief, and an incredible moment to know that the surgery been successful and he was still here with us.

The Tathams want more parents to experience that relief. There are 280 children waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, more than the 243 on the waiting list in September 2023, when the couple last spoke to the Observer.

The rules around child organ donation are different to those for adults, which means that it is harder to find donors. Adults throughout the UK are now presumed to consent to becoming an organ donor if they die suddenly, although there is an opt-out register and relatives are always consulted first.

However, the parents of children are always asked for consent before donation. Roughly half of families agree. Last year, there were 39 organ donors aged under 18. They, and some adult donors, gave 252 children the chance of a longer life with a transplant. But for eight children, there was no lifesaving phone call.

The reason parents often dont consent to donation is that they are confronted with a decision they never wanted to make, at the worst moment in their lives.

The NHS Blood and Transplant service believes that if parents can bring themselves to imagine the unimaginable, then they are more likely to remember, in their moment of crisis, that they can give another family the opportunity of life.

Katies employers, the creative company Wunderman Thompson, began the Waiting to Live campaign to encourage these conversations by placing hundreds of child-sized dolls in waiting rooms, including 16 that were modelled on children on the waiting list.

I think by seeing stories of people like Ralph that hopefully provides some inspiration, she says. I hope that people remember them, and if they are in that awful situation where they do have to make that decision on whether to donate, maybe they might remember a child like Ralph and realise they can make the choice to save another child.

Katie does not know the identity of Ralphs donor or their family, but she said she is in awe of them.

Its the most selfless thing you could ever do, she says. They gave our son another chance of life. If theyd said no, its unlikely another donor would have come up. Its very rare to get a size match in a child. Its literally the reason our son is still here today, fighting on.

Before getting the phone call that the NHS had found a match for Ralph, the family had been raising money to fly to the US.

We had been advised that Ralph didnt really have long, she says. He was becoming immune to his chemotherapy, and any moment they might find his cancer had spread. Wed given up hope, then the donor call came through. I was shaking.

It would be a fairytale ending to be able to write that Ralph has just started school like any other four-year-old, and is feeding his current obsession of cars: He loves Porsches, Lewis Hamilton, all that stuff  he knows them like the back of his hand, his mother says.

But life and medicine have complications. Ralph is still living in protective isolation because hes still on a high level of immunosuppressants, Katie says. He is dealing with graft versus host disease (GvHD), which means that the donated organs treat Ralphs body as foreign.

He still cant mix with other children. We have to live Covid-style, with isolation rules, which is really quite tough to be honest. Its hard on him, because hes getting older now, and he wants to see other children and do things other children do.

Between hospital visits, Katie and Graham try to manage their anxiety and enjoy their family, taking days out to the seaside and going on forest walks. Ralph is just an incredible, cheeky, funny little boy, very intelligent. Hes got such a great sense of humour. And I think that thats what keeps us going. He really is an incredible spirit.

His brother Albie was a baby, so hes got to be a big brother for a year. We just try to live for the day. You find you constantly tense for the next bit of bad news. So you have to just try to enjoy the days when youre not in hospital. What other choice do you have? You just have to keep going and enjoy life.
The rally, which organisers claimed was attended by over 500,000 people, took place a day after parliament voted to impeach Yoons acting replacement. Photograph: Han Myung-Gu/EPA

Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans flooded central Seoul on Saturday in the latest wave of protests demanding the removal of the countrys suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, a day after parliament voted to impeach his acting replacement.

Organisers claimed that more than 500,000 people participated in the rally, which took place amid a large police presence.

The demonstrations, which have grown steadily since Yoons failed declaration of martial law on 3 December, transformed the historic Gwanghwamun area in a striking display of civic engagement, with citizens including young protesters wielding K-pop light sticks alongside civil society groups.

Related: South Koreas second impeachment in two weeks is latest twist in political saga

Imprison Yoon Suk Yeol, protesters chanted as they marched from Gyeongbokgung Palace toward the Myeongdong shopping district, many singing to K-pop music blasting from speaker trucks in what has become a characteristic mix of celebration and serious political messaging.

Lawmakers voted on Friday to impeach the acting president, Han Duck-soo, marking a deepening of South Koreas political and constitutional crisis, stemming from Hans refusal to appoint three judges to the constitutional court  the very body that must decide Yoons fate.

The opposition-controlled parliament viewed this as deliberately stalling Yoons impeachment process, while the ruling People Power party warned that removing Han risked triggering a second financial crisis and accused the opposition of paralysing state functions.

The finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, who doubles as deputy prime minister, has become the interim leader in an unprecedented arrangement where he holds three top positions.

Related: South Korea deploys K-pop light sticks and dance in protests against president

The constitutional court, now operating with only six of its nine seats filled, requires at least six votes to uphold Yoons removal from office, meaning a single dissenting voice could save his presidency.

The court building itself has been barricaded by police buses and heavily guarded. Hundreds of flower wreaths sent by Yoons supporters lined the barriers, bearing messages of support for the suspended president.

One kilometre from the main demonstration, a large but vocal counterprotest led by far-right evangelical Christian groups gathered to oppose the impeachment.

Mostly comprising elderly people and hostile in tone, they denounced the parliamentary impeachment votes as invalid and called for Yoons reinstatement.

The opposition leader Lee Jae-myung sat on the ground with protesters at the anti-Yoon rally, where the atmosphere remained orderly despite the massive turnout.

In a display of civic spirit, some protesters distributed snacks to police officers, while others cleaned the streets, picking up litter left behind.

The protests have taken on a distinctly youthful character, with students, womens groups and activists waving flags and addressing the crowd from a central stage.

The use of K-pop light sticks, typically reserved for concerts, has become a symbol of this new generation of protest, contrasting with the candlelight vigils of the Park Geun-hye impeachment protests of 2016-17.

The pop band Leenalchi and the Ambiguous Dance Company together performed their hit Tiger Is Coming, with the band member Ahn Yi-ho drawing cheers when he declared: Tigers may be tigers, but insurrectionists must be eradicated.

Recent polls show a majority of South Koreans support Yoons removal from office after his attempt to impose martial law earlier this month. That declaration lasted just six hours before being overturned by parliament but has sparked the biggest challenge to South Korean democracy since the 1980s.

As night fell on Saturday and the pro-Yoon protest packed up, the pro-impeachment protesters continued to stream through the city centre, their glittering light sticks illuminating the march in the sub-zero temperatures.

Tourists stopped to watch and photograph the peaceful demonstration, a manifestation of South Koreas democracy in action, even as it faced one of its biggest tests.
Sir Keir Starmers Hillsborough Law will place a duty of candour on public servants and criminal sanctions on those who fall foul of the law - Stefan Rousseau/PA

Sir Keir Starmers flagship Hillsborough Law aimed at averting historic injustices is set to be watered down, campaigners fear.

Labour promised in their manifesto to introduce new legislation ,which will put a legal duty of candour on public officials, and will include criminal sanctions for those who fall foul of the law.

It follows years of campaigning by the relatives of the 97 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.

The Prime Minister has pledged to introduce the law by April 15, the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, which saw police officers falsely claim that drunk Liverpool fans were responsible for the tragedy.

Draft legislation has been drawn up by the campaign group Hillsborough Law Now, which is backed by several organisations including Grenfell United, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice and Factor 8.

Law to avert historic injustices comes after years of campaigning by the relatives of the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster - Bob Thomas

But campaigners are concerned that Whitehall officials are seeking to weaken the Bill because they do not want to create a climate where they or their colleagues are held criminally liable for following instructions from ministers.

A source close to discussions said: This Bill is a big shift for lifelong civil servants. In very loose terms, their argument is that their role will on occasion mean misleading people.

They see their role as protecting their political masters rather than being honest with the public.

One area of contention is civil servants may feel they need to mislead the public in certain circumstances, for example with matters of national security  but campaigners say the Bill they have drafted already has a carve-out for this issue.

In their manifesto, Labour promised to introduce a Hillsborough Law which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities, and provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths.

Speaking at the partys first annual conference since entering Downing Street, which took place in Liverpool, Sir Keir confirmed that the duty of candour will apply to public authorities and public servants.

The Prime Minister said the Bill will be introduced to Parliament by April 2025.

Elkan Abrahamson, the director of the Hillsborough Now campaign group, said: The families are adamant that the text of the bill as originally drafted wont be weakened.

We look forward to working with and co-operating with the officials who are responsible for drafting the bill, and to meeting with the ministers to discuss it.

A duty of candour was one of 25 essential learning points demanded in a Home Office commissioned report into the Hillsborough disaster by James Jones, the former Liverpool bishop.

He claimed that it would help address the burning injustice of the bereaved families who were denied the truth about how their relatives died in successive cover-ups.

Inquests into the deaths of the Liverpool fans found that they were unlawfully killed and errors by the police and ambulance service caused or contributed to their deaths.

Georgina Halford-Hall says the Government needs radically reform whistleblowing law to end tragedies like Hillsborough and Grenfell - Julian Simmonds

Georgina Halford-Hall, the chief executive of Whistleblowers UK, said: Hillsborough Law should signal a new and positive era for whistleblowing.

Sadly, as demonstrated by previous attempts to introduce a duty of candour across the NHS, without the additional protection of an Office of the Whistleblower, those who trust and comply with their obligations to tell the truth too often find themselves the subject of scrutiny and cast into the employment tribunal.

The Government needs to seize the opportunity to radically reform whistleblowing law if we are to see an end to scandals and tragedies like Hillsborough, Grenfell, Rotherham and the Post Office.

A Government spokesman said: This Government will take steps to help rebuild trust and foster respect, which is why we are bringing forward legislation to introduce a duty of candour for public servants.
Rescued Kemp's ridley sea turtles at the New England Aquarium's sea turtle hospital in 2021. Photograph: Vanessa Kahn/AP

While Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known as a popular vacation destination in the north-east US, it has built a reputation for an entirely different reason this year: animal strandings.

Dolphins, whales, seals and turtles are turning up in large numbers on the beaches of the famous peninsula in a phenomenon that has experts scrambling to execute more rescue operations than ever before. The cause? Changing tides.

A sea animal is considered beached or stranded when it is found alive but injured or stuck on the shore. Without expert assistance, many animals are unable to get back into the water and could die.

Brian Sharp, a senior biologist at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, one of the largest animal conservation organizations in the world, said that the best way humans can understand what it is like for an animal to be stranded is probably similar to the stress and shock we experience in a car accident.

Related: Humpback whale makes record journey of more than 13,000km from South America to Africa

For example, the rescue operation for a dolphin, which can weigh anywhere between 150 and 450lbs, is complicated. Sharp notes that his organization tries to keep it as short as possible, because you know that animal is going under a lot of stress.

A stranded animal is also exposed to potential scavengers, such as coyotes, making rescues a race against time, Sharp said.

The tools needed to save a stranded dolphin include a blanket for warmth, a sheet to cover its eyes from the sun, a special padded board to transport the animal so it can eventually be released into the water, and a team of trained staff and volunteers, said Sharp. Each stranded dolphin is then assessed to see if its healthy enough to be released back into the water.



If a dolphin is showing signs of poor health, emaciation or inattentiveness, Sharp said, from a welfare perspective, we will euthanize the animal because we dont want that animal to continue to suffer.

Sharp said that the rescue success rate of stranded live dolphins is somewhere between a 70 and 80% chance. And that number has proved precise in recent months.

More than 140 dolphins were stranded off Cape Cod back in June in the largest mass stranding of the mammals in US history. While seven of the dolphins were euthanized and 37 died naturally, more than 100 survived, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. That amounted to roughly 70% of the dolphins involved.

Experts say the influx of animals being stranded is due to the increasingly drastic change in tidal levels. On Cape Cod, the difference between low and high tide can be between 9 and 12ft (3-4 meters), which can be fatal to a dolphin if it becomes stuck on land, Sharp said.

While they can thrash around if theyre in shallow water, over a sandbar, and kind of squirm their way to deeper water, they need over a foot of water, Sharp said. Once that tide continues to drop, though, theyre stuck where they are.

And dolphins are hardly the only ones endangered by the shifting tides.

Linda Lory, the New England Aquariums rescue and rehabilitation manager, has been leading the effort to save cold-stunned turtles. Turtles become cold-stunned when theyre exposed to rapidly cooling waters, which often causes them to become weak and prone to health issues.

Many of the turtles facing this problem in Cape Cod are the critically endangered Kemps ridley species, which are notably the smallest sea turtles in the world.

While Lory says its not unusual to see stranded hypothermic turtles wash up on beaches, historically speaking, we are seeing higher numbers than usual.

The capes Gulf of Maine is the fastest-warming body of water on the planet right now, warming faster than 99% of the worlds oceans, according to the University of New England, which means animals such as turtles are traveling farther north and ending up in places like Cape Cod. But once temperatures drop, the water becomes too cold for the shelled animals, leaving them vulnerable to becoming stranded and dying. The obvious solution is for the turtles to leave, but the reptiles run into another problem when they try: Cape Cods geography.

Lory called Cape Cod a sandy hook that sticks out in the ocean.

This hook shape can trap and disorient an animal, leaving them to continue running into a land mass in many of the directions they choose.

Related: Unexpected number of whales currently swimming off the coast of New England

Lory notes that by the time the cold water has come in, then theres really no place for them to go, because even if they can figure out to turn around and navigate out that way, theyre facing colder water out in the Atlantic.

Saving these animals is most difficult when the animals are between release-readiness and end of life. Rescuers including Lory and Sharp arrange for stranded animals that fall into this category to go to dolphin or turtle rehabilitation and intensive care, a task that has become harder as the number of strandings has increased.

Where we are in-taking, these turtles are very sick, very cold. Theyre not moving, almost comatose, and a lot of them have pneumonia or traumatic injuries or other things going on, and so we admit them to our sea turtle hospital, Lory said, adding that she typically sees about 170 turtles admitted around the end of the year with a survival rate of 82 to 85%. That number has more recently exceeded 500.

We can only keep so many in our hospital, so it is really like a mass casualty [situation], all hands on deck, she said.

 This article was amended on 1 January 2025 because an earlier version referred to sea lions, rather than to seals. This has been corrected.
Lady Bates met the King, then Prince of Wales, at a 2017 reception for British Red Cross volunteers at St Jamess Palace - John Stilwell/PA Wire

A Tory peers wife cut ties with several Chinese organisations over concerns they were linked to the Chinese Communist Partys efforts to gain international influence.

Lady Bates held senior positions in a number of China-linked groups while at the same time enjoying a position at the heart of the British establishment.

In the decade leading up to 2020  when the golden age of UK relations with China effectively ended  she was pictured at events meeting senior members of the Royal family including Elizabeth II in 2011 and the King, then Prince of Wales, the following year.

She has also been photographed with Lord Cameron, Baroness May and Boris Johnson, the former Conservative prime ministers, at various functions and events during the same period.

Theresa May was one of three Conservative prime ministers with whom Lady Bates was photographed

This weekend, she told The Telegraph that she had ceased all involvement with the Chinese groups in 2020.

The revelation comes as concerns grow among spy chiefs over Beijings penetration of western networks of power.

Lady Bates defended one of the controversial groups she was associated with, saying it was a UK community organisation which does a lot of good work in the British Chinese community.

But she said: I withdrew my involvement in 2020 on becoming aware of concerns.

Chung Ching Kwong, a senior analyst at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, claimed Lady Bates had been among the most senior known figures in Britain linked to the United Front Works Department (UFWD).

The UFWD is an arm of the Chinese state used to gather intelligence, recruit agents and buy influence abroad. There is no suggestion Lady Bates has been involved in activities to undermine the UK.

The UFWD was the heart of the recent Chinese spy case involving Yang Tengbo, whom the Home Office excluded from the UK last year after MI5 deemed him to be an agent engaged in covert and deceptive activity on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Group a CCP magic weapon

He was accused of working for the UFWD, which was described by the late Chairman Mao as one of the CCPs magic weapons.

In a joint address by the MI5 and FBI heads in 2022, they said the UFWD is mounting patient, well-funded, deceptive campaigns to buy and exert influence.

They added: Through networks of this sort, the UFWD aims to amplify pro-CCP voices and silence those that question the CCPs legitimacy or authority. This has very real consequences in communities here in the UK. It needs to be challenged.

From 2015-19, Lady Bates was the vice-president of the All British Chinese Overseas Chinese Association for the Promotion of Chinese Unity. She became its executive president in 2019.

The organisation is the UK chapter of The China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, which has over 90 chapters worldwide and is directed by the UFWD. It was this group Lady Bates described as a UK community organisation which does a lot of good work in the British Chinese community.

Lady Bates on the campaign trail for the Conservative Party in 2017

In 2020, the US chapter was one of only two organisations designated foreign missions by the US government, which said it was controlled by the UFWD.

Born Li Xuelin in China, Lady Bates arrived in London in 1989 straight from Zhejiang University, reportedly with just 50 to her name and a limited grasp of the English language.

She went on to become a millionaire and major Tory party donor with close ties at the heart of the British establishment.

After meeting Lord Bates, a Tory peer and former minister, at a private dinner in 2011, she married him the following year in a Palace of Westminster chapel.

Since then, she has been pictured at dozens of business, fundraising and social events with the then leading figures in British politics as well as senior members of the Royal household.

Involvement was in good faith

Lady Bates was the vice-president of The Zhejiang Overseas Exchange Association, which operated under the Zhejiang Overseas Chinese Affairs Office that became part of the UFWD. She said it was merged with the UFWD in 2019, which was after her involvement ended in 2014.

She was also involved in the China Overseas Friendship Association and the UK-China Business Association, both of which she withdrew from in 2020.

Lady Bates said: My involvement in UK-China relations was during the golden era of UK-China relations which effectively ended in 2020.

It was entirely supportive of UK government policy at the time and supportive of the British Chinese community in the UK undertaken in good faith.

The first time that I became aware of any possible malicious activity by the UFWD was when I was contacted about the publication of a book called Hidden Hand by Clive Hamilton which was published in July 2020.

I was shocked and saddened by the news and immediately ended all my links and involvement with any organisations in the Chinese community in the UK and Chinese organisations in China.
Perhaps no American media has attracted as much ire from the president-elect as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Photograph: Rafael Henrique/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock

On the campaign trail this year, Donald Trump routinely criticized US media. The president-elect called for CBS to be stripped of its broadcast license after it aired an interview with Kamala Harris, refused to participate in an interview with 60 Minutes and routinely called journalists the enemy of the people.

But perhaps no American media has attracted as much ire from the president-elect as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting  a non-profit corporation created by federal law in 1967 to distribute funding to public media organizations like PBS and NPR.

NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM! Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in April. THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!

As the Trump prepares to take office next month, public media organizations  such as NPR and PBS, which have aired longtime favorites such as Curious George and All Things Considered  are readying themselves for funding cuts and other attacks against their programming. After Trump was re-elected in November, NPR member stations circulated a report warning that it would be unwise to assume that events will play out as they have in the past where funding is concerned, the New York Times reported Friday, and PBS board members received an update from political consultants earlier this month.

Related: Maga v Musk: Trump camp divided in bitter fight over immigration policy

Trump and his allies have repeatedly called for the federal government to cut all funding to public media. In March 2017, Trump called for Congress to cut all funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the first proposed budget of his presidency  a call he repeated throughout his presidency.

In response to a 2020 effort to defund public media, the PBS president and CEO, Paula Kerger, issued a statement noting that PBS and our member stations have earned bipartisan Congressional support because of the vital role that public television plays in homes and communities across the country. For 50 years, PBS has served as a trusted source for educational and thought-provoking programming, including school readiness initiatives for children, support for teachers and caregivers, public safety communications and lifelong learning across broadcast and digital platforms.

But the conservative playbook Project 2025 has continued echoing conservative calls to cut funding to PBS and NPR, stating that the new Trump administration should strip public media of federal funding and licenses for noncommercial education stations.

Not only is the federal government trillions of dollars in debt and unable to afford the more than half a billion dollars squandered on leftist opinion each year, but the government should not be compelling the conservative half of the country to pay for the suppression of its own views, Mike Gonzalez, a Heritage Foundation senior fellow, wrote in the document, repeating a common conservative refrain that public media leans to the left.

In recent months, Trump allies such as Elon Musk have taken up the call to defund public media. In April 2023, NPR moved off Twitter after Musk labeled the news organization state-affiliated media, the same term it uses for propaganda outlets in Russia and China. After NPR quit the platform, Musk posted a tweet saying Defund @NPR.

In November, shortly after Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Musk coauthored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal with Vivek Ramaswamy (the two have been tasked with leading a department of government efficiency, an agency Trump claims he will create). In it, the pair identified the $535m Congress allocates each year to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as one line item they would cut to reduce federal expenditures. As recently as this week, Musk posted on X that legacy media must die.

Although these attacks against public media are growing more concerted, theyre not new. Every Republican administration has aimed to defund public media since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was founded.

American public media traces its origins to the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, passed under Lyndon B Johnsons administration. A public-private partnership, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting connects 1,190 public radio stations and 356 public television stations with federal grants, allowing those stations to maintain editorial independence and also raise funds from members and sponsorships. Today, 99% of the US population lives within listening range of at least one public media station.

Yet, the US spends considerably less on public media than its peer nations. A 2021 study from the University of Pennsylvania found that Germany spends $142.42 a person on its public media, Norway spends $110.73, the UK $81.30, and Spain $58.25, while the US spends just $3.16.

In 2005, while defending against a Bush administration attempt to defund public media, then representative Ed Markey said: What parents and kids get from public TV is an incredible bargain. The question is not: Can we afford it? but rather: Can we afford to lose it?

Although Republican-sponsored bills to eliminate federal funding of public media are already before Congress (including the No Propaganda act and the Defund NPR act), two details may slow those efforts: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is funded two years in advance and many local public media stations run emergency alerts, a crucial system that would have to be transferred elsewhere.

Efforts to defund public media are likely to affect local newsrooms the most in rural areas where Trump was the favored candidate, as federal grants can make up a significant portion of a member stations budget.

The most vulnerable stations serving the most vulnerable people are going to be the ones that are hurt the hardest, Eric Nuzum, a former NPR executive and a co-founder of the audio consulting and production company Magnificent Noise, told the New York Times. Were talking about very rural parts of the United States.
Hundreds of University of California graduate workers and supporters on a strike to decry the universitys treatment of students and employees in 2022. Photograph: Bronte Wittpenn/AP

Student workers are bracing for the incoming Trump administration to constrict or eliminate their labor rights, after a surge in union organizing on college campuses.

Nearly 45,000 student employees formed unions between 2022 to 2024 between 44 bargaining units. As of earlier this year, an estimated 38% of all graduate student employees in the US were unionized.

But organizers fear this trend will stutter as Trump prepares to return to office. During his first presidency, officials tried to exclude 1.5 million private college and university student employees from exercising collective bargaining rights under the National Labor Relations Act, arguing these workers were not employees.

While the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the countrys top labor watchdog, withdrew this proposal months after Joe Biden took office in March 2021, Trumps re-election sets the stage for another battle.

William A Herbert, executive director of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, predicted sweeping changes under Trump once his administration overhauls the labor watchdog.

Once President Trump appoints a new majority of NLRB board members, future decisions by that majority are likely to constrict or eliminate existing labor rights on private sector campuses, said Herbert.

Trump may try again to overrule a 2016 decision which held that graduate and undergraduate student employees were covered under the National Labor Relations Act, Herbert suggested, and the new NLRB general counsel could modify or abandon the boards current approach to college athletes.

At some colleges, student workers are trying to pre-empt such action.

There is that feeling of knowing of what may or may not happen next in the new year, said Dia Brown, an engineering graduate student employee at Penn State. It just makes it feel more important to keep pushing forward.

Earlier this month, a union election petition was filed with the Pennsylvania labor board by the Coalition of Graduate Employees at Penn State-UAW to represent around 5,000 graduate student employees.

Trumps victory makes it even more important to make sure that we get this [union] election, so that we can get into bargaining, get a contract and get more security for all of our grad students, said Brown who cited securing protections for international students as a top priority in the face of Trumps plan to enact mass deportations. Some schools around the US have advised international students to arrive on campuses before Trump takes office.

My expenses are so cutthroat with the funding that I get through my stipend each month, Brown added. I want me and  other grad students like me, who are struggling financially with the current stipends, to be able to feel confident to meet their needs, and meet their living expenses too.

They really need to make this a better, more secure workplace and ultimately a better institution, added Owen Harrington, a geography graduate student employee at Penn State. So its about time.

A date for a union election has not yet been set by the Pennsylvania labor board.

A spokesperson for Penn State said in an email: When we receive the petition, we will carefully review it, taking all perspectives into account. We remain committed to open dialogue as we move forward in this process.

Elsewhere, however, graduate student employees attempting to unionize have already hit resistance as colleges await the second Trump presidency.

At Vanderbilt, a private university in Nashville, Tennessee, graduate student workers filed a petition for a union election to join the United Auto Workers in October, with the university opposing the effort, claiming they were students rather than workers.

The university also filed a complaint against the NLRB, which had requested student information to determine the scope of the union election and prospective bargaining unit. After a judge ruled in the universitys favor, the UAW withdrew the election petition earlier this month.

Such withdrawals have been a rarity in recent years: graduate student workers won over 90% of union elections from 2022 to 2024, often in landslide votes at some of the top universities in the US,.

The unions decision to withdraw its petition and demand provides a path for us to move forward together, Vanderbilt officials said in a statement.

But Vanderbilt Graduate Workers United made clear it was not backing down. This is not a defeat, it said in a statement, claiming the university beat the law and got lucky with national political events. They did not beat US!

As thousands of student workers attempt to unionize, national political events will probably have an outsized impact on their efforts in the years ahead.
Small boat crossings have continued in the English Channel on Saturday despite the mornings foggy conditions.

Pictures showed the Dungeness lifeboat bringing a number of people, thought to have been picked up from a small boat in the Channel, into the port at Dover.

The latest arrivals follow crossings made on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and December 27  the first time since 2018 small boats have made the journey on all of those dates.

Official Government figures show 305 people arrived in the UK via small boat on Friday, bringing the total for the week to 1,163.

The 407 arrivals on December 26 meant more than 150,000 people had made the crossing from France since records began on January 1 2018, prompting a political blame game over responsibility for the numbers.

(PA Graphics)

A Home Office source sought to blame the previous government, saying they had left an appalling legacy of broken border security, while Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp blamed Labours decision to scrap the Tories Rwanda scheme.

After Saturdays update to the figures, Mr Philp said the numbers represented Labours appalling failure and were an insult to the British people.

He said: In 2023, Conservatives cut the numbers crossing the channel by a third. But now, its all moving the other way.

These rising numbers are the predictable outcome of Starmer scrapping many Conservative measures to tackle this issue, like scrapping the Rwanda deterrent before it even started. We know from the experience in Australia that a deterrent would have stopped the boats if it had been allowed to start as planned in late July.

The British people deserve better than a Government that cant, or wont, deal with illegal channel crossings.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has put international co-operation with law enforcement agencies in Europe at the heart of his bid to cut the number of arrivals, having promised to smash the gangs smuggling people across the Channel during this years election.

Some 22,629 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since Sir Keir became Prime Minister in July, up 25% on the same period in 2023 but down 31% on the record year of 2022.

So far this year, 36,204 migrants have arrived in the UK on small boats, provisional Home Office figures show.

This is up 23% on this time last year, but down 21% on 2022.

Prior to the election, crossings in 2024 were up 19% compared to the same period in 2023.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.

The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.
Thick fog continues to cause flight disruption at some of UKs busiest airports

Disruption is continuing at some of the UKs busiest airports as thick fog blankets the country.

Flights at Stansted airport have been affected by the weather conditions, while live departure boards showed delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester airports.

Passengers at Gatwick airport on Saturday morning were warned to expect disruption because of the poor visibility and told to contact their airline for updated information.

Patches of thick fog could reduce visibility to just 100 metres in some areas, the Met Office said.

A spokesperson for the Gatwick said: Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.

A plane lands in the mist at Cardiff Airport (Ben Birchall/PA)

Some flights may be delayed throughout the day.

Sunday is expected to be the airports busiest day during the holiday period, with 769 flights planned.

Nats, the UKs main air traffic control provider, said temporary air restrictions would remain in place on Saturday in areas with low visibility.

Remaining grey and murky for many parts of England and Wales this afternoon, with some fog lingering in places Scotland and Northern Ireland will see a band of patchy rain sink south, with brighter skies following pic.twitter.com/ustDz6n902  Met Office (@metoffice) December 28, 2024

A spokesperson added: Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety.

We continue to monitor the situation and have a Met Office expert embedded within our operation to ensure we have the latest available information.

Among those affected by cancellations were a couple who have been forced to prolong their Christmas visit to family on the Isle of Man by two days.

A blanket of fog over Stanley Park in Blackpool, Lancashire (Teddy Holmes/PA)

Kiera Quayle, from Colchester, Essex, was due to fly from Isle of Man Airport to London Gatwick on Friday evening with her husband after visiting his family but their flight was delayed by three hours before being cancelled entirely at around 10pm, with their next available journey on Sunday.

Our five days has turned to seven, it looks like, Ms Quayle, 30, told the PA news agency.

Its frustrating and stressful but I overheard a few families who are now missing holidays and work who have it worse at this point.

Passengers on flights delayed for more than two hours may be entitled to assistance, including food and drink or overnight accommodation if necessary, an expert from consumer website Which? said.

Drivers have been warned to allow extra time for journeys and increase their braking distance (Danny Lawson/PA)

Jo Rhodes, Which? travel expert, said: If your flight is cancelled, you also have the choice of being refunded or rerouted on the next available flight.

If you choose the latter, then your airline must get you to your destination as soon as possible  including with a rival carrier, if necessary.

Airlines can sometimes be reluctant to buy you a ticket with their competitors, so dont be afraid to remind them of this rule if another flight could get you where you need to go quicker than they can.

The Met Office advised travellers to allow a little bit longer for journeys and warned drivers to leave extra braking distances in areas with poor visibility.

Senior forecaster Craig Snell said the situation should improve on Saturday night.

Saturday afternoon is expected to be brighter in some areas, the Met Office said (Danny Lawson/PA)

Tonight, we should start to see a little bit more in the way of breeze developing, so that should start to disperse some of the poorer visibilities across the rest of the UK, he said.

So we might start to see some of the fog and low cloud begin to lift as the night goes on, but generally with plenty of cloud around were not really expecting any issues with frost or anything like that.

On Sunday, south-east England could have a dull start which is expected to brighten with highs of 12C predicted, he added.

Towards New Years Eve, the forecast is looking unsettled with blustery and wet conditions hitting the north of the UK and less expansive rain in the south.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow and rain in Scotland next week, warning that heavy downpours may bring significant disruption in the build-up to Hogmanay.

 Yellow weather warning issued  Strong winds across northern England Monday 1100  1800 Latest info  https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs pic.twitter.com/f87S7JGxti  Met Office (@metoffice) December 28, 2024

The alert is in place for most of Scotland, apart from Orkney and Shetland, on December 30 and 31 during which 50-70mm of rain is possible, with up to 140mm in the west.

Snow is likely in areas north and east of Perthshire, with between 10 and 20cm expected to accumulate on higher ground, according to the forecaster.

A yellow weather warning for wind in northern England on Monday has also been issued  with gusts of up to 60mph possible which may cause travel delays and power cuts.

The warning, in place from 11am to 6pm, covers areas including Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
A union leader has called for 2025 to be a year of delivery for workers after 14 years of Tory chaos.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said in his new year message that working people desperately needed tangible change.

He said: Repairing and rebuilding Britain after 14 years of Tory chaos and decline is a massive challenge for the Government, but 2025 has to be a year of delivery.

Continuing with the same broken status quo is not an option.

As recent elections in the US and across the globe have shown, securing economic growth is not enough on its own. Families want to feel better off and to see material improvements in their day-to-day lives.

Improving job quality and putting more money into peoples pockets was an urgent national mission, said Mr Nowak, adding: Working households up down this country are hurting and we cannot afford to ignore it.

The Government has a historic opportunity  and an electoral mandate  to make work pay.

Delivering the Employment Rights Bill in full will boost living standards for millions and create a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.

We must not get distracted or diverted from this task. Creating better-quality jobs also requires an industrial strategy worthy of its name  something we never got under the Tories.

A Government spokesperson said: Our Plan to Make Work Pay is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all. It will tackle the low pay, poor working conditions and poor job security that has been holding our economy back.

The plan will help more people to stay in work, improve job security and boost living standards. Once implemented, the plan will represent the biggest upgrade of workers rights in a generation.
December 27, 2024: Over the last twenty years the U.S. Marine Corps has created new special operations units or converted older ones. At the heart of this is Marine Special Operations Command or MARSOC, which has about 3,000 marines and two hundred civilians. The basic MARSOC unit is the Marine Special Operations Team or MSOT that consists of fourteen marines. The Marine Raider Battalions or MRBs consist of four Marine Special Operations Companies per MSOCs. Each contains four MSOTs in each Company. The organization allows a Team to operate on its own if needed but maintains the ability to operate as part of a larger unit such as an MSOC.

The marines have some larger special operations units. In 2022 the marines activated its first of three Littoral Regiments. This one is based in Hawaii and called the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment. The Littoral Regiment is capable of operating throughout the Pacific and moving to a new area very quickly. The Littoral regiment has three battalion sized units called teams. The combat team consists of a Littoral Infantry battalion augmented by a missile battery firing guided rockets that can sink ships as well as destroy land targets. The infantry element is organized like the British Royal Marine Commandos, whose basic unit is a battalion size force called a commando and consists of 690 marines, including four commando companies each with about 100 commandos organized into five platoons. The rest of the 690 troops are for support functions.

Marine littoral combat teams consist of small platoons that can operate independently or together with two or three other platoons. These platoons can quickly be flown to a combat zone or hot spot and collect information on the area, including selecting targets that can be hit by littoral regiment missiles or missiles launched from warships or aircraft. A primary task of these platoon size teams is to remain hidden. The team uses encrypted satellite communications. These small teams are mobile enough to quickly change location to prevent an enemy action.

The second littoral team is a battalion-size anti-aircraft unit while the third team handles logistics and support of the entire regiment and especially the infantry battalion teams. These teams combine skills the marines have used with their Force Recon units and scout sniper teams consisting of two snipers to not only scout for a larger unit but kill key enemy individuals they encounter.

The littoral infantry teams also use tactics similar to what the allied coast watcher teams did in the Pacific during World War II. The coast watchers formed spontaneously when Europeans or locals on Pacific Islands began observing Japanese ship traffic passing by and reporting it back to the nearest allied military base. Eventually these teams were equipped with more capable radios and operators who could quickly send short messages that Japanese radio direction units could not locate. The coast watchers also depended on friendly locals for information and assistance when the team had to move to another watching site to avoid Japanese troops. The marine littoral regiment is a clever combination of past skills and techniques used by the American and British marines as well as specialized information gathering units. The marines have often used their past experience or that of others to update their organization and tactics.

The littoral regiments are one visible result of nearly a decade of Marine Corps efforts at reorganizing itself. Over the last few decades its weapons and equipment have gotten heavier, so that it could work with army units during combat operations on land. This made your average marine combat unit heavier and more difficult to move ashore for amphibious operations. In response, marine commanders say they would prefer to be a smaller force, one that concentrates on its main mission: amphibious and commando type operations.

The reorganization process has been underway during the past few years and has led to a lot of tank, artillery, aviation, engineer and military police support units being disbanded or moved to the reserves. Three of 24 current marine infantry battalions and one regimental headquarters are being deactivated as well. The marine focus is now on the Pacific and potential conflict with China. That means the marines want to get back to World War II-type operations, when the marines were all about taking fortified islands from their Japanese garrisons or harassing enemy forces throughout the region.

The last major reorganization took place in the 1980s. Back then, the marines turned their divisional and regimental headquarters into administrative operations and created new organizations to do the actual fighting. The new units were called Marine Expeditionary Units or MEUs. These were reinforced infantry battalions. The Marine Expeditionary Brigades or MEBs were brigades reinforced with support units so they could operate independently. Finally there was a Marine Expeditionary Force or MEF, which was a headquarters for controlling MEUs and MEBs.

When there was a large operation, the old regimental and divisional designations were used, but the units were basically MEBs controlled by an MEF. This task-oriented organization remains. Even the army adopted this type of thing over a decade ago when reinforced brigades became the primary combat unit rather than the division. Divisional headquarters became only a logistic and support headquarters for brigades and other units for an operation.

Meanwhile, many marines were unhappy with the way they had been used as an army auxiliary in the decade after 2001. The marines consider themselves specialists, while the army are generalists who, for example, carried out more amphibious operations than the marines did during World War II. By 2013 marines comprised a quarter of America's ground combat forces. That's active duty, when you count the much larger army reserve force, the marines are 18 percent of ground combat forces. The marines never wanted to be just another part of American ground combat forces. This has caused some tension within the marine leadership, as some commanders want to maintain as broad a range of skills as possible. This has led to disputes over how to handle development and procurement of specialist equipment, especially amphibious and armored vehicles. Eventually the originalists won the debate and now the marines are going back to their modern origins during and before World War II.

The marines were also concerned with their relationship with the U.S. Navy, which went ahead and formed another ground combat force. To understand how this came about you have to understand the relationship between the navy and the marines. The marines are not part of the navy, as they are often described. Both the navy and marines are part of the Department of the Navy. The Department of the Air Force now has the Space Force as well as the much larger Air Force. The Department of the Army has only one component.

For a long time the Navy Department has had two components; the fleet and the marines, with the latter now being a separate service that is still closely intertwined with the navy. For example, the navy provides many support functions for the marines which, in the army and air force, are provided by each service. Thus, navy personnel serve in marine units wearing marine combat uniforms as medics and other support specialists. The use of the navy for support functions means a much higher proportion of marines are combat troops than in the navy, army, or air force. This gives the marines a different attitude and outlook. The Air Force now has a similar relationship with the new Space Force.

Over the years, the marines have acquired more and more autonomy from the navy. When the U.S. Marine Corps was created, over two centuries ago, marines were sailors trained and equipped to fight as infantry, and they were very much part of the navy and part of ship crews. This changed radically in the late 19th century, when all-metal steam ships replaced wooden sailing ships. The new iron ships really didn't need marines and there were proposals to eliminate them. In response, the American marines got organized and made themselves useful in other ways. For example, the marines performed very well as State Department troops in Latin America for half a century from the late 19th century to just before World War II. American troops were frequently used to deal with civil disorder abroad and nation building. During the 1914-18 World War I, marines provided a brigade for ground combat in Europe where they demonstrated exceptional combat skills.

In the 1930s, as World War II approached, the U.S. Marine Corps really ran with the ball when the navy realized they would have to use amphibious assaults to take heavily fortified Japanese islands in any future war. Thus, once the U.S. entered World War II, the marines formed their first division size units and ended the war with six divisions, organized into two corps. Only two of those divisions survived the post-World War II demobilization, a third was created during the Korean War and is now a reserve division.

After World War II the Marine Corps was no longer just a minor part of the navy but on its way to being a fourth service. By the late 20th century, they basically achieved that goal. But in doing so, the navy lost control of its ground troops. Navy amphibious ships still went to sea with battalions of marines on board. But because the marines are mainly an infantry force, and the war on terror is basically an infantry scale battle, the marines spent a lot more time on land working alongside the U.S. Army.

In response to all this, the U.S. Navy began building a new ground combat force in 2006, staffed by 40,000 sailors as Navy Expeditionary Combat Command or NECC troops. NECC was for operating along the coast and up rivers, as well as further inland. NECC units served in Iraq and are ready to deploy anywhere else they are needed. The 1,200 sailors in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal or EOD teams are particularly sought after, because of increased use of roadside bombs and booby traps by the enemy. NECC organized three Riverine Squadrons that served in Iraq. NECC basically consists of most of the combat support units the navy has traditionally put ashore, plus some coastal and river patrol units that have usually only been organized in wartime.

As major U.S. troops commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan declined after 2011 so did the need for NECC. Currently NECC is a smaller force of 21,000 sailors trained and equipped for coastal and riverine operations. There is still a need for that and the marines are content to let the navy handle it with sailors trained as infantry who operate from small boats along coasts and waterways.

NECC and the strategy that came with it, was a surprise to many people, especially many of those in Congress who were asked to pay for it. It came as a surprise to many NECC sailors as well. The navy even called on the marines to provide infantry instructors for the few thousand sailors assigned to riverine armed patrol boat units. The navy already had infantry training courses for Seabee naval construction personnel and members of EOD teams. Now all that was combined in the Expeditionary Combat Skills or ECS course, which is conducted at a base in Mississippi.

Initially the Marine Corps had mixed feelings about NECC, for the marines have long been the navy's ground combat troops. The navy says that the USMC mission will remain. Thus, some marine leaders want to shrink the Corps so they become small enough to handle anticipated navy amphibious operations and not large enough to have troops available for large-scale support of army operations.

In effect, many American marine commanders want to be more like the British marines. That's interesting, because British marines are called Royal Marine Commandos and are quite different from their American counterparts. Britain invented the modern concept of the commando but disbanded the ten army commando's, as the battalion size commando units were called at the end of World War II. The Royal Marines, however, saw the commando concepts as a welcome addition to their own amphibious doctrine and retained three of their nine Royal Marine Commandos. Since World War II, the Royal Marines have maintained at least three battalion size commandos. Artillery and engineer units are supplied by the army.

Like the U.S. Marines, the Royal Marines realized that assault from the sea was always a commando-like operation which required special training, bold leadership, and an aggressive spirit. The Royal Marines, like their American counterparts, continued to innovate. In 1956, it was a Royal Marine Commando that launched the first helicopter assault from ships against a land target during an invasion of Egypt. The Royal Marine Commandos were used extensively to keep the peace in Ireland during the 1970s and 80s. In 1982, it was two Royal Marine Commandos and one parachute battalion that did most of the fighting to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina. The Royal Marines have performed peacekeeping duty in the Balkans and Africa and served as an amphibious fast reaction force. In 2023 Royal Marine Commando troops were sent to war torn Sudan to supervise and supply security for the evacuation of British citizens from the area.

While the U.S. Marines made a name for themselves with multi-division amphibious operations in the Pacific during World War II, the Royal Marines stuck with the commando type operations that characterize what marines spent most of the time doing between major wars in the past. Remember, the last large scale amphibious operation took place over seventy years ago at Inchon, Korea in 1950. Since then, the typical marine mission has been a quick assault using a small (usually battalion size) force.

In anticipation of this, the U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) was created in 2006. Since then, it has kept its 2,500 personnel busy with dozens of deployments in South America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. MARSOC is organized into a headquarters, a two battalion Special Operations Regiment, a Foreign Military Training Unit, and a Marine Special Operations Support Group. There are 3-4 Special Operations companies in each battalion.

The marines basically lost two of their four Force Recon companies (one of them a reserve unit) in order to build MARSOC. Meanwhile, more troops have been added to division level reconnaissance units, to take up some of that slack. The Special Operations companies with about 120 personnel each can provide Force Recon capabilities to marine units they are attached to. The two Special Operations Battalions provide a combination of services roughly equal to what the U.S. Army Special Forces and Rangers do, as well as some of the functions of the Force Recon units.

With MARSOC the marines are playing catch up. In the late 1980s all the other services, except the marines, contributed to the formation of Special Operations Command or SOCOM. The marines finally got around to working with SOCOM in 2005, when it was agreed that they would create MARSOC, a marine special operations command. The marines had long resisted such a step, largely because of its belief that marines are inherently superior warriors capable of highly specialized missions. This attitude began to change during the fighting in Afghanistan, when marines were assigned to support SOCOM troops there and were duly impressed.

Most marine commanders see their future as a smaller, by at least up to a third, even more elite and better equipped force. The marines want to get back to sea, and that is what the marines have done over the last decade. One major benefit was avoiding the loss of a lot of the valuable combat experience the marines have gained since September 11, 2001. Recruiting was reduced for a few years, and some marines transferred to the navy, usually in jobs that both sailors and marines handle, especially the NECC force. Marines have long moved over to the army, and the army would be glad to get an infusion of combat experienced marines, especially NCOs and officers. The marines also want to expand their reserve force so that marines who decide to get out can simply move over to the reserves.

The marines are now experimenting with some new concepts, like littoral regiments to do the jobs that are too tough or too distant for NECC to handle right away. The marines found a home in SOCOM, a multi-service organization where army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and special operations aviation units from the army and air force remain with the military service that created them. SOCOM sees to it that all these separate special operations are used for special operations and not diverted to more mundane tasks.
California water control systems managed by the California Department of Water Resources. Photo: California Department of Water Resources California Department of Water Resources

(The Center Square)  The California Water Commission has released their strategic plan for the next five years on how they will work to ensure Californias water supply as drought continues and climate change takes its toll on the state.

It is well known that water in California is a complicated, thorny issue, reads the plan. As Californias climate gets hotter and its weather more extreme, water issues could become more fraught and contentious.

Additionally, a recent survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that climate change is the most important environmental issue to Californians with 82% being concerned that climate change will cause a drought. However, very few think that the government can properly handle Californias water woes.

The plan outlines the Commissions goals for the next five years - continue to operate as the administrator of the Water Storage Investment Program, focus on historically disenfranchised perspectives when engaging communities on projects, use its public forum to hold discussions on complicated water issues, enhance its advisory role to director of the Department of Water Resources and continue to report on the State Water Project.

Implement the Water Storage Investment Program to achieve public benefits

The Commission established the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) in 2014, using money from the $2.7 billion Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act. This program invests in innovative and modern ways to store water.

Since 2014, the importance of modernizing water storage has become even more important as Californians face 'weather whiplash'  severe droughts followed in short order by intensive wet periods  and the need to shore up infrastructure in the face of climate change, reads the plan.

The Commission states that they will work to analyze current projects asking for WSIP funding, determine if they are able to receive it, where it will come from and establish time frames for those projects. By 2029, the Commission aims to consider final funding awards for all of the remaining unfunded projects.

Support smart water management through outreach, engagement and a commitment to equity

A goal of the Commission is to increase engagement and include all stakeholders when discussing critical water management decisions. To do this, they will use their public forum to provide interested parties with the opportunity to engage in decision making and increase outreach towards tribes and other historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.

Additionally, by 2029, the Commission aims to have created an equity framework that will be applied to all items under consideration.

Utilize public forum to explore pressing water management issues

The Commission would also like to encourage stakeholders in Californias water future to brief the Commission on critical water issues that relate to adapting Californias water system to a changing hydrology. The Commission also wants to put more emphasis on discussing integrated watershed management, water infrastructure, groundwater recharge and flood management.

Additionally, the Commission will evaluate the progress towards implementing the California Salmon Strategy and Californias Water Supply Strategy in addition to other strategies recently proposed to state leaders.

The Commission would also like to have a role in line with statutory authority by 2027 when it comes to flood advocacy.

Work with the DWR to implement the strategic plan

The Commission would like to see a stronger partnership between themselves and the DWR, working with the department to leverage outreach and requesting briefings from DWR staff and experts. They aim to be an advisor to the DWR director by 2029.

Additionally, by 2028 the Commission aims to identify and map where there are interconnections and dependencies of DWR-owned or controlled infrastructure systems and identify where areas of flood control work are needed in the Delta.

Exercise statutory authorities to ensure transparency, accountability and sound public processes

One of the Commissions main responsibilities is to oversee and create transparency around the State Water Project (SWP) which captures water from Northern California and delivers it throughout the state.

They would like to enhance their role with the SWP to hold hearings for additional SWP facilities, review and consider regulations proposed by the DWR and facilitate public participation in the process and review the DWRs domain proceedings for consistency with civil standards.

The Commission is made up of nine members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. Seven of those members must have general expertise in the control, storage and best use of water. The other two are chosen for their knowledge of the environment. The Commission releases a strategic plan every five years, outlining their goals and accountability efforts.
FILE - The BYD logo is photographed at the Paris Auto Show in Paris, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CAMACARI, Brazil (AP)  Dozens of Chinese workers found by authorities in poor condition at a construction site in Brazil for electric vehicle automaker BYD have been taken and placed in hotels in the country's tropical northeast region.

Local prosecutors alleged that the laborers are victims of human trafficking who were living in slavery-like conditions under contractor Jinjiang Group, but offered no evidence to back up their claims.

It's unclear if the Chinese workers were in Brazil without proper papers and working permits. The Bahia state Labor Prosecutors Office could not comment when reached by The Associated Press, saying an investigation was underway.

The prosecutors office revealed on Monday the discovery of the 163 workers and their circumstances, and urged the company to place them at local hotels in Camacari, a city of 300,000 residents located about 1,600 kilometers (997 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.

A video from the prosecutors office showed dorms belonging to the construction site, with beds without mattresses and rudimentary cooking facilities.

The Chinese automaker BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is one of the worlds largest producers of electric cars. Earlier this week, it said it would immediately terminate the contract with the contractor and was studying other appropriate measures.

BYD did not reply to a request from The Associated Press for comment and it was not immediately clear if Brazilian prosecutors had raised charges in the case.

But in a statement posted on Thursday, BYD said it objected to reports about poor conditions at the site in Brazil, where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were a smearing campaign aimed at China and Chinese brands.

The facilities where the Chinese workers were found is expected to start production next year.

On Friday, local residents in Camacari said many of the Chinese workers had come and already left the town. Their whereabouts were not clear and it was also unknown who was handling them at this point.

___ Savarese reported from Sao Paulo.
MILAN (Reuters) - Hackers targeted around ten official websites in Italy on Saturday, including the websites of the Foreign Ministry and Milan's two airports, putting them out of action temporarily, the country's cyber security agency said.

The pro-Russian hacker group Noname057(16) claimed the cyber attack on Telegram, saying Italy's "Russophobes get a well deserved cyber response".

A spokesperson for Italy's cyber security agency said it was plausible that the so-called "Distributed Denial of Service" (DDoS) attack could be linked to the pro-Russian group.

In such attacks, hackers attempt to flood a network with unusually high volumes of data traffic in order to paralyse it.

The spokesperson said the agency provided quick assistance to the institutions and firms targeted and that the attack's impact was "mitigated" in less than two hours.

The cyber attack has not caused any disruptions to flights at Milan's Linate and Malpensa airports, a spokesperson for SEA, the company which manages them, said.

While the websites were inaccessible, the airports' mobile apps continued to function, the SEA spokesperson added.

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari. Editing by Jane Merriman)
A father-of-two phoned his family to say he was heading on a flight home to Belfast from Alicante for Christmas. But he never made that flight.

The alarm was raised for the whereabouts of John Hardy, also known as John George, on 18 December after the generous 37-year-old failed to return to Northern Ireland.

Now, with his mobile phone off since 14 December, his family have travelled to the holiday hotspot in search of him.

Mr Hardy had been to Alicante to visit friends but he never returned (Family handout)

His younger brother Darren told The Independent: Our family home has been ripped to pieces. Dad has had a heart attack, our mum has had two strokes, but they are still running around Spain looking out for him.

Through tears, he added: John was my best friend. He looked after me my whole life I never had to worry for anything.

He is my go-to person. Whether I was sick or having a bad day he was always coming to the rescue. He made you feel safe.

He was a character, he would call us every day and Christmas time is his favourite time. He should be coming through that door to see his kids and get everyones spirits up.

There is no way he would be away from his kids. He did everything in his power to give them a good life.

His family are also worried police could be missing vital evidence with Johns disappearance being treated as a missing person investigation.

Mr Hardys children are said to be asking where he is (Family handout)

Darren said: All I can say back is we are doing everything in our power to find where he is in Spain.

I want somebody to come forward from any of his friends. We as a family, we will not stop. The support from Belfast is unbelievable.

Every local out in Spain is here supporting us. They have been out with dogs and drones looking with us.

Mr Hardy pictured at a family wedding (Family handout)

We need to know where he is. We will knock on every door in Spain and every door back in Belfast until we find out what happened to him.

The missing mans father, Billy, also spoke to The Independent after he welcomed more friends and family at the airport to join the search.

He said: Im broken. I dont know what to do next if Im honest.

The family has launched a GoFundMe page to help raise money towards the search, raising more than 16,000 so far.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said in a statement: We received a report on Wednesday 18 December that a 37-year-old man from Belfast, holidaying in Spain, was believed to be missing.

Enquiries are ongoing in conjunction with our international policing partners.
A Florida man opened fire on two home intruders, killing one of them, on Thursday night, authorities said.

The Lakewood Ranch area homeowner saw two masked men on his motion-activated home surveillance cameras and told his wife to hide, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said at a press conference Friday.

The homeowner then grabbed his gun and went to confront the two men who then broke into his home.

The alleged intruder Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toldeo died from his wounds. FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toldeo, 27, from Mexico, was shot multiple times at the home and later died from his wounds.

Flores-Toledo had an active warrant for a parole violation and was considered by authorities to be armed and dangerous, Fox 13 reported.

Back in 2023, he served four months in jail for residential burglary and was released on parole just last month.

This is the state of Florida. If you want to break into someones home, you should expect to be shot, Sheriff Wells warned, according to the outlet.

The incident happened at a home in Lakewood Ranch  just south of Tampa, Fla. FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Michel Soto-Mella was arrested near the house and charged with armed burglary. FOX 13 Tampa Bay

The sheriff then lauded the fast-thinking of the homeowner.

He knew something bad was about to happen, and he didnt stall. He grabbed his firearm, tod his wife to get into a safe spot.

Michael Soto-Mella, 39, was arrested a few blocks from the house after being tracked down by a K9 unit.

A homeowner is accused of opening fire on two home intruders, authorities said. FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Soto-Mella is in the country illegally  overstaying a visa from Chile that expired in September, according to Fox 13.

He is charged with armed burglary and additional charges are pending.
Top Google execs highlighted priorities for 2025 at a strategy meeting earlier this month, according to CNBC. "I think its really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company."

Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other top executives at the tech giant closed out the year with a meeting earlier this month that sought to tee up 2025, which they view as a pivotal year, especially in artificial intelligence.

According to audio of a Dec. 18 strategy meeting obtained by CNBC, Pichai repeatedly urged employees to "stay scrappy" as he noted competitive and regulatory challenges while stressing the importance of AI.

"I think 2025 will be critical," he said. "I think its really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems."

Google didn't immediately offer a comment on the CNBC report.

Pichai also acknowledged mounting legal scrutiny after Google lost an antitrust case earlier this year on its search business with the Justice Department seeking divestment of the Chrome browser business and pursuing the company over its online ad technology.

He attributed the growing pressure to the broader trend of technology having a greater impact on society. "So more than ever, through this moment, we have to make sure we dont get distracted," he added.

Meanwhile, not only is Google racing to build up its AI capabilities, rivals in the space such as OpenAI and Perplexity are also getting into the search business.

A top priority is "building big, new business," including the AI-powered Gemini app, Pichai said, adding that scaling it for consumers will be "our biggest focus next year."

"With the Gemini app, there is strong momentum, particularly over the last few months," he said, according to CNBC. "But we have some work to do in 2025 to close the gap and establish a leadership position there as well."

Demis Hassabis, cofounder of Google's DeepMind, said Gemini will see a "turbo charge" and that products will "evolve massively" in the next year or two.

The head of Google Labs, Josh Woodward, also showed off a coding assistant, an AI note-taking product, and an AI-powered multitasking Chrome extension, CNBC reported.

Despite the growing competition Google faces, Liz Reid, the company's vice president of search, dismissed the pessimism at Fortunes Brainstorm AI conference in San Francisco earlier this month, saying the key is adopting more AI for "effortless" search that opens the door to more queries.

"There are not just billions of questions that people come to Google for, but billions of questions that people dont even ask," she explained. "And they dont ask because its too hard. They dont ask because theyre not confident they can get that answer."

Google has also generated a lot of buzz in recent weeks in the emerging field of quantum computing with the announcement of a major breakthrough.

Just days ahead of the 2025 strategy meeting, Google captivated the tech world with Willow, a new quantum chip that outperformed even the worlds best supercomputer on an advanced test.

This is the most convincing prototype for a scalable logical qubit built to date, Hartmut Neven, founder and lead for Google Quantum AI, said in blog post on Dec. 9. Its a strong sign that useful, very large quantum computers can indeed be built.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
By Fabio Teixeira

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The 163 Chinese workers found by Brazil's labor ministry in what it described as "slavery-like conditions" at a factory construction site owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD have been removed and taken to hotels, while officials negotiate with BYD and the Jinjiang Group about further measures to protect them, authorities said.

The growing controversy in the automaker's biggest overseas market has put a spotlight on immigrant worker conditions in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. A deal with labor prosecutors involving BYD and the Jinjiang Group could be inked as soon as Jan. 7, when they are scheduled to meet.

Earlier this week, the labor prosecutor's office described the workers, who had been hired by Chinese construction firm Jinjiang Group, as human trafficking victims. The firm had withheld the passports of 107 of the workers, investigators said.

Investigations into slavery can carry powerful consequences for employers in Brazil, including a restriction on their access to bank loans.

Jinjiang has denied any wrongdoing, while BYD said it had cut ties with Jinjiang. Both companies are collaborating with authorities on the investigation.

Jinjiang said, in a social media post reposted by a BYD spokesperson, that describing the workers' conditions as "slavery-like" was inaccurate, while a BYD executive said media and other groups were "deliberately smearing Chinese brands and the country and undermining the relationship between China and Brazil."

If the two companies are charged by labor inspectors with submitting workers to slavery-like conditions, they could be added to Brazil's so-called "dirty list" - a public listing of employers found liable for such charges.

While the names of companies are only added to the list after all possibility of appeal is exhausted, which can take years, once a company is included it would stay there for two years. Beyond the substantial reputation risk the "dirty list" carries, companies in it are also barred from obtaining certain types of loans from Brazilian banks.

Companies can avoid being included on the "dirty list" by signing a deal with the government committing to change their practices and compensate workers whose rights were abused.

Companies and executives are also subject to legal action. Prosecutors who monitor labor affairs can sue companies that are found to have abused workers' rights, unless they agree to pay damages to the Brazilian government and to victims.

Separately, federal prosecutors may also pursue criminal charges against executives. Charges of human trafficking and keeping workers in slavery-like conditions carry sentences of up to eight years in prison each.

Federal prosecutors have already asked labor authorities to share the evidence they have gathered against BYD and the Jinjiang Group, according to a Thursday statement from the Labor Prosecutor's Office.

NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN

Labor inspectors are now negotiating with the companies for compensation for the workers whose rights they believe were abused. That could include payment for missed wages and severance. The workers will also receive unemployment benefits.

"The efforts of the government bodies at this time are focused on the victims and guaranteeing the victims' rights," said Mauricio Krepsky, a former head of Brazil's Division of Inspection for the Eradication of Slave Labor (DETRAE), a government body staffed by labor inspectors.

Victims of human trafficking can choose to stay in Brazil or go back to their home countries, said Ludmila Paiva, co-founder of I-MiGRa, a non-profit that develops projects and research on human trafficking.

During a meeting on Thursday, BYD has already agreed to purchase tickets and cover up to $120 in travel expenses for the return trip to China of seven employees scheduled to return on Jan. 1, according to a statement from Brazil's labor prosecutor's office.

Negotiations between labor authorities and companies that are suspected of submitting workers to degrading conditions can take months to conclude, depending on the complexity of the case, the number of victims involved and whether the firms cooperate with authorities or not, experts told Reuters.

If the firms are charged, it could still take years for their names to be added to the list, as companies can appeal internally to the government or file lawsuits to keep their names out of the registry. (This story has been refiled to move the phrase 'labor prosecutor's office' from the beginning to the end of paragraph 16)

(Reporting by Fabio Teixeira, Editing by Manuela Andreoni and Aurora Ellis)
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development contractors work on a road construction project. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development | Facebook

(The Center Square)  Out of the top 10 worst states to work in, four still continue to see some of the highest numbers of in-migration, data from a recent study and the 2024 U.S. Census Bureau cumulatively show.

Taking into account disposable income, average commute time, average hours worked per week, workplace safety, and happiness levels by state, the weighted analysis by Vaziri Law ranks Hawaii, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Nevada, Vermont, Indiana, West Virginia, Arizona, and South Carolina as the worst states in which to work.

Many of the studys findings are unsurprising, given the financial hardship reported in most of those states, with the notable exception of Vermont.

For example, Louisiana, Kentucky and West Virginia have some of the highest poverty rates in the nation, while Tennessee and Nevada have some of the highest numbers of residents in financial distress, according to a study by personal finance website WalletHub.

But the Vaziri Law analysis actually ranks Hawaii, which consistently scores low marks for economic freedom, as the number one worst state to work. The rating is slightly skewed by the state having the lowest average disposable income, $5,929 per working resident. Hawaiian workers do have good workplace safety rates, ranking 13th out of all 50 states, and a relatively high happiness score of 66.31 out of 100, with 100 being the happiest.

In the second worst state to work in, Louisiana residents have the longest average working hours on the list at 44.3 per week, and also face poor workplace safety conditions, ranking 40th out of 50. Additionally, workers in the Bayou State are some of the most depressed in the nation, reporting a happiness index of 34.81. But they have roughly triple the disposable income of Hawaiian workers, at $15,364.

This research highlights the significant challenges workers face across the U.S., from financial strain to poor work-life balance," a spokesperson from Vaziri Law told The Center Square. "States like Hawaii, with the lowest disposable income, and Louisiana, with extended work hours and low happiness levels, underscore the need for systemic changes to improve workplace conditions, safety, and overall quality of life for employees.

Tennessee, coming in third, has a good workplace safety ranking of 11 out of 50 but a happiness index of 43.35. The average worker has a disposable income of $18,078 and works just over 40 hours a week with a 26-minute commute.

In Kentucky, workers dedicate an average of 40.8 hours to work per week and have around $15,982 in disposable income. The happiness index rating is low, sitting at 38.36.

By contrast, Nevadas happiness index is ten points higher, but the average disposable income is more than $2,000 lower. Both states have decent workplace safety ratings.

Despite having the highest workplace safety rate in the country and a 37.8 hour work week on average, Vermont ranks low due to the 48.46 happiness index and $15,263 average disposable income.

Indiana does better at $17,293, but workers put in more hours and have slightly lower happiness and safety rankings.

West Virginia ranks dead last on the list for both workplace safety  45 out of 50  and happiness levels at 33.83; plus, it has the longest average commute time. But a West Virginia residents average disposable income of $14,309, nearly is triple that of Hawaii.

Arizona, in ninth place on the list, reports that its average worker has a disposable income of $18,764 and works 40.6 hours per week. It has a relatively high workplace safety rank of 9 and a mediocre happiness index of 50.22.

Residents of South Carolina have an average of $15,824 in disposable income on hand. They face worse safety conditions, ranking 16, and have a lower happiness index, 49.62, than Arizonans. But South Carolina workers also clock in two hours less on average, around 38.2 hours per week.

Even with less-than-ideal work conditions, Arizona and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee and Nevada, continue to be some of the top destinations for domestic migration, according to the IRS and 2024 Census Bureau data.

Other factors, like safety, job opportunities, political climate and more play a factor in-migration.
Multiple children have been shot in Houston during an attempted robbery on Christmas that police say was surprisingly being committed by the youngsters themselves.

During a news conference held by the Harris County Sheriffs Office, Major Saul Suarez said the attempted robbery happened just after midnight Wednesday. He said officers responded to an apartment complex in the northwestern part of the city and found several boys with gunshot wounds.

The boys, ranging from 12 to 14 years old, were taken to a nearby hospital, where one was in critical condition and two were stable, police said.

Officials believe the shooting happened when the children were attempting to rob a 25-year-old man, who police say shot the boys with his own pistol.

One of the boys involved in the robbery and the man who shot the kids were arrested.

The man's name was not released and it's unclear whether he will face any charges. That could be decided by prosecutors or a grand jury.

'Thought it was a prank'

The man's girlfriend told ABC 13 that the couple were returning home from a Christmas party. When at least four armed boys surrounded them, she said her boyfriend initially thought the robbery was a prank because of how young they were.

Other witnesses described the scene to the station, with Bruce Bailey saying that one of the boys had multiple gunshot wounds.

"One of the police officers was trying to keep him coherent and everything, and he said, 'What did you get for Christmas?'" Bailey told the station. Another witness, Monique Robledo, told the station: "Being that age, you're supposed to be with your family."

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston man shoots 3 boys as they tried to rob him on Christmas: Police
A homeless man was injured after he reportedly caught on fire inside Manhattans Penn Station on Friday night and investigators are probing the cause of the blaze, authorities and sources said.

First responders swarmed the major transit hub around 7:50 p.m. after MTA police received a report of a man on fire inside a commuter passageway at the station, according to police.

A man was burned inside NYCs Penn Station Friday evening. Dorian Geiger

First responders swarmed Penn Station around 7:50 p.m on Friday night. Christopher Sadowski

MTA cops discovered the man, 67, with burns to both legs and his upper body, the NYPD said.

He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition.

By early Saturday, it remained unclear how the fire started or if criminality was a factor.

The man told police he believes somebody set him ablaze, claiming he was sleeping and woke up on fire, law enforcement sources said.

But investigators so far have found no evidence to support someone else was involved.

While there are no surveillance cameras where the man was discovered, others nearby did not capture anyone leaving the scene, the sources said.

Authorities were focusing the investigation on a New Jersey Transit tunnel near tracks 1-12.

The Penn Station tunnel where the man caught on fire was cornered off by police tape. Christopher Sadowski

Investigators are probing the cause of the blaze, authorities and sources said. Christopher Sadowski

The tunnel was cordoned off by police tape as authorities concentrated on what appeared to be a blanket on the ground.

Some commuters passing by the scene were unnerved to learn of the subway fire.

One passenger who frequents the passageway where the blaze occurred said the area has long been a hub for delinquency, noting homeless people are typically sleeping in the hallways, which are poorly lit.

This is exactly the way I come to the office every day, Secaucus software engineer Rahul Vemula, 29, told The Post.

It feels a little scary to travel everyday. Especially this hallway, it doesnt seem safe sometimes. I see a lot of homeless people around here, at least in this hallway, this pathway. And it seems a little scary when you walk [it]. They need more lights and to move the homeless people from here.

Friday nights incident comes less than a week after a sleeping woman was set on fire and killed on the F train in Brooklyn, allegedly by a Guatemalan migrant who had been deported in 2018.
December 27, 2024: Until 1945 the only way you could visit Syria was by visiting whatever empire or independent state currently ruled Syria as one of their holdings. At the same time Syria is the location of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. About 12,000 years ago Syria was one the first regions to develop agriculture, keeping and breeding domestic animals as well as tool making and use of those tools to construct structures and useful items like plows, wheeled carts and chariots to defend all its new assets. While Syria was very productive and the home of inventors it was, until the 20th century, always a component of some other empire or independent state.

Syria first appeared in about 6,200 BC as a neighbor adjacent to the Yarmukian culture in what is now Lebanon and Syria. About 3,200 years ago Syria was part of the region occupied by the Arameans. This was a collection of Semitic groups that founded towns and spread new technology throughout Syria and adjacent regions. Some 2,000 years ago Arameans founded Aram-Damascus, a city that survived until 732 BC when the Assyrian Empire destroyed it. It took several centuries for another Damascus to appear, and Alexander the Great conquered this resurrected Damascus in 323 BC. Two hundred fifty years later the Romans showed up and took charge of Damascus.

With the Romans in charge, Syria became a part of the Roman Empire and thrived because of it. The Romans brought peace and prosperity. Rome was the second, after Greece, European power to rule Syria. In 602 the Persians, from modern day Iran, showed up and displaced the Romans for a while. Persians and Greek Byzantines fought over Syria in the early 600s until Moslems, a new imperial force, showed up and conquered Syria in 636. The Moslem empire, or Caliphate controlled Syria until the Mongols showed up in 1400 and conquered everything in sight. Then the Mongols left because there was not enough grasslands to feed the horses that kept their mobile army going.

The Turks took their place and held on until 1918 when they were ousted by the British and French armies. This was part of World War I, where the Turks sided with the German losers of that war. After that imperial Turkey became the Turkish Republic in the early 1920s. The Turks had lost control of Syria and much else to the European allies. France controlled Syria through the 20s and 30s until World War II broke out in 1939. The war reached Syria in 1941 as a pro-allied French faction and the British took Syria and ruled it until 1945 when Syria finally became independent.

Before that could happen there was a confrontation between French and British troops over the French efforts to stay in Syria and willingness to kill armed Syrians trying to get the French to leave. The appearance of British troops convinced the French to leave and the Syrians rule themselves

The new Syrian government was part of the Arab coalition that fought and lost in an effort to prevent Israel from being founded in 1948. That defeat led to an angry Syrian Colonel staging the first coup in Arab history. This was followed, in less than a year, with another coup and a series of Syrian dictators that lasted until 2024. From 1970 t0 2024 Syria was ruled by two generations of the Assad family.

Then, in 2024 there were unexpected changes. At the center of these changes was Abu Mohammad al-Golani, a former Islamic terrorist commander who was now leading HTS or Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Golani made a lightning fast advance from Idlib province in the northwest to the city of Aleppo and then down to the Iraqi border. The Assad clan was flown to Russia as the Russians sought to contact Golani and negotiate keeping their naval base of Taurus and nearby air base on the Syrian coast. Not wanting to take chances the Russians evacuated their ships, personnel and aircraft.

At the same time the United States doubled the number of troops in Syria. Now there are two thousand American soldiers scattered in several bases on the Iraq border with Syria helping the Kurds keep surviving ISIS terrorists from causing trouble.

Israel also took advantage of the chaos in Syria to destroy over 80 percent of the Assad government's aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery and military equipment Israel wanted to keep out of terrorist hands, notably HTS. Israeli forces expanded the territory they held around the Golan Heights, even occupying Mount Hermon, the highest peak in the area and an excellent site for monitoring the surrounding area using cameras, electronic monitoring equipment, and troops with binoculars and night-vision optics so the surveillance can be round the clock.

Another complication is that many of the 700,000 Syrian Druze asked to join the 170,000 Israeli Druze. The Druze have done well in Israel, where they also serve in the military. Accepting the Syrian Druze would involve annexing a Syrian province near the current Israeli border. Israel has expanded its borders in the past because of wars and to provide more buffer zones in the event of a future attack on Israel itself.

HTS quickly seized Syria in December 2024, because HTS leader Golani realized that the Assad government only controlled Syria in theory. Cash subsidies from Iran and Russia had diminished or disappeared in the last few years and without money the government could not pay the troops or police. The economy is a mess, so the troops and police tolerate long delays in being paid until, in December 2024 the Syrian military simply stopped being soldiers. There was nothing to stop Golani and his gunmen from quickly overrunning Syria and thats what they did. Now everyone in the region and distant places like the United States and Russia wait to see what happens next.

Former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad says, from his exile in Russia, that is ready to return to Syria and take back control of his country. That isnt going to happen because Assad has no support in Syria or anywhere else.

Turkey has told its 3.6 million Syrian refugees that it is safe to return home now. Some of these refugees entered Syria and their experiences will influence if any more refugees return. Turkey would like all of the refugees to leave as it costs the Turks a lot of money to support that many refugees. A large number of the Syrian refugees have learned to speak Turkish or English, and informally established businesses or went to work for existing Turkish firms. Because of these enterprising refugees, many may not return to Syria.

While the Turks are glad to see the Assads gone and peace in Syria, they still fear the Kurds in northeast Syria. The Kurds occupy 40 percent of Syria. The Turks believe that the Syrian Kurds are secretly plotting with the Turkish and Iraqi Kurds to establish a long dreamed of Kurdistan. Only the paranoid Turks believe that. The Kurds are content to just find a peaceful place to live, be it in Syria, Turkey, Iraq or Iran. The Turks continue to attack Turkish Kurds, accusing them of being terrorists. Some of them are, but usually in self-defense against Turkish violence.
 Happy Heart Haven

Animals and humans share a profound and often unexplainable bond. From Jane Goodalls groundbreaking work with Tanzanian chimpanzees to Dian Fosseys unforgettable rapport with mountain gorillas, countless examples illustrate this phenomenon. For Cristi Walker, that connection is personal, life-changing, and life-saving.

Cristi founded The Happy Heart Haven, a nonprofit animal sanctuary in Valley Center, California, where rescued animals and visitors can enjoy a safe space to interact and heal. This is Cristis dream come true. Read long as she shares with us the moving story behind the founding of The Happy Heart Haven.

Happy Heart Haven

The Backstory

Cristis story begins at birth when she was essentially born with only half her heart. By the time she was a young adult, shed already undergone four open-heart surgeries to try to keep her heart beating. She then had a pacemaker installed.

In 2017, things took another difficult turn when Cristis doctors informed her that she needed a new pulmonary valve, which shed be receiving from either a pig or a cow. The irony of these options is that Cristi had always had a special connection to cows. Growing up, I was obsessed with them, she admits. I had a collection of over 175 stuffed cows. Theyre in every picture I have. I was a cow almost every year for Halloween.

Cows always brought Cristi comfort, even though shed never met one in person. I always had one in my hospital bed as a child, she remembers. It must have been the invisible string theory; I was just meant to have cows as part of my life.

When Cristi woke up from her surgery, she learned that shed received the valve shed hoped for. I had a pig onesie and a cow onesie, and whichever one I got was what I was leaving the hospital in, she says. I ended up leaving in a cow onesie.

The Gift of Cow Cuddles

Cristi turned 30 that same year, so she decided to fulfill a birthday wish: to meet a cow in person. If people have cows here, theyre inaccessible, she says of where she lives in California. Theyre not saying, Come and cuddle! So, I found a cute little dairy, and I got to meet my first cow. There was a little calf born that morning. They had it in the cab of a truck, and I got to hug and hold it. It was the sweetest, and I was so grateful.

Happy Heart Haven

The experience was nothing short of magical. I was crying tears of joy, she says. I felt so good in that moment and wanted to share that with others.

Fueled by this powerful experience, Cristi turned to her husband and suggested a bold idea: What if we moved to the country, rescued some animals, and brought people to meet them? With her husband in agreement, the couple promptly relocated to Valley Center, California, and got to work creating The Happy Heart Haven.

Building a Sanctuary

Spread across two-and-a-half lush acres, The Happy Heart Haven is currently home to 47 rescued animals. And while cows are certainly one of the highlights, they arent the only creatures you can bond with during a visit. In fact, youll find a menagerie of farm animals  pigs, ducks, horses, a tortoise, goats, sheep, cattle, and two very enthusiastic farm dogs.

The sanctuary is open to the public Friday through Sunday by appointment only, and visitors are invited to interact with the animals in a safe and nurturing environment. Here, all animals have a choice to interact with us, Cristi explains. Theres a part of their enclosure where they can go to get away from visitors. But in the five years weve been open, Ive never had an animal not choose to interact with the visitors. I think thats such a testament to the love they have to give. These animals are from all different situations. Some have been rescued from slaughter, some have been rescued from cattle ranches, and some were ill when they came to us. They all have their own stories about how they got here. But once theyre here, they spend the rest of their lives here in paradise.

I want the animals to be in a place where they feel loved and safe, Cristi says. Happy Heart Haven

A Place for Breakthroughs

Cristi ensures that each animal gets the care and love it needs, and in return, they offer their affection to visitors seeking a moment of peace. The sanctuarys power to heal is perhaps best seen through the experiences of its visitors. Cristi has even fulfilled one of her bucket list items  helping facilitate a marriage proposal among the cows. Amid the stories of rescued animals are equally poignant stories of rescued humans. Ive had everything from engagements to a woman whose husband was in his final days, and his wish was to meet a cow, she explains. We had a 5-month-old calf, and we all sat down together. We were crying. It was incredible.

Other memorable stories come from young people inspired by the sanctuary. There was a 13-year-old girl named Scout who found out what happens to steer in the dairy industry, explains Cristi. They usually go to the butcher. So, she went to her mom about rescuing a steer calf from a dairy. Her mom said, We live in the suburbs. We dont have a place to put a calf. The girl asked, If I find a dairy to sell me a calf and a sanctuary where we can put it, can we make it happen? So this 13-year-old girl saved up $600 of her own money. She had bake sales. She saved her birthday and Christmas money. And then, on her own, she called around and found a dairy to sell her a calf. She randomly emailed me one night, and my husband was asleep, so I made the choice. I said wed take him. They brought him here in their Suburban. And as if the story isnt cool enough, she handed me the receipt for the calf purchase  its from the dairy where I met my first cow. It came full circle.

Scout is now a young activist herself, saving horses from slaughter in Texas and even authoring a book titled Dear Child Who Wants to Change the World, which is sold at The Happy Heart Havens Mootique.

Happy Heart Haven

Healing Beyond the Animals

Cristi is devoted to creating a safe, inclusive, loving space for humans and animals. Whether its a visitor dealing with grief, seeking solace, or simply looking for serenity, Cristi is passionate about making sure that everyone who steps foot on the property feels loved and accepted.

My son is autistic, Cristi shares, and I think my tour would be really hard for him to focus the whole time. I want parents to know they dont have to force their children to be quiet during this tour. If their experience is climbing the granite rocks and touching the mud and grass, then thats their experience. Im passionate about that. This isnt a place where you have to come and be perfect.

Cristis cardiologist is also grateful she owns a sanctuary since it allows her to balance her health challenges with plenty of exercise and a supportive animal community. The animals keep me healthy like I keep them healthy, she says, noting how the physical demands of caring for the animals help her stay active. I limit myself, so if I feel uncomfortable doing something, I can stop. We have the ability to make a choice to do what we want, and I think Im a testament to that. I dropped out of college after two years. I thought I would have to grow within a company to be successful, and here I am, running a fully sustainable nonprofit. Were able to care for all of our animals with the money we bring in from tours and donations. Thats living the dream  doing what you love.

Cristis ultimate goal is simple: My goal is for everyone to leave with a happier heart, she says. Of the thousands of people who have visited, I can say we have accomplished that. Even the old, grumpy mother-in-law leaves with a smile. Its just a happy place for everyone, no matter their age.

Visit The Happy Heart Havens website to learn more or donate.

The post Meet Cristi Walker of The Happy Heart Haven appeared first on A-Z Animals.
COURTESY OF EXPLORA JOURNEY The exclusive list from the wine cellar at Anthology includes hard-to-find wines and unique bottles.

I didnt board a cruise in Scandinavia expecting to learn more about wine, but that is exactly what happened. On trips ashore, I ate herring on a Swedish island, wandered through the fabulous Munch Museum in Oslo, and poked around the quaint old town of Stavanger in southern Norway. And while dining in Explora Is six restaurants, I discovered the cruise ship's extraordinary wine program.

The restaurant concepts aboard the ship range from Marble & Co. Grill (think sumptuous burgers and four kinds of aged beef) to Asian-fusion restaurant Sakura (where I had fabulous cod and prawn gyoza and roasted Korean miso quail). At Anthology, where special guest chef Mauro Uliassi and his team were overseeing the maiden voyage, I had my epiphany. (By the time you read this, Explora Journeys head of culinary, Franck Garanger, will have transformed Anthology into an Italian fine-dining restaurant.)

Uliassi has an eponymous three Michelin-starred restaurant on Italys Adriatic coast in Senigallia, a small town with a growing gastronomic reputation. The food was exceptional: tender skewers of grilled squid, ravishing al dente pasta infused with fig leaves, tiramisu made with dark-chocolate ice cream. I was initially a little taken aback to hear that all the wine pairings would be from the restaurants home region: Le Marche is not known for its fine wines.

Related: 1,700 Bottles of Sparkling Wine Were Aged at the Bottom of the Norwegian Sea, and We Got to Try Them

I walked away from the meal with a new appreciation for that barely known portion of eastern Italy, having tried various fresh, herbaceous white Verdicchios; a delicious 2019 red of which only 1,350 bottles were made; and a sweet (but not too sweet) Rosso Passito, fragrant with orange peel and cinnamon, made from Vernaccia Nera, which turns out to be another name for Grenache. At one point, I looked out past a wall of wine enclosed in glass, toward the deck, and was startled to recall that I was actually in the Kattegat, a patch of sea between Denmark and Sweden, a very long way from the Adriatic.

COURTESY OF EXPLORA JOURNEYS Explora Is elegant Anthology restaurant offers an intimate seven-course Italian tasting-menu experience.

As the cruise progressed, it became clear that the pairings at Anthology were not an anomaly: Wine on Explora I was almost as prevalent as the surrounding seawater. The four pools and bubbling whirlpool spas dotted about the upper decks all had a bar just a step away serving free-flowing Moet & Chandon Champagne or cocktails. Rod Smith, a Master of Wine (the internationally admired top tier of wine expertise), gave two excellent classes on board. The one on Italy  an ambitious topic  overflowed the allotted two hours. Smiths other lesson ran the gamut of Chardonnay possibilities, from Blanc de Blancs Champagne in France to California, and included a delicious bottle by a personal favorite, lauded Australian producer Nick Farr (as far from the cliched overblown Aussie Chardy as Copenhagen is from Melbourne). I had already spotted it on the fine wine list at an eye-popping price  eye-poppingly reasonable, that is.

Thibaut Briancon, who oversees food and beverage services for Explora Journeys, has sourced some truly exciting and unusual wines, often from older vintages; they range from the relatively simple (several excellent white Riojas, an Austrian Gruner Veltliner, and an Assyrtiko, the minerally white from Santorini in Greece) to the very serious indeed (a page of top Bordeaux and an Antinori Solaia, one of the first Super-Tuscans). Briancon may, however, have trouble making these well-priced, hard-to-source wines last the journey. Another guest was so amazed at finding Ulysse Collins fabulous, tiny-production Champagne that he tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade staff to sell him bottles to take home. The story was the same after-hours in the Malt Whisky Bar: Over a dozen excellent whiskeys were included with the fare, a lovely range of very affordable single malts, and a mouthwatering private reserve for anyone thirsting for 30-year-old Bowmore or top-tier Cognacs.

Related: Gramercy Tavern Has One of the Best Wine Cellars in New York  We Got an Inside Look

Michael Ungerer, Explora Journeys former CEO, said that the 461-suite vessel, first of a projected six, aims to resemble a European boutique resort at sea, which is certainly ambitious: Resorts know that guests can always eat elsewhere. Explora I has succeeded in replicating that sense of choice, and nowhere more so than in the vast Emporium Marketplace, which has a sushi station, an oyster bar, a pizza parlor, and a patisserie with creations by a pastry chef poached from the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. A seemingly inexhaustible chef wielded his rolling pin over a mountain of fresh dough destined for the domed pizza oven behind him. A rotisserie spun slowly behind one counter, and a pasta maker pinched ravioli closed behind another. If it werent for the blue vistas beyond the windows and that late-night Malt Whisky Bar next door, with its walk-in humidor and leather sofas, the Marketplace would have borne a strong resemblance to Harrods Food Halls in London.

Does Explora I resemble a European boutique resort? Well, not exactly  but only because the sheer bounty on the ship and its range of cuisines (and wines) make even sprawling luxury properties look a little narrow in scope. www.explorajourneys.com



Read the original article on Food & Wine
It's only been open for a few months. But Denver's latest Filipino restaurant is generating a lot of buzz in the Mile High City and beyond.

Magna Kainan, the second restaurant for James Beard Award nominee Chef Carlo Lamagna continues to grow with guests who are already familiar with Filipino cuisine, and others who are not.

"Yeah, like 90% of our clientele is Filipino. And I was like, 'where are you all coming from?'" joked Jodee Reyes, the restaurant's chef de cuisine.

Jodee Reyes, chef de cuisine for Magna Kainan / Credit: CBS

For those who have never tried Filipino food, Reyes described it: "It is acidic, it is funky, it's salty, it his everything. For me, it's like the type of food that you keep eating, but you keep getting hungry, if that makes sense."

For Reyes, learning from Lamagna was in a sense coincidental, but also a blessing, she said.

"As we work in the restaurant, we carry his last name and what he represents. So, we take great pride in that," Reyes said.

Reyes grew up mainly in Detroit, but would often visit family in Chicago. She spent the first seven years of her life in Bacolod, Philippines. She remembered what the Christmas season meant for her growing up.

"We have something called Simbang Gabi, so it's midnight mass," Reyes said. "On Christmas Eve we would light stars called Parols. It is a five-point star, made of paper and bamboo."

The large family gathering would include a talent show amongst the family. And of course, a traditional meal after mass, called 'noche Buena.'

Jodee Reyes, chef de cuisine for Magna Kainan / Credit: CBS

"Which is a big feast, including roasted pig and lots and lots of sides," she said.

Family and friends would eat Kamayan style, which is eating in a communal setting and eating without utensils, only using your hands. One of the Magna Kainan's centerpieces within the restaurant is a large table that signifies that.

"For me, family is always a big thing, even though I didn't have a lot of background in Filipino cuisine," Reyes said. "One of the main reasons I went to culinary school was because my Mom was a single nurse, very independent. She worked really hard for us kids being a single parent."

She first got the itch to cook from learning from other family members.

"I really learn from my titos and titas. They were like, 'taste this; you season with your gut. There's no recipe here. We season by taste,'" she said.

After culinary school, she worked making sandwiches and drinks at the Country Club of Detroit. Eventually, she would move up to prep cook and eventually banquet sous chef. She met Lamagna after learning that he also worked at that same country club two decades ago. He realized her potential.

Chef Carlo Lamagna / Credit: Instagram via @magnakainandenver

"When I met him and met his team, and I was introduced to the Magna family in Portland, it really did change my life," Reyes said.

Fast forward to now, and Reyes said she is all hands on deck on making Magna Kainan successful. There are traditional dishes served, like pancit, lumpia, and lechon. But also ones that reflect where both chefs have roots. During our interview, Reyes cooked inasal, which is a grilled half-chicken created with a lemongrass base and a fish sauce marinade and atchara. It is absolutely delicious.

"I'm from Bacolod, so we are known for our chicken inasal; our half chicken. So, this is a little piece of my family history," Reyes said.

Magna Kainan, Denver's newest Filipino restaurant, serves traditional culinary offerings from the Philippines with a twist. / Credit: Instagram via @magnakainandenver

Reyes also made a Chef Lamagna favorite: "Mom's Crab Fat Noodles," which uses Dungeness crab and homemade squid ink pasta noodles; another delicious creation.

Family is important for Reyes. The hope is that Magna Kainan also provides that sense of family for guests and Filipino Coloradoans alike.

"I was shown that you can elevate Filipino cuisine, and it was immediately, I want that," said Reyes.

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Body camera footage from what officials have called "an attack" that took place inside a New York state correctional facility resulting in the death of an inmate was released by the New York State Attorney General's Office Friday.

According to New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Robert Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence at the Marcy Correctional Facility near Utica for stabbing his longtime girlfriend in 2016, died on Dec. 10 after an encounter with New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision officers at the facility on Dec. 9.

"As Attorney General, you have my word that we will use every possible tool available to us to investigate this death thoroughly and swiftly," James said. "These videos are shocking and disturbing and I advise all to take appropriate care before choosing to watch them.

"I also want to make clear that this video and the conduct of these officers should not reflect poorly on the work and professionalism of the countless correctional officers and correctional facility nurses throughout the state who go to work every day to protect and serve those in their care."

Here's what to know.

What does the video show?

Body camera footage from the incident that took place inside Marcy Correctional Facility resulting in the death of an incarcerated Greece man was released by the New York State Attorney General's Office Friday.

Brooks was moved from Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, to Marcy Correctional Facility near Utica, New York, on Dec. 9.

The four released videos came from body worn cameras of four correctional officers  Sergeant Glenn Trombly and correction officers Michael Along, Michael Fisher and Matthew Galliher. The cameras were turned on, however, since none of the officers activated their body worn cameras, the videos were recorded in standby mode with no audio.

Brooks' hands were handcuffed behind his back as multiple officers repeatedly punched him, hit him with a shoe, lifted him up by his neck, pushed him up against a wall and stripped him of his clothing before medical professionals entered the medical examination room to assess him.

Brooks was transported to a local hospital on Dec. 9 after the use of force by correction officers, the AG's Office said, and then pronounced dead at Wynn Hospital in Utica in the early morning hours of Dec. 10. An investigation was opened by the New York Attorney Generals Office of Special Investigation (OSI) on Dec. 16.

Burn victim: Man treated for burns after he is found injured in NYC Penn Station: Police

Warning: The video footage may be disturbing to some viewers

The video footage released by the Attorney General's Office can be viewed at the following link: ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/robert-brooks.

Why was Robert Brooks in jail?

Brooks pled guilty to first-degree assault, a felony, for stabbing his longtime girlfriend on April 18, 2016 and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in 2017.

The couple, who shared a teenage child, were involved in a physical dispute at a residence that culminated in his girlfriend being stabbed numerous times in the upper torso with a knife, according to the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department. Brooks ran from the scene when confronted by neighbors and was later apprehended by police.

Brooks was originally indicted on a two-count felony indictment including attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, according to court records. His plea satisfied both charges.

What Gov. Kathy Hochul has said about Robert Brooks' death

Gov. Kathy Hochul called for the termination of 14 individuals involved in Brooks' death earlier this week.

"This action comes after I directed an internal review of the circumstances that lead to this individual's death," Hochul said in a written statement Saturday. "I once again offer my condolences to the deceased individual's family and loved ones.

"The vast majority of correction officers do extraordinary work under difficult circumstances, and we are all grateful for their service. But we have no tolerance for individuals who cross the line, break the law and engage in unnecessary violence or targeted abuse. Both the New York Attorney General and the DOCCS Office of Special Investigations are conducting ongoing reviews of this incident, and I am committed to accountability for all involved."

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans releases statement on death of Robert Brooks

"The brutal beating of Robert Brooks, captured in the videos released today by New York States Attorney General, was beyond horrific," Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said Friday. "My heart goes out to Mr. Brooks family and friends, and I call on all of Rochester to keep them in your prayers as they process this terrible incident. Those responsible for this appalling act must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.  I expect justice will be served expeditiously."

State Sen. Jeremy Cooney 'deeply disturbed' after watching Marcy Correctional Facility video

I am deeply disturbed by the video footage released today of the violent death of a Greece native at Marcy Correctional Facility," New York state senator Jeremy Cooney said Friday. "The actions of these officers were completely unacceptable and an insult to the difficult work done by New Yorks correctional officers. Those responsible must be held accountable and I will closely monitor the Attorney Generals ongoing investigation.

Robert Brooks' family responds to deadly encounter

Brooks' family released a statement earlier this week after viewing the video.

As expected, watching the horrific and violent final moments of Roberts life was devastating for his loved ones, and will be disturbing to anyone who views the video following its release by the Attorney Generals Office," the family's attorney Liz Mazur of Hughes Sokol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. said. "We will not rest until we have secured justice for Roberts memory, and safety for the prisoners at Marcy Correctional Facility.

And after the AG's Office released the video footage Friday, the family's attorney released another statement:

With the Attorney Generals release of these videos, members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks," Mazur said. "As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe. He deserved to live, and everyone else living in Marcy Correctional Facility deserves to know they do not have to live in fear of violence at the hands of prison staff.

Correctional officers union on Robert Brooks video

The New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, Inc. issued a statement Sunday after some of the union's executive board members reviewed the video footage.

"What we witnessed is incomprehensible to say the least and is certainly not reflective of the great work that the vast majority of our membership conducts every day," the statement reads. "What transpired at Marcy Correctional Facility is the opposite of everything NYSCOPBA and its membership stand for.

"This incident has the potential to make our correctional facilities even more violent, hostile, and unpredictable than ever before.  This incident not only endangers our entire membership but undermines the integrity of our profession. We cannot and will not condone this behavior."

New York State Sheriff's Association releases statement

"The Sheriffs of New York State are shocked, like all right thinking people, by the actions of State Corrections Officers at Marcy Correctional Facility which led to the death of Robert Brooks, as revealed by body camera footage released today," New York State Sheriff's Association president Sheriff Craig DuMond said Friday.

"No human being should be treated that way by another human being," DuMond said in a statement. And it is made even worse by the fact that the extreme cruelty was inflicted by those entrusted with the power of government, against those they were entrusted to guard and protect."

This story was updated to add a video.

Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Networks New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Body cam footage released in shocking beating death of Robert Brooks
Moo Dengs habitat is in for a makeover thanks to a crypto billionaires donation (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo who stole hearts around the globe this year, has gained a high-profile supporter: Canadian cryptocurrency magnate Vitalik Buterin.

Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, donated 10,000,000 baht (about $293,000) to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, becoming Moo Dengs adoptive father through the zoos Wildlife Sponsorship Program. The 5-month-old hippo, a star attraction at the Chonburi province zoo, now has a benefactor helping improve her habitat and support the zoos broader initiatives.

I very much look forward to seeing Moo Deng live long and prosper, Buterin wrote in a letter to the zoos director, according to the Strait Times.

The contribution came after Buterin visited Moo Dengs enclosure last month, where he was impressed by the zoos dedication to animal welfare and education. His donation will fund upgrades to Moo Dengs enclosure and other enhancements to the zoo.

I was particularly excited to hear your plans for improvements to the zoo itself, especially the proposal for upgrades to the Pygmy Hippopotamus habitat, Buterin wrote. I am delighted to accept your invitation to be Moo Dengs adoptive father while she grows up and to donate to the zoo in her name.

The zoo expressed its gratitude on Facebook, saying, We look forward to working with you over the next two years for the benefit of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo community and all our visitors!

Buterins gesture also serves as a tribute to Thailand, which hosted the Ethereum communitys Devcon Sea blockchain conference in November. What better way to do that [say thank you] than through a Christmas present to someone who is dear to all Thai people, Moo Deng, and who has become one of the most unexpected and important Thai celebrities on the world stage, Buterin shared.

Moo Deng, born on 10 July 2024 at Thailands Khao Kheow Open Zoo, has become an internet sensation due to her playful antics and endearing appearance. Her name, meaning bouncy pork in Thai, was selected through a public poll, aligning with the culinary-themed names of her siblings, Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork).

The zoos social media posts featuring Moo Deng have attracted millions of fans worldwide, significantly increasing visitor numbers. On weekends, attendance has surged from approximately 3,000 to over 10,000 visitors, with many traveling long distances to see her.

Moo Dengs popularity has even inspired various forms of fan engagement, including memes, artwork, and merchandise. Notably, a bakery in Bangkok created cakes modeled after her likeness, which were described as too cute to eat.

However, the influx of visitors has raised concerns about Moo Dengs well-being. Reports have emerged of visitors throwing water and objects at her to elicit reactions, prompting zoo officials to implement measures such as limiting viewing times to five minutes per group and installing surveillance cameras to monitor behavior.

In response to her rapid rise to fame, the zoo has initiated efforts to trademark Moo Deng the hippo to prevent unauthorized commercialization and ensure that merchandise proceeds support the zoos operations and animal welfare programs.
By Hyunsu Yim

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a key policy-setting meeting of the country's ruling party last week ahead of the new year, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.

The meeting of party and government officials decided that North Korea would launch the "toughest" strategy to counteract the United States for its security and national interests, the report said, without elaborating.

The alliance between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan has expanded to a "nuclear military bloc" and South Korea has become an "anti-communist outpost" for the U.S., the KCNA report added.

"This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how."

The Dec. 23-27 meeting also reviewed the handling of floods earlier this year, including the plan that brought those affected to Pyongyang, the capital, according to the report.

The reclusive state also vowed to promote relations with "friendly" countries during the meeting.

Kim also called for progress in defence science and technology to bolster the country's war deterrence.

Such meetings often last a few days and have been used in recent years to make key policy announcements.

In a reshuffle, Pyongyang named Pak Thae Song, a party secretary, as a new premier to replace Kim Tok Hun.

Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui was named a member of the powerful Politburo of the party's Central Committee.

The 11th plenary session of the eighth central committee of the Workers' Party of Korea wraps up a year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with Kim and signed a deal that included a mutual defence pledge.

Washington and Seoul have criticized the two countries' military cooperation, including what they say is a dispatch of North Korean troops to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang)
Russia is deploying human waves of North Korean soldiers, the U.S. said Friday, and at least one soldier captured by Ukraine died of his injuries.

According to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, some North Korean soldiers have taken their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces.

These suicides, he said, were likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that theyre captured.

South Koreas National Intelligence Service had confirmed on Friday that the North Korean soldier captured the previous day had died.

A still from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry press service in November shows a Russian serviceman aiming a D-30 howitzer toward Ukrainian positions in Kursk, where many North Korean soldiers have been deployed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram Friday that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have died or been wounded in Russias Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces mounted a lightning incursion in August.

But Russia has since amassed thousands of troops in a counterattack.

Kirby quoted a lower death toll among North Koreans, saying more than 1,000 soldiers have died just in the past week.

Thats on top of the more than 1,500 Russian soldiers being wounded or killed each day, according to Britains defense ministry, which estimated that there were over 45,000 casualties in November, the highest since the start of the war, adding that the number is likely reflective of the higher tempo of Russian operations and offensives.

To supplement its counterattack, Moscow turned toward its ally Pyongyang, which, according to estimates by the U.S. and its allies, has deployed an estimated 11,000 soldiers in Ukraine.

Kirby said the North Koreans are conducting massed, dismounted assaults against Ukrainian positions in Kursk. While these human wave tactics were ineffective, he acknowledged that Russias grinding assault on Ukraines energy infrastructure was making it difficult for Ukrainians to weather the winter.

Neither Russia nor North Korea has publicly acknowledged the troop deployment.

The North Korean troops are being treated as expendable and ordered by their leadership on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses, Kirby said.

These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile, he said.

The exact number of North Korean soldiers who killed themselves to avoid capture is unclear. Zelenskyy said Friday that while several North Korean soldiers were captured, they were seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated, suggesting that some of them may have also been killed by comrades.

These troops were being sent to fight with minimal protection, he said, and were suffering a great deal of losses.

Still, Ukrainians have been unable to capture them as prisoners, he added. Their own people are executing them.
A 9-year-old boy visiting New York City for the holidays will remain hospitalized "for quite some time," the boy's mother said after they both were pinned by a taxi cab on Christmas Day.

"[It] hit us from behind. Didn't even know what had happened," the 41-year-old mother, who was visiting with her family from Australia, told New York ABC station WABC. "I just remember being on the ground and something on top of me. I could hear the wheels screeching and my son screaming next to me."

PHOTO: Taxi hits pedestrians in Herald Square. (WABC)

The taxi cab jumped the curb and struck six pedestrians in Herald Square shortly after 4 p.m. on Christmas Day after the 58-year-old driver suffered a medical emergency, police said. All impacted pedestrians suffered non-life-threatening injuries, with three -- including the mother and son -- transported to area hospitals, officials said.

MORE: Taxi cab strikes several pedestrians in NYC's Herald Square

Witness Ryan Tucker told WABC that he and several other good Samaritans helped lift the cab off the mother and son after the crash.

"I ran over and noticed there was a little boy, his leg was underneath the front passenger tire as it was spinning," Tucker told the station.

PHOTO: Ryan Tucker talks to WABC in New York, Dec. 25, 2024. (WABC)

One man shut the car off, according to Tucker.

"There was a whole group of us that ripped the fender off, lifted the car back, and then that's when I kind of grabbed the little boy," Tucker told WABC.

Tucker, who was visiting from Oregon, told WABC that his wife was also struck by the taxi on her back shoulder. He said he ensured his wife was OK before joining others to help the mother and son.

MORE: 3 teens dead, 1 person seriously injured in California Cybertruck crash

The boy broke his right femur in the crash and has "severe" burns on his leg, his mother told WABC.

"He's going to be in the hospital for quite some time," she told the station.

"We were just here for Christmas holidays," she added. "Christmas and New Year's. Day three in the city and that happened."

The taxi driver was transported to Bellevue for further evaluation. There is no criminality suspected, police said.

ABC News' Victoria Arancio and Leah Sarnoff contributed to this report.

NYC taxi cab victim speaks out: 'Didn't even know what happened' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Police car with lights on and Samuel Sierra

An off-duty New York City cop has been arrested for allegedly raping and strangling someone close to him, sources told The Post Saturday.

Samuel Sierra, 35, was arrested around 7:20 p.m. Friday night in East Harlem and charged with first-degree rape, second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault, police confirmed.

The attack was domestic in nature.

Sierra was arrested Friday night in East Harlem. William Miller

He allegedly attacked a family member or a partner, according to a source who wouldnt disclose additional details of the incident.

Sierra was expected to be arraigned Saturday in Manhattan Criminal Court. He was suspended without pay pending trial.

He joined the NYPD in 2016 and earned $167,584 last year, city records show.

Sierra has spent much of his career patrolling the 77th Precinct in Brooklyn, but in December 2023 he was transferred to the Auxiliary Police Section, where he oversees auxiliary cops, according to the 50-a.org website, which tracks NYPD complaints and discipline of cops.

Sierra joined the NYPD in 2016. 4kclips  stock.adobe.com

In February 2023, he was accused of assaulting a woman in her 20s during a traffic stop and abusing his authority, according to the website.

He was required to undergo retraining, but the allegations were found to be within department guidelines by the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
The Oklahoma attorney general on Friday announced he was dismissing criminal charges brought against a police officer who slammed a 71-year-old man to the ground during a traffic stop in October.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement he was dropping the aggravated assault and battery charge brought by Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna against Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Joseph Gibson.

Body camera footage from the Oct. 27 incident showed Gibson stop Lich Vu, 71, for what he said was an illegal U-turn after a minor accident. In the video, Vu denied making the U-turn and said his car was hit by another person.

The video shows Gibson asking Vu to sign the citation, which he refused to do. Vu eventually got out of the car and the two began arguing.

According to security footage from a nearby business released by police, Vu appeared to touch Gibsons arm, prompting him to grab Vus hand, pull it behind his back and throw him onto the ground.

The video footage showed Vu hit the pavement head first. He was hospitalized with significant injuries including an orbital fracture, neck fracture and brain bleed, according to Behennas office.

Vus condition Friday was not immediately clear.

As Attorney General, I will not permit Oklahoma police officers to face criminal prosecution for conduct adhering to their training, Drummond said in the statement. While the outcome of this incident is unquestionably devastating for Mr. Vu and his family, I do not believe the officer exhibited criminal intent.

The statement added that it is never acceptable for a member of the public to strike, push, or otherwise make unwanted physical contact with a police officer.

Our law enforcement officers work under constant stress, where the most routine interactions can become life-threatening in an instant, Drummond said. For everyones safety, it is imperative to follow an officers instructions and to never strike, push, or make any kind of unwelcome physical contact with an officer.

The simple truth is, this unfortunate incident never would have occurred if Mr. Vu had kept his hands to himself, Drummond said.

Despite the charge being dropped, the AG said the incident is still being investigated internally and could result in non-criminal forms of accountability for Sgt. Gibson.

In response, Behenna said she is surprised and disappointed that the attorney general took this case away from my office and the citizens of Oklahoma County.

The statement from Drummonds office noted that he entered an appearance in the case on Monday, effectively taking over the prosecution.

The Oklahoma City Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that it agrees whole-heartedly with Drummonds reasoning and determination that this was not a criminal act.

No officer wants to see anyone injured. However, our members often have to make split-second decisions, and they cannot control the outcome of every situation, the OKC FOP said. Unfortunately, when someone resists law enforcement, they increase the risk of harm to themselves or others.

The group added that it was unreasonable to charge him with any crime when he was following his training.

Gibsons attorney, former Attorney General Mike Hunter, said in a statement to NBC affiliate KFOR of Oklahoma City that the decision to drop charges against his client was reasoned and correct.

Drummonds statement of support for the complex decisions Sgt. Gibson, his fellow OCPD officers, and law enforcement officers around the state must make is acknowledged and appreciated, Hunter said.

Vus daughter did not immediately respond to a request for comment through Instagram.

The Vietnamese American Community of Oklahoma, which had been in touch with Vus family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night.
December 28, 2024: In 2023 the United States assured Ukraine that effective long-range missiles would be sent. At the same time U.S. government officials wanted to avoid attacks on major Russian cities like Moscow or St Petersburg that might trigger nuclear war with Russia. The Russian capital is about 800 kilometers from northern Ukraine. Its 1,100 kilometers to St. Petersburg on the Baltic Sea and 2,000 kilometers to the bases of the Russian Northern Fleet in Murmansk, near the Arctic Circle.

The longest range weapon the Americans have sent to Ukraine is the ATACMS, with a range of 300 kilometers. The U.S. has a longer range weapon that has been widely used by American forces since 1983, the Tomahawk cruise missile. Maximum range of this missile is 2,400 kilometers. This is currently one of most effective land attack and anti-ship weapons available to American and allied warships and can also be fired from land-based launchers.

The most recent improvement was announced in 2020 when the U.S. Navy introduced Tomahawk Block 5, the first new version since Block 4 in 2005. The block versions actually represent an accumulation of individual upgrades that have turned the current Tomahawk into a substantially different cruise missile than the previous block. The unique new features of Block 5 include being able to hit ship size targets at max range varying between 1,600 and 2,400 kilometers, depending on the model. Block 5 also uses a new warhead that has greater penetrating power against large warships and is more effective against all targets. There are also upgraded communication and navigation systems which are more resistant to jamming and other Electronic Warfare/ EW measures. All this means Block 5 communications are more difficult to detect as well as disrupt. The navigation system is better able to function even with heavy GPS jamming thanks to a more accurate, and unjammable Inertial Navigation System/INS.

Another notable feature is that Block 5 does not increase the price, which is still between a million and 1.5 million dollars, depending on features, per missile. Thats a lot cheaper than high-speed missiles that cost three or four times more, are heavier and have shorter range. The relatively low cost of the Tomahawk makes it effective for more missions, like attacking land targets or being used in large numbers. All Block 4 Tomahawks were upgraded to Block 5 and remaining Block 3s were retired because most were built in the 1990s and now not worth the expense of an upgrade and refurbishment.

Most Tomahawks in U.S. service are carried and fired from surface ship or nuclear submarine Vertical Launch System/VLS cells. There is also a torpedo-launched version which all British SSNs use. The Tomahawk has quietly become the primary offensive weapon for the American fleet.

The RGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile weighs 1.2 tons, is six meters long and has a range of up to 2,400 kilometers. It reaches its target at a speed of 600-900 kilometers an hour, flying at an altitude of 17-32 meters, and propelled by a jet engine generating only 273 kg of thrust. Accuracy is five meters. Tomahawk can be reprogrammed in flight to hit another target and carries a digital video camera to allow someone to check on prospective targets.

With Block 4 came the new Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System/JMEW warhead. This is a 450 kg (1,000 pound) warhead designed mainly for penetrating underground bunkers, but it will also provide excellent blast effect for less robust targets. Exact penetration was not revealed. JMEW uses laser terminal guidance, enabling it to hit within a few meters (ten feet) of its aiming point. JMEW can also hit moving targets, like ships.

The Tomahawk, when it showed up in 1983, was one of the first combat drones but it wasn't reusable. The Tomahawk has been a primary land attack weapon for surface ships and submarines since the 1990s. Over 6,000 have been manufactured so far. The U.S. Navy has fired over 2,300 in combat and over 600 for training and testing. The U.S. Navy currently has over 3,000 Tomahawks on its warships or in storage. Tomahawk is expected to remain in service until 2040, with older ones refurbished to extend their useful lives. That usually means batteries and electronics are replaced or upgraded, along with elderly mechanical components.

Block 0, 1 and 2 Tomahawks were introduced during the Cold War, which ended in 1991. Some Cold War versions of Tomahawk were optimized for ranges of up to 2,500 kilometers, or for use from aircraft carrying nuclear warheads. These were gone by the time Block 3 entered service in 1994. In between new blocks, there were often major upgrades. Block 4 got a big upgrade in 2012 with the addition of GPS and remote control in flight. The more recent upgrades have added improvements in the guidance system and defensive capabilities against electronic jamming. The need for these new features was seen in 2015 when the navy tested the current Block 4 Tomahawk to see if its new two-way communications capability could enable it to effectively hit moving targets. The Block 4 managed to do so, but not under combat conditions. That is, not with warships using defensive or electronic weapons to shoot down the incoming missile or mislead its guidance system. One navy test used a nearby aircraft which could also be a drone that was tracking the exact location of the target ship. That could also be done from a space satellite. A fully developed anti-ship capability for Tomahawk requires regular upgrades in the guidance system to make it capable of operating without constant two-way communications.

The U.S. Navy is aware of the fact that the Tomahawk is not the ideal anti-ship missile. Against modern defenses, anti-ship missiles have to move faster than a Tomahawk and be equipped with a better terminal guidance system. The speed problem cannot be fixed, but the Tomahawk could be equipped with a more capable terminal guidance system. That might be able to handle the tracking and targeting systems for gun and missile systems designed to knock down anti-ship missiles when they get close. In any event, Tomahawk Block 4 has a way to go before it is a competitive anti-ship missile against modern warships. But developing and testing upgrades will give Tomahawk a useful anti-ship capability while not being the most effective anti-ship missile out there.

There are apparently some novel proposals for using a radically new anti-ship warhead that turns Tomahawk into a two-stage missile with the warhead making the final attack at much higher speed. That increases the cost and weight of Tomahawk which has been a stable and reliable design with lots of combat experience. It was easier to tinker with the guidance system, warhead and range and come up with affordable new capabilities that work. One reason for the continued usefulness of Tomahawk is its ability to do more and more things reliably and affordably. Many new cruise missile designs can do high speed attack, but at great expense. Tomahawk can carry out a wide range of missions, many of them not requiring high-speed or a more elaborate terminal guidance system.

Because of these constant improvements and consistent reliability, American and allied warships continue to use Tomahawks in combat on a regular basis. The targets tend to be on land and not mobile. Most of these uses are publicized, but some are not. Several hundred Tomahawks were used in massed attacks against Libya in 2011, which demonstrated the effectiveness of Tomahawks in delivering major airstrikes on short notice, anywhere in the world without losing more expensive manned aircraft and exposing their pilots to getting shot down and captured. In 2024 Tomahawks were used against Houthi Yemen rebels who were firing on shipping moving north in the Red Sea to the Suez Canal.

Tomahawk is also an ideal weapon for a potential war in the Pacific against China. This would be a war featuring large distances between targets and Tomahawk can handle that, in addition to many other tasks. The fleet goes to sea with lots of Tomahawks and quantity is an asset as well as reliability and a track record of success.
SALINAS, Calif.  The oldest living survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks died Christmas morning.

Warren Red Upton, of San Jose, California, was also the last living survivor of the USS Utah, which sank during Japanese attacks on the U.S. Naval Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. He was 105.

Upton had a short hospital stay in Los Gatos surrounded by his family before he died Wednesday, according to Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the nonprofit Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. There are 15 living Pearl Harbor survivors, she said in a phone interview Saturday.

Warren Upton, left, is seen with fellow Pearl Harbor survivor, Navy Chief Joseph Mariani, at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial on December 7, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Upton died on Dec. 25, 2024, in California. He was 105 years old.

Upton was a Navy radioman aboard the USS Utah when torpedoes hit the battleship and quickly capsized it, the nonprofit Pacific Historic Parks said in a social media post. In total, 58 of Uptons shipmates died when the USS Utah quickly sank, and 461 sailors survived.

During the attacks, Upton swam to nearby Ford Island, a naval air station in the middle of Pearl Harbor. He helped another shipmate along the way who couldnt swim, according to Pacific Historic Parks.

The attacks killed 2,403 American service members and civilians. Over 1,000 people were injured. It spurred the U.S. to enter World War II.

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Pearl Harbor Survivor Warren "Red" Upton, the last living... Posted by Pacific Historic Parks on Thursday, December 26, 2024

Upton served as a radioman throughout the war, Farley said.

After his service, he returned home to California, where he married his wife, Gene, a former Navy nurse during the war. The two had five children and numerous grandchildren. Gene diedin 2018. She was 97.

Upton remained an active member of his local chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Farley said. His last visit to Pearl Harbor was in 2019.

Many wondered whether he wanted to be cremated and interred inside the USS Utah with his shipmates in Pearl Harbor, Farley said. Only survivors are eligible for the honor, according to the National Park Service. Upton had no plans of doing so, Farley said.

He always said, I was lucky enough to make it off the ship. Im not going back, she said.

Services for Upton are still pending.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pearl Harbor survivor Warren Upton, last of USS Utah crew, has died
The only man to lead both the FBI and the CIA urged caution to senators who might vote to confirm former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and Kash Patel to lead the FBI, according to a letter sent to senators this week.

"I am deeply concerned about the potential nominations of Mr. Kash Patel to lead the FBI and the inclusion of Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as DNI in intelligence roles," William Webster, who led the FBI during the Carter and Reagan administrations and the CIA after that, said in a letter to senators on Thursday.

PHOTO: In this Dec. 18, 2014, file photo, former FBI Director and Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) under Ronald Reagan, Judge William Webster is interviewed for a documentary about directors of the CIA. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images, FILE)

MORE: Why most of Trump's Cabinet picks will get confirmed by the Senate

Webster wrote that Patel's loyalty to Trump may cause problems.

"Statements such as 'Hes my intel guy' and his record of executing the presidents directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law -- a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice," said Webster, who turns 101 in March.

PHOTO: Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for director of the FBI, speaks to reporters before a meeting with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Dec. 12, 2024. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

MORE: Chris Wray's FBI departure won't immediately clear path for Kash Patel: Experts

He said that during his tenure at the FBI, he was contacted by the president only twice -- once by President Jimmy Carter, who asked him to investigate an issue, and once when President Ronald Reagan had a question about Nancy Reagan's security.

Webster added that Gabbard's "profound lack of intelligence experience and the daunting task of overseeing 18 disparate intelligence agencies further highlight the need for seasoned leadership."

"History has shown us the dangers of compromising this independence. When leaders of these organizations become too closely aligned with political figures, public confidence erodes and our nations security is jeopardized," he wrote. "Every president deserves appointees they trust, but the selection process must prioritize competence and independence to uphold the rule of law."

The letter was first reported by Politico.

Webster did endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president in 2024 and Joe Biden for president in 2020.

The Trump transition team defended both Patel and Gabbard to Fox News.

"Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution. Hes worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles," said Alex Pfeiffer, a Trump transition team spokesman.

PHOTO: President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, is shown at the Hart Senate Office Building, Dec. 18, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

MORE: Who is Tulsi Gabbard? Meet Trump's pick for director of national intelligence

Alexa Henning, a Trump transition official, also defended Gabbard.

"Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress. As someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe," she told Fox News.

Reagan FBI director urges caution against Gabbard, Patel originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Our second night home from the hospital was still an awe-inspiring flurry of excitement. My husband and I were snuggled in bed with our perfectly healthy newborn baby boy, who was fast asleep on my chest  his temperament proving calm and easily soothed. We were surrounded by my two sisters, whod flown in from California, cooing at their new nephew, while carefully propping my feet up on a pillow after noticing how swollen they were.

Its normal, I reminded them. The doctor said it might take a few days.

They didnt question me, and we laughed about my new cankles. I thanked them for the takeout theyd picked up earlier, and we hugged goodnight.

I swaddled our son to my chest and tried to relax in my newfound maternal bliss. I became fixated on my breathing when I couldnt find a comfortable position. It felt laborious and burned when I inhaled. I chalked it up to new mom anxiety and the additional, however cute, 7.4 lbs. sleeping on top of me. But as the clock approached midnight, and my breathing still felt uncomfortable, I began to feel a thundering headache  an all-encompassing pressure wrapped around my head. I had experienced migraines in the past, but this one felt different. When I looked down at my feet and ankles, the swelling had grown worse.

I tapped my husband, who was somewhere in between awake and a new-parent haze of sleep.

Something doesnt feel right, I said and asked if he still had the blood pressure cuff his mother, a neonatologist, had given him a few weeks earlier. My husband was on a new health kick, and he wanted to have one, so she had offered him the one she had lying around at home.

Ill go get it, he said, stumbling out of bed.

When the numbers on the monitor appeared, a mixed look of confusion and concern swept across his face.

I think you should call your doctor, he said, now cradling our son. This seems really high.

Great, I thought.

I had already been that pregnant person constantly calling the doctor to ask, Is this normal? with every new phase. Apart from having suffered from extreme nausea, a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum, throughout my pregnancy, everything had always been normal.

Fearing that I would sound like an overly anxious new mom, I left a casual I-know-I-probably-shouldnt-worry message for the doctor on call, set my phone down, and headed to the pantry for a midnight snack. I picked up my phone 10 minutes later to two missed calls and a voicemail from my OB-GYN telling me to go to the hospital immediately. He said he had called labor and delivery and that they would be expecting me.

The author when she was nine months pregnant. Courtesy of Christina McDowell

At that moment, I was more concerned (and annoyed) about putting our son back into the car. Was it even worth it? I assumed that when we got back to the hospital, a nurse would hand me blood pressure medication and send us home. Instead, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition known as postpartum preeclampsia, and I learned I wouldnt be leaving.

Postpartum preeclampsia is a serious and sometimes fatal condition related to having high blood pressure in the days or weeks after giving birth. It can lead to seizing, a stroke, blood clots, excess fluid in the lungs, organ failure, brain damage, and death (this is when it turns into eclampsia).

Unlike preeclampsia, which can occur during pregnancy, postpartum preeclampsia is diagnosed after childbirth and often appears without warning. It is easy to assume, as I did, that after the ordeal of pregnancy and childbirth, the risks associated with preeclampsia have passed. According to one review of medical literature about the condition, somewhere between .3 to 27.5% of all people who give birth in the U.S experience postpartum preeclampsia. This range can be partially explained because the majority of reports on postpartum preeclampsia are limited to smaller case series, thus the overall incidence has not been reliably ascertained in a prospective fashion. Regardless, there is an urgent need to define and understand it better.

I had no prior history of high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity, common risk factors for preeclampsia. My son was not born via IVF, which some evidence has shown may increase the risk of preeclampsia. I was, however, 37 years old and considered advanced maternal age.

Because of my age, I was induced at 39 weeks. We arrived at the hospital, excited and nervous on a Sunday afternoon. My son was born the following night. After pushing for over an hour, my doctor gave me the option of a C-section after he discovered that our baby had flipped, making him sunny-side up. I chose the C-section to avoid putting him in any distress or the very probable scenario of a C-section becoming an emergency.

We entered the OR calm, if a bit nervous and teary-eyed, as any major surgery poses risk. Within five minutes, we met our beautiful baby boy without any complications. It was the most joyous moment of our lives. We spent the following four nights at the hospital taking the advice of friends who said, Stay as long as possible and take advantage of the nursery so we could rest.

I felt relief that I wouldnt have to use a peri bottle, and my incision didnt bother me. I didnt need narcotics for the pain, and I was healing well. Those next few days were spent with more awe and wonder, skin-to-skin contact, learning to breastfeed and pump, warm visits from family and friends, check-ins and checkups, and snuggles. I remained healthy and on track to be discharged without any concerns. By the fifth day, we were ready to go home and nest into our new roles as mom and dad. No one could have predicted (with the lack of research and data available) what would happen next.

On that sixth night, when we arrived back at Labor and Delivery, two nurses came rushing into the room before I could even begin to explain my symptoms. They told me to undress and lie down, and then began simultaneously hooking me up to an IV of hydralazine, a medication used to treat high blood pressure, and inserting a catheter without anesthesia. The nurse inserting the catheter was so nervous about how severe and fast my blood pressure was climbing that she missed on her first attempt. I screamed as my distraught husband tried to comfort me and our crying newborn.

I began to feel afraid and confused about the urgency of what was happening and kept telling the nurses, my head hurts  please do something about my head. There was no time to explain why I was being poked and prodded. I was only told, we need to get your blood pressure down and there is no time for anesthesia. I had no idea that at that moment I was at severe risk of having a lethal seizure or a stroke.

Not a single medical professional informed me of this until I was wheeled off to a dark room with no windows as my headache became worse, and I was placed on a high dose of magnesium sulfate. Magnesium sulfate acts as a central nervous system depressant, suppressing abnormal electrical activity in the brain. I felt like I was lying beneath a semi truck. I could not lift my eyelids. I could not hold my baby. Several hours later, as I drifted in and out of consciousness, I saw my husband in the corner of the room with his head in between his knees, sobbing. It had been almost 24 hours since he had slept, and now he was not only worried about the health and safety of our newborn son, but for my health and safety too.

"This was the first time I held and breastfed our son after being on a magnesium sulfate drip for my postpartum preeclampsia," the author writes. Courtesy of Christina McDowell

In the blurry distance, I could see one of the nurses comforting him while simultaneously cradling our crying son. I have little memory of what followed over the next 48 hours. I do, however, remember asking the nurse if I was dying. She looked at me with a half-smile and said, You are doing well. You are not in the ICU. We just need to stabilize your blood pressure.

There are women with postpartum preeclampsia in the ICU? I asked.

Yes, she said.

Most maternal deaths related to preeclampsia happen after delivery, making it more dangerous than preeclampsia during pregnancy, according to the Preeclampsia Foundation, the nations leading nonprofit dedicated to studying and raising awareness about the condition. What makes this even more terrifying for new mothers in the U.S. is that the first postpartum checkup usually isnt until week six, the exact cutoff mark before which data suggests a woman is still at risk of developing postpartum preeclampsia.

When my OB-GYN walked in to see me for the first time after being readmitted, I looked up with heavy eyes and asked, Why did this happen?

We dont really know, he replied.

He admitted that hed seen an uptick in cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began but said that there isnt enough data to know whether there was any correlation yet. Because I had been one of the rare individuals who had not yet tested positive for COVID, I figured it must have been something else. There is some data that women with a history of migraines, those who deliver via C-section, and women who are advanced maternal age are more likely to be diagnosed.

I am a white woman who received prompt medical attention. I did not need to advocate for myself in an institution many describe as one of the best hospitals in the country. I know not everyone is as lucky  or has the privilege I do.

Black women are more than three times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes and five times more likely to die from postpartum cardiomyopathy, a possible symptom of postpartum preeclampsia. The data linking Black women directly to postpartum preeclampsia is not clear, which is not surprising, considering there are massive gaps in the research of this very understudied, yet seemingly rising, and potentially lethal disease.

It is my wish that every pregnant person knows the signs of preeclampsia because even those with no risk factors can still develop this condition. Symptoms may include vision changes (seeing spots, blurriness, light sensitivity), a headache that wont go away, shortness of breath, pain in your upper belly, nausea and/or vomiting, decreased urination, and high blood pressure. I didnt know any of these were connected to postpartum preeclampsia when I was discharged from the hospital with my newborn son, and I had no idea how quickly they could appear.

Once my blood pressure stabilized and I was cleared to leave the hospital, my doctor asked me to continue using our blood pressure cuff at home. I had to check my blood pressure every day and keep a log for my doctor for two weeks. Any reading 160/110 or higher that appeared two times in a row meant I needed to return to the hospital immediately. If any reading registered 150 or higher, I was instructed to call my doctor.

Though I was happy to be back in the comfort of our home, I was traumatized by my experience. I had many anxious thoughts about dying and leaving my son behind. I reached out for help, sought therapy, and saw a cardiologist to make sure I hadnt developed cardiomyopathy. Depending on which doctor you talk to, some might call my approach a radical act of self-care, and others might call it paranoia. But with the limited data available for women postpartum, I call it self-care.

I continued to heal and fell even more in love with my son and husband. I was so happy to be alive that the overnight feedings and tired mornings rarely bothered me. I spent my entire maternity leave in gratitude. After about three weeks, my blood pressure numbers went back to normal and have stayed that way.

The author with her husband and son. Courtesy of Christina McDowell

Many months later, when I was ready to write this article, I found the discharge paperwork I was given after giving birth. A single loose leaf of paper slipped out of the stack. There was a list of general warning signs that indicated a new mother should seek medical attention, but nowhere on the piece of paper did it say, possibly life-threatening or postpartum preeclampsia, nor, to my recollection, did anyone specifically go over any of those warnings with me before we left.

The information felt minimized after all that I had gone through. I cant think of one woman who  with all the information she is carrying in her new post-birth brain  would have bothered looking at that piece of paper twice, especially when she is already dealing with maternity leave paperwork, her new babys birth records, and learning to breastfeed, and so much more. We need more education and better information, and it needs to be available to every new mother and mother-to-be.

We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but our health care system is a nightmare  and thats if youre lucky enough to have access to it. I shouldnt feel scared to have a second child, but I am, even after my OB-GYN (whom I love) told me that I will be monitored more closely this time. What will happen to the women who wont be? The ones who are never told about the signs? Those who dont own a blood pressure cuff? Whose symptoms are dismissed? We must continue sharing our stories and ensure we dont let each other  or ourselves  slip through the cracks.

Christina McDowell is the bestselling author of The Cave Dwellers, an American satire, and After Perfect: A Daughters Memoir. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, USA Today, O, The Oprah Magazine and Marie Claire, among other publications. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband, photographer Elliott ODonovan, and their son. To find out more, visit christinamcdowell.com.

Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.

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The SS United States may be sunk in the near future, but its memories live on through those who experienced it.

Despite great efforts to revamp the iconic ocean liner, following a lawsuit, the SS United States Conservancy entered into an agreement with Okaloosa County, Florida, to sink the mammoth ship and turn it into the world's largest artificial reef.

It was set to travel to Alabama for sinking preparations in November, but the trip was delayed due to logistics and weather. Okaloosa County canceled the original plan to move the ship starting Nov. 15. A new date has not yet been set, but Coast Guard documents say the ship might not be fit to make the trip from Philadelphia.

Rumors of last-minute efforts to bring the SS United States to New York City are false, Okaloosa County spokesman Nick Tomacek told the Delaware News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Why is the SS United States important?

The SS United States could travel at a speed of 38.32 knots (44.1 mph), which still holds the record for ocean liners.

The SS United States hit the water in 1952 as "an ambassador of Americas post-war industrial power and a technological marvel," the SS United States Conservancy website says.

Developed by United States Lines and the U.S. government, the ship was part luxurious passenger liner, hosting a slew of celebrities, and part secret weapon, the website says. It still holds the transatlantic speed record and, at the time, was able to transport more troops further, without refueling, than ever before.

Background: Massive, historic 'America's flagship' must leave Philadelphia port. But where can it go?

The ship was retired in 1969 as transatlantic flights became more common. It changed hands numerous times after that, landing with the conservancy in 2011. Now, the SS United States is America's only remaining "great ocean liner," the website says.

The historic vessel's final journey has brought to top of mind, for many, fond memories of their time on the celebrated ship. Here are some of their stories.

Sailing with Ava Gardner

Rose Thacker was 10 years old when she made a round trip between New York City to Le Havre, France, in the summer of 1966.

Thacker was too young to understand her celebrity, but actress Ava Gardner shared the ship with her both times. Gardner was one of many celebrities to grace the ship's decks.

"It was a huge boat, let me tell you," Thacker said.

Thacker recalled the ship's movie theater, where she could "pop in" anytime, she said. She had just learned to swim so she loved the large swimming pool, she said. At dinnertime in the banquet hall, "everybody dressed up," she said, and the captain sat with different tables every night. Thacker still has some of ship's printed menus.

"It was quite an experience. It was like a floating city," she said.

Doris Pethel's photo was featured in The News Journal when she rode aboard the SS United States in 1957.

She was pregnant on board

"I was in a little tin horn driving to the big city and then I saw this immense ship and I was just like, 'Oh my God,' " 89-year-old Doris Pethel, of Newark, recalled.

She was 22 and six months pregnant when she boarded the SS United States in New York City to visit her husband, an airman stationed in Wethersfield, England, in September 1957.

"I got a little seasick, but I heard that if you kept your eyes on the horizon you'd feel better, and so it was," she said.

Pethel shared a cabin with three other women, visited the library, sat with other "singles" at mealtimes and frequently checked in with the purser's office to get updates on the ship's progress, she said.

While in England, Pethel gave birth. When she returned to the U.S. aboard another historic ship, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, she had a six-week-old infant with her.

"I am so sorry that the (SS) United States is no more, but I have a great memory of my trip on it," she said. She hopes to get to see the ship as it travels down the Delaware River and Bay.

Renate Koerner the day she boarded the SS United States, before her seasickness began.

She couldn't wait to get off the ship

Renate Koerner also was pregnant when she voyaged from Bremerhaven, Germany, to America on the SS United States in March of 1961. Her seasickness was much worse than Pethel's.

"I was sick for all five days on the way over," the now 88-year-old Koerner said. "I didn't come out of my cabin until we got to New York. I think about it every March."

Koerner now lives in Brick Township, New Jersey, but she grew up on the Baltic Sea, she said. She had never been seasick before and was very excited to be on the SS United States, she said, but there was a "big, big storm" on the Atlantic during her passage, causing her extreme nausea.

Women in nearby cabins brought her and another pregnant woman food and water, Koerner said, but eventually a stewardess came and forced them to come out and get some fresh air.

"That made us even more sick," Koerner said. "I was so mad I couldn't enjoy anything. I couldn't wait to get off that boat."

A young Steven Perlin receives a gift from Santa aboard the SS United States in 1957.

Christmas on the SS United States

Steven Perlin was born in Switzerland while his father was attending school there, he said. In December 1959, a 2-year-old Perlin, his brother and his mother took the SS United States from Le Havre, France, back to America.

The crossing was rough, Perlin recalled.

"I remember a crew member warning my brother and I off from the elevators as they were closed due to the weather," he said.

Perlin has a photo of Santa Claus giving him a present aboard the ship, the only known photo of Santa on the ship, he said. The gift "was some sort of mechanical race car contraption which I remember being quite fond of," he said.

Perlin was able to tour the ship earlier this year, which he said was a "great privilege."

Thomas Coleman was a doctor aboard the SS United States.

Dr. United States

Thomas Coleman of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, died in 2000, but in the 1950s and 1960s, he was an SS United States physician, according to his daughter, Ellen Hamilton.

Coleman's family often went with him to the harbor in New York City to see him off, Hamilton said, and they were allowed to board the ship to see his cabin and office.

"It was a wonderful experience for my dad. He enjoyed the mix of work, fine dining and seeing the world," Hamilton said. "My mother was the true hero in this story as she was home with seven children. My only wish was that my mom could accompany him on these great adventures."

The SS United States on a cruise to St. Thomas in 1966.

She saw toured ship as it was being built

Dororthy Colburn was about 10 years old when her father, who worked in administration for the U.S. Navy, was invited to visit the ship as it was being built.

"It was really big, walking beside it to get to the little bridge that went in, but inside it was enormous, bigger than my whole world," the 86-year-old New Castle resident said.

No photographs were allowed, but Colburn has vivid memories of the galley.

"Nothing resembled the kitchen in our house. I had never walked into a refrigerator!" she said. "Everything was shinymetal. We were told that the only wood on the entire ship was the chef's cutting block."

The ship's architect, William Francis Gibbs, wanted a fireproof ship and insisted no wood be used in construction, according to the SS United States Conservancy website. The exception was the ship's pianos, made from fire-resistant mahogany.

Do you have memories of the SS United States? Shannon Marvel McNaught would love to hear them. Contact her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: The SS United States will be sunk, but passengers remember grandeur
By Kanishka Singh and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President-elect Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to pause implementation of a law that would ban popular social media app TikTok or force its sale, arguing he should have time after taking office to pursue a "political resolution" to the issue.

The court is set to hear arguments in the case on Jan. 10.

The law would require TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban. The U.S. Congress voted in April to ban it unless ByteDance sells the app by Jan. 19.

TikTok, which has over 170 million U.S. users, and its parent have sought to have the law struck down. But if the court does not rule in their favor and no divestment occurs, the app could be effectively banned in the United States on Jan. 19, one day before Trump takes office.

Trump's support for TikTok is a reversal from 2020, when he tried to block the app in the United States and force its sale to American companies because of its Chinese ownership.

It also shows the significant effort by the company to forge inroads with Trump and his team during the presidential campaign.

"President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute," said D. John Sauer, Trump's lawyer who is also the president-elect's pick for U.S. solicitor general.

"Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case, thus permitting President Trump's incoming administration the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case," he added.

Trump previously met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in December, hours after the president-elect expressed he had a "warm spot" for the app and that he favored allowing TikTok to keep operating in the United States for at least a little while.

The president-elect also said he had received billions of views on the social media platform during his presidential campaign.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company has previously said the Justice Department has misstated its ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the United States on cloud servers operated by Oracle Corp while content moderation decisions that affect U.S. users are made in the United States as well.

Free speech advocates separately told the Supreme Court on Friday the U.S. law against TikTok evokes the censorship regimes put in place by the United States' authoritarian enemies.

The U.S. Justice Department has argued Chinese control of TikTok poses a continuing threat to national security, a position supported by most U.S. lawmakers.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led a coalition of 22 attorneys general on Friday in filing an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold the national TikTok divest-or-ban legislation.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Nandita Bose; Editing by Alistair Bell and Chris Reese)
Charlie Rolstone/SWNS Charlie Rolstone

After spending most of her life with symptoms she thought were quirks, a woman discovered she actually had a rare brain disorder.

Charlie Rolstone  a jewelry business owner from Hertfordshire, England  recalled dealing with subtle symptoms like motion sickness and migraines. She ignored them over the years and assumed she would grow out of it.

I've suffered with migraines since I was a teen, she told South West News Service, via The Daily Mail. Whenever I cough, I get a very piercing pain in my head; covering the back of my skull. It only lasts for maybe 30 seconds, but it's enough to make me grab my head.

I can't even shout, or raise my voice without getting a headache, she said. These were symptoms I knew to be there, but I thought they were normal.

However, in September 2021, Rolstones symptoms worsened and she suddenly collapsed at her home.

No one saw me actually collapse, she recalled. I'd been up the entire night before, making a cake for my friend's son, and I was feeling tired. I locked my back door, went into the living room, and started feeling a way I've never felt before. I was very spaced out; like everything was moving in slow-motion. It was so different from the kind of fuzziness you feel from a lack of sleep.

I walked as far as my sofa and it intensified. Next thing I know, I'm in the back of an ambulance, she told the outlet.

Related: One Woman on the Stress of Living with Chronic Illness During a Pandemic: 'It's OK Not to Be OK'

Charlie Rolstone/SWNS Charlie Rolstone

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Rolstones partner discovered her on the ground and immediately called for an ambulance. When she woke up, doctors explained that she had suffered a seizure.

Several tests and an MRI later revealed that Rolstone had epilepsy, and she was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a rare condition in which brain tissue grows into the spinal canal and part of the skull presses on the brain and forces it downward, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The condition, which occurs due to a portion of the skull being misshapen or too small, can cause symptoms like headaches, dizziness and vertigo, weak muscles, difficulty with balance or coordination, neck pain, trouble swallowing or breathing, insomnia, seizures, slow heart rhythm and more.

Severe symptoms and certain types of Chiari malformation can be fatal, the Cleveland Clinic says.

Related: 3 Young Brothers in Indiana Are Diagnosed with the Same Rare Brain Abnormality: 'Its Pretty Scary

Charlie Rolstone/SWNS Charlie Rolstone

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Following her diagnosis, Rolstone was referred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, where staff will monitor her symptoms for the rest of my life. She admitted that the condition has drastically impacted her life.

I can't work a nine-to-five, and my partner has become my full-time carer, she said. I struggle to watch TV because I get motion sickness symptoms if the camera zooms too quickly.

There is no cure for Chiari malformations, but symptoms can be managed. Rolstone regularly takes painkillers for her migraines and limits screen time to avoid motion sickness. She was also prescribed epilepsy medication and has been seizure-free for 21 months.

Despite the everyday challenges, Rolstone told the outlet that shes grateful her condition was diagnosed and she was able to get on top of her health.

I don't know the full extent of the damage the condition has done, but I'm glad we've caught it now, she added. That seizure saved my life.

Read the original article on People
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Windy. A steady rain this morning, with showers continuing this afternoon. High around 50F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible..

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Belarus Nukes

December 28, 2024: Belarus, which borders Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, was formerly part of the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Belarus was one the few fifteen successor states to ally itself with Russia. While many Belarussians dislike and distrust Russia, Belarussian leaders have been bribed or coerced by Russia to be pro-Russian. That means Russian special operations and espionage personnel can operate out of Belarus against neighboring countries. Russia has also stored tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and regularly uses Belarus to move troops around. Some of these movements put Russian forces on the Ukrainian border.

All this activity causes all non-Russian nations bordering Belarus to carefully guard that border. Russian President Vladimir Putin has frequently mentioned that he wants to reassemble the Soviet Union. He first tried to absorb Ukraine into Russia. That has been an expensive failure but that hasnt persuaded Putin to back off on his desire t0 invade most of the nations bordering Belarus. The Belarussian leaders are willing to be part of a revived Soviet Union but most Belarussians are not.

Meanwhile Belarus has become a hive of scum and villainy for Ukraine and all the other nations in the region except for Russia, which plans, encourages and supports all the dirty deeds being attempted or carried out from bases in Belarus. While the Russian nukes stored there are meant to intimidate neighbors, the Russian saboteurs, spies and troublemakers are sometimes caught while scouting for targets of potential future sabotage efforts.
Working together on a large-scale business process mapping job that progressed into transformation and other projects, drew out the best of Guy Cranswick, Lizee Cule and Steph Dubrasky-Richmonds individual specialities.

The idea for getting into business together came about as the trio continued to work on several projects.

We had a similar way of working although being very different which worked at the time and is going well now, Cranswick said.

As we each left the job that brought us together we discussed what to do next over drinks and then it came into being.

Weve worked together for over two years and can discuss things openly, even if we dont see things from the same point of view, we listen, and move on in a pragmatic way.

Dubrasky added she had been operating on custom projects in her consulting role, when she was engaged to work with Cule and Cranswick in a large digital transformation program.
New York-headquartered multinational analytic and service provider EXL is set to expand its Australian presence as it bolsters its Melbourne footprint.

EXL, which recently celebrated its 25 year anniversary in business, has offices in 12 countries, but according to its Asia Pacific (APAC) senior vice president of growth leader insurance Vilas Madan, Australia is ripe for disruption.

We see it as a place thats ripe for disruption from the incumbent thinking and providers, he said to ARN. The local business landscape is evolving rapidly and theres a real eagerness here to adopt new technologies like AI, automation and with providers that are agile, responsive and innovative.

Madan noted that many Australian companies are keen to innovate and modernise, particularly in industries like financial services, utilities, healthcare and insurance.

What makes Australia especially appealing to us is the combination of a strong talent pool and a growing appetite for digital transformation. The regulatory environment is also conducive to the kinds of services we provide, allowing us to work closely with local clients to create scalable and impactful solutions, he said.

Madan said its these factors that make it the perfect place for EXL to help businesses tackle the challenges theyre facing today and build solutions for the future.
Oracle subsidiary, NetSuite is looking to expand beyond traditional solutions providers and alliance partners and is seeking to engage with advisory firms, associations, and private equity firms across A/NZ.

In an interview with ARN, Tony Field, Oracle NetSuite senior director (GM) of channels and ecosystems for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) explained that this approach was triggered NetSuite customers engaging with firms, the vendor had not reached.

This will also help it to build a base of industry-specific partners.

Traditionally, weve been very focused on just our solution providers and alliance partners, he said. But theres a much bigger, wider community out there that we were missing, and it includes what we call advisory firms.

Field noted that the response from these firms has been fantastic. The mission behind all of this being to build a community of industry-based partners who we can collaborate with.

We can connect other partners to each other and, through that, drive positive change across joint customer bases or potentially new prospects, he said. We felt that we were missing out because we werent doing this before.
by Fady Noun

Celebrating Midnight Mass in Rmeich and Mass on the 25th in Kley'a, in a relatively stable Lebanon, the Apostolic Nuncio praised the tenacity of the faithful in the Land of the Cedars. And of their attachment to their land, which is holy. Taking up the pope's words, the exhortation was to never let your hope be stolen.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - In a Lebanon relatively stabilised by the decision to implement UN resolution 1701 and the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the apostolic nuncio Monsignor Paolo Borgia wanted to celebrate Christmas in Rmeich (12,000 inhabitants) and Kley'a (2,500 inhabitants).

These are two Christian-Maronite border towns that have gone through, not without difficulty, the fourteen months of war that Hezbollah waged against Israel in support of Hamas, from 8 October 2023 until the ceasefire on 8 December.

Thanks to the decision to oppose any kind of use by Hezbollah militiamen of their territorial space and human resources, coupled with the close surveillance of this area by skilful and valiant men, the two towns, despite being located in the front row of the battlefield, were not directly targeted by the Israeli army during the conflict.

However, they lived in very precarious conditions during the last months of firefights, when the roads became dangerous and foodstuffs and basic necessities had to be transported to the area at great risk.

Of course, on the side it is true that we were not directly bombed, Fr Tony Elias, parish priest of Rmeich, tells AsiaNews, but this does not mean that we were not afraid.

Our windows, terraces, walls and the tops of buildings were hit by bullets. Not to mention the shells,' he adds, that hit the outskirts of the town and the fallout from the shell interception fire, which damaged six houses and completely destroyed a seventh. If you walk through the streets of the village, you can see that many walls are cracked, split or punctured because of the war'.

The economic consequences of the war have affected Rmeich and Kley'a as much as any other area. Almost 10,000 olive trees, the priest explains, were destroyed in the fields of Rmeich during the war, not to mention the damage to tobacco cultivation and beekeeping. Two thirds of the inhabitants of Rmeich, he recalls, live off the proceeds of the land.

Rmeich and Kley'a are accessible by road, without special authorisation from the Lebanese army, assures Fr. Pierre Rahi, parish priest of Kley'a. But to reach the two towns, one has to pass through Nabatiyeh, where the old souk, the pride of the inhabitants, was mercilessly destroyed by Israeli air raids. We went through it with a heavy heart, it was pitiful to see all the destruction, said the pope's representative.

The Apostolic Nuncio celebrated Midnight Mass in Rmeich and the solemn Christmas Day service in Kley'a. Between one engagement and another, Mgr Borgia tells AsiaNews, I had the joy of seeing the local community united. For the midnight Mass, the church was packed, he continued, not without expressing deep pleasure.

The Holy See representative went on to say that he had witnessed the reality of the Lebanese people's rootedness in faith, as well as their ability to resist adversity, to remain steadfast and to share. It is good to see in Lebanon this tenacity, this attachment to the land and to the Christian faith, he stressed, not without a hint of pride. For Lebanon, these, he concludes, are great signs of hope.

Certainly, our relations with the Maronite Archbishop of Tyre are very good, resumes the parish priest of Rmeich, who then adds that it is comforting to know that we enjoy the direct solicitude of Pope Francis. This is the sixth time that the apostolic nuncio has visited us, remarks one of his confreres from Kley'a.

Upon his arrival on 24 afternoon, Mgr Paolo Borgia was welcomed into the convent of the nuns of the Lebanese Maronite Order (Olm), where he spent the night. He first participated in a joyful exchange of gifts and dined surrounded by the guests, before celebrating Mass.

In his homily, the prelate had a thought for all the communities in South Lebanon, for those who were able to stay and those who could not, as well as for those who have lost their homes or cannot yet return.

I wanted to celebrate this Christmas Mass here, both because Jesus was born at night, as the Gospel says, and because the night [...] represents, the Vatican diplomat observed, in some way the uncertainty of today and tomorrow, still full of risks and so many challenges. By my presence, I would like to say,' Mgr Borgia resumes, that in this night of life I feel at your side, I feel with all of you, just as the Holy Father, whom I represent in this country, would do.

Lebanese Christians have an ancestral faith, rooted in this holy land because it was walked by Christ and his disciples, he added. A beloved land which, despite everything and thanks to God, you have never left and which you continue to inhabit, proud of your origins. This faith opens your hearts to hope. And as Pope Francis has written: never let your hope be stolen, never give up hope for a future - concluded the prelate - that can always be better than the present, believe in the future, strong in God's support'.
28 December 2024 16:24 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The "E-qidam" mobile application, developed by the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AFSA /AQTA) to strengthen public control in the food sector, protect consumer rights, and ensure the prompt resolution of citizen complaints, was presented to the public through the media, Azernews reports.

During the presentation, a promotional video of the application was shown, and media representatives were provided with detailed information about its purpose and how to use it. It was reported that if citizens encounter any issues related to food safety, they can immediately report them to AFSA through the "E- qidam" application. The main advantage of the application is that it enables public control with the active participation of citizens, expanding the scope for addressing negative situations that may arise.

It was also highlighted that citizens can download the "E-qidam" mobile application on both Android and iOS devices. To submit a complaint, registered users need to go to the "Submit a Complaint" section, enter the name of the food product in question and the address where it is sold, then click the "Send" button. The complaint will be received by the Agency and investigated according to the law. Citizens can track the status of their complaints by visiting the "My Applications" section.

Additionally, through the mobile application, citizens can instantly access information about ongoing work, events, news, educational articles, and the latest innovations in food safety. They can also receive updates on training programs, laboratory analyses, and job openings from the Azerbaijan Institute of Food Safety. Most importantly, by activating the "Notification" feature, business entities will receive notifications about relevant information shared by the Agency in the mobile application.

At the end of the presentation, questions from interested journalists were answered.

To use the "E-qidam" mobile application, you can visit the following links:

For iOS: https://apps.apple.com/az/app/e-qi-dam/id6452725355

For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aqra&pcampaignid=web_share
28 December 2024 18:34 (UTC+04:00)

The Consul General of Azerbaijan in Kars, Zamin Aliyev, encouraged Turkish investors to seize the opportunities presented by the new industrial park in Nakhchivan, Azernews reports.

During a meeting with entrepreneurs in Igdir province, he highlighted a decree from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev establishing the park.

Aliyev emphasized that the area's infrastructure offers significant potential for investors. He also stressed the need to fully leverage the checkpoint between Igdir and Nakhchivan to enhance mutual trade.

Aliyev urged entrepreneurs to support the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline project, noting that blue fuel has already been delivered to Turkiyes Dilucu station, with plans to supply gas to Nakhchivan soon.

He also underscored the strategic importance of the Kars-Nakhchivan railway project, which he believes will strengthen the Middle Transport Corridor. The Consul General highlighted the need for closer cooperation between entrepreneurs from various Turkish provinces and businesses in Nakhchivan, Garabagh, and Zangezur, which would further boost trade between the two nations.

Aliyev concluded by noting that the relationship between Baku and Ankara is widely recognized and continues to flourish across political, economic, cultural, and defense sectors.
Another event has been held within the project "Friend of the Master", organized by the Culture Ministry's Scientific, Methodological and Qualification Center of Culture (MEMIM) with the support of the Baku City Main Department of Culture, Azernews reports.

The guest of the meeting, dedicated to the World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day, was the renowned balaban performer, People's Artist of Azerbaijan, Alikhan Samadov. The event took place at the 11th music school No. 35 named after Georgy Sharojev.

Prior to the meeting, the participants observed a minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the crash of an AZAL passenger plane and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

In their remarks, MEMIM Acting Director Vugar Gumbatov, the head of the Baku City Main Department of Culture Ibrahim Aliyev, and the director of the Music School named after G. Sharojev Vafa Khazieva, stressed the significance of the project, which is being implemented to promote culture, stimulate the creativity of children and youth, and organize the exchange of experiences between prominent figures of culture and young talents. Within the framework of the project, educational, musical, and interactive meetings have been organized in the capital and regions, featuring representatives of various fields of culture.

At the meeting, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the master of the stage, he shared details about his life and work, the art of playing the balaban, his pedagogical activities, increasing the interest of children and youth in wind instruments, and the work of Azerbaijani cultural figures living abroad. Discussing his book about the balaban, Alihan Samadov spoke about modern means of promoting and popularizing national music.

He performed a composition by Said Rustamov titled "Getm," and students from the 9th grade of music school No. 35 named after G. Sharojev, Magomed Bayramov and Mirnijat Yagubov (teacher - Ogtay Murshudov, accompanist - Dinara Iskandarova), performed pieces by Uzeyir Hajibayli "Asqsayag," Alakbar Taghiyev "Sn glmz oldun," and Suleyman Alasgarov "Xyala dalarkn." At the end of the event, Alihan Samadov answered questions from the participants.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.
Baku has hosted a meeting with participants of the "Youth and Turkic Culture" event under the motto "Faithfulness to Heritage", Azernews reports.

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, the Baku Media Center, Zfr Association for the Support of Martyr Families and "Azrlotereya" ASC.

The event's main purpose is to introduce rich Turkic culture to young people and encourage their active participation in preserving and passing it on to future generations.

Deputy Culture Minister Saadat Yusifova addressed the meeting. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of strengthening ties with Turkic countries and promoting cultural exchange among young people. She also stressed the importance of continuing such initiatives at a wider scale in the future.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azrlotereya ASC, Osman Karakus stressed the significance of promoting Turkish culture worldwide and the role of young people in preserving and promoting its values.

He underlined that Azrlotereya, with its support, has been implementing this project for three years, and currently covers 150 martyr's heritage. Under this project, the educational expenses and living expenses of orphans of martyrs studying in Turkey and Azerbaijan are covered.

Chairman of Zfr Association for the Support of Martyr Families Sevinj Alizade also made a speech and highly valued the meaning of the event in terms of young people's familiarity with Turkic culture.

The President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Aktoty Raimkulova, TURKSOY representative Melik Ozsoz, spoke about the importance of preserving Turkic cultural heritage and common values.

The event was followed by a screening of the feature film "Taghiyev. Oil".
28 December 2024 17:42 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The Prosecutor General's Office and the State Security Service of Azerbaijan have announced that a criminal case against war criminal Ruben Vardanyan has been submitted to court, Azernews reports.

Vardanyan faces multiple charges under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including:

Article 100 : Planning and waging a war of aggression

: Planning and waging a war of aggression Article 107 : Deportation or forcible transfer of the population

: Deportation or forcible transfer of the population Article 109 : Persecution

: Persecution Article 112 : Deprivation of liberty contrary to international law

: Deprivation of liberty contrary to international law Article 113 : Torture

: Torture Article 114 : Mercenary activity

: Mercenary activity Article 115 : Violation of the laws and customs of war

: Violation of the laws and customs of war Article 116 : Violation of international humanitarian law during an armed conflict

: Violation of international humanitarian law during an armed conflict Article 214 : Terrorism

: Terrorism Article 214-1 : Financing terrorism

: Financing terrorism Article 218 : Creation of a criminal association (organization)

: Creation of a criminal association (organization) Article 228 : Illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, and explosives

: Illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, and explosives Article 270-1 : Acts threatening aviation security

: Acts threatening aviation security Article 278 : Forcible seizure and retention of power

: Forcible seizure and retention of power Article 279 : Forcibly changing the constitutional structure of the state

: Forcibly changing the constitutional structure of the state Article 318: Illegal crossing of Azerbaijans state border

The case alleges Vardanyan committed various acts violating international law and Azerbaijan's sovereignty. A final indictment has been prepared for trial.
28 December 2024 12:26 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic has sent a letter of condolence to his Azerbaijani counterpart Ali Asadov.

Azernews presents the letter :

"I received with deep sorrow the tragic news about the death of passengers and crew members of the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft flying from Baku to Grozny on December 25. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and me personally, I express my deepest condolences to you, the families of the deceased, and all those affected by this tragedy. We also wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured."
28 December 2024 13:21 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan's state television channel, AzTV, has called on Russia to admit responsibility and issue an apology for the crash of the AZAL passenger plane, which is alleged to have been caused by an attack from Russian air defenses, Azernews reports.

In its broadcast, AzTV referenced Azerbaijan's actions during the 44-day Patriotic War, when Baku apologized for downing a Russian helicopter and provided compensation, contrasting this with Moscow's continued refusal to acknowledge the recent incident.

Members of Parliament Elchin Mirzabeyli and Tural Ganjaliyev also voiced their concerns, emphasizing that Russia is obliged to apologize in line with the provisions of the Chicago Convention of 1944.

To note, AZAL's Embraer 190 passenger plane on the Baku-Grozny route crashed 3 km away from Aktau airport on December 25.

A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were on board the Embraer 190 airplane, flying Baku-Grozny, which crashed in Aktau.

Following the crash of the passenger airplane near Aktau, 27 people were hospitalized. Of them, 15 people are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 8 - of the Russian Federation, and 3 - of the Kyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not been established yet.

Of the victims hospitalized, 11 are being treated in the intensive care unit, 13 - in the traumatology department, 2 - in the neurosurgery department, and 1 - in the surgical department. These persons are under the control of professional doctors from Kazakhstan and those expelled from Azerbaijan and Russia. They were provided with prompt and specialized medical and psychological treatment.

Both crew pilots as well as the flight stewardess were lost, but two crew members survived.

December 26 has been declared a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.
28 December 2024 12:45 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has directed the government commission and the General Prosecutor's Office, in coordination with other relevant authorities, to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the crash of the passenger plane near Aktau, Azernews reports.

According to Kazakh media, President Tokayev also instructed the government commission to extend full medical and psychological support to foreign nationals affected by the incident, while prioritizing assistance to the families of Kazakh citizens who lost their lives.

Highlighting the need to combat misinformation, the president stressed the importance of preventing the spread of provocative or fake news related to the crash. He further emphasized the necessity of scrutinizing aviation safety standards across Kazakhstan to ensure compliance and prevent similar incidents in the future.

During the meeting, updates were provided by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev, Prosecutor General Berik Assylov, National Security Committee Chairman Yermek Sagimbaev, Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov, and Minister of Health Akmaral Alnazarova.
28 December 2024 11:32 (UTC+04:00)

Taye Atske-Selassie, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, has sent a letter of condolences to President Ilham Aliyev on plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan.

According to Azernews, the letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Excellency,

It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we heard about the tragic plane crash and loss of lives.

On behalf of the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and that of myself, I express my most sincere condolences to your Excellency and through you, to the people and government of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I extend my heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims and their bereaved families; and wish for the full and speedy recovery to those injured in this tragic accident.

While Ethiopia stands in solidarity with the people and government of Azerbaijan during this difficult time, please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Taye Atske-Selassie

President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
28 December 2024 16:54 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin made a phone call to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on December 28, Azernews reports, citing Azertag.

During the phone conversation, Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies for the tragic incident that occurred on December 25 when a passenger plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines, which was flying on the Baku-Grozny route, was subjected to physical and technical external interference in Russian airspace, and expressed his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died in this accident, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that the passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines was subjected to external physical and technical interference while in Russian airspace and completely lost control, was diverted to the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, and was able to make an emergency landing only thanks to the bravery and professionalism of the pilots. The head of state emphasized that the presence of numerous holes in the fuselage of the plane, the injuries of passengers and crew members by foreign particles that penetrated the deck of the plane while still in the air, and the statements of the surviving flight attendants and passengers in this regard establish the fact of external physical and technical interference.

During the conversation, the heads of state discussed a serious and thorough investigation of all the details of this tragedy and the need to bring the perpetrators to justice.

President Ilham Aliyev said that, at the suggestion of the Azerbaijani side, a team of international experts was formed to thoroughly investigate the causes of this accident, and this team has already begun its activities.

The heads of state also emphasized that the investigation process initiated into the tragedy will be conducted in a fully transparent manner and the public will be informed on a regular basis.
SITEKI  What caused pupils to underperform during the examination at Sitsatsaweni Primary School where 109 failures were recorded?

In a disheartening revelation that has shaken the small community of Sitsatsaweni, primary school pupils here have recorded alarming underperformance in the 2024 Eswatini Primary Certificate (EPC) examinations. The local Sitsatsaweni Primary School, nestled in the remote Lubombo Region near Siteki, has emerged as a focal point of concern, tallying an astonishing 109 failures out of 164 candidatesa staggering failure rate that has left many residents and parents reeling. The recently-released results, unveiled on Monday, showed that only 22 pupils managed to secure Second Class passes, while 33 achieved Third Class.

Notably absent from the results were any merit or First Class passes, leading the community to voice its frustration and disappointment. Many have been quick to blame the school and the Ministry of Education and Training for this dismal performance, yet some parents have expressed that the outcome was, in fact, somewhat anticipated. Given that this is the only primary school in the area and it is overcrowded, it was inevitable that we would see such results, remarked one parent, who preferred to remain anonymous.

Adequate

This sentiment reflects a broader concern regarding the schools lack of adequate teaching staff, a situation exacerbated by the high number of pupils enrolled. Further complicating matters is the prevailing economic reality in the region, particularly the prominence of dagga (cannabis) cultivation. Parents have pointed to the communitys heavy reliance on dagga farming as a significant factor contributing to the pupils poor academic performance.

Echoing issues reported in the northern Hhohho region, children at Sitsatsaweni Primary School are reportedly abandoning their education to work in the lucrative dagga fields.

Local resident Jingo*, a father of one of the pupils, shares a troubling narrative. He claims that dagga growers exploit children, luring them with cash incentives to work in the fields. They recruit children because they provide cheap labour and have the physical stamina to navigate the challenging terrain required for cultivating dagga, he explained. The financial allure of earning up to E100 a day has proven irresistible, particularly in an area where poverty looms large.

However, the recent downturn in the dagga market due to legislative changes in South Africawhere the herb has been legalisedhas seen wages drop, yet the pressure remains on families to allow their children to participate in this illegal trade. The harsh economic landscape forces parents to turn a blind eye to the risks associated with their children working in the fields, as the need to provide for basic necessities often outweighs concerns about education.

Jingo lamented the detrimental impact this has on schooling, particularly during critical planting and harvesting seasons, when attendance inevitably dwindles. The struggle for survival often compels parents to fabricate reasons for their childrens absences from school, shielding them from the harsh consequences of disciplinary actions. Sometimes we have to lie about our childrens whereabouts just to keep them in school, Jingo admitted, highlighting the moral dilemmas many families face.

Concerns

Adding to the complexity of the situation, some parents have voiced concerns regarding the promotion of pupils to Grade VII, despite their inadequate performance in Grade VI. Reports suggest that several pupils who had failed to meet the required standards were nonetheless advanced to the next grade, thus contributing to the alarming failure rate. Head teacher Dr Ncamsile Matsenjwa confirmed that over 90 pupils were promoted under a government policy that has shifted over the years. In the past, those who failed Grade VI were not allowed to proceed to Grade VII, but changes have been made, she stated.

When questioned about the underlying reasons for the high failure rates, Dr Matsenjwa cited a multitude of factors, including the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she noted had severely hampered learning. The school also faces a critical shortage of teachers, with Dr Matsenjwa revealing that there was no Mathematics teacher for the Grade VII class, which comprised approximately 170 learners. Concerns have also been raised regarding teacher conduct and the impact it has on the learners. When asked about reports of intimidation among staff, Dr Matsenjwa acknowledged the issue, stating that some teachers resort to intimidation tactics to address grievances, complicating the school environment further. Although she affirmed that reporting issues to the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) is within their rights, she expressed frustration at how such actions have been used to undermine her authority during critical events.

Challenges

As Sitsatsaweni faces these multifaceted challenges, it has been observed that the need for systemic change becomes ever more apparent. Educationists suggest that the local community, teachers and policymakers must come together to address the root causes of this educational crisis, ensuring that the children of Sitsatsaweni have the opportunity to thrive academically rather than being ensnared in a cycle of poverty and underachievement.
28 December 2024 19:35 (UTC+04:00)

Klaus Werner Iohannis, President of Romania, has sent a letter of condolences to President Ilham Aliyev on the plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan.

According to Azernews, the letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Mr. President,

Following the tragic crash of the airplane traveling on the Baku-Grozny route on December 25, resulting in numerous victims, I extend to you and all the bereaved families my condolences and thoughts of sympathy and solidarity on behalf of Romania and Romanian citizens.

At the same time, we wish all those injured a fast and easy recovery.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Klaus Werner Iohannis

President of Romania
28 December 2024 17:18 (UTC+04:00)

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28 December 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

In line with a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2022, following an initiative from Tajikistan, the year 2025 has been declared the International Year of Glacier Conservation, Azernews reports.

The melting of glaciers has become one of the most pressing global environmental challenges. Over the past two decades, glaciers in the Western Tien Shanspanning Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistanhave shrunk by a staggering 27%. Meanwhile, Antarctica is losing an average of 150 billion tons of ice per year, and Greenland is losing an even greater 270 billion tons annually.

Experts predict that by 2050, glaciers will have disappeared from about one-third of the 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites where they currently exist. These glaciers collectively lose around 58 billion tons of ice each year, which is equivalent to the combined annual water consumption of France and Spain. The impact of this ice loss is already being felt, with global sea levels rising by 5% over recent decades.

Glaciers' Critical Role in Global Water Systems

Glaciers are crucial to the water supply, agriculture, and hydropower for nearly 2 billion people worldwide. Their rapid melting poses a threat to these essential resources, affecting not only local communities but also ecosystems that rely on steady water sources.

In Tajikistan, a country heavily dependent on glacier-fed rivers, the situation is especially dire. More than 1,000 of the country's 14,000 glaciers have already melted, threatening up to 60% of Central Asia's water resources. The potential loss of these glaciers would have profound consequences for agriculture, hydropower, and the livelihoods of millions of people in the region.

Raising Global Awareness and Action

The International Year of Glacier Conservation is a pivotal initiative aimed at raising awareness about the importance of glaciers and the urgent need for their protection. The UN resolution encourages countries to take action to conserve these vital natural resources and mitigate the impacts of their rapid disappearance.

As part of the initiative, a major international conference will be held in Tajikistan in 2025 to discuss strategies for glacier conservation, promote sustainable water management practices, and facilitate cooperation between countries affected by glacier melt. This conference is expected to be a crucial platform for dialogue and the development of global policies to combat the crisis.
28 December 2024 19:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Taiwanese armed forces have reported the approach of seven aircraft and five ships belonging to the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) near the island, Azernews reports.

"Seven PLA aircraft and five PLA Navy ships operating around Taiwan were detected before 06:00 today. One of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern air defense zone," the statement said.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and have taken appropriate defensive measures," the agency added.

This recent incident comes amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan, with Beijing continuing to assert its claim over Taiwan and regularly conducting military drills around the island. The median line of the Taiwan Strait, a largely unofficial demarcation, has long served as a buffer zone between the two sides, and any crossing of this line is viewed as a significant escalation.

While Taiwan's response to such incidents often involves increased monitoring and air patrols, these repeated confrontations highlight the growing concerns in the region. The United States and other Western allies have continued to support Taiwan's security, leading to heightened geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

This episode adds to a series of military posturing by China around Taiwan, which has become one of the most contentious and closely watched flashpoints in international relations. The United States has continued to offer arms sales to Taiwan and has recently reaffirmed its commitment to Taiwan's defense in the event of Chinese aggression, increasing pressure on Beijing.

In recent years, Taiwan has faced numerous incursions into its airspace and waters, which Beijing claims are part of routine exercises but are widely seen as efforts to intimidate the island nation and assert dominance over the region.
28 December 2024 22:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The United States is expected to reach its national debt ceiling in January, as confirmed by Finance Minister Janet Yellen. She sent a letter to Congress's leadership, warning of the looming deadline, Azernews reports.

According to Yellen, the debt ceiling will be hit between January 14 and January 23. To avoid a default, the U.S. Treasury will be forced to implement emergency measures. Under current U.S. law, when the debt ceiling approaches, Congress must act to prevent a government default. This typically involves raising the borrowing limit, or, in some cases, suspending or even permanently eliminating the ceiling altogether.

In June 2023, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 was passed, which temporarily suspended the debt limit until January 1, 2025. However, with the deadline fast approaching, there is increasing pressure on Congress to take action. On December 11, 2023, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged Congress to permanently eliminate the debt ceiling, suggesting that future borrowing be linked directly to government revenue and expenditure levels.

The looming debt ceiling crisis raises serious concerns about the stability of the U.S. economy, as a failure to raise or suspend the limit could lead to a government shutdown or even a default on U.S. debt. This would not only undermine the U.S. government's ability to pay its bills but also potentially damage its credit rating, causing ripple effects across global financial markets.

The U.S. national debt ceiling has been a point of contention in U.S. politics for years, with partisan divisions often leading to last-minute negotiations and temporary solutions.
28 December 2024 23:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

Vishnu Reddy, a professor at the University of Arizona, discussed the growing dangers of space debris in Earth's orbit, Azernews reports.

"The number of objects weve launched into space has increased exponentially over the past four years. A situation weve long feared is now becoming a reality," Reddy stated.

According to the scientist, the greatest threat lies in space debris located around 35,000 kilometers from Earth, the orbital range where most telecommunications satellites operate. This region is becoming increasingly crowded with debris. However, Reddy noted that despite significant research, no scientist can yet say with certainty how to prevent Kessler Syndromea hypothetical scenario where a collision between two objects in orbit triggers a cascade of debris. This process could render large swaths of near-Earth space unsuitable for satellites and future space missions.

In Kessler Syndrome, each collision generates fragments that can damage or destroy other satellites, creating a dangerous chain reaction. This phenomenon could escalate, leading to the creation of an impenetrable cloud of debris, which would make it exceedingly difficult or even impossible for future space missions to occur in that region.

The Kessler Syndrome theory, first proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, suggests that the growing amount of space debris could eventually lead to a situation where the risk of collision in Earth's orbit becomes so high that it would severely limit the ability to use space for commercial, scientific, and military purposes.

I added the distance of 35,000 kilometers for context, specifying that it's where most telecommunications satellites operate.
MALINDZA  In just two weeks, Eswatini has received 357 asylum seekers from neighbouring Mozambique.

The refugees are housed at the Malindza Refugee Centre in the height of the on-going political turmoil in Mozambique. Violent protests have rocked Mozambique since presidential lections were held on October 9, resulting in the death of 248 people, including 33 in a prison break on Wednesday, according to Plataforma Decide, an election monitoring group.

Casualties

More than 1 500 inmates fled Maputo Central Prison in Matola, located about 15 kilometres from the capital Maputo, where police reported the casualties. Protests started in late October after Daniel Chapo of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) was declared the winner of the presidential election, defeating main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who is in exile. Mondlane has rejected the results, claiming widespread vote rigging and calling on his supporters to protest. He has vowed to instal himself as president on January 15, 2025. During the visit to the Malindza Refugee Centre, Minister for Home Affairs Princess Lindiwe said government wanted to make sure that those seeking refugee use the right ports of entry and they register with the Ministry of Home Affairs. She also mentioned that this is meant for security reasons, as police are also required to ascertain if they are not fugitives.

Plight

In the refugees plight, the ministry has partnered with other stakeholders to map a way forward, like the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health, World Vision- the implementing partner of Refugee Camps in Eswatini and others, she said. She added that with the continued influx, the Ministry of Home Affairs has discovered that it now needed help in the form of donations in terms of food, clothing, sleeping mats and blankets, among others. We also appeal to individuals and UN agencies to help in the dire situation of the Mozambique nationals, she added. Thousands of prisoners escaped from a high-security facility in Maputo on Christmas Day following a rebellion during which at least 33 inmates were killed, police said.

The chaos erupted amid violent protests and riots triggered by the confirmation of the ruling Frelimo partys victory in Octobers elections.
The US Congress has made a criminal referral against RINO former Congresswoman LIz Cheney for witness tampering with reference to witnesses before the rogue Pelosi January 6 House committee. The most blatant case seems to involve the so-called "star witness" Cassiy Hutchinson who was later revealed to have lied under oath on mulitple matters. Prior to Hutchinson's testimony, Cheney met with the witness without advising Hutchinson's attorney.

Now a new poll by Rasmussen has found that 57% of Americans agree that the FBI should conduct a criminal investigation of Cheney in this matter, while 38% disagree.

https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/57_favor_fbi_probe_of_liz_cheney

Hopefully, once Kash Patel takes the reins at the FBI this will move forward, and venue for a grand jury and indictment will be outside the politically tainted Washiington, DC jury pool.
Beaufort County Schools are building a new school on the same ground where Eastern Elementary already exists, at a cost of $10,500,000.00 to Beaufort County's Taxpayers. Is this a wise expense of taxpayer dollars at this time?

22.73% Yes, Beaufort County has been awarded a 42 million dollars of grant money from the state of North Carolina (FREE MONEY) to construct school at 3.00 per squ. ft.65.91% No, this is the wrong time, to build the wrong school, on the wrong placement - its lowest point - of Eastern Elementary's existing location, when community schools work best.11.36% Why should I care about the public's education?
The Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland have been notified of an incident after a young autistic woman was removed from a retail store by PSNI officers in Lisburn earlier this month.

Police have also met with the family of the woman in question, but said that the case has not been referred to the Ombudsman because there is any suspected criminality or inappropriate behaviour which would justify disciplinary proceedings.

Eileen Mitchell said her 19-year old sister, Katie - who is non-verbal, autistic and has learning difficulties - was removed from a branch of the second-hand electronics shop CEX in Lisburn, and was left traumatised by the event.

Footage of the incident has been widely shared online, and several political representatives have since expressed concern.

On Saturday evening, Lisburn and Castlereagh District Commander, Superintendent Kelly Moore said: We are aware of video footage which is circulating on social media in which officers are seen to be carrying a female from a shop.

Police were called by the females mother to provide assistance in the Bow Street area of Lisburn at 6.15pm on Sunday 22nd December. The shop was closing its shutters when a female entered the premises. Officers attended and after discussions with family and staff members for approximately 20 minutes, a 19-year-old female with complex needs was removed from the shop by a family member, assisted by police. One officer was injured during the course of the incident.

This was a very difficult and complex set of circumstances for everyone involved and I have spoken to the family today to discuss their concerns. As an organisation we are committed to continuous learning and any feedback will be reviewed and considered. Our officers are routinely called to challenging situations and as in this case we will always seek a patient approach when dealing with people with complex needs.

The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been notified of this incident, not because there is any suspected criminality or inappropriate behaviour which would justify disciplinary proceedings, but owing to the widespread public concern and media attention surrounding the release of a short video clip of a few seconds of this incident.

This afternoon, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said her party had contacted police on the matter.

Many will be aware of a very troubling incident recorded in Lisburn before Christmas, she said.

Many have contacted me, sending the clip and expressing serious concerns.

"Please be assured, we have reached out and also have contacted the PSNI in relation to the incident.

Earlier, explaining what happened, Ms Mitchell said her sister had entered the shop after she spotted a DVD she wished to purchase, but was told by staff that a sale was not possible as the registers had been taken off due to closing.

She shared an image of Kate standing at the till, alongside a video in which she is being carried by several police officers out the front door of the shop.

Katie was removed by officers from a shop in Lisburn

Watch: Police remove autistic girl from Lisburn shop

The post has nearly 10,000 likes and over 8,000 shares, while the group NI Disability and Carers shared the post saying they have no words and tagged Chief Constable Jon Boutcher asking him if the response from the officers in the video was acceptable.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Eileen said Katie didnt understand the situation which occurred after she spotted a DVD she wished to purchase of her favourite cartoon series Thomas the Tank Engine, and hit out at how it was handled by the retailer.

Its shocking, its like something you would have expected 20 years ago, but its coming into 2025 and things like this are still happening to vulnerable people, said Eileen who said she believes it was her parents who called the police in the hopes of helping de-escalating the situation.

CEX has been contacted for comment.

To be honest, Katie was very traumatised over this for a long time, it was the shock of it. We dont know what long term impact it will have, were scared Katie will now react if she sees a police officer when out shopping, or if she sees another one of these shops.

I dont think we can take her shopping in Lisburn either, its so traumatic for her.

You just assume that you can call the police in a crisis, and theyll be able to help and be aware of how to handle vulnerable people, and help the situation.

After the incident, Eileen claims her sister was carried outside of the shop, before she was set down. The police and shop staff then left, as Katie and Eileens father attempted to help her.

She also said her father stepped in after the incident because he was concerned that due to her low weight, Katie would be hurt when being carried by the officers.

The worst part of it was that she was just left outside the store and everyone just walked off, she added.

We did hear from the police on Christmas Day who contacted us who told us that it was basically my mum and dads fault - as well as Katies fault. They were blaming them.

The family said they have not received any further response from the police.

I shared the video because of how my parents and Katie have been since, theyre really in shock about it all. The fact that several police officers needed to remove a young girl because of a 2 DVD. At the time when Katie wanted to buy it, my mum also said she begged with the shop to do anything that would help, like bringing back the DVD the next day to scan it, or letting them keep the box so the sale could be processed in the morning.

I think we just need more common sense, and a better approach for disabled and vulnerable adults.

The incident comes weeks after the PSNI launched training webinars for police officers in partnership Autism NI.

An aspect of the training was to focus on understanding and responding to the needs of autistic members of the public whilst on duty.

At the time, Autism NI praised the partnership and said it was  great to see the organisation's commitment to supporting both autistic members of the public and autistic staff members.

Sinn Fein councillor Gary McCleave said he had also contacted the PSNI over the incident.

I have made contact with the PSNI regarding this incident, he said.

This incident highlights the importance that shops and people who work in the public sector receive appropriate training.

I will be speaking with my colleagues who will be raising it with the policing board.

Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood also said she had contacted the family.

"Folks, regarding a video of an incident last week in Lisburn, I've made contact with all parties concerned this evening, she said.

In order to respect privacy and process, I will not be commenting further. Please rest assured that we are supporting the family and will be following through.
'Ive had this girl examined by a doctor and she is pregnant. And you are the cause of it': The remarkable story of historic Irish case
Mark Dorrian (50) found unconscious inside flat with several injuries

The scene in Newtownards after the murder on Thursday. Pic: Kevin Scott

Police have named the victim at the centre of a murder investigation in Newtownards.

Mark Dorrian (50) died in hospital having sustained a number of injuries, including some to his head, after he was found unconscious inside a flat in the West Street area just before 1.50am on Thursday.

Three people  two women, aged 58 and 33, and a man, aged 36  have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody after police were granted a 36-hour extension for questioning.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil McGuinness said: A murder investigation was launched after a report was received that a man was unconscious inside a flat in the West Street area, just before 1.50am on Thursday, December 26.

Mark sadly died later in hospital having sustained a number of injuries, including head injuries.

A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

Three people  two women, aged 58 and 33, and a man, aged 36  were arrested on suspicion of murder.

They all remain in police custody at this time, with detectives being granted a 36-hour extension to question them this afternoon, Friday, December 27.

The scene in Newtownards after the murder on Thursday. Pic: Kevin Scott

Detective Chief Inspector McGuinness continued: My thoughts at this time are first and foremost with Marks friends and family.

Our investigation is at an early stage and enquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances.

I am asking anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact detectives on 101. Please quote reference 98 of 26/12/24.

On Thursday, neighbours speaking to the Belfast Telegraph described their shock at what was unfolding in an area they said is normally very quiet.

Alliance Alderman Alan McDowell appealed to the public to come forward with any information. He added: This is a terrible tragedy and an appalling loss of life.

Christmas is meant to be a time of joy, peace, and togetherness, and for something so horrific to happen around this time is especially difficult to come to terms with.

The town is in a state of shock right now. My thoughts and sympathies are with the victims family and loved ones at whats sure to be an unthinkably difficult time. I would implore anyone with any information that may help police in their investigations to please get in touch with them, or report it anonymously via Crimestoppers.

Mr Dorrian, who was known to his friends as Dokey, was well known in the Newtownards area having lived there his whole life. His friends say he had struggled after the deaths of his two sisters.

One of his friends, Ryan Preston, said that Mr Dorrian was a good friend with a heart of gold adding that he would have given you his last fiver.

Friends say he struggled after his sisters deaths and was too trusting of strangers. One former school friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said: Dokey would have let people into his house that werent really his friends and they would have taken advantage of his good nature.

He was just a kind person but probably a bit lonely at times, they added.

Anyone with information can use the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport.

Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
LVF leader Billy Wright was shot dead in the Maze by the INLA 27 years ago

Dublin officials were appalled that Northern Ireland prison authorities had granted loyalist terror boss Billy Wright his own wing at the Maze prison for his breakaway Loyalist Volunteer Front (LVF).

Secret documents released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive revealed Irish authorities were worried there was a deliberate attempt in Northern Ireland to enhance the profile of Wright, who was opposed both to peace talks with republicans and the Irish Government as well as the ceasefire by loyalist paramilitary groups.

Confidential papers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Taoiseach underlined the concerns in Dublin over the profile being given to Wright and the LVF.

Wright emerged in the early 1990s as one of the most feared loyalist paramilitary leaders. He had been active in the mid-Ulster unit of the UVF.

However, he split from the UVF and formed the LVF in protest at its participation in the loyalist ceasefire.

The LVF became notorious for its violence and sectarianism, with the group believed responsible for the murder of dozens of Catholics.

One Department of Foreign Affairs file revealed Irish officials were appalled when the LVF was granted the right to have its own wing at the Maze prison  a concession reserved for established paramilitary groups.

The 1997 document noted that the concession would have consequences.

[It would inevitably] enhance Wrights self-confidence and self-importance provide a magnet for a variety of dissidents amongst loyalist prisoners and weaken the authority of the relatively moderate and peace-oriented combined loyalist military command leadership within the Maze.

Prison workers and mediation officials noted that Wright attracted loyalty from his followers through his personal courage and charisma rather than through fear.

Mediation Network official Brendan McAllister visited Wright in the Maze in June/July 1997.

Later, he described Wright as very different to the media caricatures of the LVF leader.

Mr McAllister said Wright was well spoken, clearly intelligent, determined and charismatic.

He noted that it was clear there was a sort of personal magnetism about the LVF leader.

The Mediation Network official said the LVF had to be taken very seriously.

[They] combined a potent mix  magnetism and leadership, a sense of purpose, idealism and probity, a cadre of disciplined and motivated followers with a proven capacity for sectarian violence and a philosophy which stridently mixes notions of territory, identity and religious fundamentalism, he said.

He and his followers see themselves as the custodians of a unionist integrity which has been lost sight of by the mainstream.

Northern Ireland and British officials justified the treatment of Wright by insisting that his life was in danger.

A number of republican groups had vowed to target Wright because of the sectarian attacks he organised.

On December 27, 1997, Wright was killed by INLA prisoners who managed to escape from their wing, climb over a roof and into a compound where Wright was about to be taken out of the Maze in a prison van for a supervised visit with his girlfriend.

The INLA had managed to smuggle a Hungarian FEG pistol and .22 handgun into the Maze and they were used to assassinate Wright.

All three INLA members were subsequently convicted of the killing but were let out of prison within two years because of the early release provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.

The killing of Wright came as clashes between prison officials and LVF inmates erupted earlier that year at the Maze.

The prisoners had burnt part of their wing and were later held in solitary confinement and subjected to strict conditions.

LVF inmates were then supervised by prison officers in almost full riot gear, with no speaking allowed by prison officers to protect their identities. Instead, they used hand signals to communicate.

Wright was said to be livid over their treatment.

The nature of Wrights killing in a high-security prison led to speculation that the INLA had received assistance from the authorities in targeting the LVF leader.

Hardline loyalists claimed he was killed because he was a threat to the peace process.

The INLA later rejected these suggestions and insisted Wright was only targeted because of his murderous campaign against the nationalist population in Northern Ireland.

Wright had told friends and LVF associates that he feared he was going to be killed.
Secret papers confirmed that the threat to British water supplies was issued by a group calling themselves the Republican Revenge Group. Stock image

A shadowy republican group issued a threat in 1999 to poison UK water supplies with a commonly available weedkiller. Both UK and Irish officials suspected it was a ruse by loyalist groups to smear republican paramilitaries.

The revelation came in secret documents released as part of the State Papers by the National Archive.

Documents revealed that the sinister threat was taken very seriously by the UK authorities. After they consulted with various experts, they were stunned to be told that such a contamination threat was technically possible.

Secret papers confirmed that the threat to UK water supplies was issued by a group calling itself the Republican Revenge Group (RRG).

It was unclear who precisely was involved in the RRG or if it had the means to carry out the threatened attacks. RRG had issued the threat via letters which were posted to the British embassy and to the Papal Nunciature in Dublin.

The letters were posted in June 1999 and threatened to proceed with the contamination of selected water supplies if London did not indicate its intention to withdraw from Northern Ireland.

In the letter, the group outlined that it planned to introduce weedkiller into selected water schemes across the UK, potentially causing thousands of people to get sick or even die.

RRG even went so far as to explain how it intended to contaminate the water supply systems.

The group said it would take a commonly available weedkiller and attach it to fire hydrants.

This would, by force of water pressure, introduce it into the water distribution system. Without a prior warning, it was feared the chemical would be introduced into the drinking water systems for tens of thousands of homes before the alarm could be raised.

RRG warned Britain it faced a new improvised chemical weapon.

However, both UK and Irish officials noted that the letters consistently used the phrase HMG for her majestys government.

British embassy officials in Dublin  the secret documents revealed  felt that no republican group would ever use such a phrase given their disdain for British royalty and empire.

One official suspected the letter could form part of a dirty tricks campaign by loyalists to damage their republican rivals particularly through the international media coverage of such a drinking water scare.

The letter was, another official noted, both cohesive and literate.

It was also found to have technical knowledge about how a water supply could be targeted.

The threat was taken seriously and UK officials were shocked to be told such a water poisoning was technically feasible.

To avoid widespread panic and to prevent the so-called RRG group from gaining a profile, the British government arranged a special media briefing.

Those called to the meeting included The Irish Independent, The Irish Times and RTE.

Publications were asked not to report on the story given the threat of public panic and the concern that, ultimately, the story might well prove to be a hoax.

UK officials promised to keep the media informed on developments and if any further correspondence indicated that the threat was real.

Gardai had been briefed on the matter and, after a co-operative investigation with British police, identified a potential suspect for the threatening letters.

The man was from Scotland and had served as a soldier.

He was then living now resident in Dublin and was viewed as living in a fantasy world at times.

While the man was investigated, no prosecution was ever mounted.
Irish officials were worried that a US decision to designate the Real IRA (RIRA) as a foreign terrorist organisation might help recruitment for the paramilitary group.

Just years after the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the US was planning to add the RIRA to the list of foreign terrorist organisations.

In a briefing note for then-Irish premier Bertie Ahern in early 2001, officials warned that designation might unintentionally give a boost to dissident republicans by enhancing their status in the eyes of republican supporters in the US and that this might encourage recruitment.

The note came ahead of Mr Aherns visit to then-US president George W Bush in Washington, DC in March as part of the annual St Patricks Day celebrations.

The file also notes that the main legal effects of designation relate to prohibitions on fundraising, freezing of existing funds and the refusal of visas to, or exclusion from the US of representatives of, a designated organisation.

Papers released to the National Archives in Dublin show that despite the reservations, there was acknowledgement between Irish and British authorities that adding the RIRA to the list would also have benefits.

George Bush and Bertie Ahern in 2004 (Maxwells/PA)

In October 2000, then-justice minister John ODonoghue and then-secretary of state for Northern Ireland Peter Mandelson agreed that the issue would be further discussed by An Garda Siochana and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

The report of the Garda Commissioner and the RUCs Chief Constable concluded that, on balance, it would make operational sense to have the organisation designated a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) as this would make additional legal powers available to law enforcement officials in dealing with (the RIRA).

On the basis of this report, the Irish and British governments decided on November 24 2000 to jointly request that US authorities start the process of designation.

At the time of Mr Aherns visit the following March, the US State Department was seeking legal advice on the matter.

Ultimately, the US added the RIRA to its official FTO list in May 2001.

Later that year, following the September 11 terrorist attacks, US officials wrote to governments in various countries including Ireland asking them to freeze the assets of groups on the FTO list.

John B Taylor was the US secretary for international affairs (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)

John B Taylor, then-US secretary for international affairs, sent a fax to John Hurley, then-secretary general at the Department of Finance, on November 1 2001 asking for the RIRAs assets to be blocked in Ireland.

Please notify me as soon as possible whether or not you will be able to join the United States in a simultaneous blocking, Mr Taylor wrote.

If not, please notify me when you do take blocking action against these terrorists.

Thank you for your continuing co-operation in the global effort to combat the financing of terrorism.

The Oireachtas later passed the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill 2002 to strengthen Irelands capacity to respond to terrorism including freezing assets.

 This article is based on documents in 2022/49/125 and 2022/49/40.
Innovation in China | Russian host takes you on a 'Digital Farming' journey

People's Daily Online) 11:31, December 28, 2024

Today, let's follow Russian host Elena Davydova as she shows us the innovative applications of cutting-edge technology in agriculture. Let's explore how technological innovation is transforming agricultural production and empowering a greener future.

First, we visit the exhibition hall of the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences in China's capital Beijing, where we see how seeds are being put on the production line. Innovative technologies are allowing farmers to get a head start on their harvests, creating more value for everyone.

Continuing at the exhibition hall, we're introduced to the China Agri-Tech Extension information service platform. The platform with its 15 million users is the most active and resource-rich agricultural technology service community in China.

A visit to a smart greenhouse shows how innovative technologies are making use of data to create the perfect environment for planting. Pretty soon farmers can manage their plants from the comfort of home!

Finally, a visit to an unmanned large-field farm shows off the newest technology in unmanned intelligent farming devices. The machines can cover the four key farming processes of plowing, planting, managing, and harvesting. The autonomous machinery makes use of the high-precision BeiDou automatic navigating terminal and positioning system, making field work a breeze.

Chinese innovation is taking agricultural to an entirely new level, and we the people all stand to benefit.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming)
MBABANE  As parents prepare for schools opening, the Ministry of Education and Training has warned against uncertified upgrading schools.

A facility offering upgrading lessons inside the capital city by the name Pro Life Academy offered upgrading classes in the past year while not registered or certified by the ministry. Velile Mabusela, who is believed to be in charge of Pro Life, was previously involved in a misunderstanding with Ernest Magongo over the use of Pro-Learning Tuition Centre. Magongo is the director of Pro-Learning. It is alleged that Mabusela illegally used Pro-Learning brand name for about two years before shifting to Pro Life. She admitted that she was not aware that a certification from the Ministry of Education and Training was needed to operate an upgrading school.

Upgrading

We are basically an upgrading centre with a trading licence. Most of our pupils use the Sebenta Centre to write their examinations. We didnt know registration with the ministry is a necessity for upgrading schools, Mabusela said when this publication visited her offices. Mabusela affirmed that they no longer use the brand of Pro-Learning Tuition Centre, but only their past exam papers to test their pupils. In a letter seen by Eswatini News dated October 2023, Magongo alleged that a parent once paid E3 000 for his childs tuition to Pro-Learning account despite that they had no centre in Mbabane.

I would like to remind you that in March 2023, I came to your office and found Pro-Learning posters on the wall and you (Mabusela) confirmed that you are using our brand name for your business. I told you that this must stop. Our agreement was that you can only use the furniture and everything in the office, except our brand name, Magongos letter to Mabusela read in part. Magongo demanded that Mabusela must state how she was going to compensate Pro-Learning Tuition Centre for using their brand name without a valid agreement.

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Failure to do so will result in legal action being taken against yourself, the letter continued. Pro-Learning is certified by the Ministry of Education and has been operating for over 20 years.
Heavy rain is expected to result in difficult driving conditions in the build-up to New Year (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The Scottish First Minister has urged people to pay close attention to weather warnings in place throughout the Hogmanay period.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for most of the country on December 30 and 31, with heavy rain and snow potentially causing significant disruption in the build-up to the new year.

The warning applies to the Scottish mainland from Kilmarnock and Edinburgh north, and the Western Isles, with most areas expected to see 50-70mm of rain across the two days  though up to 140mm could fall in some places.

The forecaster added that snow is also likely on higher ground north and east of, and including, Perthshire, with strong winds potentially causing blizzard conditions in some areas, particularly over higher ground and across much of Sutherland and Caithness.

The Met Office said the weather is likely to cause difficult driving conditions and some road closures, flooding, power cuts, disruption to public transport, and that some communities could be cut off.

It also warned fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life.

In an interview with the PA news agency on Saturday, John Swinney said the Scottish Government is monitoring the weather warnings very closely.

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He added: We have yellow weather warnings for rain, predominantly, over most of Scotland, for Monday and Tuesday, which may well have an effect on some of the outdoor events that are taking their course.

Were obviously at the vagaries of the weather this time of year, its an inevitable feature weve got to wrestle with.

But the resilience planning is undertaken across Government on a daily basis, and we are looking ahead to the events around about Hogmanay to make sure that everybody can enjoy the festivities but be safe in the process.

I would urge members of the public to follow all of the warnings because they will develop over the course of the next few days and its vital that all of us pay close attention to those warnings.
The sacking of a Free Presbyterian minister has unsettled a church which is changing faster than some of its clerics would like

Tiny Protestant denomination has had a disproportionate political and societal influence  but after years protesting against others, now some of its ministers are protesting against it

Rev Ian Paisley preaches to the 12,000 strong congregation at the Kings Hall in Belfast on the 40th anniversary of the Free Presbyterian Churchs formation. Inset: Members of the Church protest after Fr Edward ODonnell was installed as an Ecumenical Canon of St Annes Cathedral; the first time a Catholic priest was chosen to serve on the Cathedral Chapter

Sam McBride Sat 28 Dec 2024 at 08:00

The Free Presbyterian Church  Northern Irelands most hardline Protestant denomination  has just ejected a minister for being too hardline.
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Prayer is a constant part of our lives. According to the Pew Research Trust, 55 percent of Americans pray daily. While youve already experienced the benefits of prayer, you may not realize how controversial it can be. The Bible encourages you to pray without ceasing, so you may wonder why it matters how or to whom you pray.

The Bible teaches us how to pray and offers guidance on how not to pray. One of the most controversial aspects of prayer is praying to the dead. So, what does the Bible say about praying to the dead?

So, if that prayerful communion involves speaking with the dead, why does the Bible prohibit and discourage it? After all, when a loved one has passed, it may be tempting to pray for them. Its a difficult time, and you may feel comforted by that connection.

But what does the Bible say about praying to the dead? Why is it controversial, and what can we learn about how prayer affects our lives? Why did the early church pray to the dead and why is it so discouraged by more modern Christian practices? Let's look at what the Bible says.

What Does the Bible Say?

The Old Testament bans talking to the dead, which includes using psychics, mediums, charmers, or other magicians. It goes against Gods will. In Deuteronomy 18:10-11, you learn that communicating with the dead is considered an abomination thats punishable by death by stoning. Similarly, Leviticus 19:31 warns about turning to necromancers, mediums, or spiritualists.

Even the first king of the Israelites, Saul, was tempted to speak with the dead after Samuel, the prophet, died. In 1 Samuel 28, Saul communicated with Samuel by disguising himself and consulting with the Witch of Endor.

Saul had banished her and other magicians from the kingdom. When she realized who he was, she called him a hypocrite. Still, she conjured Samuel, who told Saul hed lose the battle, his sons, and his life. The simple account is a reminder of the consequences of talking with the dead.

For Protestants, prayer is a way to talk to God, but talking to the dead is prohibited as a possible form of idolatry. So, while praying to the dead may connect you to the spiritual realm, it could also be a form of ancestry worship.

In the Lord's Prayer, its clear that our prayers should be directed to Our Father who art in heaven. But Luke 16:19-31 also demonstrates how Jesus has authority over life and death as he resurrects Lazarus from the dead.

Paul, the apostle, discusses the power of prayer in 1 Timothy 2:5. We pray for the salvation of others, but we also come to God with requests for our needs. Romans 8:34 reminds us that Jesus intercedes on our behalf as He sits at the right hand of God.

The practice of talking with the dead is not new. It dates to ancient times, with ritualistic practices of communicating with the dead. Now, it's seen as part of occult practice, which often include interaction with the supernatural. The unknown forces involve astrology, divination, and even alchemy.

Early Christians prayed to the dead to unify their faith in communion with the saints. In the catacombs, they met secretly to commemorate fellow believers' deaths. They washed the corpses of the faithful, purifying them and preparing them for the afterlife.

In Medieval practice, believers also prayed to the saints, asking them for protection and patronage. Purgatory inspired the faithful to pray for the dead. It was a way to intercede on behalf of those who passed and speed them on their journey to heaven.

Lessons For Your Spiritual Journey

Dedicated prayer to the dead may vary depending on your denomination and religious background. While Catholics have a longer history of praying to the saints, some Protestants reject prayers to the dead. Heres a quick overview of how denominational differences may affect best practices on prayer and praying for or to the dead.

Studies have found that bereavement hallucinations can be healing, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church rejects divination practices, including conjuring the dead. While some forms of praying to the dead are discouraged, some Catholics still believe that praying for the souls of the dead is okay, along with offering a Mass in their name.

The Reformation movement rejected the practice of talking to the dead or praying on behalf of the dead. Death puts an end to the living, and the souls of those who have passed are in Heaven or Hell. Concern for the dead is in Gods hands, and the Church typically sees communication with those who have died as an occult practice.

Biblical teachings on prayer to or for the dead are clear, but interpretation has changed over the centuries. You should always study and reflect on your faith and your personal journey with God. Prayer is a constant part of that.

Esther Lombardi is a dedicated writer, journalist, and author who writes about faith, spirituality, and Christianity. With a background in theology and a keen interest in ancient texts, she explores narratives that shape our understanding of spirituality.
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In a block anchored by the Red Lion Inn, at least one business is on the market; two properties that were recently listed for sale  including The Stockbridge General Store building, which once housed Norman Rockwells studio  are being re-envisioned by their owners; and the yellow house across the street has changed hands.
Eagle Archives, March 13, 1957: Mr. and Mrs. Philip Wynne brought their family of three from Leeds, England, to Pittsfield in 1951, looking for security from nuclear fission and greater opportunity for their children. Six years later, they're not sure about the security; they are about the opportunity.
How can you tell if ice is safe?

Ice tips to remember:

New ice is stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not.

Ice doesn't freeze uniformly. Continue to check ice conditions frequently as you venture out onto the ice.

Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often more dangerous. Avoid traveling onto ice-bound rivers and streams, as the currents make ice thickness unpredictable. Many lakes and ponds may contain spring holes and other areas of currents that can create deceptively dangerous thin spots.

Before heading out onto the ice

Tell someone your plans, including where you are going and when you expect to return.

Come prepared. Carry a cell phone in case of emergency. Always carry ice picks and rope with you on the ice. In case of emergency, drive the nails into the ice and pull yourself to safety while kicking (see tips for falling in below).

Wear your life jacket. If you fall in, a life jacket will keep you at the surface and can provide insulation against the effects of cold water.

Source: MassWildlife
Beijing, Dec 27 (UNI) China has launched its first next-generation amphibious assault ship, adding a powerful cutting-edge warship to the countrys fast-expanding navy as it races to rival the military power of the United States.

The Type 076 amphibious assault ship entered the water on Friday at a launch ceremony at a shipyard in Shanghai, the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) said in a statement.

Named Sichuan after a southwestern Chinese province, the independently developed ship is hailed as a key asset for advancing the Navys transformation and enhancing its long-range operational capabilities, according to the statement.

China, which already boasts the largest naval force in the world, is building carriers and large warships at a staggering pace as it seeks to project power far beyond its shores and catch up to the military supremacy of the US.

With a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tons, the Type 076 ranks among the worlds largest amphibious assault ships, featuring a twin-island superstructure and a full-length flight deck, according to the PLAN.

Most notably, it adopts an electromagnetic catapult system, which allows it to carry fixed-wing aircraft along with helicopters and amphibious equipment usually found on this type of warship, the PLAN added.

The electromagnetic catapult system will enable the Type 076 to launch larger and heavier aircraft than it could without the technology. That means the aircraft can carry more fuel  expanding their range and that of the ship as a fighting platform  and more bombs or missiles, making the aircraft themselves more lethal.

Only one other warship in service worldwide, the US Navys newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, employs the electromagnetic catapult system, a CNN report said.

Chinas newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is in sea trials and has yet to be commissioned, also has an electromagnetic system.

The US Navys amphibious assault ships feature the F-35B, a short-takeoff and vertical landing variant of the stealth fighter jet used by the US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.Carl Schuster, a military analyst and former US Navy captain, said size makes a big statement when it comes to the Type 076.

That shows a PLA Navy commitment to expeditionary and amphibious warfare and an expanding capability to do so, Schuster told CNN, adding that it says something about the competition between the worlds two biggest naval powers, China and the United States. UNI XC SSP
Democrats who have been negotiating separate health care industry oversight and pharmaceutical drug reform bills for months announced Friday night that they resolved their differences and plan to put the bills up for votes next week in the final days of the two-year term.

Rep. John Lawn of Watertown and Sen. Cindy Friedman of Arlington said the bills  S 2520 / H 4910 relative to pharmaceutical access, costs and transparency, and H 4653 / S 2881 enhancing the market review process  represent the Legislature's response to the ongoing fallout from the collapse of Steward Health Care and the ever-increasing health care costs consumers face.

"Together, these two conference committee reports ensure that patients will pay less for medication by limiting out-of-pocket costs for essential prescription drugs, promote affordability of health insurance premiums for consumers, regulate pharmacy benefit managers, and strengthen state oversight by increasing market transparency and bringing key health care industry players to the table to better understand what is driving costs," they said. "We thank the members of the conference committee for their work on these very complex pieces of legislation over the past few months, and look forward to presenting the conference reports to the full Senate and House for acceptance before the end of the legislative session next week."

There are only two possible days left for House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka to pass the bills through their chambers. Tuesday is the final day of the 193rd General Court and the new two-year lawmaking term begins Wednesday. Lawn and Friedman did not provide details of their agreements or indicate which day the accords would surface for votes, though Mariano's office advised representatives of a "potential full formal" session for Tuesday.

The pharmaceutical drug legislation (S 3012) will start in the Senate and the health care market oversight bill will come up first in the House. The conference reports cannot be amended. The prescription drug conference report was available on the Legislature's website Friday night, but the hospital oversight report did not appear to be and the negotiators' offices did not provide a copy.

The Senate passed its prescription drugs bill 39-0 in November 2023 and the House passed its version 158-0 in July. The House passed the hospital oversight bill 152-1 in May and the Senate followed with its own 38-2 vote in July. The branches had been unable to come to resolution on either bill since talks started in late July.

Mariano, who has been a central player in health care reforms during his time in the Legislature, said the conference reports filed Friday night show "the Legislature's enduring commitment" to addressing health care concerns of residents and the industry.

"These bills are the culmination of a historic legislative session that will include agreements on five separate health care bills, marking a critical step forward in the ongoing effort to ensure that every Massachusetts resident has access to quality, affordable health care services," he said in a statement.

Spilka said she is proud "that the conference report on prescription drugs will save thousands of dollars for residents, especially those living with chronic conditions" and suggested the so-called Steward response bill will not be the Legislature's last word on the subject.

"Additionally, the entry of private equity into the health care space has had profound and lasting effects on providers ability to deliver care, and we are still trying to understand its full impact. While it is vital that we continue to study those effects and take action in the future to further mitigate them, the market oversight bill begins to address the damaging role of private equity and put important initial guardrails in place to attempt to prevent another crisis like the one faced by Steward," Spilka said.
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The highly anticipated Peaky Blinders film wont be the end of the popular gangster series, creator Steven Knight has said.

Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy is reprising his role as Birmingham gangster Tommy Shelby for the film, which is set following the events of the original BBC drama which ran for six series from 2013 to 2022.

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Following the film wrapping production, Knight has revealed that it will be around a year before the project is released.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight (Jacob King/PA)

Speaking to Times Radio about a future release date, Knight said: Its a bit too soon for that, but you know, you can sort of work out that it will be about a year.

Asked if there are any more plans for Peaky Blinders beyond the film, he replied: Its interesting you should ask that question because the film is coming out and that wont be the end.

The screenwriter was questioned if that meant fans could expect more series in the future, but he refused to provide more details.

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The film is believed to be titled The Immortal Man and has been teased to involve new conflicts for the Shelby family set during the Second World War.

Saltburn and The Banshees Of Inisherin star Barry Keoghan will join fellow Irish actor Murphy in the new film.

Earlier this month a photo was shared by Netflix of the pair looking jubilant while wearing flat caps and suits as the streamer confirmed filming had wrapped on the project.

Other returning cast members include British actors Stephen Graham as union organiser Hayden Stagg and Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, while Dune actress Rebecca Ferguson and Pulp Fiction actor Tim Roth have also joined the project.

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Tom Harper, who previously directed episodes in the first season in 2013, will return to helm the film.

Knight previously told Netflixs Tudum site: It will be an explosive chapter in the Peaky Blinders story. No holds barred. Full-on Peaky Blinders at war.

Ireland Barry Keoghan and Cillian Murphy jubilant as they... Read More

When the series came to an end in 2022 after nine years, Tommy appeared to put his criminal past behind him.

Across the six series, the show tackled the rise of fascism, Irish republican politics and communist activities throughout the period after the First World War  along with Tommys ambitions in politics.

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Knight later created a stage adaptation of the show for a limited-run production, titled The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby, which featured performances from Ramberts dancers and a soundtrack from a live on-stage band.
Simon Harris calls for diplomatic offensive in the US, and tributes are paid to the couple who died in a fatal hit-and-run in Dublin.

The Irish Times leads with the Taoiseach calling for Ireland to launch diplomatic offensive in response to Trumps return.

The Irish Examiner leads with an interview of the parents of Matt O'Neil, who died after a fatal assault in 2022, as they believe a four-year sentence for violently taking someones life does not represent justice.

The Echo reveals Cork City and County Council have paid over 50 million in compensation since 2014.

The Irish Independent reveals families are set to compete with flatmates for cost-rental apartments.

The Irish Daily Mail leads with the married couple in Dublin who were killed in a fatal hit-and-run.

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The Irish Daily Mirror and the Irish Daily Star also lead with the tragic incident, as the woman's sister says "I'll mind your babies".

British Papers

A variety of domestic political issues lead Saturdays headlines.

The Daily Telegraph focuses on Nigel Farage, who says tech billionaire Elon Musk will help his Reform party beat the Tories.

Millions of homeowners could be offered grants and cheap loans as incentives for solar panel installation, according to The Times.

The Daily Mail writes holidaymakers will be slapped with record tax rates on flights.

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The iWeekend writes water firms have been fined 2 by a watchdog despite record sewage levels.

The Daily Mirror reports that Sir Keir Starmers brother Nick has died of cancer, aged 60.

The Guardian says more than 1.5 million British school children are studying in dilapidated schools.

In financial news, FTWeekend reports global corporate debt sales hit 6.36trn this week.

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Experts have hailed 2024 as the year of the cancer vaccine, the Daily Express writes.

The Suns front page declares Manchester United mean amid reports of cost-cutting measures plaguing the club.

Ireland Woman (70s) dies after being struck by car in Co C... Read More

Lastly, the Daily Star splashes on former royal butler Paul Burrell, who says the ghost of Princess Diana helped him meet his fiance.
As the world returns to its usual pace after a busy festive period, some of us might be struggling with an overwhelming sense of emptiness.

But what triggers these feelings of loneliness in the days and weeks that follow Christmas? And what can we do to help ourselves, or our loved ones, overcome them?

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Why do some people feel lonely after Christmas?

Christmas can be a joyful time spent with family and friends, but when it ends, it often highlights how quiet life has become, says Helen Wells, psychotherapist and clinical director at The Dawn Rehab Thailand. For some, the Christmas period might be the only time they see family, leaving a noticeable gap when everyone leaves.

Some older adults, especially those who live alone, often find this period particularly challenging.

Many older adults have smaller social circles due to losing loved ones, children living far away, or limited mobility, making regular social interactions harder, explains Wells. In addition, the winter months with shorter days and colder weather can prevent older people from going out or meeting others, compounding their sense of isolation.

This post-Christmas loneliness isnt just about being alone but about feeling disconnected from the world.

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What are some signs of loneliness?

Fatigue can be a sign of loneliness. Photo: Alamy/PA.

A noticeable shift in behaviour from a loved one might indicate that they are experiencing loneliness.

They might seem sad, distant or uninterested in life and may express feelings of emptiness or talk about being forgotten, highlights Wells. They may also withdraw from activities or groups they used to enjoy, avoiding phone calls or visits.

Loneliness can also lead to physical symptoms or a negligence in personal care.

Fatigue, difficulty sleeping, or frequent illnesses can indicate loneliness, as stress weakens the immune system, pinpoints Wells. A lonely person may also stop looking after themselves, such as skipping meals or not keeping up with their appearance.

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Here are some tips if you are feeling lonely right now..

1. Reach out to loved ones

Be honest about how you feel. Photo: Alamy/PA.

If you are feeling lonely because of distance from loved ones, communicate with your friends and family and keep in touch online, recommends Stacey Chishiri, an occupational therapist.

And make sure you are open and honest about how you are feeling.

Friends can be family too and they can offer support, particularly if you feel like you have nobody to spend time with, says Chishiri. They might not realise you are struggling and by opening up, you give them the opportunity to extend invitations.

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2. Join a club

There are many clubs which provide opportunities to get together with people in your local area and enjoy all kinds of hobbies together  from photography, knitting, learning a language, creative writing and more, highlights Chishiri.

3. Move your body

See if your local leisure centre offers any group classes. Photo: Alamy/PA.

Gym classes and swimming groups, for example, can provide you with regular exercise and opportunities to meet others who are passionate about keeping fit, says Chishiri. Others may enjoy walking and rambling, and joining local walking clubs or taking part in park runs as ways to meet new people.

4. Treat yourself

Practice self care. Photo: Alamy/PA.

I am a big believer in self care and it is essential we treat ourselves during the winter period  and it does not have to be lavish, just a treat, says Chishiri. Remember a treat can be your own company, silence, a chocolate bar, a book, film, a bath, nice music, a comfy sofa and a cosy home.

5. Look for local community meals

If you would like company, then check out charitable organisations who provide get-together meals for those living alone or who need support, suggests Chishiri.

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6. Practice positive affirmations

Affirmations can help reshape our thoughts. Photo: Alamy/PA.

Positive affirmations are simple, yet powerful, statements that can help change your mindset towards a more positive and empowering perspective, explains Chishiri. Writing them down, or even thinking them quietly to yourself can help.

The more you repeat them, the more they can help reshape your thoughts toward a positive mindset.

7. Turn on the TV or radio

Keep up to date with the news. Photo: Alamy/PA.

Many people suffering from loneliness often rely on the radio and TV for company, says Chishiri. The world and local news is available 24/7 which can provide great comfort and keep you up to date on current affairs.
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 Even now, a full century since the unforgettable silent version of Nosferatu was released, the image of the vampires shadow mounting the stairs to his victims bedroom will haunt the dreams of anyone seeing it for the first time. Impossibly tall, claws extended, moving slowly at a time when film acting was generally accelerated and exaggerated, Max Schrecks demonic Count Orlok was so vivid that the film was immediately banned in Sweden as too terrifying for the public, a rule that remained in place until 1972. At home in Germany, a persistent rumour had it that Schreck, an actor with Max Reinhardts troupe, really was a vampire. To remake any classic takes bravery. It also demands reverence. That goes tenfold for Nosferatu: most directors couldnt get away with so much as suggesting tampering with German expressionisms crown jewels. This has created a huge sense of anticipation around the new Nosferatu directed by Robert Eggers, whose eerie, visionary films include The Lighthouse and The Northman. Lily-Rose Depp is the vampires prey, Nicholas Hoult is her new husband, and an unrecognisable Bill Skarsgard plays Count Orlok, whose sepulchral voice alone would be a justification for the talkies. Director Robert Eggers, actor Emma Corrin, director of photography Jarin Blaschke and actors Lily-Rose Depp and Aaron Taylor-Johnson on the set of their film Nosferatu. The original Nosferatu was closely based on Bram Stokers Dracula, which was a popular sensation when published in 1897. Nosferatu is an archaic Romanian word meaning the insufferable one; the producers renamed Stokers characters and relocated the story to Germany in an attempt, ultimately unsuccessful, to evade copyright laws. Yorkshires Whitby thus becomes the fictional Hanseatic city of Wisberg, from where budding estate agent Thomas Hutter  formerly Jonathan Harker  is sent to the Carpathians to sign over a valuable property to the mysterious, solitary Count Orlok. At home in Wisberg, Ellen has seemingly going mad, desperate for her husbands return; their friends Friedrich and Anna Harding care for her, finding her fits and moods increasingly burdensome. It is in the throes of a fit, however, that she senses not only her husbands imminent return but a more ominous arrival at the Wisberg port. It is the plague ship Demeter, bringing with it a horde of infected rats and Count Orlok, now acting as captain and crew since everyone else on board is dead. Ellen knows he has come for her, his terrible fangs ready to bite. Emma Corrin stars as Anna Harding in director Robert Eggers Nosferatu Credit: Focus Features Eggers shoots all his films in black and white, which gives his Nosferatu a superficial resemblance to the original; he also follows the storys thread, adding conversation and nuances of performance that were not possible in a silent film. What is revolutionary in his approach, however, is to tell the story from Ellens point of view. Thomas journey to Romania and spine-chilling meetings with the count are still the heart of the narrative, but it is Ellens reactions  revealing her knowledge and understanding of this evil force, which has been pursuing her since she was a child  that convey what it means.

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I think its really powerful that Rob has moved Ellens experience into the foreground and sees it all from her perspective, says Emma Corrin, who plays Ellens close friend, Anna Harding. Nobody believes Ellen; nobody takes her disturbances seriously. I think something you really get is the male fear, not only of womens sexuality but womens mental health  and any kind of independent thought, independent experience that diverges from the norm. That was fascinating. It was also very much of its time. The first Nosferatu is often interpreted as a response to the turmoil of the First World War, but sanity, madness and wayward female sexuality were already being discussed in the 1890s. Notably, Sigmund Freud and Joseph Breuer published their breakthrough work Hysteria in 1895  just two years before Dracula came out. By 1921, their ideas were common currency. Ralph Ineson stars as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding, Emma Corrin as Anna Harding and Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz in director Robert Eggers Nosferatu. I think a lot of our discussion on set was about the male and female dynamics of that time, says Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays Annas husband Friedrich. Friedrich Harding is very much the man of the house, a man of business who is the one who gets the doctor in. There is this young girl rolling around the floor with everything on show: how preposterous! And there is this erotic sexual thing happening in their household, a very safe bubble. Hutters real mission in Romania is to earn enough to set up that kind of bourgeois haven himself. Thats his aspiration, which we see crumble and fall amid this darkness. Besieged by madness, the encroaching spectre of the supernatural and the sudden spread of plague, the Hardings try to stay sensible. Corrin, who shot to stardom as the young Diana Spencer, is almost unrecognisable as the burghers wife. Eggers wrote each characters history in an individual information pack; Corrin was fully informed of Annas strong Lutheran faith, conservative moral views and divided loyalties. Increasingly, what shes confronted by is the undeniable existence of something otherworldly, which doesnt fit into her understanding of the world. So I think there is a vulnerability there. Chris Columbus, from left, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Robert Eggers, Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard and Nicholas Hoult arrive at the premiere of Nosferatu. Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP The set was a period piece in itself; even the drawers of the Hardings dresser contained letters they had once exchanged. Nobody would read them; it was enough to know they were there. Robs so interested in the period, thats at the forefront, says Corrin. He is such a historian in many ways, and the way he writes really reflects that, whether hes writing in a particular dialect or a particular period.

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There was no room for improvisation or even the rogue raising of an eyebrow. When youre saying a line, he really wants you to say it the way hes written it, and that can come down to not emphasising words that shouldnt be emphasised, says Corrin. All the subtext you know about your character is there  and you will discuss that in immense detail  but then at the end of the day, what youre saying is: Children, its time for bed. And putting it all into that line. Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter and Emma Corrin as Anna Harding in Nosferatu. Seeing the story through Ellens lens means that while she is still clearly tortured, she is not a mere victim. The count has chosen her because she has some kindred spirit in her; when, as a privileged but unloved child, she first hears his voice rasping on the wind through the window of her bedroom, she is immediately drawn to its promise of some other life. As an adult, she tries to be a good wife; she loves her husband. Whenever her resolve softens, however, the counts voice finds her again, pressing for the union he believes is now his due. It is a constant, secret battle to ward him off. She isnt mad; she is exhausted. Nosferatu is a metaphor for multiple things, says Taylor-Johnson. For Lilys character, its almost like the darkness is shame: this perverse erotic shame she carries around with her that she has had as a child and brings into her adult life. Until you can figure that out and accept it, you cant defeat it. I think we all go through growth and dealing with patterns like that, things were coming to terms with. Klaus Kinski in Werner Herzogs Nosferatu. When Henrik Galeen was writing the first Nosferatu, Europe was just emerging from the devastating epidemic of Spanish flu. And wed gone through a global pandemic together; it was kind of art mirroring reality and naming it. In Wisberg, there is a fear of plague, and this family trying to hold itself together. Theres so much reality and authenticity bouncing off all these things. However different in its perspective, there is no way the new Nosferatu can escape the context of the original, which had its own interesting history. It was released in 1922 amid tremendous fanfare and, in true Weimar style, a world-beating party. German critics were instantly enraptured, and the film shot the unknown director, F. W. Murnau, to prominence. By the time Murnau left Berlin for Hollywood in 1926, however, it had completely disappeared.

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Residents across parts of Brisbane and Ipswich reporting changes to the taste and smell of their tap water have been assured it is still safe to consume, with recent weather blamed for the variance.

In the past 48 hours, people in suburbs across Greater Brisbane have noticed an earthy, dirt-like taste and a stagnant smell to their tap water, though the colour remains unchanged.

In a post on Friday, Urban Utilities  the company responsible for supplying drinking water, recycled water and sewerage services to customers in Brisbane, Ipswich, and surrounding local government areas  wrote that it was aware some customers have been experiencing a temporary change in the taste and odour of their tap water.

Residents in parts of Brisbane and Ipswich have reported an earthy, dirt-like taste to their tap water in recent days. Credit: William Davis

Seqwater has advised that the temporary change in taste and odour is due to recent hot and rainy weather conditions, which have caused an increase in an organic compound called 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB) in the raw water supply, the post stated.
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 Opposition Leader Peter Dutton recently admitted he was holding something back. Dutton was in Sydney earlier this month, standing alongside Liberal northern beaches candidates who hope to win back the teal-held seats of Warringah and Mackellar, and he was asked if his partys nuclear policy costings were being held back to avoid scrutiny over Christmas. Nope, came the blunt answer, he was just letting the government kick another own goal. Therell be plenty of time to scrutinise. Were not releasing it on the day of the election, Dutton said. Part of the reason that theres been a delay is weve gone to announce it a few times, to be honest, and the governments latest disaster has happened on that day where weve decided that well let people concentrate on how bad the Albanese government is. Dutton knows when to hold back and when to let rip for a ready headline, but his aversion to detail could prove a liability next year when he has to persuade the voters hes prime ministerial material. In 2024, if the polls are any guide, Dutton is in with a real chance to win the next election, forging forward as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese loses ground. This months Resolve Political Monitor showed the Coalitions primary vote fell by one percentage point to 38, Labors fell by three percentage points to 27 per cent and 35 per cent of voters nominated another party. This would almost certainly deliver a hung parliament on election day, with either side potentially able to cobble together minority government.

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Dutton needs to win 21 seats to claim 76 seats and govern in majority  a huge mountain to climb  but a 70-seat minority Coalition government is possible, supported by a clutch of independent MPs  including but not limited to Dai Le, Helen Haines, Rebekha Sharkie, Andrew Gee, Bob Katter and Allegra Spender. Dutton has been mostly gaffe-free (its hard to imagine him repeating his 2015 joke about Pacific Islanders being hit by climate change) and on message. He speaks in short, declarative sentences and quickly stamps out spot fires, such as when he quashed the abortion debate last month just as high-profile conservative Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said late-term terminations should be on the agenda. I support a womans right to choose, he said in a rare phone call to ABCs Radio National. Ive been in very difficult circumstances where, as a detective working in the sex offenders squad, Ive dealt with women in domestic relationships who have been raped; its a very, very difficult situation. Ultimately, thats a choice and a decision for that individual to make, and thats the position I support. Peter Dutton dropped his opposition to stage 3 tax cuts when the changes proved too popular to fight. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Jenny Ware, a NSW moderate Liberal MP and the only current Liberal MP who chose to speak on the record for this piece, is not a natural ally of Dutton but she praises him for the job he has done, particularly in the last nine months as Labor has gone odd on tangents. Peter has called out antisemitism in Australia, at universities et cetera. He is now representing the quiet majority of Australians on this and other issues, she says.

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A year ago, even if people werent happy with Albanese, they were saying Dutton isnt ready. But the dial has shifted to Peter being electable and I think that all of the attacks Labor has launched on him havent worked. History proved Dutton right when he chose to oppose the Voice to Parliament in 2023, but he demonstrated political judgment again at the start of January 2024, when he quickly dropped his broken promises attack on the changes to stage 3 tax cuts after it became clear that most voters didnt care about discarded election pledges if they got more money in their pockets. The opposition leader has savaged Labor on its handling of immigration policy following the High Courts NZYQ decision and prosecuted the case for reduced migration, linking the issue to housing shortages successfully, too. On the number one issue concerning most voters, the cost of living, he has mauled Labor while offering scant detail about how he would fix it. He picks his moments on when to lob culture war hand grenades, too, cannily tossing them at big corporates, such as accusing Woolworths of peddling a woke agenda on Australia Day, or starting an argument about which flags should be displayed behind a prime minister, pulling focus for 24 hours and then walking away. But for a former cop with a strongman persona, Dutton doesnt like scrutiny and he doesnt always front up. While he gives friendly interviews with commercial radio hosts, appearances on the ABC and long-form newspaper interviews are strictly rationed. When he does front up at a press conference its more often than not in a far-flung outer suburban seat or in a regional town, far from metropolitan newsrooms. Tracked down at these remote locations, he has proved brittle, taking a belligerent approach to questions asked by young reporters, especially if they happen to work for the ABC.

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The long-awaited launch of his nuclear power policy costings last week was a case in point: it was released at a small press conference in Brisbane with subject-matter-expert reporters thousands of kilometres away in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The contrast with Bowen and Albanese fronting up in Canberra in 2021 with their climate change policy costings was stark. As the election approaches, there are more questions to be answered on the detail of what exactly a Coalition government would do on tax, industrial relations, health and education. The seven Coalition MPs who spoke to this masthead on background to inform this piece are dreaming of, at worst, a minority Labor government and some are even canvassing a return to government after one term. Dutton has enjoyed an unusual period of stability for a first-term opposition leader, assisted by the loss of Josh Frydenberg and many other Liberal moderates in May 2022 and the high number of conservative MPs and Queenslanders in the party room (usually but not always the same thing). But as one of those seven anonymous Liberal MPs points out, Dutton read the riot act on abortion to the party room, for example, and that was important. And he has read the room on [Australias commitment to] net zero. He is holding the line, despite what the Nationals might want. He has done an amazing job holding the government to account but he has to present enough of an alternative. His shadow front bench  Is everyone ready? I dont think so.

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As the MP put it: Policy is where Peter goes from an A+ to a B and the loss of senior moderates Simon Birmingham and Paul Fletcher  both experienced policy wonks  makes it harder. Loading A veteran MP who asked not to be named, says Dutton has performed better than his mentor Tony Abbott and in a more difficult environment, as Albaneses team is not divided like the Labor government of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years. Abbotts approach was just kill, kill, kill belligerence, and he had a fractured government to work with. He [Dutton] is not small or big target, hes smart target, he picks his issues. The discipline with which he has shaped discussion of policies he wants to talk about and the sequence in which he has launched them shows very shrewd judgment, the veteran says. Nuclear policy has been Duttons biggest policy gamble to date and, while the announcement strategy managed to minimise scrutiny on the numbers, both Dutton and treasury spokesman Angus Taylor have over-reached in recent days, perhaps deliberately, by claiming the nuclear plan will lower power bills by 44 per cent, despite the costings explicitly stating they had not modelled electricity price impacts. Labor believes this rhetorical overreach creates an opening for attack; the Coalition believes voters eyes will glaze over the fight on detail and bets a he said, she said fight will be a scoreless draw, which suits Dutton fine. Although polling shows Albanese is not rated by voters, nor is he hated, Duttons charge to the Lodge could come unstuck if he attempts to skate through on a trust us, we will fix it vibe because voters, at this stage, arent desperate to defenestrate the government.

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US presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton could also be said to have picked the right time to be born and, thanks to term limits in the US, also the right time to leave office. Reagan performed a necessary service in deregulating a sclerotic US economy, mired in stagflation, while presiding over the end of the Cold War.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel recently released her memoir . She, without a doubt, picked the right time to be born. She was 35 when the Berlin Wall fell, creating a cause  an East German voice and self-determination in reunifying with the West  that impelled her into politics. She was undeniably smart, but also the right age and the right symbolic vehicle to catch chancellor Helmut Kohls eye and become his protegee. In just under 15 years, she became chancellor. If shed left after one term  two at most  her greatness would never have been questioned. But after that, her legacy as a crucial advocate for East Germans in the process of unification and her historic ascent was overwritten by a series of decisions that have turned out to be disastrous for Germany, economically and geostrategically.

Great politicians seem to have two main things in common: they pick the right time to be born and they pick the right time to leave office. Everything in between will be recast in their favour if they only get these two things right.

Anthony Albanese also picked the right time to be born: at the beginning of the 60s, as the fruits of a social revolution against the rigid morality of the war generation were ripe and not yet spoiled. He was a beneficiary of the blossoming of the self-actualisation century, in which the chains of the traditional family were being rejected, to be replaced by a paternal social welfare state. As the child of a single mother, his timing was especially fortuitous; he and his mother were poor, but in highly relative terms historically. They lived in government-owned housing and his mother was entitled to (and received) a disability pension, as she was unable to work. His own university degree  nominally in political economy, mainly in ruthless campus politics  was free (to him, but of course not the taxpayer).

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Albanese was, as it were, born into a cause: to call for more of this, which made him possible: more social solidarity delivered by the state to replace the sticky ties of family and community obligation that had been found to be unreasonably oppressive by his generation and some in the one before it. Though it wasnt visible at the time  transformations of this kind are mostly visible only with the benefit of hindsight  Albanese was in on the ground floor of the transformation of Labor from the party of the worker to the party of the left-liberal, the party of welfare.

Operating the politics of this movement, Albanese gained the respect of his colleagues and parts of the public. In retrospect, his ideal moment to leave, with this legacy at its zenith, might have been the day in 2013 when he fronted cameras to lament the self-harm playing out within the Labor Party during yet another spill of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd era.

Had he left then, he would have gone out channelling the disgust of Australians at the shenanigans of self-absorbed politicians, an avatar and hero of the people. Or maybe he could even have drawn it out a little longer and left a few years later, at the height of his everyman identity (according to The Daily Telegraph, which campaigned to Save our Albo in the face of a challenge to his seat from a group of further-left candidates).
Australian voters have judged Jacqui Lambie to be the nations most likeable federal politician, backing the Tasmanian senator ahead of major party leaders in an exclusive new survey.

Lambie, an outspoken independent who often rails against the major parties, has a net likeability rating of 14 per cent and is considered one of the most recognisable people in politics.

Ups and downs: Lidia Thorpe (left), Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Jacqui Lambie and Barnaby Joyce. Credit: Michael Howard

But voters have ranked Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe as the least likeable in federal politics, giving her a net rating of minus 41 per cent after her protest in Parliament House during the visit of King Charles in October.

Thorpe, the Indigenous firebrand who quit the Greens in early 2023 and now sits on the crossbench, has seen her rating deteriorate from minus 29 per cent one year ago.
Four in 10 rectification orders issued by the Building Commission to builders of standalone houses were not complied with inside the mandated period, amid warnings of widespread defects across greenfield construction in Sydneys southwest.

Data obtained by the Herald under NSW freedom of information laws provides a snapshot of the Building Commissions first-year foray into regulating the construction of residential standalone houses, known as class one buildings, after new powers legislated in late 2023 boosted the scope and funding of the agency beyond apartments.

Homes with defective work are often not being rectified in an acceptable time frame. Credit: Jessica Hromas

Cowboy home builders operating in tough financial conditions have forced the commission to suspend and cancel a spate of licences after defects were found across dozens of sites. Rectification orders are issued where building work is non-compliant as a means of remediating the problem before it becomes a serious defect.

The data comes when the state needs to build 378,000 homes by July 2029. Premier Chris Minns has previously said the quantity required will not come at the cost of quality. The building commission is empowered to try to prevent a repeat of the Mascot and Opal Towers debacles.
As high interest rates and economic headwinds weigh on Sydneys broader residential market, it seems the uber-rich have been living a very different reality this year, spending more than ever on luxury housing, and often using cash to do so.

Sydneys trophy home market clocked up almost $1 billion worth of residential sales from the top 20 deals alone, making 2024 the best-performing year for the top end of the market.

The sale of the Elaine estate in Point Piper was this years highest residential sale at $130 million.

This year also sees a jump in the number of long settlements and cash buyers. Half of the top 20 sales are yet to settle, and of those that have settled, seven of them did so with no need for a mortgage.

It isnt just the strength of the trophy market that distinguishes this year but also the predominance of local buyers.
North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russias war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or wounded in the last week alone in Russias Kursk region, White House spokesperson John Kirby said.

The number far exceeds the figure US officials have previously provided.

It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defences, Kirby said, describing the troops offensive as massed, dismounted assaults.

A Russian serviceman operates at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. The US and Ukraine report North Koreans are being sent to the frontlines for Russia without protection. Credit: Russia Defence Ministry via AP

North Koreas mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Russias US mission declined to comment.
THE epidemic of mental health problems among farmers must act as a wake-up call for EU policy makers, MEP Maria Walsh has told the European commissioner for agriculture Christophe Hansen. The MEP is a member of the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee and used the meeting with the agriculture commissioner in Strasbourg last week to raise the concerns of Irish farmers.

Ms Walsh said: Those in power are failing to take the mental health challenges of farmers seriously, leading to an avoidable loss of life across Europe.

It is widely accepted and evidenced that farming is one of the most dangerous jobs in Europe. Fatalities in the sector are 233% higher, and accidents 18% higher, than in other industries. However, too many people overlook the dangers presented by the epidemic of mental health problems amongst our farmers.

A 2023 study from UCD showed that 20% of Irish farmers surveyed had suicidal thoughts in the two previous weeks, and nearly 40% reported experiencing moderate to extremely severe stress.

I believe commissioner Hansen has a unique and personal understanding of this issue. I hope this will lead to tangible solutions, and crucially financial investment, coming from the commission over the coming months. A welcome first step towards this is the commissioners commitment to featuring mental health in his upcoming Vision for Future of Agriculture document.

Along with mental health, commissioner Hansen and I discussed a range of issues impacting Irish farmers. I urged the commission to ensure the continuation of our nitrates derogation, and I shared the concerns of Irish farmers around the Mercosur trade deal.

I welcome commissioner Hansons commitment to prioritising easy yet impactful wins, such as CAP reforms that can be achieved in the short term. The commissioner highlighted the potential threat of the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as the Trump presidency on the agricultural sector. I also look forward to welcoming commissioner Hansen to Ireland next year.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

It took more than two years for the State to accept the gift of a painting of Daniel OConnell from a bank, after concerns that the Oireachtas was only receiving a copy of the original portrait.

OConnell, known as The Liberator, was known for his campaigns of Catholic emancipation and drive towards the repeal of the act of union between Britain and Ireland.

He also had a career as a banker  where he was immortalised in an 1838 portrait that became the subject of a years-long campaign.

Newly released files from the National Archives in Dublin show a protracted process in which plans to display that original portrait in Leinster House were changed, sparking some concern and a desire for a low-key handover ceremony for a copy.

The repatriation of the portrait dates back to early 2001, when Irish diplomat Dan Mulhall contacted the chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) about the portrait of OConnell which he came across at an exhibition in Edinburgh.

Mr Mulhall suggested that the portrait be moved to Ulster Bank in Dublin, given that RBS  now part of NatWest  had acquired the bank.

The painting is understood to have originally been commissioned by one of the National Bank of Irelands early directors, an organisation for which OConnell was chairman.

Ambassador Dan Mulhall (Niall Carson/PA)

The National Bank was split up and a section of it, including the painting, was purchased by the National Commercial Bank of Scotland which later became part of RBS.

Correspondence between the bank and Mr Mulhall in August of that year show that RBS wanted to move the portrait to the embassy in London as soon as possible, in the further hope that the Ambassador would host a reception.

From there, RBS envisaged the portrait could be moved to Leinster House between September and January 2004 and that this might be the right occasion for the Taoiseach to welcome the painting to Ireland.

It was then suggested that the original would move to the National Gallery after a copy for Leinster House was completed, until a permanent home for the artwork was found in Dublins Ulster Bank base.

However, issues requiring clarification later arose in October, according to newly released documents from the Department of An Taoiseach.

The Department asked the then clerk of the Dail on October 31st whether the portrait will be accepted by Leinster House.

The Irish Embassy and the Royal Bank wanted to know if Leinster House would accept the portrait, with the former expecting that the latter would desire a handing-over ceremony.

Another factor that might delay the handover was the process of making a copy, although if Leinster House chose not to accept the portrait  a duplicate would not be necessary.

Follow-up calls to the Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and Privileges occurred between then and November 19th, where the Department was told the committee would have a meeting on the matter  originally scheduled for the previous week  on November 28th.

Ulster Bank ultimately withdrew from the Republic of Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA)

The Department had told Leinster House that the Embassy and the bank wanted to be in a position to say what the future plans for the portrait would be by November 22nd.

The committee said it would establish a sub-committee to consider works of art for Leinster House in general.

It was not until December 20th when Leinster House confirmed that the Dail and Seanad committees had accepted the portrait.

However, a subsequent change of plans emerged, and a copy of the painting was made in London while the original was in the embassy there.

Both were then transported to the National Gallery instead and a reception was held in September 2002 featuring Arts Minister John ODonoghue.

The cost of transporting, insuring and making the copy were borne by the bank.

John ODonoghue attended the National Gallery event for the portrait as Arts Minister (Haydn West/PA)

It meant that the original painting did not first go on display in Leinster House as initially envisaged.

When contacted by the Department of An Taoiseach, the Gallery was not open to releasing the original to Leinster House  according to the newly released Government documents.

The bank had intimated that the painting might be given on loan and Leinster House would have liked to receive the original as agreed by the committees.

In a departmental document, Leinster House is recorded as preferring a low-key approach to accepting the copy under the new circumstances.

Reservations had also been expressed about accepting gifts from commercial organisations, the document states.

It was suggested that the copy be placed in Leinster House on a Saturday morning when no one was around and that the Ceann Comhairle could ask bank executives, at some point, to come in to view it.

Ulster Bank officials felt the National Gallery event did not provide the profile they had hoped for, and had instead desired that the original had been accepted by a significant person  the Taoiseach or Minister for Finance.

However, Leinster House revised its position and suggested that the Taoiseach could accept the copy in its grounds.

This was acceptable to the Taoiseach in March 2003, with the bank also agreeing on the grounds the original portraits place in the National Gallery would be acknowledged.

On April 8th, 2003, the Department made efforts to finalise plans with Leinster House.

On May 15th, the procedures committee recommended that the copy of the portrait be placed in Room 2, off Leinster Houses Main Hall.

The Government formally accepted the copy as a gift to the nation on June 24th and the handing over ceremony took place on July 1st, 2003.

The original portrait, commissioned from the renowned 19th century artist David Wilkie, remains on display  as part of the loan arrangement  at the National Gallery in Dublin.

In recent years, NatWest decided to wind down Ulster Bank in Ireland. However a spokesman said there is no current plan for the bank to end the loan agreement.

As part of that withdrawal, the bank gifted dozens of artworks to the National Gallery while others were auctioned off for a fund with Communities Foundation Ireland.

 This article is based on the 2024/130/9 file.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Concerns were raised about a former chief justice of Northern Ireland over allegations he dislikes Jews as much as he dislikes Catholics, according to newly released confidential documents.

Mr Justice Robert Lowry, who presided over scores of non-jury trials of Republicans during the Troubles, held the role between 1971 and 1989.

His duties included sitting as the president of the High Court, which became the focus of a discussion on judicial appointments between leading Belfast-based Catholic lawyer PJ McGrory and senior Irish Department of Foreign Affairs official Daithi O Ceallagh in 1985.

Mr McGrory believed that Ronnie Appleton, a highly-regarded lawyer who led the successful prosecution of the Irish National Liberation Armys Dominic McGlinchey, was a strong contender for a bench appointment.

Mr Appleton played an essential role in McGlincheys conviction because he came up with the brilliant idea of getting an affidavit filed to a Dublin court when he had been charged with IRA membership.

Mr McGrory told Mr O Ceallagh that McGlinchey, who had admitted being a member of an IRA unit in South Derry, could not have been convicted without those affidavits, which were made after the request for extradition to Northern Ireland.

Mr O Ceallagh noted in the Department of Foreign Affairs file: The McGlinchey trial had important political consequences for Unionists and Lowry tried to ensure a conviction. Appleton is therefore, as it were, owed one.

However, the Irish official was told by Mr McGrory that Mr Appletons candidacy for a High Court position faced a problem.

In the note of Mr McGrorys comments, Mr O Ceallagh wrote: Two factors militate against him. Firstly, he is making loud noises that the fee he is getting for the McGlinchey trial is not commensurate with his achievement.

Secondly, he is a Jew and Lowry is reputed to dislike Jews as much as he dislikes Catholics.

Mr McGrory, who would later become internationally known for his work during the inquest into the killings of three IRA members in Gibraltar, was sharply critical of Mr Justice Lowry and accused him of choosing judges to meet political ends.

It was Mr McGrorys belief that internment without trial would be a better option than Diplock courts, where people would be automatically locked up if they were found with weapons or explosives.

Even a special mobile police force, designed to deal with the terrorist threat using their weapons relatively freely, would be better than the use of the courts in a manner that effectively politicises them, Mr O Ceallaigh reported him as saying.

Mr McGrory was also reported as believing that the courts have been manipulated in an unprecedented fashion by him, especially by exploiting the lack of legal transcribers.

He complained that the lack of transcripts of judgments had delayed the hearing of appeals to such an extent that the appellants will nearly all have served their sentences before the appeal is heard.

Given his position as Lord Chief Justice, Mr Justice Lowry was able to control which judges heard Diplock cases, where people facing alleged terrorist offences were tried before a single judge in a non-jury trial.

The confidential Department of Foreign Affairs note on the meeting with Mr McGrory continues: It is Lowry who ensures that particular judges hear particular trials for the purpose of ensuring that the judgment serves his political end.

 This article is based on documents in 2024/28/57.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Irish officials were worried that a US decision to designate the Real IRA (RIRA) as a foreign terrorist organisation might help recruitment for the paramilitary group.

Just years after the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the US was planning to add the RIRA to the list of foreign terrorist organisations.

In a briefing note for then-Irish premier Bertie Ahern in early 2001, officials warned that designation might unintentionally give a boost to dissident republicans by enhancing their status in the eyes of republican supporters in the US and that this might encourage recruitment.

The note came ahead of Mr Aherns visit to then-US president George W Bush in Washington, DC in March as part of the annual St Patricks Day celebrations.

The file also notes that the main legal effects of designation relate to prohibitions on fundraising, freezing of existing funds and the refusal of visas to, or exclusion from the US of representatives of, a designated organisation.

Papers released to the National Archives in Dublin show that despite the reservations, there was acknowledgement between Irish and British authorities that adding the RIRA to the list would also have benefits.

George Bush and Bertie Ahern in 2004. Photo: Maxwells/PA.

In October 2000, then-justice minister John ODonoghue and then-secretary of state for Northern Ireland Peter Mandelson agreed that the issue would be further discussed by An Garda Siochana and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

The report of the Garda Commissioner and the RUCs Chief Constable concluded that, on balance, it would make operational sense to have the organisation designated a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) as this would make additional legal powers available to law enforcement officials in dealing with (the RIRA).

On the basis of this report, the Irish and British governments decided on November 24th 2000 to jointly request that US authorities start the process of designation.

At the time of Mr Aherns visit the following March, the US State Department was seeking legal advice on the matter.

Ultimately, the US added the RIRA to its official FTO list in May 2001.

Later that year, following the September 11th terrorist attacks, US officials wrote to governments in various countries including Ireland asking them to freeze the assets of groups on the FTO list.

John B Taylor was the US secretary for international affairs. Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA.

John B Taylor, then-US secretary for international affairs, sent a fax to John Hurley, then-secretary general at the Department of Finance, on November 1st 2001 asking for the RIRAs assets to be blocked in Ireland.

Please notify me as soon as possible whether or not you will be able to join the United States in a simultaneous blocking, Mr Taylor wrote.

If not, please notify me when you do take blocking action against these terrorists.

Thank you for your continuing co-operation in the global effort to combat the financing of terrorism.

The Oireachtas later passed the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill 2002 to strengthen Irelands capacity to respond to terrorism including freezing assets.

 This article is based on documents in 2022/49/125 and 2022/49/40.
I DIDNT follow closely the case of Gisele Pelicot and how badly she was treated by her husband and up to 70 men who raped her, but, like everyone else, I applauded her courage in coming forward to ensure that her husband and his accomplices faced the full rigours of the law.

She is, indeed, a very brave woman  the facts of this case are almost too harrowing to be believable  but, unfortunately, they are true. Thankfully, all those responsible received custodial sentences and, while we may believe the French court was too lenient with some, the reality is each accused can rightly be referred to as a rapist from now on.

But while we all applaud Ms Pelicot, we should not forget that we have seen some very brave women step out from the shadows in this country to highlight rape, incest and physical abuse.

This country may have had a reputation for being the land of a thousand welcomes, but behind the false smiles the society we lived in was rotten to the core. Think of all the unfortunate Magdalene laundry victims, the brutality inflicted on them and their offspring, often by those who were responsible for them in the first place.

Child abuse was rampant, covered up by those whose job should have been to protect the victims. Think of Carlow woman Maureen Sullivan, who confided in a nun about the abuse she endured at the hands of her stepfather, only to be hidden away in institutions until she eventually managed to make a life for herself abroad. The authorities stole her teenage years and education, and all because they didnt want to face reality and come to her aid.

Think of all the people who now enjoy some sense of closure as they get to tell their side at trial by giving victim impact statements. Everyone has a young girl to thank for that  Lavinia Kerwick  the first Irish rape survivor to waive anonymity. She is also the reason the director of public prosecutions can now appeal undue leniency in sentencing.

It was New Years Eve 1991 and the young girl was on her way home with her boyfriend when he raped her, leaving her with life-changing injuries. After she reported the rape to the gardai, she said she came under extreme pressure in the community to withdraw her statement because it was ruining the life of her attacker.

I can clearly remember former associates who were working in the Kilkenny area speaking to me about the case and referring to the young woman as a publicity junkie. Thankfully, they only said that to me once, because if they had repeated it I would probably have faced a court case myself.

The following year, after her attacker had the case against him adjourned for a year, after which he would be given what turned out to be a suspended sentence, Lavinia went on the Gerry Ryan Show, named herself and gave an account of the incident live on radio.

Instead of being applauded for her bravery, both she and Gerry Ryan were found to be in contempt of court. Ryan was fined and could easily have lost his job, while Lavinia was threatened with jail.

Thankfully, public outrage at her treatment took over and the-then minister for justice Padraig Flynn began the process of changing legislation to allow victim impact statements to be read in court  and also giving the DPP the power to appeal the leniency of sentences.

Lavinia suffered for her bravery; at one stage anorexia saw her body weight plummet to just two and a half stone, but, thankfully, she managed to pull through and rebuild her life as best she could.

But not a day goes by that her bravery over 30 years ago continues to impact in a positive way on the lives of others. All victims of crime now get to give their side of the story in victim impact statements and the DPP has exercised the right to appeal sentences whenever they deem a judge was too lenient.

Sadly, even with those two landmark decisions, there are far too many rape and abuse cases before the courts. Only last week, we saw a former Irish rugby player receive a 14-year prison sentence in France when he and a few of his friends were convicted of raping a young woman.

The world needs women like Lavinia, Maureen and Gisele to keep stepping into public view to highlight the wrongs that have been done to them and, hopefully, the time will come when we will see fewer such crimes. At the moment that doesnt seem possible, but all society can do is continue to listen, prosecute and, hopefully, get the message across as to what is acceptable behaviour and what is wrong.
Kanye Ye West and Bianca Censori have one of the most discussed relationships in 2024. The couple emerged in January 2023 after secretly tying the knot in December 2022. Theyve spent several months in Japan while West works on his next album, and much of their romance remains a mystery. Heres what a source said about Censori sharing in Wests love of video games even though his famous ex, Kim Kardashian, hates the hobby.

Bianca Censori totally gets Kanye Wests passion for video games, though Kim Kardashian doesnt, source says

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West tied the knot in 2014 and finalized their divorce in 2022. While the couple seemed to have a great relationship for several years, it went downhill toward the end. Now, Kim and West dont appear to have much communication. West is in Tokyo with Bianca Censori working on his album while Kim stays behind and looks after their four kids: North, 11, Saint, 8, Chicago, 6, and Psalm, 5.

A source told In Touch Weekly that Kim didnt share in Wests love of video games. However, Censori shares in Wests passion and video games have become a way for the couple to bond in their downtime.

Kim tried to be supportive back when they were together, but she really couldnt stand it and would always make comments about what a waste of time it was, the insider alleged. With Bianca, though, Ye finally has a partner who enjoys his gaming world just as much. Its become a bonding thing for them, and Ye couldnt be happier.

The source noted that West can be completely immersed in video games for hours and always brings his consoles and VR headset along when he travels.

Bianca totally gets it, the insider continued. Shes right there with him, joining in whenever she can, and the kids are into it too.

Kim Kardashian once claimed she and Kanye West have a lot in common

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend The 2019 Met Gala | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Before Kim Kardashian and Kanye West officially started dating, Kim claimed she had a lot in common with the music mogul. In a 2012 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kim coyly hinted at her budding romance with West when she borrowed his car.

This is my friends car that Im borrowing, Kim said to her sister, Kourtney Kardashian.

So Kanye and I, you know, we have, I think, a lot of things in common, Kim told the camera. We both just love cars, so  whats the big deal, Im just borrowing my friends car?

Youre just friends, and youre borrowing his car? Kourtney asked suspiciously. Why cant I borrow his car? Kourtney asked Kim if she and West were more than friends.

Relax, Kim said, Its not that serious.

In 2012, Kim relayed additional similarities between her and West in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. I can really relate to his mother passing  he can really relate to my father passing, she said, according to E! News. I mean, theres so many similarities in our life that  I feel like Im at a really happy, good space.

Bianca Censori allegedly wants a more stable and settled life with her husband

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are still in Japan  and their stay has no end in sight. While Censori seemed to love the jet-setting lifestyle at first, a source told In Touch Weekly she wants a more stable and settled life now.

Shes been pushing for a more stable and settled life, the insider alleged. The moving around and the constant changing of plans is driving her up the wall and she finally put her foot down and demanded they get a home base.

Censori allegedly wants to call Los Angeles her full-time home. LA is where she wants to be, they continued. She loves it there and has a huge network of friends there. Being halfway around the world was very lonely for her.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheets Instagram.
Home News Israeli soldiers evacuate, burn hospital used as a 'Hamas terrorist stronghold'

Israeli soldiers evacuated patients and staff from a hospital in northern Gaza and set part of the facility on fire on Friday, saying it had served as a "Hamas terrorist stronghold" throughout the war.

The Israeli military said in a statement the evacuation was carried out on Friday afternoon as part of an operation in the area of Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The Israel Defense Forces troops "facilitated the secure evacuation of civilians, patients and medical personnel" before beginning the operation.

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"We will continue to make extensive efforts for patients to continue receiving care in other hospitals by facilitating the evacuation of patients from the Kamal Adwan Hospital, the ongoing transfer of supplies, food, and fuel to the area, and the restoration of operations of hospitals in the area, while maintaining ongoing communication with hospital officials," the statement reads.

Since its most recent "targeted operation" in the area in October 2024, the IDF said the hospital "has once again become a key stronghold for terrorist organizations and continues to be used as a hideout for terrorist operatives" despite "repeated calls by the IDF to refrain from exploiting the hospital for military activities."

The Israeli military said only a single building was ignited, but Gaza Health Ministry representatives claim multiple areas in the hospital, including critical departments, were burned after hospital workers and patients were escorted out by force, according to The Associated Press.

The IDF contends the evacuation followed "prior intelligence regarding the presence of terrorist infrastructure and operatives."

Days before the operation, an Israeli official said patients would be relocated to a nearby Indonesian hospital that had been evacuated by the military Tuesday.

In November 2023, the Israeli forces said they killed five terrorists in a raid and evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza City's largest hospital, which IDF claimed Hamas was using for military purposes. Israel said its forces informed Gaza authorities the previous day to cease military operations, which did not occur.

A previous video released by the Israel Defense Forces from an interrogation showed Hamas terrorists captured by Israeli soldiers admitting to taking refuge in hospitals and using ambulances for "anything important," including transporting commanders.

One terrorist pointed to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a place where militants hide in the basement. In response to the Israeli interrogator's question about the identities of the senior Hamas leaders who were hiding in the hospital, the terrorist named Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader and the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, with the aim of advancing its assault up to the border of the West Bank, according to The Washington Post.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari posted audio of an intercepted phone call last year, in which a Gazan resident and a Hamas member discussed using ambulances for militant movements, leading Hagari to remark that the group "exploits ambulances, hospitals, clinics, mosques and schools for terrorist purposes."

Also, troops on the ground reported discoveries of hidden networks last year. According to statements issued by the IDF, soldiers from the 933rd Nahal Infantry Brigade stormed an area controlled by Hamas after an extended firefight. In the aftermath, they said they confiscated weapons, uncovered documents detailing operational plans, and found tunnel entrances near structures devoted to childcare.

The IDF has long alleged that Hamas burrows beneath civilian and commercial sites to create covert transit routes.

Meanwhile, overnight Friday, missile sirens again disrupted life in several areas of Israel, as military sources confirmed intercepting a projectile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Israeli warplanes had earlier targeted infrastructure within Yemen, and Houthi fighters vowed to continue strikes near a critical waterway "until Israel agrees to a ceasefire."

According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has taken over 45,400 lives, a figure that includes combatants and civilians.

The conflict escalated following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which caused around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, on Israeli soil. Hamas abducted around 240 people, including foreign nationals, with nearly 100 hostages still believed to be held.

Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza to secure the release of the hostages and eliminate Hamas, a United States-designated terror organization that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Home News Anglican group claims 'not everyone' in Bible is 'cisgender': 'Some clear queer characters'

An Anglican campaign group has published a resource guidance suggesting that the Bible supports transgender identity, claiming that "not everyone in the Bible is cisgender" and "affirms trans, intersex and queer people."

The guidance, hosted on the website LGBT Faith UK among other resources in its "The Bible Affirms" series, claims the Bible includes "some clear queer characters" and highlights eunuchs and women engaging in traditionally masculine roles as examples.

The document's title asserts: "The Bible affirms trans, intersex, and queer people." It opens with the statement: "Not everyone in the Bible is cisgender. Nor is everyone in the Bible biologically or anatomically male or female." The guidance points to eunuchs as "biblical ancestors" of trans-identified individuals, emphasizing their role in Scripture.

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One key example cited is from Acts 8, where an angel directs the evangelist Philip to meet an Ethiopian eunuch reading Scripture. Philip shares the Christian message and baptizes the eunuch. The guidance interprets this as evidence that the eunuch was accepted as "a full member [of the Church] without having to be totally male or totally female. God called him just as he was."

Eunuch is a reference to a male servant of a royal household who was castrated "for the purpose of trusted servitude." As A. Philip Brown II, associate professor at God's Bible School and College in Cincinnati, Ohio, points out in a 2017 report, the biblical context for eunuch "was not used to denote transgender persons."

The guidance claims that while "there are no characters in the Bible who could be definitely identified as intersex," "there are some characters who might be."

Specifically, it references Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of John, suggesting that her story hints she could be "intersex" and that Christ affirms her identity.

It adds that while identifying "queer characters in the Bible" can be challenging, examining gender roles reveals examples such as Deborah, the female judge who led the Israelites into battle  a role characterized as "a very male thing for a woman to do."

The guidance, authored by Ann Reddecliffe, is an edited extract from her book LGBTQ Welcome and is not an official position of the Church of England.

LGBT Faith UK is associated with the advocacy group Changing Attitude, which campaigns for "radical inclusion" within the Church of England.

Founded by retired Anglican priest Colin Coward, Changing Attitude said it wants to transform what it describes as the Church's "patriarchal, heteronormative, white, western privileged culture" into one that "unconditionally embraces lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer people."

The group has actively lobbied Church of England bishops as part of the Living in Love and Faith initiative, a consultation process on sexuality and gender issues, The Telegraph reports. Campaigners hoped the process would encourage bishops to adopt a more "inclusive" stance ahead of the 2023 Synod.

The Church of England's official doctrine states that "sexual intercourse, as an expression of faithful intimacy, properly belongs within marriage exclusively," defining marriage as a lifelong union between "one man with one woman." The pastoral guidance set out in 2023 for the Prayers of Love and Faith reiterates this stance, affirming that "it is within marriage that sexual intimacy finds its proper place."

However, in 2018, the Church of England endorsed adapting the Affirmation of Baptism service to support trans-identified individuals, allowing them to renew their faith publicly. The following year, the denomination stated it would recognize marriages involving trans-identified individuals as long as the spouses were of opposite sexes when the marriage occurred.

In October, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who resigned in November, came under fire after he made comments supporting sexual intimacy in same-sex relationships.

At the time, Welby stated that sexual intimacy is morally acceptable in "stable, committed and faithful" relationships, regardless of gender, sparking backlash from Evangelicals within the denomination who accused him of openly disregarding Church of England doctrine.

British Catholic cleric Calvin Robinson, who joined the Old Catholic Church after claiming his ordination in the Church of England was blocked because of his conservative theological views, recently warned Americans to avoid the same mistakes that he said are leading to the destruction of his mother country.

"The Church of England has become very liberal in terms of divorce, sex outside marriage, same-sex relationships, transgenderism," Robinson, who now leads a church in Michigan, told CP. "And every time the Church tries to be more inclusive, it actually becomes more exclusive to Christianity and to Christian values, and more inclusive to worldly values and just further plummets that downward trajectory."

"It's a great shame," he added.

Robinson noted that while American Christians seem to him much less ashamed of speaking openly about their faith, he fears the U.S. is typically about 10 years behind the destructive spiritual and political trends that manifest in Europe.

Traditional "British values" have given way in his country to a nebulous multiculturalism that insists there is no such thing as British values, and that "we just need to keep importing other people's."

"These kinds of trends are happening in the States, too, I think," he said. "Be careful. American culture is a fantastic culture. Hold on to it, promote it, encourage it. If you want to become multicultural and let other cultures in, that's something you have to consider. But do not give it up to the detriment of your own."
Home News Mexico makes plans for illegal immigrants amid Trump's promise of mass deportations

With President-elect Donald Trump's administration vowing to initiate deportation efforts of illegal immigrants, Mexico is preparing a plan to take back its citizens who are deported after Inauguration Day.

The Mexican government will open 25 shelters along its northern border for deported immigrants, Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda told reporters this week, according to Border Report. The shelters are scheduled to open their doors on Jan. 20.

Six facilities will be in Tijuana, with another two in Mexicali, Baja's capital city. Each of the facilities is capable of accommodating 500 people, and the shelters will either house single men, women or unaccompanied children or families.

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"This is a strategic plan to accommodate exclusively people who get deported after January 20," she said.

Tijuanas City Manager Arnulfo Guerrero Leon told Tijuanas El Sol Newspaper that the plan was originally to lease sporting complexes, but they will lease warehouse space instead to avoid scheduling conflicts with sporting events, the Border Report noted Friday.

Avila Olmeda told reporters that they are taking seriously Trump's promises to launch a mass deportation effort of illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigration and border security were major talking points of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, which criticized the Biden-Harris administration for allowing immigrants with criminal records to enter the country.

"What we do know, throughout his campaign, he threatened to do this, and since he was already president of the United States, we believe this time he will be stricter and tougher when it comes to deportations," the Baja California governor said. "We are working to get ready and receive our migrants."

The shelters, which are intended to serve as temporary housing for deported immigrants, will only house Mexican immigrants being sent back to their country from the United States. Deported immigrants can stay at the shelters for one or two days before they are sent back home to Mexico, according to the report.

"These shelters that are being planned are for those being repatriated who are coming from north to south, but no foreigners, only Mexicans, this must be made clear  Mexicans will be welcomed back to their country and their human rights will be respected," Avila Olmeda stated.

In November, Trump announced that he had appointed former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tom Homan to serve as "border czar" in his new administration.

"I've known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders," the president-elect wrote in a statement at the time. "Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job."

Homan, a former police officer and Border Patrol agent, promised during the National Conservatism Conference earlier this year that he would "run the biggest deportation operation this country's ever seen."

The newly appointed border czar, who has served under multiple U.S. presidents throughout his career, has publicly blamed the Biden-Harris administration border policies for endangering migrants and Americans.

During the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference, Homan highlighted raised concerns about immigrants dying at the U.S.-Mexico border and Americans dying due to fentanyl making its way across the border.

Following the widely publicized death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley at the hands of an illegal immigrant in February, the Biden-Harris administration faced additional scrutiny for its immigration policies.

In an August interim report, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement highlighted Riley's killer, Jose Ibarra, as an example of the millions of illegal aliens released by the administration who are "committing crimes across the country."

"The Committee's review of Jose Ibarra's A-file reveals that the Biden-Harris Administration's border policies ensured Jose Ibarra's release into the United States nearly two years ago," the report stated. "Despite having lived safely in Ecuador from January 2017 through July 2022, in 2022, Ibarra traveled to the United States, potentially drawn by President Biden's and Vice President Harris's open-borders, no-consequence immigration policies."

While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cited a lack of detention space as the reason for Ibarra's release, the committee highlighted the agency's data, arguing that it could have detained Ibarra.

"As a result of his release, Ibarra was free to commit crimes in the United States, including allegedly kidnapping and murdering Laken Riley in Georgia," the Republican-led committee and its subcommittee noted in the document.
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Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai gestures during a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 22, 2020. Fabrice COFFRINI | AFP | Getty Images

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees last week that "the stakes are high" for 2025, as the company faces increased competition and regulatory hurdles and contends with rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. At a 2025 strategy meeting on Dec. 18, Pichai and other Google leaders, donning ugly holiday sweaters, hyped up the coming year, most notably as it pertains to what's coming in AI, according to audio obtained by CNBC. "I think 2025 will be critical," Pichai said. "I think it's really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems." Some employees attended the meeting in person at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, and others tuned in virtually. Pichai's comments come after a year packed with some of the most intense pressure Google has experienced since going public two decades ago. While areas like search ads and cloud produced strong revenue growth, competition picked up in Google's core markets, and the company faced internal challenges including culture clashes and concerns about Pichai's vision for the future. Additionally, regulation is now heavier than ever. In August, a federal judge ruled that Google illegally holds a monopoly in the search market. The Justice Department in November asked that Google be forced to divest its Chrome internet browser unit. In a separate case, the DOJ accused the company of illegally dominating online ad technology. That trial closed in September and awaits a judge ruling. That same month, Britain's competition watchdog issued a statement of objections over Google's ad tech practices, which the regulator provisionally found are impacting competition in the U.K. "It's not lost on me that we are facing scrutiny across the world," Pichai said. "It comes with our size and success. It's part of a broader trend where tech is now impacting society at scale. So more than ever, through this moment, we have to make sure we don't get distracted." A Google spokesperson declined to comment.

watch now

Google's search business still has dominant market share, but generative AI has served up all sorts of new ways for people to access online information, and has brought with it a host of new competitors. OpenAI's ChatGPT kicked off the hype cycle in late 2022, and investors including Microsoft have since propelled the company to a $157 billion valuation. In July, OpenAI announced it would launch a search engine of its own. Perplexity is also promoting its AI-powered search service and recently closed a $500 million funding round at a $9 billion valuation. Google is investing heavily to try and stay on top, principally through Gemini, its AI model. The Gemini app gives users access to a number of tools, including Google's chatbot. Pichai said "building big, new business" is a top priority. That includes the Gemini app, which executives said they see as Google's next app to reach half a billion users. The company currently has 15 apps that have hit that mark. "With the Gemini app, there is strong momentum, particularly over the last few months," Pichai said. "But we have some work to do in 2025 to close the gap and establish a leadership position there as well." "Scaling Gemini on the consumer side will be our biggest focus next year," Pichai later added.

'Don't always have to be first'

At the meeting, Pichai showed a chart of large language models, with Gemini 1.5 leading OpenAI's GPT and other competitors. "I expect some back and forth" in 2025, Pichai said. "I think we'll be state of the art." He acknowledged that Google has had to play catch-up. "In history, you don't always need to be first but you have to execute well and really be the best in class as a product," he said. "I think that's what 2025 is all about." Executives took questions that were submitted by employees through Google's internal system. One comment read aloud by Pichai suggested that ChatGPT "is becoming synonymous to AI the same way Google is to search," with the questioner asking, "What's our plan to combat this in the upcoming year? Or are we not focusing as much on consumer facing LLM?" For the answer, Pichai turned to DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, who said that teams are going to "turbocharge" the Gemini app and that the company has seen progress in the number of users since launching the app in February. He said, "the products themselves are going to evolve massively over the next year or two." Hassabis described a vision for a universal assistant that "can seamlessly operate over any domain, any modality or any device."

watch now

Project Astra, Google's experimental version of a universal assistant that the company announced in May, will be updated in the first half of the year. Another employee question asked whether Google will be able to get AI products to scale without charging $200 a month "like other companies." "Right now, we don't have any plans for this kind of subscription level," Hassabis responded, adding that he thinks the $20 monthly charge for Gemini advanced is a good value. "I wouldn't necessarily say never but there are no plans for that at the moment." Toward the end of the meeting, Google welcomed to the stage Josh Woodward, the head of Google Labs. He took the microphone as the Zombie Nation song "Kernkraft 400" played loudly in the background. "I'm going to try to do six demos in eight minutes," said Woodward, who's known for his high level of energy. Woodward started by showing off Jules, a coding assistant that's in a trusted tester's program. He said, "It's where the future of software development is headed." Woodward then shifted to AI notetaking product NotebookLM, which featured a series of updates in 2024, including a podcasting tool. Woodward demonstrated how the company is trying a new feature that allows the user to "call in" to a podcast. He then moved onto Project Mariner, an AI-powered multitasking Chrome extension. Woodward asked it to add the top restaurants from Tripadvisor to the Maps app. After a brief pause, the demo successfully worked, leading employees in attendance to erupt in applause. Throughout the meeting, Pichai kept reminding employees of the need to "stay scrappy." Google has gone through an extensive phase of cost cutting that included eliminating about 6% of its workforce in 2023 and a continued focus on efficiency. As of the end of the third quarter, Alphabet had 181,269 employees, down about 5% from the end of 2022. At one point, Pichai referenced Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who started the company 26 years ago, long before cloud computing or AI tools existed. "In early Google days, you look at how the founders built our data centers, they were really really scrappy in every decision they made," Pichai said. "Often, constraints lead to creativity. Not all problems are always solved by headcount."
Throughout 2024, CNBC's Jim Cramer discussed the seemingly boundless rise of artificial intelligence with dozens of CEOs across the tech world. Here is how five top enterprise leaders characterized AI's meteoric rise this year.

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Disclaimer The CNBC Investing Club Charitable Trust holds shares of Nvidia, AMD and CrowdStrike.
After signing a multiyear deal  reportedly worth more than $100 million  with SiriusXM earlier this year, "Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper spread the wealth by buying her parents a house.

In a Christmas episode of "Call Her Daddy," Cooper revealed that her parents were moving from their home state of Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California after she and her husband, producer Matt Kaplan, surprised them with the purchase.

"It makes me emotional thinking about it because when I started 'Call Her Daddy,' I had somewhat of a vision of what I hoped this would turn into," Cooper says.

"To be able to go to my parents this summer, with Matt, and be like, 'I want to buy you guys a house and I want to do this for you. I'm so excited to be able to do this for you and I want nothing in return. I just want your happiness and I want you guys to enjoy it and thrive,'" she adds.
A drone view shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan December 25, 2024.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to the president of Azerbaijan for the crash of the civilian airliner that killed 38 people, the Kremlin said Saturday, stopping short of admitting responsibility.

"Vladimir Putin apologized for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace," the Kremlin said.

The airliner had "repeatedly attempted to land" at the Grozny airport, Putin told Ilham Aliyev, which at the time was being "attacked by Ukrainian combat drones."

Russian air defense systems "repelled these attacks," Putin said.

He did not say if the plane was hit by Russian air defenses but the Kremlin said that an investigation was underway and civilian and military specialists were being interrogated.

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash-landed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Christmas day, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.

According to a readout by Aliyev's office, the Azerbaijan president told Putin of the evidence suggesting "external physical and technical interference," specifying that it happened in Russian airspace.

Aliyev mentioned multiple holes in the airplane's fuselage, injuries sustained by passengers and crew "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight," and testimonies from surviving passengers and crew, some of whom had said they felt explosions before the plane went down.

Two U.S. military officials told NBC News on Friday that the plane may have been hit by Russian missiles, saying they had intelligence indicating that Russians may have misidentified the plane and shot it down.

The intelligence suggested that Russians believed the airliner was a drone, partly because of an irregular flight pattern, the officials said.

The Embraer 190 experienced "physical and technical external interference," the carrier said Friday, while the plane was en route from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya region.

Russian officials have cautioned against speculating about the cause of the crash, and on Saturday Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia was "waiting on the results of the investigation."

However, the country's aviation ministry, Rosaviatsia, said earlier that the situation around the destination airport, Grozny, was "very complicated," with Ukrainian drones in the vicinity.

Rosaviatsia also said there was a dense fog and no visibility at an altitude of 1,600 feet, and the pilot ultimately chose to divert after two unsuccessful attempts to land at Grozny.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20.

The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said.

The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public.

The new aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine's power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine.

Earlier this month, senior defense officials acknowledged that that the Defense Department may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.

Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many U.S. and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he won't provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress.
In a heartfelt tribute, former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed described the late Manmohan Singh as a "father figure for not only India and South Asia, but to the world."The two-time Prime Minister of India, who died at 92 on Thursday, was lauded by Nasheed for his pivotal role in fostering unity and cooperation on a global scale, particularly during critical moments like the COP19 climate conference."One specific moment that I very vividly remember is the COP19, when countries were not able to come together and find an understanding during that conference. It was Manmohan Singh who brought all the countries together," Nasheed said. He recalled an evening during the conference when an unofficial meeting of 25 nations, led by Singh, became the turning point in negotiations.Describing Singh as an Indian Ocean Prime Minister, Nasheed highlighted his pivotal role in shaping regional geopolitics. Amid Chinas growing interest in the Indian Ocean during the early 21st century, Singhs strategic vision guided smaller island nations. He advised not only to me but to many other Indian Ocean island countries, and that has meant that weve been so far able to create safety and security for all of us, including India, Nasheed said.On a personal level, Nasheed recounted the wisdom and encouragement he received from Singh during challenging times. Having transitioned to government after 30 years of dictatorship in the Maldives, Nasheed recalled Singhs advice to focus on the future rather than dwelling on past adversities. Manmohan Singh always told me not to react quickly, think back, and... that challenging or rather running after your enemies should not be the focus of our lives, but trying to work out and find solutions should be the focus of our lives, he shared.
When Nate Bargatze hosts Saturday Night Live, he leads the show to fulfill his vision of a new kind of sketch, one which, no matter how bad the table read goes, will still get nearly 20 million views on YouTube.

Back in October, stand-up star Bargatze returned to SNL less than a year after his first hosting stint on the show, landing him among historic company on the all-time record list of fastest re-books in 30 Rockefeller Plaza history. Bargatzes deadpan Tennessee drawl and delightfully practical sense of humor has already made him an SNL A-lister after just two appearances, and, with America constantly coming up with the kind of mundane insanity that Bargatze uses as ammunition in his comedy, we can expect Bargatze to be a big part of the shows near future as his best historic-fictional character envisions the destiny of our country.

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Bargatzes biggest hit so far during his two SNL hosting stints has been his performances as George Washington dreaming up all the illogical eccentricities of modern American society during the Revolutionary War. But, as Bargatze revealed during a recent appearance on Good One: A Podcast About Jokes, the original Washingtons Dream nearly died in the Wednesday read-through.

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According to Bargatze, Washingtons Dream, which SNL veterans Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell wrote for him during his first hosting stint in October 2023, was his favorite sketch on the board going into the shows hellish production week. But, for SNL don Lorne Michaels, the sketch was firmly stuck in the maybe column going into the all-important Wednesday evening read-through. When Washington's Dream bombed at the round table, Bargatze faced the nightmare scenario of his favorite sketch dying before it even reached rehearsals.

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However, Bargatze noted on the podcast, as a host, You do have a lot more say than you think you do at SNL. And, when Michaels asked him about his thoughts on Washingtons Dream, Bargatze stuck to his guns and got the scene added to the very end of the dress rehearsal where, thankfully, it absolutely killed.

The second time around, Bargatze didnt need to fight to get Washington's Dream 2 on the running order, but he did have some outside voices warning him against it. I had a buddy that goes, Do not do another one, Bargatze admitted of his second SNL hosting stint, though, like Washington himself, Bargatze refused to be deterred. Its not about what the jokes are. Its just about the George Washington character. People just want to see that character come back.

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And come back Washington will. When asked about the future of the sketch, Bargatze foresaw more success for Washington's Dream, saying that the character will have more sketches after the second one, yeah. This all-but-confirms that Washingtons Dream will be a trilogy at the very least, seeing as President Washington hasnt gotten a single prediction wrong so far  just ask Jeff and Geoff.
In the mind of Tim Dillon, murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson isnt rotting in hell  hes just working remote now.

Today, Netflix dropped its latest Jeff-Ross-hosted insult comedy special Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year, in which many of the meanest-spirited stand-ups in comedy made cracks about P. Diddy, Ozempic, Raygun the Olympic breakdancer and the biggest story of the years end, the killing of Thompson and the arrest of alleged gunman Luigi Mangione. While the entire special was full of exactly the level of intentionally offensive humor that comedy fans expect from a roast, the most shocking part of Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year was how much of Dillons performance as the shackled, tortured spirit of Thompson returned from the underworld cleared Netflixs standards and practices.

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On Christmas, Dillon posted a picture of himself in full Thompson costume in front of a backdrop that read UnitedHellcare CEO to Twitter, insisting, I promise you this is as tasteless as it looks. After watching Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year, Im ready to do something that will have Thompson rolling over in his grave  Im accepting Dillons claim.

About halfway through the unusually short 42-minute runtime of Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year, the backdrop begins to glow dark red as Dillon, fittingly styled as a Vineyard Vines-adorned Ghost of Christmas Future, clatters onstage in his shackles and corpse makeup and begins tossing pills at the audience, shouting, Heres the free medicine, there you go! Thats fentanyl, have as much as you want! Its fentanyl laced with more fentanyl! Im Brian Thompson! Im going to hell for this, you might as well laugh!

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During his tight-five as Thompson, Dillon roasted the reaction to the murder on December 4th and the lionization of alleged shooter Luigi Mangione (or Linguini Mascarpone, as Dillons Thompson calls him). Dillons version of Thompsons last thoughts were, I love my job, and he believes that his lifes work was helping people  by denying their insurance claims, of course. Oh your nana needs her insulin? Maybe your nana needs to make better choices. Maybe one less Little Debbie cake after dinner and you wouldnt need Big Pharma to bail you out of an early grave. But you didnt think about that, did you, you selfish bitch? Thompson advises.

As for the future of UnitedHellcare, which, apparently, has its main office in hell, so Thompson doesnt have to skip a day of work, Thompson pushed innovation and new ideas  specifically, the revolutionary notion UnitedHellcare wouldnt have to deny all our claims if we just stopped submitting them. Argues Thompson, Oh, your daughter has leukemia, huh? Just yours? If you love her so much, why dont you get off the phone, take her for ice cream! Take her wig shopping!

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The message of Thompsons set was the same one that most mainstream media outlets have been pushing to the public since social media turned Luigi Mangione into a folk hero: Its your fault that things are this bad, and guys like Thompson are the real heroes. Says Thompson, in a perfectly succinct thesis statement for the CEO class and the systems that coddle them, The truth is, without people like me fucking over people like you to help people like me, this country would fall apart. And thats on you.
Though Nosferatu may not have been on the bus or the phone during the Krusty Krabs inaugural 24-hour shift, hes found another calling beyond stoking SpongeBob SquarePants fears of the Hash Slinging Slasher: entertaining fans of the cartoon on Christmas Day.

Ahead of the release of Nosferatu, a remake of the 1922 German expressionist film, on December 25th, SpongeBob fans headed to Reddit to share their excitement to see the beloved Nickelodeon side character beyond the confines of Bikini Bottom.

If the lights dont flicker, at the end Im going to shout at the top of my lungs: NOSFERATU, wrote Redditor megosonic.

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Itll be the best spin-off of SpongeBob after Stephen Hillenburgs death, predicted gameboy2330.

Though most famed as a fearsome silent-film baddie, Nosferatu has appeared as a recurring character in the SpongeBob SquarePants cinematic universe in recent years. After attending Kamp Koral and befriending the Bikini Bottom gang, Nosferatu signed on as the Krusty Krabs night-shift manager, as seen during his light-flickering first appearance in Season Twos Graveyard Shift.

Considering Nosferatus unexpected side hustle, old-school horror fans likely didnt expect SpongeBob devotees to flock to theaters for Nosferatu like hungry anchovies to the Krusty Krab. The same, however, probably couldnt be said of director Robert Eggers, who not only acknowledged Nosferatus role in the beloved animated series but also took care to thank Nickelodeons overlords for familiarizing younger generations with the classic villain.

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There was a show called Muppet Babies when I was a kid that would play little clips of Lon Chaneys Phantom of the Opera and early versions of Cyrano de Bergerac and stuff, Eggers told The Hollywood Reporter of Nosferatus recurring role in SpongeBob. That weird cartoon gave me exposure to a lot of movies that I watched when I was a little older with memories from Muppet Babies. So, thanks SpongeBob.

Nosferatu  taking bites out of Krabby Patties and completely new audiences all at the same time.
A last-minute entry, surely, for the 2024 Two-Tier Keir Awards, celebrating the best of double standards in public life.

Having seen the assisted dying lobby, the animal rights lobby, the human rights lobby, the business lobby and others slap their messages across the most influential advertising billboards in Britain  those at Westminsters Tube station  the farming lobby were all set to do the same. Until now.

As the Mail reveals today, the commissars at Transport for London, run by the capitals Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan, have decided that there shall be no complaints from rural Britain on the London Underground.

The reason? TfL says that the proposed ads  saying Stop the Family Farm Tax- are politically controversial. You do not need to be a lawyer to see that this is a brazen case of vindictive hair-splitting.

Few things in recent memory have been as politically controversial as the proposal to legalise assisted dying  yet, last month, campaigners for legal reform were allowed to cover Westminster Tube station with emotional arguments.

Other political advertisers have included Amnesty International and a different agricultural pressure group, Compassion in World Farming.

They applied to put up adverts attacking government policy (or lack of it) in relation to the export of live animals. Pass The Kept Animals Bill, it declared. Keep Your Promises.

No problem, said the mayor and TfL, as posters went up all over Westminster. In that instance, however, there was one key difference. Those ads were attacking a horrid Conservative government. These ads, on the very same hoardings, would be attacking a Labour one.

A coffin covered by the union flag on a flat bed truck has a sign saying 'RIP Farming' as a farmer lays out fresh vegetables during a rally

This is not some maverick stunt, not that Mr Khan has anything against stunts. He famously authorised the flying of a giant helium-filled, nappy-wearing Donald Trump during the US presidential visit in 2018 and also allowed the online giant, Amazon, to change all the Tube signs from Westminster to Webminster.

Two months ago, TfL also authorised ads for an Islamic money transfer service featuring the controversial cleric, Ismail ibn Musa Menk, burning a suitcase of US dollars.

But grumbling farmers? Now thats going too far. No wonder the Tories and Reform are (like farmers) making hay.

Yet the 40,000 ad campaign was created by the National Farmers Union, an avowedly non-party political body, which worked with every government since Herbert Asquith was in power more than a century ago.

Its members were astonished to be informed, on Budget Day, that Labour will slap a 20 per cent tax on all but the smallest farms at the point of transfer to the next generation.

Before the General Election, Labour had pledged to do no such thing. Now, the NFU is trying to explain that the chasm between land values and farm incomes means that many families will have to sell the farm just to pay the tax.

Labours counter-attack is to paint them as rich, whining tax-dodgers. Just before Christmas, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, told MPs that farmers were in it for the money.

This is the same Steve Reed who promised the NFU conference that Labour would not touch Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and who appeared in a farmyard photo opportunity wearing 420 designer wellies (gifted by Lord Alli).

The commissars at Transport for London, run by the capitals Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan (pictured), have decided that there shall be no complaints from rural Britain on the London Underground

He also sits on Mayor Khans patch as MP for inner-city Streatham where the only bull is the one on the pub sign in Streatham High Road.

In other words, farmers are not convinced that the minister for farming is on their side, while his spin doctors peddle the line that only wealthy farmers worth more than 1million are going to be hit.

Since the average family farm barely breaks even, spans 217 acres and land is worth 10,000 an acre, you do the sums.

Wealthy? The average farm is worth less than the index-linked public sector pension pots of the ministers and civil servants driving this stuff.

This is why the NFU wanted to welcome MPs back to work at Westminster in January with an ad campaign. We wanted to make the point that we have not gone away, a senior NFU source tells me.

Now, of course, a few posters are hardly going to make much difference. However, TfLs decision does highlight the extent to which Labours petty tribalists will go to censor dissent.

Mayor Khans staff cite two breaches of their code, notably clause N which states that an ad is unacceptable if it promotes a party political cause or electioneering and clause Q, if it is unacceptable for some other substantial reason.

Clearly, there is no election going on and the ads do not promote a party political cause, any more than those assisted dying or animal rights ads did.

The animal rights lobby, the human rights lobby, the business lobby have all had political adverts featured on the tube (Stock image)

As for the substantial reason, the NFUs ad agency has been told that the ads would like to be displayed at Westminster [sic].

In other words, they might be seen by MPs. Perish the thought! TfL has added that the NFU is permitted to show ads creating a positive message.

Come on, Clarkson & Co, show us some nice shots of fluffy baa-lambs and organic kale.

This all stinks. But perhaps not as much as what will soon be landing on ministers doorsteps. The NFU is the sensible face of farming.

There are plenty of angry activists who want to go much further. They have plans for more extreme protests in the near future.

TfLs decision will only have broughtthat day nearer.
In my unceasing quest to be as unpopular as possible, my greatest ally is a man called Graham Phillips, now living like a 21st century Robinson Crusoe in a wind-blasted, freezing ruin in a warzone.

I do not ask you to like Mr Phillips, or even to sympathise with him  it is hard to do so, even in this season of goodwill.

But you shouldn't approve of what our Government is doing to him. This winter he is living in a bombed-out, unheated block of flats in the city of Mariupol, seized by Russia from Ukraine.

He has no glass in his windows. If he wishes to take a bath, he builds a wood fire under an abandoned bathtub in the yard, fills it bucket by bucket and waits for the water to become hot enough. He is commendably stoical about the bare conditions of his life.

Mr Phillips set himself up as a sort of journalist when the Ukrainian conflict first got going ten years ago. Some of his early reporting, about visits to prostitutes, is frankly squalid.

He has behaved questionably (I put this mildly) towards a British prisoner-of-war captured by the Russians, and to others in similar fixes. He has been more sympathetic to the Russian cause in Ukraine than is either right or wise for someone who calls himself a journalist.

I don't sound the alarm about this because I agree with him or approve of him.

He occasionally reproaches me for this, but that is just too bad. I do not take up his case because I like him. Yet there is something impressive about his doggedness.

British blogger Graham Phillips, pictured, lives under severe legal punishments in Mariupol, yet he has never been charged with or convicted of any crime

In a pretty savage article about him in The Critic magazine, the journalist William Fear conceded that Mr Phillips has a dedication to his war reporting.

'He goes to the front line and records videos from separatist positions, even as Ukrainian shells are impacting the ground close by. Indeed, he seems to be almost unfazed when the shells detonate.

'He has the same wide-eyed expression as he has in all his other videos. There is truth in Phillips' coverage, and for that reason alone he's worth watching, whatever you think of his motives.'

The point of all this is that Mr Phillips seems to be the only British person living who does not have any human rights. He lives under severe legal punishments, yet he has never been charged with or convicted of any crime.

The penalties he suffers are unlimited. No date has ever been set for his release from them. Mr Phillips is legally forbidden (for example) to pay the council tax on his London house.

Yes, that is right, he is legally forbidden to comply with the law. If he tried, the council would be forbidden to accept the money.

Think about this rule for a bit, and how it might affect you, and you will see that it is not unfair to say that these conditions make him a prisoner of the state, perhaps for life.

Ukraine must be weaker than I thought if the insignificant video blogs of this little-known person threaten its territorial integrity, sovereignty, stability or independence

He cannot receive or make any payment for anything, except with a special licence from His Majesty's Treasury, which is quite hard to get. Even then his bank does not have to deal with him. It is just allowed to.

It seems that crowdfunding, once his major source of money, is forbidden to him. He is the only citizen of this country who suffers this treatment. No other British-born person is subject to such sanctions. Those who are, are foreign nationals who can laugh at them as long as they stay away from this country.

The reason for this treatment, as supplied by the Foreign Office, is that 'Graham Phillips [is] a video blogger who has produced and published media content that supports and promotes actions and policies which destabilise Ukraine and undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine'.

Gosh. Talk about a widely drawn charge. Ukraine must be weaker than I thought if the insignificant video blogs of this little-known person threaten its territorial integrity, sovereignty, stability or independence.

My own writing, broadcasting and debating, critical of Ukraine and of British policy towards it, could be cited against me in the same way under a slightly dimmer government than we now have.

A few inches this way or that, and I too could be kindling damp logs under a derelict bathtub, as the snow swirls round me, or just living in a doorway, courtesy of His Majesty's Government.

And what about someone (there seem to be quite a lot of these) who 'promotes actions and policies which destabilise' Israel , another close ally and 'undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence' of Israel? Is anyone sanctioning them?

Mr Phillips, with the aid of some brave independent lawyers, tried and failed to get this arbitrary, medieval punishment lifted. The courts walked straight over them.

It is not wholly clear who took the decision to treat Mr Phillips so, but a punishment which can be imposed without a jury trial, and which has no knowable end, is surely just the sort of thing Vladimir Putin likes.

Do we fight Mr Putin by behaving like him? Surely not. Free the Mariupol One. His treatment is a stain on our justice.

You took a long turn, Gromit

Wallace and Gromit need to take a different turn. They should go back to appearing in short films and stop starring in long ones.

The Wrong Trousers is one of the most perfect works of art ever made  funny, witty, lovely to look at, Northern, affectionate, captivating, enormously English, unmetricated, unspoiled by progress. I can watch it over and over again, and I have.

Wallace and Gromit should go back to appearing in short films and stop starring in long ones, such as BBC special Vengeance Most Fowl

The same goes for A Grand Day Out. Both are brief but so concentrated they pack the power of much longer films. There were many echoes of both in the BBC special Vengeance Most Fowl, on Christmas Day, but it was just too long.

My theory is that the painstaking stop-motion method used to make them concentrates so much time into a short space of film that they do not need to be long.

We also need to see more of Wendolene Ramsbottom, star of A Close Shave but sadly retired after she revealed an allergy to cheese.

I think she bears a close resemblance to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, so perhaps it is time for a school drama.
Sex experts have shared the real answers to the most googled questions about intimacy in 2024.

Whether you are hanging out with your pals at the pub or sitting across from your GP in their artificially lit office, people are generally too embarrassed to ask sexual questions out loud.

Instead, we often turn to Google with our most intimate queries - knowing that the trusty search engine won't judge us.

Wondering if your sex drive is normal? Google it. Want to know what the speed bump position looks like? Google it. Questioning how many calories you burn while doing the deed? Google it. All of these made appearances on last year's most Googled list.

But can you trust all the information you find online, especially when it comes to such a sensitive subject?

Here, Alice Child and Emily King, sexologists for sexual wellness platform SheSpot tell FEMAIL their expert advice on the most Googled sex queries of 2024. However, for any medical queries, it is recommended to seek advice from your GP.

This year, Google's most searched sex query - according to Cosmopolitan UK - was: 'What is autosexual?'

Kourtney Kardashian came out as autosexual in 2020 when she published a blog post about it on her website Poosh.

Sex experts have shared the real answers to the most googled questions about intimacy in 2024 (stock image)

To be autosexual means to be attracted to yourself more than others.

'Somebody who identifies as autosexual prefers sexual arousal on their own,' Alice said.

'For example through self pleasure, fantasies, masturbation and erotic thoughts and dreams.'

Some autosexuals may be turned on exclusively by themselves, while some can get into the mood on by themselves and with others.

Never heard of autosexuality before? You are not alone.

Alice, a certified sex expert from the Institute of Somatic Sexology, clarified that it is 'not a term or sexual orientation that many people would have heard before.'

Hence why we are all frantically Googling it.

Next up, people were keen to know whether it is 'normal to bleed after sex'.

Alice Child (left) is a certified somatic sexologist and sex counsellor based in Sydney. Emily King (right) is a somatic sexologist and holistic facialist based in Edinburgh

The 'most Googled' sex questions of 2024 What is autosexual? Is it normal to bleed after sex? Is masturbation a sin? What is an orgasm? How long after a C-section can you have sex? How often do married couples have sex? Source: Cosmopolitan UK Advertisement

Although nine per cent of reproductive-age women experience post-coital bleeding (PCB), neither Alice and Emily would describe it as 'normal'.

'Sex should be pleasurable,' Alice told FEMAIL. 'And if you're bleeding afterwards it's often a sign that not everything is as good as it can be.'

Fellow sexologist Emily agreed and added: 'There are various things which can cause bleeding after sex, including infections and STIs, inflammation or hormonal changes.

'Seek medical advise if this occurs regularly.'

Friction-based irritation caused by a lack of lubricant and failing to spend enough time building arousal can lead to bleeding.

But equally, polyps on your ovaries, changes in hormones and sexually transmitted infections are all causes of PCB - so our sexperts say that is always best to 'rule out anything physical with your healthcare provider'.

Also among this year's top trending questions was: 'Is masturbation a sin?'

Kourtney Kardashian (pictured) came out as autosexual in a blog post in 2020

'Absolutely not!' she said. 'Masturbation is a healthy, normal part of life that is good for our health!

'Its been proven to have physical and mental health benefits- its also where we learn more about our body and can learn about what touch and sensation we enjoy.

'When done in a healthy way its often how people discover their erotic mind and body.'

Staying on the theme of pleasure, the next most Googled question was: 'What is an orgasm?'

'Put very simply, an orgasm is a build up of pleasurable erotic tension in the body with a moment of release,' Alice said.

'There are lots of different types of orgasm, that can be felt in many different ways depending on the erogenous zone being stimulated and the type of stimulation. Many people have even experienced orgasms in their sleep or even at the gym!

'Common features of an orgasm could include muscle spasms, heart rate increase, temperature change, ejaculation, lubrication and/or squirting, and waves of pleasurable sensation being felt throughout the body.'

But Emily issued a caveat: 'Ejaculation can happen during orgasms, but orgasms can occur without ejaculation.

Sexologist Alice Child told Femail that masturbation is a 'perfectly normal part of life' (Stock Image)

'How you are feeling emotionally can impact the intensity and duration of the orgasm(s).'

Sharing her top tip on how to 'improve your orgasmic experience', Emily advised 'partner genital touch with non-genital erogenous zone simulation'.

She said this could include touching your partner's ears, neck, feet, nipples and even the back of their knees.

A lot of people were also curious about sex drive, asking: 'How often do married couples have sex?'

'There is no such thing as normal!' Alice said.

'Libido changes over a lifetime and no two couples have the exact same sexual, emotional and physical needs.'

Rather than worrying about a 'perfect' frequency of sex or comparing your sex life with those around you, Alice suggested focusing on the quality of the sex you are having.

She added: 'Couples who feel desired, wanted and appreciated by each other are far more likely to feel sexually fulfilled year after year.'

And last but not least, Google was asked: 'How long after a C-section can you have sex?'

Answering this common postpartum question, Emily, who owns a somatic sex therapy practice in Edinburgh, advised that new mothers wait for at least six weeks 'to allow time for the cervix to close'.

'I recommend focusing on sensual touch and connection rather than rigidly defined penetrative sex as this will be more nourishing to the body.

'Postpartum is a period of healing and rest must be prioritised above all else.'

She added: 'Consider what kinds of touch and sensual experiences would support you to feel nourished during this time, rather than worrying about having to have the kind of sex that may feel depleting.'

According to Healthline, there is no one-time fits all when returning to sexual activity after a C-section delivery and it can vary depending on whether you feel comfortable.
Every family has an eldest cousin that keeps all the children in line during festive gatherings.

And the royals are no different, as adorable 14-year-old Savannah - Princess Anne's granddaughter - helmed the younger cohort at Sandringham this year.

The teenager doted on her relatives during the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Norfolk estate this week.

As King Charles led the regal gathering for a special annual mass, his grandniece was never far from the little ones.

Matching with her aunt Zara Tindall, Savannah - who was Queen Elizabeth's first great-grandchild - looked smart and elegant in a burgundy coat as she grinned and chatted with her family members.

Photos from the outing showed the young girl smiling as she spoke with nine-year-old Charlotte and six-year-old Lena Tindall, who looked up at the teen in awe and admiration.

Elsewhere Savannah could be seen chuckling as she walked behind her cousin Mia Tindall, 10, playfully high-fiving her father Mike.

She was also snapped helpfully walking alongside the Wales's sons - George, 11, and Louis, six - on hand to lend support.

Adorable 14-year-old Savannah - Princess Anne 's granddaughter - helmed the younger cohort at Sandringham this year

The teenager doted on her relatives during the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Norfolk estate this week

As King Charles led the regal gathering for a special annual mass, his grandniece was never far from the little ones

Speaking to the Telegraph in 2019, Mike said however that the leadership appears to be split between Savannah and Hames (Viscount Severn), 17, who is Prince Edward's son.

'We've got a great group of young ones in the family now. Lena and obviously Louis are similar ages and Mia's sort of in between Charlotte and George, and then you've got Peter's children Savannah and Isla who are just a little bit older,' he explained.

'James is, well not exactly the ring leader, but he's the oldest. So, yeah, it's going to be a good little group.'

Savannah is 19th in line to the throne and was born in 2010 to her father Peter Phillips and mother Autumn Kelly. Her parents are now divorced.

The teenager also has a younger sister, Isla, 12, who was also snapped at Sandringham.

Savannah, as reported by HELLO!, recycled her mother Autumn's deep red coat for the festive occasion, and kept her platinum blonde hair braided.

Matching with her aunt Zara Tindall, Savannah - who was Queen Elizabeth's first great-grandchild - looked smart and elegant in a burgundy coat as she grinned and chatted with her family members

Savannah, as reported by HELLO! , recycled her mother Autumn's deep red coat for the festive occasion, and kept her platinum blonde hair braided

Meanwhile, Peter (right) - who was also present at Sandringham on Wednesday - has found happiness with oil heiress girlfriend Lindsay Wallace. From left to right: Lena, Zara and Isla

Savannah's younger sister Isla, right, watched over Lena, who is the daughter of Mike and Zara Tindall

It's not the first time Elizabeth's eldest great-grandchild showed that she is truly the leader of the younger pact.

At the 2018 Trooping The Colour, her antics stole the show as she shushed her cousin Prince George on the balcony at Buckingham Palace by placing a hand over his mouth during the flypast.

Eagle-eyed royal watchers were quick to pick up on the similarities between Savannah trying to shush second cousin George, and Harry covering Beatrice's mouth three decades ago.

And just one day later, she was at it again as she gave her cousin a playful push as they sat on a grassy bank at the Beaufort Polo Club.

The incident seemed to prompt Savannah's mother to give her daughter a telling off to shoving her younger cousin.

Living on Princess Anne's 700-acre Gatcombe Park Estate, Isla and her older sister Savannah are in close proximity to their Tindall cousins - Mia, Lena and Lucas, three - and the boisterous posse are regularly seen in the great outdoors.

Although they're growing up out of the spotlight, the Phillips sisters are recognisable from royal events such as the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - and they're known for adding a touch of mischief to formal royal occasions.

At Princess Eugenie's wedding in October 2018, for instance, Savannah entertained George by imitating the trumpet fanfare to announce the arrival of the Queen, as he looked on in fits of giggles.

At the 2018 Trooping The Colour, her antics stole the show as she shushed her cousin Prince George on the balcony at Buckingham Palace by placing a hand over his mouth during the flypast

At Princess Eugenie's wedding in October 2018, for instance, Savannah entertained George by imitating the trumpet fanfare to announce the arrival of the Queen, as he looked on in fits of giggles

Mia Tindall and Savannah Phillips playing around at the Gatcombe Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in 2018

The smiling Phillips sisters and Mia all pictured attending the Badminton Horse Trials together in 2016

Savannah has always served as a playful presence that is sure to keep her younger cousins entertained. Pictured at the Platinum Pageant in 2022

Autumn and Peter walking with their children Isla and Savannah at Sandringham for Christmas in 2017

However, Savannah was a grounding and solemn presence at the late Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, as she led her fort for Mia and Isla on the mournful occasion

It's not the first time Elizabeth's eldest great-grandchild showed that she is truly the leader of the younger pact. Savannah pictured left, in the front row next to the late Elizabeth II

Elsewhere six years ago at Sandringham, former England rugby star Mike was spotted giving his niece a bear hug during the Royals' Christmas church service.

Young Savannah could not hide her delight as her uncle warmed her up with a cuddle from behind as they left the St Mary Magdalene Church.

Savannah was also one of the bridesmaids at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding. She stole the show as she was pictured beaming between Charlotte and George outside the steps of Windsor Castle with the other bridesmaids and page boys.

With only 15 months between Isla and her older sister Savannah, it's no surprise the pair are growing up with a close bond, although the elder girl seems to be the ringleader for most of the light-hearted mischief.

However, Savannah was a grounding and solemn presence at the late Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022, as she led her fort for Mia and Isla on the mournful occasion.

Their parents, Peter and Autumn, announced they were separating in 2020, with the divorce finalised in 2021.

They have been amicably co-parenting, with pictures showing Autumn, her new love Donal Mulryan - an Irish construction company boss - and Savannah and Isla on a Mother's Day outing to the Cirencester horse trials.

Meanwhile, Peter - who was also present at Sandringham on Wednesday - has found happiness with oil heiress girlfriend Lindsay Wallace.

Hundreds of well-wishers had been queuing since the early hours to catch a glimpse of the royals on the big day, and waved excitedly as Prince William and Princess Kate made their way to the Church.

For the Royals, festivities usually start when everyone arrives on Christmas Eve. The family open presents, some of which are gag gifts - one of the Royal Family's traditions.

The family then attend services at Saint Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas morning. Once they get home Christmas lunch is served, followed by afternoon games.

The families joined King Charles, 76, and 77-year-old Queen Camilla for the short walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church.

William walked hand in hand with Charlotte, and Kate who wore a green coat and hat smiled at the crowds.

Also in the walking party was the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Members of the royal family who walked to the service were greeted at the foot of the steps to the church by the Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams.
Eagle-eyed royal watchers have noted the likeness between Prince George and his father Prince William once more.

It comes after the royals made an appearance at the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham on December 25.

William attended the special annual event on the Norfolk estate with his wife, the Princess of Wales, 42, and their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

Observations over the likeness between the Prince of Wales and his eldest child came after George wore a long coat for the service - a similar style to one sported by William at a similar age.

George, 10, donned the longer-length coat over his dark tie and trousers, and white shirt for the first time, after usually wearing a blazer for the annual event.

His look mirrored William's 1993 look, when, aged 11, he wore a similar formal longer coat (following the more casual short jacket he had worn the year before).

Royal fans have commented on how similar George looks to his father when he was a child on numerous occasions.

Earlier this month, the future king, 10, joined his family for his mother Kate Middleton's Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

Prince William is pictured in 1993, aged 11, wearing a long coat to the Sandringham Church service, accompanied by his father Prince Charles

And fans we quick to point out how the young royal bears a striking resemblance to his father at the same age.

Photos of the Prince of Wales aged 10 show the same smile and hair as young George now sports.

And the similarities are all the more striking when the two don similar outfits, like Prince William's 1993 long coat and trousers, and Prince George's 2024 ensemble.

In addition to eldest Wales child donning a smart long coat for the annual church service at Sandringham, the youngest - Prince Louis, six - also opted for the same smart attire.

It is not the first time the young royals have been snapped in a longer coat, but their look marked a departure from their Christmas Day ensembles from previous years, leading to the comparison between William and George.

Every year members of the Royal Family attend the service at the Sandringham Church.

Before going in, those there - including the King and Queen among others - posed for a photo outside the church.

The Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams greeted them, before everyone went inside, where the national anthem was sung, before the first hymn - O Come, All Ye Faithful.

This year, 11-year-old Prince George (pictured, centre) donned a similar ensemble, opting for a longer coat, compared to last year's blazer

The young royal's look does not mark the first time the eldest Wales child (pictured) has been compared to his father, Prince William

King Charles sported a beige trench coat and brown suede shoes for Christmas Day, while Queen Camilla wore a green coat

The Wales's three children were dressed smartly and all appeared in good spirits, while the Princess of Wales opted for a green coat

Every year, the service marks a major event for royal fans, some of whom even started waiting the evening before, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of members of The Firm as they walked to church.

Charles, 76, and 77-year-old Queen Camilla walked the short distance from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church past a crowd of well-wishers.

They were, of course, joined by the Waleses, as well as the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Both Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine donned emerald green coats as they walked with King Charles and Prince William.

Catherine's coat was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Crowds were given copies of the order of service, conducted at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, conducted by the Rector Rev Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams.

Hymns included O Come All Ye Faithful, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. The service also included The Lord's Prayer.

Prince William said last week that he was looking forward to spending Christmas with 45 members of his family 'all in one room' as he attended a seasonal event for families of 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment, in his role as colonel-in-chief, in Bulford, Wiltshire.

Commenting earlier this month, after snaps emerged from the Princess of Wales' carol concert at Westminster Abbey, royal watchers took to social media to marvel at the likeness between George, 10, and his father at a similar age.

fans we quick to point out how the young royal bears a striking resemblance to his father at the same age

One wrote: 'Prince George looks so much like his father when Prince William was younger.'

'Prince George looks so much like Prince William,' said another.

'George and Charlotte look like William. Louis looks like Kate,' wrote a fourth.

'It looks like Prince George had a growth spurt!' said another.

'Also look at Prince George looking like a King already,' commented one fan.
Millions of Britons will be heading for their local boozer between now and the New Year.

However, in hundreds of locations across the country, it is not only a hangover that revellers will risk with a bit of excess.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) data shows there are 1,296 pubs, bars and nightclubs that are so dirty they failed their food hygiene inspection.

This, MailOnline can reveal, amounts to almost one in 40.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all venues serving food are rated on a scale between zero and five.

Businesses which score two or below have not reached the minimum standards and at least 'some' improvement is necessary.

Inspectors who visit such venues may find rotting food and rodent droppings or spot unsafe food storage habits.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) data shows there are 1,296 pubs, bars and nightclubs that are so dirty they failed their food hygiene inspection (Pictured: Wheelwright Arms)

The Reedcutter on Station Road in Norfolk was among the most dirty on the list

Of the firms on the fail list outside of Scotland, MailOnline analysis of FSA data shows 584 received a rating of two (Pictured The Master Manner in Brighton and Hove)

In Scotland, venues are graded on a binary pass/fail basis.

Of the firms on the fail list outside of Scotland, MailOnline analysis of FSA data shows 584 received a rating of two.

A further 445 were scored one  meaning major improvement is necessary  and 43 received the lowest possible rating of zero, where 'urgent improvement is required'.

The data was correct as of December 6.

In Scotland, 224 businesses were rated as 'Improvement Required'.

Local authorities are responsible for inspecting businesses in their area at least once every two years.

Earlier this month MailOnline showed how 50,000 firms serving food have never been inspected.

A further 160,000 had not been inspected in two years.

Of the 50,000 firms that had never been inspected, 1,991 of them were bars, pubs or nightclubs.

Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, nearly 33,700 bars, pubs and clubs out of a total of 51,781 have the maximum rating of five. Another 7,766 score a four.

The FSA has called for increased investment by local authorities in their environmental health departments who carry out food standards inspections.

Many local authorities have struggled to recruit sufficient qualified staff and have failed to carry out enough inspections.

The FSA claims the inspection is a 'snapshot' of the standards of food hygiene. Their ratings do not cover issues such as the quality of food, customer service, culinary skill, presentation or comfort.

Earlier this month MailOnline showed how 50,000 firms serving food have never been inspected (Pictured: The Crown Inn, East Lindsey)

Pictured left to right: The Ship Inn in Fowery, Cornwall and The Queen of Spades on Wellington Road in Boston

This pub was raided by food standards inspectors from Lichfield District Council

They concentrate on the handling of food, how it is stored and prepared. They also consider the cleanliness of the facilities and how food safety is managed.

According to the data, Birmingham had the greatest number of substandard bars and restaurants in the country with 26 failing to reach the appropriate food safety level, followed by Cornwall, Powys and Wiltshire.

Ealing in West London is the worst in the capital with 15 bars and restaurants failing to meet the appropriate standard.

Waltham Forest has the highest number of zero-rated bars and pubs, with four, followed by East Lindsey, Doncaster and Cornwall.
A cup of tea, or four, is a daily ritual for millions of Brits, with the nation estimated to consume around 165million cups a day, about two-and-half per person.

While much has been made about the general health benefits of a brew, a recent study has raised the frightening possibility that each tea bag could be releasing billions of potentially harmful plastic particles into your body.

But it's far from the only health concern linked to a cup of tea. Here, MailOnline explains all of the potential hidden health dangers.

Potentially cancer causing and fertility reducing microplastics

A shocking study this week suggested that every tea bag you use to make a brew could be potentially releasing billions of dangerous microplastics into your body.

Microplastics are small plastic pieces of less than 5mm in length that have become increasingly abundant in the environment over time.

They are found in the water, the air and now tea. Once in the body microplastics can penetrate deep into tissue thanks to their microscopic size.

While much has been made about the general health benefits of the humble brew , a recent study has raised the frightening possibility that each tea bag could be releasing billions of potentially harmful plastic particles into your body

In experiments, scientists from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona tested a number of teabags made from nylon, polypropylene or polymer filters, mixing hot water with each and testing the results.

They found microplastics released in tea were mostly absorbed by mucus-producing intestinal cells.

However, they found some were so small they could even enter the cell nucleus - the part of the cell that houses genetic material.

While all were found to release huge amounts of microplastics the polypropylene teabags were the worst offenders, releasing approximately 1.2 billion particles per millilitre, each with an average size of 136.7 nanometres.

The implications of what microplastic exposure means for human health in general, both via tea and other routes, are still being explored.

But there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that plastics could play a key role in early-onset cancer genesis, where healthy cells turn cancerous.

Some scientists have suggested microplastics' presence in tissue could be increasing the risk of cancer, including a mysterious rise of bowel cancers in young people.

Others have even found microplastic in human sperm and theorised its presence could be playing a role in a global decline in fertility.

Tiny bits of microplastic, seen here as the black dots, were found in the semen samples of all 36 participants in a Chinese trial

Oesophageal cancer

Drinking piping hot tea may double your risk of developing a type of cancer, some studies suggest.

Research on people in Iran found those who regularly drank tea at a steamy 60C (140F) or higher saw their risk of oesophageal cancer rise by 90 per cent.

The oesophagus is the muscular tube that carries food and drink down the throat and into the stomach for digestion.

The theory is that repeated exposure to hot liquid damages the cells, leading to changes that could become cancer.

However, while intriguing, experts have highlighted that most Brits don't drink tea at this temperature due the habit of adding milk which rapidly cools it down.

Cancer experts have also said if the increased risk posed by hot temperatures is real it's likely an accumulative effect of years of exposure to these scalding fluids.

This means those Brits who have occasionally gulped down a too-hot sip of tea are unlikely to have any significant increased risk of this type of cancer.

Drinking piping hot tea may double your risk of developing a type of cancer, some studies suggest

Kidney stones

Oxalate is a natural chemical found in many types of plants including tea.

While harmless to most people, the one in 10 Brits prone to kidney stones must limit the number of oxalate-rich foods and drinks they consume.

Having too oxalate much over a long period could contribute to a stone developing.

While normally passed in urine without issue larger kidney stones can be extremely painful and lead to infections or even impair kidney function if left untreated.

It's for this reason that the NHS advises people suffering from kidney stones to limit their intake to only two to three cups of tea per day.

They also recommend cups be consumed with plenty of milk as the calcium within it binds to oxalate neutralising it and helping stop the stone developing.

Potential iron deficiency

Tannins are a type of natural chemical found in tea leaves that have been credited with a number of the health benefits due to their antioxidant properties.

However, if you're one of the 8 per cent of British women or 3 per cent of men with an iron deficiency you may want to limit the number of cups you have daily.

Microplastics aren't the only potentially harmful substance scientists have found in tea bags

This because tannins can interfere with how the body absorbs iron, potentially worsening anaemia.

If you're taking iron supplements experts advise against consuming tea two hours before or after to ensure you absorb the iron needed to make the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body.

Beware of hidden caffeine

When most people think of caffeinated drinks coffee and energy drinks are often the first that spring to mind.

But tea is also a little known source of the stimulant that can carry a host of potential issues some need to be aware of.

While not as caffeine rich as coffee an average 200ml cup of tea still contains 45mg of the stimulant.

However, the exact caffeine content of tea can vary greatly due to factors like brew time, water temperature and type of tea.

A Department of Nutritional Services report previously found a cup of black tea contains anywhere between 23 and 110mg of caffeine.

The NHS recommends people consume less than 600mg of caffeine per day to avoid issues like anxiety, sleeplessness, agitation, palpitations, diarrhoea and restlessness.

However, Brits with certain sensitive heart conditions and taking medications that could interact with the stimulant may need to limit watch their caffeine intake, and this can include tea.

Pregnant women are also advised to limit their caffeine intake to just 200mg per day due to increased risk of miscarriage or low birth weight.

Pregnant women are also advised to limit their caffeine intake to just 200mg per day due to increased risk of miscarriage or low birth weight

The stimulant is thought to cause spikes in blood pressure that can influence blood flow to the placenta.

But some studies have suggested even women who consume less than the 200mg limit still have an increased risk of low-birth weight babies or premature newborns.

Other scientists have linked expectant mothers consuming caffeine to children suffering developmental delays.

However, this remains an area of scientific debate with some experts suggesting research linking consumption to problems is overblown.

But these experts have added that pregnant women should still follow guidelines from officials on daily caffeine intake limits.

Teeth discolouring

One of the most common complaints from drinking tea is staining of teeth.

This is due to high tannin content of the drink which can lead to the famous yellow stains.

While this can be unsightly and harm people's self-confidence this is purely a cosmetic issue and can be mitigating by maintaining good oral hygiene.
Im beside myself. Only three more sleeps until the new season launches on BBC One.

Yup, 22 strangers battle it out for 120,000 in a Scottish Highlands castle that appears to have been furnished from Temu.

Shouldnt it have been furnished from the Traitors online shop?

Im guessing this indicates you made a Christmas purchase.

Before the betrayals began: a happy Paul, Ash and Harry at the start of series two

Of course I did. The boxer shorts (12) are such fun because you end up with 100 per cent traitor printed straight across your

Bank statement?

Ive also signed up for pre-sale tickets for The Traitors Live Experience coming to London this spring.

Have we learnt nothing from the Willy Wonka debacle in Glasgow?

Personally, Im thrilled that the Traitors-verse is expanding.

The Traitors-verse? Is that a thing?

Very much so, and the most exciting news coming out of it (apart from this Wednesdays season three launch) is a celebrity version of The Traitors sometime this year.

The shows host (below) goes full Claudia-core

Do we know whos in it?

Alan Carr is the latest signing to be revealed, while other stars rumoured to be entering the castle include Courteney Cox, Jennifer Saunders, Clare Balding, Ricky Gervais, Vernon Kay, Tess Daly, Tom Daley and Stephen Fry.

Wholl be mother hen?

You mean like Diane from season two?

Exactly. The one whose quizzical facial expressions make her into a meme and then a gay icon.

Clare Balding.

You see, Id go Jennifer Saunders.

Ha!

What?

Youve been sucked into the Traitors-verse.

Im simply observing that Jennifer Saunders gives better side-eye than Clare Balding. Anyway, back to this Wednesdays episode  as you know so much about it, who do you think will be getting off the train?

Obviously, theres got to be a secret duo. We had a boyfriend/girlfriend in season one, followed by a mother/son in season two. A jailer/inmate might be fun.

This isnt Escape from Alcatraz.

What about a CEO/intern?

Or The Apprentice.

My moneys also on at least one bit of high drama involving fizzy rose.

Youre referring, I think, to Dianes murder in season two, after which she took part in her own funeral procession, complete with plumed horses, led by Claudia Winkleman carrying a gold-topped cane. Surely one of 2024s campest TV moments.

Meanwhile, Im sure the producers have found another Jazatha Christie.

Jaz Singh (from season two) did indeed appear to have some actual detecting skills. He was also among the few contestants not to preface every back-stab with Babes, you know I love you, but

Brilliant!

Sorry?

They could put that on the pants!

Whose pants?

The boxer shorts, in The Traitors shop. I might suggest it for Christmas 2025.

Im surprised its taken us this long to get back round to clothing. Isnt Claudia Winklemans wardrobe an essential element of your Traitors-verse?

The correct terminology is Claudia-core but Traitors-core is also acceptable.

Whatever, it appears to boil down to some big knitwear, a long fringe, lots of tweed, some fingerless gloves and something that makes you look a bit like a yeti.

Its sort of a country house vibe but heavy on the gothic overtones  and theres going to be no avoiding it next month, along with all things Traitors-verse.

I plan to try.

You wont manage. Before you know it, youll be sipping fizzy rose while pulling the cellophane off The Traitors official board game.

Fine, I give in. Pass the hooded cloak.

Dear readers

It is with great sadness that I bring you the last ever Everyones Talking About column. Ive loved receiving your letters and emails but a career change beckons.

Anna Pursglove
I meet clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith in a busy London cafe. Small, slim and pretty, she looks younger than her 40 years. Although she is surrounded by people, nobody pays any attention to her, which is strange because Smith is an internet phenomenon. Her videos are watched by more than eight million people via TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. They range from how to know if youre burnt out to are your friends really your friends?.

Not only that, her first book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, published in 2022, has sold more than a million copies in the UK and was on The Sunday Times nonfiction bestseller list for 42 weeks, 23 of them in the number one slot. It was also translated into more than 40 languages.

Yet there was a moment, in March this year, when she thought she might not survive. Everything in my life was going so well and then one day I found a lump in my breast.

Im usually clear-headed but I felt muddled. I didnt want to tell anyone

At first Smith wasnt worried; shed had biopsies for lumps before. (I ask her if theres a history of breast cancer in her family  hence the biopsies  but she says there isnt.) She usually gets everything checked quickly but, because she was finishing her second book, Open When, and on a six-week deadline, she almost didnt get the lump looked at.

I was so close to finishing the book and I think I was pressuring myself to do it. The first one had been so successful, there was a sense of momentum and I was enjoying writing it. The idea that I had to stop and go and do something, when I didnt know what the outcome might be, made me not want to do it. A part of me thought it probably wasnt anything and did I really need to go? But another part of me took over and I told myself I had to go.

She stopped writing the book and, two weeks after finding the lump, she went to her doctor for tests. A week or so later he rang and said he had the results and could I come into the clinic. When I arrived, there was also an oncologist there and thats when I knew.

Was it frightening? It was terrifying, yes. Its hard to put into words when you know youre about to hear something you dont want to hear, that is potentially life-threatening. Everything goes into some sort of slow motion.

Smith had early onset breast cancer.

Dr Julie Smith has almost eight million online followers

I hadnt expected that, she says. I was in shock. Im usually clear-headed, but I felt muddled. I didnt want to tell anyone, but I knew I had to tell my publishers and they were supportive. She says its difficult knowing who to tell and who not to, because by doing that youre making it real  and there was part of her that didnt want that.

You go into this sort of alternative universe whereby you feel alone, even though youre not alone and lots of women have been through what youre about to go through.

Did she feel scared? Absolutely. Id already written a chapter [in the second book] on fear, but I realised I needed to rewrite it because I hadnt fully experienced this sort of fear where you actually think you could die. I deleted the entire chapter and started again.

She was only 39, with three children under 11. My husband Matthew and I decided not to tell the children at first because, until we had a treatment plan, there wasnt anything concrete to say and I didnt want them to feel worried.

What did she discover about herself?

That it is easy to fall into a pit of despair and inaction. Its an overwhelming feeling. Its also unlike me. For a couple of weeks I couldnt do anything much. I wasnt even sure if I was ever going to do anything much.

I woke up one morning and almost had to shake myself. I was ceasing to recognise who I was. I realised that the only thing I could do was to force myself to get active. I got practical about my cancer. I got second opinions. I did research. I poured myself into understanding what was going on. I rewrote the chapter on fear from the place of someone who realised that sometimes youve got to give yourself a hard talking to.

Smith usually keeps herself private on social media, but she decided to share her diagnosis. I want to encourage women not to ignore early signs of breast cancer.

She had two operations to remove the lump in July and was told she didnt need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, for which she is grateful. The key to the fact that I am now cancer free is that I took action early. This is what I want women to know.

Im not surprised by this, because as a doctor she is focused and proactive. Her videos on mental health may be short, but theyre concentrated and science-based.

She wrote her first book so that people could find help and support. But when they write to her saying it has saved their lives, that they carry their copy around with them and use it every time they feel upset, depressed or anxious, it worries her. It feels like a huge responsibility. I didnt expect it to be used as a replacement for other things that I feel are important. What, does she believe, are those other things? Therapy, medical diagnosis, friends and family, the community.

Smith lives outside Ringwood in Hampshire, where she grew up with her parents and two sisters. She met Matthew at school when she was 12. It took him ten years to ask her out, but once he did that was it.

Its this base of family and community that keeps her grounded. Ive got my ego in check, she says. Ive worked hard on not being affected by what other people think of me.

When she started posting Instagram videos in 2019, she was one of the first people to do bite-size therapy online. Was she concerned that other therapists wouldnt take them seriously?

Yes, I was concerned, she says. The therapy world is full of rivalries and opinions, but Ive learnt to do my thing and be good with that. She still sees some patients but theyre ones shes had for a long time and she doesnt accept referrals. Taking on patients is awkward when you are getting well-known. Im no longer a blank slate.

Her success hasnt changed her. In many ways Im still the introverted child I was when I was growing up. Neither does she venture into musings about the universe. In fact, she actively worries that people have got hooked on affirmations and manifestations.

The problem with that, she says, is that looking into the mirror and telling yourself that you are lovable may not change the fact that you dont believe it. So then you go into shame and guilt and that is not healthy. What she does advocate is becoming the best champion of ourselves that we can be.

This commitment to helping people help themselves is central to Smith as a person. I dont imagine she does drama.

I would have agreed with that until I had my cancer diagnosis, she says. My sense of self was challenged because its scary. But I pulled myself out of that place and realised how important that is when you are facing fear. You need to find the strategies that help.

Then she says she has to leave, and off she goes. And not a single person in the cafe bats an eyelid as this internet sensation slips off into the night.

Open When A Companion for Lifes Twists and Turns by Dr Julie Smith is out now (Michael Joseph, 20). To order a copy for 17 until 12 January go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25.
London-listed emerald and ruby miner Gemfields has suspended work in Mozambique, where two looters were shot dead during a raid that saw buildings set alight.

The firm, which owns Faberge, said more than 200 people linked to illegal ruby mining attacked a village built by the company next to its Montepuez Ruby Mining operation on Christmas Eve.

Two people were shot and killed as security forces made up of Mozambican police and military moved to protect the village.

Work at ruby mine halted after attack on company village

Gemfields, one of the largest miners of coloured gems, said the incident came as groups sought to take advantage of 'the prevailing political unrest in Mozambique'.

The country has been gripped by violent protests after an election that opposition parties claim was rigged in favour of the ruling Frelimo party.

Gemfields halted operations on Christmas Eve, relocating some of its 500-plus staff. They are now returning, and the firm 'intends to return to normal operations before the end of the year'.
As a correspondent in Washington in the 1980s, I vividly recall taking a call from a source at the British embassy asking me to come over as they had something urgent to share.

The UK Government was alarmed by reports that the US, in its battle with the Sandinista rebels in Nicaragua, was considering mining the country's strategically important ports with access to Caribbean and Pacific waters.

The UK, home to the International Maritime Agency, has an immediate and historic obligation as a great trading nation to support freedom of the high seas.

Despite the excellent relations between President Reagan and Mrs Thatcher, I was told that Britain would look very dimly at any effort by the Americans to interfere with that principle. The dispute over Nicaragua's ports made something of a splash.

As Israel's military response to the rape, pillage and killing of 1,195 Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, and the seizure of 250 hostages by Hamas fighters unfolded, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen began firing at Red Sea shipping and sent armed drones into Israel.

Hostilities with the Houthis has reached new intensity in the past 48 hours as they lob missiles into Tel Aviv, injuring a dozen or so citizens.

The UK has an immediate and historic obligation as a great trading nation to support freedom of the high seas

The attacks came after Israel targeted ports and energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. The Houthis have been threatening Western energy supplies for almost a decade by aiming at Saudi Arabian oil fields.

In 2022 they temporarily interrupted refining by hitting a Jeddah oil terminal. The Saudi air force, armed with British-made Tornado fighters and supported by British and US weaponry, has fought to suppress the Houthis with a ruthless bombing campaign.

Many shoppers in Europe may not have noticed. But the Houthi threat to the Red Sea - in support of Hamas - has been having a significant impact on supply chain in this holiday season.

Freight costs have climbed, adding pounds to shopping bills, as some ships from Asia have been diverted around the Cape of Good Hope. US and British naval vessels have been deployed to keep shipping lanes open.

One would have to listen very carefully to the rhetoric of politicians in London to hear any commitment to maintaining the freedom of the seas.

Indeed, because oil prices have remained subdued during the current geo-political tensions in the Middle East, British and US politicians, diplomats and humanitarian groups have been largely silent on broader strategic issues.

References in G7 communiques and from the International Monetary Fund and central banks have been determinedly neutral, archly referring to geo-political tensions without spelling them out.

Israel's merciless hounding of Hamas in Gaza has claimed 45,000 lives, according to Hamas/Palestinian data.

It has attracted condemnation from all corners of the earth and has led to Israel's leaders, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, being indicted for possible humanitarian crimes. The loss of civilian life, including those of Palestinian children, is an enormous tragedy.

The consequences for Israel's 'start-up' nation have been severe. The boycott organisation BDS has claimed some significant victories and propagated a new social media hashtag '#ShutDownNation'. It claims these victories include the cancellation of a $25bn (20bn) investment by chipmaker Intel.

Israel's avowed promise to eliminate the Houthi threat and decapitate the rebels' leadership provides a reminder of how the much-disparaged Netanyahu government, aided by US war material, has been doing the West's work by eradicating Iran's 'arc of resistance' in the Middle East.

The defanging of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, and the fall of the horrendous Assad dynasty, is a devastating blow to the supporting powers of Iran and Russia. What comes next in Damascus is a known unknown.

Whether Israel can repeat its military success in Yemen, given Saudi aggression only strengthened the Houthi rebels, is unclear.

Yet if the country can help restore long-term security to oil supplies, keeping long-term energy prices lower, that must help economic stability.

And by upholding free passage on the high seas, Israel could help provide a much needed boost to a fragmented world trading system.
Three of the richest people in France have lost more than 55bn this year amid subdued demand for luxury goods worldwide and political turmoil at home.

LVMH chief Bernard Arnault (pictured with wife Helene) has seen 25bn wiped off his wealth in 2024, but is still the fifth richest man in the world with 140bn, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.

L'Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, once the world's richest woman, has lost 20bn and Kering tycoon Francois Pinault is 11bn worse off. They are now worth 60bn and 17bn respectively.

The losses came as shares in LVMH, L'Oreal and Kering - the company behind Gucci - tumbled on the stock market in Paris following years of gains.

LVMH chief Bernard Arnault (pictured with wife Helene) has seen 25bn wiped off his wealth in 2024,

Sales of luxury goods and cosmetics soared after the pandemic as the wealthy splashed out.

But a slowdown in demand, particularly in China, has sent shares tumbling while the collapse of the French government has also hit investment in the country.

Arnault, 75, has built LVMH into one of Europe's largest companies with brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Moet & Chandon.

Bettencourt Meyers, 71, whose grandfather founded L'Oreal, became the first woman to amass a $100bn fortune last year. Pinault, 88, set up the company that is now Kering in 1962.
Television chef Michael Caines, 55, started his career in London before working under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire, and Joel Robuchon in Paris, writes Margaret Hussey.

He lost his right arm in a car accident in 1994 while at Gidleigh Park in Devon, where he went on to be awarded two Michelin stars.

A regular on television shows such as The Great British Menu and Remarkable Places To Eat, he lives outside Exeter with his partner Pippa and their daughter.

He has three other children from previous relationships and is the chef/patron of the Michelin-starred Lympstone Manor in Devon.

What did your parents teach you about money?

Mum and Dad were both teachers, although Dad had previously been in the RAF. I grew up in Exeter and was adopted  I had three older brothers and two older sisters.

We always had chores and the main lesson was, if you did your chores, you got your pocket money. So if you work hard, you get rewarded. My dad would say: 'If you can't afford it, don't buy it.' We always had meals around the table and we were an engaged family. I helped my mum and cooked at home but I never really thought of it as a career. I always thought I would go into the military.

Fighter: Michael Caines lost his right arm in a car accident

I found my sister and then I got to meet my birth mother and father. They are both now deceased but my birth father was a great cook, apparently. He was renowned for rustling up lovely meals from nothing. He was originally from Dominica and lived in London.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

When I left school I went to catering college in Exeter for two years. I had three jobs while I was there. I left home for London at 18 and that was pretty tough. I sofa-surfed for a bit and finally got a room in a house. I couldn't afford to live in the centre, so I was living on the outskirts. The hours were long and I kept falling asleep on the Tube to the end of the line.

After that I went to Oxfordshire to work with Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons. I spent three years there, learning from the best. It was a great, formative time. He is so passionate and we often catch up and chat. After my accident I was back at Gidleigh Park in the kitchen part-time after four weeks, and full-time after six weeks. The owner at the time, Mr Henderson, was very supportive.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

I did an event in Abu Dhabi  it was a pop-up restaurant/diner and I got paid a six-figure sum for my efforts. I later opened a restaurant there.

What was the best year of your financial life?

I had bought shares in the Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter and sold them in 2015. That's probably the most money I've ever had in the bank account.

It was reinvested into putting a deposit down on Lympstone Manor. When you invest in something like Lympstone, where I have the biggest stake in the venture, you are putting your destiny in your own hands. You take a lot of risk but ultimately you are able to create something.

The most expensive thing you've bought for fun?

A car. It was a six-figure sum. I've spent a lot of money over many years on the vanity of having a lovely car. I've currently got an Arctic-grey GT3 RS Porsche. On most cars you tend to lose money, but that one hasn't. When you are having a tough day, it reminds you, because you work long hours, that you've got something nice. It gives you a bit of motivation.

What has been your biggest money mistake?

I invested in a luxury goods start-up company out of my pension. It didn't work out as Covid came along. It was just bad timing. The idea was great but unfortunately the circumstances were stacked against the company.

Best money decision you have made?

Selling the shares from one hotel and reinvesting in Lympstone Manor.

I had to put my own money in and then later got other people to back me. I'm very lucky that I've got Raymond Blanc to turn to  he's given me some good advice along the way. I also have a good accountant, while Tony Rowe, from Exeter Chiefs rugby club, has been a great mentor. It's nice to be able to reach out to people to help you make the right decision.

Do you give to charity?

I'm one of the trustees at Exeter Chiefs Foundation, the charitable arm of the rugby club. It raises money locally and does a great job. I'm also involved with Farms For City Children, run by children's author Michael Morpurgo. It's important to give time, whether it's going into schools or feeding children through a pop-up event.

Do you have a pension?

I have had a personal private pension for a while. I haven't really contributed a huge amount to that while I've been at Lympstone Manor.

Sound investment: Michael in the kitchen at Lympstone Manor

Do you own any property?

I havea house that I rent out in Devon, plus my own home and obviously Lympstone.

If you were Chancellor, what would you do?

I would try to spread the tax burden across society, even if that creates some controversy in the short term.

Ultimately, tax has got to be fair in that everybody is seen to be paying their bit. It was a difficult Budget this year, but hopefully next year and beyond that, we will see life become a little easier for everyone.

What is your number one financial priority?

To rebalance the books and get the business in a good, strong position going forward.

There are so many challenges, certainly in hospitality. Staffing is such a large cost and we are a people-driven business.

Ultimately there is a shortage of labour and we've got to get the right balance of allowing people in to be able to work, to fill some of the employment gap.

We can't find enough people who want to work in hospitality, it's quite frustrating.
Thousands of animals have been blown up, poisoned or given deadly nerve agents during top-secret tests at a military laboratory, MailOnline can reveal.

More than 2,000 pigs, rabbits, monkeys, guinea pigs and mice have been killed in 'barbaric' experiments at the secretive Porton Down research base in Wiltshire.

The figures cover the last three years and were revealed following a Freedom of Information request by MailOnline.

But they have sparked outrage from animal rights campaigners, who branded the Ministry of Defence (MoD) 'archaic' and 'reprehensible'.

The MoD said the tests were part of 'life-saving' research to help better protect British troops, and 'cannot be conducted without the use of laboratory animals'.

But Dr Julia Baines, senior science policy manager for animal campaign group Peta, lambasted the MoD for the tests, which saw 2,044 animals slaughtered between 2021 and 2023.

'Peta calls shame on the Ministry of Defence for conducting archaic and appallingly cruel experiments on monkeys, mice, pigs, and other animals, including injecting deadly viruses into their brains and exposing them to nerve agents,' Dr Baines said.

'Britain is also among the few Nato nations still using animals instead of state-of-the-art training methods for military medics.

Thousands of animals have been killed in military experiments at the secretive Porton Down research base in Wiltshire

'It's reprehensible that with the best technology in the world at its disposal and amid overwhelming public opposition to animal experimentation, the MoD still fails to modernise.'

Porton Down is the UK's top secret laboratory where scientists carry out research into chemical weapons and deadly diseases.

Under constant armed guard, the secluded base contains some of the most lethal diseases known to man - including ebola, plague and anthrax.

But it also carries out research on biological and chemical weapons, and was where scientists analysed samples confirming that a Novichok nerve agent had been used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018.

The site uses animals as test subjects for various experiments.

The MoD refused to specify exactly how each animal was killed in the most recent figures, saying: 'Chemical and biological weapons remain a real and present threat, as are battlefield injuries from conventional weapons.'

However, previous experiments have seen live pigs being shot and forced to inhale mustard gas, monkeys being infected with anthrax and guinea pigs being killed with nerve agent.

Other tests have involved pigs wearing body armour and being blown up, with scientists attempting to replicate severe battlefield trauma to test how well next-generation flak jackets can protect soldiers from injury.

Among those killed include dozens of pigs, new figures released by the MoD show (file image)

Between 2021 and 2023, 97 marmosets were killed during experiments (stock image)

Porton Down (pictured) is the UK's top secret laboratory where scientists carry out research into chemical weapons and deadly diseases

It was where scientists analysed samples confirming that a Novichok nerve agent had been used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Pictured of emergency services in Salisbury in 2018 following Mr Skripal's poisoning

Pigs are genetically similar to humans, with scientists having previously used experimental techniques to treat various types of battlefield-style wounds.

The number of animal procedures undertaken at DSTL Porton Down over the last three years is trending upwards, with 605 killed in 2021 compared to 644 in 2023.

In 2022, notably the year when Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a sharper increase in tests, with 795 animals slaughtered. The majority of those killed were mice, with 755 animals destroyed.

In all, figures show 64 guinea pigs, 97 marmosets, 83 pigs, three rabbits and 1,797 mice were killed in experiments at Porton Down between 2021 and 2023.

An MoD spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory conducts experiments ethically, in line with legislation.

'As well as work on emerging defence technology, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory develops new vaccines, therapies and treatments that can save people's lives.

'They are also committed to reducing the number of experiments on animals by only applying for a licence if research cannot be achieved any other way.'

Almost 1,800 mice have been killed in military experiments at the Porton Down research base
The Royal Navy's submarine service is plagued by 'gang bangs', drugs, sordid initiation ceremonies, 'rape lists' and lewd officers who share Top Trump-style cards celebrating the worst kinds of debauched behaviour, a whistleblower has claimed.

In the latest scandal to rock Britain's Silent Service, insiders have said the elite nuclear submarine force is rife with abhorrent behaviour - despite military top brass pledging to clean up the act of the underwater branch of the navy.

The new allegations, exposed today by MailOnline, have shocked a former nuclear submarine captain, who said the British public will be 'rightly appalled' by the 'levels of depravity and failures in leadership'. While a former head of the Royal Navy branded the reports 'extraordinary' and 'unpleasant'.

Sources have claimed vile 'initiation ceremonies' are carried out by the crew, where new young sailors are terrorised and told to get onto 'their hands and knees' before being forced to perform sex acts on other experienced sailors.

Male personnel on one nuclear-armed sub created a sickening 'crush depth rape list' which ranked which crewmates would be raped first in the case of a catastrophic event at sea - with senior officers allegedly aware of the document.

One young teenage male sailor was left so 'petrified' about being named on the list they begged older crewmates to protect them, amid claims complaints about the file had been 'swept under the carpet' and ignored by commanders.

'The lunatics are in charge at the asylum,' an insider told MailOnline. 'We had a rape list on my submarine. There was a 19-year-old kid [on it]. When he realised he was on it, he was s***ing his pants. Everyone wanted to rape him. He was petrified.'

And MailOnline has learned that sailors have created a vile Top Trumps-style cards dubbed 'Disgraced Dabbers', which appears to celebrate the some of the worst offenders of alleged debauched behaviour - including high-ranking officers.

Pictured is an example of the Top Trumps card which have been shared among crew on a nuclear submarine

A mock-up of the deck of cards, dubbed 'Disgraced Dabbers' appeared to show a number of Royal Navy sailors

Sailors are given ratings based on 'unacceptable sexual behaviour', 'alcohol', 'professionalism', 'media interest', 'court martial' and 'false imprisonment of JR' (junior rates).

One card of a top officer, seen by MailOnline, said: 'Fun loving [senior officer] often enjoys the company of young men on a night out and is a popular figure amongst his subordinate, but has now possible used all of his 9 lives in avoiding trouble so far.'

Another sailor who features on the cards is Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Stone, who was sacked in 2022 for putting Britain's security at risk by swapping emails about top secret nuclear sub movement with an officer he was having an affair with.

Reports have also been made detailing how a senior boat commander allegedly staged boozy house parties with junior sailors - as well as hosting 'pizza Wednesday' nights on his submarine.

The behaviour has been branded 'unprofessional' by a former nuclear submarine captain, who told MailOnline officers should 'never behave like this' with junior sailors.

And there are disturbing claims of rapes and sexual assaults taking place, as well as a culture of cocaine use among some sailors serving on nuclear submarines and some stationed at the navy's nuclear submarine HQ, HMNB Clyde, in Faslane, Scotland.

'I know of people who have been gang raped,' an insider said. 'I saw initiation ceremonies. One lad was on his knees in his compartment with three lads and was trying to [perform a sex act on them].'

The former sailor claimed: 'On HMS Vengeance eight kids tried to kill themselves, three were raped and two have now died. Honestly, it's f***ing disgusting.'

Allegations have also been made that young sailors are forced to undergo repulsive 'initiation ceremonies' when they join a boat, which include performing sex acts on other sailors. (Pictured, HMS Vanguard arrives back at HM Naval Base Clyde)

The claims have appalled former nuclear submarine captain, Commander Ryan Ramsey, who said he was 'depressed and saddened' by the allegations.

'I really don't understand how we have got to these levels of depravity and failures in leadership and it needs to be sorted,' Cdr Ramsey said.

'When I was a junior officer, the thing was bullying and shouting and screaming. That was the really bad stuff. But now we're talking about rape lists.'

Cdr Ramsey, who has seen some of the Top Trump cards, said there was a worrying culture that was 'normalising' activity that is 'fundementally wrong'.

'The general public will be rightly concerned about those environments and those people in particular. They should be rightly appalled by the behaviours described.

'There is no restorative way of keeping people in the service like that. The toxicity of these people needs to be removed. They need to be fired.'

Former First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord Alan West, also expressed concern. He told MailOnline: 'It's very clear how one should behave in the Royal Navy - in my time if anyone did something wrong, we came down on them like a ton of bricks to sought them out. It all sounds very unpleasant and extraordinary.'

The claims are the latest to rock the submarine service following allegations of sexual bullying, misogyny and abuse against women were revealed by the Mail.

In October the head of the Royal Navy was forced into offering a grovelling apology for sexual attacks and bullying of women on submarines, after it was exposed by the Mail.

Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord, admitted crew members had suffered 'intolerable' harassment and abuse while serving on Britain's nuclear deterrent, and revealed that 18 men had now been sacked.

Announcing the findings of a damning inquiry, Britain's top sailor told a news conference: 'I am truly sorry.'

He gave an unreserved apology to the Mail's brave whistleblower, Sophie Brook, the first female warfare officer, who lifted the lid on the horrifying reality of sexual harassment beneath the waves since the ban on women serving on submarines was lifted in 2011.

Ms Brook, 32, was among those put on a vile 'rape list' drawn up by sick male colleagues and subjected to lewd and humiliating behaviour.

Sophie Brook (pictured) who had welcomed the investigation, has now withdrawn her support for the probe

The former lieutenant (pictured) questioned delays in the process and accused the Navy of trying to 'scapegoat' one senior officer

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key (pictured here in 2021) launched the inquiry after the Mail exposed claims of mistreatment up and down the chain of command in the submarine service last October

Ms Brook, a former Lieutenant who lost her job after sending sending sensitive information to her lover Lt Cdr Stone, said she had spent her 'entire career terrified of the Press, but as it turns out, they were the only people who heard what I had to say'.

She praised the Mail for uncovering the truth of her shocking story, which had fallen on deaf ears at Navy HQ.

Ms Brook was later invited to the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall for an unprecedented personal apology. The First Sea Lord said: 'I apologised to her personally and unreservedly, praising her courage in coming forward.'

A source close to Sir Ben said: 'He has praised the bravery and courage it took for Ms Brook to come forward and he recognises the role played by the Daily Mail.'

Our exclusive investigation  and Ms Brook's brave decision to go public  in October 2022 prompted a torrent of claims.

A string of other whistleblowers came forward to describe a horrendous culture of sexual abuse and harassment in the service, into which the Navy launched an immediate inquiry.

The Senior Service revealed it had carried out 28 investigations into 'unacceptable sexual behaviour' resulting in 18 personnel being sacked, four demoted and six given reprimands.

The Navy published a 140-page report into its findings, about two-thirds of which is completely obscured by a security censor's black ink, covering up shocking details of the abuses.

But Sir Ben said he had accepted its recommendations in full.

Sophie Brook pictured in Royal Navy regalia during her career. Ms Brook's brave decision to go public  in October 2022 prompted a torrent of claims and later an apology from MoD top brass

They include a 'zero tolerance' approach to abuse, with commanders drilled in 'values' towards women and submarine crews being interviewed before and after each deployment to check for 'healthy working cultures'.

Sir Ben added: 'The investigation has confirmed misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours  and this is intolerable.'

He declared that 'behaviours in the past that may have been normalised' have 'no place today', and added: 'Our people must be able to perform their duties with dignity, pride and respect.'

Trailblazer Ms Brook, one of the first women to join the submarine service, told how women were frequently screamed at, called c***s, and hit with clipboards and pens.

She said she was assaulted as she slept in her bed by a man of a higher rank, had her bras stolen from the laundry and caught engineers sniffing women's underwear. When she once asked to be excused for a medical appointment in front of a group of men, an officer told her she could have the procedure in front of them if it was a 'cervical examination'.

Sir Ben also offered a public apology to 'any personnel, past or present, that have been subject to any form of unacceptable behaviour during their time in service'.

He said: 'I am truly sorry. While much has been done to improve the experiences of personnel in the Royal Navy in recent years, such as establishing zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviours and improving avenues to raise concerns, there is more to be done.'

Ms Brook compelled the Navy to take 'immediate action' to ensure that 'no one else is subjected to the systemic misogyny and discrimination that has long plagued the Submarine Service'.

She added: 'No one should have to endure the harassment, abuse and mental toll that I and countless others have faced.'

The Royal Navy insisted it has a 'zero tolerance' approach to unacceptable sexual behaviour, with those convicted of a sexual offence being automatically booted out of the force.

The MoD added a victim witness care unit has also been set up to support those who have been victim.

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: 'As demonstrated by the recent internal investigation into unacceptable behaviours in submarines and as part of the zero-tolerance policy introduced in 2022, any behaviour which falls short of expected standards will not be tolerated and all allegations are taken extremely seriously and investigated thoroughly. Those found culpable will be held accountable for their actions.'

'The examples highlighted pre-date the internal investigation into unacceptable behaviours, and we are taking robust steps to stamp out such abhorrent behaviour.'

The spokeswoman added: 'We do not discuss individual cases, especially if it could prejudice an ongoing investigation.'
Dozens of surgeons who have been struck off from the UK's medical register are still practising, MailOnline can reveal.

Surgeons who have committed serious misconduct, sometimes ending in death and life-changing injuries for patients, are continuing to operate on unsuspecting and vulnerable patients around the world.

Some have even been found to have committed sexual misconduct in the workplace, discharged patients with medical equipment still inside them or removed the wrong body parts.

It comes after MailOnline revealed in September that disgraced orthopaedic surgeon Dr Yaser Jabbar continues to operate on children in Dubai.

Here MailOnline takes a look at where some of the UK's most infamous doctors to be struck off are now.

Dr Yaser Jabbar

Yaser Jabbar, 43, is living in Dubai where he speaks about his 'expertise' at conferences and continues to operate on children at the Clemenceau Medical Center and at hospitals for orthopaedics specialists Orthocure

A teenage boy was forced to have his leg amputated after he felt his bone 'snap' just months after surgeon Yaser Jabbar operated on it

Orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar is feared to have left dozens of children with life-changing injuries while treating more than 700 patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Jabbar, 43, has left children with different leg lengths and even requiring leg amputations as a result of botched treatments until he was suspended in 2022.

He is also accused of carrying out an unknown number of unnecessary operations.

The hospital is now reviewing every child treated by Jabbar. In September it was revealed that out of just 37 children assessed so far, 22 of them have come to some degree of harm with 13 classed as severe harm.

Facing a storm of complaints in the UK, Jabbar has since moved to Dubai where he continues to operate on unsuspecting patients.

He has not held a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January 2024.

MailOnline previously revealed he was employed by hospitals there, as well as boasting online of attending conferences and giving speeches about his orthopaedic 'expertise'.

Dr Sam Eljamel

Former NHS Tayside surgeon Sam Eljamel harmed dozens of patients as a neurosurgery specialist

Jules Rose (centre right) joins other campaigners and victims, in a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Edinburgh in February

Former NHS Tayside surgeon Sam Eljamel harmed dozens of patients as a neurosurgery specialist, leaving some with life-changing injuries.

In one case, he operated on campaigner Jules Rose and removed her tear duct instead of a brain tumour. Other patients were left on the brink of death or facing paralysis.

He was eventually suspended in 2013 before removing himself from the medical register and moving to Libya, where he continues to operate while boasting of his time in Britain.

A public inquiry into Eljamel's practise was announced by the Scottish government last year, with campaigners estimating he may have harmed as many as 200 patients.

But in war-torn Libya the surgeon is now operating again, featuring heavily in advertising for Al Nahda hospital.

Dr Ajit Pothen

Dr Ajit Joe Pothen was already suspended in the Netherlands when he was hired by a UK hospital - before discharging a patient who died hours later

Dr Ajit Joe Pothen was employed by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2017 despite already being suspended by a hospital in the Netherlands.

The Dutch consultant was said to have provided 'misleading information' in his application for the role while under investigation by the national regulator in relation to his work as a head and neck surgeon at the University Medical Center (UMC) in Utrecht.

He was suspended just days after beginning his role in February 2017 after discharging a patient who died hours later.

The patient presented to hospital with 'significant risk' and problems breathing, but Pothen failed to speak to nursing staff about their condition and sent them home. They died later that night.

He later struck off the medical register, but is now working in private practise in Umkirch, Germany.

Despite being suspended just days into his NHS employment, Pothen claims he 'completed his specialist training in Essen and Nottingham (UK)'.

Online reviews of Pothen at his new practise in Germany describe him as 'arrogant', 'aggressive' and 'condescending'.

Dr Luigi Angelini

Dr Luigi Angelini made 'wholly inappropriate' decisions in emergency appendix surgeries, with one scrub nurse refusing to hand him another instrument midway through an operation

Luigi Angelini, formerly a surgeon at Southend Hospital, was struck off the medical register after making 'wholly inappropriate' decisions that carried 'significant risk' to patients during multiple emergency appendix operations.

The doctor, who was educated in Italy and went on to work at King's College Hospital before being struck off, forced fellow doctors to make extreme decisions in order to prevent further harm to patients.

In one surgery, a theatre nurse refused to give Angelini any more instruments until another surgeon took over, and in a second he instructed another surgeon to remove tissue from the patient's body despite a dispute over whether it was actually their appendix.

He also lied to employers about having a clean record despite being sacked by Southend Hospital and a 2008 tribunal which criticised his 'inadequate, inappropriate, and irresponsible' care.

But after being struck off, Angelini simply moved to Dubai where he continues to carry out surgery including appendix, liver and colon removals.

His Facebook page proudly boasts he was a consultant bariatric surgeon at Al Zahra Hospital, with no mention of his time in the UK.

Online records show he is now employed by the Chaslu Dubai Wellbeing Clinic.

Dr Anjan Kumar Banerjee

Dr Anjan Banerjee was twice found guilty of serious misconduct yet was allowed to return to UK surgery - and was even awarded an MBE

Surgeon Anjan Kumar Banerjee was struck off the medical register after being found to have falsified medical research in order to obtain a degree from the University of London.

Banerjee submitted samples of his own urine in the place of 12 healthy adults, and used the fraudulent data in his research.

He was also found guilty of serious professional misconduct for financial dishonesty and was removed from the register in 2002.

Banerjee even lied to patients about waiting list times and was prevented on several occasions from carrying out surgery at King's College London due to concerns over his skills and decision-making.

But under GMC rules, he was able to apply to re-enter the register five years later and was quickly reinstated as a practising surgeon.

Despite twice being found guilty of serious misconduct, he resumed operating soon afterwards under a different name, Swapu Banerjee.

He was even awarded an MBE for services to 'patient safety' in 2014 - although this was eventually rescinded months later.

He said at the time he was 'really proud' to have been given the honour, adding it was 'a mark of recognition... and an incentive to carry on the good work.'

Dr Stoyan Tsonchev

Dr Stoyan Tsonchev returned to Bulgaria to continue work but has tried to return to the UK's medical register after inappropriately touching a nurse, claiming beautiful women are 'irresistible'

Tsonchev also put patients at risk with wrong treatment plans and discharged a woman with a cannula still in her arm

Shameless Dr Stoyan Tsonchev was struck off the medical register before returning to Bulgaria to work because the country is 'less strict'.

Tsonchev, who holds a degree in surgery, repeatedly failed to provide appropriate treatment for patients and once discharged a patient with a canula still in their arm.

He also inappropriately touched a nurse and asked to kiss her in the workplace, before telling a hearing that it is 'irresistible to touch' beautiful women, saying at a 2024 review of the decision: 'The nurse was so pretty and It was irresistible to touch her.

'She could have responded to my feelings. It couldn't have been a huge and unbearable effort for her. I later understood I had to get pre-op investigations. Surely if it is a big issue I will try not to disturb the nurses in that manner, I promise!'

While suspended in 2013, he was also caught working at Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in direct breach of the suspension.

Tsonchev was struck off in 2016 and has launched repeated attempts to have himself returned to the medical register.

He told the latest hearing earlier this year he has worked in Bulgaria since his dismissal, where things are 'more relaxed' than in 'strict' Britain.

The hearing determined he had shown no insight into his actions, provided no evidence he had learned from his previous misconduct and was not fit to return to the register. He continues to work at a hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Dr Juan Ruiz Alconero

Dr Juan Alconero had no licence to practise medicine when he performed hair transplants in Glasgow

Hair transplant surgeon Juan Ruiz Alconero didn't even have a licence to practise when he performed operations at KSL Hair Ltd (KSL) in Glasgow, whose previous customers include former Celtic stars Leigh Griffiths and Anthony Stokes.

He was struck off the medical register in 2022 after he was accused of butchering surgeries so badly that one patient was left with hair growing back at right angles.

A tribunal found the doctor let his assistants perform significant amounts of surgery unsupervised, and that he carried out procedures without letting patients reconsider if they wanted to go ahead and failed to check up on them afterwards.

He has already moved back to Spain, where he qualified in 1998, and has set up his own private clinic where he charges up to 3,995 for surgery packages.

Alconero's website makes no mention of his years operating in the UK, instead claiming he holds a diploma in capillary surgery from the St. Louis School Of Medicine in Missouri and stating he is a 'leader in surgical medical treatment of capillary problems'.

Dr Arnaldo Paganelli

Dr Arnaldo Paganelli performed botched operations without insurance in Birmingham and now works in his native Italy

Italian cosmetic surgeon Dr Arnaldo Paganelli made regular trips to the UK to carry out work for The Hospital Group in Birmingham until 2016.

Paganelli repeatedly carried out botched operations without insurance, meaning his patients have been unable to receive any of the payouts they are owed.

He left one patient unable to close their eyes and was told to pay another patient whose nose surgery went wrong more than 22,000.

A tribunal heard The Hospital Group paid some patients who complained almost 500,000 and that Paganelli at times was working under insurance with no coverage in the UK.

He was declared bankrupt in 2013, but continues to work as a cosmetic surgeon in three clinics in Italy after being struck off in the UK in 2020.

Dr Zulfiquar Rahimtoola

Dr Zulfiquar Rahimtoola was suspended from the medical register for nine months after making a surgical error and then lying to cover it up.

The hand surgeon was employed by the Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust in Reading, the Spire Dunedin Hospital in Reading and the Ramsay Berkshire Independent Hospital between 2006 and 2020.

But in 2019 he cut into the wrong side of his patient's wrist and then lied about it, claiming she had told him she had pain in her 'whole wrist', which was not true.

In 2022 he was allowed to continue practising after a MPTS review found there was no significant risk of repetition.

After his suspension, Rahimtoola moved back to the Netherlands, where he studied, and continues to operate as a hand surgeon - while making no reference to his employment in the UK.
President Joe Biden hastily approved a hotly contested proposal that could irreversibly damage inter-tribal relations across Oregon and California. Now, tribes are fighting back.

Last month, Biden's administration filed a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to allow off-reservation gambling for controversial plans for a South Medford casino project.

The Coquille Tribe of Coos Bay has been trying for 13 years to open the Class II casino in Jackson County off of Highway 99 - about 165 miles away from their reservation.

The tribe already owns the land and the former Roxy Ann Lanes bowling alley that they want to convert into a slot machine-only gaming facility called The Cedars at Bear Creek.

These plans have sparked outrage from the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians in Douglas County, along with several tribes from Southern Oregon and Northern California.

The Cow Creek Tribe said they believe this casino would threaten their financial stability, as well as take business away from their own casino.

It could result in a nasty gambling war that could pit one tribe against the other.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Karuk Tribe and Tolowa Dee-ni Nation requested a 'temporary restraining order against the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and members of the Biden administration, including Secretary Deb Haaland.'

Tribes and politicians across Oregon and California are frustrated with President Joe Biden's administration's last minute decision to push through the plans for the hotly contested casino plans

The outlined plans for the controversial Cedars at Bear Creek Class II gaming facility (pictured)

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek (pictured left) has requested an extension of the 30-day commenting period. Carla Keene, Chairman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians (pictured right), said she's 'frustrated' the plans

They are asking a federal court judge to stop the casino plans 'that would cause irreparable harm to their economic, environmental, cultural, and historic wellbeing.'

'This legal action is our option of last resort after being denied repeated requests for consultation,' Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal Chairman Carla Keene said of the suit in a statement.

'The administration has failed in their responsibility under its own Executive Order, NEPA rules and executive proclamation to consult with our Tribes about a project that puts the interests of one Tribe over many others.'

The casino, the case's plaintiffs argue, 'would cannibalize the gaming revenue generated from the Cow Creek Umpqua and other Oregon and regional tribes'.

'Acutely, there would be devastating social, cultural and economic impacts - and a loss of revenue for our Tribes healthcare, safety, mental health, economic development and education programs,' Keene wrote to DailyMail.com before the lawsuit.

The Cow Creek-owned Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville is about an hour's drive from the proposed Cedars at Bear Creek.

Biden's go-ahead launched a 'feedback' period, lasting at least 30 days, for politicians and community members to voice their opinions about the casino before a final verdict is made.

Since then, the many enemies of the bill have let their anger known.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Karuk Tribe and Tolowa Dee-ni Nation requested a 'temporary restraining order against the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and members of the Biden administration, including Secretary Deb Haaland'. The suit seeks to stop the casino (pictured) from being built

This consideration period was set to wrap up on Tuesday, and has evoked intense fear and anticipation among the Cow Creek Tribe as they feel unheard and unconsidered by the federal administration.

And they're not alone in their misgivings.

Several politicians from Oregon and California have also spoken out against the new casino and called for an extension of this consideration period.

Keene wrote: 'An approval would completely jeopardize our Tribes ability to deliver essential services - all fundamental to our peoples well-being.

If approved, this decision would upend the Indigenous cultural tradition of kinship between Tribes through proliferating off-reservation gaming while disregarding, and even fabricating, ancestral land ties.'

Keene claimed that the Coquille Tribe falsely cited ancestral ties to the plot of land to obtain federal approval.

The Coquille Tribe of Coos Bay wants to place a casino where the former Roxy Ann Lanes bowling alley is in Medford, Oregon

Several politicians have come forward with concern about the national precedent this decision may set (stock image)

Oregon Native American tribes are at odds over the Medford Casino plans Biden's administration set forward

'Historically speaking, the Coquille simply did not exist in Medford,' Keene asserted.

In response to this accusation, Judy Farm, the Executive Director of Coquille construction firm Tribal One, said her tribe has every right to build on the more than two acres of land the casino would sit on.

Farm argued that these plans are justified under the Coquille Restoration Act, which is aimed at rectifying the the negative effects of tribe's termination in 1954.

She revealed to DailyMail.com: 'The Coquille Tribe was terminated in 1954. Congress restored the Tribe in 1989.

'Within the law, Congress designated five counties in which Coquille could purchase land and have that become Coquille reservation land through a process called fee-to-trust.

'Congress also designated Jackson county as a place the Tribe could pursue self-sufficiency through economic development. Cow Creek is well aware of these facts.'

Farm claimed that a fear of competition has been the true reason behind the stir surrounding the casino.

She explained: 'At the heart of opposition to this project is competition. Tribes have been set up to compete for resources in Oregon and Cow Creek is simply trying to protect market share as long as they are able.

'We understand that as ten years ago, the Coos Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians opened a second class II casino only four miles away from us.

'We welcomed them to the market knowing we would need to compete and provide better service to our customers.'

But Native Americans beyond the Cow Creek Tribe and local politicians are concerned about the precedent this decision may set for future off-reservation plans.

The Coquille Tribe already owns The Mill Casino in North Bend on the Coos Bay

Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Congresswoman, was slammed by the Cow Creek Tribe for not taking their concerns seriously

Oregon Senator Wyden told NBC 5: 'This appears to set Oregon up on a path where decision-makers 3,000 miles away spawn a gambling arms race, changing our state forever and thoughtlessly tossing out the longstanding agreement come to in Oregon by Oregonians that all Tribes should share equal opportunity at success rather than an endless effort of one-up-manship.'

Senator Jeff Merkley agreed: 'I am disappointed by the Biden administration's decision to move the Coquille Indian Tribe's Medford casino application forward in the approval process.'

The Cow Creek Tribe said they feel voiceless and defeated, as they feel the federal government, specifically the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI), has not been hearing their cries for help.

Keene told DailyMail.com: 'The most part frustrating is how Interior Secretary Deb Haaland consistently dismissed our concerns, failing to treat us with the respect owed to sovereign nations.

'Instead, we were treated as an inconvenience, unworthy of meaningful engagement.'

The DOI declined DailyMail.com's request for comment about the casino and the claims made against Haaland.

The Record of Decision, which is the ultimate resolution about the future of the Medford casino, will be published in the Federal Register when the BIA draws their final conclusion.

On December 16, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued a public letter to the DOI, requesting an extension of the commenting period for another 30 days.

Senator Ron Wyden said this decision could set off a 'gambling arms race' that would send shockwaves through the state

The letter states: 'This decision carries significant implications for Oregons communities, economic landscape, and broader state interests. It is critical to ensure that all stakeholdersTribal Nations, local governments, and residents alikehave sufficient time to thoughtfully consider the FEIS and provide meaningful feedback.'

California Governor Gavin Newsom's office wrote to the Cow Creek Tribe: 'I write to express grave concern that the US Department of the Interior continues to move forward with at least two off-reservation gaming projects.'

The letter cited the Medford Casino, as well as two other projects that have raised concerns - the Shiloh Resort and Casino Project, and the Scotts Valley Casino and Tribal Housing Project.

Indian Country Today, an organization that serves Indigenous Communities, shared a statement on Facebook on December 18, wiritng: 'The Biden administration and the Department of the Interior are rushing to approve a Medford casino project without proper consultation with affected Tribes.

'This is a blatant disregard for Tribal sovereignty and environmental justice. We demand transparency and respect of Tribal nations.'

Oregon's city of Phoenix also expressed deep worry for the casino plans, with City Manager Eric Swanson writing a letter to the BIA on December 17.

He echoed the sentiment that this consideration period is being rushed and claimed the environmental analysis in the FEIS 'does not accurately reflect the reality of the impacts on Medford.'
An enormous emerald held by police in California is the subject of a fierce legal battle - but those bidding for its ownership may want to be careful what they wish for.

The 836-pound gem, which was originally plucked from a remote mine in northeastern Brazil, has been linked with a curious succession of unfortunate events leading some to describe it as 'cursed'.

The Bahia Emerald is a huge black rock with nine green crystals the size of which have been compared with coke bottles. It weighs the same as a fully-grown bison and is thought to be worth almost $1 billion due to its size and rarity.

Smuggled to the United States in 2005, it is said to have been linked with a house burning down, three people filing for bankruptcy and a number of alleged hostage situations.

Many of those involved with the emerald said that despite the strange events they could not bring themselves to let it go, Wired reported.

The Brazilian government had been legally fighting for custody of the Bahia Emerald since 2014 when a judge ruled in favor of its return to Brazil.

To the Brazilians, 'this wasn't just a legal case,' John Nadolenco, Brazil's Los Angeles-based lawyer, told The State.

The enormous stone, which was smuggled to the United States in 2005, is said to have wreaked havoc and brought about bad luck for those who claim to own it

The gem is worth nearly $1 billion due to its size and rarity and weighs the same as a fully-grown bison

'This was part of their heritage that had been stolen from Brazil,' he added. 'They felt wronged and they wanted it back.'

If no appeal is filed in the case, the stone, which very few eyes have actually physically seen, is set to return back to Brazilian officials who plan to display it in a museum.

'I'd love to see it in person, but there's a small part of me that may throw salt over my left shoulder or keep my fingers crossed behind my back, just in case,' Nadolenco added.

The story of how the controversial gem prompted a long litigation between the two countries after it ended up in the hands of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department may be even more enthralling than the emerald itself.

Elson Alves Ribeiro and Rui Saraiva Filho are known to be the two men originally responsible for taking possession of the rock after it was pulled from a beryl mine back in 2001.

During that same year, Kenneth Conetto and Anthony Thomas, two friends from Northern California, flew to Brazil as a last-ditch effort to save a failing tech start-up.

Thomas, a building contractor, dropped more than $200,000 into Digital Reflections Inc, a digital imaging company, which was already in dire financial condition.

A get-rich-quick plan was formed between the two after the company learned of an investment opportunity that promised sky-high returns on a $100 million investment.

The two friends, along with a company executive, were set to secure $25 million worth of a small cut and polished emeralds from Riberio and Filho.

They planned to use the stones as collateral for an $100-million loan they needed to participate in the investment program, which would ultimately save the failing company.

But the pair, who were able to see the emerald in storage during their visit, left Brazil without it due to the company's failure to assemble a loan in time.

Thomas wired $60,000 to Ribeiro a month later, an amount used to cover the cost of polishing and cutting the collection of emeralds gathered for the loan, securing its delivery to the US.

But the Bahia Emerald mysteriously vanished while in transit to California, initially suspected to have been snatched up by a corrupt Brazilian government.

And as for Thomas's bill of sale - he told the court it had unfortunately burned in a fire that completely destroyed his Morgan Hill home in 2006.

Two Brazilians successfully took the emerald out of the country in 2005 by claiming it was asphalt stone and natural bitumen - firing the starting gun on its years-long travel across the United States, El Pais International reported.

It was submerged in water for weeks during Hurricane Katrina while being held in a storage facility in New Orleans, but survived the disaster.

The gem has since been under police custody in California after now-retired detective, Scott Miller (left) and Mark Gayman (right) of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department seized it

It was then set to be sold, which led to Larry Biegler, a plumber, and Jerry Ferrara, a gem dealer, becoming added to its legal fray.

Ferrara originally heard about the Bahia emerald in a low moment of his life. He had been sleeping in his car and was scamming free continental breakfasts at hotels for his two daughters who slept on their aunt's floor, Wired reported.

He had been supporting his family through his business for seven years before losing everything, but a call from Biegler ended up changing everything - for better or for worse.

The gem dealer was one of the many men who claimed that the emerald ruined their lives.

'I lost my identity,' Ferrara told Wired during an interview in 2017. 'I looked in the mirror and I didn't recognize the guy staring back at me anymore.'

'The Brazilians are making my life difficult,' he added. 'But do I regret it? I don't regret it.'

The gem was then shipped to San Jose in the summer of 2007 where Biegler failed to secure a buyer and instead gave the task to Ferarra.

'It was just incredible,' Ferarra added during the 2017 interview.

A house burned down, three people filed for bankruptcy and one man alleged to have been kidnapped and held hostage while in possession of the emerald

'Biegler showed up with a manila envelope and signed ownership of the world's largest emerald over to me. He said he was looking for somebody like me.'

Ferarra, who was still desperate for funds, eventually took over the very next year and attempted to find a buyer.

But he became tangled up in another Biegler operation and ended up using the stone as collateral in an expensive diamond deal with Kit Morrison, an Idaho businessman, who paid $1.3 million for its possession.

Biegler ended up vanishing in June of 2008, sending word to Ferarra that he had been kidnapped by Brazilian warlords for ransom money. But his dose of alleged bad luck was proven to be staged.

The emerald was then moved to Nevada, prompting Biegler to report the rock as stolen to the Temple City Police while also informing them that he had been abducted and released by the Brazilian mafia.

The tip-off led police to meet with Morrison at a high-security storage center in Las Vegas where they seized the emerald during an operation utilizing special forces and helicopters in 2008.

'It wasn't as pretty as the pictures,' Scott Miller, a now-retired detective in Los Angeles that is one of the few who have seen the emerald in person, told The State.

'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.'

'He [Morrison] let us in and we opened up the crate and there was the emerald,' he added.

'It took five of us to lift the crate into the van. We did some quick photographs for evidence and then drove in a caravan, fully armed all the way back to LA.'

The Bahia Emerald has since been under lock and key in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, but its initial confiscation led to endless legal battles between those involved.

In November of this year a court ruled that American 'intervenors' have no right to own the stone - ultimately declaring Brazil as its true owner

Its back-and-forth battles for ownership heated up after Nadolenco received a letter from Brazil in 2014, asking for his help in their mission to retrieve the stolen emerald.

But he threw the letter in the trash.

'I immediately thought it was just completely fake, a total hoax,' he told The State. 'I was like, "I'm not falling for this one. I'm smarter than this."'

He skeptically ended up reaching out to a colleague in the Brazil-based office after his boss asked him to look into the request.

Nadolenco was left shocked. Not only the discovery of the gem's existence, but that the Brazilian government was genuinely interested in using legal practices to get it back.

The legal battle over the stone escalated that same year as about ten individuals, corporations and the Brazilian government fought over ownership.

Nadolenco recalled being extremely stressed when it initially appeared as though the sheriff's department was going to rule on its owner before Brazil even finished presenting their case.

In 2015, Michael Johnson, the Los Angeles Superior Court judge, ruled that it did have an owner - FM Holding Inc - a company co-owned by Morrison, his business partner and Ferrara.

But just days before the emerald was set to be released, a federal court judge ordered that it remain in the department's custody until the federal case with Brazil concluded.

Government attorneys in Brazil were simultaneously accusing Filho and Ribeiro - the two men who first possessed the gem - of illegally mining it and smuggling it out of the country.

After a lengthy legal process, the pair was found guilty in 2017 but were never actually put behind bars due to the statue of limitations surrounding their crime.

Yet the conviction allowed Brazil to introduce a mutual legal assistance treaty with the US where they asked the US District Court for the District of Columbia to order the emerald's confiscation as a penalty for wrongdoing.

In November of this year, Reggie B Walton, the US District Judge, approved the motion, noting that American 'intervenors' have no right to own the stone. They ultimately declaring Brazil as its true owner.

The decision can be appealed, but a repatriation ceremony for the gem's return to Brazil will be scheduled if no appeal is filed.

Despite the emerald's repeated pattern of imposing bad luck on smugglers, schemers and dreamers during its years-long travels around Brazil and America, some have been lucky enough to escape its wrath unscathed.

Retired detective Miller, one of the few people to have had temporary possession of the stone, does not fear its alleged power. He has suffered no dark twists of fate after his own involvement.

'I believe that greed,' he told The State, 'is the only curse that stone ever had.'
Democrats are beginning to regroup after their brutal losses in the 2024 election, and the first step on their long road forward will be electing new party leadership.

The election for the next chair of the Democratic National Committee is set for February 1.

Already a series of contenders have announced they are running to lead the Democratic party in the new age of Donald Trump.

It comes after Republicans not only won the White House including the GOP president-elect picking up the popular vote for the first time, but Republicans were able to flip the Senate and will hold a slim majority in the House come January.

Democrats will be on defense as they face a GOP trifecta with only limited options to block Republicans from enacting their agenda in the new year.

At the same time, Democrats have the momentous task of figuring out why voters across the country shifted away from the party as Trump made small gains not just in battleground states and red areas but nationwide.

They also have to determine their best messaging approach moving forward if they have any hope of recapturing a majority in Congress in the 2026 midterms.

Earlier this month, the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) voted to recommend the rules that will guide the election process for the next DNC Chair and other officers.

Democrats have the momentous task of figuring out why voters across the country shifted away from the party

Marianne Williamson speaking to supporters in February 2024. The former Democratic presidential candidate announced her bid for DNC chair the day after Christmas

To be elected, the candidate must be receive a majority of the votes cast by the DNC members. If that does not happen on a first ballot, it will head to a second ballot and so on until the person is elected.

Here are the candidates running for DNC chair in the upcoming leadership election:

Marianne Williamson

Speaker, author and activist Marianne Williamson announced she is running to lead the Democratic party after long-shot presidential bids in 2020 and 2024.

Williamson argues politics is not about what people think but what they feel and that it does not matter how many times people are contacted if they're not feeling it.

She believes the party has been working with an outdated '20th century toolkit' which cannot create a political phenomenon necessary to take on MAGA.

'We've got to create a solution on the level of the problem. The greatest political car mechanic in the world is not the answer, because the problem is that we're on the wrong road. And people can feel it,' she wrote in a post.

She believes she is the person to lead the party forward because she has been working in personal transformation for more than 40 years and knows something about 'changing people's hearts and uplifting people's spirits.'

Williamson has argued the Democratic party has strayed from its advocacy for working people, and unless they reverse that, they won't do any better than in 2024.

She has also been critical of the Democratic party's handling of the 2024 election because it did not hold a robust primary. She accused the party of 'ethical corruption' and argued it did not carry out the will of the people by backing Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris after he dropped out.

Williamson vowed her first move if elected DNC chair would be to go on a listening tour.

Martin O'Malley

Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley announced his bid for DNC chair in November and has called for Democrats to focus messaging on what people talk about at the kitchen table

Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley was the first candidate to announce his intentions to run for DNC chair last month.

The former governor has argued Democrats' messaging always needs to go back to the 'kitchen table' and that the party needs to 'return to our true selves' to win. He's also claimed the party is about 'hope for tomorrow' while Republicans are about fear.

He previously served as governor from 2007 to 2015, mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007 and most recently served as commissioner of the Social Security Administration under President Biden.

O'Malley, 61, gained national attention when he ran as a third long shot candidate against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

The former governor has said the party needs to learn from candidates who won in states where Harris lost at the top of the ticket.

He has the backing of prominent Democrats from his home state of Maryland including several lawmakers and signaled he's not running to be a 'peacetime DNC Chair.'

Ken Martin

Ken Martin is the chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party and a candidate for DNC chair. He has said Democrats have a branding and messaging problem that needs to be fixed

Ken Martin is the current chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, a post he has held since 2011.

He announced his bid for DNC chair last month with a video in which he introduced himself as someone raised as a single mom who got involved in politics in high school and has been in the fight ever since.

Martin, 51, has argued the party needs a leader 'who can connect with working-class voters and restore faith in the party.'

He touts turning around the Minnesota Democratic party which was in debt when he became chair. He also pointed out Democrats in his state have 22 statewide elections in a row.

Martin argued he's 'not a creature of DC' but knows how the DNC works.

He has said Democratic party ideas such as increasing the minimum wage, paid family leave and abortion protections are popular but need to be reconnected to the party.

Martin has said Democrats have a branding and a messaging issue that needs to be fixed.

His campaign slogan in the race is 'Build to win. Build to expand. Build to last.'

James Skoufis

New York State Senator James Skoufis launched a bid for DNC chair as an outsider and underdog looking to bring generational change to the party

James Skoufis is the New York state senator who represents part of the state about 50 miles north of New York City in Hudson Valley.

The little-known 37-year-old state lawmaker launched his bid late last month as an outsider and underdog representing generational change.

He has argued Democrats need to 'show up and compete everywhere' including in rural red areas and pointed out he has won in Trump country three times.

Skoufis has also called for his party to recommit to a populous message and move away from 'hair on fire texts and emails.'

He has pushed to move the party funds away from consultants and expensive TV ads and dedicate resources to sate and local parties where people can do the work in communities face-to-face.

Ben Wikler

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler at a campaign event November 1

Ben Wikler is the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party where he is credited with a series of Democrats winning in the state even as Trump won the top of the ticket.

The party in his state has been focused on a year-round effort to help Democrats across Wisconsin.

Wikler has served as Wisconsin Democratic party chair since 2019.

While he has been at the helm, Democrats flipped the state Supreme Court, helped reelect Governor Tony Evers, and he believes the state is on track for Democrats to recapture a majority in the state legislature in 2026.

He also previously served as Washington, DC director of the progressive policy advocacy group MoveOn.

Wikler has argued of all the swing states that went to Trump in 2024, Wisconsin has the smallest shift toward the Republican president-elect.

He has called for Democrats to have a 'nationwide permanent campaign' and has focused his messaging on working people.

Wikler launched his DNC chair bid in December 1 arguing what Democrats have done in his state can be done nationwide and needs to demonstrate to people that the party is on their side.

His slogan in the DNC chair race is 'Unite. Fight. Win.'
It started as a game. Perhaps bored on a calm summer day on Sakhalin Island, off the coast of Russia, a construction worker stopped to film his dog playfully standing off with a bear cub.

Laughing from the confines of a worker's shed, colleagues joked over the interaction as the curious bear cub edged closer to them, scaring off their dog.

But the mood suddenly took a turn as a mother bear slowly appeared from behind a ledge with another cub in tow.

The man was powerless to act as he held the camera on the emerging trio, stalking carefully up to the shed. And then, in a split second, they pounced. The camera abruptly cut out.

In harrowing footage, the man appeared to capture the moment a bear killed three construction workers and left two in critical condition in 2014.

The horrifying footage went viral, racking up millions of views around the world as a spate of similar attacks sparked fear around the country.

Men watch on as a dog interacts with a bear cub on the Russian island of Sakhalin

The bear is soon after joined by a second cub, emerging from behind the hill

In a split second the mother bear charges the shed and the camera cuts out

Footage from the attack began as colleagues took a moment of respite in a wooden shed in a thick forest on the Russian island.

The men seem fascinated by their dog playing with a bear cub, promptly chased back inside the hut.

The cub stops short of entering the building and backs off as the dog counters, tail wagging from side to side.

The exchange goes back and forth, the cub nervously backing off as the dog finds the courage to chase it away from the frame of the structure.

And then, in turn, the cub chases the dog back into the apparent safety of the wooden hut, narrowly missing it as it takes a swipe.

A man dressed in high-visibility clothing stands to get a better look as the bear falls back and waits for support.

From behind a slope, a second head anxiously appears, pressing carefully towards the building.

Two cubs now look on at the men, separated only by the dog standing guard, ears pricked up to attention.

The bear initially seems to play with the dog outside the wooden structure

They go back and forth, chasing each other as the men filming watch on

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Lumbering up the hill, a much larger bear emerges, eyeing the men up before sniffing around, and sticking close to her cubs.

With her head pointed down and eyes trained on the little building, she makes a slow step forward before bursting into a charge.

The camera shakes suddenly and a flash of red is seen as the workers desperately try to escape.

According to contemporary reports, they were not so lucky.

Three workers reportedly died in the attack on Sahkalin Island, believed to have taken place in June 2014.

Two more were left in critical condition.

What happened to the dog was unclear, and the footage from the other man filming was could not be found.

Some disputed the authenticity of the video, according to the Mirror. The Guardian reported that the attack had been 'partially filmed', citing the clip.

The attack came amid a spate of bear attacks on the island and wider Russia.

Three bears were reported to have been killed following what Russian media identified as a 'surge of bear-related violence in eastern Russia'.

Two were shot on the island of Sakhalin in late June. One was reportedly begging for food on a local road, becoming aggressive when travellers tried to pet it.

The brazen animal, undeterred by attempts to scare it off, 'continued to return with enviable persistence' and had to be shot, regional Agriculture Ministry official Andrei Zdorikov told Interfax.

A second was shot for 'behaving inadequately' when it attacked and killed livestock and geese, and attacked a dog on the island.

The anxious cub stops short of going into the building where the workers are

The mother bear slowly appears from behind the ledge, sniffing around her cubs

She appears to train her focus on the men inside the wooden structure

Workers in Russia's remote forests, often miles from civilisation, remain particularly exposed to bear attacks.

Last year, video taken at a gas-drilling facility in Siberia captured the moment a brown bear entered the compound and savaged two gas workers.

Footage showed three dogs keeping a careful distance from the bear as it patrolled the camp.

A voice called out to the dogs to get away.

But it was too late. The bear made its way into the grounds of the facility and chased one of the dogs around a vehicle in the heavy snow.

As one man leaves a trailer, the bear emerges from behind some bags of chemicals and attacks.

One man was forced onto the snow by the animals as others tried to deter it with a fire extinguisher.

As the bear vanishes with the workers, one onlooker calls out: 'Where is he?'

Another responds: 'He's ****** - [the bear] ate him there.'

There was panic as workers used fire extinguishers, flares and a gas spray to seek to scare the bear away

It was seen walking around after lunging at a dog near the facility in Russia's Yakutia region

The two men were in the smoking room of their plant when they saw a pack of dogs chasing something, say reports.

One of the pair - a mechanic - opened the door to chase away the bear but it immediately attacked him.

Footage captured the panic as the men tried to spray the animal with fire extinguishers and scare it off with flares and a gas spray.

Eventually the bear loosened its grip on the mechanic but immediately grabbed and savaged the plant's foreman.

Workers called in a local hunter who came and shot the bear some 20 minutes after the attacks.

The two men were given first aid at the site and rushed by helicopter to hospital.

Bears are typically reserved and prefer to keep to themselves, avoiding contact with humans unless provoked, hungry or sick.

But like many animals, they do have a 'critical space' that they will defend if push comes to shove.

This is complicated by humans expanding into animals' natural habitat, and threatens employees working on logging or energy extraction sites build in the remote wilderness.

A foreman and a mechanic miraculously survived a vicious bear attack at a gas-drilling facility in Russia's Yakutia region

Illustrative image shows Boki, a brown bear living at the Wildwood Trust in Kent, Oct 7 2024

In the Sakha Republic, in eastern Russia, in 2014 a bear broke down the door of a residential trailer and bit a woman inside, before it was scared away by her screaming.

Just days before, another bear on Iturup island ambushed a child as he was walking home from his grandmother's house.

The boy was dragged to the shore and later required 170 stitches from horrifying injuries, saved only by the police arriving and shooting it.

Adult brown bears in Siberia and Russia's far-east can weigh as much as 1,300lbs (590kg), and will become especially aggressive if needed to protect their cubs.
Shoppers have claimed that Britain's deserted ghost shopping centres would be improved 'by a zombie apocalypse'.

In the Kent commuter town of Dartford, locals say the town has slipped into a decline since the introduction of the sprawling Bluewater Shopping Centre in 1999.

Now they say it is in need of life support economically, socially and from a construction point of view.

Complaints have ranged from its crime issues to tearaway youths as well as a deeper issue from its lack of aspiration.

Locals have argued that Temple Hill Square and the High Street, both once bursting with energy, shoppers and retail giants, are now filled with corner shops, a chippy and a cafe.

Miserable looking flats and maisonettes also dominate the square, while the town centre has multiple shops sitting empty.

One local, a fan of the area, describes the square as 'brutalist architecture', while another says it is a 'hellhole'.

Much anger is directed at what the 240-acre Bluewater - the fifth biggest shopping centre in the country - has done to the area and how local politicians and planners have responded.

A look at graffiti on the walls of Temple hill town centre in Dartford, Essex

Shoppers have claimed that Britain's deserted ghost shopping centres would be improved 'by a zombie apocalypse'

In the Kent commuter town of Dartford, pictured, locals say the town has slipped into a decline

Michael Preston, 56, said standards in the area had slipped in recent years.

The decorator said: 'It is just hell. I'm sure there's rougher areas but it is so depressing. It is appalling.

'A zombie apocalypse would do the area a favour. It would cheer the place up. It really is that bad. It's just grey and miserable. I want to move.

'There's always stabbings or crime and anti-social behaviour. I have lived here my entire life and it used to be lovely. Now it's grim.

'It's so sad. It was heaving in the 1990s and 2000s. Now it's empty. You can hear a pin drop across the square and in the town.'

'Dartford has been home for so long but I just can't take it anymore. I used to be proud but it has been neglected.'

Dave Willis, 54, said: 'It's not what it used to be. It used to be thriving. People would come from all over Kent to come and shop. Now even locals do not bother.

'It's empty. It's just corner shops and nothing really works around here in terms of the shops.

'The Argos went and that was a massive loss. Nothing has been able to keep up with Bluewater. It's really bad.'

Retired builder Eddie Hemsley, 66, has lived in Dartford most of his life and said Bluewater had 'ruined' the town.

He said: 'Nobody cares about us. The council has just abandoned us. Bluewater came in and sucked the life out of this town.

Miserable looking flats and maisonettes also dominate the square

The town centre also has multiple shops sitting empty as many are boarded up

Dave Willis, 54, said: 'It's not what it used to be. It used to be thriving'

Retired builder Eddie Hemsley, 66, has lived in Dartford most of his life and said Bluewater had 'ruined' the town

Cliff Rickman, 62, said: 'It's dead. There's no life. I did not think it would be like this'

Chip shop owner Rajinder Kaur, 56, described the square and town centre as 'deserted'

Locals say the town is in need of life support economically, socially and from a construction point of view

'People have just left. Nobody is actually bothered by us. The shops try their best but they don't offer much.

'There's no reason for people to come and visit so you don't get the footfall. It has been heartbreaking seeing the decline. I used to love it here, now I don't.'

Cliff Rickman, 62, has only moved into the town in the last few months from nearby Erith.

He said: 'It's dead. There's no life. I did not think it would be like this.'

Chip shop owner Rajinder Kaur, 56, described the square and town centre as 'deserted'.

She said: 'It's like the land where time is forgotten. The shops here are often empty, we've been abandoned. It's terrible. Things used to be so much better.'

Shirley Davies, 82, said Dartford had become a 'hellhole'.

The retired cleaner said: 'It was thriving in the 1960s and 70s. Now it's a hellhole.'

In Waterlooville, Hampshire, rows of boarded-up shops also now line the high street as 'empty' car parks and an 'awful' shopping centre remain.

The town, which has a population of around 64,000, has lost both its 'lovely little shops' and bigger stores like Waitrose and Peacocks over the years.

Locals have been left without much choice for clothes shopping, and 'unattractive' streets to browse in.

Lee Hathaway, 59, wasn't having much luck searching for a Chanel perfume for his wife in the town centre when he spoke of the 'basic' selection of shops.

'Visually it's probably the worst shopping centre I have ever seen,' he added.

Mr Hathaway moved to Waterlooville with his family seven months ago from Epsom in Surrey, and he said the town's shopping area is 'quite run down, to be honest'.

He continued: 'Nobody drives here. The car park's normally quite empty when I've come, it's normally during the week.'

Complaints about the town have ranged from its crime issues to tearaway youths

Much anger is directed at what the 240-acre Bluewater - the fifth biggest shopping centre in the country - has done to the area

Another look at the Temple Hill town centre in Dartford, Essex

Pictured: Waterlooville High Street in Hampshire where business once thrived

It is now home to one of the worst-looking shopping centres that its locals have ever seen

Christmas shoppers in Waterlooville where rows of boarded-up shops line the high street

Shoppers in the area have lamented the 'empty' car parks and 'awful' shopping centre

He thinks the centre is filled with local people who are visiting Waterlooville's shops for one particular item they're looking for.

The retired IT worker said: 'I would say it's local people. They come to the one shop, get it and go. You wouldn't really browse, I don't think, these shops.'

Jessica Hathaway, 30, is one of Mr Hathaway's three daughters, and she thinks that Waterlooville's shopping centre 'needs a bit of love'.

'I remember getting here and thinking 'Oh my God, where are we moving to',' she said.

On what in particular puts her off, she said: 'I think it's how it looks.'

The teacher agreed with her father that it's not a place for browsing, and added 'I think it's got the essentials if you had to come here'.

William Owen, 90, has lived in Waterlooville for 54 years, and he thinks that it's 'gone downhill' in that time.

'It's awful, isn't it,' he said. 'I've lived here for 54 years. It's gone downhill, really down hill. I go to Havant or Petersfield for my shopping.'

The grandfather now spends over an hour on the bus once a week to go to his nearest butcher's - he was able to point out the spot where one used to be on Waterlooville's high street.

Of the time it takes him to get to a butcher's now, he said: 'On the bus, if all goes well you can probably do it in an hour and 10, an hour and 15.'

The retired engineer fondly remembers the 'flower shop' and 'fruiters'' which also used to feature on the high street.

Locals have been left without much choice for clothes shopping

The town, which has a population of around 64,000, has lost both its 'lovely little shops' and bigger stores like Waitrose and Peacocks over the years

Lee Hathaway, 59, said: 'Visually it's probably the worst shopping centre I have ever seen'

Patricia Smith, 80, has lived in Waterlooville since 1965, and she remembers the 'lovely little shops' which used to line this street

William Owen, 90, has lived in Waterlooville for 54 years, and he thinks that it's 'gone downhill' in that time

Locals have claimed that the streets are 'unattractive' while they browse around

Amelia Newton, 71, lives in Southsea, but she visits Waterlooville a few times a year and thinks 'It's just been left to, I won't say die..'.

The retired teacher said: 'I mean it's not the most attractive. It's not what it used to be, I've lived around the area for ages, I used to have friends who lived this way.

On the shops which used to line the streets, she said: 'They were just more interesting, we had little shops, we had butcher's, we had this sort of thing.

'Now we've got the big supermarkets and we've got the big place with Sainsbury's and TK Maxx.'

Wellington Retail Park, which has these shops as well as an M&S, is a short walk from the town's main shopping street.

Waterlooville, located near the South Downs National Park, is said to have its name originated from soldiers returning from nearby Portsmouth after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Many of the soldiers are believed to have settled there.

Patricia Smith, 80, has lived in Waterlooville since 1965, and she remembers the 'lovely little shops' which used to line this street.

'The shops were lovely little shops, all independent shops,' she said.

The retired secretary also lamented the main shopping street's pavement, which she thinks will trip elderly people up. You get the elderly, and they trip so easily,' she said.
Haunting video from Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 showed the pained final moments of those on board before the deadly crash near Aktau in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day.

At least 38 people of the 72 on board were killed when the Embraer 190 jet erupted in a fireball following a chaotic fall from the sky.

The pilot reported losing control after hitting a flock of birds, but analysts have speculated the plane may have accidentally been shot down.

Some dazed and bloodied passengers miraculously emerged from the severed rear of the plane after the crash - and walked off with minor injuries.

Many sat in shock before medical teams rushed them to hospital.

The recovery of their devices shows their forlorn panic as oxygen masks fell and passengers prayed or tried to send their final messages to loved ones, expecting not to step off the plane.

Personal devices give unprecedented insight into the horrific reality of being on a falling plane in ways until now only imitated by Hollywood.

Raw and unfiltered, these are the real reactions of passengers filming their experiences moments before a plane crash.

Footage taken moments before the plane crashed filmed by a passenger who sent it to his wife

Terrified passengers can be seen on the plane as oxygen masks dropped down

Azerbaijan Airlines crash, Christmas Day 2024

As oxygen masks fell from the ceiling, one passenger's thoughts were with his wife.

In unsettling footage, Subkhon Rakhimov started filming as soon as he realised the plane was losing altitude, telling her that the plane tried to land several times, after which the people on board heard a loud bang.

His footage shows oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling and passengers can be heard crying and praying, with damage visible inside the cabin minutes before the plane crashed and broke apart.

Rakhimov miraculously survived the crash and filmed another video as he walked around the plane wreckage, praising the flight attendant for helping the passengers survive.

The plane was seen bursting into flames and broke into several parts as it hit the ground, with thick black smoke rising up from the wrecked aircraft after.

It is understood that at least 29 people reported to have survived the crash were found in the rear section of the aircraft, with the front being badly destroyed by fire.

Latest figures indicate 22 of the 29 survivors are being treated in hospital, seven of whom are in serious condition. At least ten people dying after reportedly being thrown out of the cabin.

Horror footage shows smoke filling with cabin before Japanese plane crash, January 2024

Smoke filled the cabin of a plane carrying 379 passengers at an airport near Tokyo, after it crashed into a coastguard plane while coming into land.

Footage taken from inside the plane shows passengers panicking as smoke fills the cabin.

Several can be seen with masks and rags over their mouth in an effort to limit the amount of smoke they inhale, while others can be heard crying out in fear.

The Japan Airlines jet was engulfed in a raging inferno as it sat on the runway at Haneda Airport, in Ota City, Tokyo, on January 2, with gouts of flame seen pouring out of the passenger windows.

Anton Deibe, 17, who was a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that 'the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes.

'We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

'The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos,' added Deibe, who was traveling with his parents and sister.

A Japan Airlines spokesperson told local media at the time that all 379 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft - a two-year-old Airbus A-350 - were successfully evacuated from the plane.

Several can be seen with masks and rags over their mouth in an effort to limit the amount of smoke they inhale, while others can be heard crying out in fear

Smoke quickly filled the cabin on the flight, which crashed into a coastguard plane at Haneda Airport

Air NZ TE-901 Mount Erebus crash, November 1979

On November 28, 1979, Air New Zealand flight 901 crashed into the side of the Antarctic mountain, killing all 257 on board.

The crash was the worst peacetime disaster New Zealand's history and caused a ripple around the country as victims and authorities looked for someone to blame.

The accident came just two years after Air New Zealand began operating scenic flights over Antarctica.

Pilot, Capt Jim Collins, brought the plane down to 2,000ft in thick clouds so passengers on the DC 10 could get a better view of the Arctic.

The flight was the height of luxury with the entire cabin first class with a menu to match that included a Champagne breakfast.

Pictures developed from cameras at the crash site show passengers during their final moments before the plane crashed.

The weather was poor with thick cloud coverage meaning it was hard to tell what they were looking at as they as they orbited across the ice and snow.

Capt Collins must have assumed he was on the same flight path which he had used before for the 11-hour non-stop round trip from Auckland, New Zealand.

He unknowingly circled volcano Mount Erebus twice on descent, narrowly missing hitting the mountain as he attempted to avoid gathering clouds.

Capt Collins could be heard on the black box recording doubting what he was seeing from the cockpit as the plane dropped to 2,000 feet and then 1,500 feet as impact neared.

'Actually, those conditions don't look very good at all - do they?' he told his crew, before realising that they were on the wrong course. 'We're 26 miles north, we'll have to climb out of this,' he told them.

But as he attempted to turn the plane away from Erebus the DC10 crashed.

Passengers were pictured enjoying beverages and looking out of the windows

Pictures developed from cameras at the crash site show passengers during their final moments before the plane crashed

The flight was the height of luxury with the entire cabin first class with a menu to match that included a Champagne breakfast

The final image of what is believed to be the plane at the moment of impact - the fluid on the window is speculated to have been fuel

Singapore Airlines flight turbulence leaves one dead, May 2024

Earlier this year, a 73-year-old British man was killed during intense turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London.

After around 11 hours of flying time, the aircraft hit an air pocket and sharply dropped 6,000 feet in five minutes, unleashing mayhem and forcing it to make an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport.

Video from inside the cabin showed chaos in the aftermath, with belongings strewn across the aisle.

Ceiling fittings had been ripped apart and the pipework was exposed. Machinery was hanging from the galley where trolleys are stored.

In one harrowing image, an air stewardess was seen with a bloodied face, strapped into her chair with items from the trolley scattered on the floor.

Suvarnabhumi airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn told a press conference that the deceased was a 73-year-old British man who was travelling with his wife. He likely suffered a heart attack, the official said.

Twenty three people were also injured during the incident.

After around 11 hours of flying time from take off in London , the aircraft sharply dropped 6,000 feet in just five minutes, causing chaos in the cabin. In pictures of the aftermath, one air stewardess was seen with blood over her face (pictured)

A passenger onboard a Singapore Airlines jet travelling from the UK has described the extreme turbulence that killed a fellow flyer, reportedly a 73-year-old British man, in a tragic incident. Pictured: Passengers are seen in the cabin after the incident, with belongings strewn across the floor and oxygen masks dangling from above

Terrified passengers don oxygen masks as Korean Air flight drops 27,000ft in five minutes, June 2024

Terrified passengers aboard a Boeing 737 Max 8 were forced to use oxygen masks after a Korea Air flight dropped nearly 30,000ft in just 15 minutes, following a cabin pressure failure in June.

Footage of the incident shared online showed passengers in distress, with children crying loudly during the descent.

Passengers suffered from eardrum pain, and also needed treatment for hyperventilation.

Data from FlightRadar shows the plane dropped 26,900ft in just 15 minutes, resulting in 17 passengers needing medical attention.

All 17 were later discharged without severe injuries.

The Boeing 737 Max 8, which left Incheon International Airport at 4:45 p.m. local time on Saturday and was heading to Taichung International Airport, developed a pressurisation fault

Footage of the incident shared online showed passengers in distress, with children crying loudly during the descent

Moment single-engine plane crashes into trees, June 2012

Passengers aboard a beautiful single-engine Stinson 108-3 were filming their gentle venture out above Idaho when the plane suddenly lost altitude and crashed into the trees below, leaving the pilot with serious injuries.

Nathan Williams was filming when the small plane took off from a dirt runway at Bruce Meadows Airport in Stanley headed toward the mountain resort town of McCall.

It wasn't anything we were trying to film, said Williams at the time.

It was a beautiful day and we were just really having fun recording what we were doing.

Williams suffered a concussion in the plane crash and said the pilot, Leslie Gropp, 70, a retired 31-year veteran of the Idaho Army National Guard, suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone, according to Yahoo! News.

The two other passengers, Alec Arhets and Gropp's son, Tol, escaped with cuts and bruises, Williams said.

Two people had to go to hospital after the accident.

Footage shared widely online showed the reaction from inside the plane as the plane took off and soared above a forest before losing control.

The camera shakes as the plane slams into the foliage, human limbs seen grappling for control in brief but unsettling footage.

It was a beautiful day and we were just really having fun recording what we were doing,' Williams said

Williams suffered a concussion in the plane crash and said the pilot, Leslie Gropp, 70, a retired 31-year veteran of the Idaho Army National Guard, suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone

Footage captured the dramatic moment the plane crashed into trees on June 30, 2012
England's hotspots for complaints about smoke pollution from wood burners were revealed today after 5,608 objections were made to councils in just one year.

Local authorities handled about 100 complaints a week from illegal burning of wood in smoke-control areas between September 2023 and August 2024.

But just four fines of around 300 each were issued, according to data compiled by parents' campaign group Mums for Lungs from Freedom of Information requests.

In Birmingham, there were 783 complaints made to the councils about domestic fires in a year - 25 of which were linked to house chimneys, but officials did not issue a single enforcement letter or carry out an inspection relating to these.

Manchester City Council had 213 complaints, but issued just seven warning letters, while Cheshire East had 141 and did nothing. Durham received 236 complaints and sent out 32 letters, while Dudley had 234 complaints and issued 13 letters.

By contrast, Bromley Council in South East London issued 275 enforcement letters in response to the same number of complaints and carried out 135 inspections.

North Tyneside Council wrote 270 enforcement letters in the same period, the second highest in the country behind Bromley, in response to just 21 complaints.

Only four councils  Bolsover, Bristol, Horsham and Wakefield  out of the 159 that responded to the requests said they had issued a penalty notice for wood burning.

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St Helen's Council said they issued four abatement notices and Norwich City Council issued a single community protection warning. The figures include complaints submitted about different forms of smoke pollution from domestic wood burning.

What are the rules on wood burners and how much can you be fined for breaking them? While wood burners are not banned outright anywhere in the UK, there are regulations within 'smoke control areas' which mean certain wood burners cannot emit more than 3g of smoke per hour. But if the log burner is on a list of Defra-exempt appliances that produce fewer smoke emissions, the owner can apply for an exemption. People must also use an approved fuel, which varies depending on their location  with a list provided on the Defra website. Owners are also advised to look for the 'Ready to Burn' logo on fuel packaging, which means the fuel has less than 20 per cent moisture and therefore complies with Defra rules. All new log burners must also adhere to 'Ecodesign' rules to reduce smoke and pollutant emissions. Homeowners are also advised that wet wood is less efficient than naturally dried or 'unseasoned' wood, because more energy is wasted in turning the moisture in the wood into vapour. Anyone with wet or unseasoned wood, should dry it out for at least a year before using it  and wait until it has less than 20 per cent moisture. Local authorities in England can issue fines of between 175 and 300 for people breaking the rules  or up to 1,000 for using unauthorised fuel in an appliance not on the Defra-exempt list. This could go up to 5,000 for repeat offenders if it goes to court. Advertisement

It comes after England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty warned in his annual report earlier this month that the trend for wood burners risks undoing years of improvements to air quality.

Trendy open fires have made a comeback in recent years, with around 10 per cent of households now burning wood.

But smoke pollution from burning wood has been linked to a rise in the risk of cancer and respiratory diseases.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has called for wood burning to be phased out to reduce the rate of asthma in children.

While wood burners are not banned outright in the UK, there are regulations within 'smoke control areas' about burning.

Jemima Hartshorn, of Mums for Lungs, said: 'If you open your door on a cold night in any town, city or village, you can smell the wood pollution.

'You wouldn't want a truck pumping air pollution into your front room, but ironically even modern wood stoves cause six times the fine particle pollution of an HGV.

'We need to make sure councils are given the tools and resources to protect children from toxic pollution and not just talk about the risks. The current system is not fit for purpose.'

The Government estimates that around 7.5 per cent of households UK rely on burning wood for heating around 2.1million homes - although campaigners say the number is much higher in some parts of the country.

In Sir Chris's annual report, he wrote: 'Until recently domestic space heating has over many decades previously been improving with the switch away from coal and other highly polluting solid fuels to gas which produces very little air pollution and electric heating which produces none.

'Unfortunately, an enthusiasm for wood burners has reversed this positive trend over the last decade in many cities, particularly in affluent areas.

'In urban areas where there are already laws to enforce smokeless fuels, for good reason because air pollution is extremely dangerous at high concentrations, these should be adhered to.

Smoke pollution from burning wood has been linked to a rise in the risk of cancer (stock image)

'Elsewhere in lower density areas, occasional use of modern design wood burners using dry wood for aesthetic reasons is usually reasonable but continual discharge of particulate matter (PM) from solid fuels such as wood is not good for health, especially of vulnerable people.

'Cities are not a good place to have high levels of pollution since large numbers of people live in close proximity and if each household emits a moderate amount of avoidable pollution the collective impact can be significant.'

Domestic combustion is a major cause of toxic air pollution in the UK, and is the biggest source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

Government data earlier this year showed that wood burning was responsible for 22 per cent of particle pollution in the UK, compared to 18 per cent from traffic.

Dr Alice Willson, RCPCH clinical fellow, said: 'Wood burning releases harmful PM2.5 particles, contributing significantly to both indoor and outdoor pollution.

A graphic in a report earlier this month by England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty who warned the trend for wood burners risks undoing years of improvements to air quality

'Many people are unaware of the severe health risks, especially for children whose developing lungs make them particularly vulnerable to all forms of air pollution.

'In our recent position statement, we called for phasing out domestic wood burning in urban areas to reduce air pollution.

'Taking steps such as this will not only protect child health, but also the health of the planet.'

Earlier this month, researchers from the University of Birmingham found that wood-burning activities contribute 'significantly' to PM2.5 levels in the West Midlands.

Biomass burning now accounts for 25 per cent of the total PM2.5 mass, according to the experts  and peaks in the winter months.

Birmingham City Council said the 783 complaints in the FOI relate to all complaints involving domestic fires, which also includes the likes of barbecues and bonfires.

It added that the lack of enforcement action only relates to suspected breaches of smoke control orders, of which there have been 25 - and not the full 783 complaints.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham's cabinet member for environment and transport, said: 'Birmingham has been designated as a Smoke Control Area to improve air quality and protect people's health. As a result, residents can only burn certain smokeless fuels in an open fireplace.

NEW: Air pollution in England has halved since 2003 after falling substantially during the pandemic, but inequalities in exposure remain.@LucieGadenne, @LeroutierM, @rodrigo_toneto and Bobbie Uptons new report examines how air pollution has changed in England over 20 years: pic.twitter.com/C99o4hEZO4  Institute for Fiscal Studies (@TheIFS) December 6, 2024

'Unauthorised fuels, like wood, can only be burned in exempt appliances such as boilers, cookers and stoves. Outdoor barbecues, fireplaces or pizza ovens can be used in smoke control areas.

'Generally speaking, appliances you can buy will be exempt. However, our teams will investigate any reports of people using non-exempt appliances.

'Between September 2023 and August 2024, we received around 25 complaints relating to house chimneys. However, the complaints contained no indication that a non-exempt appliance was used, so no further investigative action was taken.

'People can learn more about counts as an exempt appliance, as well as what fuels are authorised on the council or government website.'

And a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told MailOnline: 'For our health, wellbeing and the environment, this Government is determined to clean up the air.

'That's why we are developing a comprehensive and ambitious Clean Air Strategy.

'Local authorities are responsible for enforcing smoke control areas and we working with them to increase awareness and understanding of the rules.'

A spokeswoman for the Stove Industry Association, the trade association for the UK sector, told MailOnline: 'The Stove Industry Association and its members are fully supportive of Smoke Control Area (SCA) legislation and its enforcement.

'For those choosing a wood burning stove to heat their home, it is essential to comply with SCA rules if they apply where you live. In these areas you can only legally burn wood if the stove is Defra exempt. It is illegal to burn wood on an open fire or non-exempt stove in a SCA.

'Choosing a modern Defra exempt and Ecodesign compliant stove and using good quality dry wood fuel is a very low emission, low carbon and sustainable way to heat your home.'

The organisation has also previously criticised the HGV comparison made by Mums for Lungs, saying it is based on 'simplistic calculations using permitted rates of emission and do not consider either real world use or non-exhaust emissions'.
Daniel Sancho was probably over the moon after he was sent to Koh Samui prison, where was remanded after being found guilty of murdering and dismembering a plastic surgeon.

Described locally as a 'big kindergarten for adults', the prison on the notorious Thai party island holds just a few hundred people, many of them Westerners, who are treated with relative respect and kindness.

But Sacho, the YouTube chef-turned-murderer, wasn't long for Koh Samui. He was transferred to the hellhole that is Surat Thani just 12 months later.

With 5,400 prisoners to house and feed, more than ten times the population of Koh Samui, Surat Thani holds twice as many prisoners as it's meant to.

The sheer number of people held in the walls creates a litany of unsolvable for the prisoners, almost all of whom are kept there for life for committing violent crimes like Daniel's.

Up to 24 prisoners are held in cells for over 12 hours a day, without exception.

With so many people primed for violence confined to such a small area, security forces are constantly on standby to make sure that the population doesn't riot. Armed guards raid the prison constantly, leaving lags in a perpetual state of paranoia and confusion.

Former inmates interviewed by RTVE, a Spanish broadcaster, said that it is common for guards to use batons against prisoners or force them to wear shackles, among other punishments, for fighting or violating rules in many Thai prisons.

Daniel Sancho (pictured, centre) found guilty of murdering and dismembering a plastic surgeon

He now resides in Surat Thani prison (pictured)

With so many people primed for violence confined to such a small area, security forces are constantly on standby to make sure that the population doesn't riot

Surat Thani also doesn't have enough resources to clothe the inmates, leaving many of them half-naked and shivering, fighting for ragged pieces of clothing.

The bedding situation is even more dire. No prisoner is given a mattress, meaning they have to sleep on towels if they're lucky, or the floor if not.

If the prisoners and the prison guards don't kill him, the rapid spread of disease might. Stretched resources and and overstuffed cells mean that disease spreads rapidly.

One estimate claims that there is a mortality rate of 25% every two years.

If that wasn't enough, prison officials only allow blood relatives to visit inmates. And with his fractious relationship with his father, actor Rodolfo Sancho, it is likely that his only contact with the outside world will be with his mother, fellow actress Silvia Bronchalo.

Spanish reports claimed that after Daniel's trial, Rodolfo left Thailand without saying a word.

And who could blame him?

His found was guilty of killing and dismembering the body of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, a 44-year-old plastic surgeon from Colombia, and disposing of the parts on land and at sea.

Sancho was a YouTube chef who is the son of two famous Spanish actors

One estimate claims that there is a mortality rate of 25% every two years

The prison holds twice as many inmates as it is meant to

Both men were vacationing together on the Thai holiday island of Koh Pha-ngan in August last year, an area famous for its monthly Full Moon beach parties, attracting travellers from around the world for all-night raves.

The Koh Samui provincial court issued an initial sentence of death for Sancho but commuted it to life imprisonment due to his co-operation during the trial, colonel Paisan Sangthep, deputy commander of the Surat Thani provincial police, said.

At his trial on the island of Samui, Sancho claimed he got into a fight with Mr Arrieta for allegedly trying to sexually assault him. He said that Arrieta fell as they scuffled and hit his head on a bathtub, losing consciousness and dying.

He had pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder.

For the charge of concealing or damaging a body, he received a four-month prison sentence, reduced to two months for acknowledging the act, said Mr Paisan.

He had also pleaded not guilty to the charge of destroying another person's documents - the victim's passport - for which he received a two-year prison term.

The elements of the case: violent death on a holiday island, the celebrity connections and the lurid details; attracted huge coverage in Spanish media.

HBO produced a Spanish-language documentary on the events.

Sancho claimed he got into a fight with Mr Arrieta for allegedly trying to sexually assault him

A handout photo made available by the Royal Thai Police shows forensic officers inspecting human body parts they found at a garbage dump site in Koh Phangan island, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, August 4 2023

Spanish actress Silvia Bronchalo, mother of Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, leaves from Koh Samui provincial court in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024

Rodolfo Sancho, a Spanish actor, walks after a Thai court jailed for life his son, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo for the high-profile murder and dismembering of a Colombian man last year on the popular tourist island of Koh Phangan, as he leaves court in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, Thailand, August 29, 2024

The case came to light when trash collectors found what the Bangkok Post newspaper described as a sawed-off pelvis and intestines weighing about five kilogrammes in a fertiliser sack at a garbage dump.

Shortly after that, Sancho reported to police that Mr Arrieta was missing, and police then gathered evidence linking the two men that led them to detain and interrogate him.

Police established a narrative, claiming to the press that Sancho had confessed to the murder and saying he had planned it because Mr Arrieta threatened to disgrace him and his family by revealing their alleged sexual relationship.

Sancho, through his father and his lawyers, said that was a distorted version of what he told police, and denied having a sexual relationship with Mr Arrieta.
On November 10, 1942, a teenage Rikki Fulton flailed in the water for five hours after a torpedo from an Italian aircraft sank the Royal Navy sloop on which he was serving.

As HMS Ibis went down in the Bay of Algiers, men all around were fighting for their lives too. Most lost. Some two thirds of the crew died that day.

The traumatised men who were rescued dried out in a mess hall and, to keep them amused there, they were shown the newly released Noel Coward film In Which We Serve, about a Royal Navy ship struck by a torpedo.

The black irony never left him. Nor did the mental scars.

It left a large hole in him  and not a very pleasant hole, says his friend and fellow actor Tony Roper, more than 80 years later, of the day one of Scotlands finest comedy talents nearly died at 18.

His World War 2 experiences also contextualise the man behind the laughter.

I dont think Rikki was a naturally funny man, says comedy writer Niall Clark. He was actually quite a cold character, quite a buttoned-up person.

He didnt come into a room and light it up, agrees comedy producer Colin Gilbert.

Rikki Fulton and his second wife Kate Matheson with their beloved terrier Jake

It is unlikely the man himself would have argued. He once told a TV interviewer: I suppose I would like the private me to be a little more ebullient and perhaps jokey and a little freer, able to let the hair down a little more  Im just not like that.

His sobering reflections  along with those of some of the industry figures who knew him best  are shared in a BBC Scotland tribute to the late comic genius in his centenary year.

Appropriately, Rikki is being aired on Hogmanay, the night the star certainly did light up every room whose TV was tuned to sketch show Scotch and Wry, his annual end-of-year gift to Scotland. At its peak in the early 1980s, some two million Scots were grateful recipients.

It was the show that gave them the Reverend I.M. Jolly, the depressive minister whose world-weary hello at the start of each monologue was the cue for howls of mirth.

It also gave them fellow man of the cloth David Goodchild, whose water decanter is accidentally spiked with gin before his televised sermon begins and he becomes increasingly sozzled throughout it. Fulton, who could play an exquisite drunk, delivered what many considered his finest comic performance here.

And Scotch and Wry gave them Supercop, the ageing traffic policeman climbing off his motorbike to remonstrate with speeding motorists with his catchphrase OK, Stirling, oot the car.

All three are nostalgically revisited in Rikki and remain priceless comedy  even if the Stirling reference may be lost on viewers under 40.

But it is the contradictions in this most fondly-remembered star that make it such an engaging hour of television. Even at the height of his comedy powers in the 1980s, he burned to break into serious acting and was tickled to be cast in the thriller Gorky Park as a villainous KGB officer. He took the directors remark that he had the most evil eyes hed ever seen as a compliment.

I would like the private me to be a little freer

He was less pleased to note that Glasgow cinema audiences  recognising their comedy hero instantly  hooted with laughter as soon as he came on screen.

The place fell about, he remembers, and I thought what hope is there of ever doing a serious part in Scotland?

Fulton was the decidedly east end of Glasgow youngster whose accent in later life was unmistakably west end.

He was the solitary, bookish child who nevertheless dreamed of a career in showbiz  and found the stage changed his personality like the flick of a switch.

He was a one of Scotlands biggest panto stars  who really didnt like children.

And he was a confirmed atheist  as his merciless mocking of the clergy bears out  until a near-fatal illness turned into him into a believer and regular church-goer.

The tribute, narrated by actress Ashley Jensen who appeared alongside Fulton 30 years ago in the Tales of Para Handy series, reveals Fulton was a reluctant serviceman. He volunteered for the Royal Navy at 17 only when girls asked him what he was doing for the war effort.

As soon as it ended, he rekindled his dream to be an entertainer, making his own comedy silent films and appearing on the BBCs Scottish radio serial the McFlannels before a move London where he compered The Show Band Show.

Archive tapes from it find him introducing his hero Frank Sinatra and trading wisecracks with the American star.

Previously unseen home movies, meanwhile, show the young Fulton in California, visiting Disneyland and taking a bus tour of the homes of silver screen legends.

Rikki in his iconic role as Rev IM Jolly

But, for all that some say he was talented enough to become a Hollywood star himself, it was in Scotland that his showbiz future lay. He joined the Lyceum Theatre Company in Edinburgh, met comedian Jack Milroy soon afterward, and suggested they form a double act.

Francie and Josie were the Laurel and Hardy of Scotland, suggests Tony Roper  and certainly their catchphrases were just as memorable. Are ye dancin? Are ye askin? became ubiquitous. And Fultons gloriously botched attempt at posh Glasgow speak  opporchancity  was a perennial favourite.

Though married to actress Ethel Scott for 20 years, it was his second wife Kate Matheson, an announcer at Grampian TV in the 1970s, who is described as the love of his life.

Dinner parties at their Victorian home in Glasgows west end were the talk of the showbiz glitterati.

There was usually a butler involved, remembers actress Juliet Cadzow. It was on a slightly grand scale  and then Kate would appear in a rather floating gown.

Another regular co-star, English comedy actress Claire Nielson, says: They had a mynah bird in the kitchen that had them both off absolutely perfectly.

We went there for Sunday tea, says Two Doors Down star Alex Norton. And it was so formal. It was like having tea in the ministers hoose.

His abiding memory is of the Fultons two pet terriers weeing on their deep shag pile carpets while the couple were in the kitchen preparing food.

It was in the mid-70s that BBC Scotland approached Fulton about appearing in a one-off comedy special at New year. While The Scotched Earth Show was broadcast on New Years Day 1977, it reappeared in the guise of Scotch and Wry on Hogmanay 1978.

Begin to see the dark at the end of the tunnel

Over the next 14 years, it became a New Years Eve institution.

Memorable sketches include the driving instructor, played by Fulton, so terrified of accompanying a pensioner for her lesson that he had to be dragged out of a corner by a colleague, played by Tony Roper.

Roper recalls biting his lip so hard to avoid laughing at Fultons uproarious performance during the scene that he could taste blood.

Another sketch, very much of its time, has him appearing as a Rangers boss signing a new player who has been discovered by a rookie scout, played by Gregor Fisher.

On learning he scored seven goals in the first half of his last match, Fulton inquires why he didnt play in the second half.

I had to go to Mass, replies the player.

As the implications dawn on Fulton, the camera lingers on his appalled features. That is possibly the longest laugh Ive ever heard a studio audience do, says Colin Gilbert. It just went on and on and on, and Rikkis just sitting there motionless.

No one could do a pained expression like Rikki Fulton, declares Still Game actor Sanjeev Kohli.

Drunkenness and the Glasgow dialect of his youth were other specialities. Do you do home delivery? asks one of his sozzled characters on entering a fast-food outlet. Gonnae see us up the road then?

And yet a froideur  even a darkness  remained part of Fultons real-life character even as he exuded hilarity on stage and screen.

We see him scolding fellow members of a panto production. Already things are coming apart, he informs them tetchily.

I was writing them and directing them and starring in them, doing two three-hour shows a day, its desperately tiring, he tells one interviewer.

What do you get out of them, then, he is asked.

Money, he replies.

In later life, Fulton admitted the passage of time made him desperately unhappy.

I really hate that. I hate the idea of reaching a point in my life where I can begin to see the dark at the end of the tunnel.

Fulton continued to pursue more serious roles. He has a brief appearance in Bill Forsyths 1983 film Local Hero and, in the 1990s, played morose steam puffer engineer Dan Macphail opposite Gregor Fishers Para Handy.

On that project he was constantly cold or plagued by midges. Eventually he contracted pleurisy.

A few years later, making a guest appearance alongside Fisher in Rab C Nesbitt, he admitted struggling to remember his lines. It was the onset of Alzheimers.

There was one last TV appearance from I.M. Jolly  to bring the 20th century to a close on Hogmanay 1999. As ever, his opening hello was met with gales of laughter.

Rikki performs as Josie in the early 1960s

I think Im suffering from depression, the minister went on to say. Of course it doesnt show with me.

By now, Fulton was a familiar face at New Kilpatrick Church in Bearsden, Dunbartonshire. The then minister there, Alistair Symington recalls seeing him in the congregation for the first time and finding it slightly unnerving to have I.M Jolly staring back.

The star died at 79 in January 2004 and, fittingly, had motorcycle outriders alongside his hearse  Strathclyde Polices touching nod to Supercop.

After his wife Kate died a year later, it emerged the couple had left around 1 million in their wills to the Scottish SPCA  among the largest single donations ever to the charity.

His comedy legacy was no less impactful.

Sanjeev Kohli says of him: I guess Rikki would have given a generation of comedy writers and performers licence to say, do you know what, its OK to be funny in a Scottish accent, because were funny people.

Few of the nations comics were ever as funny, as complex  or cherished  as Rikki Fulton.

 Rikki is on BBC One Scotland at 10pm on Hogmanay  and thereafter on iPlayer.
Lee Harvey Oswald was being led down a corridor at Dallas police headquarters on the evening of November 22, 1963, when he uttered perhaps the most fateful phrase in the history of conspiracy theories.

'I'm just a patsy!' he screamed at reporters demanding to know whether he'd shot dead President John F Kennedy earlier that day in Dealey Plaza.

Two days later, Oswald was himself shot dead by nightclub owner Jack Ruby in a moment captured live on television. He could never reveal whose 'patsy' he'd been  but there's been no shortage of suggestions.

The Warren Commission, the official federal investigation into JFK's killing, concluded in 1964 that 24-year-old Oswald acted alone with no evidence of a conspiracy.

However, the lack of an obvious motive on his part has led to mountains of speculation and conjecture over the years.

Why would a committed Left-winger want to kill a liberal president devoted to civil rights? Moreover, Ruby was a shady character with Mafia links, making Oswald's death all the more suspicious.

Most Americans clearly believe that the Warren Commission didn't get to the whole truth, with a major poll last year finding that 65 per cent refuse to believe Oswald acted alone.

So if he was a 'patsy', who was really behind the murder?

US President John F Kennedy smile at crowds lining their motorcade route in Dallas, Texas, minutes before he was assassinated

President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Robert F Kennedy Jr at a campaign rally

Kennedy's wife Jackie's desperately attempts to save her husband after he is shot in Dallas

Of all the organisations and groups linked with the assassination over the years, one has always seemed particularly tantalising.

The Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, is dedicated to protecting the US  including its president. But it has nonetheless featured prominently in multiple theories, some utterly outlandish, that allege there was a dark 'deep state' conspiracy to kill Kennedy.

From the Mob and Fidel Castro's Communist Cuba to 'big business' and conservatives in his own government (who saw him as insufficiently hawkish abroad, especially in Vietnam where he was reluctant to commit more troops), Kennedy had a lot of enemies.

They included the CIA  sometimes known as 'the agency' or 'the company'  which JFK had threatened to dismantle after its disastrous attempt to invade Cuba and bring down Castro in 1961, in what was called the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Many Americans believe the Warren Commission too readily absolved the CIA of any involvement in the President's murder.

These conspiracy theories have been inflamed for decades by the refusal of successive US presidents to release all the secret government documents relating to the killing.

Now, 61 years after the assassination, the spotlight is once again set to fall on the CIA. In the run-up to this year's US presidential election, Donald Trump promised JFK's nephew, Robert F Kennedy Jr, that he would release in full the final remaining documents  hopefully solving the mystery once and for all.

Held in the US National Archives, these number 3,100 out of an original trove of 320,000. These papers, either partially or entirely censored, have been the focus of fervent hopes among JFK obsessives that the redactions might conceal a 'smoking gun'  definitive proof that Oswald didn't act alone.

John F Kennedy waving from his car approximately one minute before he was shot

Yet Trump may come to regret that pledge.

RFK Jr, who dropped his own presidential run in favour of Trump and who has been rewarded by being nominated as health secretary in the Trump administration, is no stranger to conspiracy theories, from vaccine safety to fluoride in water.

For years, the gravel-voiced ex-lawyer has been arguing that there is 'overwhelming evidence' that the CIA was involved in his uncle's death, claiming that this is 'beyond reasonable doubt'.

RFK Jr has accused the US government of orchestrating a '60-year cover-up' over the assassination, which he believes was connected to JFK's refusal to commit US combat forces to Vietnam.

He claims that the 'first instinct' of his father Bobby, who was JFK's Attorney General, (and who was himself assassinated in 1968), was that the agency was behind the President's killing.

RFK Jr insists that everyone connected to the assassination has now died and the CIA's lingering opposition to release all incriminating files about the case is purely to 'protect the institution'.

He told Fox News last year: 'The day that his brother [JFK] died, my father's first phone call was to the CIA desk officer at Langley [Virginia, the agency's HQ]. My father said to him: 'Did your people do this?'

Over the years, the CIA's ongoing insistence that the documents remain sealed has only enhanced claims of a cover-up.

Donald Trump promised JFK's nephew, Robert F Kennedy Jr, that he would release in full the final remaining documents on the assassination of his uncle (pictured) - a pledge he may come to regret

Under an act passed in 1992, all government documents about the assassination were to be made publicly available by October 2017, although some could be delayed for 'national security' and 'privacy' reasons.

Significantly, 1992 was the year after the release of director Oliver Stone's controversial political thriller JFK which alleged the CIA was involved in a wide-ranging conspiracy to kill the President.

Trump has said that during his first term, his then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (himself a former CIA director) urged him to reconsider an earlier promise to release the papers, insisting 'it needs a little more time'.

Trump claimed the CIA was 'probably' behind Pompeo's request. Earlier this month, it was revealed that RFK Jr is also lobbying to have his own daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, appointed deputy head of the CIA so she can further uncover the web of conspiracies he believes lies behind his uncle's death.

RFK Jr has been lobbying to have his own daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy (pictured), appointed deputy head of the CIA

Fox Kennedy, who was RFK Jr's election campaign manager, is a former undercover agent who said she was recruited in her early 20s, becoming one of the agency's youngest female officers.

Given that Trump is keen to keep RFK Jr close to him, reportedly seeing the ex-Democrat as a way of broadening his support base, he may feel he has no choice but to release the files.

And if Trump does try to make good on his pledge, experts predict he will face a determined battle from an organisation once notorious for ruthless political scheming and dirty tricks.

So what might be in those final redacted files? For one thing, JFK assassination sleuths expect further evidence that CIA bosses shamelessly lied when they repeatedly claimed they knew nothing about Oswald before the killing.

Robert F Kennedy Jr meeting Donald Trump at a campaign rally in October. RFK Jr has insisted that the CIA's reluctance to disclose the remaining files is to 'protect the institution'

In fact, it had compiled an 181-page file of information  some of it redacted to this day  about Oswald long before he shot JFK.

Even those who believe the CIA played no part in the assassination concede that the remaining documents may seriously embarrass the agency by revealing that it failed to raise the alarm over a man it knew so much about.

According to Jefferson Morley, a renowned JFK assassination expert who has written three books on the CIA, it had been watching Oswald carefully for four years, placing him under surveillance and even assigning an agent to open his mail.

The CIA knew that after being discharged from active duty into the Marine Corps Reserve in 1959, Oswald defected to the Soviet Union and spent two and a half years in Minsk where he married a Russian woman named Marina and had a daughter.

The CIA wasn't monitoring him, claims Morley, because it suspected he was a threat to the presidency but because he was inadvertently allowing them to keep tabs on Left-wing organisations  such as a pro-Castro outfit named the Fair Play For Cuba Committee  which Oswald supported, but which the agency regarded as a threat to national security.

But if it was watching Oswald so closely, why on earth was the CIA unable to warn the US government that he was about to kill the President?

That, says Morley, goes to the heart of the matter. 'Was the CIA negligent with Oswald? Watched him all the way into Dealey Plaza and then he shot the President and it's just 'Oh, sorry, we missed him'?' Morley told the Mail.

'So was it negligence? Was it 'intentional negligence' or was it actually a 'false flag' CIA operation to assassinate the President and blame Cuba? Those are the choices it looks very bad for the CIA.'

A mugshot of Lee Harvey Oswald. The marxist and former US marine famously screamed at reporters 'I'm just a patsy!'

Morley told the Mail he believes a person or persons within the CIA, or perhaps the Pentagon, was 'manipulating' Oswald: possibly 'rogue agents' operating without high-level authorisation.

Not only was Kennedy talking of radically reforming the CIA but just a year after narrowly averting nuclear war with Russia during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was adopting a far more dovish line towards America's Communist foes around the world. This approach was infuriating the intelligence establishment.

Hollywood, which loves nothing better than sinister Right-wing bogeymen, has been blaming the CIA for the assassination for years.

Oliver Stone based his 1991 film on claims that anti-Castro and anti-Communist elements within the CIA were behind a conspiracy to kill Kennedy that involved Oswald.

More recently, Rob Reiner director of films such as When Harry Met Sally and This Is Spinal Tap  has produced a popular podcast which also claims JFK was killed by his enemies in the CIA and Pentagon.

A CIA spokesperson insisted to the Washington Post in 2022 that the agency was not withholding information about Oswald or the assassination.

'The CIA believes all substantive information known to be directly related to Oswald has been released,' claimed the spokesman.

'The few remaining redactions protect CIA employee names, sources, locations and CIA tradecraft.'

Oswald shown after his arrest. He was later shot dead by nightclub owner Jack Ruby in a moment captured live on television

That may be so, and it remains true that not all JFK assassination experts believe the CIA set out to kill the President or even that Oswald had any assistance.

But even those who believe the gunman acted alone expect the remaining documents to show that the CIA failed in its duty to alert the FBI, which handles domestic security, about Oswald.

So if the CIA is merely trying to protect itself, does that mean Trump will ignore its objections and publish the files in full? Not necessarily.

There's said to be another secret lurking in the files that may stay Trump's hand.

The single document with the most redactions concerns Oswald's intriguing visit to Mexico just two months before the JFK shooting, to obtain visas for the Soviet Union and Communist Cuba.

The CIA was able to monitor his movements and even his phone calls with Soviet officials because it was already bugging these embassies  along with those of other Communist countries such as Czechoslovakia  thanks to cooperation with the Mexican government.

In fact, according to Jefferson Morley, three successive Mexican presidents, from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, were working 'hand in glove' with a CIA dirty tricks campaign which also involved bugging the Presidents' political rivals and which, even now, the Mexican government would be 'very embarrassed and furious' to see disclosed.

Today, Trump is anxious for Mexico's help in stemming the tide of migrants streaming over America's southern border.

RFK Jr walking through the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. He has been nominated by Trump to run the Department for Health and Human Services

He may calculate that the political risk of releasing this information is too high.

And even if Trump puts his alliance with the eccentric but determined RFK Jr first, and releases all the documents, will that end all the speculation about the assassination?

Hardly. According to expert Gerald Posner, who believes Oswald acted alone: 'People believing in conspiracy will claim: 'Well, see, there you go. They destroyed the real documents.'

One thing is for sure: in trying to appease the demands of his health secretary-in-waiting, Donald Trump  usually a canny operator  has created an almighty headache for himself.
A deeply buried secret has come to light about Oren and Alon Alexander, the playboy twin brothers who once dazzled the Miami social scene and who are now both accused of sex trafficking and facing charges connected to multiple assaults.

While the sordid allegations from their past are now under a microscope the most stunning revelation comes not from their current legal battles, but from an anonymous blog post from 15 years ago - essentially a digital ghost that foretold their fall from grace.

On December 12, 2009, a blog post surfaced that read like a damning expose. It posed a chilling question: 'Does anyone know what ever happened to Oren and Alon Alexander, the two twins who raped that girl at that party back in 2003?'

The post was graphic in its details and painted a harrowing picture of a young woman fleeing barefoot from a party later being treated at two hospitals.

Written in a style mimicking a legitimate news article, it was a call for accountability that threatened to upend the image of the Alexander twins as charming up-and-comers in Miami's elite circles.

The blog vanished as mysteriously as it appeared, but not before leaving an indelible stain on the brothers' burgeoning reputations.

At the time, Oren Alexander was building his career at the prestigious real estate firm Douglas Elliman, and Alon Alexander was joining the family's private security enterprise.

Oren (left) and Alon (right) Alexander are accused along with their brother of carrying out a sickening sexual assault ring but there allegations their antics began years earlier

Alon Alexander, 37, right, and his twin brother, Oren, left, are seen attending their bond hearing in Miami, Florida earlier this month. The Alexanders have been charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape

Their cousin Ohad Fisherman has also been accused of participating in a gang rape alongside the twins

The blog's allegations, though unverified, cast a long shadow, prompting the brothers to launch an aggressive campaign to unmask the writer and bury the claims.

The Alexanders responded with a ferocity that hinted at a pattern of intimidation -a pattern now central to the federal case against them.

They hired a cyber investigator, filed lawsuits in both New York and Florida, and engaged in a tense email exchange with the anonymous blogger.

The New York Times reviewed these emails, revealing Oren Alexander's bluff about obtaining the blogger's IP address. 'We got your IP address,' he wrote in July 2010. 'We went easy on you before. That's it. Ha.'

The blogger's chilling reply: 'So you remember the rape?'

In one exchange, the blogger accused the twins of having multiple victims, asking: 'What's the matter? Lost count of all your victims?'

Despite all their efforts, the Alexanders failed to uncover the blogger's identity.

Meanwhile, they orchestrated a counter-narrative online.

A new blog appeared in 2011 with the identical title but an entirely different tone praising the brother

The glowing positivity in the blogs details suggest a deliberate attempt at using a fabricated blog to drown out negative search results about the brothers

Within hours of the original post's publication, a new blog appeared with the identical title but an entirely different tone.

It was a glowing tribute to the twins' philanthropy and hard work, describing their charitable acts and successful careers. More blogs followed in subsequent years, all lauding the brothers' virtues.

'Today Alon and Oren Alexander are very successful young professionals that remain very charitable as well. They work together to grow their respective businesses,' one portion of the blog boasted.

When asked if they authored these self-promotional blogs, the Alexanders' lawyers declined to comment.

However, the uncanny timing and the glowing positivity in the details suggest a deliberate attempt using a fabricated blog to drown out negative search results.

'They do a number of social charity causes by helping-out poors and making the poor people move forward,' the blog in part, read.

Their campaign against the anonymous blogger culminated in 2013 with a lawsuit filed in Florida state court.

The complaint, notarized by their mother, Orly Alexander, accused 'John Doe' of defamation.

The court granted a temporary injunction, compelling the removal of the blog. By 2014, the case was quietly dismissed due to inactivity.

Orly's involvement in the legal proceedings is particularly striking.

The brothers' parents, Shlomi Alexander, left, and Orly Alexander are seen attend the bond hearing of their twin sons. At one point Orly is said to have blown her son's kisses and told them to smile

An FBI agent has testified that reports that wealthy twins Oren and Alon Alexander drugged and raped dozens of women are 'credible'

Known for her public displays of affection, including blowing kisses to her sons during their recent court appearances, her signature on the court documents underscores her role as a mother in protecting her sons.

Critics argue that her unwavering support enabled their behavior.

Federal prosecutors now claim that the Alexanders' tactics to suppress the blog were a precursor to their broader pattern of silencing accusers.

Court documents detail their use of police reports, defamation lawsuits, and dossiers to intimidate women into silence.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams highlighted these tactics in a letter urging judges to deny bail, describing the brothers' efforts as systematic and far-reaching.

The Alexanders' alleged history of sexual violence spans decades, with prosecutors interviewing at least 40 women who have come forward with accusations.

These revelations paint a stark contrast to the carefully curated image they projected for years as successful, philanthropic bachelors.

On December 11, 2024, nearly 15 years to the day after the anonymous blog post, Tal Alexander, 38, and his twin brothers, Oren and Alon, 37, were arrested in Miami, Florida, charged with drugging and raping dozens of women over two decades - dating back to their high school years.

The twins face state charges linked to three separate assaults in 2016, 2017 and 2021, to which they have pleaded not guilty. Alon and Oren Alexander are pictured in July 2015

Superstar realtor Oren Alexander (left) and his identical twin brother Alon (right) were both arrested alongside older brother Tal over claims the trio drugged and raped dozens of women over an 11 year period

The twins also face state charges linked to three separate assaults in 2016, 2017 and 2021, to which they have pleaded not guilty.

Oren Alexander is cited in all three allegations, while only the 2016 incident involved Alon.

In court, Oren donned a red jumpsuit signifying high-profile inmate status, while Alon wore a green protective vest.

In 2016, the warrants alleged that Alon Alexander invited a New York woman down to Miami Beach for a barbeque, only for her to find that she was the only person invited when she got there.

She claimed Alon gave her a tour and led her to the bedroom, where she was confronted by Alon, Oren, and their cousin, Ohad Fisherman.

Fisherman, who has been implicated as an accomplice in one assault is out on bond while the brothers remain in jail.

In 2017, 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.

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 Alexander brothers, 37, also known as star real estate agents with Douglas Elliman, were taken into custody earlier this month alongside their brother Tal, 38, (center) amid allegations of rape, sex trafficking and sexual assault . The twins are Oren, left, and Alon, right

Tal Alexander (pictured) was also arrested, however the charges against him were not included in the arrest warrants for his identical twin brothers alleging sexual assault

Oren, who was cited in all three allegations made in federal search warrants, is pictured with his model wife Kamila Hansen in 2023

Oren and Tal Alexander posed at Donald Trump's Hannukah celebration at the White House on December 9, 2020

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, I'm 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.

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 friend, who has known the Alexanders since 2008, said: 'Much like when we were 13 years old and we all knew R Kelly peed on girls - we knew these stories about the Alexander brothers.

'I never heard anything about them drugging girls, but I definitely heard they are aggressive and that girls should avoid them.

'They were pretty clean and they worked really hard, and how far they crossed that line, my expectations are non-existent of them. They do whatever the hell they want.'

Those within the brother's inner circle say they believe the victims' allegations, after years of rumors that the brothers 'paid women to stay silent'.

All three appeared in court earlier this month with Tal refused bail by a federal judge despite his family's pledge of $115 million in real estate holdings to secure his release.
The woman who baked a 'poisoned' Christmas cake that killed her two sisters and a niece has been pictured for the first time.

Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, from Torres, Brazil, prepared a traditional Christmas cake for a festive family meal on December 23.

However, her sisters Maida, 58, and Neuza, 65, and Neuza's daughter Tatiana, 43 all died shortly after eating the cake.

Three other family members, including Zeli herself and a 10-year-old boy, fell ill and were also hospitalised.

Now, it has emerged that traces of the toxic metal arsenic were present in the bodies of the three women killed.

Police have also announced plans to exhume the body of Zeli's husband Paolo Luiz who reportedly died in September of food poisoning.

Zeli is believed to have spoken to the police who have yet to determine whether the victims were purposely poisoned.

The 10-year-old boy, who is believed to be Tatiana's son, is thought to be in a stable condition.

Seven members of the family were eating the cake in Zeli's home on the coast of Brazil. Only one person, who has not been named, did not eat the cake.

The cake, which according to a family friend was baked every year, was reportedly made by Maida's other sister, Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, pictured, who is in hospital

It is believed Zeli, pictured, ate two cake slices and was the first one to be taken to hospital after becoming severely ill

The Christmas cake, pictured, eaten by the three women before they died

Blood tests carried out by the doctors have also revealed arsenic in the blood of some of the victims, a potent poison the symptoms of which cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

What is in a Christmas Cake?

A Christmas cake is a rich cake traditionally served without any decoration or just garnished with candied fruits. It is often mistaken for the Portuguese King Cake, a yeast sweet cake. The Brazilian recipe uses cane sugar and has icing over the top with the candied fruits. What are the ingredients? The ingredients for this cake are butter, eggs, brown sugar, orange juice or milk, range zest, Port wine, flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, black raisins and exotic candied fruit cut into small cubes. Source: saborbrasil.it Advertisement

Officer Marcos Vinicius Veloso, who is leading the case, said there are no records of inheritance disputes or rows between family members.

It is believed Zeli ate two cake slices and was the first one to be taken to hospital after becoming severely ill - where she remains in stable condition.

She has reportedly told police she bought some the ingredients on Monday before the gathering.

Police have not yet determined whether the victims were poisoned.

According to the Hospital Nossa Senhora dos Navegante, Tatiana and Maida both died from cardiac arrest, while, Neuza died from 'shock after food poisoning'.

According to the police officer on the case, arsenic was found in Neuza's body as well as two other victims who survived.

Neighbours in the area will be interviewed by officers.

A friend of one of the people who died told a local news channel it was a traditional cake that the family made every year.

Police have carried out an examination of the food eaten by the family and other items in the house, and many of them were expired.

A police statement to local network, Globo, said: 'We even have information that there was mayonnaise there that had expired a year ago.

'There were expired products in the residence. A bottle was found, a medicine, which should have had capsules inside it and there were no capsules - there was a white liquid and this white liquid will also be examined.'

This comes after last year a woman was accused of killing her in-laws after she allegedly poisoned her relatives with wild mushrooms in Australia.

Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, pictured, died after having the traditional cake on December 23

Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43, pictured, died following having the Christmas cake on December 23

Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjo, 65, pictured, was rushed to hospital in critical condition before also dying the following day

Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, a teacher, also after she ate the Christmas cake on December 23 during the family get-together

The horror poisoning happened in the city of Torres in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the south coast of Brazil

In July 2023, five family members gathered for a quiet meal in a small town deep in rural Australia.

A day later, all four guests fell ill. Within a week, three would be dead, the fourth fighting for his life and the 48-year-old woman who cooked the lunch questioned by police amid claims she deliberately poisoned her relatives with wild mushrooms.

Yet Erin Patterson, who did not suffer any ill effects from the meal, insists she loves her family and had no idea the mushrooms she served were death caps - the most poisonous mushrooms in the world.

Speaking outside her home where the fatal lunch happened, she said: 'I didn't do anything. I loved them and I'm devastated that they're gone.'

Police have seized a food dehydrator from the house that's believed to have been used to prepare the mushrooms.

The deeply unusual case has gripped the country, baffled police and left a closely-knit community desperately seeking answers.

Patterson, 48, is said to have invited her former partner Simon Patterson to her home for the meal on July 29 with his parents Gail and Tom Patterson, 70, along with Gails sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian, 68.

Simon was meant to come but could not make it 'at the last minute'. Police said the couple had split 'amicably' - suggesting the lunch would not have been unusual.

Simon, who lived with his parents for a year after the split before moving out, previously spent 21 days in intensive care after suffering 'serious gut problems' in May 2022. Exactly when he split from his wife is unclear.

The Pattersons' two children were also present at the lunch but ate different meals to the adults and did not experience any illness. They've reportedly been taken into care.

All four guests became ill after eating the meal. It's not clear what dish was served but it included hand-picked mushrooms.

Police said the victims' symptoms were consistent with those caused by death cap mushrooms - the world's most dangerous fungi which grows in the wild in Victoria.

Erin Patterson hosted a meal that led to all four of her guests falling ill and three dying

Gail and Don Patterson died after eating the mushrooms. Ms Patterson was previously married to their son, Simon

Ian Wilkinson and Heather Wilkinson (both pictured) became severely ill after they ate wild mushrooms. Mrs Wilkinson died on Friday while her husband remains in a critical condition in hospital

The property where the deadly lunch occurred at Leongatha, in Victoria's Gippsland region

Mushrooms seen on the family home at Leongatha in Victoria's Gippsland region

The four went to hospital the next day as their condition worsened, with the two sisters, aged 70 and 66, dying on Friday. Don, 70, died on Saturday night.

Ian, 68, remains in a critical condition in hospital and is believed to be waiting for a liver transplant.

Detectives say they are unsure if Ms Patterson ate the same food as her guests.

They noted she was separated from her husband - the Pattersons' son - but said it had been an 'amicable' split.

'At this point in time, the deaths are unexplained,' said homicide squad investigator Dean Thomas. 'It could be very innocent, but we just don't know.'
A Southport man who had a heart attack while getting ready for work says he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for his bathtub.

On December 17, 1992 Fred McCann, 78, was in the shower when he suffered from a heart attack and collapsed.

But his life was saved after he fell at the 'perfect angle', which meant his chest hit the bath, a move that he says 'kickstarted' his heart and saved his life.

'The consultant told me that [if I had landed on the bath] a bit higher or lower it wouldn't have worked', he told Liverpool Echo.

32 years after his near-death-experience, Fred says he celebrates a second birthday, or a 're-birthday' every year on December 17 to commemorate the day his bath saved his life.

'If the King can have two birthdays, it seems only right that I should,' he said.

Fred suffered from his heart attack just weeks after he started experiencing chest pains.

Although he was first told he had a hernia, Fred found himself collapsed on the bathroom floor.

On December 17, 1992, Fred McCann, 78, was in the shower when he suffered from a heart attack and collapsed. But he says his bathtub saved his life

Fred says he fell at the 'perfect angle', which meant his chest hit the bath - a move that he says 'kickstarted' his heart and saved his life (Stock image)

He was able to dial 999 and was rushed to hospital, where a doctor saw the massive bruise on his chest and told him the fall had saved his life.

Fred's story comes as a major study recently revealed that people who get sick with Covid are at a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Using data from over 200,000 people from the United Kingdom with an average age of 67 who caught Covid in 2020, researchers found the more sick someone was, the more likely they were to develop heart problems.

Overall, being infected with Covid doubled someone's risk of a heart attack or stroke at least three years after the initial infection.

And patients who were hospitalized because of the virus were four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who didn't get it.

This new research comes as other doctors search for clues as to why fatal heart attacks in people under 45 have been increasing. Some point to the the Covid virus as a cause.
London transport bosses have been accused of 'trying to silence' farmers after they banned their anti-inheritance tax adverts from the Tube over their 'politically controversial' anti-Government message.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) planned to spend 40,000 on posters around Westminster station with its 'Stop The Family Farm Tax' campaign slogan to attract MPs' attention to the row when they return to Parliament on January 6.

But top brass at Transport for London (TfL), which reports to the capital's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan, say the adverts do not comply with their rules and need to be watered down to remove any attacks on the Government.

Victoria Atkins, Tory rural affairs spokesman, said: 'Labour know they're in the wrong.'

She added it appeared the party were 'trying to silence those who are pointing this out to their MPs'.

She said: 'It may be news to the Labour mayor but Londoners and commuters eat food. They will be hit by higher food prices and weakened food security once Labour's Family Farm Tax and National Insurance hikes take their toll on British farms.'

TfL has been accused of hypocrisy  given it has approved a host of overtly political adverts, including posters promoting the legalisation of assisted dying just a month ago.

A spokesman for the NFU said: 'We were surprised and disappointed that TfL refused to allow us to advertise this campaign on behalf of Britain's farmers, especially given all the campaigns from other groups they have allowed. It makes no sense, even within their own rules.'

Transport for London (TfL), which reports to the capital's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan (pictured), say the adverts do not comply with their rules

Tractors pass through Parliament Square as farmers stage a protest against inheritance tax

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) planned to spend 40,000 on posters around Westminster station with its 'Stop The Family Farm Tax' campaign slogan

Farmers have carried out protests since the Budget, when the plans to make families of farmers pay tax on their land when they die were announced.

Hundreds drove tractors to Parliament earlier this month, while former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson, who owns a farm in the Cotswolds, called for the Government to 'back down'.

The NFU's advert had been intended to remind MPs that rural families face ruin if the policy comes into force.

TfL has not allowed the advert because it 'contains imagery and illustrations which are politically controversial' and 'promotes a party political cause or electioneering'.

It is understood TfL would allow it if it had a positive message about UK farming and any political message was removed.

Two years ago, TfL also allowed an advert from the Compassion in World Farming animal welfare group calling for the Government to ban the live export of animals from Britain.

TfL also approved an advert for fintech start-up Wahed, showing an Islamic preacher holding a briefcase full of burning US dollars.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: 'TfL has become totally politicised under mayor Khan. Our rural communities are being treated as second-class citizens by the London elites.'

TfL said: 'This advertising campaign was reviewed against TfL's advertising policy and was found not to be compliant.'

Mr Khan's spokesman said: 'The mayor has no involvement in approving or deciding which ads run on the TfL network, and TfL's policy reflects legal requirements.'
Rescue services in India have been working tirelessly to rescue a toddler who has been trapped underground for five days after falling down a well.

Three-year-old Chetna plunged 150 feet down a 700ft well on Monday in the Indian village of Kotputli in Rajasthan.

The young girl, who has spent more than 90 hours without food or water, is said to be very weak and unable to move.

Meanwhile emergency workers have been racing against time to get Chetna out of the well as they monitor her via video camera and supply her with oxygen through a pipe.

Manual excavations have been carried out for the last three days to try to free the young girl, according to local press.

Rescuers have attempted different techniques to reach the girl but so far none have been effective.

District Collector Kalpana Aggarwal said rescue teams have been digging up pits to then dig horizontally from below to reach the trapped girl.

A pile-driving machine was brought to the site on Wednesday to dig the tunnel, and an 100-tonne crane was dispatched today to speed up the process.

Three-year-old Chetna plunged 150 feet down a 700ft well on Monday in the Indian village of Kotputli in Rajasthan. Emergency workers are racing against time to save her

Rescue teams have been onsite since Monday. They brought in an excavator yesterday to dig a tunnel that will allow them to reach Chetna

According to local media, rescue efforts have been affected by rainfall

Distressing footage shows an excavator digging up a tunnel in the well while emergency workers wait patiently alongside it.

Another clip shows how villagers nervously surround the site as they await news of Chetna's rescue.

But continuous rainfall has hindered rescue operations, Indian outlet Free Press Journal reports, as it has been preventing rescue teams from descending into the well to reach Chetna.

Waterproof tents are being set up so that the well is safely covered, while a first aid team is stationed next to the borehole to provide medical attention when needed.

A plan is already in place to transfer Chetna to nearby Kotputli hospital as soon as she is rescued.

Meanwhile, the young girl's family is said to be anxiously awaiting news of her rescue, but her distressed mother's health has reportedly deteriorated as a result of the ongoing situation.

Distressing footage shows an excavator digging up a tunnel in the well while emergency workers wait patiently alongside it

#WATCH | Kotputli, Rajasthan: Operation is underway to rescue the 3.5-year-old girl who fell into a borewell in Kiratpura village on December 23 pic.twitter.com/kfFB8CYydi  ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2024

Kotputli, Rajasthan: A three-year-old girl, Chetna, fell into a borewell while playing in Kotputli on Monday afternoon. CCTV footage showed her waving for help. The administration launched a rescue operation, continuing efforts late into the night. The childs cries were heard pic.twitter.com/tbbgALw2Vo  IANS (@ians_india) December 23, 2024

#WATCH | Kotputli, Rajasthan: Operation is underway to rescue the 3.5-year-old girl who fell into a borewell in Kiratpura village on December 23 pic.twitter.com/kfFB8CYydi  ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2024

It comes after a man plunged 50 feet inside a well in Georgia, US, while looking for his cell phone.

The unnamed man was trapped for eight hours as rescuers battled to save him.

The father disappeared after venturing out into the woodland in Cobb County to try and retrieve his lost phone.

A major rescue mission was launched with multiple teams scrambled to the scene.

Rescuers followed the sound of the trapped man's cries and located him inside the structure.

Dramatic video showed the moment the man was winched out of the well using ropes and a bipod. Miraculously, he was alive and conscious amid the rescue.

He was then transferred to a stretcher and raced to the hospital. He is expected to make a recovery.
A Nebraska man was forced to fight for his beloved home back after nearly losing it to an investor over a measly $588 tax debt.

Kevin Fair, 68, has been involved in a years-long legal battle over the title of his home - which he owned for nearly three decades - after he failed to pay just $588 in overdue property taxes.

The Scottsbluff-native first fell behind on his property taxes in 2014 following his late wifes crippling diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that damages the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

Unable to repay the measly few hundred dollars, along with the interest fees, the Scotts Bluff County sold the lien to a private investor in 2015, as allowed by state law at the time.

Fair then took the case to the states Supreme Court, where they ultimately ruled against the 68-year-old homeowner.

However, he felt that wasnt right, so he took the case to the US Supreme Court.

'They stand to make the money, and I won't have anything after living here for 25 years,' Fair told First Alert 6.

Kevin Fair, 68, has been involved in a years-long legal battle over the title of his home - which he owned for nearly three decades - after he failed to pay just $588 in overdue property taxes

The Scottsbluff-native first fell behind on his property taxes in 2014 following his late wifes crippling diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that damages the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Pictured: The Scottsbluff, Nebraska home

Even though the title was sold, the longtime homeowner, who was given the home as a wedding present, was granted permission to stay while the legal dispute played out.

Following the disappointing ruling and the inclusion of the US Supreme Court, the Nebraska Supreme Court was ordered to reconsider.inve

Nearly 10 years later, in August 2024, the state Supreme Court ruled that Fair should retain title to the house.

Fair's appellate law firm, Pacific Legal Foundation, said that their client and the investor have amicably resolved their dispute, ending the legal battle.

The years-long case has since confirmed that home equity 'is protected by the Constitution,' said Christina Martin, senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation.

As for Fair, the ruling 'is protecting him from, in all likelihood, homelessness,' she added.

Fair and his late wife, Terry, had already paid off the mortgage for their home in Scottsbluff, a town of 14,300 people in far western Nebraska, by the early 2010s.

But in 2013, Terry received her disabling diagnosis and Fair quit his job to care for her, it was then that the couple fell behind on their property taxes.

The county then placed a lien on the home and listed the delinquency in the newspaper.

After Nebraska Supreme Court ruled against the homeowner, Fair took the case to the US Supreme Court which ordered the state's Supreme Court to reconsider the 68-year-old's case. Pictured: The United States Supreme Court

In 2015, the county sold the tax lien to the private investor, which paid the home's taxes for three years.

Yet, when the investor called for the Fairs to pay the accrued $5,268 in taxes, interest and fees, they couldn't.

Scotts Bluff County turned the title and equity over to the investor in 2018.

Fair's lawsuit contended that while the state should be allowed to collect its debt, it should not be allowed to seize the home or the equity in it above the debt amount - $54,000 in this case.

The court victory is bittersweet for Fair as his wife died in 2019 before the winning verdict was reached.

Fair also suffered from a stroke earlier this month. The stroke was so severe that Fair will now require a ramp built at the home to accommodate his needs, Martin said.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has since been organized for the struggling homeowner. As of Friday afternoon the donation page has reached a whopping sum of $11,800.

Nebraska changed its law in 2023 so that homeowners are no longer at risk of losing their equity over unpaid property taxes.
More than 70 assaults took place in jails every day last year, analysis shows.

Research by the House of Commons library, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, showed there were 26,912 assaults recorded in jails in England and Wales in 2023, an average of 74 a day.

Of those, 3,205 - or eight a day - were classed as 'serious assaults'.

Just over 9,200 of the total, or 25 a day, were inflicted on staff, with 825 of those classed as serious.

The overall total was up 28 per cent from the 21,015 recorded the previous year, and the highest number since 2019 when there were 30,302.

Out of the nine years of data analysed in the research, assaults peaked in 2018 with 32,539 incidents.

Although the prison population has risen over the period, the rate of assaults has fallen.

In 2018 there were 394 assaults per 1,000 inmates, but in 2023 it was 315 per 1,000.

The rate of serious assaults on staff fell from 12 per 1,000 inmates in 2018 to 10 per 1,000 last year.

More than 70 assaults took place in jails across the UK every day last year, a 28 per cent increase from the previous year. HMP Wandsworth (pictured) recorded the most incidents with 1,044, including 571 on staff

HMP Berwyn (pictured), in Wrexham, has the next highest number with 783

Josh Babarinde, Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne said the government must create an 'urgent plan to make prisons safer'

The research also revealed the country's most violent prisons, with HMP Wandsworth in south-west London, recording the most incidents with 1,044, including 571 on staff.

HMP Berwyn, in Wrexham, has the next highest number with 783, followed by HMP Thameside, in south-east London, with 667.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Josh Babarinde MP said: 'This is a crisis that needs to be gripped by the new government with the utmost urgency.

'It is no wonder that hard-working prison officers are leaving in their droves when many drive to work fearing they may leave in the back of an ambulance.

'The new government must come forward with an urgent plan to make our prisons safer.

'They must recruit and retain more prison officers, tackle the criminal courts backlog, and invest properly in rehabilitation to reduce re-offending.'

He blamed the previous Conservative government for leaving the jails in 'utter chaos'.

'With this staggering number of assaults and rates of re-offending through the roof, the Conservatives have left a system that is failing prison staff, failing victims, and failing our communities,' the Lib Dem said.

'Their neglect of our justice system is unforgivable, and their former ministers should hang their heads in shame for this shambolic legacy.'
A woman from Arizona has been reunited with her daughter more than 50 years after she give birth.

Sandra Weeden was a 17-year-old high school student when in 1970 she made the agonizing decision to give up her newborn daughter in a closed adoption.

Now the pair have reunited after the granddaughter she never knew existed, Azhia-lin, looked her up online, leading to a family reunion.

For the first time, Sandra met her adult daughter, Heidi Wallace, who lived in Maryland, and got to meet the grandchild who set the whole miraculous meeting in motion.

Despite coming together, the past is still raw even after all these years.

'I just wanted the very best in whatever way, whatever capacity that her parents could provide,' Sandra shared, her voice tinged with emotion, as she told of giving her daughter up for adoption. 'And those wishes have exceeded more than I thought.'

For decades, she carried the weight of that choice, often thinking about the girl she never got to know, but always hoping her daughter had found a loving home.

For Heidi Wallace, the revelation of her birth mother's identity was nothing short of transformative.

A woman from Arizona has been reunited with her daughter after more than 50 years apart

Sandra Weeden, right, was reunited with her adult daughter Heidi Wallace, left

Sandra Weeden was a 17-year-old high school student when in 1970 she made the agonizing decision to give up her newborn daughter in a closed adoption

'Go look for your people,' Heidi urged others who might feel similar. 'There's nothing like having the wholeness and completeness that I have now.'

The journey to reconnecting with her mother began when her own daughter took an interest in their family history.

Azhia-lin's search led her to Ancestry.com, where upon using a DNA testing kit she discovered an unexpected match - her mom's own biological mother.

'I think I found your mom,' she recalls telling her mother. 'It was just history from there,' Azhia-lin said to ABC15. 'Now it's just really cool that we have more family.'

The pair first met in an emotional FaceTime call before decided to meet in-person in Mesa, Arizona.

When Sandra and Heidi finally reunited, the moment was overwhelming.

Decades of longing and unanswered questions dissolved in an instant as mother and daughter embraced for the first time since 1970.

Heidi's own daughters, Azhia-lin and Jacqueline Wallace, were equally moved by the reunion.

The family got together over Christmas and took a fabulous family photo with Sandra at the center of it all

Granddaughter Azhia-lin, pictured, made the family connection after a DNA test on Ancestry.com led to her finding her mother's own biological daughter

Sandra, left, and daughter, Heidi, right are seen sharing a musical moment together at the piano

'I'm just so happy that we have finally got to be able to connect,' Heidi said. 'I look forward to more memories to be made.'

Sandra, pictured, and her daughter Heidi have spent countless hours reconnecting, sharing stories, and creating new memories

For Jacqueline, the discovery of her grandmother was nothing short of a gift.

'You can never have too much family,' she said to KNXV. 'I have all this kind of family, different shades, different types, different colors. Everybody's different, and that's the best thing.'

Sandra and Heidi have spent countless hours reconnecting, sharing stories, and creating new memories.

For Heidi, the most profound part of rediscovering her mother was simply knowing she existed.

'I'm just so happy that we have finally got to be able to connect,' Heidi said. 'I look forward to more memories to be made.'
Geordies eat more cheese than residents of any other part of the UK, with almost half eating more than 11 kilograms (nearly two stones) every year, a study has found.

A poll of 2,000 Britons found that 47 per cent of folk from the North East - where the roll call of famous names includes Ant & Dec, Cheryl, Alan Shearer, Robson Green and Jimmy Nail - eat more than the UK average of just under 1kg per month.

Over the UK as a whole, 43 per cent of us get through 11.5kg-a-year - almost two stones - with cheddar, brie, stilton and Wensleydale among the favourites.

According to the study by snack brand, Cheez-It, other areas with a high proportion of people exceeding the average intake include Wales (46 per cent) and the East of England (also 46 per cent).

But rates were lowest in the East Midlands (38 per cent) and the South West (37 per cent).

Cheese enthusiast Ali James, 46, of Newcastle, said she once had to go without cheese for a week, and that it almost sent her loopy.

Geordies are the biggest cheese eaters in the UK, a new study has found (file photo)

The Swing Bridge in Newcastle. Research found that 47 per cent of folk from the North East eat more cheese than the UK average of just under 1kg per month (file photo)

The data manager said: I have loved cheese and all things cheesy since I was a toddler - my mum says it was the first word to come out of my mouth.

I went on all-inclusive holiday to a yoga retreat in Spain last Easter, but there was no cheese at all, and there were no shops nearby.

I was there for a week, and by the end of it I was not relaxed at all - I was craving cheese so badly I couldnt believe it.
Aussies looking to make some extra money in 2025 might be in for an unwelcome tax bill, an expert has warned.

Side hustles are rising in popularity as Australians continue to battle a cost of living crisis.

But H&R Block Australia's director of tax communications, Mark Chapman has reminded Aussies that any income they receive, even from a secondary job, is taxable and must be declared on your tax return.

'You might think your side hustle is just a hobby but the ATO will disagree,' Mr Chapman wrote in a column for Yahoo Finance.

'Particularly if you're coming out of a paid job, you're probably used to getting your taxes deducted straight from your pay packet by your employer.

'But now you're in business on your own account, you need to proactively manage your cash flow to set money aside for future tax bills.

'This might seem obvious but unfortunately failing to set money aside to pay tax is one of the most common pitfalls that new businesses fall into.'

Mr Chapman's top tip for keeping taxes stress-free was to get an accountant.

Aussies looking to launch a side hustle 2025 might be in for an unwelcome tax bill (stock)

Side hustles are rising in popularity as Australians continue to battle a cost of living crisis

'Most people find it far less stressful to simply pass on all their information to a tax agent and leave it to the agent to complete their BAS and tax return, safe in the knowledge that the work done will be accurate and complete,' he said.

'An experienced agent will usually be good at sniffing out those obscure tax deductions you didn't know you could claim so they can often pay for themselves several times over.'

Mr Chapman added that if you start a side hustle, you can claim deductions on any expenses incurred as part of running the business including internet bills, landline or mobile phone bills and the cost of office furniture.

The expert said Aussies could only claim the business-related element when expenses relate to a mix of business and private use.

In March, 6.7 per cent of the labour force or 974,000 people worked multiple jobs, Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed.

Some of them are turning to gigs on jobs marketplace Airtasker to bring in extra money.

Baker and single mother Brittany Davidson told Daily Mail Australia she was able to make $4,000 a month finding rental properties for rich investors, mystery shopping for big corporations and even writing funeral eulogies.
Donald Trump is to become the first elected politician in modern history to be hosted for two state visits by the Royal Family, it was reported last night.

Number 10 and the Foreign Office are preparing to offer the US President-elect an invitation once he is back in the White House in January.

A senior Whitehall source told The Daily Telegraph: [Mr Trump] loves the Royal Family.Look at the fact hes had his own photo album made of the last visit. Why wouldnt we want a repeat?

The visit would be unlikely to happen until 2026, as the Mail reported last week.

Diplomats are hoping to exploit the high regard in which President Trump holds Britains Royal Family.

The President-elect was invited to Britain on a three-day state visit in 2019.

Earlier this month, Trump and Prince Willaim shared a warm handshake when they both attended the historic re-opening of the Notre-Dame in Paris.

They also met at the UK Ambassador's Reisdence in Paris.

President Donald Trump with Queen Elizabeth II, inspecting the Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle

The Prince of Wales shook hands with US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris earlier this month

Trump smiles with Queen Elizabeth II after praising her as a 'great, great woman' during his last state visit

Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump pose for a photograph ahead of a State Banquet in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace

In what was US President elect's first meeting with a member of the Royal Family since his landslide election victory last month, he praised the Prince, quipping: 'Good man, this one.'

The Prince of Wales asked Trump if he had warmed up to which the politician replied that he had, noting that the lavish event marking the re-opening of the 861-year-old cathedral 'was a beautiful ceremony'.

The two men stood next to each other as the Republican pointed his thumb towards William before adding: 'He's doing a fantastic job'.

During their 40-minute meeting, the pair discussed a range of global issues but focused on the importance of the relationship between the UK and the US, with the President-elect sharing fond memories of the late Queen, Kensington Palace said.

Donald Trump's last visit to the UK came in 2019, where he dined with the Queen and attended a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Portsmouth.

At the end of his whirlwind three-day state, the Queen told him: 'I hope you come to this country again soon'.

Mr Trump was heard saying: 'Great woman. Great, great woman' as he and Melania went to board his Marine One helicopter. They flew to Southampton Airport before being taken to Shannon in Ireland by Air Force Two.
Homeowners across the country will be given grants and cheap loans to convert their homes to solar panels as part of government plans to hit its clean energy pledge by 2030.

Plans are being drawn to subsidise the costs of installing solar panels in homes across the country.

It will be paid through the government's 6.6billion warm homes plan and is set to be allocated in next year's spending review.

The plans, which are still under development, would see fuel-poor households be given upfront grants to install the equipment, The Times reported.

Meanwhile, richer households would be offered cheap government-backed loans to pay for the costs of the work.

The government's net zero transformation plan was previously cut from 28billion a year, put forward in opposition, to 15billion

They could then be paid through bills but at a lower annual cost than electricity charges.

It is also being considered increasing how much homeowners could make from 'selling back' unused electricity they generate to the grid in order to incentivise households to come forward.

Depending on their deal, homeowners may currently earn anything from 1p to more than 25p per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of power exported. The average default electricity price to consumers is about 24p/kWh

The scheme still needs to be approved by the Treasury and there are fears that this that previous plans have often been bureaucratic, are costly to roll out and have resulted in low uptake.

The government's net zero transformation plan was previously cut from 28billion a year, put forward in opposition, to 15billion when it was feared that it would be unaffordable.

The plans, which are still under development, would see fuel-poor households be given upfront grants to install the equipment (Stock image)

Senior government sources told the newspaper the solar initiative was a 'critical element' of the government's clean energy plan, which would bring down bills.

They added that it was also vital to hit the government's target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.

'At the moment heat pumps cost more than boilers but can be as expensive to run because of the cost of electricity,' they said. 'Installing rooftop solar along with battery storage has the potential to change that financial calculation.'

Jess Ralston, the head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, called the scheme 'a vital part of the government's clean energy plan' adding: 'as solar power can be rapidly scaled up and for every rooftop installation you reduce the need on land  which is politically controversial'

She said it was 'critical' to start the mass adoption of heat pumps.

She said this was because at the moment the problem with heat pumps is that they can be more expensive to buy than a boiler and have similar costs.

A spokesman for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We will set out our full plans to help millions more households benefit from clean home-grown power once the spending review has concluded.'
The illegal migrant accused of setting a woman on fire inside a Brooklyn subway train has been indicted on five charges of murder and arson.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder as well as one count of first-degree arson, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office announced on Friday.

Zapeta-Calil, who has been held without bail since his arrest after the horrific incident, waived his right to appear in court on Friday.

He is scheduled to be arraigned January 7.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez emphasized his confidence in the case an in holding Zapeta-Calil accountable for his 'dastardly deeds'.

'These are significant counts,' Gonzalez told reporters Friday.

'Murder in the first degree carries the possibility of life without parole. It's the most serious statute in New York state law and my office is very confident about the evidence in the case and to hold Zapeta accountable for his dastardly deeds.'

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder as well as one count of first-degree arson, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office announced on Friday

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil is shown sitting on a subway bench watching as the woman he set fire to burns alive. In front of him is an NYPD officer who walked past him, unaware he was allegedly responsible for the sickening crime

Zapeta-Calil is accused of lighting the woman on fire at around 7:29am on Sunday.

'This was intentional, and we move to prove this in the court of law,' Gonzalez added.

Police say the victim was sleeping when Zapeta-Calil, who was sitting across from her onboard an F train at a station in Coney Island, got up, walked over and lit her on fire.

'The suspect used what we believe to be a lighter to ignite the victim's clothing, which became fully engulfed in a matter of seconds,' Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Sunday night.

Officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call of a woman needing assistance, but the woman was already on fire, authorities said in a statement.

The woman who was burned alive on a New York City subway last week is yet to be identified, most likely because of how badly charred her remains were, according to a law enforcement official. Sebastian Zapeta-Calil (pictured) has been charged with murder and arson

Zapeta-Calil, who has been held without bail since his arrest after the horrific incident, waived his right to appear in court on Friday. Pictured: NYPD 60th Precinct detectives walk accused fire bug Zapeta-Calil out of the building

Zapeta-Calil was then caught on camera at the station sitting on a bench and watching as the woman was engulfed in flames.

Cops briefly talked to him and told him to clear the area in the immediate aftermath.

They put out the fire with the help of an MTA employee, before the woman died from her injuries at around 7:30am.

Officers were later seen using a tarp to cover up one of the train's windows - seemingly to block a view of the grisly scene.

Then at around 1pm, police were seen carrying a body bag out of the train and placing it on a gurney, before transporting it to a Medical Examiner's van.

'On Sunday... at approximately 0729 hours, an unidentified female victim was sleeping aboard a stationary 'F' train at the Stillwell Avenue Subway station when an unknown male individual approached and lit the victim on fire,' police later said in a statement.

'The individual then left the subway car. The victim was pronounced deceased by EMS at the scene.'

Police added that the woman was found with a litany of liquor bottles - though law enforcement sources who spoke to The New York Post said investigators remain stumped as to whether that played a part in the fire.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez emphasized his confidence in the case an in holding Zapeta-Calil accountable for his 'dastardly deeds' Pictured: Sebastian Zapeta arraigned in Brooklyn Suprreme Court after he was arrested

No other information was readily available about the female victim, and the suspect's motive - if any - still remains unclear.

'Our hearts go out not only to this victim, but we know that there's a family just because someone appears to have been living in this situation of homelessness does not mean that there's not going to be family devastated by the tragic way she lost her life,' Gonzalez added.

'Just because someone appears to have been living in this situation of homelessness does not mean that there's not going to be family devastated by the tragic way she lost her life,' Gonzalez said.

Chilling footage showed the moment a man in a hoodie sat on the platform at Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island and watched as the woman became engulfed by flames.

Anonymous sources have told the New York Post that Zapeta-Calil was in the country illegally after previously being deported at the Arizona border in June 2018. It's unclear how he got back into the US.
Houthi fighters yesterday fired a missile at Israel's principal airport in retaliation for the country's forces targeting a runway in Yemen.

The rebel group responded to Thursday's strikes in Sanaa by hitting Ben Gurion Airport  which is only ten miles away from Tel Aviv.

Israeli missiles struck the airport in Yemen's capital as the director-general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, boarded a flight.

According to the United Nations, three people were killed and dozens injured.

Israel said its strikes targeted the infrastructure of Yemen's Houthi rebels in retaliation for repeated volleys of missiles fired by the rebels toward central Israel in recent days.

Officials in Israel said the Houthi missile at Ben Gurion was intercepted, yet 18 people suffered minor injuries as they rushed to a bomb shelter and flights were delayed for half an hour.

The rebels insisted the airport was struck, adding drones also targeted Tel Aviv and a ship in the Arabian Sea.

It comes as Israeli warplanes carried three airstrikes deep into eastern Lebanon on Friday for the second time since a ceasefire ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel a month ago, Lebanon's state-run news agency said.

Houthi rebels in Yemen. The group launched a missile at Israel's primary gateway, Ben Gurion airport, on Friday

Israeli missiles struck Sanaa airport, hitting the control tower, as director-general of the World Health Organisation , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, boarded a flight

Smashed glass is seen at the airport in Yemen's capital following Israeli air strikes on Thursday

No casualties were reported in the strikes on the Bekaa Valley town of Qousaya and the target remained unclear.

The Israeli military said its air force struck 'infrastructure used to smuggle weapons via Syria' to Hezbollah near the Janta crossing on the Syrian-Lebanese border, about 9 kilometers (5 miles) north of Qousaya.

On the outskirts of Tel Aviv in the town of Herzliya, a Palestinian from the West Bank stabbed to death 83-year-old Holocaust survivor Ludmila Lipovsky in Israel on Friday, police said.

A medic with Israel's emergency services, Kobi Avriel, said first responders found the woman unconscious on the sidewalk outside a nursing home with stabbing wounds. She was rushed to hospital where she was sadly pronounced dead.
A Gold Coast couple scammed out of more than $250,000 during a house purchase have warned Aussies not to make the same mistake they did.

Sarah and Laine Robinson, aged 44 and 39 respectively, have had their lives turned upside down after they transferred 15 years of savings into a scam account.

Their rental was packed up and the couple and their three kids were all set to move into their rural dream home in Mount Nathan before settlement in September.

The couple had even visited the property, with Sarah taking a heartbreaking photo of herself posing with the 'sold' sign with two of her young children.

Now they are living in a Benowa rental after almost becoming homeless, and say they can't afford to remain on the Gold Coast.

'We've had three months of basically torture,' Ms Robinson told Daily Mail Australia.

'I feel like the conveyancer has let us down the most. They did not stress the importance of double checking everything, how do I clarify it's them and not anyone else?

'They did not stress the importance of vigilance.'

The Robinson family had even paid a visit to their dream property, with Sarah taking a heart-breaking photo of herself posing with the 'sold' sign with two of her young children

The family's rental was packed up and the couple and their three kids (pictured) were all set to move into their dream home before settlement in September

Communication with the conveyancer was unnecessarily complicated, she said.

The email chain grew to include five people after a employee fell sick and another staff member took over, on top of administrative staff and the owner of the firm.

As settlement approached, the firm fell silent, but the Robinsons continued to liaise with the scammers who sent the account details of where to send the money.

The scam email almost perfectly matched their previous communication with the conveyancer, and had all the correct details, only missing a '.au' at the end.

But by the time the couple noticed the tiny disrecpancy, it was too late.

They didn't hear from the real conveyancer until the day before settlement, when the firm got in touch to say the had received the first payment of $60,000, but not the second of $252,000.

'I was talking to the scammers for a week-and-a-half without knowing,' Ms Robinson said.

'I asked them, "why wasn't there more communication?" They didn't chase me up until the day before settlement at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.'

The Robinson family were almost homeless after they lost 15 years of savings to scammers

Victoria Police are investigating and have told the couple the money went to a 20-year-old university student in Melbourne who acted as a 'mule' and opened an account for the scammers.

It's possible the student wasn't aware of the scam.

The couple have been told that all of the money is still in Australia but dispersed among up to seven people, who are all known to police.

They said police have been 'helpful' but there was a frustrating delay when the case was transferred from Queensland to Victoria Police.

They're also unhappy with their bank, ANZ, which told them 'there's been no fault on their behalf'.

Mr Robinson said no red flags or warnings came from the bank when Sarah went to their local branch to make the transaction.

It wasn't until seven days later that they received a 9pm call from the bank asking to confirm the details of the transaction - but due to the late hour of the call and the foreign voice at the end of the line, they worried the call itself was a scam.

'Look at all the profits ANZ have made this year, and tell us why you can't get our money back,' Ms Robinson said.

The couple are unhappy with their bank, ANZ, which told them 'there's been no fault on their behalf' after they transferred the money to a scam account

She shared a simple warning for other Aussies looking to buy a home.

'You've got to be aware of what you're signing in a contract, because if you're choosing to go electronic, you're opening yourself up to so much scamming ability,' she said.

'There are all these systems that are letting us down as consumers.'

Ms Robinson, a nurse, and her husband, who has his own construction business, are now weighing up their next move as they come to terms with having to work well past retirement age.

'We don't know what to do. We can't afford to live on the Gold Cost if we don't have this money. The average house price here is over a million dollars,' Ms Robinson said.

An ANZ spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that 'we always attempt to recover funds customers have lost to scams or fraud'.

'However, the ability to recover funds depends on a number of factors including how quickly it is reported to us, whether they are transferred to another financial institution, and the speed in which funds are then on-transferred by scammers.

'In many instances, cyber criminals on-transfer funds within minutes, or use them to purchase cryptocurrency.

'ANZ has a range of measures in place to help detect and protect our customers from fraud and scams and is continually reviewing and adjusting our capabilities as new fraud and scams emerge and criminals change how they operate.'
Outgoing Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has issued a stark warning to Congress about the United States' fiscal future.

In a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday, Yellen claimed that the federal government will hit its debt limit as early as next month unless Congress takes action.

Otherwise, she said, the Treasury Department would have to begin taking 'extraordinary measures' to prevent the US from defaulting on its debt.

Such measures may include suspending certain types of investments in savings plans for government employees and health plans for retired postal workers, which would be restored once the debt ceiling is increased or eliminated.

'Treasury currently expects to reach the new limit between January 14 and January 23, at which time it will be necessary for Treasury to start taking extraordinary measures,' Yellen wrote, according to NBC News.

'I respectfully urge Congress to act to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.'

Once the US hits the debt ceiling, the government cannot borrow any more money and will default, leaving it unable to pay bills unless the president and Congress negotiate a way to lift the limit on the ability to borrow.

The debt ceiling was previously suspended in June 2023 following a contentious negotiation over federal spending, work requirements for receiving government benefits and funding the Internal Revenue Service.

But the suspension is now set to expire on January 2 - and when it is reinstated, the national debt would automatically increase by the amount of debt that has been incurred since the suspension.

Outgoing Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed that the federal government will hit its debt limit as early as next month unless Congress takes action

She sent a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson saying the Treasury expects to reach the debt limit by mid January

Yellen now says the federal government only has a few weeks to pass legislation to raise debt ceiling before the Treasury would have to implement the 'extraordinary measures.'

Congress would then have several months to pass legislation to raise the debt ceiling, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But this is not the first time Yellen has raised concerns about the debt ceiling.

In 2021, she called the debt limit 'destructive' as she argued it should be eliminated, the New York Times reports.

President-elect Donald Trump has also spoken out in favor of eliminating the debt limit - which is typically a Democrat proposal.

'The Democrats have said they want to get rid of it,' Trump told NBC News. 'If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge.'

He also said last week that the 'debt ceiling guillotine' should either be extended or terminated before he takes office, as the national debt exceeds $36trillion.

Trump then tried to get a provision raising or eliminating the debt ceiling tacked on to the end-of-year spending bill, before he takes office and tries to pass through a new round of tax cuts and spending priorities.

President-elect Donald Trump has spoken out in favor of eliminating the debt limit - which is typically a Democrat proposal

The debt ceiling was previously suspended in June 2023 following a contentious negotiation over federal spending, work requirements for receiving government benefits and funding the Internal Revenue Service

Trump demanded Congress include provisions to extend or abolish the debt ceiling in the bill, threatening electoral primary challengers against Republicans who voted to fund the government while excluding debt limit.

In the end, 170 Republicans defied him, preventing the measure from moving forward.

But now Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, faces a difficult time trying to get the debt ceiling raised or eliminated as the Republican party enjoys only a slim majority in the House of Representatives.

Republicans have historically cited the debt ceiling during negotiations with Democrats as they claim federal spending is too high, and have argued against its elimination or getting it raised.

Yellen now says the federal government only has a few weeks to pass legislation to raise debt ceiling before the Treasury would have to implement the 'extraordinary measures'

House Republicans have now been discussing raising the debt limit in a party-line bill as part of their efforts to increase border enforcement and extend tax cuts.

Doing so would not authorize any new spending, but would allow the Treasury to issue new debt to cover spending Congress has already authorized.

But raising the debt ceiling without any support from Democrats would mean only a few Republican defections could be afforded.
Shocking footage has captured the moment a bong-wielding driver attacked a ute belonging to popular crocodile wrangler Steve Turnbull.

The dramatic road rage incident unfolded on the Pacific Motorway, in Rochedale South, near Logan, in Brisbane's southeast, at 3.50pm last Sunday.

Dashcam footage from Mr Turnbull's ute, which was later uploaded to social media, captured the moment a silver hatchback pulled over on the Exit 19 off-ramp.

Mr Turnbull, who was driving behind another vehicle, also entered the off-ramp and was forced to stop behind the two cars.

The driver of the hatchback, who was shirtless, got out of the car and walked up to Mr Turnbull's ute carrying what appeared to be a bong in one hand.

'You've got a f*****g bong in your hand mate,' Mr Turbull says in the clip.

The two drivers then got into a heated exchange as the driver of the hatchback repeatedly swore at Mr Turnbull before he returned to his car and drove off.

At one point, a woman in the man's car got out of the car and began to yell and make gestures at Mr Turnbull.

Mr Turnbull claimed the motorist swerved in front of his ute as he was merging from the Gateway Motorway onto the M1 before the dramatic incident (pictured) unfolded

The driver (pictured) of the hatchback, who was wearing nothing but black shorts, got out of the car and walked up to Mr Turnbull's ute carrying what appeared to be a bong in one hand

Mr Turnbull (pictured), who is also a well known tour and safari guide, was driving back from a visit to the Australian Zoo at the time

Mr Turnbull claimed the motorist swerved in front of his ute as he was merging from the Gateway Motorway onto the M1.

'I honked my horn at him, he didn't like that and proceeded to attack my car with his bong,' he told the Courier Mail.

'I tried to take the Rochedale turn off, and he cuts across and then jumps out of the car with the bong in his hand and came down and started abusing me and smashed the side mirror off the car.'

Mr Turnbull, who is also a well known tour and safari guide, was driving back from a visit to the Australian Zoo at the time.

He also claimed the driver spat on him and his son and allegedly tried to smash the window while he wound it up.

The dramatic incident didn't end there as the footage captured the angry driver entering the wrong side of a one-way road at the intersection.

The hatchback narrowly avoided colliding with another vehicle before the driver merged back onto the right side of the road at the next intersection.

Queensland Police said they are investigating the incident.
A North Carolina family is heartbroken after their beloved dog was shot and killed by a police officer on Christmas Eve.

Lisbeth Negrete, 21, and her family are mourning the death of their dog, Maxi, after the family pet was tragically shot in the head after it charged at a Raleigh Police officer.

Raleigh Police were going door-to-door investigating a stolen car on he 3900 block of Alder Grove Lane when the aggressive dog charged at an officer, Raleigh Police Department Lt. Jason Borneo said.

The officer discharged his weapon, striking the dog. Unfortunately, the dog died. This is not the result we want especially on Christmas Eve, Borneo added.

Negrete and her family were having dinner when she heard gunshots and ran to the front yard where she discovered the Husky pup with a gunshot wound to the head.

I just remember running up to him, hugging him. I cried. It was just so bad, Negrete told WRAL News.

Why didnt he tase him, pepper spray? Why did they have to shoot him right in the head?

A North Carolina family is mourning the death of their dog, Maxi, after the family pet was tragically shot in the head after it charged at a Raleigh Police officer

Lisbeth Negrete, 21, and her family were having dinner when she heard gunshots and ran to the front yard where she discovered the Husky pup with a gunshot wound to the head

Negrete said that Maxi was often left outside, off of a leash, as he was trained to stay on her property.

He was being friendly, Negrete said. Every dog would run up to a person to say, hey, or anything, especially if they're playful, which I see [the officer's] point of view, but what I don't understand ... they're trained to deal with people.

'They should be trained to deal with dogs.

The incident was captured on home surveillance video, however, there are significant gaps in the coverage which the family blames on a technical glitch'.

The security camera video shows the Raleigh Police patrol cars arrival before glitching to the scene when the officer and the dog are on the ground.

Gunshots can also be heard in the video.

Borneo said police are working with the family who owned the dog.

The officer involved could face disciplinary action following an internal investigation into the matter, according to Borneo.

A similar incident unfolded earlier this year when an Iowa police officer fatally shot a family dog within seconds of the pet approaching him on a front yard.

He was being friendly, Negrete (pictured) said. Every dog would run up to a person to say, hey, or anything, especially if they're playful, which I see [the officer's] point of view, but what I don't understand ... they're trained to deal with people. They should be trained to deal with dogs'

Raleigh Police were going door-to-door investigating a stolen car incident on he 3900 block of Alder Grove Lane when the aggressive dog charged at an officer, Raleigh Police Department Lt. Jason Borneo said. Pictured: A Raleigh Police officer seen on home security footage

The under-fire Davenport Police Department released bodycam video from officer Ethan Bock following an August 21 shooting where he killed the dog, named Myst, in front of two young children.

In the footage, the black retriever-mix was seen barking at Bock and sprinting towards him with bared fangs as soon as the cop arrived, as the officer said 'hey, hey, hey' to calm the dog down.

Within four seconds, Bock pulled out his gun and shot the pet several times, leading to chaotic scenes as the family's two young children screamed in terror.

As the children's mother Brandy Hesseltine raced outside and began wailing, Bock is heard in the bodycam admitting on his police radio: 'Shots fired... yeah, I just shot a dog.'

The fatal dog shooting captured headlines earlier this week after surveillance footage from the family's home showed the moment the beloved bet was gunned down.
A man was burned inside Manhattan's Penn Station train terminal on Friday, just days after a woman was set ablaze inside a Brooklyn subway car.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority police received a report of a man on fire at the transit hub just before 8pm, and when officers arrived on the scene, they found a 67-year-old man on fire near the entrance to the subway, according to the New York Daily News.

He had burn injuries to both her legs and upper body, which a fire department spokesman told the New York Times were serious but not life threatening.

The unidentified victim was then taken to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition.

A man was burned inside Manhattan's Penn Station train terminal on Friday near the entrance to the subway system

Officers with the New York State police, MTA Police Department and the New York Fire Department were then seen focusing on a New Jersey Transit tunnel

Officers with the New York State police, MTA Police Department and the New York Fire Department were then seen focusing on a New Jersey Transit tunnel near tracks one through 12, according to the New York Post.

It was cordoned off by police tape as authorities seemed to focus on scraps of white clothing scattered on the ground.

Police said they were reviewing footage from security cameras and trying to find witnesses, as they investigate what caused the man's injuries.

But it comes just days after an illegal migrant allegedly set a woman on fire.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, has now been indicted on five charges of murder and arson.

Police said they were reviewing footage from security cameras and trying to find witnesses, as they investigate what caused the man's injuries

He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder as well as one count of first-degree arson, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office announced Friday.

Zapeta-Calil, who has been held without bail since his arrest after the horrific incident, waived his right to appear in court.

He is scheduled to be arraigned January 7.
Miss Viet Kitchen, in Adelaide, will be closing soon

Another restaurant has been forced to shut its doors amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

Miss Viet Kitchen, in Port Adelaide, South Australia, announced it would be closing after seven years 'wonderful years' of service on Friday.

The eatery was described by locals as 'fantastic' and had even won the silver award in the 2023 Restaurant and Catering National Awards for Best Vietnamese Restaurant.

It supplied diners with a mix of traditional Vietnamese cuisine with a seafood twist after first opening in 2018.

Unfortunately however, Miss Viet Kitchen's owners announced on social media with 'a heavy heart' that they could no longer support it.

'It's been an incredible journey, and we couldn't have done it without your amazing support,' its owners wrote.

Customers were encouraged to 'come and enjoy your favourite dishes' in the eatery one last time for a final feed before the doors are shut for good.

'Your presence will mean the world to us as we say goodbye,' the post continued.

Miss Viet Kitchen, in Port Adelaide, South Australia, announced it would soon be closing its doors on Friday

The eatery had operated for seven 'wonderful' years prior to its closure

The owners of Miss Viet Kitchen confirmed it will close in the coming weeks but the announcement post published on its social media page did not specify why it was closing.

A string of other restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney have recently closed citing the rising cost of supplies and staff labour had combined with diners choosing to eat out less as they watch their wallets.

Social media users were quick to eulogise the popular bistro following its shock closure.

'So very sad to hear this news. We have been going almost weekly since Holly and her team first opened. We hosted my husband's 70th birthday at Miss Viet and was fantastic. Sending you all best wishes for the future,' one person wrote.

'I think I need to order 10x of my favourite menu items and pop them in the freezer so I can still get my fix. The only low so pho I know of, you're my staple when I'm unwell, best in Adelaide (in my opinion),' another added.

Many small business both inside and outside the hospitality industry have been shuttering as of late due to their rising cost of operation amidst the nation's increasing affordability issues.

Small businesses are bearing the worst of the economic crisis, according to a report from CreditorWatch which was published in May.

Miss Viet Kitchen's staff announced the shocking closure on social media

The report warned that one-in-13 businesses were likely to fail in current conditions.

CreditorWatch's chief executive Patrick Coghlan said the economic troubles were likely to worsen before they get better.

'Hospitality is a high risk industry even in boom times unfortunately,' Mr Coghlan told Newcorp.

'It's hard for hospitality businesses to pass on price rises compared to those in most other sectors. Consumers can easily 'trade down' to a cheaper venue or just eat at home.'
The late husband of a woman who baked an 'arsenic-laced' Christmas cake that killed her two sisters and niece is set to be exhumed by police over fears he may have been fatally poisoned months earlier.

Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos, 61, from Torres, Brazil, prepared a traditional 'Bolo de Natal' Christmas cake for a festive family meal on December 23.

However, her sisters Maida, 58, and Neuza, 65, and Neuza's daughter Tatiana, 43, all died shortly after eating it - with authorities later revealing that traces of the toxic metal arsenic were found in their bodies.

Three other family members, including Zeli herself and a 10-year-old boy - believed to be Tatiana's son - fell ill and were also rushed to hospital.

Police are now preparing to dig up the body of Zeli's late husband, Paulo Luiz, who died from a suspected bout of food poisoning in September.

It comes as suspicion falls upon Zeli after the festive tragedy, as Brazilian authorities seek to determine whether she intentionally poisoned her loved ones.

It's believed Zeli has spoken to detectives from her hospital bed. However, she has not yet been arrested or charged with any offence.

Seven members of the family were eating the cake in Zeli's home on the coast of Brazil. Only one person, who has not been named, did not eat the festive bake.

Police are now preparing to dig up the body of Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos late husband, Paulo Luiz, who died months earlier from a suspected bout of food poisoning in September

Zeli , 61, pictured, who is in hospital, baked the Christmas cake which poisoned her family

The Christmas cake, pictured, eaten by the three women before they died

Blood tests carried out by doctors revealed arsenic in the blood of some of the victims, a potent poison the symptoms of which cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Officer Marcos Vinicius Veloso, who is leading the case, said there are no records of inheritance disputes or rows between family members.

It is believed Zeli ate two cake slices and was the first one to be taken to hospital after becoming severely ill - where she remains in stable condition.

She has reportedly told police she bought some the ingredients on Monday before the gathering.

Police have not yet determined whether the victims were poisoned.

Tatiana and Maida are believed to have both suffered fatal heart attack while, Neuza died from 'shock after food poisoning'.

According to the police officer on the case, arsenic was found in Neuza's body as well as two other victims who survived.

Neighbours in the area will be interviewed by officers.

Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos, 43, pictured, died following having the Christmas cake on December 23

Neuza Denize Silva dos Anjo, 65, pictured left, was rushed to hospital in critical condition before also dying the following day. Maida Berenice Flores da Silva, 58, pictured right, also died

A friend of one of the people who died told a local news channel it was a traditional cake that the family made every year.

Police have carried out an examination of the food eaten by the family and other items in the house, and many of them were expired.

Zeli is thought to have told the authorities about the time and place where the ingredients were purchased.

A police statement to local network, Globo, said: 'We even have information that there was mayonnaise there that had expired a year ago.

'There were expired products in the residence. A bottle was found, a medicine, which should have had capsules inside it and there were no capsules - there was a white liquid and this white liquid will also be examined.'

It's understood that once Zeli has been released from hospital, she will be further questioned by investigators from the Civil Police.

Officials from the Hospital Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes de Torres said Tatiana and Maida both died from 'cardiac arrest'.

While Neuzas cause of death has been disclosed as 'shock after food poisoning'.

The 10-year-old boy is believed to be in a stable condition following the tragedy.

Maida is understood to have been a teacher. Tributes have since been paid following her death, with friends hailing her a 'wonderful person'.

One co-worker and friend wrote: 'She was my colleague, she is my friend and my sweetheart! To be special and much loved by us all!! It's unbelievable... strength to all of us, friends and family.'

Tributes have since been paid to Maida, a teacher, hailed as 'wonderful' by friends

It's believed Zeli, pictured, ate two cake slices and was the first one to be taken to hospital after becoming severely ill. She is set to be further questioned by local police once released

The tragedy in Brazil follows a case in Australia in which a woman has been accused of killing her in-laws by allegedly poisoning them with wild mushrooms.

Erin Patterson, 48, is said to have invited her former partner Simon Patterson to her home for the meal on July 29. 2023, with his parents Gail and Tom Patterson, 70, along with Gails sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian, 68.

A day later, all four guests fell ill. Within a week, three would be dead, the fourth fighting for his life and the 48-year-old woman who cooked the lunch questioned by police amid claims she deliberately poisoned her relatives with wild mushrooms.

Patterson, who did not suffer any ill effects from the meal, previously claimed she had no idea the mushrooms she served were death caps - the most poisonous mushrooms in the world.

However, the 49-year-old has since been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Her trial is expected to start on April 28, 2025, in the supreme court, sitting in Morwell.
The Pope has called for peace, fellowship and gratitude in an appearance on the BBC's Thought For The Day segment.

In a pre-recorded message which was played during the show's religious slot, Pope Franics also urged people across the globe to practice 'hope and kindness' heading into the new year.

The message comes just days into the beginning of the Catholic Church's year-long celebrations marking the Holy Year jubilee, a centuries old tradition which occurs just once every 25 years.

Thought for the Day is a regular segment on BBC Radio 4's Today programme which sees leaders and members from all major faiths share their perspectives on the world.

Professor Irene Tracey of the University of Oxford was the programme's guest editor and had invited the head of the Catholic Church to appear on the segment.

Francis recorded the message of well wishes in Italian, before it was then translated into English for UK radio audiences.

In the message, Francis said: 'Hope and kindness touch the very heart of the Gospel and show us the path to follow in our behaviour. A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world.

'A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane'.

Pope Francis leads the traditional Urbi et Orbi Christmas Day blessing from the central balcony of Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican City, 25 December 2024

In a pre-recorded message on the BBC's Thought for the Day, which was played during the show's religious slot, Pope Franics urged people across the globe to practice 'hope and kindness'

Hope was a central tenet of Francis' message, with his Holiness saying: 'Even though we do not know what tomorrow may hold for us, we should not look to the future with pessimism and resignation.

'Wars, social injustices, and the many forms of violence we are exposed to every day should not dishearten us nor draw us towards scepticism and discouragement'.

Kindness was also a prominet theme in his remarks, as the Pope reminded listeners that it was 'not a diplomatic strategy' but instead represented a 'form of love that opens hearts to acceptance, and helps us all to become more humble'.

The Pope also made reference to British author G K Chesterton by sharing his invitation to 'take the elements of life with gratitude and not for granted'.

He added: 'I hope that during this Jubilee we can practice kindness as a form of love to connect with others.

'May the New Year bring us peace, fellowship and gratitude.'

Pope Francis has appeared on the Thought for the Day segment once before in October 2021 prior to the COP26 climate summit.

On that occasion, he called for world leaders to take action and help preserve the planet for future generations.

Pope Francis is just the second leader of the Catholic Church to appear on the BBC's Thought for the Day segment

The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis during the Urbi et Orbi message and blessing to the city and the world as part of Christmas celebrations, at St Peter's Square

He is only the second Pope to appear on the segment after his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI delivered a Christmas Eve message in 2010.

The appearance comes just days after Pope Francis used his traditional Christmas message to urge 'all people of all nations' to find courage during this Holy Year 'to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions'.

The pontiff's 'Urbi et Orbi' - 'To the City and the World' - address served as a summary of the woes facing the world this year, with Francis calling for broad reconciliation, 'even (with) our enemies'.

'I invite every individual, and all people of all nations ... to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions,' the pope said from the loggia of St Peter's Basilica to throngs of people below.

He called for arms to be silenced in war-torn Ukraine and in the Middle East, singling out Christian communities in Israel and the Palestinian territories, 'particularly in Gaza where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave' as well as Lebanon and Syria 'at this most delicate time'.

Francis also repeated his calls for the release of hostages taken from Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on Christmas Day killing 38 people was shot down by Russia, the White House has said.

National security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday there were 'early indications' that the jet was brought down by 'Russian air defence systems'.

And when pressed on whether there was US intelligence that led to that conclusion, Mr Kirby said 'yes' but refused to provide any further details.

It comes as Russian aviation chief Dmitry Yadrov tried to blame the crash near Aktau in Western Kazakhstan on fog.

He said the plane, which was flying from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, failed to land at its intended destination several times due to the weather.

Yadrov claimed the pilot decided to land in Aktau despite air traffic controllers allowing the aircraft to use other Russian airports.

'The situation in the area of Grozny airport was quite difficult,' he said in a statement. 'There are many circumstances that it's necessary to investigate jointly.'

He did not comment on statements by Azerbaijani politician Rashad Nabiyev who blamed the crash on Russian air defences responding to a Ukrainian attack.

The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan

Pictured: White House national security spokesperson John Kirby who said there were early indications Russia had shot down the plane

This image shows the crash landing of the Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan

Officials in Moscow have previously said a drone attack was under way in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for, causing it to divert.

Terrifying footage from inside the aircraft show the moments before and after it ploughed into the ground and erupted into a ball of flames.

Some of the 67 passengers and five crew members on board made final frantic video calls to loved ones.

Chief flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva has been praised for bravely comforting passengers as the pilots desperately tried to save the plane.

In one clip, the flight attendant could be heard telling those onboard 'everything will be fine' over the tannoy.

It has now been confirmed that Aliyeva was among the 38 of the 67 on board who died.

Aliyeva's family have since paid tribute to the 'cheerful' flight attendant, adding that 'she always told us to be proud of her'.

The flight had left Baku and was flying over over the republic of Dagestan along the Caspian Sea coast when it disappeared from tracking on Christmas morning.

It then showed up around an hour later off course, flying low above the water near western Kazakhstan before crashing.

Footage of the crashed plane has revealed suspicious holes in the fuselage, leading to rumours it was shot down by Russians.

Azerbaijan Airlines on Friday blamed the crash on unspecified 'physical and technical interference' and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports.

It did not say where the interference came from or provide any further details.

Pictured: Fllight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on Christmas Day

This is the horrific moment a passenger plane hit the ground in a fireball in a Christmas Day crash landing

Footage of the crash showed the plane bursting into flames as it hit the ground and thick black smoke then rising

Mr Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's minister of digital development and transportation, told Azerbaijani media that 'preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact'. as does witness testimony.

'The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe,' Mr Nabiyev said.

Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Flight attendant Aydan Rahimli said that after one loud noise, the oxygen masks automatically released.

She said that she went to perform first aid on a colleague, Zulfugar Asadov, and then they heard another bang.

Mr Asadov said that the noises sounded like something hitting the plane from outside. He denied Kazakh officials' claim that an oxygen canister exploded inside the plane.

Authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have been tight-lipped about a possible cause pending an official probe.

But a member of Azerbaijan's parliament, Rasim Musabekov, told the Azerbaijani news agency Turan on Thursday that the plane was fired on while in the skies over Grozny and urged Russia to offer an official apology.

Asked about Mr Musabekov's statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, saying that it will be up to investigators to determine the cause of the crash.

'The air incident is being investigated, and we don't believe we have the right to make any assessments until the conclusions are made as a result of the investigation,' Mr Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

Rescuers are pictured crawling into the plane wreck to look for survivors

Emergency services are pictured above at the scene of the plane crash

Investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny as part of the crash probe, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office said in a statement.

As the probe began, some aviation experts pointed out that holes seen in the plane's tail section suggested that it could have come under fire from Russian air defence systems fending off a Ukrainian drone attack.

Ukrainian drones have previously attacked Grozny and other areas in the country's North Caucasus.

FlightRadar24 said in an online post that the aircraft faced 'strong GPS jamming' that interfered with flight tracking data. Russia has extensively used sophisticated jamming equipment to fend off drone attacks.

Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozy and Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced on Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities.

The company will continue to operate flights to six Russian cities, including Moscow and St Petersburg. Those cities also have been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes in the past.

Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air also announced on Friday that it was suspending flights from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month.

FlyDubai also halted flights to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody in southern Russian until January 5.

The day before, Israel's El Al carrier suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow citing 'developments in Russia's airspace'. The airline said it would reassess the situation next week.
A man has died after he was attacked by a shark while fishing with his family.

Emergency services were called to Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands National Park, about 18km off the central Queensland coast, on Saturday following reports a man had been attacked.

The 40-year-old was bitten by the shark while fishing with family members about 4.30pm, a Queensland Police spokesman told AAP.

A helicopter was sent to the scene with a medical team on board but they were unable to save the man.

He suffered extensive injuries to his neck and despite efforts by paramedics to save his life, the man died just before 6pm.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

This latest attack is the worst in a string of other shark attacks which have taken place in recent months.

A 40-year-old man has died after being bitten on the neck by a shark off Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands National Park, about 18km off the central Queensland coast on Saturday

The incident is the latest in a string of shark attacks since September (stock image)

One man in his 60s who was bitten by a shark while spearfishing off Curtis Island at 8.25am on December 2.

The man suffered minor to moderate wounds to his forearms and bystanders performed first aid to quell the bleeding while paramedics arrived.

Another 57-year-old woman was attacked while snorkelling on a reef about 200km off Mackay's coast at 4.30pm onOctober 30.

She sustained two 30cm bite wounds to her calf and it took more than eight hours to get her back to shore.

Bystanders again performed first aid on the woman and the Australian Navy assisted in getting her back to the mainland.
Two men are being sought by police as part of a homicide investigation into the death of a young woman who was found with a gunshot wound and not breathing on a suburban Queensland street.

Police say Chloe Jade Mason, 23, known to those close to her as CeeJay, was chased and shot by two men just before she was found outside the home at Caboolture in the state's southeast on December 22.

Detectives on Saturday released images of two males they say might be able to help in solving the targeted attack on Railway Parade, which happened just after midnight.

Officers found the young woman unconscious and she was unable to be revived.

Detectives believe Ms Mason was shot while being 'assaulted by two male persons'.

The weapon used during the incident is yet to be recovered and the two unidentified assailants remain on the run.

Queensland police also released CCTV footage of the scene at the time of the shooting which includes audio in a public appeal for more information.

Police are also urging the two men involved to contact them.

Chloe Jade Mason, known to those close to her as CeeJay, was chased and shot by two men in Caboolture, southeast Queensland

Officers are urging these two men to contact them as detectives say they could help solve the crime (pictured)

Queensland police released CCTV footage of the scene at the time of the shooting in a public appeal for more information

Detective Inspector David Harbison said she had been shot at by two men, and investigators were treating her death as a homicide.

'Early investigations indicate the deceased was assaulted by two male persons who may have chased her down Railway Parade,' he told reporters earlier in the week.

'Police are investigating reports of up to three to four shots fired in that street.'

During the assault the woman is believed to have received a gunshot wound.

Det Insp Harbison said police did not believe the incident was a random attack, with the parties involved known to each other.

Anyone who travelled along Railway Parade between 11.40pm on December 21 to 12.15am on December 22 is urged to contact police.

Detective Inspector David Harbison said she had been shot at by two men, and investigators were treating her death as a homicide

Daily Mail Australia previously revealed that Ms Mason was involved in a stabbing that almost claimed her life years before she was shot.

'I'm in the [hospital] ward now,' she shared on social media in 2016.

'Still have 24/7 nurses hanging around me, checking up [and] making sure everything is correct and that nothing is out of place.

'I have 2 drains in my heart to drain all the blood that's leaking from the valve that's been sliced when the knife penetrated my heart 3 cm deep.

'I am fighting through this with the love and support from my family and friends.'

The shocking revelation comes after it was revealed her former on-again, off-again boyfriend Kane Alexanderson, 18, was himself stabbed to death in 2020 during a knife fight.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that in 2016 Ms Mason was involved in a stabbing that almost claimed her life

Ms Mason's devastated sisters shared their tributes on social media and launched a fundraiser to pay for her funeral hours after her death on December 22

Hours after her death, Ms Mason's devastated sister launched a fundraiser to share a heartbreaking message.

'Chloe was chased down by 2 men and fatally shot on the 22nd of December 2024 in Brisbane,' Hannah McKone posted on GoFundMe.

'Chloe was only 23 years old.'

'Being so close to Christmas her family has no savings or financial means to give her a funeral.

'We are graciously asking for help and support in this. All funds donated will be directly utilised for Chloe's funeral service.'

Another sister, Danni Mason, remembered Chloe as a 'daughter, a sister, an aunt and a friend ... who was loved by many'.

'This loss has devastated our family and we struggle to come to terms with this so close to the holidays,' she wrote.

'As sisters we grieve for the things she won't experience, all the things we aren't able to share and the memories we won't make. She was an incredible woman.'

Neighbours told the ABC that they heard hearing several gunshots shortly before the woman's body was found.

'I heard about three or four gunshots and then a little bit of whimpering, and then I heard a man yelling out f****** c***,' one recalled.

'(It was) very scary.'
Mysterious coded signs have recently appeared at hundreds of public beaches along Australia's western coastline, puzzling locals and tourists.

More than 1,700 of the green signposts have been installed on beaches in Western Australia in recent months.

There is a simple explanation, however, with the signs part of a new safety initiative intended to prevent more people from losing their lives.

The purpose of the signs is to allow beachgoers who need help to quickly and easily convey to emergency services their location along the coast.

Each sign has a unique identifying code, known as a BEN, which can be quoted on triple-0 calls to pinpoint the area of an emergency.

This will allow responders to rapidly head straight to the scene so that they can save lives if needed.

The measure was introduced by the City of Mandurah and has since been adopted by 42 other local government authorities across the state.

They get their name from Ben Gerring, a father-to-be who died after a shark bit off half his leg while he was surfing in 2016.

The 29-year-old was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital but ultimately died of his injuries.

More than 1,700 BEN signs have been installed along the WA coastline

Each red and green sign contains a unique identifier for the beach it is placed on

Michael Burke from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the signs will be especially useful for future shark attacks.

'Becoming familiar with these green and red signs at your favourite beaches is very important in helping emergency services use the unique BEN code when help is needed,' Mr Burke told Yahoo.

'Each BEN sign has a unique code that can be quoted in the case of an emergency to support first responders to attend the location as quickly as possible.'

The unique identifying numbers on BEN signs have already been quoted in more than 3,100 distress calls across the state since their introduction in 2023.

Ben's brother, Rick, has spent years campaigning for the signs to be installed en-masse.

'The majority of Australians live on the coast and we love going for swim and surfing and diving, and everything on and under the water,' Rick told Mandurah Times.

'We want tourists to come here, we want people to enjoy the lifestyle.'

Anyone in need of emergency services can quote the BEN code for immediate assistance on whatever beach they are calling from

Mr Gerring was attacked at the popular Gearies break at Falcon Beach, 80km south of Perth.

At the time, his family thanked everyone involved in his rescue and treatment at Royal Perth Hospital, particularly fellow beachgoers who rushed to his aid.

'The guys that actually swam out, to me, they are absolute heroes. They're just incredible to risk their own lives to go out and get him. And through them, they gave us those days (in hospital) with our boy,' Shane Gerring told The Sunday Times.

'They're angels of the ocean, they really are.'

The surfer's brother Rick also thanked the 'heroes' who helped Mr Gerring from the water and emergency services for trying to save him.

'Ben loved the ocean, but his great love is and always will be Jasmine,' Rick told reporters on Saturday.

Mr Gerring's fiancee Jasmine Boyer had been expecting the couple's first child.

'We've got a lot to deal with now and we've got a bub on the way, Ben's first and the first grandchild for me,' Mr Gerring's father said.

The signs get their name from Ben Gerring, 29, who died after being attacked by a shark while surfing in 2016

A 4.2 metre great white shark was later trapped and killed after it was caught on baited drum lines near where Mr Gerring was attacked.

He was pulled from the water at a popular surf break of Gearies near Falcon after a shark attacked him from behind about 4pm in the afternoon.

Western Australia's Department of Fisheries set baited drum lines at at the site of the attack to trap the shark as part of its controversial serious threat policy.
President Biden has been forced to stop auctioning off materials used for the border wall after the Texas Attorney General stepped in to block the sales.

The unused material was put up for grabs by Congress who put a plan in place on how to dispose of the excess product after ending wall construction in 2021.

Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Friday that he had stopped the administration from getting rid of any more before president-elect Trump takes office in January.

The Biden administration agreed with the court order, according to Fox News, allowing President Trump to use the materials.

Last week, Trump asked a court in the red state to intervene in the sales, accusing Biden of selling off the materials after it was required to do so by Congress.

Paxton's office said that the incumbent administration could be held in contempt of court if they go against the order.

The Southern state has long said they would continue to help Trump rebuild the wall at the southern border when he enters office.

The unused material was put up for grabs by Congress who put a plan in place on how to dispose of the excess product after ending wall construction in 2021

The Biden administration agreed with the court order, according to Fox News , allowing President Trump to use the materials

Speaking at a Mar-a-Lago press conference earlier this month, Trump had threatened legal action himself on the sale of the unused portions.

He told reporters: 'We're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more on building the same wall we already have. It's almost a criminal act.'

He has vowed to crack down on immigration, suggesting a complete overhaul of the current laws in place as soon as he takes office on January 20.

Paxton said: 'We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office.

'This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nations border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trumps immigration agenda.'

Last year, a website called GovPlanet, which offers online auctions for military surplus, listed hundreds of unused parts of the southern barrier.

Between April and August of 2023, they sold 81 steel square structural tubes, which would have been used within the wall's panels, selling them for a $2 million profit.

Officials also managed to sell over 700 28-foot hollow beams in five separate lots for $212 each.

Speaking at a Mar-a-Lago press conference earlier this month, Trump had threatened legal action himself on the sale of the unused portions

Last year a website called GovPlanet, which offers online auctions for military surplus, listed hundreds of unused parts of the southern barrier

Joe Biden walks with U.S. Border Patrol agents along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso Texas in January 2023

Trump has brought in former ICE director Tom Homan to serve as 'border czar' for his government, overseeing the largest deportation of immigrants in US history.

Trump said that Homan would oversee the country's borders in the incoming administration.

Prior to his appointment, Homan said that Trump will use the US Army to round up and deport 'the worst of the worst' illegal migrants in an unparalleled crackdown.

Homan said all of the estimated 20 million people residing in the US illegally would be targeted by the campaign, noting: 'Bottom line: if you come to the country illegally, you're not off the table.'

Homan, who was head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Trump's first stint in the White House, said he would revive the president elect's 'remain in Mexico' program, in which Mexicans would have their asylum applications processed on their side of the border.

He also promised to close the southern border and build a wall - another flagship Trump pledge.

But the former immigration chief dismissed any suggestion that concentration camps could be used to hold migrants rounded up in the deportation program.

Instead he said he would explore possible arrangements for asylum seekers to be processed in third countries - in an echo of the Rwanda scheme previously touted under Britain before being ditched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government.
A humiliated Vladimir Putin has given a mealy-mouthed apology after a passenger plane was downed on Christmas Day, killing 38 people.

The Kremlin dictator called Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev to say sorry for Russian air defences firing at the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft, in a rare remark by the tyrant.

A total of 38 passengers died in the crash in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after it was shot at over Grozny, its destination after a flight from Baku.

Although seemingly stopping short of saying Russia blasted the jet down, Putin did admit that its air defences were 'active' at the time and 'repelling' a drone attack.

In a statement, the Kremlin said: 'A detailed discussion was held regarding the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane on 25 December near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

'Vladimir Putin expressed his apologies for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace.

'He once again extended his deepest and most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

'During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft, which was strictly following its scheduled route, had made several attempts to land at the airport in Grozny.

The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan

This is the horrific moment a passenger plane hit the ground in a fireball in a Christmas Day crash landing

Putin (pictured today) has apologised to Azerbaijan over the downed jet as he admitted Russian air defences were 'active' at the time it crashed

'At the time, Grozny, Mozdok, and Vladikavkaz were under attack by Ukrainian combat drones, and Russian air defence systems were repelling these assaults.'

The plane is believed to have been downed by a Pantsir-S air defence system.

The Kremlin said: 'The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport). Initial investigative actions are underway, and both civilian and military specialists are being questioned.

'At present, two employees from the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, working jointly with representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

'Specialised services from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are closely cooperating at the crash site near Aktau.'

The news comes after the White House claimed the Azerbaijan Airlines was shot down by Russia.

National security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday there were 'early indications' the jet was brought down by 'Russian air defence systems'.

And when pressed on whether there was US intelligence that led to that conclusion, Mr Kirby said 'yes' but refused to provide any further details.

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A Russian Pantsir-S1 self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery system

Pictured: White House national security spokesperson John Kirby who said there were early indications Russia had shot down the plane

It comes as Russian aviation chief Dmitry Yadrov tried to blame the crash near Aktau in Western Kazakhstan on fog.

He said the plane, which was flying from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, Chechnya, failed to land at its intended destination several times due to the weather.

Yadrov claimed the pilot decided to land in Aktau despite air traffic controllers allowing the aircraft to use other Russian airports.

'The situation in the area of Grozny airport was quite difficult,' he said in a statement. 'There are many circumstances that it's necessary to investigate jointly.'

He did not comment on statements by Azerbaijani politician Rashad Nabiyev who blamed the crash on Russian air defences responding to a Ukrainian attack.

Officials in Moscow have previously said a drone attack was under way in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for, causing it to divert.

Terrifying footage from inside the aircraft show the moments before and after it ploughed into the ground and erupted into a ball of flames.

Some of the 67 passengers and five crew members on board made final frantic video calls to loved ones.

Chief flight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva has been praised for bravely comforting passengers as the pilots desperately tried to save the plane.

In one clip, the flight attendant could be heard telling those onboard 'everything will be fine' over the tannoy.

This image shows the crash landing of the Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan

Shrapnel-like holes seen on the plane from a window before the crash

It has now been confirmed that Aliyeva was among the 38 of the 67 on board who died.

Aliyeva's family have since paid tribute to the 'cheerful' flight attendant, adding that 'she always told us to be proud of her'.

The flight had left Baku and was flying over over the republic of Dagestan along the Caspian Sea coast when it disappeared from tracking on Christmas morning.

It then showed up around an hour later off course, flying low above the water near western Kazakhstan before crashing.

Footage of the crashed plane has revealed suspicious holes in the fuselage, leading to rumours it was shot down by Russians.

Azerbaijan Airlines on Friday blamed the crash on unspecified 'physical and technical interference' and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports.

It did not say where the interference came from or provide any further details.

Pictured: Fllight attendant Hokuma Aliyeva who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on Christmas Day

Footage of the crash showed the plane bursting into flames as it hit the ground and thick black smoke then rising

Mr Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's minister of digital development and transportation, told Azerbaijani media that 'preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact'. as does witness testimony.

'The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe,' Mr Nabiyev said.

Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Flight attendant Aydan Rahimli said that after one loud noise, the oxygen masks automatically released.

She said that she went to perform first aid on a colleague, Zulfugar Asadov, and then they heard another bang.

Mr Asadov said that the noises sounded like something hitting the plane from outside. He denied Kazakh officials' claim that an oxygen canister exploded inside the plane.

Authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have been tight-lipped about a possible cause pending an official probe.

But a member of Azerbaijan's parliament, Rasim Musabekov, told the Azerbaijani news agency Turan on Thursday that the plane was fired on while in the skies over Grozny and urged Russia to offer an official apology.

Asked about Mr Musabekov's statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, saying that it will be up to investigators to determine the cause of the crash.

'The air incident is being investigated, and we don't believe we have the right to make any assessments until the conclusions are made as a result of the investigation,' Mr Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.

Rescuers are pictured crawling into the plane wreck to look for survivors

Emergency services are pictured above at the scene of the plane crash

Survivors of the horror crash previously described how as the flight approached Grozny, it entered thick fog.

They describe the pilot attempting to land the plane twice during these conditions.

It was on the third attempt, survivors claimed, that they felt a series of explosions hit the plane.

'The third time, something exploded... some of the aircraft's skin had blown out,' one told Russian TV.

Investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny as part of the crash probe, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office said in a statement.

As the probe began, some aviation experts pointed out that holes seen in the plane's tail section suggested that it could have come under fire from Russian air defence systems fending off a Ukrainian drone attack.

Ukrainian drones have previously attacked Grozny and other areas in the country's North Caucasus.

The tomb of Mahammadali Eganov, 13 who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport

A man places a photo of 13-year-old Mahammadali Eganov next to floral tributes to the youngster on Saturday

People attend a funeral of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the crash

FlightRadar24 said in an online post that the aircraft faced 'strong GPS jamming' that interfered with flight tracking data. Russia has extensively used sophisticated jamming equipment to fend off drone attacks.

Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozy and Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced on Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities.

The company will continue to operate flights to six Russian cities, including Moscow and St Petersburg. Those cities also have been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes in the past.

Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air also announced on Friday that it was suspending flights from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month.

FlyDubai also halted flights to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody in southern Russian until January 5.

The day before, Israel's El Al carrier suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow citing 'developments in Russia's airspace'. The airline said it would reassess the situation next week.
A Michigan animal lover was savagely beaten to death after he tried to rescue a dog from an abusive neighbor, cops have said.

Robert 'Bobby' Cavanaugh, 60, died on Christmas Eve following the deadly altercation.

He was riding his bike around Madison Heights when he spotted a man attacking a dog and went over to intervene, neighbors told Fox2.

The situation escalated and Cavanaugh was allegedly battered with a metal pipe, later succumbing to his injuries.

He was found bleeding profusely at the scene at around 7:40 pm. Investigators said he died from blunt force trauma.

'With no hesitation, Bobby tried to stop that man, but instead, Bobby was beaten to death with a pipe this man is a repeated felon, and has been released from 2 different long term prison sentences,' his sister Jane Thompson wrote on a GoFundMe page.

'Bobby had a heart of gold and would do whatever he could to help the community in any way that he could and would never ask for a penny.

'He did everything from his heart.

Michigan animal lover Robert 'Bobby' Cavanaugh was savagely beaten to death after he tried to rescue a dog from an abusive neighbor

Cavanagh was reportedly riding his bike around Madison Heights when he noticed a man beating a dog and tried to intervene

'He was a man that loved the Lord and always gave back whenever he could especially all animals.'

Police have since arrested a suspect who they say is known to them, but have not released his name.

Charges will be determined pending an investigation by the Oakland County Medical Examiner's officer.

'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family during this tragic time,' Madison Heights police department said in a statement.

Neighbor Rebecca Spencer described how the incident unfolded after Cavanaugh confronted the man who said he was just disciplining his animal.

'I believe it was a, "You're not going to tell me how to raise my dog",' Spencer told WXYZ.

'The fact that he lost his life over a dog that's who he was. He'd run into a burning house to get a guinea pig.'

A fundraiser set up to cover funeral expenses has now surpassed its initial $4,000 goal and raised more than $12,000.

Investigators have identified the suspect but not released his name publicly yet

The local community also plans to hold a candlelit vigil in honor of Cavanaugh this evening.

DailyMail.com has contacted Madison Heights police department for an update on the investigation.

It comes after a Seattle woman spotted a dog being abused inside her neighbor's home and alerted a local politician who stepped in an rescued the puppy after police and animal control were reluctant to help.
Donald Trump's second state visit to the UK could be Keir Starmer's latest bid to win over the US President, reports say.

Trump is to become the first elected politician in modern history to be hosted for two state visits by the Royal Family, it was reported last night.

Number 10 and the Foreign Office are preparing to offer him an invitation once he is back in the White House in January, with the backing of Buckingham Palace.

Trump has proven his love and fascination for the Royal Family, even having his own photo album made to remember his previous visit.

This is likely seen by Sir Keir as an opportunity to strike up a strong personal relationship with Trump that benefits the UK.

A senior Whitehall source told The Daily Telegraph: 'Mr Trump loves the Royal Family. Look at the fact he's had his own photo album made of the last visit. Why wouldn't we want a repeat?'

The Prime Minister faces challenges in securing a positive relationship with Trump, who backed both Brexit and Boris Johnson, the PM's former political rival.

Meanwhile, the majority of Sir Keir's cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, have issued strong criticisms and personal insults towards Trump in the past, making efforts more difficult.

Lammy last month tried to brush off the impact of his past criticism of Trump, insisting he had a good relationship with the returning US president despite branding him a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath'.

Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth II attend a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019 in London

Queen Elizabeth II officially welcomes US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in June 2019

Prince William meets Trump at the UK Ambassadors residence in Paris on December 7, 2024

Foreign Secretary David Lammy refused to back down on previously calling Donald Trump a 'neo-Nazi sympathiser'

Sir Keir and Mr Lammy met Trump for a private dinner in September, a conversation that Downing Street highlighted as proof of an improving relationship.

Trump demanded to stay in Buckingham Palace during his last state visit despite being told the royal household was under extensive renovations, it was reported in 2020.

He had first been invited for a formal state visit by the Queen in January 2017, but it was not until the summer of 2019 that he took up the offer.

As the trip was being organised, White House aides told Downing Street it was 'critically important' that Trump was allowed to stay overnight in Buckingham Palace, the Daily Telegraph reported at the time.

Sources claimed Trump wanted the same treatment as his predecessor Barack Obama, who was welcomed to an overnight stay at the Palace with his wife Michelle during his state visit in 2003.

Meanwhile, when he visited Britain in 2018 and met Queen Elizabeth II for tea he triggered a wave of social media attention with a protocol gaffe by walking in front of the monarch as they inspected a guard of honor.

It was just one example of how Trump upended Royal protocol during his meetings with the Queen.

Trump returned a year later when he was afforded all the trappings of a state visit, including a formal banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Years later, in 2024, a sensational new biography of the late monarch claimed Queen Elizabeth found Trump 'very rude'.

The monarch is said to have 'particularly disliked' the way he looked over her shoulder as if 'in search of others more interesting'.

Trump with Queen Elizabeth II, inspecting the Guard of Honour at Windsor Castle in 2018

The Prince of Wales shook hands with Trump in Paris earlier this month

Trump smiles with Queen Elizabeth II after praising her as a 'great, great woman' during his last state visit in 2019

Trump and his wife Melania pose for a photograph ahead of a State Banquet in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace in 2019

She also mused over his relationship with his wife Melania and said she believed they must have 'some sort of arrangement'.

The claims were made by Craig Brown in his new book, A Voyage Around The Queen.

Trump's next state visit would be unlikely to happen until 2026, the Mail reported last week.

Diplomats are hoping to exploit the high regard in which President Trump holds Britain's Royal Family.

The President-elect was invited to Britain on a three-day state visit in 2019.

Earlier this month, Trump and Prince Willaim shared a warm handshake when they both attended the historic re-opening of the Notre-Dame in Paris.

They also met at the UK Ambassador's Reisdence in Paris.
Montanas mining towns, particularly Butte, have seen an economic revival thanks to Hollywood productions like 1923, a prequel to Yellowstone.

Butte, once Montana's largest city and the heart of a copper mining boom that earned it the nickname 'the richest hill on earth,' has since seen its population shrink to around 36,000.

The town has grappled with the aftermath of mining waste and a shortage of well-paying jobs.

Hollywood's arrival offered a new kind of boomthis time in the form of economic opportunities and celebrity sightings. Locals whispered about Harrison Ford enjoying drinks at the bar and Helen Mirren shopping at Walmart. Not to mention that Alec Baldwin just wrapped up filming the movie Rust in Livingston, a town close to Butte, last year.

Paige Layne, a new security guard in her hometown of Butte, Montana, was several weeks into her job when she discovered she was guarding the set of 1923, the multimillion-dollar prequel to the hit show Yellowstone.

News spread quickly, and soon the entire town was buzzing with excitement about the production.

The premiere of 1923 drew an audience 200 times the size of Butte's population, but initial reactions to the filming were mixed.

Residents like Layne were skeptical, worried that the influx of Hollywood productionsincluding films like Last Survivors (2021), Ghosts of Devil's Perch (2022), and Father Stu (2022)might drive up prices in a town already affected by an influx of remote workers during the pandemic.

Montana s mining towns, particularly Butte, have seen an economic revival thanks to Hollywood productions like 1923, a prequel to Yellowstone

Locals whispered about Harrison Ford enjoying drinks at the bar and Helen Mirren shopping at Walmart

'We don't like outsiders unless you have a really good reason to be in town,' Layne told the New York Times. 'This is our townwe love our people.'

However, as filming progressed, opinions softened. Locals were hired for various roles, and the influx of cast and crew brought money into local businesses.

Bartenders shared stories of Harrison Ford buying rounds for the house, and the production team took a genuine interest in the town's history and culture.

'They came in and they ruffled some feathers, man, they really did, but by the end of it, they were contributing to our local community,' said Layne, who even worked as an extra on set.

Butte's rugged beauty and historic architecture have made it a magnet for filmmakers. The Uptown district, with its sprawling mansions and faded brick facades, offers an authentic glimpse into the past.

Hollywood crews have filmed in local diners, bars, union halls, and courthouses. For 1923, entire streets were closed as extras rode horses alongside the stars.

The productions have left lasting benefits. Props were donated to a children's theater, surplus food went to a local mission, and vintage items from 1923 now decorate the historic Front Street Station, where owners Tom and Janel Madrazo rented out their space for filming. They marveled at the crew's attention to detail, down to using 1923 coins in scenes.

Butte, once Montana's largest city and the heart of a copper mining boom, has grappled with the aftermath of mining waste and a shortage of well-paying jobs

Yet, there have been challenges. Road closures and canceled events caused frustrations, and some residents were disappointed that Butte stood in for the more famous Bozeman in 1923.

Montana's 2019 tax credit for film productions has been key to attracting Hollywood. Between 2020 and 2022, productions spent $77.5 million in the state.

But industry leaders, like filmmaker Lynn-Wood Fields, worry Montana could lose its momentum unless lawmakers raise the current $12 million cap on credits.

She advocates for additional incentives to support local filmmakers alongside major Hollywood productions.

Former state lawmaker Jim Keane emphasized the ripple effect of productions like 1923. 'The truckers, crane operators, caterersthis is what makes it valuable,' he said.

Pictured: Harrison Ford and his costars on the set of 1923

For locals like Joe Sullivan, the film industry has been transformative.

Sullivan, a Butte native and production assistant, thought he'd have to leave Montana to pursue a film career. Instead, his five-day gig on Yellowstone grew into seven years of work on major projects.

'This isnt L.A. This isnt New York. It isnt normal to us, he said. This is magic to us.
More human remains have been found on a stretch of Californian coastline just a day after a leg washed up at the same location.

A partial limb was discovered in the 6800 block of Paseo Del Mar in Palos Verdes Estates on Thursday, SFGate reports.

It comes after a family out for a walk on Christmas Day came across a leg on Bluff Cove Trail on the 800 block of Paseo Del Mar.

Police used cadaver dogs to scour the area, but found no other evidence.

The remains washed up two miles from where two fishermen went missing on Christmas Eve.

The men, both described as in their 50s, vanished after their boat overturned near Cabrillo Beach amid forecasts of 13-foot waves.

Rescue crews began a search at around 5:30 am and quickly located their boat on some rocks around the 1800 block of Paseo Del Mar.

Several people who saw the wreckage told KTLA News that the boat was riddled with holes and life vests.

More human remains have been found on a stretch of Californian coastline just a day after a leg washed up at the same location

Palos Verdes resident John Crayton was among those expressing concern about the discovery

The discovery prompted a shoreline search in which several people on foot attempted to find any signs of the missing men.

Efforts also continued in the water with boats, jet skis and a drone used to try to locate the men.

Due to dangers of rough weather conditions, the search was scaled back. The Coast Guard ultimately announced its suspension on Wednesday after finding no evidence that the men could be alive.

They have not released the identities of the fisherman, but have not found evidence to suggest the remains belong to the missing boaters.

'We're not ruling anything out, but that has not been determined at this point,' Palos Verdes Estates Police Department captain Aaron Belda noted.

Stunned locals have expressed concern over the recent grisly finds.

'This is terrible,' John Crayton, a Palos Verdes resident, told NBC. 'It's Christmas, it's supposed to be a season of joy. My heart goes out to the family.'

'It's just shocking and makes you wonder you know and think that could have my family,' said Zully Ozuna, a Palos Verdes beachgoer added.

A a family out for a walk on Christmas Day first came across a leg on Bluff Cove Trail on the 800 block of Paseo Del Mar

Another partial limb was the recovered along the same stretch a day later

It came after two fisherman went missing near the area the remains were found, however police have yet to find evidence the discoveries are connected

It is not the first time this year that human remains have been found along the rugged stretch.

A human skull and bone were discovered on Rat Beach located on the 200 block of Paseo Del Mar on November 16.

When officers of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department responded to the scene, they found additional bones in the area.

'And sure enough, when they got there, they saw what looked to be a skull and a part of a skeleton, a torso in the surf,' Belda told The Daily Breeze in November.

Investigators with the L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office also responded to the call and ultimately confirmed that the bones were those of a human.

Information on the possible age or gender of the remains along with any information regarding the date or cause of death were not available after the discovery, prompting an investigation.
Fears World War Three could explode have ramped up amid claims Putin is preparing a 'landgrab' in a bid to 're-establish the Soviet Union'.

Experts have warned the Russian tyrant will not rein in his murderous ambitions to expand his territory - even if he is offered a peace deal to end the war with Ukraine by incoming US president, Donald Trump.

And defence analysts have also warned Putin could try to assassinate Volodymyr Zelensky as part of his sinister long-term ambitions to defeat his eastern bloc neighbour, which he invaded almost three years ago.

Professor Anthony Glees, a security and intelligence expert from the University of Buckingham, claims Putin has no intention of giving up his quest to seize more land.

The Emeritus scholar instead warned the Russian despot was eager to restore of the old borders of the USSR, which collapsed in 1991 after it lost the Cold War.

And chillingly, Prof Glees feared should Putin carry out such an act, it would drag the globe into the next apocalypse, with Trump's 'foolish and false peace deal' starting the 'countdown to war'.

'[Putin] will turn to his strategic plan of re-establishing the USSR and its satellite system in all but name by turning on all the post-1997 Nato states,' Prof Glees told the Mirror.

'He's said it is his intention to force them to leave Nato and I believe we should take the threat very seriously, as we should have taken all his threats seriously but signally failed to do.

The world could be on the brink of WW3, defence experts fear, with Russia, Iran, China and North Korea all being a potential threat to the West

A serviceman of 24th Mechanized brigade named after King Danylo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fires a 2s5 'Hyacinth-s' self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops at a front line

Putin is looking to set up a new Soviet Union, according to a top defence expert

'We're talking about Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia; Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and West Macedonia. In other words, a really big grab by Putin, so big that I am confident we will oppose him by force and that will be how WW3 will develop.'

Putin has already recruited thousands of soldiers from North Korea to fight on the frontlines and has threated to use nuclear weapons against the West - while allies Iran have supplied the Kremlin with drones to bomb Ukrainian cities

Meanwhile, Trump - the first convicted criminal to be elected as US president - has warned he would be slashing the military aid to Kyiv and could pull the US out of Nato, in a move that has alarmed America's allies in the West.

He has called for an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, writing on his Truth Social website: 'Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness.'

But Prof Glees a truce would not stop Putin from continuing with his onslaught on mainland Europe.

The academic's comments came as military and defence chiefs warned the Third World War had already kicked off.

National security expert Mark Toth and former US intelligence officer Colonel Jonathan Sweet are among those arguing that World War III is already upon us.

'Putin's invasion of Ukraine was the opening stage (of World War Three). It was his marker to the global community that the world order as it had existed since the end of the Second World War was no longer,' Sweet and Toth said.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Pictured is what a potential landgrab by Putin could look like, according to defence expert Professor Anthony Glees

'Russia continues to play the victim while escalating against Ukrainian civilians,' they said, underscoring the Kremlin's intent to destabilise its adversaries.

The pair claimed the a global conflict in the 21st century might not necessarily look like the hellscapes of the First and Second world wars.

'This third global conflagration doesn't look or feel like what Hollywood envisioned,' they claim.

'No mushroom clouds or apocalyptic wastelands. Rather, it is war by a thousand cuts, conducted across multi-regional and multi-domain battlefields.

The concept of hybrid warfare lies at the heart of arguments that World War III is already underway.

Unlike traditional wars, today's conflicts are fought not just with guns and bombs but through all manner of tactics including cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage and economic manipulation.

Toth and Sweet point the finger at Vladimir Putin as the main driver of the march toward disaster and say Russia's strategy spans multiple arenas - not just in Ukraine, but from Africa to beyond Earth's atmosphere and the digital theatre.

In Africa, Russian paramilitary groups, such as the Wagner Group, have fuelled coups, destabilising democracies and consolidating Moscow's influence.

And in Europe, espionage and damaging covert operations have resurfaced with Cold War intensity.

It's feared Putin would never stick to a peace deal put forward by incoming US president, Donald Trump (both are pictured together in 2019)

Russian servicemen jump off a T-90M Proryv tank during a combat training for assault units in an undisclosed location

Arson attacks targeting logistical hubs across the West to disrupt critical supply chains while daring assassinations cut down Russian dissidents and political opponents in the streets

According to Sweet and Toth, this unconventional 'grey zone' warfare is Vladimir Putin's area of expertise.

'Putin's ability to conduct hybrid warfare is arguably his greatest strength,' they emphasise, pointing to Russia's continent-spanning efforts to spread disinformation, construct pro-Kremlin narratives and influence governments and citizens alike to turn against the West.'

Recent Ukrainian strikes using American ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow missiles prompted Putin to unleash the never-before-seen 'Oreshnik' - a new hypersonic ballistic missile - on Ukraine.

Ukrainian servicemen of the 43 Artillery Brigade fire a 2S7 Pion self-propelled cannon towards Russian positions at a front line in the Donetsk region

Days prior, the Kremlin chief signed into effect an amended nuclear doctrine which officially lowered the threshold under which Moscow can deploy their devastating weapons.

Although their ranks are suffering heavy casualties, the Russian army is advancing westward in Ukraine at a rate faster than any other time after the initial days of the 2022 invasion, taking an area half the size of London over the past month.

The Russian President also declared this week that Moscow could soon begin to strike 'decision-making centres' in Kyiv if Ukraine continues to hit targets in Russia with US and UK missiles as more than a million Ukrainians without electricity in freezing cold temperatures following mass drone and rocket attacks.

Elsewhere, the Middle East is reeling amid the aftermath of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel - a dastardly scheme that triggered an inferno of violence and has left tens of thousands dead in Gaza and Lebanon with no clear end in sight.

Hamas and Hezbollah's chief backer Iran has further escalated the situation with missile and drone strikes against Israel, while analysts suspect Tehran is drawing dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons.

And in the Indo-Pacific, China's escalating aggression against Taiwan and the Philippines has stoked fears of an explosive clash in this strategically critical region.

Recent months have seen Beijing adopt an increasingly threatening posture with top US defence officials warning China could attempt an invasion of Taiwan well before the end of the decade.

All the while, Kim Jong Un stands by, his fist clenching the keys to North Korea's burgeoning nuclear arsenal having completely severed ties with South Korea and sent troops to aid Putin in his war on Ukraine.
Scottish actress Julie Wilson Nimmo cant get enough of wild swimming and is keen for the nation to take the plunge.

But the Balamory and Scot Squad star knows only too well that the sea can be a dangerous place as a family tragedy she has talked about sadly proved.

In the new season of Jules and Gregs Wild Swim, the actress and her husband Greg Hemphill of Still Game stripped down to swimming costumes to brave the chilly waters and biting winds of Scotlands most far-flung islands.

In a poignant moment during filming, Ms Nimmo revealed that her grandfather Benny died of a heart attack when he tried to rescue her mother from drowning in the sea in Whitley Bay, near Newcastle.

You would not swim in that strong undercurrent, said the deeply moved Ms Nimmo, looking out over the choppy waters of Vatersay Bay in the Outer Hebrides. We love to swim but youve got to respect the sea. My papa from Liverpool drowned in Whitley Bay trying to save my mum who was out of her depth, and my poor papa Benny had a heart attack in the sea.

I was only tiny at the time. Since then, my mum wanted us all to be big, strong swimmers and I know they [her parents] feel funny about me swimming, and I totally respect that. It just shows you that things can go wrong in the sea, and youve just got to give it utter respect.

We love wild swimming, but Greg and I are very aware of the safety aspect and are really responsible about it.

Julie and husband Greg Hemphill prepare to go for a swim

The husband and wife TV team warm up after taking the plunge

The painful memory was stirred up when Ms Nimmo and her husband were on Vatersay Island paying their respects at a memorial to 350 emigrants to Canada who were lost on 28 September 1853 when the Annie Jane was shipwrecked.

In their second series, in which they share their love of wild swimming, the couple travel 200 miles west to the Outer Hebrides from Barra to the Uists, Harris and Lewis, and 500 miles north to Orkney and Shetland.

It was filmed in August and rained nearly every day. It was just crazy. said Mr Hemphill, who began wild swimming four years ago after seeing how much his wife loved it, joining the 7.5 million wild swimmers in the UK.

There are so many benefits, he said. I used to get this terrible fear of the winter as soon as the clocks went back, said Mr Hemphill, 55, a Scot who grew up in Canada.

Canada is a very outdoors place, its colder but drier than Scotland. Because of the reflection of the light on the snow, it never really got dark in winter. The darkness here used to give me the heebie-jeebies, but wild swimming has made me excited about every season.

Wild swimming has also helped 52-year-old Ms Nimmos peri-menopausal symptoms. I didnt know how bad they were getting until I got into the sea and realised this is saving my life. Were not lying when were telling people to try it, because we want them to feel good as well.

Although the couple found the island scenery breathtaking, they dont minimise the harshness of the climate on the most westerly and northerly edges of our country.

These places are exquisite, so beautiful and so wild. The coldest swim was in the northernmost island off Shetland, Unst, which is further north than Oslo. There were seabirds diving around us for the fish we disturbed  it was like Jurassic Park, Mr Hemphill said.

The wind and the cold would blow your socks off, added Ms Nimmo, who played Miss Hoolie in the BBC childrens series Balamory. I would never put anyone off going in the sea, but the elements really do test you. Its worth it because salt water is so healing.

The couple are keen to stress that even in the coldest weather, a dip in the sea can bring enormous benefits.

Ive never once wanted to go in the water, but once Im in, I like the sense of peace and calm. Afterwards I have more pep in my step and feel great all day. Id encourage everyone to try it. Just remember to take it slow and to breathe, said Mr Hemphill, who plays Victor McDade in Still Game.

The actors celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on the show by renewing their vows in the pretty chapel on Orkney built by World War II Italian prisoners.

It was really emotional. Im going to be in deep water with my mum, who wasnt at our first wedding, but Im sure shell forgive me, said Ms Nimmo, who married Mr Hemphill in 1999 in a hot-air balloon over Las Vegas.

After a quarter of a century, the couple still clearly adore each other and make each other laugh as they plunge into the sea time and again in all weathers.

Mr Hemphill said: Its bit like a second childhood, looking down with our goggles and seeing all this kelp, keeping eyes out for a seal and swimming into a cave. The sea is good for the soul.

His wife agrees. You just feel wee, but I like it. All this stuff you worry about, then you go under the sea, and its gone.

Jules and Gregs Wild Swim  The Island Adventure airs on January 6 at 9.30pm on BBC Scotland.

Greg Hemphill will co-present comedy sketch show Queen of the New Year with Robert Florence of Burnistoun on Hogmanay on BBC Scotland, and Jules and Gregs New Year goes out on 1 January at 11am on BBC Radio Scotland.
State schools in Scotland received almost 500,000 in funds linked to the Chinese Communist Party last year - sparking fears the money is being used to drive propaganda into classrooms.

We can reveal that Confucius Institutes paid for projects in dozens of schools the length and breadth of the country under the stated aim of promoting Chinese cultural and language teaching.

The projects were mostly delivered via the Confucius Institute for Scotlands Schools (CISS) - based at Strathclyde University - which has also benefited from more than 5million in SNP Government funding.

Yet a report last year by the UKs intelligence and security committee stated: Confucius Institutes are run, and part-funded, by the Hanban, an educational organisation ultimately controlled by the CCPs Central Propaganda Department.

China provides direct investment to academic institutions so that it can guarantee input into academic programmes, direct research and ensure that UK students are taught an interpretation of China that reflects the CCPs interests.

The latter is primarily conducted through the Confucius Institutes in the UK.

Councils from Ayrshire to the Western Isles received Confucius funds this year, which was then disbursed to local schools.

The Confucius Institutes paid for projects in dozens of Scots schools

Miles Briggs is education spokesman for the Scottish Tories

It also included 69,000 in East Renfrewshire to contribute to the cost of three Mandarin teachers who worked across four secondary schools within the local authority.

In Edinburgh, a total of 75,000 in funding was spread across three secondary schools. The money also included a sum towards a Primary Confucius hub in the Western Isles.

The funding is also used for arts projects on Chinese culture and history and bringing Mandarin teachers to schools.

Further areas including Aberdeenshire, Glasgow, Perth and Kinross and Stirling published updates from schools Confucius Hubs in a CISS newsletter this summer, highlighting work by children across a string of events and projects.

In all, 478,000 was paid to Scottish local authorities last year. The sums are rising, with a further 1,029,380 in such funding handed in total over the three previous years to councils.

Influential think-tank the Henry Jackson society (HJS) warned that Confucius Institutes at British universities are formally part of the propaganda system of the Chinese Communist Party.

An HJS report said: There are no offshoots of the Chinese state integrated more closely into British society than Confucius Institutes.

British universities and the CCP hold opposed values. Universities are committed to free inquiry, freedom of speech, equality and freedom from discrimination.

The CCP jails the inquiring, suppresses speech and spreads disinformation at home and abroad. Bodies overseen by the CCP should have no place in higher education in the UK.

It also follows repeated warnings in recent years from the Security Service over Chinese activities on British soil, and scandals including one alleged spy whose close links to Prince Andrew were exposed this month.

Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the HJS, added: Further events this year, and even in recent weeks, as well as comments in a speech by the Director General of MI5, have shown there are many reasons to warrant continued concern over the reach, and attempted reach, of the Chinese state into domestic matters in the UK.

This is an issue that we must expect an honest assessment of in the forthcoming Foreign Office audit of China-UK relations, with appropriate action to follow to resist it.

Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for education and skills Miles Briggs said: Schools value and welcome additional funding, given the SNPs years of neglect and budget cuts.

However, there are longstanding concerns that Confucius Institutes are merely a pawn to further the activities of the Chinese Communist government.

Given their brutal repression of any dissent, they should not be able to spread misinformation in Scottish universities and schools.

We have previously called for SNP ministers to end Chinese government influence and funding in our schools and universities through Confucius Institutes. They should ensure that happens urgently and that schools get proper support.

The CISS at Strathclyde University says it works with schools to engage pupils with Chinese language learning and culture.

A University spokesman said: Any funding provided to local authorities is ringfenced to support pro-vision of high-quality, progressive language learning experiences, as well as greater equity of opportunities for Scottish learners, and any such activities are expected to meet standards devised by the General Teaching Council of Scotland.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: While they are autonomous institutions, universities are expected to understand and manage the reputational, ethical and security risks associated with in-ternational partnerships.

This includes conducting appropriate due diligence before entering into new partnerships, and monitoring existing partnerships for emerging problems.
New York City influencer-turned-millionaire Candice Miller bluntly denied that she owes nearly $200,000 in rent because, she says, she had 'not personally signed the lease agreement'.

The 42-year-old Mama & Tata blogger was catapulted into financial chaos after her real estate tycoon husband, 43-year-old Brandon Miller, committed suicide in their Hamptons mansion over the summer.

But when he took his life - and died without a will - he secretly left behind nearly $34million in debts, with only $8,000 in the bank.

After his suicide, Candice told friends that she was unaware of her husband's dire financial state - noting how she strayed away from asking questions about his business affairs and kept a distance from discussing details regarding their finances, The New York Times reported.

Now the widower is using her claims of 'lack of involvement' to fight yet another lawsuit brought against her in September - a total of $194,881.89 in unpaid rent for the Park Avenue home that she and her husband had lived in since 2021.

She says that because she didn't personally sign the lease agreement, she isn't personally liable for the debt of the luxurious Manhattan condo.

But Mak Acquisitions, the company who owns the building, is demanding that she cough up $195,000 to cover rent for the months of April through August, court documents reviewed by DailyMail.com revealed.

The Park Ave condo, which is located in one of Manhattans most prestigious pre-war buildings in the Upper East Side of the city, was rented for nearly $47,000 a month until April before increasing to $49,000 from May onward.

New York City 's influencer-turned-millionaire, Candice Miller, 42, bluntly denied that she owes nearly $200k in rent because she had 'not personally signed the lease agreement' for a lush Manhattan condo

She is being sued by the owners of the Park Avenue apartment building after they claim she owes total of $194,881.89 in unpaid rent for the New York home she and her husband had lived in since 2021

Candice allegedly failed to pay for April and May's rent payment for the swanky 4,382-square foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom luxurious abode as well as two additional payments in June and July

Candice allegedly failed to pay for April and May's rent payment for the swanky 4,382-square foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom luxurious abode.

She then allegedly skipped out on paying two additional months in June and July - both of which being $49,000 payments.

The suit also claimed that she is being billed $2,000 for an accrued balance in August along with an $881.89 plumbing invoice, Page Six reported.

Although she 'agreed to surrender' the property by August 31 - and ultimately followed through on the promise - she never took care of the debt.

Candice ultimately moved to Miami Beach shortly after her husband's suicide and is now living in a multimillion dollar condo owned by a member of the von Furstenberg family.

For years, Candice enticed a following of tens of thousands of fans by sharing copious photos of their rich and wealthy lifestyle filled with yachts, luxury vacations, vintage cars and private planes.

But the socialite's life quickly turned upside down on July 4th weekend when her husband committed suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide inside the garage of his Hamptons mansion while she and her daughters were away in Europe.

In a suicide note, the father-of-two explained that a last-minute make-or-break business deal had fallen through, leaving him feeling as though he had no way out.

The Mama & Tata blogger was catapulted into financial chaos after her real estate tycoon husband, 43-year-old Brandon Miller, committed suicide in their Hamptons mansion over the summer

The Park Ave condo, which is located in one of Manhattans most prestigious pre-war buildings in the Upper East Side of the city, was rented for nearly $47,000 a month until April before increasing to $49,000 from May onward

Despite months of turmoil, the fallout surrounding the financial mess that Brandon left behind is seemingly far from over as Candice may still be on the hook for millions in debt.

Brandon's estate is carrying numerous other unresolved debts, according to court records reported by The New York Times.

Beyond the property debt, the developer and financer owed more than $20million in unsecured loans, according to legal filings reported by the outlet.

Some of the institutional lenders included UBS Bank, to which he owed $2.1million, and Chicago-based BMO Bank, to which he owed $11.2million.

Additionally, he owed over $6 million to Donald Jaffe, a lender who had previously funded Miller and his father on various projects. Jaffe is still pursuing legal action to recover the unpaid balance.

Other creditors include American Express and Funding Club, a Brooklyn-based cash advance lender, to whom Brandon owed over $300,000 and $266,000, respectively.

Brandon also owed a series of other undisclosed debts to several family, friends and high-risk lenders who loaned him money after his need for cash intensified near the end of his life.

One lender, who wished to remain anonymous, lent him $208,000 in early June after Brandon came to him in tears - promising he'd repay the loan in a week and offering a piece of his Hamptons house as collateral, The Times reported.

Brandon committed suicide on 4th of July weekend by inhaling carbon monoxide inside the garage of the Hamptons home while his wife and daughters were away in Europe - leaving behind $34million in debts with only $8,000 in the bank

Shortly after her husband's death, Candice told friends that she was unaware of her husband's dire financial situation - noting how she strayed away from asking questions about his business affairs

The lender agreed because he had previously helped Brandon by providing him with an unsecured loan of $1million - which he ultimately paid back all but $60,000.

But by the middle of June, he stopped receiving any call or text responses from Brandon and instead reached out to his lawyer to urge that he make a good-faith partial payment, which he never did.

Candice already agreed to pay about $4 million to settle a lawsuit over an unpaid loan in August, according to the Times.

Just last week, Candice sold her Water Mill mansion in the Hamptons - her husband's main asset - which was listed for $15.5million in August.

She considered at least two offers for the house and its furnishings - one for $12.8million and the other for $13million - but it remains unclear how much it ultimately sold for.

However, it's likely Candice won't see much of that money, as a big part of Miller's debts came from the property, which had five mortgages totaling nearly $12 million.

But Brandon was able to leave a $15million payout in insurance money to his wife.

While insurance companies do not typically pay out policies in the case of suicide, that exclusion generally only lasts two years after the policy is purchased, per industry experts.

Just last week, Candice sold her Water Mill mansion in the Hamptons - her husband's main asset - which was listed for $15.5million in August

Meanwhile it's emerged that Miller's mother Barbara died at the age of 81 earlier this month, with his family saying she died from a 'broken heart.'

'Our beautiful Barbara passed away with a broken heart, and we are desperately trying to find comfort and peace in knowing that she has been reunited with her beloved husband, Michael, and precious son, Brandon,' her daughter Maurley Miller said in a statement to the Times.

'The tragedy that my family has endured over the past few months has been absolutely devastating. The pain is indescribable.'
Bright orange 'UFO orbs' were allegedly caught flying over New York City,' raising concern among residents of the Big Apple over the holiday week.

On Friday, Reddit user @YogurtclosetFlat5701 posted the video to the 'The UFOs Subreddit' - a forum for UFO discussions where people can talk about sightings, experiences, news and investigations.

The local recorded the video above Brookville Blvd in Queens, New York, right next to JFK airport.

'We looked up and there were 4 orange orbs in formation in what is suppose to be a no fly zone they then started to disappear,' the user wrote.

In the video, four unblinking orange orbs are suspended in the air, forming a striking boomerang shape.

A video was taken from inside the user's car and another from outside the user's car.

'They were moving oddly like not completely stationary and then started to disappear one by one. The 2nd to last one drifted slighting then disappeared. They maintained that formation for the duration of the sighting,' the user said.

Users local to the New York City area confirmed the traveler's sightings. One, who goes by the username @ZoraOctavia, said they have lived by the airport for over a decade and know the difference between a plane and a UFO.

'Lived here 14 years with planes flying by all day everyday. They fly so low it feels like you can almost touch them. I know what they look like when they come in to land and take off. I have never ever seen anything like this. Ever,' the user said.

Bright orange 'UGO orbs' were allegedly caught flying over New York City ,' stumping raising concern among locals

The traveler recorded the video above Brookville Blvd in Queens, New York, right next to JFK airport

Other users deemed the occurrence as highly suspicious, and was shocked the government wasn't taking immediate action.

'Seeing as that's a no fly zone, the FAA should be all over that,' said a user.

'This is truly not okay. Can we please start demanding the government gives more a fuck about this?' chimed a third.

Recent reports of strange orbs in the skies above the eastern United States have added another layer of mystery to the ongoing drone sightings across the country.

A father and son in Georgia experienced an unusual encounter on Thursday evening when they spotted a bright orange 'UFO orb' moving across the night sky.

While taking out the trash, the father noticed the glowing object and pointed it out to his son.

Intrigued, they watched the orb for several minutes before deciding to film it.

The father then shared the video on the 'UFO Reddit' forum, seeking explanations for the mysterious phenomenon.

The 58-second video shows the orange orb gliding through the sky, occasionally moving upwards or downwards.

As the father followed it, the orb appeared to dim and eventually vanish, leaving him and his son puzzled about its nature.

The father described the initial sighting as a 'huge' light in the distance, which seemed to dim as it approached. He speculated that the orb might have been trying to evade him, or it could have simply disappeared behind clouds.

The video has since garnered significant attention on Reddit, with over 2,000 shares and 500 comments from users discussing the unusual sighting.

Just days prior, a perplexing light was captured hovering over New Jersey skies.

A father and son in Georgia followed a mysterious 'orange UFO orb' after they spotted the luminous hue gliding through the sky shortly after 6:30pm on Thursday evening

Earlier this week, another perplexing light was captured hovering over the skies of New Jersey

Video footage from near Atlantic City shows a white light blinking before suddenly accelerating away at incredible speeds, leaving observers stunned.

These recent events follow a report from a US military witness who experienced a close encounter with a silent, luminous object while camping in October.

The witness described the object as hovering 100 yards above, illuminating the area brighter than any full moon.

These sightings, along with others reported to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), continue to fuel public interest and speculation about the nature of these unidentified aerial phenomena.
Lockerbie campaigner Dr Jim Swire yesterday urged the bereaved families of the bombing to 'make up their own minds' about the truth behind the atrocity.

His comments came after American relatives of some of the victims hit out over a television drama about the terrorist attack with relatives of the US victims claiming it could harm the 36-year fight for justice.

They fear the series, starring Colin Firth as Dr Jim Swire, could 'instil doubt' in jurors ahead of alleged Libyan spy and bomb-maker Abu Agila Masud's trial due to take place in the Netherlands next year.

However, Dr Swire yesterday robustly defended the drama for keeping the ongoing investigation into the Lockerbie bombing in the public eye.

He told the Mail on Sunday: 'I would like people to make up their own minds by watching the series, which is based entirely on the book.

'I hope it will cause people to think about where the truth is more likely to lie, and whether the conclusions we came to are more valid than the official version.

'Over the past 36 years, our attitude has always been to keep an open mind about aspects of this disaster.

'We will always listen to what people have to say, but ask ourselves why this person is telling us what they are telling us  what is their motive?'

Colin Firth playing Dr Jim Swire in TV drama

The programme recreates the Lockerbie bombing horror

Dr Swire has long argued that the Libyan spy Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only person convicted over the terror attack, was innocent, a theory set out in the five-part television drama inspired by his book, Lockerbie: A Father's Search for Justice, co-written with Peter Biddulph.

Al-Megrahi was jailed for life in 2001 after being convicted of 270 accounts of murder at a special Scottish court convened in the Netherlands.

However, Scottish ministers released him back to his home in Libya eight years later, on compassionate grounds after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He survived for another three years.

In the TV drama, Oscar winner Colin Firth takes the lead role of Dr Swire, 88, whose 23-year-old daughter Flora was among 270 killed when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988.

Victoria Cummock, 71, whose husband John died aboard the flight, has accused programme makers of trying to 'influence uninformed audiences' and claims the drama could 'undermine the course of criminal justice' by swaying potential jurors in the trial of Abu Agila Masud, who is accused of assembling the bomb.'

Dr Swire rejected her claims that the jury could be influenced by the drama, stating: 'I would have thought it was the responsibility of the judge to find out whether the jurors are objective or whether their views have been swayed.'

Ms Cummock, along with other US families, believes the series will give credence to Dr Swire's theory that the real bombmaker was a double agent and a valuable CIA asset, leading the US and UK Governments to pin the blame on Gaddafi. He also believes Iran was behind the Lockerbie bombing as revenge for the Iran Air Flight 655 shot down in July 1988 by the US with the loss of all 290 people on board.

Ms Cummock told the Scottish Sun: 'I feel that the casting of Colin Firth, depicted as the lone, courageous champion of truth and justice, will elevate Swire's story, filled with unproven conspiracy theories and politically biased interpretations,'

Dr Swire said yesterday: 'I would ask if she has seen the series. If she hasn't, wouldn't it be better to wait until she has before commenting?'

Sue Lowenstein, 80, who lost her son Alexander, one of 35 students from Syracuse University aboard the flight, said: 'Most of us haven't been in agreement with Jim and his beliefs.'

The nose cone of the doomed jet in a field three miles from Lockerbie town centre

A spokesman for the US-based Victims of Pan Am 103 said: 'We have raised our concerns with the producers of the project. We feel they are amplifying and highlighting a false narrative about the bombing.

A narrative that the great majority of us who lost loved ones do not align with and have fought very hard against.

'They risk dishonouring the memories of those lost, the lifetime of work of the families, and worse of all, they may put doubt in the public about those that committed this heinous act.'

A Sky spokesman said: 'Lockerbie: A Search for Truth is based on Dr Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph's book, The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father's Search for Justice.

'We understand there are opposing opinions and do not attempt to tell the definitive version of the Lockerbie disaster or present a conclusion.

'We engaged with victims' families and support groups throughout production and in the lead-up to the series launch.'

*Lockerbie: A Search for Truth will be released on Sky on January 2.
Dozens of top New York Police Department cops have been ousted a week after their former chief was accused of trading sexual favors for overtime.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has weeded out several top brass at the Internal Affairs bureau, including Deputy Chief Chris Morello, the New York Post reports.

It comes after explosive allegations emerged about Chief Jeffrey Maddrey made by his subordinate Lieutenant Quathisha Epps, who accused him of predatory sexual behavior.

Chief of Internal Affairs Miguel Iglesias was ejected on the same day the expose dropped.

But documents reviewed by the Post further reveal that Inspector Joseph Profeta, who was head of IAB's group dedicated to investigating allegations against NYPD captains and above, was relocated to Patrol Borough Brooklyn North.

Meanwhile IAB Special Opps Inspector Michael Ricciardi has been packed off to Patrol Borough Manhattan North.

Another 12 IAB officers ranging in rank from lieutenants to sergeants were also sent to distant patrol areas.

Five detectives within Maddrey's office and a police officer were pushed out from Maddrey's office and sent to walk the beat in housing projects, according to the orders.

Dozens of top New York Police Department cops have been fired a week after its former chief Jeffrey Maddrey was accused of trading sexual favors for overtime

Lieutenant Quathisha Epps, seen here, claims that the married officer first demanded sex from her while inside his office inside One Police Plaza, the NYPD headquarters

Deputy Chief Chris Morello is among those ousted from the Internal Affairs Bureau amid the fallout from Epps' allegations

'Tisch means business,' a high-ranking source told the outlet. 'She's cleaning up the mess and putting the department back on track.'

The cleaning-house comes in the wake of the bombshell allegations by Epps, who claimed she was granted overtime totaling $400,000 in exchange for sordid sexual favors.

'He was always asking me to kiss his penis,' she said, adding that the demands allegedly included sex in NYPD headquarters.

Epps and her lawyer Eric Sanders said they planned to file a notice of claim with the city comptroller outlining her allegations.

She had worked for Maddrey as she moved up the ranks in the force, from Chief of Housing to Chief of Patrol.

She said that his sexual demands started in June 2023 when he landed the top job as Chief of Department.

Epps added that Maddrey was aware she was having financial problems and allegedly used this to his advantage.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has weeded out several top brass at the Internal Affairs bureau

Inspector Joseph Profeta (left), who was head of IAB's group dedicated to investigating allegations against NYPD captains and above, has been relocated to Patrol Borough Brooklyn North

Epps claimed she and Maddrey had sexual intercourse ten times after their initial interaction. Maddrey started being generous with overtime a few years after, she said

According to her, as she tried to get away from him, her high overtime earners were outed in a list.

On Monday, it was revealed she had earned more than $400,000 in the fiscal year 2024, which included $204,000 in overtime for a total of 1,626 hours in the year.

She filed for retirement after being outed over the eye-watering sums, and was then suspended.

Maddrey's lawyer Larry Lambrous has denied all of the accusations on his client's behalf and said he was not authorized to sign off on overtime.

Maddrey has claimed he was in a 'consensual, adult' relationship with Epps and denied there was any coercion.

But Epps' lawyer hit back, saying, 'This clown is a f**king disgrace. We have a treasure trove of digital data that will hopefully bring this degenerate to justice.'
Snow is set to fall across parts of the UK on New Year's Eve, with the Met Office issuing a 'danger to life' warning in some areas.

Those who were looking forward to a white Christmas will be in for a treat as the New Year is rung in next week as a blanket of snow is forecast to hit the north of the UK.

A yellow weather warning covering the a large part of north-west Scotland is in place for heavy rain and snow, with the potential to cause 'significant disruption' including possible flooding, damage to buildings and power cuts.

The warning is in place from midnight on Monday to 12am on Wednesday, January 1 and covers a large area from the highlands down to Glagsgow.

Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, Neil Armstrong, said: 'From Sunday we will start to see some heavy rain affecting northwestern parts of Scotland. After a brief respite, further rain and strong winds will be in place on Monday and Tuesday across Scotland, as another area of low-pressure approaches.

'This may be accompanied by some heavy snowfall in the mountains and perhaps to lower elevations.'

Parts of Scotland were hit with snow in November amid Storm Bert, which brought with it yellow, amber and even red weather warnings of wind and rain.

From New Year's Day, disruptive wind, rain and snow could move further south and affect other parts of the UK.

Those who were looking forward to a white Christmas will be in for a treat as the New Year is rung in next week as a blanket of snow is forecast in parts of the UK

The Met Office shows a band of rain, hail and snow descending on the north of the UK

A yellow weather warning is in place across the northern part of Scotland next week

Temperatures up north are expected to be as low as one degree but warmer in the south

Elsewhere in the UK, weather is expected to remain unsettled with periods of wind of outbreaks of rain, as well as colder temperatures.

A yellow weather warning for wind is in place near Newcastle upon Tyne, affecting areas including Allendale, Alston, Stanhope, Barnard Castle, Kirkby Stephen, Hawes, Leyburn and Pateley Bridge from 11am to 6pm on Monday.

The Met Office has warned of potential strong gusts which could reach between 50 and 60mph on higher ground.

More snow is expected later next week as the winds turn northerly resulting in colder air across the UK. Snow is expected across the north and on coasts exposed to the onshore wind.

It is also predicted that snow could hit the south of the UK in the first week of January as a band of rain hits the colder air.

It comes following flight disruption at the UK's busiest airports due to heavy fog.

Christmas travel chaos broke out at airports including Manchester and Gatwick yesterday as 'heavy fog' descended with more than 100 flights delayed or cancelled.

Fog may cause further flight delays for passengers at London Gatwick airport tomorrow, while weekend flights have also been called at Heathrow.

Large crowds form at Gatwick Airport overnight amid flight delays and cancellations

Traffic delays on the M6 motorway due to fog and large numbers of people traveling post Christmas

Manchester Airport shrouded in fog as many flights were delayed overnight

Tower Bridge can barely be seen behind HMS Belfast amid foggy weather in London

Low-lying fog over Huddersfield in West Yorkshire as the dreary weather continues

Flights were delayed by up to three hours from Gatwick on Friday evening due to the thick fog.

A spokesperson for Nats, the UK's main air traffic control provider, said on Friday: 'Due to widespread fog, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at several airports across the UK today. Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety.

'We continue to monitor the situation and have a Met Office expert embedded within our operation to ensure we have the latest available information. Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimise disruption.'

Meanwhile, National Highways, which runs the UK's motorways and busiest A-roads, said the misty weather is not having a significant impact on its network, but reminded motorists to use dipped headlights, wipers and demisters while driving in foggy conditions.
Two men have died and a baby was rushed to hospital after a horror crash in Northern Ireland.

The collision, involving a Mercedes and an Audi, happened on A28 Killylea Road outside the village of Killylea just before 12.45pm on Friday.

Both men died at the scene and four others, including a baby, were taken to hospital.

A woman was left with serious injuries and remains in critical condition.

Following the crash, the road was closed for several hours as emergency services dealt with the incident but was reopened in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council said joyous occasion of Christmas has been 'overshadowed by an unimaginable tragedy'.

Councillor Sarah Duffy said: 'Today, we mourn the heartbreaking loss of lives due to a devastating road traffic collision.

The collision, involving a Mercedes and an Audi, happened on A28 Killylea Road outside the village of Killylea just before 12.45pm on Friday

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who are facing this pain, especially at this time of year. We cannot begin to comprehend the depth of their loss, and we stand with them in their grief.'

She thanked emergency services for responding to swiftly to the tragedy.

She highlighted this is a 'stark reminder' of the importance of road safety, especially during the holiday season when roads are often busier.

She added the community will come together to support those affected.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson said: 'The Police Service of Northern Ireland can confirm that two men have sadly died following a two vehicle road traffic collision on the Killylea Road outside Killylea, County Armagh.'

Inspector Cherith Adair, from the Collision Investigation Unit said detectives are investigating the circumstances of the collision and has appealed to witnesses to come forward and assist with police's enquiries.

The police officer added: 'You can call 101 and quote reference 740 of 27/12/24 or report online at http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.'
Elon Musk has threatened to 'go to war' with MAGA republicans after he defended visas for skilled foreigners.

The Tesla founder and billionaire, who was recruited by US President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead his new Department of Government Efficiency, has expressed his support for the H-1B visa, which allows highly educated immigrants to work in the US for up to six years.

His remarks about the immigration visa came after pharma entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who will co-run the DOGE with Musk, said this week that American culture was to blame for its need to hire foreign workers.

'A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math Olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian [the top student in a class], will not produce the best engineers,' he said on X.

To that, Musk responded in a tweet that has since been deleted: 'That pretty much sums it up. This was eye-opening'.

The billionaire's comments have enraged several Republicans who have an anti-immigration stance - which was a key feature of Trump's electoral campaign.

Musk has clapped back however, and vowed to kick out 'hateful, unrepentant racists' from the Republican party' in an X post.

He also tweeted that 'the reason I'm in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.

Elon Musk has threatened to 'go to war' with MAGA republicans after he defended visas for skilled foreigners

Donald Trump elected Musk as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency

'Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on the issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.'

In a separate tweet he said: 'America rose to greatness over the past 150 years, because it was a meritocracy more than anywhere else on Earth.

'I will fight to my last drop of blood to ensure that it remains that land of freedom and opportunity.'

Former chief strategist for Trump Steve Bannon responded to one of Musk's tweets by saying: 'Someone please notify Child Protection Services  need to do a wellness check on this toddler.'

Meanwhile Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said: 'There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture...

'All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritising in Americans, not foreign workers.'

At least 14 Republican X account holders have since claimed that their blue tick verification had been removed, which means they no longer have access to monetisation through their profiles.

President-elect Donald Trump listens to Elon Musk as he arrives to watch SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lift off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Nov. 19

Musk, pictured in October, wrote online: 'I will go to war on the issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend'

The billionaire's comments have enraged several Republicans who have an anti-immigration stance - which was a key feature of Trump's electoral campaign

Musk was born in South Africa and became an American citizen in 2002.

He has clarified that he wants exceptions to MAGA's anti-immigration stance for the top 0.1% of foreign engineering talent, as he said it is 'essential for America to keep winning'.

America is 'mostly Americans', he pointed out, which he considers 're***ded'.

The spat is the first within the coalition convened by Trump, which brought together Republican voters and the tech giant who contributed to his second presidential win.

It comes after CNN anchor Abby Phillip came out in defense of Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, amid her ongoing dispute with Elon Musk.

After infighting among MAGA conservatives who have voiced opinions on Musk's view on immigration, Loomer has claimed the X CEO has limited her account.

In one exchange, Musk accused Loomer, who has 1.4 million followers and at the time had a verified account, of trolling amid a dispute about Indian tech workers visas.

Loomer's account had remained active but she says she has lost monetization features and other perks.

The issue was brought up by Phillip on NewsNight who said: '[Loomer's] saying that this is basically cancel culture that Elon Musk doesnt like what shes been saying and has basically locked her out of the platform.

'It would not be the first time that this is hes been accused of doing something like that.'

Her guest Coleman Hughes noted that Musk bought Twitter and promised to restore free speech, saying the Tesla CEO was a hypocrite on the issue.

Phillip added: 'The free speech apparently doesnt apply to criticizing Elon Musk.'

Loomer is not the only one having issues, with NBC reporting that at least 14 conservative accounts are voicing concerns they had been cut off by X.

On Thursday Musk posted a 'reminder' to X, writing that the site's algorithm automatically reduces the reach of a user if they're blocked or muted by other users.

He said: 'If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will decline significantly.'

Loomer has been frantically posting to the outlet to have her account returned to normal.

One post said: 'Elon Musk has been a Republican for 5 minutes and now he wants to decide who gets to be a Republican.

'Elon, you said you were a free speech absolutist. If you are, lets please let all ideas flourish and we will let the best ideas win. Lets embrace free speech absolutism.'

In another, she said: 'We want to have a conversation with [Musk] but he limits the convo by deleting our check marks and by calling trolls and subt***s.

'Id be happy to have a conversation, but he limited my account. Thats a bad faith effort at conversation & debate.'
Sarah Palin has joined the MAGA civil war against Elon Musk over the H1-B visa program.

The former Governor of Alaska shared an article on Instagram about how the Tesla boss liked a post suggesting American workers are too 'ret****d' to do skilled work.

It is the latest development in the ongoing fray between Musk and other MAGA loyalists over his support for the visa program allowing employers to recruit skilled foreigners.

At the heart of the storm is Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential hopeful and Donald Trump appointee, whose outspoken defense of the program has triggered backlash from high-profile Republicans - but garnered support from Musk.

But now Palin has laid bare her allegiances as she reposted the Mediaite article with the scathing comment: 'Wow. Do Better.'

It comes as Musk vowed to 'go to war' with those who oppose the scheme, including the likes of right-wing conspiracist Laura Loomer and former Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley.

Musk has been unequivocal in his support for his co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy ignited the controversy with a provocative post on X, which Musk said 'pretty much sums it up'.

Sarah Palin has joined the MAGA civil war against Elon Musk over the H1-B visa program

The former Governor of Alaska shared an article on Instagram about how the Tesla boss had liked a post suggesting that American workers are too 'ret****d' to do skilled work

In his message, Ramaswamy voiced strong support for bringing 'highly skilled' foreign workers to the U.S., even as MAGA voters and Trump himself have championed stricter immigration policies.

'The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over 'native' Americans isn't because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation),' Ramaswamy wrote.

'A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if we're really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.'

He further criticized the nation's cultural priorities, stating that a society celebrating 'the prom queen over the math olympiad champ' and 'the jock over the valedictorian' would inevitably fail to produce the world's best engineers.

Ramaswamy bizarrely blamed a series of 1990s TV sitcoms for what he saw as a decline in America's lead in the fields of science and tech.

While the president-elect has yet to issue a direct response, his supporters and MAGA-aligned figures have not held back.

Musk has been in hot water with MAGA loyalists over his support for the visa scheme that allows employers to recruit skilled foreigners

The president-elect has not waded into the debate but many of his supporters have

Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, offered a biting response.

'There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture,' Haley declared.

Loomer was more aggressive in her response, which relied upon a racist conspiracy theory known as 'great replacement'.

Amid the controversy, Loomer was locked out of her X account and began frantically bombarding Musk with messages accusing the free-speech advocate of censorship and begging to be let back on.

'Elon Musk has been a Republican for 5 minutes and now he wants to decide who gets to be a Republican,' Loomer fumed.

'Elon, you said you were a free speech absolutist. If you are, lets please let all ideas flourish and we will let the best ideas win. Lets embrace free speech absolutism.'

On Thursday Musk posted a 'reminder' to X, writing that the site's algorithm automatically reduces the reach of a user if they're blocked or muted by other users.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential hopeful and Trump appointee, has been outspoken in his defense of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, offered a biting response

Far-right commentator Laura Loomer, pictured, took an even harsher stance

He said: 'If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will decline significantly.'

Right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich also weighed in, lambasting Ramaswamy's comments as dismissive of America's storied history of innovation.

'The Woodstock generation managed to build out aerospace, the one before went to the moon,' he wrote.

'Underlying your post is that we were all living in squalor until being rescued by H-1B's. Then why did everyone want to come here?'

Ramaswamy responded: 'That version of America, the one that used to embody unbridled exceptionalism, is exactly what we want to return to. That's a point about culture, not immigration policy.'

Even MAGA influencers like Jack Posobiec joined the fray, questioning why America would seek foreign workers instead of nurturing domestic talent.

'Imagine how many more JD Vances are out there,' Posobiec argued, referencing the MAGA-aligned senator known for his rags-to-riches story.
A young man allegedly murdered his 106-year-old grandmother in her own home while he was staying with her.

Cecilia Agnes Ferguson was found dead in her house in Amarillo, Texas, on November 26 after police were called and told she died.

When officers arrived at the house on Northeast 14th Street, they concluded her death to be suspicious and called in homicide detectives.

Suspicion quickly fell on her grandson, Michael Alexander Ferguson, 35, who was living with her at the time.

He denied any involvement Cecilia's death, but was arrested and charged with causing injury to the elderly.

A month later, after a more thorough investigation, Ferguson was charged with murder on Monday and new arrest warrant.

Michael Alexander Ferguson, 35, was charged with murdering his 106-year-old grandmother ecilia Agnes Ferguson on November 26

Ferguson was jailed for two years in 2013 for assaulting two relatives in the space of a year, but had stayed out of legal trouble since his release other than an arrest (pictured) for traffic crimes in 2021

He was locked up in the Potter County Detention Center at the request of prosecutors at the Potter County District Attorneys Office.

Ferguson was jailed for two years in 2013 for assaulting two relatives in the space of a year, but had stayed out of legal trouble since his release other than an arrest for traffic crimes in 2021.

Police did ot give any information about how Cecilia died, or what tied Ferguson to the crime other than living with her.

The murder investigation is onging and police asked for anyone with information to contact them.
Rachel Reeves has been accused of waging war on Downton Abbey by hiking taxes on the nations historic country homes.

The Chancellor is facing claims that her Budget of inheritance tax hikes and other rises could even spell the end for some estates.

A survey for the Historic Houses association  which includes Highclere Castle where the ITV drama Downton Abbey was filmed  reveals many could be forced to cut staff.

Tory culture spokesman Saqib Bhatti accused Ms Reeves and Labour of an assault on Britains beloved heritage and history as these homes were the beating heart of the countryside.

Mr Bhatti said: Their war on Downton Abbey is economically illiterate and threatens our history.

They came for our farmers, they came for our pensioners and now they are setting out to destroy our heritage by demolishing our stately homes, loved by so many.

Lady Carnarvon, who runs Highclere Castle in Hampshire with her husband, also hit out at the hike in employers National Insurance contributions.

I feel we are almost being taxed out of business, she said.

Rachel Reeves has been accused of waging war on Downton Abbey  by hiking taxes on the nations historic country homes

Lord and Lady Carnarvon outside of Highclere Estate which was used as the main filming location for Downton Abbey. A survey for the Historic Houses association  which includes the castle  reveals many could be forced to cut staff

Tory culture spokesman Saqib Bhatti (pictured) said: Their war on Downton Abbey is economically illiterate and threatens our history'

Every hospitality business is partly about employing people. These Budget measures will not help.

Farmers have reacted in fury to the decision by Ms Reeves (pictured) to remove the inheritance tax exemption for agricultural property and business assets despite ministers claiming it will likely affect only 500 estates a year.

The survey for Historic Houses  which represents more than 1,400 independently run stately homes  warned they would also be hard hit by the changes which would affect their agricultural holdings, and weddings and tours business.

Some 41 per cent feared they would have to make redundancies or pause plans to hire new staff.

While 54 per cent said they would be unable to develop and diversify their business. One respondent declared that people in the rural economy generally deserve better and doubted if Labour would have introduced such tax hikes if they affected urban inhabitants in the same way. Another said the changes in the long term likely spells the end of an historic estate.

Historic Houses director-general Ben Cowell said: This survey reveals just how difficult the recent Budget was for independently owned historic houses. Inheritance tax changes could completely undermine the viability of the businesses that operate in these heritage settings.

But a Treasury spokesman said: With our public services crumbling, a 22 billion fiscal black hole and 47 per cent of these reliefs going to the wealthiest 7 per cent of estates, we had to make difficult choices to fix the foundations of the country and restore economic stability needed for businesses to thrive.
A woman was knocked unconscious after a glass bottle was smashed over her head as police launch an appeal for witnesses.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the woman was assaulted on a Central Line train between Shepherds Bush and Liverpool Street on December 2 at around 3.30pm.

Police said a woman, who was sat next to the victim, started arguing with her before she punched her in the head repeatedly, scratched her face and pulled her hair.

BTP added that the woman was removed by three people, but she returned to the victim and started to stamp on her feet.

She then poured a bottle of juice over the victim and smashed an empty glass bottle over her head, causing her to lose consciousness.

Police are appealing for witnesses to call 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 41 of 26 December, or call Crimestoppers anonymous.

A woman was knocked unconscious after a glass bottle was smashed over her head on a central line train. File image
This city is so close to the front line that the air-raid sirens go off after the Russian bombs have detonated. Whether delivered from the air or the ground, Putin's missiles take less than 40 seconds from launch to landing and exploding.

Ukrainians are blown to pieces as they go about their everyday lives  be it walking to work, shopping or taking children to school.

This has been the near-daily routine in Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

However, amid the death and destruction, the misery and the mayhem, an extraordinary story has emerged of courage, resilience and skill displayed by a surgeon and his medical team.

Professor Kyrylo Parkhomenko, director of the 25th Kharkiv Clinic, a 455-bed public hospital, has dedicated nearly three years of his life to carrying out life-saving operations under the most dangerous and difficult conditions.

At one point, he was moving from one operating table to another while leading four different surgeries simultaneously.

He and his team are estimated to have carried out thousands of operations and to have saved hundreds of lives.

Fighting back tears, Prof Parkhomenko tells me: 'The saddest moments have been while treating children.

Professor Kyrylo Parkhomenko and Oleg Hladkyh, the patient whose life the surgeon save

Firefighters extinguish a fire after a Russian attack on a residential neighbourhood in Kharkiv. The city is so close to the front line that air-raid sirens go off after the Russian bombs have detonated

Professor Parkhomenko his team are estimated to have carried out thousands of operations and to have saved hundreds of lives, writes LORD ASHCROFT (pictured)

'Some have been brought in so badly injured that there was nothing we could do to save their lives.

'Amputations with children are also horrific  again it's the feeling of helplessness. What should have been a healthy child, with their life ahead of him or her, has been murdered or maimed.'

I ask if there was ever a moment he felt unable to carry on his work. The 54-year-old replies, during a short break between operations: 'No! There is always more work to do.'

However, he says that if Russia does capture Kharkiv, a sprawling industrial city once home to 1.4 million people, he expects the Russians to kill him because of his work. 'I could never collaborate with the Russians in any form,' he says.

In recent weeks, Prof Parkhomenko has achieved a long-held 'dream' of building underground operating theatres in cellars beneath his hospital where, even when Russian bombs are falling, he and his team can treat up to 30 patients in relative safety.

'I was here for 120 days before I had a chance to spend the night at home'

The five theatres are fitted with basic but durable instruments because expensive equipment quickly rusts in the damp conditions.

The 860 sq-ft area, which needs to be kept sterile around the clock, has suction machines, pressurised oxygen and ventilators, as well as its own electricity generator and independent water supply.

Prof Parkhomenko has spent much of his own money on improving conditions at his clinic, which comprises several old buildings from the Soviet era.

The hospital is meant to be responsible for the wellbeing of 200,000 citizens.

He says: 'I spent some of my own money on equipment because in the past three years I have had no need to go on holiday, to buy a new car, to buy a new wardrobe.

'So everything I have has gone on the hospital.'

The underground operating theatre created by Professor Parkhomenko so he can operate on wounded patients even during Russian bombing campaigns

Firefighters working to extinguish a fire following a drone strike on an industrial facility in Kharkiv in May this year

A member of the Ukrainian military walks amid debris as firefighters work to extinguish a fire after a shopping center was hit by a Russian missile strike on April 16, 2022

On February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its current assault on Ukraine, he was woken by explosions across the city. Despite the build-up of Russian troops on the border for weeks prior to then, he had been one of many Ukrainians who did not believe that one major European country would invade another peaceful nation.

At that time, he was working in Kharkiv's Central Hospital, and that day he got to work 90 minutes earlier than his normal 8am start 'in anticipation of casualties'.

In fact, his team didn't treat their first patient until the third day of the war but the professor says that, by then, 'the city's medical system had collapsed.

'Many people responsible for medical aid had fled.'

He says: 'I never thought of leaving for one moment. I had no doubts that this was where I was needed  and about 70 per cent of my staff, the surgeons, took the same view. Yet we were hampered by a severe shortage of medicine and first-aid kits.' They all worked long hours, every day, and sometimes all night, supported by little more than coffee and adrenaline. For months, they snatched only a few hours' sleep on mattresses in the hospital corridors.

'It was probably 120 days before I had the chance to spend a night at home,' Prof Parkhomenko says.

'Early on, as the Russians tried to enter and capture the city, we were treating bullet wounds. Later, we treated more people with open wounds from exploding missiles, bombs and artillery shells. Some injuries have been terrible  when the whole body is in trauma.'

The work has been relentless.

'When a patient dies, there is no time to grieve. We have to move on to those still alive. There was a time when I remembered every patient I had ever treated... but not anymore,' he says.

At one time early in the war, he and his team could not step outside their hospital without a bullet-proof vest.

But then  like now  when carrying out surgery, they were unable to wear such protection because the vests are too restrictive.

Of his two years working at Central Hospital, which has 1,000 beds, Prof Parkhomenko says: 'It was very scary to be in a hospital nine floors high when enemy jets were circling around. I felt a fear that I had never imagined before.' Initially, when bombs fell, he says his team went into shelters but then there were so many patients 'we had no time to waste hiding from the bombs'.

A collapsed nine-storey residential building in Kharkiv on December 20

People gathering at the site of a drone strike that hit a residential building in Kharkiv on December 20

During attacks, doctors moved away from the windows to go into corridors for a brief moment of protection.

The professor says: 'It was difficult to adjust to the new type of surgeries.

'Before the war, everything was planned and all the care was meticulous.

'But then we were dealing with lost limbs, and body organs that had been turned inside out.

'Our priority was simply to save lives.'

He says, at one point, they didn't have enough bandages and had to use ripped sheets to stem bleeding. 'These were conditions similar to those experienced in the First World War,' he says.

Today, clinic staff can carry out surgery on up to 32 patients at a time.

'We have to grade the injured when there are so many.

'I decide who to operate on first by the nature and seriousness of their injuries,' he says.

At the start of the war, Prof Parkhomenko's son, Ivan, was an intern but now he's a doctor.

It was Ivan who encouraged me to interview his father because he believed it was time that the world knew of the sacrifices that the surgeon has made for his country.

'My father is one of the most skilled surgeons in Ukraine. He is also one of the bravest,' says Ivan. 'He has carried out the most complex operations in the most difficult conditions.

'Some injuries have been terrible  when the whole body is in trauma'

He is a legendary figure in Kharkiv. 'Once, we had six operations going on simultaneously and my father was conducting four of them  doing the main surgery, getting washed each time between surgeries, before moving on to another operating table. It was incredible.'

Ivan, 26, says that, for him, the saddest moment of the war happened after a residential street was bombed.

'We received a family in two different ambulances. The mother was dead. One of her daughters, aged around ten, was in the operating theatre, but she was slowly dying with a head injury. It was impossible to save her.

'Her younger sister, aged about four, was OK other than cuts and bruises.

'But the only thing she asked  and she repeated it about ten times  was, 'Where is my sister?'

'About an hour later, her father came in looking for his family.

'I never saw such sadness in a person. He had lost his wife and one of his daughters. He was pale and just sat on the floor doing nothing until late that night.'

Ivan is pessimistic about his home city's future. In a voice reflecting exhaustion and desperation in equal measure, he says: 'I'm sure Kharkiv will be wiped out sooner rather than later and that's one of the reasons I don't want children of my own yet.'

Huge columns of smoke after a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv on October 6 2023

Debris from a collapsed nine-storey building in Kharkiv following a Russian missile strike on November 20 2024

Firefighters working at a damaged 12-storey residential building struck in Kharkiv

Among the most feared Russian weapons routinely fired at Kharkiv are 'glide bombs' cheap but highly destructive weapons that are hard to detect because they have no motors  and C-300 anti-aircraft missiles that have been adapted for use against civilian targets.

During my visit to the clinic, I meet Oleg Hladkyh, a 33-year-old married man with two children, who was severely injured while working at a post office in Kharkiv that was bombed in October last year in an attack that killed eight people and injured about 20 more.

Mr Hladkyh was knocked unconscious, suffering multiple injuries from shrapnel, including head, abdominal and internal wounds that were so serious he was given little chance of surviving.

However, after hours of life-saving surgery led by Prof Parkhomenko, and then further reconstructive surgery, he is now back home and hoping to return to his job.

He says: 'The professor and his team saved my life. They carry out amazing work.'

Prof Parkhomenko has met Prof David Nott, the British surgeon acclaimed for his work in war zones. Prof Nott says the two men first encountered each other in 2022 when he went to Kharkiv with a small team from his own David Nott Foundation to train local doctors to deal with war wounded.

The foundation has donated specialist equipment to the Ukrainians, who are very grateful to British volunteers who have risked their lives to bring aid to Kharkiv.

Prof Parkhomenko says that he has even operated on people known to have collaborated with the Russians.

'I have always treated them the same as other patients, because of my medical oath  even though deep down in my heart I felt it was wrong,' he says.

I ask him what he thought of Russian claims that Moscow military chiefs are only bombing military targets in Kharkiv. 'It's a total lie,' he replies.

'I have always treated collaborators, but I felt it was wrong'

Indeed, on the morning I arrived in Kharkiv for our interview, residential buildings were hit, injuring at least ten people.

Prof Parkhomenko says he's been 'lucky' to live and work in Ukraine-controlled territory and not 'Occupied Territories', or as Ukrainians prefer to call them 'Temporarily Occupied Territories'  under Russian control.

He says doctors there treat more patients but must do so with less equipment and drugs, and with no fresh water or electricity.

He also knows of doctors who have been tortured and killed by Russians solely for treating Ukrainian patients.

'These are the real heroes. Not me,' he says, shaking his head in disbelief at the extent of the atrocities carried out by Putin's forces.

Prof Parkhomenko, whose whole career has been in medicine, beginning as a nurse in 1989, says his wife and three grown-up children remain in Kharkiv because it is 'a special city' and their home.

'At the start of the war, I decided that I was prepared to die for my country. But, of course, I do not want to die at the hands of the Russians,' he says.

Kharkiv University set ablaze by a Russian missile strike just after 8am on March 2 2022

Ukrainian rescuers working at the site of a fire in Kharkiv sparked by the debris of a drone that was shot down

When I ask if he felt that, despite its dangers, his life-saving work was rewarding, he replies wearily: 'Probably not anymore.

'It just feels like I have to keep doing it.

'I long for the day when I can go back to doing my normal job.

'But despite everything that has happened, I still have hope.

'I see a free, peaceful Ukraine in the future and I long for the day when I am a happy pensioner still living in my home city and my son is carrying on my work.'
A recently elected state government has revealed it will continue the fight against a Native Title claim over a famed island tourist destination.

David Crisafulli's LNP Queensland government, which was elected in October, has announced it will fight the most recent Native Title claim over Great Keppel-Woppa Island, which was also opposed by its Labor predecessor in office.

The Woppaburra people have lodged a claim for exclusive use of the 9sq/km island, including the former resort site and airstrip that was denied them because they were privately leased.

However, the resort site was abandoned by Tower Holdings in 2008 and its works had been left to decay until they were demolished in 2018 under the former Labor government, which canceled the lease after waiving nearly $900,000 in unpaid rent.

Having already been recognised in 2021 as the Native Title holders of 570sq/km of land and sea over Great Keppel-Woppa Island the traditional owners submitted a second native claim that includes the resort.

However, the LNP government said the resort site has been earmarked for redevelopment and will fight to keep it as Crown land.

A Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Regional and Rural Development spokesperson said the Native Tile claim has 'already been ruled to have native title extinguished as part of a previous ruling'.

'The Queensland Government will continue to challenge the claim regarding the extinguished areas,' they told the Courier Mail.

'Great Keppel Island has significant tourism potential, and job and business opportunities, however the immediate priority is to make the island safe.'

The Queensland government said it will fight the claim for an extension of Native Title over Great Keppel-Woppa Island

A closed resort site remained under lease to former operator Tower Holdings until it reverted to the Queensland government last year

Woppaburra Saltwater Aboriginal Corporation chairperson Fred Saunders earlier this year said the Native Title claim had been motivated by concern over environmental impacts the rotting resort was creating.

He said the $30million tourism revival plan committed by the previous Labor government for the island would not be affected by the claim.

'We are protective of our sacred areas and will maintain our cultural responsibilities, but the Woppaburra people are not about restriction, anti-development and locking up lands,' he said.

'We are about sustainable environmental approaches to safeguard the islands beauty to make it an attractive destination for all visitors'.

The government spokesperson said a clean up of the site will begin in the new year.

As part of it rejuvenation Pensar Construction Group has been awarded a $8.6million council contract to reconstruct the island's outdated sewage treatment plant.
The spectre of Sadiq Khan bringing 'New York-style drugs chaos' to the UK was raised last night.

Critics raised fears that a new report ordered by the London Labour mayor will next month call for a major liberalisation of Britain's laws on cannabis.

They pointed out that the London Drugs Commission is led by Labour peer Charlie Falconer, who has spoken of his regret for 'supporting the war on drugs'.

Created two years ago, the commission was asked by Mr Khan to look at the effectiveness of the UK's drug laws but with a specific focus on cannabis, which in this country remains a class B drug.

It was set up in May 2022  the same time as the London mayor toured a cannabis dispensary in California and visited New York, which legalised the personal use of cannabis in 2021.

But last night critics at the centre-Right think-tank Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) warned against any plans for the UK to copy the US, saying that the legalisation in New York State had failed to eliminate the illegal market for cannabis.

CSJ deputy policy director Sophia Worringer, who recently joined the NYPD on a patrol, told The Mail on Sunday: 'The persistent smog of cannabis that hangs across Manhattan Island could not possibly be sustained by the small handful of official cannabis shops regulated to sell it.

'Despite the legal options, people still prefer their old illegal dealers  who can promise a to-the-door-service of much stronger stuff all while undercutting the legal market.'

Critics raised fears that a new report ordered by the London Labour mayor will next month call for a major liberalisation of Britain's laws on cannabis

The London mayor visited New York in 2022, which has legalised the personal use of cannabis

She added that the legal framework on drug use in New York was now 'confused' and that 'cops feel hamstrung to enforce the law because drug taking is so widespread.

The legalisation of cannabis sends a message about the harmless nature of casual drug-taking.'

She concluded: 'The last thing in London  or anywhere in the UK for that matter  is to import a similar chaos to NYC by liberalising drug laws'.

This month, the CSJ released research that found three-quarters of police here thought that current drug-possession policies were ineffective, and two-thirds said cannabis had effectively been decriminalised already.

But the think-tank has warned that where drug laws have been liberalised, such as in Portugal and parts of the US, it has led to an increase in addictions.

The London Drugs Commission, involving experts from the worlds of criminal justice, public health and academia, had been expected to report last autumn.

However, Mr Khan, who has said he has an 'open mind' about decriminalising cannabis, said then that the issue was 'on the back-burner'.

But yesterday, sources said the commission's research was now complete and was expected to be published in January.

Sadiq Khan has said he has an 'open mind' about decriminalising cannabis

In 2018, former justice secretary Lord Falconer called on his party to fight 'for an end to the drug war and commit to the legal regulation of drug production'.

But last night, he declined to comment ahead of the report's publication.

Sir Keir Starmer said before the election that he had 'no intention' of changing drug laws and a government source said last night that remained the position.
Labour's plans to force owners of rental properties across Britain to comply with strict new eco targets has left Sir Keir Starmer facing a bill of up to 28,000 for home improvements.

Since moving into his grace-and-favour apartment in Downing Street, the Prime Minister has been letting his 2 million family home  a four-bedroom townhouse in North London, on which he no longer pays a mortgage.

But the property's energy efficiency rating falls below Labour's new requirements for landlords, meaning that he will have to spend a five-figure sum on renovations over the next five years to keep renting it out legally.

Under plans announced by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, all rented properties in England must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of C or above by 2030.

Around 2.9 million buildings are expected to be upgraded to meet the C rating at a collective cost of 23.4 billion or 8,074 per property, according to analysis by property website Rightmove. Currently they only need to have a rating of E.

But many older properties will never be able to meet the new minimum standard, prompting fears that landlords will sell up, potentially squeezing the market and pushing up rent for tenants.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Sir Keir's house, which he began renting out in September, has received a D rating, which can only be improved if he pays for expensive eco upgrades, such as wall insulation.

The total cost for this, as advised by the EPC, which gives estimates for improvements, is between 13,035 and 28,235  and failure to make the changes risks a fine of up to 30,000.

Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria. Their home's energy efficiency rating falls below Labour's new requirements, meaning that he will have to spend a five-figure sum on renovations over the next five years to keep renting it out legally

Tthe Prime Minister has been letting his 2 million family home  a four-bedroom townhouse in North London (pictured), on which he no longer pays a mortgage

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Sir Keir's house, which he began renting out in September, has received a D rating, which can only be improved if he pays for expensive eco upgrades, such as wall insulation

Landlords who do not comply with EPC rules can be fined a minimum of 10,000 for non-compliance of more than three months.

The Prime Minister has not declared his rental income on the Register of Members' Financial Interests but The Mail on Sunday understands that is because it is under the 10,000-a-year threshold and he is renting it out to a family member.

And the Prime Minister is not the only landlord on Labour's frontbench who faces being banned from renting out their properties.

Rachel Reeves, who started letting her four-bedroom South London home when she moved into 11 Downing Street, would need to spend between 8,400 and 13,050 to meet the new rules.

Her Dulwich house has an EPC rating of D and requires loft and floor insulation, as well as solar water heating to boost its score.

The Chancellor currently gets around 3,200 a month for the home that she and her husband Nicholas Joicey, a senior civil servant, bought for 599,950 in 2012, according to The Telegraph.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who rents out a property in North London, also has a D rating. His is D55  the lowest number before being in the E category  and only has the potential to become D65, not a C.

This may mean he will be unable to rent it out by 2030.

Rachel Reeves (pictured), who started letting her four-bedroom South London home when she moved into 11 Downing Street, would need to spend between 8,400 and 13,050 to meet the new rules

Under plans announced by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband (pictured), all rented properties in England must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of C or above by 2030

Likewise Ian Murray, the Secretary of State for Scotland, only has a rating of F on his rented flat in Edinburgh which could, at best, reach an E with upgrades.

In Scotland, any property marketed for private rent as of 2025 must have an EPC rating of C or above.

Earlier this year, The National newspaper reported that Mr Murray was earning thousands from letting the 'bright and very spacious' property on Airbnb.

Housing minister Rushanara Ali rents out two flats in East London, both of which have D ratings. The estimated costs for upgrading both are between 8,850 and 21,500.

Labour has pledged to invest an additional 6.6 billion in its warm homes plan this Parliament to make grants and low interest loans available for insulation, as well as solar panels, batteries and low carbon heating in a bid to cut bills.

As many as 300,000 homes will be upgraded next year using 3.2 billion of the funding.

A spokesman for the National Residential Landlords Association has said: 'Upgrading to an EPC C will require a higher level of investment  and the ability of landlords to fund this will vary, particularly given the regional variability in their options to leverage finance from their property values.

'Some landlords may have to increase rents to match increased maintenance costs.'

Ian Murray (pictured), the Secretary of State for Scotland, only has a rating of F on his rented flat in Edinburgh which could, at best, reach an E with upgrades

He added: 'The costs of these changes vary greatly on the type of property. It is also important to take into consideration how landlords are impacted by the region their properties are based in.

'Our research in 2021 found that in some local authority areas of the North and Midlands, the estimated costs of improving home energy are around 25 per cent of property values.

'By contrast, in affluent parts of London and the South East the cost of retrofitting with heat pumps represents less than 2 per cent of overall property value.'

A Government spokesman said yesterday: 'This Government has pledged to improve energy efficiency in British homes  cutting bills, helping to lift millions out of fuel poverty and keeping households warm.'
READ MORE: Man rushed to hospital after being mauled in the water

A man who died after being mauled by a shark has been identified as a beloved youth pastor.

Luke Walford, 40, was spearfishing with family and friends off Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands National Park, about 18km off the central Queensland coast, when he was attacked at about 4.30pm on Saturday.

A Queensland Ambulance spokesman said emergency services found Mr Walford with'significant' neck injuries after racing to the scene.

Despite the best efforts of first responders to revive him, Mr Walford was pronounced dead just before 6pm.

Mr Walford worked as a children's and youth pastor for the Cathedral of Praise and Heights College in his hometown, Rockhampton

He was honoured as Rockhampton's Young Citizen of the Year in 2010 for his work with children in local schools and the Salvation army.

A friend of Mr Walford took to social media to honour him as 'a really gentle soul, you wont meet one person that would have anything negative to say about him'.

State MP for Keppel, Nigel Hutton, said the community was sending their 'thoughts and prayers' to his family.

A man killed by a shark in front of his family and friends has been identified as 40-year-old youth pastor Luke Walford (pictured)

Mr Walford was spearfishing at the time of the attack which left him with 'significant' neck injuries, which he succumbed to shortly before 6pm on Saturday

The Cathedral of Praise's website said Mr Walford was a 'God honouring man whose enthusiasm and energy to serve the body is infectious'.

'He has a genuine love for children and young people and desires to help them grow in all that God has created them to be,' the website reads.

Images from Mr Walford's social media accounts reveal he was an avid spear-fisherman alongside his father who tragically died from cancer in 2022.

This latest attack is the worst in a string of other shark attacks which have taken place in recent months.

One man in his 60s was bitten by a shark while spearfishing off Curtis Island, north of Gladstone, at 8.25am on December 2.

He suffered minor to moderate wounds to his forearms and bystanders performed first aid to quell the bleeding while paramedics arrived.

Another 57-year-old woman was attacked while snorkelling on a reef about 200km off Mackay's coast at 4.30pm on October 30.

She sustained two 30cm bite wounds to her calf and it took more than eight hours to get her back to shore.

Bystanders again performed first aid on the woman and the Australian Navy assisted in getting her back to the mainland.
The mystery over the disappearance of the ex-husband of former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers has been solved after concerns grew for his safety.

Justin McKeone vanished last month amid claims he stole almost $500,000 while working as a financial manager at a Melbourne firm.

According to court documents, he is alleged to have stolen $481,490.33 from his employer during his five-month tenure as Head of Finance at Rocket Brands (Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd).

The 37-year old was due to appear in the Supreme Court of Victoria on December 5 to respond to a civil application to place a freezing order on his assets, but failed to appear.

The court heard McKeone had not made contact with his lawyers since November 11 when he was contacted by lawyers acting for his former employer.

McKeone has not responded publicly to the allegations, with a new Instagram account set to private.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal McKeone packed his bags and travelled across the country to his home state of Western Australia.

Court documents state he now resides in Scarborough, north-east of Perth.

Justin McKeone in happier days with ex-wife former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers

He has also engaged Melbourne powerhouse legal firm Galbally & OBryan, the same firm representing the man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy.

McKeone is understood to be linked to The Bachelor Australia 2021s Tahnee Leeson, who had an on-again-off again relationship with him after his split with Molly Rogers.

She denied getting back together with McKeone when questioned about it in July, telling reporters she was 'just friends' with him.

However the couple now appear to be smitten in photos posted by Leeson to her Instagram page just days ago.

In them, McKeon appeared to be fit, healthy and happy, although it remains unclear exactly when they were taken.

The move by McKeone to engage the legal firm followed a court decision to slap a freezing order on his assets after he failed to appear in court.

In bizarre circumstances, the court heard McKeone needed to be contacted via social media or email in a bid to offer him an opportunity at arguing his case.

The court had already ordered a freeze on McKeone's assets totalling the amount Rocket Brands claimed he stole between May 23 and October 6.

That order was due to expire weeks ago, but was extended in McKeone's absence.

The court heard McKeone, who once rubbed shoulders with Melbourne's high society, had limited access to $800 a week for living costs and $10,000 to pay any legal expenses.

The Bachelor Australia 2021s Tahnee Leeson (left) posted this image of herself and McKeone just days ago

Justin McKeone and ex-wife former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers

McKeone joined Rocket Brands in March this year on a $200,000 annual salary. But just weeks into his probationary period, staff reportedly raised concerns about his erratic behaviour.

An affidavit submitted to the court by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes alleges he was told by other employees that McKeone was 'sleeping in the work toilets for up to four hours a day', taking excessively long lunch breaks, and frequently leaving the office without completing his duties.

Court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia claim McKeone admitted to the theft when confronted by Holmes in mid-October.

During the meeting, McKeone allegedly confessed he embezzled the money to fund 'a very serious drug habit' and told Holmes he would 'do his best' to repay the business.

During this month's hearing, barrister Kieren Hickie, for Rocket Brands, called on the court to extend the freezing order to any international assets McKeone might have hidden abroad.

The court heard McKeone had failed to comply with a 'disclosure notification' that was due in on November 24 despite assurances he would engage a lawyer to act on his behalf.

Rocket Brands asked Justice Peter Gray to make an interlocutory judgment - a non-final judgment that resolves an element of a claim or another issue without deciding the full case - awarding it restitution for the full amount and its legal costs.

'My client does seek to proceed by seeking interlocutory judgement be entered against the defendant with damages to be assessed,' Mr Hickie said.

Olivia Molly Rogers (pictured) has no contact with her estranged husband Justin McKeone

Justin McKeone (left) wraps his arm around former Masterchef contestant Khanh Ong. The Bachelor Australia 2021s Tahnee Leeson, who posted the image just days ago, is dressed in red

The company also asked that its legal costs be borne by McKeone - an request that was later granted.

'We are here today, plainly the defendant is in default of filing any appearance. It would be the just, timely and cost efficient resolution of this dispute that interlocutory judgement be entered,' Mr Hickie said.

Court documents claim McKeone disguised 114 unauthorised transactions as legitimate supplier payments, funnelling company money into his personal bank account to allegedly fund a drug addiction.

According to court filings, McKeone allegedly used his exclusive access to Rocket's financial systems to approve and process the payments.

The affidavit claims McKeone manipulated invoices to reflect payments to suppliers like 'Storage King' and 'Net Focus IT' while redirecting funds into his own Westpac account.

Screenshots submitted to the court allegedly show McKeone editing and approving these allegedly fraudulent transactions using the Xero software program. Holmes told the court he had not authorised any of those payments.

The alleged embezzlement was reportedly hidden in Rocket's financial statements under the guise of 'historical adjustments' totalling $310,878, further complicating the company's efforts to identify the missing funds.

Justin McKeone proposes to former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers

Holmes reported the alleged theft to Victoria Police on October 14.

Detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit interviewed McKeone on November 6, but no criminal charges have yet been laid as the investigation continues.

In the civil law case, Rocket Brands is seeking full restitution and has accused McKeone of breaching his duties as a senior manager.

The company has described his alleged actions in court documents as calculated and damaging, claiming the alleged theft has caused significant financial losses.

The court filing states McKeone's actions were allegedly a 'gross breach of trust' and that the company is 'not in a position to accept [his] representation' that he has no money left in his accounts.

Olivia Molly Rogers, who divorced from McKeone last year, has not commented on the legal case.

Justice Gray extended the freezing order to April next year, with the matter now expected to go to trial.
My widowed grandmother is quite young-at-heart for 77 and is dating a man who is 41.

She is happy and says hes not after her money but as her family, we are terrified. My grandfather left her comfortably off and we fear she might be fleeced and left in penury. Or her boyfriend may be after our inheritance which would be substantial.

My parents want to stage an intervention, whereas her three adult grandchildren (me included) think it could alienate her so she never speaks to us again. We dont know what to do  what do you think?

C.W. Edinburgh

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell star in Don't Get Old in Liverpool, about a woman's romance with a much younger man

Money Psychotherapist Vicky Reynal replies: It is understandable to be worried and to want to protect your grandmother from potentially being manipulated. I dont think this is an either/or situation, as in you either have an intervention or you say nothing.

I think you are right: an intervention involving the whole family making a strong point might leave her feeling ganged up on and, as you say, alienate her. This requires a more delicate conversation, in which maybe one or two family members approach her.

The language should be tentative and not accusatory (you are naive or he is after your money) so that she is not thrown into a defensive position from the start. You want to convey to your grandmother that out of care for her you want to make sure that she is looking after her finances, and not leaving herself open to unintentionally giving away more than she is comfortable with. This is different from saying he is scamming you or he is taking advantage of you. It is tempting to make strong statements if we dont feel we are being heard, but you risk having the opposite effect.

READ MORE: My friends say I'm a shopaholic but I'm 34, single and just like buying new things. How do I know if I have a shopping addiction? Money psychotherapist VICKY REYNAL replies Advertisement

You could use the third person to make your grandmother aware of scenarios she could be mindful of, its not unheard of for people to start using their partners credit card without their knowledge or maybe there are professionals who can advise you on the best way to protect your finances.

Lets be clear: its obvious that you are insinuating that you feel her partner could have exploitative intentions, but its still a softer way of being direct than making accusations which might or could be unfounded.

But listen, too. Your grandmother might have considered all of the above and have addressed it already one way or another. Maybe she has already taken precautions, or maybe she has idealised this man and is in denial about the risks. It is possible, too, that she is fully aware of the risks yet still wants to live this romance and enjoy the happiness and companionship that it brings her now, knowing that if there are consequences shell face them down the line.

Ideal? No, but ultimately, however, the choice is hers.

In fact, that could be the very reason why all this is happening: as we age and we become worried about the potential loss of autonomy that comes with an ageing mind and body, so she could be making a strong statement to the family about the fact that she still has choice and agency in her life and she is not ready to give that up. This young boyfriend could be a way to hold on to her youth, and her freedom.

If your grandmother wants to leave all her inheritance to her younger boyfriend, its her prerogative. You and the rest of the family might find it outrageous and feel robbed and angered by this, but we are all entitled to make our choices - even if that means having to live with the consequences. For the family, its about finding a balance between making her conscious of some risks without becoming controlling or judgemental.

Do you have a question for Vicky Reynal? Email vicky.reynal@dailymail.co.uk
Princess Diana's niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, made her public debut at Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2011 wedding and has since gained recognition as a model and social figure.

Kitty, the eldest daughter of Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, and Victoria Lockwood, has graced magazine covers and landed ambassador roles with luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari.

Aside from her modelling career, she has been a committed advocate for the homeless charity Centrepoint, supporting her cousin Prince William at various events, including their recent awards ceremony.

Kitty's family includes younger twin sisters, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia, her brother Louis, as well as half-siblings from her parents' other marriages.

Today, as she celebrates her 34th birthday, we explore her life and career journey.

Princess Diana's niece, Kitty, has graced magazine covers and landed ambassador roles with luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari

Born on December 28, 1990 at St Mary's Hospital in London, Kitty and her siblings relocated to Constantia, South Africa, in 1995 to escape the intense media focus surrounding their family name.

Despite their parents' divorce in 1997, the children enjoyed a happy upbringing with their mother in one of Cape Town's oldest and most exclusive suburbs.

They often went on camping trips to the Cederberg mountains, where they embraced the natural surroundings, completely off-grid and without electricity.

With their father back at the family's ancestral home, Althorp, the siblings also spent many visits there, creating cherished memories.

Kitty has two twin sisters, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia, and a brother Louis, as well as two half-sisters and a half-brother from their father's second and third marriages, and a half-brother from their mother's second marriage.

Her aunt was the late Princess Diana. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she said: 'I was so young [when Diana was alive]. There are only a few memories, but special memories and happy memories, and Im so lucky to have those.'

Kitty and her twin sisters made their public debut in matching dusky pink and black outfits at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, held at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

Later, in 2018, she attended Prince Harry's wedding with her mother, sister Amelia and brother Louis, who joined her arm-in-arm in a morning coat as they arrived at Windsor Castle.

Kitty has been a committed advocate for the homeless charity Centrepoint, supporting her cousin Prince William at various events, including their recent awards ceremony

Kitty is the eldest daughter of Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, and Victoria Lockwood. She has two twin sisters, Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia, and one brother, Louis

Kitty and her twin sisters made their public debut at Prince William and Kate Middleton 's 2011 wedding

In 1995, the siblings relocated to Constantia, South Africa, with their parents to escape the intense media focus surrounding their family name

She wed South African-British millionaire Michael Lewis, 65, at a breathtaking 17th-century Italian villa overlooking the city of Rome

In 2023, Kitty and Michael welcomed their first child, a daughter named Athena, after a private pregnancy

By then, Kitty was already living in London and had established herself as a notable figure in high society.

Following in her mother's footsteps, she pursued modelling, signing with Storm Model Management almost a decade ago.

Her career highlights include walking the runway for Dolce & Gabbana in 2017, becoming a global ambassador for the fashion house in 2021, and her appointment as Bulgari's ambassador in 2018.

She wed South African-British millionaire Michael Lewis, 65, at a breathtaking 17th-century Italian villa overlooking the city of Rome.

Her father was notably absent, due to a shoulder injury, and Kitty walked down the aisle with her brother Louis and half-brother Samuel Aitken, son of businessman Jonathan Aitken.

Unsurprisingly, Kitty's wedding wardrobe, featuring five haute couture gowns, was designed by the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.

At the time, Domenico Dolce said: 'She told us she had thought of us immediately, and we were very happy with that!'

As chairman of the Foschini Group, which owns British brands Whistles and Phase Eight, Michael also has deep ties to the fashion industry.

He is estimated to be worth 80million, owning properties in London and South Africa.

The couple reportedly met through friends in 2018, with their relationship going public after being spotted together in New York in 2019.

In 2023, Kitty and Michael welcomed their first child, a daughter named Athena, following a private pregnancy.

The trio lives in a stunning London mansion, believed to be worth 19million.
The Norwegian royal family have broken their silence after allegations of rape emerged against the future King's stepson, confessing they have sought 'professional help' during the 'challenging year'.

The Scandinavian royals have been rocked by scandal over the last 12 months after Marius Borg Hiby 27 - the son of Mette-Marit from a previous relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon.

Police arrested Marius Borg Hoiby, 27, on August 4 following a night-time row at an apartment in Oslo, where he was later charged with assaulting his 'ex-girlfriend' as well as threatening to set her clothes ablaze.

When police arrived following the cocaine and alcohol-fuelled assault, police found a knife stuck in one of the walls of the woman's bedroom at the apartment.

Hiby admitted to assault whilst 'under the influence of alcohol and cocaine' in a statement where he said he suffered with 'mental troubles' and struggled 'for a long time with substance abuse'.

In an interview with NRK, Norway's public broadcasting group on Christmas day, his mother - the Crown Princess said: 'If I had to choose one word for this year, it would be challenging.'

'It has been a demanding year and a demanding autumn for us,' Princess Mette-Marit added.

Following the incident, Hiby became the first ever royal family member to have been charged with a crime and is no longer publicly listed as part of the Scandinavian household.

The Norwegian royal family have broken their silence after allegations of rape emerged against the future King's stepson Marius Borg Hoiby (Pictured front:Prince Sverre Magnus and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, pictured behind left to right: Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Marius Borg Holby)

Police arrested Marius Borg Hoiby (pictured), 27, on August 4 following a night-time row at an apartment in Oslo, and was later charged with assaulting his ex-'girlfriend'

After his arrest, in a statement to NRK, Borg Hiby, labelled the black sheep of the Norwegian Royal Family, said that 'something happened that should never have happened.'

'I committed bodily harm and destroyed objects in an apartment while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine after an argument,' he added.

Borg Hiby said he had suffered with 'mental troubles' and struggled 'for a long time with substance abuse'. He said he would seek new treatment and 'take it very seriously'.

But he added that 'the consumption of drugs and my diagnoses do not excuse what happened in the apartment.' 'I want to take responsibility for what I did,' he said, promising to be frank with police.

He added: 'For me, the most important thing is to say sorry to my girlfriend. She deserved neither what happened that night, nor the extreme pressure from both the Norwegian and foreign press afterwards.'

Mette-Marit's eldest son also apologised to his family for his actions that have 'greatly affected you'.

The Crown Prince's stepson has since been arrested twice in November, with police looking into assault claims brought forward by two other former partners.

Claims emerged that Borg Hiby engaged in a sexual act without intercourse two times 'with someone who is... unable to resist the act', the Times reports.

After being arrested on preliminary charges, which he refuted, he was let out a week later, with his lawyer stating the 27-year-old was undergoing treatment, which is believed to be happening in London.

Holby was also notably absent from the royal family's Christmas card this year.

Instead, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja were joined by their son Crown Prince Haakon, his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and their 20-year-old daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

After his arrest, in a statement to NRK, Borg Hiby (pictured with his mother), labelled the black sheep of the Norwegian Royal Family, said that 'something happened that should never have happened'

Claims emerged that Hiby engaged in a sexual act without intercourse two times 'with someone who is... unable to resist the act' (Pictured with hsi mother on a visit to Trondheim)

Pictured from left to right: Queen Sonja, King Harold, Prince Sverre Magnus, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Marius Borg Hoib, blank, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon

Hiby was noticably absent from the family's Christmas card this year (Pictured left to right: Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra with Queen Sonja and King Harold)

But Prince Sverre Magnus, 18, was also not included in the festive photograph, where the five beaming royals posed up a storm next to a Christmas tree.

Sverre Magnus now lives in Trondheim, rather than Oslo with the Royal Family, and wasn't there when the picture was taken, Head of Communications at the Palace, Guri Varpe, revealed to Dagbladet.

In an NRK programme called, The Year of The Royal Family 2024, Mette-Marit also said Hiby had a right to privacy, whilst confessing they had been seeking 'professional help' 'for a long time'.

I dont think we would have been able to be in a situation like this without having that help, together as a family, and at the same time fulfil our obligations to the Norwegian people,' she said.

While the family declined to comment on the Crown Princess's son, the future King said he did not want to disclose more about the situation, adding that they 'would like him to have space to find his own way.'

Queen Sonja said the situation was 'taking its toll', while her husband King Harald who has backed Mette-Marit said it was difficult for a family member to go through such an experience but they now had to 'let the legal system work as it should'.

The claims have taken a hit on the royal family, with backing for the household falling from 81 percent in 2017 to 62 percent last September.

However the allegations haven't been the only woes troubling the family with the 87-year-old King becoming unwell in February after a trip to Malaysia.

Queen Sonja revealed she was concerned she would have to travel back alone at one point as the monarch's health deteriorated.

Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her US groom Shaman Durek delighted crowds lining the streets by sharing a kiss after their wedding

Princess Martha Louise of Norway has been whisked away on a 'surprise honeymoon' to Turkey by her new husband 'Shaman' Durek Verrett

Following the incident, King Harold had a pacemaker since lowered the amount of public assignments he carries out from 431 to 371.

Despite using crutches as well as a concerning low heartbeat, the monarch refuses to take give up his crown.

It comes afterPrincess Martha Louise of Norway - Haakon's sister - wed her new husband 'Shaman' Durek Verret in a controversial ceremony.

The spiritual newlyweds, who claim to have first met during ancient times, married in a huge ceremony in Geiranger in Norway in August, witnessed by 350 guests.

The union was mired with controversy - partly due to Verrett's views, which include believing that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness.
READ MORE: As NASA delays its moon landing yet AGAIN, conspiracies reignite

From NASA's mission to study Jupiters icy moon Europa to Elon Musk's SpaceX catching its Starship rocket mid-air, there's no doubt 2024 saw some incredible space feats.

'In 2024, NASA made leap after giant leap to explore, discover, and inspire  all while bringing real, tangible, and substantial benefits to the American people and to all of humanity,' said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

And 2025 is set to be an even more remarkable year for space agencies and companies around the world, who have an assortment of exciting missions lined up.

Among them are NASA, which is sending two twin spacecraft to Mars  although its upcoming return to the moon has been delayed yet again.

There's also the European Space Agency, which is set to launch its futuristic 'Space Rider' spaceplane  described as a 'robotic laboratory the size of two minivans'.

Meanwhile, private companies are readying a probe to Venus and a luxury commercial space station for the first time.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's SpaceX could go one step further in 2025 with its 395-foot Starship vessel as it prepares for a trip beyond Earth orbit.

Here, MailOnline takes a look at the incredible space missions set to take off in 2025 that you won't want to miss.

MailOnline takes a look at the incredible space missions set to take off in 2025, from the first private mission to Venus to China's ambitious asteroid mission

TIANWEN-2

Surely one of the most ambitious trips of the year will be China's Tianwen-2, which is set for launch in May 2025.

Tianwen-2 is an asteroid sample return mission with near-Earth asteroid Kamooalewa (2016 HO3) as its destination.

The asteroid is roughly the size of a Ferris wheel  between 150 and 190 feet in diameter  and gets as close as about 9 million miles from Earth.

Tianwen-2 will conduct remote sensing observations in orbit, before landing on the asteroid to collect about 100g (3.5 oz) of dusty surface rock ('regolith').

It will then return to Earth to drop off a return capsule containing the sample before a gravity assist maneuver will propel it toward a comet called 311P/PANSTARRS.

Kamo'oalewa has been considered for use as a space station for Earth-to-Mars travel, but samples from the asteroid could also reveal more about the solar system's formation and evolution

While the launch from Xichang is planned for May, Tianwen-2 won't reach Kamooalewa (2016 HO3) until 2026 and 311P/PANSTARRS until 2034.

Image from China National Space Administration shows the Tianwen-1 probe en route to Mars. The follow-up, Tianwen-2, has a distant asteroid in its sights

Why did NASA push back its moon mission? At the start of December, NASA delayed its manned mission to the moon yet again. It blamed 'technical issues' and needing time to allow critical changes for crew safety. Artemis II - which will send four astronauts on a trip around the moon and back home - has been delayed from 2025 to 2026. Meanwhile, Artemis III - which will actually land humans on the lunar surface - has been pushed from 2026 to 2027. Advertisement

It follows the Tianwen-1 mission, which launched a robotic spacecraft towards Mars in 2020 and reached the planet the following year.

VENUS LIFE FINDER

No definitive evidence has been found of past or present life on Venus  but an upcoming mission to the solar system's second planet could change that.

Venus Life Finder  the first private mission to Venus  will launch an uncrewed 17 kg (37 lb) spacecraft from New Zealand sometime in January.

If all goes to plan, the craft will arrive at Venus in May and drop a small probe into Venusian atmosphere that will scan for organic molecules, which could be a possible sign of life.

Launch vehicle company Rocket Lab is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the mission, which was originally planned for 2023.

Venus is known as Earth's 'evil twin' because its also rocky and about the same size, but its average surface temperature is a blistering 870F (465C).

The rocky sphere is not only inhospitable but also sterile  with a surface hot enough to melt lead and toxic clouds of sulfuric acid.

Launch vehicle company Rocket Lab is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to send the first private mission to Venus as soon as January 2025. Pictured, artist's impression of the Venus Life Finder craft in space

Venus is known as Earth's 'evil twin' because its also rocky and about the same size, but its average surface temperature is a blistering 870F (465C). Pictured, the surface of Venus, as interpreted by the Magellan spacecraft

What is Dream Chaser? Dream Chaser is a reusable spacecraft developed by Colorado firm Sierra Space. The world's only commercial spaceplane, it's designed to take people and cargo to space (specifically low Earth-orbit). It will make its maiden trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth-orbit after more than a decade in development. Advertisement

DREAM CHASER

After more than a decade in development, Sierra Space's 'Dream Chaser'  which can land horizontally on a runway like a traditional aircraft  is ready to fly.

The craft will make its maiden trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth-orbit no earlier than May 2025, carrying over 7,800 pounds (3,540kg) of cargo.

Dream Chaser will remain at the space station for about 45 days before it makes the journey back down to Earth.

Although this first flight will be an unmanned mission, it will eventually carry astronauts to the space station, much like SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

Along with SpaceX and Boeing, Sierra Space is one of the companies contracted by NASA a decade ago to send people and equipment to the ISS  but so far only SpaceX has been successful.

Sierra Space revealed in May 2024 that the ship had completed testing and was shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of an imminent launch  but it was pushed it back to 2025.

Although the project is geared towards delivering professional astronauts to space, the company hasn't ruled out using Dream Chaser for tourist trips later in the future.

It will make its maiden trip to the International Space Station (ISS) in low Earth-orbit, after more than a decade in development

Pictured, artist's impression of the Dream Chaser spacecraft during its descent back towards Earth

SPACE RIDER

Space Rider, a 26-foot uncrewed robotic laboratory, will be the European Space Agency's first re-usable space vehicle.

About the size of two minivans, Space Rider is scheduled for its maiden flight during the third quarter of 2025  so between June and August.

After launch on the Vega-C single-body rocket from Guiana Space Centre, Space Rider will stay in low orbit for about two months.

On-board robotic experiments will benefit research in pharmaceutics, biomedicine, biology and physical science, says the agency.

At the end of its mission, Space Rider will return to Earth with its payloads and land on a runway to be unloaded and refurbished for another flight.

It's akin to the much larger Space Shuttle, NASA's legendary low Earth orbital spacecraft operated 1981 and 2011.

ESA says: 'Space Rider provides a range of possibilities and benefits to potential customers who want to use the advantages of microgravity and exposure to the space environment.'

Space Rider is an uncrewed robotic laboratory about the size of two minivans. After launch on Vega-C it will stay in low orbit for about two months

It's akin to the much larger Space Shuttle, NASA's legendary low Earth orbital spacecraft operated 1981 and 2011 (pictured)

ESCAPADE

NASA's upcoming 'ESCAPADE' project is the first ever mission to send two identical spacecraft to the Martian atmosphere.

For the mission, Rocket Lab has designed and built twin spacecraft, called Blue and Gold, which will launch from Cape Canaveral no sooner than spring 2025.

Following an 11-month, 230 million mile journey, together they will measure plasma and magnetic fields around the Red Planet.

It's hoped the data will reveal more about the processes that strip away atoms from Mars' magnetosphere and upper atmosphere, driving Martian climate change.

'This mission can help us study the atmosphere at Mars  key information as we explore farther and farther into our solar system and need to protect astronauts and spacecraft from space weather,' said Nicky Fox, NASA's science administrator.

In August, NASA said the twin spacecraft had arrived in Florida in preparation for launch on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

Launch was due to occur in October, however this was pushed back to spring 2025 amid ongoing issues with New Glenn.

ESCAPADE will use two identical spacecraft to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Mars' magnetic environment (artist's impression)

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, depicted in space in this artist's impression, will send the ESCAPADE craft into space

HAVEN-1

Haven-1 is another big milestone for the private space industry  where companies launch spacecraft rather than government-backed agencies.

It's an ambitious new space station, just 33 feet in length  a fraction of the International Space Station's 356 feet.

Despite its humble size, Haven-1 will offer a luxury space for four astronauts, with queen-size beds, a state-of-the-art gym, maple wood interiors and a huge window to observe the Earth as it floats in orbit.

Haven-1 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than August 2025.

Shortly after, the as-yet-unknown crew will travel to the station, which has been designed by California-based space firm Vast.

The seats will go to individuals who are involved in scientific or philanthropic projects at an unknown price  but potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While the cost to build Haven-1 has not been disclosed, Vast says it will have invested about $1 billion by the time the station launches.

Haven-1 is an ambitious new space station, just 33 feet in length  a fraction of the International Space Station's 356 feet - launching in August

Haven-1 will offer a luxury space for four astronauts, with queen-size beds, a state-of-the-art gym, maple wood interiors and a huge window to observe the Earth as it floats in orbit

GAGANYAAN

Compared with 2023 when it sent its budget rover to the moon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had a quiet 2024.

However, 2025 is set to be a bumper year for India's space agency, with an anticipated three missions set to take place as part of its Gaganyaan programme.

Gaganyaan I, II and III, all scheduled throughout 2025, will send an uncrewed spacecraft into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Should all go to plan, Gaganyaan IV  scheduled for 2026  will carry a three-member crew into an orbit of 400 km (250 miles) for three days, before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.

On-board the crewed and uncrewed flights will also be Vyommitra, a humanoid robot specially designed for Gaganyaan.

India's space agency, ISRO, has said it will explore ways to achieve a sustained human presence in space once Gaganyaan is completed.

In 2023, India sent its Chandrayaan-3 rover to the moon's south pole  marking the first time a human object had landed on this part of our lunar neighbour.

Gaganyaan is a crewed spacecraft being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the country's space agency

India's space programme has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008

The first set of launches in India's Gaganyaan programme were intended to go ahead in 2024, building on momentum set by Chandrayaan-3.

However, ISRO pushed this back a year to ensure more time for essential safety checks and astronaut training.

STARSHIP

Last but by no means least is Elon Musk's company SpaceX, which is edging closer and closer to its ultimate goal of sending its Starship to other worlds.

In October, SpaceX completed possibly its most impressive feat yet, by catching the 'booster' section of the Starship system with metal 'chopsticks'.

This advanced mechanism is key to Starship not only landing safely, but being able to quickly refuel before another launch.

And although it's unclear exactly what feat Starship  the most powerful rocket in the world  will attempt in 2025, it's bound to be just as audacious.

It's possible SpaceX could capture both parts of the ship  the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage; MailOnline has contacted the firm for comment.

In October, SpaceX completed possibly its most impressive feat yet  it managed to catch the 'booster' section of the Starship system with metal 'chopsticks' so it could be reused

SpaceX pulled off its boldest test flight yet of the enormous Starship rocket in October, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with metal 'chopsticks' - marking another milestone on Elon Musk's quest to get humanity to Mars

Musk's firm SpaceX is responsible for the most powerful rocket ever built on Earth - the Starship. The multi-billion-dollar, stainless-steel, 395-foot vessel has been designed to transport crew and cargo to Earth's orbit and the moon. But Musk thinks 'Earth to Earth' travel on Starship is also a possibility

SpaceX intends to launch Starship 25 times in 2025, the company recently revealed, and is seriously intending to ramp up production of the rocket.

Eventually, Elon Musk wants to launch Starships on a daily basis.

Musk predicts Starship will go to Mars in 2026, although it will be an uncrewed mission.

Two years after that in 2028, Starship will transport people to Mars for the first time  which would mark the first time humans have ever walked on another planet.
While it might look like a tranquil yellow ball from here, the sun is actually a raging inferno of intense magnetic forces and violent explosions.

So, although all life on Earth depends on the Sun to survive, it may one day be the thing that destroys us.

Scientists have recently warned that Earth is well overdue for a solar 'superflare' - a stellar explosion containing the energy of billions of atomic bombs.

When this happens, power grids will be damaged, satellites will fall from orbit, and the destruction of undersea cables could trigger an 'internet apocalypse'.

From the superflare's eruption from the sun, Earth will have just eight minutes before the first wave of radiation slams into the atmosphere.

However, the worst will still be yet to come as a vast wave of plasma and magnetic fields follows close behind, causing havoc for the planet's electrical system.

The last time Earth was hit by a blast on this scale was during the 1859 Carrington Event, which was strong enough to give electric shocks to telegraph operators and set sheets of paper alight.

But experts now say that the planet could soon be hit by a solar flare more than 100 times more powerful and far more devastating.

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What is a superflare?

A solar flare is a huge explosion on the sun's surface which releases a huge amount of stored energy in a very short time.

These occur when magnetic fields become 'twisted' above cool patches of the sun's surface called sunspots.

Within minutes these tangled fields heat material to many millions of degrees before snapping into a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays.

However, that burst of energy is only part of the problem, since large solar flares are often accompanied by events called coronal mass ejections.

Professor Sean Elvidge, an expert on space weather from the University of Birmingham, told MailOnline: 'Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), on the other hand, are huge clouds of charged solar plasma and magnetic fields hurled into space.

'They move more slowly often taking one to three days to reach Earth, but can cause significant geomagnetic disturbances once they interact with our planets magnetic field.'

A so-called superflare is simply a particularly large solar flare capable of releasing one octillion joules of energy - that is one followed by 27 zeros.

Earth is overdue for a devastating superflare which could wipe out communication systems and knock satellites out of orbit, scientists have warned (stock image)

Superflare timeline 00:00 Superflare erupts on the sun 00:08 A wave of X-ray and high-intensity ultraviolet radiation hits Earth triggering radio blackouts. 00:30 Energetic particles trigger a radiation storm, exposing astronauts to a deadly dose of ionising radiation. 16:00 The coronal mass ejection hits Earth, creating a geomagnetic storm. This will lead to blackouts and disrupt global internet connections. 17:00 Increased atmospheric drag starts to pull satellites out of orbit. 40:00 The geomagnetic storm subsides. Time in minutes and hours since the superflare. Advertisement

Previously, scientists had estimated that Earth would only experience one of these once every thousand to ten thousand years.

However, a recent study suggested that these events may occur as often as once every century.

Given that a superflare hasn't hit Earth since 775 AD, we are well overdue for a run-in with one of these dangerous explosions.

So, if a superflare were to explode on the sun's surface, here's what would happen minute by minute.

Eight minutes since the superflare

Since electromagnetic radiation moves at the speed of light, we would only have eight minutes from the moment the flare bursts until we experience the first effects.

Dr Erika Palmerio, a research scientist at Predictive Science, told MailOnline: 'From the flare we get radiation and solar energetic particles and those are the first things that are coming to us because they are the fastest.'

As this initial wave of X-rays and intense ultraviolet radiation arrives, it creates a build-up of electrons in a layer of the atmosphere called the ionosphere.

A superflare would release the energy of several billion atomic bombs and transmit one octillion joules of energy, one followed by 27 zeros. The first wave of X-ray radiation would hit Earth in eight minutes, causing widespread radio blackouts (stock imiage)

Those electrons interfere with radio signals moving around the planet, scrambling and decaying any messages humans might be trying to send.

That means the first sign a superflare had hit would be a sudden and total radio blackout on the sunlit side of Earth.

Dr Palmerio says: 'That can be problematic if there is a disaster back on Earth, for example, a hurricane, since all those rescue teams communicate through radio.'

However, that lack of communication will become particularly dangerous when we consider what is still to come.

30 minutes since the superflare

Travelling just behind the solar flare's first flash of radiation, the next thing to arrive would be a cloud of ionising high-energy particles.

Dr Palmerio says: 'We have these solar particles which are launched by the flare and then accelerated as the CME moves through the lower atmosphere of the sun.

'They're not as fast as X-rays, but these particles are very energetic so within tens of minutes we can have a solar radiation storm.'

30 minutes after the superflare a radiation storm would hit Earth, exposing astronauts on the International Space Station (pictured) to a deadly dose of radiation

Down on the ground, we're unlikely to see any impact from this radiation storm since the charged particles will be directed away by the Earth's magnetic field.

However, passengers or crew on commercial flights are very likely to receive a substantially increased dose of radiation.

This would be especially dangerous for anyone flying near the poles where the charged particles would be most concentrated.

But the biggest risks of all would be faced by astronauts out beyond the protection of the atmosphere.

Anyone on the International Space Station (ISS) would be in real danger of receiving a deadly dose of ionising radiation as the radiation storm batters the planet.

Nor is this threat hypothetical since NASA astronauts have very nearly been killed by solar flares in the past.

In August 1972, Earth was hit by one of the worst solar storms in recorded history, knocking out long-distance communications across some US states.

Dr Palmerio says: 'In that year we had the Apollo 16 mission in April and then Apollo 17 in December.

With radio blackouts on Earth, astronauts might not have time to receive a warning. But if they can, they would have about 30 minutes to either evacuate or shelter in a shielded area of the station

'It's been estimated that had that storm happened during one of those two launches, it would have been life-threatening for the astronauts.'

Additionally, since NASA uses radio frequencies to communicate with the ISS, astronauts might have no warning at all before receiving a deadly dose of radiation.

16 hours since the superflare

So far, most of the superflare's effects have been limited to the upper atmosphere.

But now as the wave of charged plasma and magnetic fields which make up the CME roll towards Earth, things are about to become significantly worse.

Professor Elvidge says: 'A strong CME usually takes between one and three days to reach Earth.

'The exact timing depends on its initial speed and the conditions of the interplanetary environment, but travel times of around 36 to 48 hours are often typical for significant events.'

However, this is no typical event and in the case of a superflare we may have far less time to prepare.

Solar flares can release large amounts of stellar material in events called Coronal Mass Ejections (pictured). The fastest CMEs can hit Earth just 15-16 hours after the solar flare erupts

'The fastest we have seen travel around 3,000 km/s and can reach the Earth in less than a day,' says Professor Elvidge.

The fastest CME on record, the August 1972 event, took just 14.6 hours to reach Earth after leaving the sun.

Leaving a generous window, we might have only 16 hours between realising a flare has happened and the CME hitting.

When it does arrive, it is this part of the superflare that is likely to cause the most long-lasting damage.

Professor Elvidge says: 'As a CME arrives, its interaction with Earths magnetic field can generate geomagnetic storms.'

These vast fluctuations in the magnetic field induce strong electrical currents in any long piece of metal on Earth including the wires in the power grids.

These power fluctuations can trip safety systems leading to regional outages or cascade failures and even set fire to the insulation surrounding electrical transformers.

As the CME hits the Earth's magnetic field it creates a charge which induces a strong current in power grids on the ground. These surges could cause widespread blackouts around the world

What is the solar cycle? The solar cycle is the cycle that the sun's magnetic field goes through about every 11 years. The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the least sunspots. The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots. The current solar cycle, numbered 25, started in 2019 and is expected to continue until about 2030, but the solar maximum is now expected in early 2024. Advertisement

One study estimates that a flare on the scale of the 1859 Carrington Event could leave 20 to 40 million people in the US without power for up to two years.

On the scale of a superflare, that could mean blackouts and power failures around the entire world lasting for years to come.

But the problems won't be limited to the power grid, since some researchers also believe that a superflare could lead to an 'internet apocalypse'.

While local internet connections have largely shifted over to non-conductive fibre optic cables, the subsea internet cables which join up the world are still made of copper.

These cables are equipped with repeaters every 30 to 90 miles (50-150km) to boost the signal over long distances which are very vulnerable to the effects of a solar flare.

If just one of these repeaters fails, the entire cable is rendered useless until it can be repaired.

That means that a failure rate of just one per cent would mean almost 15 per cent of subsea cables would be rendered useless.

This could cut entire parts of the globe off from the internet and take years to repair.

A recent study suggests that a solar storm could damage the undersea cables which provide the backbone of the internet. This could lead to entire parts of the world losing connection

17 hours since the superflare

Unfortunately for everyone on Earth, global power failures and the destruction of the internet are really just the start of the problems.

One of the biggest risks of a solar flare hitting Earth is that it will have a devastating effect on the network of satellites we use to communicate, navigate, and monitor the Earth.

Outside the protection of the atmosphere, satellites will be buffeted by all of the worst impacts of the solar Tsunami.

Professor Elvidge says: 'Satellites might be affected almost as soon as the storming begins.

'Increased radiation can disrupt onboard electronics, degrade solar panel efficiency, and interfere with communication and navigation signals.'

With an exceptionally large storm like a superflare, this could cause serious damage to systems we are extremely reliant on.

However, the real problems will begin about an hour later as the CME causes the atmosphere to warm and expand.

If a solar flare hits it will cause serious damage to our orbiting communications and GPS satellites. An hour after the CME arrives, satellites will begin to experience increased atmospheric drag and slip from their orbits

This plunges satellites in low-Earth orbit into a denser region of the atmosphere than they are used to moving through.

That increased drag slows down a satellite and deteriorates its orbit, slowly pulling it back down to Earth.

'Depending on the CMEs intensity and a satellites resilience, these disruptions can last from a few hours to several days,' says Professor Elvidge.

While most satellites won't necessarily plummet to Earth, even small issues can lead to big problems since sensitive navigation systems are set to work at a certain altitude.

And with every satellite around Earth simultaneously falling towards the ground, significant disruption is almost inevitable.

Months and years afterwards

Depending on the alignment of the CME's magnetic fields, the worst of the geomagnetic storm should subside between 10 and 24 hours after it began.

However, the lingering effects of the superflare could take months or years to fade.

Scientists demonstrate how observations of the rate of decrease of the Suns dipole magnetic field can be usefully combined with sunspot observations to predict when the ongoing cycle would peak. Their analysis suggests that the maximum of solar cycle 25 is most likely to occur in early 2024

Geomagnetic storms can cause dazzling aurora displays to appear at unusually low latitudes (pictured) but they can also damage sensitive computer equipment around the world, creating disruption that could take years to repair

Professor Alan Woodward, a computer security expert from the University of Surrey, told MailOnline: 'You could get effects in the national grid but, probably more importantly, you'd also get them in delicate electronics like computers.

'As a result, you'd have a lot of equipment that suddenly wouldn't work properly.'

In the case of a superflare, Professor Woodward says this wouldn't just be big things like your laptop but all the devices which make our modern world possible.

Professor Woodward says: 'Think of your phone or the industrial control systems that are controlling traffic lights and heating systems, anything that uses computing could be damaged and cause a massive amount of disruption.

'When you start looking at it, you suddenly realise how unbelievably dependent we are on modern communication.

'Commerce, personal life, certain ways of working, certain ways of living; that would literally disappear.'

For humanity to recover, this would mean replacing all the damaged computer components while dealing with the fallout of massive power failures and the potential collapse of the internet.

And with every nation on Earth simultaneously competing for the same computer parts, that process could take months or years to complete.
More than 675 people have traveled to space, but according to NASA, none of them have had sex in the final frontier.

Experts believe this will soon change as more civilians pay commercial spaceflight companies, such as Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, to venture into spacealbeit for a hefty price.

With this new era of spaceflight, physician, astronaut, and 'space sexology' expert Dr. Shawna Pandya has revealed specific 'moves' and technologies designed to provide an out-of-this-world experience.

She suggested trying 'dolphin-style' to overcome the challenges of low gravity.

'Dolphins are kind of in a neutral buoyancy environment,' Dr. Pandya explained on Scientific American's Science Quickly podcast. 'When two dolphins are trying to mate, a third dolphin comes in, takes one for the team, and holds a partner in place so the two dolphins can successfully mate.'

Other experts in the field have also proposed Velcro suits to keep couples from drifting apart or even a specially designed suit that fits two people.

Dr Pandya said there is good reason for researchers to get serious about testing some of these strategies and investigating others.

'More people are going to want to go to space for fun, for leisure and for pleasure... We need to think about how we approach sexuality, sexual health, reproduction in space in a way that is very considered, mindful, inclusive and ethical,' she said

While NASA insists that 'no humans have had sex in space', that could change very soon with the arrival of space tourism (stock image)

While NASA doesn't explicitly ban sex in space, its astronaut code of conduct calls for 'relationships of trust' and 'professional standards' to be maintained at all times.

The space agency has also banned any married couples from going into space together  although this is mostly due to group dynamics, rather than worries of them having sex.

But the issue to why astronauts are not copulating could be low gravity inside the International Space Station (ISS).

'So we need to think about Newton's third law of physics,' Dr Pandya explained during the podcast.

'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, including thrust, right? You need to figure out the mechanics of how you're going to stay entwined in order to, to be able to actually, successfully, copulate.

'There's people who thought about that,' she added.

One such person is the late Vanna Bonta, an American actress and inventor who designed the '2Suit' in 2006.

'It's like a snuggie for two people, but they get to bind together,' Dr Pandya explained.

From Star Trek to Passengers (pictured), sex in space has been depicted in science fiction blockbusters for years

The 2suit is a flight suit with a large front flap that can be opened and attached to another 2suit using Velcro strips. It can also fasten to a stable surface.

Paul Root Wolpe, a former NASA Bioethicist, previously told DW.com: 'Everything on the walls of the space station is covered in Velcro, so you could take advantage of that by velcroing one partner to the wall.'

The roominess of the suit can be adjusted from within, and it is lined with inner harnesses that can be used to adjust the alignment of the wearers' bodies.

It is even equipped with a 'quick-disrobe' function that removes the garments.

In 2008, the History Channel manufactured and tested the first 2Suit, calling it 'one small step for humankind colonizing the universe.'

But these futuristic sex suits have yet to be produced or utilized on a larger scale.

Another forward-thinking space sexologist was German astronaut Ulrich Walter. In the 1980s, he suggested that humans should look to the animal kingdom for inspiration on how to achieve sex in space.

'So then his suggestion is: Why doesn't an astronaut take one for the team so they can all do it dolphin-style in the name of the greater good, so we can copulate in space,' Dr Pandya said.

But it's not just low gravity that stands in the way.

Dr Adam Watkins, associate professor in reproductive and developmental physiology, at the University of Nottingham previously told DailyMail.com that lack of privacy on space stations poses another challenge, as well as difficulty getting and maintaining an erection due to the blood pressure changes that occur while in space.

What's more, having sex in space could come with serious consequences.

If a non-civilian astronaut get pregnant in space, it would raise a lot of questions that experts are not currently sure how to answer.

'Can we mandate a termination of mission? Can we mandate a termination of that pregnancy if they're on Mars due to the health risks involved? There are so many ethical threads to pull on here,' Dr Pandya asked.

And those health risks could be life threatening to both the astronaut mother and her baby.

'DNA damage from the high levels of cosmic radiation is a real concern. Astronauts who spend six months in space are exposed to roughly the same amount of radiation as 1,000 chest X-rays,' Dr Watkins previously said.

'A pregnant woman, and her developing fetus, would also be exposed to that cosmic radiation while in space. This could be harmful to the embryos and the fetus.'

A recent study conducted on the ISS found that mice embryos developed for four days on the ISS showed no signs of damage.

But an earlier study published in 2020 conversely found that mouse embryos developed in space 'contain severe DNA damage.'

Likewise, since only a few people have gone to space we don't have enough data to really know what the effects would be on an unborn child.

'Until recently, reproduction in space has not been a major priority for the different space agencies,' Dr Watkins said.

'Now that there are plans to colonize the moon and even Mars, how we would populate other worlds has become more of a focus and will need to be addressed if we are to establish, maintain and grow human colonies off Earth.'
Demand for childfree cabins and adults only holidays in Australia is on the rise. Source: Getty/AirAsia

New travel data reveals Aussie travellers are looking for child-free flights at higher rates than ever, but no local carriers are willing to step up to offer the controversial travel option.

Screaming babies and unruly kids are never anyones idea of fun when flying  either parents or fellow travellers. But even the mention of child-free cabins on a plane is often enough to whip up a storm, with some claiming such spaces are discriminatory while others insist its all about choice.

While its the fierce travel debate that refuses to go away, Yahoo News Australia can reveal new figures showing more Aussies than ever want to fly child-free, even if our local airlines are reluctant to provide separate cabins.

Were seeing a huge demand in people wanting to travel without kids, James Kavanagh, Flight Centre Travel Group Managing Director said. Travel operators are responding to the interest by launching  experiences across airlines, cruising and touring.

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Figures show adults only is the second most searched term of 2024 on Flight Centres website at 31 per cent. Beating it by the tiniest margin is the term family at 32 per cent.

Its a similar trend on Flight Centres luxury spinoff Travel Associates, where 81 per cent of bookings are made by couples and solo travellers, with family bookings coming in at only 15 per cent.

Virgin Voyages offers adults-only cruising. Source: Getty

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin remain quiet on growing travel trend

Even in the face of overwhelming demand, however, none of the local carriers Qantas, Jetstar or Virgin Australia offer such options, nor are looking to introduce changes anytime soon.

One travel insider believes Aussie carriers are unlikely to introduce the option and ruffle feathers, no matter how strong the demand is.

Such a move could be controversial and while it would suit many people, it would upset others  and the local airlines dont want that, a Sydney travel agent who asked to remain anonymous states.

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Then theres the cost of retrofitting the cabins and that would be considerable. I think it will be years before any of the Australian airlines take this seriously.

Asian Airlines leading the way with child-free cabins

Its been over a decade since Asian carriers Scoot and AirAsia both introduced child-free cabins named, respectively, Scoot-in-Silence and The Quiet Zone into Aussie skies.

Singaporean-based Scoot has noted a big increase in demand for their bespoke cabin where children under 12 are not permitted.

Were seeing an increasing trend in demand for Scoot-in-Silence on our long-haul flights and during holiday periods when flights are expected to be busier or when more children will likely be on board, Adam Kelly, General Manager of Scoot Australia, says.

Scoot-in-Silence is loved by our regular passengers while also being popular with solo travellers or couples who are looking for a quieter experience with more comfort.

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Its a similar story on AirAsia, where some passengers have been known to choose the airline based on being able to travel in the Quiet Zone, where children aged 10 and under are banned.

Customer response has been consistently strong and positive, Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X, says. Demand continues to be popular for adults seeking a more peaceful journey with minimal noise and disturbances.

This choice does come at a cost. On Scoot, the quieter cabin is an additional $45 and on AirAsia, its an extra $55.

Airlines slammed for controversial move

When both airlines introduced these cabins a decade ago, they were initially slammed with complaints, but there was more people who applauded them for offering more travel choices.

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A recent online discussion revealed the topic remains as contentious as ever.

People who complain endlessly about the existence of kids on planes could pay for the child-free flights if it matters that much to them, said one.

"It would funnel away a lot of the people who really dislike kids and would then make it less stressful to fly with my child," added another.

Those keen to avoid other peoples children when high in the sky, however, again outnumbered those against it.

Ill support it all day every day!!! I completely sympathize with parents of unhappy kiddos, but that doesnt mean I want to listen to it for hours! exclaimed one person, while another stated, CF (child-free) please.

Flight Centres James Kavanagh believes the debate has a way to go yet.

The travel industry is getting good at personalisation and tailoring products to suit individual preferences, he adds.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The British-Canadian computer scientist dubbed the 'Godfather of AI' has shortened the odds of artificial intelligence (AI) wiping out humans over the next 30 years, warning the technology could one day 'take control'.

Professor Geoffrey Hinton said we need to be 'very careful' and 'very thoughtful' about the development of AI which he says is 'potentially very dangerous'.

He had previously said there was a 10 per cent chance of the technology causing the extinction of the human race - but now predicts that figure to be '10 per cent to 20 per cent', because of the rapid pace at which AI is developing.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Professor Hinton said: 'You see, we've never had to deal with things more intelligent than ourselves before.'

He continued: 'And how many examples do you know of a more intelligent thing being controlled by a less intelligent thing? There are very few examples.

'Theres a mother and baby. Evolution put a lot of work into allowing the baby to control the mother, but thats about the only example I know of.'

Professor Hinton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics this year, warned AI is changing 'much faster' than he expected and there has not been enough time to complete the research he believes is required.

While his work has laid the foundations for machine learning, technology that allows computers to mimic human intelligence, his recent efforts have centred on advocating for safer AI.

Professor Geoffrey Hinton has shortened the odds of artificial intelligence (AI) wiping out humans over the next 30 years, warning the technology could one day 'take control'

Last year he made headlines after resigning from his job at Google, citing concerns 'bad actors' would use the technology to harm others.

Reflecting on where he thought the development of AI would have reached when he first started this work, he said: 'I didn't think it would be where we would be now. I thought at some point in the future we would get here.

'Because the situation we're in now is that most of the experts in the field think that sometime, within probably the next 20 years, we're going to develop AIs that are smarter than people.

'And that's a very scary thought.'

He added: 'I like to think of it as, imagine yourself and a three-year-old - we'll be the three-year-olds, and they'll be the grown-ups.'

Prof Hinton said he thinks the impact AI could have on the world will be similar to the industrial revolution.

'In the industrial revolution, human strength ceased to be that relevant because machines were just stronger, and if you wanted to dig a ditch, you dug it with a machine.

'What we've got now is something that's replacing human intelligence, and just ordinary human intelligence will not be at the cutting edge anymore. It will be machines,' he said.

Hinton had previously said there was a 10 per cent chance of the technology causing the extinction of the human race - but now predicts that figure to be '10 per cent to 20 per cent'

Asked what he thinks life might be like in 10 or 20 years from now, Prof Hinton said: 'It will depend very much on what our political systems do with this technology.

'So my big worry at present is that we're in a situation now where we need to be very careful and very thoughtful about developing a potentially very dangerous technology.

'It's going to have lots of wonderful effects in healthcare, and in almost every industry it's going to make things more efficient, but we need to be very careful about the development of it.

'We need regulations to stop people using it for bad things, and we don't appear to have those kinds of political systems in place at present.'

Prof Hinton said he fears AI will be bad for society if lots of people lost their jobs and all the benefit goes to rich people.

'If you have a big gap between rich and poor, it's very bad for society,' he said.

'These things are more intelligent than us. So there was never any chance in the industrial revolution that machines would take over from people just because they were stronger. We were still in control because we had the intelligence.

'Now there's the threat that these things can take control. So that's one big difference,' he added.

Hinton is considered one of three leading pioneer 'Godfathers' of AI, alongside Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio, after the three won the Turing Award for their work in thge field.
Bird flu could be mutating to become more transmissible to humans, scientists have warned, as the US reported its first severe case that left one woman hospitalised.

So far 65 confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection have been reported in 2024, following a widespread outbreak across bird and cattle farms in the United States.

A teenager in British Columbia, Canada, has also reportedly suffered severe symptoms and is being treated in hospital.

Experts believe the figure may be higher with instances going undetected among dairy and poultry workers.

In the latest case, a woman from Louisiana suffered severe respiratory symptoms and was in 'critical condition' after coming into contact with sick and dead birds, The Telegraph reports.

It is understood that she is older than 65 and had underlying health conditions, officials said earlier this month.

An analysis posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its website found a small percentage of the virus detected in the patient's throat had genetic changes that may lead to 'increased virus binding' to specific 'cell receptors found in the upper respiratory tract of humans.'

These changes have not been found in birds, including in the backyard poultry flock thought to have infected the Louisiana patient initially.

Bird flu could be mutating to become more transmissible to humans, scientists have warned. Pictured: Culling has begun at infected sites in the UK

So far 65 confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection have been reported in 2024, following a widespread outbreak across bird and cattle farms in the United States

The UK has also confirmed an outbreak of the virus, with 14 sites affected since November

The CDC stated that the mutations were 'likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease,' adding that no transmission of the mutated virus to other humans has been identified.

While the findings are 'concerning', the risk to the general public remains the same and is low.

The particular mutation 'is one step that is needed to make a more efficiently transmissible virus,' said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. 'But I do want to point out that it's not the only step.'

Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease researcher, warned however that bird flu could in time become a major pandemic similar to coronavirus.

'There will be additional influenza pandemics and they could be much worse than we saw with Covid,' he told the Associated Press. 'We know that the pandemic clock is ticking. We just don't know what time it is.'

Bird flu has now become prevalent in multiple states across the US.

California governor Gavin Newsom imposed a state of emergency on December 18, after the virus was found in at least 875 dairy herds in 16 states.

The virus has also been detected in the UK.

Culling of infected birds has begun in Britain, as experts attempt to stop the spread of the virus

Turkey farms were hit by an outbreak of bird flu just before Christmas.

Avian influenza has reportedly been found in 14 sites across Britain since November.

As a result, tens of thousands of Turkeys have been culled in a bid to control the outbreak, The Telegraph understands.

Eight of the infected sites are in Norfolk, including five turkey farms, one duck farm, one chicken farm and a non-commercial site home to emus and aviary birds.

It is thought the infected birds were humanely culled and the owners were compensated.
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Covering 912 square miles (2,362 square kilometres), the Lake District is England's largest national park - and its most popular, with over 19million visitors each year.

Though it's been much-loved for generations.

In 1820, the famous poet William Wordsworth published 'A Guide to the Lakes' and once described his house in Grasmere as 'the loveliest spot that man hath found'.

The region initially drew wealthy tourists, with the dawn of the railway - and the station by Windermere lake - helping to make it more accessible to those from a wider range of backgrounds.

Then the M6 in the late 1950s and 1960s accelerated the park towards mass-tourism-hotspot status.

These photographs take you back to a simpler, less crowded time... let us know in the comments which spot you love the most.

This image depicts hikers at Skelwith Falls near Ambleside around 1930. The Lake District National Park says: 'From the late 18th century, the land was no longer seen just as a means for making a living through agriculture or industry. People began to recognise its beauty'

Women are pictured here in 1933 having fun at Grange Lido in Grange-over-Sands, which is right at the southern tip of the Lake District and sometimes described as the Lakeland Riviera. The pool was built in 1932, but was closed in 1993

Holidaymakers are pictured on one of Grange Lido's water slides in 1933. The pool area this year was filled in temporarily with removable stone as part of a light refurbishment programme by Westmorland & Furness Council

LakeLovers.co.uk says that the expansion of the railway and the opening of Windermere station in the 1840s gave 'many more people the opportunity to visit the region'. Above - people in Tilberthwaite, north of Coniston Water, in 1933

Three women on holiday in the Lake District in 1934. By this time, the Lake District's 'picturesque qualities' had 'inspired literature and art' for decades. Prominent fans of the region included William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and John Ruskin

In this picture, men are photographed shearing longwool sheep at a remote farm in Bannisdale in 1939. Sheep farming remains important in the region today. Visit Cumbria notes: 'Cumbria without sheep would not be Cumbria'

Three hikers are snapped while resting and dipping their feet in Blea Tarn lake in 1940. It's still a popular scenic spot today and Visit Cumbria describes it as one of the 'easiest' places to visit in the Lake District

A group of youth hostel guests are captured walking in the Lake District in 1941. The Youth Hostels Association says hostels 'gave young working people an unprecedented opportunity to spend leisure time in fresh air and open countryside, on a scale only previously possible for the wealthy'

This photograph, dating from 1948, features farmers gathering hay in Langdale. The original caption read: 'On a clear autumn day, in a setting world-famous for its beauty, the last of the haymaking is carted away'

Fishermen are snapped 'bringing in a fresh batch of perch' from Windermere, England's largest lake, in 1948. Perch was considered a pest and was removed from the lake to increase the numbers of trout and char

This image captures Bridge House, 'possibly the most photographed building in the Lake District', in 1950. Visit Cumbria explains that the house, in Ambleside, was a 'popular subject for many artists including Turner'. Once an apple store, the house was built over the bridge to escape land tax. Nowadays it belongs to the National Trust

The Lake District National Park was formed in 1951 and became the second national park in the UK after the Peak District. These cyclists are photographed consulting their map next to Grasmere in 1953

A group of ramblers pose on stepping stones near Rydal village in 1957. The establishment of the area as a national park 'sought to preserve its special qualities and limit threats to the landscape', explains lakedistrict.gov.uk

Derwentwater, aka the 'Queen of the Lakes', in the winter of 1959. This lake is home to four islands and one of the area's most beautiful views, from a rocky promontory called Friar's Crag

Tourists in 1960 looking at Tarn Hows, a manmade beauty spot that is 'now a favourite place for walkers of all ages and abilities', according to Visit Lake District
TV bosses have slapped a trigger warning on a Michael Portillo travel documentary - as it shows him sipping sherry, it has been reported.

Viewers are now unable to watch the ex-MP's Andalucia show on the My5 streaming service unless they confirm they are over 16.

A large black alert also warns that the program contains 'adult themes' and 'may not be suitable for children'.

Such warnings are usually reserved for material that can be potentially harmful or offensive, such as strong language, violence, graphic images and sexual behaviour.

In the show, that aired last year, Mr Portillo visits the Spanish city Jerez dubbed the sherry capital of the world.

He takes part in a 15-minute tasting session where he tells viewers that Andalucia is a region known for its wide variety of wine.

The politican -turned-broadcaster, 71, also shared how his friends often experiment with the different foods sherry can be paired with.

'In my experience, the answer is most,' Mr Portillo adds.

In the show, that aired last year, Mr Portillo visits the Spanish city Jerez dubbed the sherry capital of the world

The warning sign that pops up when viewers try to watch Michael Portillo's Andalucia documentary

Mr Portillo takes part in a 15-minute tasting session where he tells viewers that Andalucia is a region known for its wide variety of wine

The decision to add the trigger warning to the show has baffled critics.

Tory MP Sir John Hayes told The Sun: 'Most people find these types of trigger warnings very bizarre.

'It's less about the programs and more about these people who feel we have to protect everyone from any kind of fear or stimulus.

'If these warnings can go on family-friendly shows, it makes you wonder where this woke Puritan culture ends.'

MailOnline has contacted Channel 5 for a comment.

It comes after an old episode of one of Michael Palin's travel documentaries was also hit with a trigger warning by the BBC in October.

The broadcaster added the advisory label to an episode of the 1989 series Around the World in 80 Days.

The BBC also added a warning label for an episode of the Michael Palin's series Around the World in 80 Days

The scene shows the snake being beheaded and skinned by a chef before being served up to the Monty Python star

In the program, the comedy great is seen trying out a traditional meal, which includes a snake as the main part of the dish, while in Guangzhou, China.

The scene shows the snake being beheaded and skinned by a chef before being served up to the Monty Python star, now 81.

After Palin tries the dish, he remarks: 'That's great. It's lovely.'

Now when viewers watch the episode on BBC iPlayer, a message pops up letting them know that the show 'contains upsetting scenes'.

Conservative MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke told The Sun: 'These things happen around the world, yet the BBC says 'you better not watch that, it might upset you.

'This decision has been made by snowflakes in office with no experience of the world.'

Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union, added: 'Surely viewers of Around the World in 80 Days tune in precisely so they can see weird and wonderful things from the other side of the world.'
Queen Victoria was furious with then-Prime Minister Lord Salisbury over his government's failure to bring Jack the Ripper to justice during his infamous 1888 killing spree.

The revelation comes from TV historian Lucy Worsley, who made the bombshell discovery after unearthing a telegram sent by the monarch as she filmed for her new BBC series.

Contained within the telegram were Queen Victoria's admonishments of Lord Salisbury over the inability to solve the Ripper case despite his repeated assurances.

Whilst exploring Kensington Palace, the childhood home of Queen Victoria, Worsley found the telegram which read: 'This new, most ghastly murder shows the absolute necessity of some very decided action.

'All these courts [the narrow streets of Whitechapel in East London] must be lit and our detectives improved. They are not what they should be.'

The TV historian also revealed that the telegram had been written in code to prevent others from reading her top-secret remarks.

Included in the code was a dressing-down of the Prime Minister in which the monarch said: 'You promised when the first murder happened to consult with your colleagues. These things have not been done'.'

Reflecting on the disovery of the near-140-year-old telegram, Worsley shared her excitement and how she felt shivers.

TV historian Lucy Worsley (pictured) discovered the telegram sent by Queen Victoria to then-PM Lord Salisbury whilst filming for her new BBC series

A screengrab of the Jack the Ripper episode of Lucy Worsley's new BBC series

Whilst some may be surprised to see a monarch taking such a hands on approach to affairs of the day, this was not uncommon for Queen Victoria, according to Worsley.

'Queen Victoria is applying serious pressure on her Prime Minister to track down and capture the killer. She was appalled by these heinous crimes.

'Its actually very Queen Victoria to plunge into the detail of something thats going on and have very firm views about it,' she said.

Worsley also commented on the Queen's sense of female solidarity in showing compassion for Jack the Ripper's victims.

The gruesome saga also paved the way for a whole new sect of the media, where outlets fixate on a particular story in an attempt to have readers obsess over it. The tactic has now even been monikered 'ripperology'.

More than a century later, the fascination with the case lives on with the killer still at large and the way the case was originally covered proving to be a prototype for covering crime stories to this day.

The show, Jack the Ripper: Lucy Worsley Investigates, will air on BBC2 at 9pm on January 3.
Leona Lewis' festive hit One More Sleep has been named the UK's most played modern Christmas song.

According to data from the Official Charts, the hit has now accumulated the equivalent of 14 weeks of continuous airplay on radio and television since its release in 2013.

'It's really special knowing that One More Sleep brings a little joy to peoples Christmases,' she told the organisation.

'The song and the whole album mean so much to me. It's really beautiful that people connect to it and as an artist thats all I could hope for.'

Leona, 39, who shot to fame after winning The X Factor in 2006 has launched a hugely successful music career.

Her debut studio album, Spirit, became one of the best-selling albums of the 2000s and the lead single, Bleeding Love, was the best-selling single of 2007.

Leona Lewis' festive hit One More Sleep has been named the UK's most played modern Christmas song (pictured in September 2023)

According to data from the Official Charts the hit has now accumulated the equivalent of 14 weeks of continuous airplay on radio and television since its release in 2013 (pictured in 2021)

One More Sleep, debuted on the UK singles chart at No. 3 back in 2013, with Leona becoming the British female solo artist with the most Top 5 hits.

The song has made its way back into the top 40 every year since 2018, but just how much does she earn?

This year the hit was streamed 115,463,031 times Spotify which means she has raked in 323,296.49, according to CasinoBee.

This year, WHAM!'s Last Christmas was crowned UK's Christmas Number One for a second year running, making Offical Chart History.

The iconic festive hit, which was first released in 1984 and celebrates it's 40th anniversary this year, has now become the first song ever to cling the clinch two consecutive Christmas Number 1 victories.

Now enshrined as the UK's favourite Christmas song, Last Christmas held off fierce competition from Gracie Abrams and Mariah Carey, as well as a wacky attempt by Tom Grennan.

Originally conceived by the late, great George Michael as a contender for 1984's Official Christmas Number 1, Last Christmas was originally blocked from the festive top spot by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? but finally claimed the coveted chart crown in 2023, completing the longest ever journey to Number 1 of 39 years.

Following the announcement WHAM!'s Andrew Ridgeley told the Offical Charts Company: '37 years to get to Number 1, 39 years to Christmas Number 1, and then like London buses they all come along at once!'

WHAM !'s Last Christmas was crowned the UK Christmas Number One for a second year running, making Official Chart History (WHAM!'s Andrew Ridgeley pictured)

He added: 'I'm especially pleased for George, he would have been utterly delighted, his fabulous Christmas composition has become such a classic, almost as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, turkey and pigs in blankets.'

Last Christmas secured Christmas Number 1 with 12.6 million streams and the best seller of the week physically too, thanks to a suite of limited edition 40th anniversary collectibles, including zoetrope vinyl, picture disc and CD.

WHAM! now enter a rare Official Charts club, as one of only a few acts to achieve the Official Christmas Number 1 multiple times alongside the likes of Queen, Spice Girls, The Beatles and Ladbaby.

Hearing the news Andrew gushed: 'Artists of that calibre and songwriters, of which George was one, transcend the ages and decades and endure because of their quality. I think that's the reason why Last Christmas has endured'.
Brenda Fricker is known for starring as the homeless woman in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York back in 1992.

However despite starring in the fan favourite Christmas film, the Irish actress, 79, has admitted she ended up cash-strapped and lonely.

The star, who has had an illustrious acting career and even won a Best Supporting Actress award for her role in 1989's My Left Foot, previously admitted she had attempted suicide 32 times amid her battle with depression.

Brenda has also been frank about her financial problems as she explained: 'I lived off my savings while they lasted, but now I'm completely broke.

'But as long as I have a roof over my head and feed the dog and feed myself, I'm perfectly content.'

The actress previously appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show where she opened up about her career and life away from the spotlight.

Brenda Fricker starred in one of the nations favourite Christmas films, Home Alone 2, but she has admitted she ended up broke and lonely

The star, who has had an illustrious career and even won a Best Supporting Actress award for her role in 1989's My Left Foot (pictured) previously admitted she was left 'completely broke' despite her acting success

Speaking about her life, she said: 'I live a very quiet life well under the radar and I drive a tiny car, own a cottage, that's about it. Talking to the wall quite a bit, talking to the dog, writing poetry, reading books, watching television.

'Nothing different than anybody else does, except being alone so much can make you talk to the wall a bit more than most people.'

During the interview, Brenda opened up about her hiatus from acting and her battle with her mental health.

She continued: 'Just yesterday, I visited the doctor who said, "We're going to put you on stronger antidepressants". I'm somewhat of a recluse. Choosing to stay indoors is one thing, but being told to do so makes me want to go outside'

The thespian went on to detail her time spent St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin, where she credited a doctor for 'saving her life'.

Brenda shared: 'It was tough, but there was a fantastic doctor, Anthony Clare. He saved my life. He was exceptional with me. He really pulled me out of the depths. Just an incredible mind. He understood me and reached me. I always left feeling happy after seeing him. He made me feel good.'

Meanwhile speaking with Anna Friel back in 2012, she admitted: 'I suffered from depression for 50 years. But now I go to a therapist once a week, purely to have a conversation and to hear another human voice.

After revealing she had attempted suicide 32 times she added: 'You get so bloody tired of nobody listening to you.'

Brenda's role in Home Alone 2 saw her star as a homeless woman who comes to the rescue of Macaulay Culkin 's character Kevin (pictured in the 1992 film)

Brenda looked drastically different when she appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show where she opened up about her career and life away from the spotlight

Brenda has also been frank about her financial problems as she explained: 'I lived off my savings while they lasted, but now I'm completely broke [pictured with Daniel Day-Lewis]

Brenda's role in Home Alone 2 saw her star as a homeless woman who comes to the rescue of Macaulay Culkin's character Kevin after he is cornered in Central Park by the Wet Bandits.

She was 47 when the film was made and won legions of fans thanks to her heartwarming friendship with Kevin - who was once again left behind by his parents and left to fend for himself in the Big Apple.

Her other credits include Cars, Quatermass, Angels and Seekers, in addition to British shows Casualty and Coronation Street and a number if stage productions.

Her iconic character has over the years compared to Piers Morgan, with fans convinced the broadcaster played the bird lover in the film.

Over the years, the TV host, 58, has found himself replying to social media users who are convinced he had a role in the beloved Christmas flick.

And this year was no different as Piers spotted an X post from someone who was enjoying the beloved festive film.

The user shared a photo of the Pigeon Lady, who was played by Irish actress Brenda Fricker, and wrote: 'Not sure how many acting credits he has but this is @piersmorgans finest work'.

After revealing she had attempted suicide 32 times she added: 'You get so bloody tired of nobody listening to you' (pictured in 2010 in Casualty)

Her iconic character has over the years compared to Piers Morgan , with fans convinced the broadcaster played the bird lover in the film

Piers replied to the post by writing: 'It's. Not. Me.'

Several users jokingly replied to his post, writing: 'How did I not know this? You were amazing in Home Alone 2.'

'Sure, that's what they all say'... 'You don't have to hide it, it's your best work.'

'Just say "thank you for supporting my work" and move on'... 'Just take the credit and say it's you, easier.'

'It's that time of year again, Piers. Hope you get a big residual check this year.'

Piers spoke about the comparisons on Good Morning Britain back in 2020.

His former co-host Susanna Reid, 53, said to much laughter: 'Can we just have a look at Home Alone 2 because, frankly, it is the best picture.

Piers spotted an X post from someone who joked Home Alone was Piers' finest work to which he replied: 'It's. Not. Me.'

Piers' former Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid previously offered a 2018 snap up of Piers covered in pigeons in order to 'prove' he was in the movie

'Because lots of people watch Home Alone 2 and wonder if this is you.'

Piers hit back: 'Why does this keep coming around? That is not me. I am not the bag lady in Home Alone 2.'

Claiming to have proof that Piers was telling porkies, she showed a picture of him taken in 2018 in which he was covered in pigeons.

Several users jokingly replied to his post, writing: 'How did I not know this? You were amazing in Home Alone 2.'
Claudia Schiffer is happy for her career to come second to her family.

The 54-year-old supermodel admitted her focus changed after she married Matthew Vaughn and they had their three children, Casper, now 21, Clementine, 19, and Cosima, 14.

She became less 'competitive', and while she knows she could still book more jobs if she wanted to, she's content with the balance she's achieved in her life.

She recently told Britain's HELLO! magazine: 'When I was in my 20s, travelling around the world, my focus was on my career  working hard, being competitive and getting to the top.

'That changed when I had kids, and now, I feel lucky to have such a wonderful family.

'I'm proud of my children, they're very down to earth and their wellbeing is mine and my husband's priority.

Claudia Schiffer is happy for her career to come second to her family. The 54-year-old supermodel admitted her focus changed after she married Matthew Vaughn and they had their three children, Casper, now 21, Clementine, 19, and Cosima, 14. Seen in January

Claudia in the stands watching the Premier League match between Brentford and Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium, London with her daughter on December 21

'I could take on a lot more runways, photoshoots and other projects,' she said.

'But maintaining a balance that enables me to spend quality time with my family and be there when they need me is far more important to me than doing a great new campaign.'

Claudia was one of the original supermodels alongside Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington.

Though she appreciates their position in the fashion industry was 'revolutionary', it was only looking back much later that she understood just how special a time it was.

She said: 'The 1990s saw the rise of the supermodel, but also the emergence of style culture and fearless creativity.

' A wave of young new talent fundamentally changed the way we viewed fashion and design.

'Previously, models had been categorized as runway, commercial or editorial, but as supermodels, we traversed those boundaries, becoming household names that represented self-made success.

'We were at the forefront of everything and whatever we wanted, we made happen, which was revolutionary for the industry.

The German stunner in Chanel Swimwear in the 1990s

Claudia on the runway during the Chanel Haute Couture show as part of Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 1990-1991 in January, 1990 in Paris

Schiffer at a Versace Haute Couture show in Paris in 1995

'I barely took a day off, travelling constantly across the world, but it was huge fun too.

'It was only when I got married and later became pregnant, so I went at a slower pace, that I could truly look back and appreciate how special the 1990s were  unlike any other decade.'

This comes after the cover girl said she 'feasts' all day long at Christmas.

She admitted the festive period is a 'time of indulgence' so she is happy to tuck into all her favorite foods throughout the holiday period.

Speaking before Christmas, she told Britain's HELLO! magazine: 'We're always at home in Suffolk for Christmas. We embrace German traditions like St. Martin and St. Nicholas. When the kids were little, St. Nicholas used to visit in person, reading from his book to see if they'd been good enough to deserve a present.

'Then on December 25, the children put out their shoes at night, hoping they'll be filled with Christmas sweets, clementines, and nuts! Now that mine are grown, I still continue the tradition, mainly to enjoy the special German Christmas candies you can't find in England

'Christmas is a time of indulgence for us, with a feast that lasts from breakfast to late-night snacks. On Christmas Eve, we typically enjoy a crispy goose with gravy, potato dumplings, brussels sprouts, cauliflower cheese, and desserts like tiramisu, glazed marble cake, and Tarte Tatin.

She at the Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo show in 2002

'On the 25th, it's turkey and ham with all the trimmings, followed by desserts such as bread-and-butter pudding or freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.'

The blonde beauty still uses the Christmas decorations from her childhood on her tree.

She said: 'I also decorate the tree with carved wooden ornaments from my childhood. I grew up with real candles, lit on the Christmas tree!'

During the festive season, Claudia and Matthew like to host a number of parties for their friends and family.

She said: 'I love hosting parties and the way it brings friends together. Most years we have a Christmas cocktail party, as well as an annual New Year's Eve party for all our close friends and family. It's always themed and a great way to end the year; everyone in their costumes, all ages coming together.

'Last year our theme was Studio 54, but my favourite is Oktoberfest. It's hilarious seeing all my non-German friends wear Lederhosen and Dirndls. I wish I could wear a dirndl every day!'
She confirmed their relationship with some PDA earlier this month.

And Alessandra Ambrosio wasn't holding back on her affections on Friday when she shared a sweet photo of herself and her new boyfriend Buck Palmer kissing.

The 43-year-old Victoria's Secret model puckered up for a cute smooch from the Australian jewelry designer as they stood on a beach in her home country of Brazil.

The lovebirds, who appear to have been dating for some time under the radar before taking their romance public, both looked as if they'd been getting plenty of sun, and Buck even looked a bit toasty.

Alessandra revealed she was wearing a textured white top with thin straps decorated with chunky green and gold beads.

She had her brunette tresses swept back in wet strands, and she wore a cool pair of classic aviator sunglasses to block out the piercing light.

Alessandra Ambrosio, 43, looked totally loved up as she shared a smooch with her new boyfriend Buck Palmer in a photo posted to Instagram on Friday from Brazil

Buck went shirtless, showing off his chiseled physique while wearing swim trunks, and he accessorized with chunky black sunglasses and added a green cap for a splash of color.

The hat, which runs for about $50 from Good Quality Human, read 'Mi Casa, Su Casa' on the front, which was broken up by a large 'LA' design.

The colors perfectly matched the Brazilian flag, which fluttered in the breeze above Alessandra and Buck's heads.

She let the loved-up photo do the talking and simply captioned her post with green, yellow and blue heart emojis.

According to her tagged location, the couple were enjoying the day at the popular beach Praia Brava, which is located on the north end of the large Santa Catarina Island, which is home to the state's capital city, Florianopolis.

She later paid tribute to the city by naming her beachwear brand GAL Floripa, using a nickname for the capital.

Buck has a surprising connection to Alessandra as he's the ex-husband of Ashley Hart, the sister of Alessandra's fellow Victoria Secret model Jessica Hart.

Their Instagram kiss was a rare public display of affection for the couple, who have kept their romance relatively private and under wraps until now.

The Victoria's Secret model wore a textured white top with thin beaded straps and aviator sunglasses. Buck, an Australian jewelry designer, rocked a green Good Quality Human hat and went shirtless

The two have kept their relationship under the radar and only confirmed it with some PDA earlier in December

Though they only went public with their relationship earlier this month, it appears the couple have been dating for quite some time if Alessandra's post is anything to go by.

Alessandra and Buck officially unveiled their romance when they were seen walking hand-in-hand together after attending a party at Art Basel in Miami, Florida.

Alessandra had previously been featured with Buck in photographs shared to Instagram of them having fun at the beach during a trip to the island of Kauai in Hawaii.

In the shots, the pair looked comfortable in each other's company and Alessandra tagged Buck in the post as she hinted at their relationship.

She also shared a snap of herself kissing Buck on the cheek as they went Instagram official before their first public outing as a couple.

Alessandra has rubbed shoulders with the Australian model Jessica Hart over the years, having both risen to fame as Victoria's Secret models in the 2000s.

Buck and Jessica's sister Ashley went their separate ways after just two years of marriage in 2017, with the model candidly discussing their decision to separate in 2019.

Speaking to Women's Health, Ashley recalled her heartache and said she never thought she would be divorced before the age of 30.

She teased that their romance has been going on for quite some time as she shared a huge gallery of smitten photographs and videos of them both

In a caption, she declared her love for her new partner as she gave a rare insight into their blossoming romance

'I [didnt] think that would be my life  having that experience before 30,' she admitted.

'Relationships are so often a mirror - when they're tough, I think that's some of the best material for self-growth.'

Ashley confessed that getting to a place where she could reflect back on her split from Buck in a 'lighthearted manner' took some time.

'Its definitely taken me a while to... you know, to not be able to burst into a ball of tears simply by telling a story,' she added.

Ashley and Buck dated for seven years before tying the knot in Los Angeles in 2015. They publicly announced their decision to separate in January 2017.

Meanwhile, Brazilian model Alessandra has also had a high-profile love life over the years.

She was engaged to businessman Jamie Mazur from 2008 to 2018 and they share a daughter Anja, 16, and son Noah, 12.

Alessandra has also had notable relationships with Nicolo Oddi, Richard Lee, Marcelo Boldrini and Giovani Borghetti in the past.

Buck used to be married to model Ashley Hart (both pictured) but the couple went their separate ways after two years of marriage in January 2017

Ashley is the sister of Victoria's Secret model Jessica Hart (both pictured in May 2019), who Alessandra has rubbed shoulders with in modelling circles over the years

She was most recently linked to Alexander Smurfit earlier this year before her relationship with Buck came to light.

Alessandra is one of the longest-tenured models with Victoria's Secret and has walked more than 15 runways with the brand.

She also returned to the catwalk for the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, its first since the brand retired the annual show in 2019.

Alessandra joined a whole host of household modeling names including Kate Moss, Tyra Banks and Carla Bruni in returning for the show.

Alessandra's very first time appearing in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was back in 2000 at Cannes alongside modeling icons Tyra Banks and Gisele Bundchen.
OG Maco had died at the age of 32.

The rapper  born Benedict Chiajulam Ihesiba Jr.  died in a hospital in Los Angeles on Thursday night, TMZ reported the following day.

Maco  who previously went by the stage names Maco Mattox and Maco Curry  was reportedly surrounded by family members in his final moments.

He had been hospitalized and in a coma since December 12, when he suffered an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Sources told the publication that Maco's condition began to deteriorate recently, and doctors were unable to save him.

Later on Friday, his family shared a somber statement about his death to his Instagram account.

The rapper OG Maco has died at 32 after being in an LA hospital since December 12. He had been in a coma before his condition deteriorated, TMZ reported; pictured in 2015 in Atlanta

Maco was found earlier this month after a neighbor called 911 over a gunshot. He suffered an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and a firearm was reportedly found near him; seen in 2015 in Atlanta

They described the rapper's life as 'a testament to resilience, creativity and boundless love' and applauded him for touching 'so many lives' with his music and leaving a 'lasting impact.'

'While we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate the extraordinary life he lived  one that will continue to inspire and uplift others,' his family wrote. 'Maco's influence, both as an artist and as a person, will remain forever etched in our hearts.'

They urged friends and fans to share condolences or to connect with Maco's family via his account, and they offered thanks to his supporters.

'To all of Maco's fans, friends and supporters: Thank you for standing by him throughout his journey. Today we celebrate a life that was extraordinary in every we,' his family concluded, signing off with 'love and gratitude.'

Maco's family members reportedly flew in to LA to be with him in his final days, and sources said they were distraught over his death.

According to TMZ, the rapper's doctors had been unsuccessful in getting a proper brain scan during his hospitalization, which might have helped them to better target his injuries.

Maco, who was best known for the viral 2014 song U Guessed It, was rushed to the hospital earlier this month after police responded to a 911 call and discovered him around 10 a.m.

The emergency line had reportedly been called after a neighbor heard a gunshot from Maco's home.

His family issued a statement praising Maco for his influence and artistry on his Instagram account on Friday

Doctors were reportedly unable to perform a brain scan that might have helped pinpoint his injuries. His family reportedly flew to LA to be by his side in his final days; seen in 2015 in La

A firearm was allegedly discovered near Maco, who was taken to surgery shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Maco was signed to Quality Control (QC) Music, an Atlanta-based record label founded in 2013 that had far-reaching distribution deals with Capitol Records from 2017 to 2020, and then with Motown Records.

QC has had major artists on its roster, including Migos, Lil Yachty and Lil Baby, and it also had a management deal with Cardi B.

The label was bought last year by Hybe America  which is run by CEO Scooter Braun  for a reported $300 million.

Maco, who was born in College Park, Georgia, rocketed to fame with 2014's U Guessed It, which received a popular remix featuring 2 Chainz and helped him get a record deal with QC.

He was honored as one of XXL Magazine's 2015 Freshman Class of rappers, but accidents and health issues created major obstacles to continued success.

In July 2016, Maco nearly died in a severe car crash that left him with multiple skull fractures and a cracked vertebrae.

He also revealed on social media that he had suffered a broken orbital, one of the bones protecting the eye, and he later displayed a severely injured eye, though it's unclear if he later regained functioning in it.

Maco, who had a viral hit with 2014's U Guessed It, suffered career setbacks due to serious injuries, including a 2016 car crash that nearly took his eye and cracked his skull; seen in 2015 in Hollywood

In 2019, his face was disfigured by flesh-eating bacteria. Maco had reportedly suffered from depression following his health issues

He had another setback in 2019, when he was struck by necrotizing fascitis as the result of so-called flesh-eating bacteria.

Maco revealed in a video that the condition had left him with disfiguring marks on his forehead and the side of his face.

He had reportedly been dealing with depression following his illnesses, though it's unclear if he had suffered from the condition prior to his severe injuries.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
The venomous snake was spotted going across swimmers towels at Byron Bay main beach.

A brown snake had to be removed from Byron Bay beach this week after it was spotted slithering over towels. Source: Tiktok

As the hottest days of summer descend on Aussies nationwide, many are using their days to cool off at the beach. But sunbathers trying to relax at one of the country's most famous beaches had their hearts sent racing and fleeing their towels when an unexpected visitor came down to the sand.

Travelling couple Jesse and Cami caught the moment what's thought to be an eastern brown snake slithered across towels at Byron Bay's main beach earlier this week. It prompted a rescue mission from a snake catcher to safely relocate the native reptile.

"It came out of the bush and was just going across people's towels," the couple told Yahoo News Australia. "The lifeguard was told and a snake handler was called to remove it off the beach safely and relocate it."

Eastern brown snakes are the most common cause of fatal snake bites in the country. Their small volume of venom packs a punch with its intense potency, however, bites from this species are relatively rare.

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"Welcome to Australia," one Aussie who watched footage of the moment joked to the travelling couple.

"Browns love the beach for some reason," said another. "Theyre always up in the dunes."

Similar snake scene captured on WA beach

A similar scenario played out on the other side of the country last month when beachgoers spotted a western brown snake slither along North Beach in Perth.

Snake catcher Mathew Hampton told Yahoo News at the time that brown snakes can easily navigate beaches "without an issue".

"The only time they are usually noticed is when they stray a little too far from the cover of the tree line and they can end up in some risky locations like amongst swimmers," he said.

Around 3,000 snake bites are reported each year in the country, with 41 per cent from brown snakes. Fatalities are relatively low with two deaths reported each year on average, however the majority of those are from brown snakes.

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Brown snakes spend their 'entire lives' near beachgoers but largely go unnoticed. Source: TikTok/sarahbrunners

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Nara Smith and husband Lucky Blue walked arm-in-arm and flaunted their picture-perfect love while enjoying a lavish shopping spree in New York City.

On Friday, the 23-year-old TikTok influencer looked red carpet ready in an elegant leopard print fur coat over a black cardigan and slacks while clutching a designer purse.

She wore her raven locks in a slicked back half-up-half-down style, teaming her look with a dainty gold necklace.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old male-model looked straight out of a magazine cover in a brown leather jacket and tan sweater teamed with jeans and cowboy boots.

Missing from the lovebirds' Big Apple outing were their children Rumble Honey, four, Slim Easy, two, and Whimsy Lou, eight-months. Lucky also shares daughter Gravity Blue with ex-partner Stormi Bree.

Nara gained popularity via TikTok where she flaunts her 'tradwife' (traditional housewife) lifestyle  a growing trend on social media that showcases women who sport 1950s style clothing while embracing traditional gender roles.

Nara Smith and husband Lucky Blue walked arm-in-arm and flaunted their picture-perfect love while enjoying a lavish shopping spree in New York City on Friday

Back in August, the South African star told Harper's Bazaar that she has had 'a really hard time' digesting the concept of the 'the trad wife, whatever it is,' defending her lifestyle.

She told the outlet she is 'a working mom' and that the posts she puts up on social media are 'really not that deep,' regardless what others say.

The IMG Models-signed influencer said she is still learning about herself and can't put a label on what it is she does and the values she is seeking to put on display.

'I never know what to say when people ask me [what I do], because technically, yes, I create content,' said Smith, who has 9.3 million TikTok followers and 4 million Instagram followers. 'But then I'm just living my life and sharing that with people, which a lot of people do.'

Smith's rapid rise to fame  which has fans asking her to take to a reality TV platform  has been buoyed by her clips in which she makes things from scratch, with ASMR qualities for Internet users.

The clips have garnered a measure of controversy at times, according to the profile.

Some commenters are critical of her embracing the cliche of a traditional housewife and nostalgia toward a timeframe when women's rights had not evolved to the point where they are now.

Smith said of her critics, 'For the sake of my mental health, I can't indulge in that. I can't keep correcting people or read things and get frustrated.'

The 23-year-old influencer looked red carpet ready in an elegant leopard print fur coat over a black cardigan and slacks while clutching a designer purse

Nara gained popularity via TikTok where she flaunts her 'tradwife' (traditional wife) lifestyle; Nara and Lucky seen in September 2024

The couple share children Rumble Honey, four, Slim Easy, two, and Whimsy Lou, eight-months; Nara and Whimsy seen in July 2024

The South African star told Harper's Bazaar that she has had 'a really hard time' digesting the concept of the 'the trad wife, whatever it is,' defending her lifestyle; Nara seen in August

The 'tradwife' is a growing trend on social media that showcases women who sport 1950s style clothing while embracing traditional gender roles and prepare homemade meals; Nara, Lucky, Whimsy, Rumble and Slim seen in August 2024

Her husband Lucky  who she wed in February in 2020  defended her in the publication, saying that her online haters are coming from a place of envy.

'People are seeing her gaining some success from everything she's doing,' Lucky said. 'If you have someone who doesn't know you at all and they're making a video about you online with things that are not true, you can just tell it's coming from a place of jealousy. Let's call it what it is.'

Nara said in the piece that she is expressing the essence of her individuality and hopes that viewers find value in it.

'To me, it's all about just putting what I love out there, and whoever can resonate with that and take something away from it  that's what I want to do,' she said.

'Sometimes my outfits aren't the most practical, but then again fashion isn't always practical. That's what I do. I post videos of me cooking for my kids and my husband. It's really not that deep.'

In the piece, the model described herself as 'a girly girl' and a 'working mom who gets to go about her day in a very different way than' a person with 'a normal nine-to-five job' would.

She added, 'You don't see me getting on a plane, hopping to New York, modeling, coming back  all while I have a newborn  paying bills, filming content, getting my kids dressed.

'Being put into a certain box, just because people think that I'm slaving away, is so weird to me.'
Tory Lanez has fired back at Megan Thee Stallion as he accused her of 'weaponizing the justice system' in a new complaint.

The Canadian music artist, 32, filed the court documents - obtained by People on Friday - a little over one week after the Wanna Be rapper, 29, requested a temporary restraining order against him on December 17.

Last year in August, Lanez was notably sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of shooting Megan in the feet during a drunken argument in 2020.

The star - whose full name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete - alleged that Tory has been 'coordinating' with bloggers to spread false lies about her online. But he has since slammed the harassment claims as 'ridiculous.'

And in a complaint filed on Christmas Eve, he alleged she 'improperly decided to use the Los Angeles County civil court to file a frivolous request for civil harassment restraining order against Daystar Peterson, who has had zero direct contact with Ms. Pete.'

'When celebrity with millions of dollars and backed by large corporation disagrees with free speech or opinions, they weaponize the justice system...'

Tory Lanez, 32, has fired back at Megan Thee Stallion, 29, as he accused her of 'weaponizing the justice system' in a new complaint

'Failing to understand that they are public figures, who voluntarily catapulted themselves into the limelight, unable to deal with the controversy and public opinions,' Lanez further claimed in the documents.

The Hurts Me rapper then cited the California Code of Civil Procedure S. 527, which 'prohibits courts from issuing restraining orders that restrict constitutionally protected speech. The statute ensures restraining order.'

Tory added in the complaint, 'Rather than rebut the commentary or debate the issues raised by Defendant's comments so people can make up their own minds, Plaintiff has succumbed to the current trend of using the legal system in an attempt to cancel those opinions she disagrees with.'

He also claimed that the TRO is not necessary, explaining that, 'He does not have possession of firearm and is unable to leave his current residence.'

'Therefore, the incident alleged (which occurred 4.5 years ago) is no longer any form of current or future threat to the person seeking protection.'

In the complaint, the music artist claimed that both he and Megan have had 'no direct contact of any kind.'

However, Lanez is slated to appear in court for a hearing next month on January 9 over the temporary restraining order, per People.

Tory recently clapped back at Megan's request for a TRO this month over claims that he has been harassing her from behind bars.

'When celebrity with millions of dollars and backed by large corporation disagrees with free speech or opinions, they weaponize the justice system,' the complained read; seen in 2021 in Miami

He also claimed that the TRO is not necessary, explaining that, 'He does not have possession of firearm and is unable to leave his current residence'; seen in 2021 in Florida

In her request to a judge, the songstress detailed months of alleged torment from Tory, which included him allegedly 'coordinating' with bloggers to spread 'lies' about her online.

It was also alleged that Megan's attorney had proof that Tory's father had made payments to Elizabeth Milagro Cooper, a blogger who Megan sued earlier this year.

In a statement to TMZ last week, Tory's legal team vehemently denied the harassment claims and told fans to 'stop believing [Megan's] narrative.'

They also said the 'payments' had nothing to do with their client and that the truth would eventually be revealed in court.

They then branded Megan 'ridiculous' for claiming that Tory's legal team had filed a petition in October 2024 in an attempt to detract from the release of her emotional documentary In Her Words, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 31.

'Megan's claim that Tory filed legal docs to undermine her new Amazon Prime documentary is "ridiculous,"' Tory's legal team said.

They claimed that the timing of the court filing was unrelated to the release of Megan's doc and, instead, was done to 'comply with legal guidelines.'

The legal petition in question alleged that the gun used in the July 2020 shooting had been misplaced by the LAPD, as reported by BET.

However, the Los Angeles Attorney General's office ruled in November that Tory and his legal team failed to provide evidence to backup their claim.

In a statement to TMZ last week, Tory's legal team vehemently denied the harassment claims and told fans to 'stop believing [Megan's] narrative'; Lanez seen in North Kern State Prison in September 2023

Megan filed her request for a restraining order in Los Angeles on December 17, according to TMZ.

Tory allegedly uses a network of bloggers, including Cooper, to spread harmful lies about her, according to the court documents obtained by the outlet.

The filing reveals that prison phone logs suggest a 'coordinated effort' between Tory and Cooper, including a call where Tory's dad allegedly asked about payments for the harassment campaign.

Megan claims that this relentless 'psychological warfare' has taken a serious toll on her mental health, leaving her depressed and distanced from friends.

In a deeply distressing statement, Megan said she 'sometimes wishes Tory would have shot and killed me, if I would have known I was going to go through this torture.'

As Tory appeals his conviction, Megan claims he's spreading falsehoods to reduce his sentence and is now seeking a restraining order to prevent further harassment, either directly or through others.

In October, Megan sued YouTuber and social media personality Milagro Gramz (Cooper) for allegedly acting as a 'mouthpiece and puppet' for Tory.

In a statement shared with DailyMail.com, Megan said: 'It's time to hold bloggers accountable for years of harassment, cyberbullying and the publication of misinformation about my personal and professional life.'

Megan claims that this relentless 'psychological warfare' has taken a serious toll on her mental health, leaving her depressed and distanced from friends

'I've endured countless attacks on my character based on false narratives from social media bloggers misrepresenting themselves as journalists.'

She continued: 'It's unacceptable behavior and these individuals need to understand there will be repercussions for recklessly posting lies and defamatory falsehoods.'

In a statement posted to X, Gramz acknowledged the lawsuit and confirmed that she had 'been informed that I'm being sued by Alex Spiro on behalf of his client Megan Thee Stallion.'

In August 2023, Tory was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan in the feet during a drunken argument after a pool party at Kylie Jenner's house in 2020.

The rapper, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, begged the judge for mercy in a tense Los Angeles courtroom, claiming he still cared for Megan 'dearly.'

She continued: 'It's unacceptable behavior and these individuals need to understand there will be repercussions for recklessly posting lies and defamatory falsehoods'; seen in June in L.A.

The rapper, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, begged the judge for mercy in a tense Los Angeles courtroom, claiming he still cared for Megan 'dearly'; seen in 2018 in L.A.

However, his plea didn't spare him from the decade-long sentence, handed down after a dramatic trial that captured the attention of the hip-hop world.

Megan testified that after a heated argument, she stepped out of his SUV, only for Lanez to shout 'Dance, b***h' and fire five shots at her feet, leaving her with three bullet fragments that required surgery.

At his sentencing, Lanez admitted to making 'very immature' remarks and revealing 'secrets I shouldn't have revealed' during the ordeal.

Despite pleading not guilty, Lanez's actions and his attempt to silence Megan with a $1 million bribe only added fuel to the fire.
Stassi Schroeder was left dripping blood after a playtime mishap that led to her three-year-old daughter Hartford accidentally hitting her in the face with a toy broom.

On Thursday, the 36-year-old Vanderpump Rules star's husband Beau Clark, 44, took to Instagram to share a video of the blonde beauty and their daughter rendering a passionate performance of Wicked's Defying Gravity in their living room.

While vocalizing the musical hit, Hartford wore a champagne toned princess dress and passionately waved around a toy broom, hitting the reality TV star in the lip and resulting in a bloody mess.

The fashion blogger immediately laughed in response, but her little girl asked, 'Are you OK?' to which Stassi said no and asked if she looked like 'Count Dracula.'

When Stassi's lip began to let out more blood, her toddler ran to the kitchen to get napkins to stop the bleeding.

'Christmas was bloody Wicked this year!' Beau penned in the caption of the post.

Stassi Schroeder was left dripping blood after a playtime mishap that led to her three-year-old daughter Hartford accidentally hitting her in the face with a toy broom

While Hartford was off getting cleanup supplies Stassi turned to her husband to ask 'What do I look like?' to which the commercial casting director responded 'Oh, my God. Oh, my God.'

Unaware she was bleeding she replied, 'Are you messing with me? Are you messing with me right now?'

Upon Hartford's return, the mother-of-two blotted away the bloodstain from her lip while screaming 'Mommy.'

Continuing to film the playtime mishap, Beau quipped, 'Did you not feel it cause of your fake chin?'

To which Stassi coldly said, 'No,' still in shock from the incident. The actress also admitted 'that side of my chin has always been numb ever since the chin implant' from 2019.

She previously told Women's Health the procedure was 'one of the best things I ever did,' because 'it makes me feel better about myself.'

Beau also took to his Instagram Story to show off his wife prior to the accident as she preformed for Hartford and their son Messer, one.

'This is what happened before the reel I just posted,' he wrote above the sweet snap.

Beau quipped, 'Did you not feel it cause of your fake chin?'

The 36-year-old Vanderpump Rules star's husband Beau Clark took to Instagram to share a video of the blonde beauty and their daughter rendering a passionate performance of Wicked's Defying Gravity in their living room

While vocalizing the musical hit, Hartford passionately waved around a toy broom, hitting the reality TV star in the lip and resulting in a bloody mess

The fashion blogger immediately laughed in response, but her little girl asked, 'Are you OK?' to which Stassi said no and asked if she looked like 'Count Dracula'

When Stassi's lip began to let out more blood, her toddler ran to the kitchen to get napkins to stop the bleeding

' Christmas was bloody Wicked this year!' Beau penned in the caption of the post

Upon Hartford's return, the mother-of-two blotted away the bloodstain from her lip while screaming 'Mommy

Unaware she was bleeding she replied, 'Are you messing with me? Are you messing with me right now?'

The actress also admitted 'that side of my chin has always been numb ever since the chin implant' from 2019

Beau also took to his Instagram Story to show off his wife prior to the accident as she preformed for Hartford and their son Messer, one

The lovebirds said 'I do' in a lavish picturesque ceremony in Rome May in 2022; Stassie and Beau seen in November 2024

Stassi and Beau were first romantically involved in 2017 after being introduced by Vanderpump Rules stars Kristen Doute and Katie Maloney.

In 2019, he proposed to the blonde beauty at an unconventional location, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which matches with her iconic gothic taste.

The lovebirds said 'I do' in a lavish picturesque ceremony in Rome May in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back their plans.

They became parents for the first time in January 2021 when they welcomed their daughter Hartford Charlie Rose. They welcomed their son Messer Rhys on September 7, 2023.
Kylie Jenner gave fans a rare glimpse of her two-year-old son Aire while sharing a heartwarming Christmas photo dump on Friday.

Taking to Instagram, the star of The Kardashians, 27, posted a snap of a pajama-clad Aire cuddled up with a Minion plush while surrounded by opened gifts and toys.

In another photo of the tot, Aire flashed a sweet smile while laying on a giant brown teddy bear in the foyer of Jenner's $60million Hidden Hills mansion.

Kylie then showed off the custom gift wrapping paper she used this year, which featured both of her kids' faces wearing Santa hats.

She shares her son Aire and daughter Stormi, six, with ex-boyfriend Travis Scott, 33.

Kylie split from the rapper in late 2022 and is now dating Golden Globe nominee Timothee Chalamet, who turned 29-years-old on Friday.

Kylie Jenner gave fans a rare glimpse of her two-year-old son Aire while sharing a heartwarming Christmas photo dump on Friday

Taking to Instagram, the star of The Kardashians, 27, posted a snap of Aire cuddled up with a Minion plush while surrounded by opened gifts and toys

In another photo of the tot, Aire flashed a sweet smile while laying on a giant brown teddy bear in the foyer of Jenner's $60million Hidden Hills mansion

While Kylie didn't give the Dune star a birthday shout-out, she did uploaded a sexy photo of herself rocking a shimmering white dress to Instagram.

She snapped the photo in her hallway mirror as she puckered up her famous pout.

The Kylie Cosmetics founder wore the same glam look to the Kardashian-Jenner Christmas Eve party on Tuesday night.

She later added another snap of herself flaunting her countless ear piercings and sharp side profile.

'the sweetest xmas,' Kylie penned in the post's caption.

Kylie also revealed that she had gifted a custom Goyard purse with photos of her siblings' heads as children to her mom Kris Jenner, 69.

Fans raced to the comments to pen their support for the mother-of-two, praising her for showing off her jolly holiday festivities.

One fan penned, 'Omg.The wrapping paper with the kiddos' faces is brilliant!! And, I LOVE the Goyard bag with Kris' kiddos (as toddlers)!! LOVE IT ALL!! Merry Christmas!!'

She later added another snap of herself flaunting her countless ear piercings and sharp side profile

Kylie then showed off the custom gift wrapping paper she used this year, which featured both of her kids' faces wearing Santa hats

Kylie shares her son Aire and daughter Storimi, six, with ex-boyfriend Travis Scott, 33

Kylie also revealed that she had gifted a custom Goyard purse with photos of her siblings' heads as children to her mom Kris Jenner, 69

Fans raced to the comments to show their support for the mother-of-two, praising her for showing off her jolly holiday festivities

Kylie's Christmas photo dump comes days after the Kar-Jenner family hosted their annual Christmas Eve family get-together, opting for a low-key gathering this year. The first bash was first organized by Kris Jenner in 1987.

The cheerful celebration was held at Kendall Jenner's $8.5 million Beverly Hills mansion that she elaborately adorned with family heirlooms for the holidays.

But, Khloe Kardashian and her kids  True, 6, and Tatum, two, whom she shares with ex Tristan Thompson  skipped the bash.

'Tatum was sick the entire weekend, now my TuTu is sick,' she wrote on Instagram just hours before the event.

'For the first time in a long, long time, we will miss Christmas Eve. I feel so terrible for my sick littles. No fun, but I pray we are fine for Santa tomorrow!!!'

And Kim Kardashian previously revealed that her family's Christmas Eve party would be a more 'low-key' affair compared to previous years.

Kim explained that they would be having a more 'intimate' party this year due to 'construction' work going on.

Speaking to Vogue, she shared: 'Just because we have a lot of construction going on, so we're doing a really family intimate one that I'm really excited about.'

The Kardashian-Jenner family is famous for throwing an epic, luxurious Christmas Eve party every year that often features a star-studded guest list; seen in December 2023

However, the SKIMS founder said that that wouldn't stop the family from getting all glammed up.

Kim  who recently broke her foot  added: 'Still dressing up to the nines, because that's what we do.'

The beauty mogul  who has North, 11, Saint, nine, Chicago, six, and five-year-old Psalm with ex Kanye West  says the iconic parties are so legendary that even their children's friends wish they could attend.

She also vowed to keep the festive family tradition going.

'They're just beginning. Our kids love them and now all their friends want to come. It's such a fun tradition.'

Last year's celebration was held at Kim's home and featured a star-studded guest list that included family friend Paris Hilton among other A-lister's.
Chanel Maya Banks has filed a restraining order against both her mother and cousin after they reported her missing just one month earlier.

The Gossip Girl alum, 36 - who was revealed to have been found in Texas by police just hours after the family filed the missing person's report - has since been active on social media to claim she was 'not missing.'

In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Banks filed a temporary restraining order against her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh on Thursday.

She additionally filed a civil harassment restraining order against her cousin and mother, Lutchmin Judy Kumar.

Chanel claimed in the documents that both her mother and cousin 'acted together to harass and spread lies' in order to destroy her 'credibility' and career.

The actress further alleged that the pair's missing person report last month was 'manufactured' and claimed they accused her husband of one year, Carlos, of murdering her.

Chanel Maya Banks, 36, has filed a restraining order against both her mother and cousin after they reported her missing just one month earlier

'They orchestrated this scheme in order to humiliate me publicly and ruin my professional acting career,' she alleged.

Banks also claimed that on November 10, her mother and cousin broke in and 'burglarized' her apartment when she had been away.

She additionally claimed that the pair stole her husband's work badge and placed an Apple AirTag on her vehicle in order to follow her whereabouts.

The star - who attempted to distance herself from her family in October - then alleged that they 'assaulted' her husband and caused 'visible injuries on his face and neck.'

However, sources informed TMZ that Carlos already had marks on his body before Lutchmin and Danielle entered her apartment last month.

Banks claimed that she filed police reports following the alleged incidents.

Along with claiming that they accused her husband of murder, she also alleged that both her mother and cousin wanted to put her on a 5150 psychiatric hold.

The Blue Bloods actress further alleged in the documents that the pair also sent text messages where they threatened to 'weaponize the police' against her.

In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Banks filed a temporary restraining order against her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh on Thursday; Chanel's mother and cousin seen above in November

'They orchestrated this scheme in order to humiliate me publicly and ruin my professional acting career,' she alleged

Chanel is requesting that the court prevent Kumar and Singh from contacting her - and has also asked that they stop talking about her publicly.

It comes shortly after the actress's family insisted she has been 'brainwashed' by a Christian cult.

When she was initially discovered, Banks said she was fleeing her family to be baptized by doomsday Pastor Robert Clancey, who had recently advertised a three-day 'end times prophetic gathering' in Texas and claimed her family had abused her.

In turn, her loved ones bizarrely claimed claimed she was being imitated by an imposter online.

In a press conference in LA last month, her mother and cousin slammed the abuse claims as 'false' and claimed the actress was being held against her will in the Christian group - before breaking down in tears.

Banks proved she wasn't missing in dramatic fashion by sharing a YouTube video teasing an upcoming tell-all interview on her 'toxic' family.

In an apparent attempt to disprove the claims, Banks shared a YouTube reel of herself preparing to speak about the strange saga, telling fans: 'As you can see, I am alive.'

'Interview loading,' she added while gazing at the camera in a full face of makeup.

Banks also updated her Instagram bio to say: 'I AM NOT MISSING. I just want to be free of a toxic woman and her family. INTERVIEW INCOMING.'

The star - who attempted to distance herself from her family in October - then alleged that they 'assaulted' her husband and caused 'visible injuries on his face and neck'

Following a two-week search for the star, who played Sawyer Bennett in Gossip Girl, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) located a 36-year-old in Texas, claiming they had found the actress unharmed.

Singh previously took to her Instagram stories to share: 'I have the still from Texas PD body cam footage that was shown to us on Monday Nov 11 at the Pacific Police Station in LA.'

'This is the woman they're telling us is Chanel. We have told them this is not Chanel. They didn't listen to us and closed the case.'

'That's why @ohhheychanel won't post a video saying she's safe because it's not Chanel,' Singh wrote, after flying in from Toronto to help with the search.

Singh previously said LAPD's update was 'fake news' and that the woman they found and claimed to be Banks is an 'imposter.' She added that she will continue distributing 'Missing Persons' flyers, ABC7 reported.

It comes after Banks took to social media with a statement in which she made the series of strong allegations against her family.

It was not immediately clear if Banks penned the posts herself on the account, which is verified and has made a total of 70 posts in more than three-and-a-half years,' per KTLA.

She purportedly said on the social media site: 'My name is Chanel Banks I'm a 36 year old American nobody,' adding her family members 'are all so very "concerned" about my current whereabouts.'

Banks, who also appeared on a 2010 episode of Blue Bloods, acknowledged that she had spoken with law enforcement amid the probe into her alleged vanishing.

In a press conference in LA last month, her mother and cousin slammed the abuse claims as 'false' and claimed the actress was being held against her will in the Christian group - before breaking down in tears

It comes after Banks took to social media with a statement in which she made the series of strong allegations against her family

'I have met with the police and verified that not only am I okay, but I'm finally free from my ... family,' Banks said.

She alluded to her religious faith as a factor in why she had cut off contact with some of her relatives.

'They say, once you're free in Christ Jesus, you're free indeed, so I told my husband six days ago I was going to get baptized by one of my favorite pastors Pastor Robert Clancy,' Banks wrote. 'He drove me to the airport and then I was off for a week.'

She continued, 'God said: "I'm going to give you some money and I was shocked when it appeared just like He said!"

Banks said God told her to move, so she took a first-class flight 'to the Promise Land.'

The actress also said she was 'releasing a clarion call to those in high places who still have a soul and want to keep it in such a time as this. Reach out. Help me.'

Banks said she 'found out hours before leaving' that some of her relatives 'were vehemently pursuing a CONSERVATORSHIP [i.e.] complete legal control.'

She added that 'there will be no more lies' and that 'everything in the darkness must come to light ... thus says the Lord.'

Banks said she 'found out hours before leaving' that some of her relatives 'were vehemently pursuing a CONSERVATORSHIP [i.e.] complete legal control'; seen above in Gossip Girl

However, Chanel seemingly has been moving on and one day before filing the restraining orders, she jumped to her Instagram account to celebrate the holidays on Wednesday

'And we love you and we hope that you have a wonderful, wonderful holiday shared with those that you love,' she said, while her husband added, 'It's the best feeling in the world'

Banks ended her statement in saying: 'PLEASE DO NOT DONATE TO ANY GO FUND ME THAT SAYS I'M MISSING I AM NOT MISSING.'

Relatives of the actress had previously reported her missing, claiming her husband Carlos Jimenez hadn't been helping them in their search.

Police subsequently said that Banks, a resident of Playa Vista, California, had been located unharmed in Texas and that no foul play was suspected in the now-closed case.

Banks' family claims they last heard from her on October 30 when she texted her cousin Danielle-Tori Singh, who was leading the fundraiser for her urgent return.

However, Chanel seemingly has been moving on and one day before filing the restraining orders, she jumped to her Instagram account to celebrate the holidays on Wednesday.

In a short clip, both she and her husband Carlos could be seen sitting in front of a decorated Christmas tree while wearing festive attire.

While gazing towards the camera, Banks expressed, 'We just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah! Because it's on the same day this year.'

'And we love you and we hope that you have a wonderful, wonderful holiday shared with those that you love,' she said, while her husband added, 'It's the best feeling in the world.'

The video concluded as they both shared a kiss and said 'I love you' to each other as the tune Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Kenny G softly played in the background.
Ashton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis stepped out for a rare outing with their eight-year-old son Dimitri in Studio City on Friday.

The No Strings Attached actor, 46  who recently enjoyed a hike in Griffith Park with Kunis  visited a few stores for post-holiday shopping amid his 'regret' for his past friendship with Diddy.

Kutcher sported a long-sleeved, blue sweatshirt as well as a pair of denim jeans for the daytime excursion.

He additionally slipped into a pair of brown shoes and donned a printed, black cap on top of his head for a finishing touch.

Mila, 41, was stylishly casual wearing a black and white-striped sweater as well as a pair of loose-fitting, black pants.

The Black Swan actress also opted for black boots that were secured with laces and allowed her brunette locks to flow down naturally past her shoulders.

Ashton Kutcher, 46, and wife Mila Kunis, 41, stepped out for a rare outing with their eight-year-old son Dimitri in Studio City on Friday

She easily carried a small, cross-body bag over her right shoulder and added a watch on her left wrist to accessorize the look.

The trio were seen strolling through the L.A. neighborhood before taking a look inside a few shops.

Ashton and Mila tied the knot in 2015, and share two children: Dimitri, as well as daughter Wyatt, 10.

During an interview with Noa Tishby that was published earlier this week on Thursday, the actress opened up about parenting and revealed the 'worst thing' her kids could say to her.

'I have a fear of not having enough food. My fear of someone being hungry. Like, the worst thing my kids can say to me is, "I'm hungry,"' Kunis explained.

'Food fixes everything. You're tired? Eat some food. You're cranky? Eat some food,' the star continued.

'A health person's going to say this is unhealthy and we're doing something wrong, and I understand. I'm working on it. But it is just something that's embedded in me.'

She also reflected on growing up in a Jewish household while living in Ukraine as a young child, and said her family 'grew up doing nothing.'

The trio were seen strolling through the L.A. neighborhood before taking a look inside a few shops

During an interview with Noa Tishby that was published earlier this week on Thursday, the actress opened up about parenting and revealed the 'worst thing' her kids could say to her; seen in October in LA

'I always knew I was Jewish, but I was told never to talk about it. I think because I was in a country that didn't allow for religion,' the star expressed, and added she was 'raised culturally Jewish.'

'For me, it's a culture. And as I had kids - and my kids very much identify with the religion aspect of it - I'm like, "Okay, I guess we'll do Shabbos and we'll do the candles. There's so much beautiful tradition in it."'

She then credited Kutcher for helping her fall in love with the religion after the actor 'explained it to me.'

A few months earlier in October, Mila opened up about her relationship with Ashton and also revealed the secret to their long-lasting marriage.

During an interview with E! News, she stated, 'I still feel like we're young and we feel very young. I think that's where the spark is. We laugh at everything.'

In regards to 10 years of marriage, the Family Guy star further expressed that 'It's only 10 years.'

'It's not really that long. I look at my parents, and they've been together for 50. That's long,' Kunis added.

Last month in September, rumors that Mila and Ashton had split following Diddy's arrest began to circulate. However, the speculation was soon slammed as 'ridiculous and false.'

During an interview with E! News , she stated, 'I still feel like we're young and we feel very young. I think that's where the spark is. We laugh at everything'; seen in September in Chicago

Following the rapper's arrest, resurfaced footage showed Kutcher talking about the disgraced music artist's parties.

However, a source told People that the rumors were 'false' while another insider stated, 'Ashton has no involvement in any of this. He doesn't belong in this conversation about Diddy.'

'Ashton has only seen Diddy in a handful of social and business events, all of which have been documented by the media.'

A separate insider also informed DailyMail.com that Kutcher 'regrets' his past friendship with Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

The disgraced music artist is currently being held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Following the arrest four months earlier, Combs has since been denied bail three times.

However, a source told People that the rumors were 'false' while another insider stated, 'Ashton has no involvement in any of this. He doesn't belong in this conversation about Diddy'; seen in 2023 in LA

A separate insider also informed DailyMail.com that Kutcher 'regrets' his past friendship with Sean 'Diddy' Combs; seen in 2004 in L.A.

'Ashton absolutely regrets his friendship with Diddy considering what has happened,' the source stated. 'He feels lied to, betrayed, taken for granted and manipulated.'

'He feels the same way about Danny Masterson. He now trusts no one except for his wife Mila [Kunis]. He is going to keep his circle to his family.'

The insider added, 'Ashton does have fears about how this investigation will play out. He feels Diddy would have no problem lying to authorities and tossing out some of his famous friends names if it meant it could get him out of jail.'

'Diddy could say anything, do anything or turn on anyone at this point. Everyone who is close to Diddy fears the possibility of Diddy making up false allegations to clear his own name.'
Montana Brown showed off her blossoming baby bump in a series of family vacation snaps on Friday.

The former Love Island star, 29, who is expecting her second child with fiance Mark O'Connor, displayed her growing bump in a stylish lilac crochet dress as she posed for a sweet family photo with her fiance and their 17-month-old son Jude.

The reality TV star, who is currently on vacation in Barbados with her family, teamed a chic red triangle bikini top underneath her dress.

Montana opted for black platform thong sandals and further accessorised with a pair of pale rose pink Prada shades.

Meanwhile, her fiance Mark cut a laidback figure in a black button-up shirt which boasted a relaxed fit and khaki shorts.

The mother-of-one also posted a sweet rare snap of herself and her glamorous mother Sarah.

Montana Brown showed off her blossoming baby bump in a series of family vacation snaps on Friday

The former Love Island star, 29, who is expecting her second child with fiance Mark O'Connor, displayed her growing bump in a stylish lilac crochet dress as she took a sweet family photo

She captioned the series of snaps with: 'it was a holly jolly Christmas thats for sure (white heart emoji) feeling so lucky to have been able to spend some time away as our last Christmas as a family of 3.'

It comes after Montana revealed she was taken to hospital after being struck down with 'the worst tummy bug'.

The reality star took to Instagram to give fans a health update after feeling extremely unwell earlier this month.

Alongside an image of her in hospital, as well as several of her snuggling up to 17-month-old son Jude, Montana told her followers how she was on the mend and was gutted to have missed out on several events.

The reality star also expressed her relief that her little boy wasn't struck down with the same illness, as she credited his hugs and kisses for helping her get through her tough time.

She penned: 'A compilation of my week having the worst tummy bug, ending in a lovely trip to triage as I was so dehydrated.'

'Had so many gorgeous plans this week so gutted to have missed it all BUT on the mend. Thank god for my little angel boy being so good with me and giving me all the hugs & kisses thank goodness he didnt get it!'

This is all the content I have for this week alongside me next to toilet bowls, thanks for all the recommendations too my lovely people xx.'

The reality TV star is currently on vacation in Barbados with her fiance Mark, their 17-month-old son Jude, and her family

In another snap, Montana further accessorised her look with a pair of pale rose pink Prada shades as she posed up a storm with her fiance Mark

The mother-of-one also posted a sweet rare snap of herself and her glamorous mother Sarah

She also gave fans a glimpse of the luxurious resort she is currently staying in

Montana's fans were quick to offer their well wishes in the comments as they told how they were pleased to hear she's on the mend.

Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news with her 1.1 million followers.

She displayed her tummy in a chic knit dress and cradled her stomach as she smiled for the camera in the clip.

Confirming that she is expecting again with her rugby player fiance Mark, Montana wrote: 'Two under two let's go!'

Montana and Mark welcomed their first child Jude in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later.

It comes after Montana revealed she was taken to hospital after being struck down with 'the worst tummy bug'

The star took to her Instagram earlier this month to give fans a health update after feeling extremely unwell

She penned: 'A compilation of my week having the worst tummy bug, ending in a lovely trip to triage as I was so dehydrated'

Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news

The couple travelled to Santorini after they enjoyed a week-long holiday with their son in Montenegro and shared updates from their sun-soaked trip.

The reality personality was flooded with congratulatory messages from her famous friends and Instagram followers.

Gabby Allen, who appeared on her series of Love Island, wrote: 'Omgggg.'

While fellow Love Island alum, Tasha Ghouri said: 'Ahh!! Congratulations!'

Food influencer Emily English posted a series of clapping hands while Tiffany Watson and Natalya Wright both said 'congratulations'.

Other stars who shared their support included Vicky Pattison, Danielle Lloyd, Grace Beverley, Kendall Rae Knight and Elle Brown.
Karina Natt is absolutely glowing as her pregnancy continues.

The wife of Channel 10 star Narelda Jacobs is expecting their first child just months after their wedding.

In a video shared to Instagram Stories on Saturday, Karina showed off her the progress of her pregnancy.

She beamed as she strolled down the street, her blossoming bump on show in a pair of snakeskin print bicycle shorts.

Karina added a black shirt to the look, which she knotted up above her midriff to expose a growing belly.

The brunette appeared to have on minimal makeup and wore a pair of sunglasses as well as a crossbody bag.

Karina Natt (pictured) is absolutely glowing as her pregnancy continues

It comes come after Karina hit back at cruel trolls after the pair were criticised her pregnancy.

Narelda, 48, and Karina, 39, announced last month that they were expecting their first child together.

Posting to Instagram on Saturday, the couple shared a sweet carousel of clips and photos that showed them enjoying life since revealing their big news.

One clip showed the couple looking glamorous in stunning gowns, standing in the Sydney CBD.

Narelda was holding the train of her black dress over Karina's midriff before pulling it back to reveal her burgeoning baby bum, that was accentuated with a large black bow on Karina's dress.

Another sweet image showed Narelda and Karina sharing an intimate festive-themed moment.

Narelda also snapped a selfie of the couple kissing in front of the large Christmas tree in Martin Place.

Another photo showed Karina in an eye catching orange off-the shoulder dress, again showing off her baby bump as she posed in front of what appeared to be a hotel window.

The wife of Channel 10 star Narelda Jacobs is expecting their first child just months after their wedding. Both pictured

In a video shared to Instagram Stories on Saturday, Karina showed off her the progress of her pregnancy. She beamed as she strolled down the street, her blossoming bump on show

A third photo showed Narelda and Karina wearing very similar black outfits, enjoying a fun moment in an elevator.

The sweet carousel was rounded out by the loved-up couple hanging out with friends, and even Narelda taking to some home improvement.

While the post was met with a flurry of love and congratulations from friends, fans and followers, not everyone was as generous.

One cruel troll took the time to criticise the couple's baby news with: 'Feel sorry for the child not knowing who's the father.'

It is unclear if the donor is anonymous or known to Narelda and Karina.

Karina, who is the former chief of staff for Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, did not take the dig lying down, wasting no time in hitting back at the churlish commenter.

'Who made you the author of our family's story?' she replied.

Followers were quick to jump to the couple's defence, hitting back at the nasty comment.

Narelda, 48, and Karina, 39, announced last month that they were expecting their first child together

'Good thing it's not your child, not your life and has absolutely nothing to do with you so just scroll on! Had to be all freaking negative huh!' one replied.

Another chimed in with: 'Feel sorry for your negative mindset! Your comment is so out for 2025,' while a third jumped in with: 'Feel sorry for any child you have with that homophobic and bigoted view.'

A third hit back with: 'Feel sorry for yourself and your miserable life, unhappy troll.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Narelda Jacobs and Karina Natt for comment.

Taking to Instagram while at the beach earlier this month, Karina and Narelda dropped their baby bombshell during an announcement about an upcoming book launch.

'We've got some exciting news,' a bikini-clad Narelda said to camera before Karina added: 'We're having a book baby.'

Narelda then revealed the couple were expecting.

'Oh, and we're also having a human baby, which is out next year,' she said.

The newsreader and the political advisor then shared a kiss.

The pair were married in a fun-filled ceremony in Sydney in early August, just 18 months after they went on their first date

One follower dubbed it 'the announcement of THE YEAR!!!' among many other messages of congratulations.

Brittany Higgins offered her well-wishes to the mums-to-be, calling it, 'most marvellous news I've heard in a long while.

'Congratulations to the both of you!' added the former Liberal staffer.

Other big names weighed in, including Bindi Irwin who wrote 'CONGRATULATIONS!!! Such wonderful news!'

Aside from their pregnancy news, the couple also revealed that their 'satirical picture book for adults', If Queers Weren't Meant To Have Kids, had been picked up by publisher University Of Queensland Press (UQP).

The pair were married in a fun-filled ceremony in Sydney in early August, just 18 months after they went on their first date.

Narelda debuted her new romance in an Instagram post in early 2023, sharing a photo of the two women kissing during Sydney World Pride celebrations.
Tammy Hembrow and Matt Zukowski have spent their first Christmas together as newlyweds.

The fitness influencer shared an intimate glimpse at her family dynamic since Matt joined her family.

The 29-year-old and her three children, Wolf, eight, Saskia, six, and Posy, one, posed together for sweet photos shared to Instagram on Friday.

Matt and Tammy opted for matching burnt orange ensembles as they cuddled up with the three kids, who wore white.

In other images shared on the day, the new husband and wife shared a romantic embrace and passionate smooch, before enjoying their Christmas morning.

'Christmas 2024 - first Christmas as a wifeyyy hehe' Tammy captioned the series of photographs.

Tammy Hembrow and Matt Zukowski have spent their first Christmas together as newlyweds. Both pictured

Tammy recently returned from a winter wonderland honeymoon with freshly minted groom Matt, 29, in Finland.

The mum-of-three took to Instagram last Saturday to share a series of delightfully cheesy family Christmas photos.

The photos showed Tammy and Matt and Tammy's kids wearing matching Christmas sweaters.

They were not afraid to ham it up with an array of poses that would not be out of place on popular humour site Awkward Family Photos.

One image showed Tammy and Matt kneeling on the floor with Posy in their lap, while Wolf and Saskia stood behind.

Instead of looking at the camera, the quirky quintet held their gaze toward something out of frame.

Another hilarious photo showed Matt laying on the ground on his stomach with his feet in the air and his hand placed playfully under his chin.

Posy was happy to lay on Matt's back with her arms around his neck while Tammy perched on his raised feet.

The 29-year-old and her three children, Wolf, eight, Saskia, six, and Posy, one, posed together for sweet photos shared to Instagram on Friday

In other images shared on the day, the new husband and wife shared a romantic embrace

With Matt in the same pose, another photo showed Tammy, looking at the camera as she lay on her husband's back

Tammy sat perched on Matt's feet while Posy rested herself on his back.

A third photo showed the group posing side on in descending height order, again holding their gaze away from the camera.

Another showed all five beaming broadly as they struck a hammy pose in front of a painted Christmas-themed window backdrop.

The playfulness didn't stop there, either with one photo showing the group posing front on, this time in descending height order with their hands placed on each other's heads.

Captioning the giggle-worthy photos, Tammy said this was a Christmas tradition her fans would have to get used to.

'Hands down my new favourite tradition,' she wrote. 'Can't wait to recreate this every year.'

Tammy's friends, fans, and followers were besotted with the Yuletide themed images including her sister Amy.

They were also seen enjoying their Christmas morning

'Christmas 2024 - first Christmas as a wifeyyy hehe' Tammy captioned the series of photos

Amy was quick to praise her brother-in-law's photogenic nature with: It's like Matthew was born for this.'

Still not done, Amy commented a second time with: 'This is my favourite thing ever.'

It seems that Tammy's fans agreed with Amy, commenting the likes of: 'This is incredible,' and 'The Best Family Christmas photos I've seen ever ever!!!'

Tammy shares Wolf, and Saskia with her first ex-fiance Reece Hawkins, and one-year-old daughter Posy with her second ex-fiance Matt Poole.

Tammy and Matt Zukowski tied the knot in a gorgeous November ceremony at Chateau Du Soleil in Byron Bay.

Tammy looked stunning in a strapless ivory and blush pink gown that featured an elaborate tulle train and a corset bodice, highlighting her ample cleavage.

The blonde beauty completed her look with a long ivory veil and her hair was styled with long hair extensions in a half ponytail with a middle part.

As the couple held hands, Tammy became emotional and broke down in tears while they exchanged vows and said, 'I do.'

The mum-of-three took to Instagram last Saturday to share a series of delightfully cheesy family Christmas photos

The photos showed Tammy and Matt and Tammy's kids wearing matching Christmas sweaters

They were not afraid to ham it up with an array of poses that would not be out of place on popular humour site Awkward Family Photos

She was supported by her bridesmaids: her sisters Amy, 34, and Emilee, 32, along with her half-sister Ava Olympia and Starlette Thynne.

Following the wedding, Tammy and Matt jetted off for an equally luxe, snowbound honeymoon.

The couple were living it up at the stunning Aurora Collection Lapland Resort in Saariselka which is famed for views of the Northern Lights.

Clocking in at as much $1100 per night, the resort offers 'Arctic scenery from the comfort of your own cabin', according to the website.

Tammy was not shy about taking to social media during the loved-up post-wedding vacation to share a raft of jealousy inducing photos from the couple's enviable honeymoon.

Settling into married life, Tammy also revealed, last week that she had taken her husband's name on social media.

The bio on her Instagram account, which boasts an impressive 17.3 million followers now bears the name Tammy Zukowski.

However her account handle @tammyhembrow remains unchanged.
DJ Paul Fisher has unveiled his brand new look.

The 38-year-old shared a video to Instagram this week where shared the secret he had been keeping for many months.

The performer frolicked on a beach in the clip, which showed him with a full head of short, brunette hair, after getting 8,369 grafts planted at Hairline Clinic in Brisbane.

Previously, Fisher had sported a bald head, and in recent months, was rarely seen without a bucket hat on.

'HAIRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! BEEN KEEPING THIS ONE UNDER HATS' he explained in his caption alongside the video.

Indeed, the star's social media showed that he was rarely without a hat for many months as he healed from the procedure.

DJ Paul Fisher has unveiled his brand new look. The 38-year-old shared a video to Instagram this week where shared the secret he had been keeping for many months. Pictured before

The performer frolicked on a beach in the clip, which showed him with a full head of short, brunette hair

Previously, Fisher had sported a bald head, and in recent months, was rarely seen without a bucket hat on

It's been a big year for Fisher, after he and his wife Chloe welcomed their first child together.

The former model gave birth on June 20, to a baby girl they have named Bobbi Maree.

Taking to Instagram, the pair were thrilled to share the exciting news.

'HELLO WORLD, meet our baby girl,' they captioned their joint post.

'Bobbi Maree Fisher. Born 20 June 2024. The happiest day of the year.'

It comes after Fisher cancelled his scheduled concerts in New York after his pregnant wife was taken to the hospital with possible pre-term labour.

The Australian music producer, who last December announced the couple were expecting their first child, shared the worrying news to his Instagram.

'Our baby is due in June. However, last week my wife Chloe was admitted to hospital in Australia with possible pre-term labour on the horizon,' he explained.

'HAIRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! BEEN KEEPING THIS ONE UNDER HATS' he explained in his caption alongside the video. Indeed, the star's social media showed that he was rarely without a hat for many months as he healed from the procedure

It's been a big year for Fisher, after he and his wife Chloe (pictured) welcomed their first child together

'Chloe and the baby are in good health and are being monitored. However, I need to be with her in Australia until we know further details.'

The Gold Coast-born star said he had to reschedule his upcoming New York shows so he could be by his wife's side.

'The shows will be moved to July 5 and 6. All tickets previously purchased will be honoured for these new dates. Appreciate everyone's support and understanding,' he added.

Last December, it was reported that Fisher was expecting his first child with wife Chloe Chapman.

The house DJ, who performs under the moniker DJ Fisher, and his wife of three years shared the good news to Instagram on Christmas Eve.

'The greatest gift of all. I've waited my whole life for you,' Chloe wrote on Instagram alongside an image in which her husband cradled her bump.

'The most wanted and loved baby Fisher will be joining the tour in 2024, we are still pinching ourselves that we've finally been chosen to become parents.

'WE DID IT @followthefishtv. I love you so so much!' Chloe added, saying it was 'the single most happiest moment in my life'.

Chloe, who has previously had four miscarriages, took a moment to share her empathy for those struggling with infertility and revealed she had battled for several years to conceive via IVF.

'After 4 years of trying to convince, 1000s of needles, eight rounds of IVF, multiple surgeries, I've lived this nightmare and I know this pain and suffering all too well,' she said.

'NO ONE deserves to endure this feeling. I feel you all, I see you all and completely understand the disappointment and sadness you are all feeling. Please stay positive and manifest your healthy baby I pray you hold your miracle in your arms soon'.

Chloe is a model and swimwear designer and the founder of Australian brand Aloe Swimwear.
Millie Court has shared her painful encounter with a jellyfish during her festive trip to Australia with boyfriend Liam Reardon.

The Love Island star, 28, was stung after being hit by a large wave while swimming, despite warning signs on the beach cautioning swimmers to 'beware of bluebottles.'

Posting on her Instagram stories, Millie revealed how the incident unfolded, writing: 'I went into the sea and got taken out by a massive wave. When I came up, I found a blue jellyfish wrapped around my neck, in my hair, with tentacles all over my stomach. I've never screamed so loud.'

Millie admitted the incident was partly her fault for ignoring the warnings, adding: 'It's my own fault.'

She also shared images of a rash caused by the sting, showing her arm covered in red marks.

Lifeguards advised her to take a hot shower and provided ice to numb the pain, telling her the itchiness would subside within an hour.

Millie Court has shared her painful encounter with a jellyfish during her festive trip to Australia with boyfriend Liam Reardon

The Love Island star, 28, was stung after being hit by a large wave while swimming, despite warning signs on the beach cautioning swimmers to 'beware of bluebottles'

Posting on her Instagram stories, Millie revealed how she found a blue jellyfish wrapped around her neck, in her hair, with tentacles all over my stomach, causing a rash all over her body

Millie explained why she and others still ventured into the water: 'And before you say "why on earth would you go in the sea then", there's so many people in there that were also unfazed and the lifeguards don't tell you to not go in so we thought, 'f*** it, it'll be fine".'

The TV star is currently spending Christmas and New Year in Sydney with Liam and her best friend Chloe Burrows, who also appeared on the dating reality show.

Despite the painful incident, Millie appeared to be in good spirits on her festive getaway as she set pulses racing when she showcased her incredible figure in a series of busty bikinis just days before.

Millie looked nothing short of sensational as she slipped into a duo of different two-piece bikinis for an Amazon ad reel on her Instagram page on Friday.

She firstly posed up a storm in a skimpy lilac set, which featured a bow on front of the bikini top and thong-style bottoms.

The blonde beauty added a white crotchet mini skirt as she larked around in front of the camera.

Millie wore her long tresses in voluminous bouncy curls and opted for a glamorous palette of makeup to elevate her natural beauty.

She accessorised with a dainty gold padlock necklace and an array of dazzling jewellery, including a 4,200 Van Cleef bracelet.

The TV star is currently spending Christmas and New Year in Sydney with Liam (pictured)

Millie explained why she and others still ventured into the water saying: 'there's so many people in there that were also unfazed and the lifeguards don't tell you to not go in so we thought, 'f*** it, it'll be fine".'

Despite the painful incident, Millie appeared to be in good spirits on her festive getaway and also posted a slew of stunning snaps wearing a figure hugging white dress

Millie and Liam (pictured)won the seventh series of Love Island in 2021 and had a year-long relationship before briefly splitting in July 2022. They have since reconciled and have been going from strength to strength

Millie's best friend Chloe Burrows, who also appeared on the dating reality show, is also in Australia with the pair for the festive period

She also flaunted her slender frame in a dark coral bikini boasting frilled edges, with the addition of a matching mesh sarong.

It comes after the bombshell admitted she is waiting for Liam to propose and she is ready to take their relationship to the next level.

The reality stars won the seventh series of Love Island in 2021 and had a year-long relationship before briefly splitting in July 2022. They have since reconciled and have been going from strength to strength.

And in June Millie openly 'hinted' she is ready for Liam to pop the question and has already 'showed' him the style of engagement ring she would like.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said: 'He's the one in control of proposing and I've gave a little hint and showed him a ring that I would like.

'Not that it means he'll do it any time soon but I thought better he knows now so when he does decide to, in the future, he knows what ring I like.

Earlier in the week, Millie set pulses racing as she showcased her incredible figure in a series of busty bikinis

The Love Island star, 28, looked nothing short of sensational as she slipped into a duo of different two-piece bikinis for an Amazon ad reel on her Instagram page

The blonde beauty added a white crotchet mini skirt as she larked around in front of the camera

'He also knows what I would like proposal-wise as well, so where it would be and stuff'.

Millie went onto say that the couple have been much happier in their relationship since 'doing long distance'.

She said: 'It's amazing, he lives in Wales now and I'm in Essex so we're doing long distance but it's actually working really well.

'We managed to get that time together where I'll come down to Wales for a week, he'll come down to Essex, and it's almost like it's working because the time that we have apart we can crack on with work and solely focus on that.

'Then when we're together we really look after our relationship and actually spend quality time together.'

The reality star admitted the pair 'struggled' with balancing a relationship as well as fame after first coming off Love Island, but despite splitting for a short period of time they 'always knew they wanted to be together'.

Speaking as the face of VO5's Summer Festival Edit, Millie told MailOnline: 'I just think that we've got used to life as it is now.

The Love Island star looked sensational as she showed off her slender figure in a skimpy red bikini earlier in the week

Millie and Liam's loved-up post comes after the bombshell admitted she is waiting for Liam to propose and she is ready to take their relationship to the next level

'I think coming off the show as many couples, it is a struggle to sort of navigate this new life as well as navigating a relationship.

'So having that time apart meant that we could really get to terms with this new lifestyle and everything sort of happening with that.

'Then when we came back together it was like we'd got used to it and we were in a much more comfortable position with life and career and it meant that we could fully focus on our relationship

'We always wanted to be together, we knew that, it was just timing that was hard and it's much better this time around.'
Love Island star Chyna Mills has revealed she is currently living on a boat with her fiance Neil Jones and their daughter Havana, due to difficulty in finding a permanent home.

Chyna, 24, and Strictly star Neil, 42, sold their previous homes with plans to move into a new property together, but have been left 'in limbo' as they search for the right place.

Replying to a Q&A on Instagram, Chyna described the house-hunting process as 'hell,' explaining they were avoiding complications from property chains.

She wrote: 'I sold my house so me and Neil could buy something together.

'Neil bought his boat before we got together and now its conveniently there for us to stay on while in limbo.

'(Annoyingly) we just haven't found a house we like yet and I also didn't want to be in a chain because the process of buying a house is hell so hopefully we find something soon.'

Love Island star Chyna Mills has revealed she, her fiance - Strictly's Neil Jones - and their daughter Havana are currently living on a boat, due to difficulty in finding a permanent home

The couple sold their previous homes with plans to move into a new property but have been left 'in limbo' as they search for the right place

She confirmed the boat, initially intended as a holiday retreat or Airbnb rental, had become their temporary home adding: 'The plan was never to live on the boat. It was just supposed to be a holiday home and Airbnb for when we aren't using it'.

Chyna then revealed that while the boat is currently moored, the young family plan to 'cruise around' during the summer.

Talking about how the family spent their second Christmas together her and Neil told her followers: 'We had a relaxing time. We did Christmas morning here. I made dinner.

'[Neil] was supposed to make pancakes, he was meant to wake up earlier than me to make them but he made bacon sandwiches and then we went to my families house.'

Neil added: 'In the evening we played games, me and Havana had a nice swim. It was a really nice, wholesome, relaxing Christmas.'

It comes after the couple attended the Mufasa: The Lion King screening in Leicester Square at the beginning of December.

The ballroom pro, 42, appeared smitten as he posed on the red carpet with his family following the Strictly Come Dancing final where Chris McCausland and his pro partner Dianne Buswell were crowned 2024's champions.

Neil looked chic for the outing as he wore a black jumper layered under a knee-length double-breasted trench coat.

Replying to a Q&A on Instagram, Chyna described the house-hunting process as 'hell,' explaining they were avoiding complications from property chains

She confirmed the boat, initially intended as a holiday retreat or Airbnb rental, had become their temporary home which was currently moored, but they were hoping to 'cruise around' in the summer

The couple also revealed how the family spent their second Christmas together, spending it with Chyna's family where they played games

Neil also revealed that he and Havana had a swim and added that the whole day was 'a really nice, wholesome, relaxing Christmas.'

Cutting a casual figure, he paired his coat with baggy blue jeans and black chunky boots.

Alongside him Chyna, 24, also looked classy as she stepped out in a black woollen jumper layered under a black trench coat.

The pair looked happy as they posed for red carpet photos with Havana, who they welcomed in October 2023 after first going public with their romance in August 2022.

Mufasa is a prequel to the 2019 live action movie, which follows the lion before the birth of his son Simba.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Rafiki relays the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumba a lending their signature schtick.

It comes as Neil and the family made a sweet appearance as they attended the Mufasa: The Lion King screening earlier in December

It followed the Strictly Come Dancing final where Chris McCausland and his pro partner Dianne Buswell were crowned 2024's champions

Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Takathe heir to a royal bloodline.

The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destinytheir bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

The Strictly Come Dancing final was the 'highest scoring' in the programme's history.

The BBC Latin and ballroom show celebrated 20 years on air this year.
Rebel Wilson has married her wife Ramona Agruma for a second time in Australia.

The Pitch Perfect star, 44, confirmed the news on her Instagram on Sunday, sharing a series of photos of the couple after they legally tied the knot in her hometown.

Rebel revealed her sister Liberty officiated the wedding, which was attended by their closest family and friends.

'My sister Liberty officiated our legal wedding in Sydney!' she wrote.

'It meant my 94 year old grandmother Gar could come which was very special to us to have her included and just felt right to do it in my hometown at this glorious time of the year!'

In the photos, Rebel looked stylish in an off the shoulder pink dress as she posed with Ramona at Sydney Harbour.

Rebel Wilson has married her wife Ramona Agruma for a second time in Australia

The Pitch Perfect star, 44, confirmed the news on her Instagram on Sunday, sharing a series of photos of the couple after they legally tied the knot in her hometown of Sydney

The couple were all smiles as they shared a kiss in another image, with the backdrop of the Harbour Bridge.

They also posed with Rebel's proud grandmother Gar as they enjoyed a celebratory meal after the ceremony.

Rebel and Ramona tied the knot in Sardinia, Italy, on September 28, and daughter Royce was their flower girl.

It was the perfect fairytale location for the couple to exchange vows as they notably holidayed in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, just days after going Instagram official with their romance in 2022.

The Bridesmaids actress and her partner were reportedly supposed to get married in a 2025 beach wedding but Rebel decided to move up the date.

The couple first met in 2021 and announced their engagement in February 2023.

DailyMail.com exclusively shared the news of their nuptials, revealing the couple were 'thrilled' to be tying the knot.

'Rebel is really excited to be getting married to the love of her life, absolutely thrilled,' a source shared ahead of the big day.

Rebel revealed her sister Liberty officiated the wedding, which was attended by their closest family and friends

'It meant my 94 year old grandmother Gar could come which was very special to us to have her included and just felt right to do it in my hometown at this glorious time of the year!' she wrote

Rebel and Ramona tied the knot in Sardinia, Italy, on September 28, and daughter Royce was their flower girl

'It is going to be stunning and super romantic. She is madly in love and can't wait to be wed.'

'Rebel doesn't want to wait any longer, she is happy to marry this month because she is very much in love with Ramona and wants to be wed,' the source added.

The Sydney-born actress came out in June 2022 and debuted her relationship with Ramona in a sweet post at the same time, sharing a cozy selfie of them alongside some heartfelt words.

'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' she gushed in an Instagram post at the time.

The couple, who first met in 2021, went on to welcome their daughter Royce Lillian via surrogate in November 2022.
he Yogi Adityanath government has implemented comprehensive cyber security measures to protect devotees attending the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. To ensure the digital safety of an estimated 45 crore attendees, including international visitors, a team of 56 specially trained cyber warriors has been deployed.

Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajesh Dwivedi, under the Chief Ministers directives, is overseeing the Digital Mahakumbh initiative, which aims to tackle cybercrime through a detailed action plan. Special cyber help desks are being established in all 56 police stations across Mahakumbhnagar. These help desks will be staffed by experts conducting round-the-clock cyber patrolling to prevent fraud and ensure a secure environment.

Awareness campaigns are being launched to educate devotees about potential cyber threats. Films explaining cybersecurity measures will be displayed on 40 Variable Messaging Displays (VMDs) strategically installed across the fairgrounds and commissionerates.

Social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram, along with advanced AI tools, are being leveraged to disseminate information and alerts, ensuring devotees remain vigilant against cybercriminals.

A dedicated cyber police station has been set up to address threats from fake websites, fraudulent links, and other cyber scams. Devotees can report suspicious activities, and prompt action will be taken. The government has also introduced a helpline number, 1920, for inquiries and support related to the Mahakumbh. Attendees are advised to rely on government websites with the .gov.in domain for authentic information, while any fake websites can be reported to local police.

As part of its pre-emptive measures, the states cyber team has identified around 50 suspicious websites, and action against these is already underway. Mobile cyber teams have also been deployed to raise awareness among devotees and address online threats on a real-time basis.

SSP Rajesh Dwivedi emphasized that the integration of technology with security will ensure a safe experience for all attendees. He added that the governments efforts, including setting up cyber help desks, screening informational films, and taking strict action against cybercriminals, are aimed at making this Mahakumbh a seamless and secure event for devotees.

This years Mahakumbh is not only envisioned as a grand spiritual gathering but also a high-tech event, where tradition and modernity come together. With these measures, the Yogi government has set a benchmark for ensuring digital safety in large-scale religious gatherings, making this Mahakumbh a model for future events.
The Gurugram cyber police arrested two cyber criminals who allegedly used to cheat people in the name of recovering loans taken through a Chinese app by threatening and morphing their photos.

Four mobile phones with SIM cards were recovered from his possession, police said on Friday.

According to the police, they have been identified as Kapil of Charkhi Dadri and Himanshu of Hisar.

The team of Cybercrime East police station arrested the accused, Kapil, from U-Block DLF Phase-2, Gurugram and Himanshu from Rajiv Nagar Sector-13, Gurugram, on Thursday.

The police team took further action against the accused and registered a case under Section 308(2), 351(2) BNS at Cyber Crime East Police Station.

During police interrogation, it was found that Himanshu used to get data and photos of loan takers from a Chinese person for recovery of loans taken through 'The Flaxy Loan Company App'.

"Himanshu used to provide that data and photos to his companion Kapil. Kapil used to commit the crime of fraud by morphing those photos and making them obscene and pressurizing people for loan recovery," Priyanshu Diwan, ACP (cybercrime), said.

Himanshu used to do loan recovery work in the name of applications like Cash Fish Plus, Bajaj Broking, Cash Me, My Cash in Cash, Flexi Loan, Rich Cash Pro, U-loan, Flash Wallet, HD Loan Bazaar, Family Loan, Pokket Me, kredit Bee, Fair money, Finshell pay, HD Loan Bazaar, Money View etc.

Similarly, the Gurugram cyber police had also arrested a cyber fraudster in the privious month, who allegedly used to cheat people in the name of recovering loans taken through Chinese loan apps by threatening them

During police inquiry, it was revealed that the accused used to get the names and mobile numbers of people through the Telegram app to recover the loan taken from Chinese apps.
Mauritius has announced that its national flag will fly at half-mast at all government offices and institutions till sunset on Saturday as a mark of respect to India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Bhutan's national flag was flown at half-mast across the country, its embassies and consulates abroad, according to the Royal Bhutan government as a mark of respect to the departed.

In a note, Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam's office also urged the private sector to fly the flags at half-mast.

Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful travelled to Delhi and paid respects to the former prime minister.

"Following the passing away of Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of the Republic of India, the public is hereby informed that the Mauritius Flag will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings until sunset today Saturday, the day of his funeral," the Mauritius prime minister's office said.

"An appeal is also made to the private sector for all flags to be flown at half-mast," it said in the note.

Singh, who served as the prime minister from 2004 to 2014 and widely known as the architect of India's economic reforms, died on Thursday night. He was 92. India's relations with several key countries, including Mauritius, saw significant upswing during Singh's prime ministership.

Singh's last rites were held with full state honours on Saturday at the Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground in Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck were among those who attended Singh's funeral.

Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the funeral of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, a day after leading the Himalayan nation in offering prayers for the Indian leader at a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu.Separate prayer ceremonies were held for the former Indian prime minister at all 20 Dzongkhags or districts of Bhutan, according to the Bhutan government.

Bhutan's national flag was flown at half-mast across the country and at its embassies, and consulates abroad, according to the Royal Bhutan government. A thousand butter lamps were lit at the ceremony held in Thimphu's Kuenrey of Tashichhodzong that was led by the King.

The prayer was attended by Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Indian ambassador Sudhakar Dalela, several members of the Royal family and senior officials of the Bhutanese government.

"As a mark of respect to the late former prime minister and in solidarity with the government and people of India, all national flags across the country and at Bhutan's embassies, missions, and consulates abroad are being flown at half-mast," the Bhutanese government said in a social media post on Friday.

India's relations with several key countries including Bhutan saw significant upswing during Singh's prime ministership.

India and Bhutan enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on goodwill, trust and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the 'Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation' signed in 1949. It was renewed in February 2007 when Singh was the prime minister. The cooperation in the hydro-power sector is one of the cornerstones of the relations.

The ongoing cooperation between India and Bhutan in the hydro-power sector is covered under the 2006 bilateral agreement for cooperation and its Protocol signed in 2009.

The pact and the protocol were inked during Singh's tenure as the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, the charge d'affaires of the Palestine embassy in India, on Friday paid his last respects to the former prime minister and appreciated his support to Palestine. Jazer said Singh played a key role in Palestine getting land for its embassy in Delhi.

"We have a history of relationships. He (Singh) met Yasser Arafat in 1991 when he was finance minister, he met (State of Palestine) President Mahmoud Abbas several times throughout his tenure," the diplomat told reporters outside the Congress headquarters where he paid tribute to the former prime minister on behalf of Palestine. He also laid a wreath on behalf of the president of the State of Palestine.

"We had good relations with him (Singh). He met our president several times during his tenure. He also provided land for establishing the Palestinian embassy in Delhi, gave support to build the embassy, and also inaugurated it in 2012," Jazer said."We appreciate his support to Palestine, we are remembering his contributions. We stand with the Indian people to show our respect for the leader," he added. Abbas visited New Delhi several times during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

In a speech before the UN General Assembly in September 2011, Singh had said India supported "the Palestinian people's struggle for a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital".
In a move that may once again rattle Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, and his party ahead of the upcoming assembly polls, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered has ordered a high-level inquiry into the AAP led Delhi governments proposed Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana in which AAPs poll promise of Rs 2,100 to women if elected. The Lieutenant Governor also ordered that the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government may bring the matter to the knowledge of the Election Commission of India (ECI) through the chief electoral office given that such canvassing is happening ahead of the election.

Saxena also issued instructions to investigate the alleged presence of intelligence officials from Punjab outside Dikshits residence with the objective of intimidating him and the alleged transfer of cash, in crores, from various parts of Punjab to Delhi with the Delhi Assembly elections around the corner. The Lieutenant Governors order came in the wake of a representation from a former East Delhi Congress MP and the partys proposed opponent against former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, Sandeep Dikshit, who made serious allegations against the AAP-led Delhi government and Kejriwal.

This has reference to representation dated 25.12.2024 received from Sh. Sandeep Dikshit he has alleged that the Chief Minister of Delhi and Sh Arvind Kejriwal have been announcing that Delhi Government is going to give every female in Delhi (above the age of 18 years) an amount of Rs 1000 per month If AAP is elected back in the 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections, they will raise the amount to Rs 2100 the communication from the LGs Principal Secretary to Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora stated.

The communique read, Honble Lieutenant Governor has desired the Chief Secretary to get an inquiry conducted through Divisional Commissioner in the matter of collection of personal details and forms by non-government people.

Accordingly, Further, Commissioner of Police may direct the field officers to take action as per law against the person who is breaching the privacy of gullible citizens by collecting their personal details in garb of giving benefits. DCPs may be advised to take action against private individuals organizing camps for fraudulent enrollment of Government Schemes, the Lieutenant Governors office said.

Meanwhile, the AAP , in response, has alleged that the inquiry came not from the Delhi Lieutenant Governor but from the office of BJP leader Amit Shah. Addressing a press conference, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal also rubbished an order by LG for enquiry into collection of details of women through registration under the scheme as fake, saying the monetary promise was a poll announcement.

We announced Rs 2,100 per month to all eligible women in Delhi under Mahila Samman Yojna and free treatment of the senior citizens under Sanjeevani Yojna, after forming a government in Delhi. What are they going to enquire? Kejriwal said. The AAP national convenor alleged that the BJP was trying the governments schemes just so that it could have a chance at defeating it in the February election.The party claimed that more than 22 lakh women were already registered for the scheme.

The Lieutenant Governors secretariat stated the Lieutenant Governor has noted that the Women and Child department, Delhi government has already clarified that it will launch a digital portal for collection of forms as and when scheme is notified. The department has further advised people not to fill forms being given by an unauthorised person. Additionally, the Lieutenant Governors office has directed the Police Commissioner to direct the field officers to take action as per law against the persons who are breaching the privacy of gullible citizens by collecting their personal details in garb of giving benefits.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)s may be advised to take action against private individuals organising camps for fraudulent enrolment of government schemes. The Women and Child Development Department earlier this week published a public notice in newspapers saying it would launch a digital portal for the collection of forms as and when the scheme is notified. The department advised people not to fill out forms handed to them by unauthorised persons.

In regard to Dikshits allegations that the AAP government in Punjab was transferring cash (in crores) from various locations in Punjab to Delhi, Saxena requested DGP Punjab and the governments of Haryana and Rajasthan to be vigilant about private cars from Punjab with Punjab Police escorts being sent to Delhi through their states.

Honble Lieutenant Governor has noted that the elections to Delhi Legislative Assembly are likely to be conducted shortly and (the) possibility of using such illegal money in the ensuing election to influence the voters of Delhi cannot be ruled out, the communication to the Delhi chief secretary and police commissioner stated.

The use of money power in elections, Saxena also noted, was not only an offence under Sections 170 and 171 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, but also an impediment to free and fair elections.

Furthermore, Lt Governor directed the police commissioner to investigate surveillance allegations made by Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and submit a comprehensive report within three days. Dikshit, who has been fielded against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency, met Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday and made serious allegations against the AAP as ties between the two parties, part of the INDIA Bloc, hit rock bottom ahead of the elections.

In his complaint, Dikshit alleged that the Chief Minister of Delhi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal have been announcing that Delhi Government is going to give every female in Delhi (above the age of 18 years) an amount of Rs 2100 per month if elected. Further, Dikshit has informed that they are going door to door making women sign some forms. Dikshit has requested that in view of the clarification submitted by the Women and Child development department, GNCTD, it is clear that this is a fraud being perpetrated by the AAP and has requested to institute a high level inquiry in the matter. Dikshit also made allegations on surveillance by Punjabs intelligence officials and flow of cash from Punjab to Delhi by AAP.
In yet another incident of Google Maps leading travelers astray, a car accident occurred on an under-construction highway in Hathras district, leaving two people injured. The mishap took place in the Hathras Junction police station area near Vahanpur.

According to the police, Bareilly residents Vimlesh Srivastava and Kushal Kumar were traveling to Mathura using Google Maps for navigation. Late at night, after passing through Sikandra Rao, they followed directions onto the under-construction Mathura-Bareilly Highway. Due to the absence of reflective boards warning about roadblocks, their car collided with a heap of stones and soil, causing significant damage.

The injured duo promptly informed the police, who arrived at the scene, cleared the car from the highway, and rushed the victims to a hospital for treatment.

This is not the first time Google Maps has caused inconvenience or accidents. Recently, a family from Meerut endured hours of distress while trying to reach Saharanpur from Haridwar at night.

Vinod Kumar, a resident of Meeruts Shastri Nagar, was traveling with his wife and son. Initially, their journey via Google Maps was smooth until they reached Bhagwanpur. The app then suggested a shortcut through a link road to Saharanpur. About 10 kilometers into this route, they encountered a dry but rocky stream, making it impossible to proceed.

The app redirected them to another route, leading to hours of wandering in forested areas. Eventually, they managed to contact a relative near Bihari Garh, who guided them to safety. The family reached their destination close to midnight, heaving a sigh of relief. Last month, Google Maps was blamed for a major accident in Bareilly when it directed a car onto an incomplete bridge, resulting in three friends falling off and sustaining severe injuries.

Such incidents highlight the risks of relying solely on digital navigation systems without verifying local conditions. Authorities and travelers are urged to exercise caution, especially on unfamiliar or under-construction routes.
A political row has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre and Congress-led Opposition parties over a memorial for the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was cremated with full State honours on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from India and abroad.

While the Home Ministry claimed to assure the late PMs family in a communication for a memorial in due course, the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) demanded that the last rites should have been performed at a designated place where the Manmohan Singhs memorial could have been developed. Singh, 92, died on the night of December 26.

Simultaneously former President late Pranab Mukherjees daughter Sharmistha too cried foul on the part of the grand old party which failed to honour the rights of Mukherjee who spent his entire life serving the Congress.

The Congress alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was deliberately insulting the first Sikh PM of the country by not designating a place for his funeral and memorial. While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have Singhs funeral at a place where his memorial can be built, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP president Mayawati urged the Central government to avoid any political controversy over the funeral and memorial of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Demands for giving Singh a Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, were also raised during the last ritual procession of Manmohan Singh.

The tradition of honouring the countrys former Prime Ministers must be upheld. There is no need for politics on this issue nor should there be any. Dr. Manmohan Singhs memorial should be constructed at Rajghat. The BJP should refrain from presenting an inappropriate example of its narrow-minded thinking. History will never forgive them for this negative approach, he said.

BSP president Mayawati said the wishes of Singhs family should be respected. The Central government should ensure that the funeral and memorial of Dr Manmohan Singh, the countrys first Sikh prime minister, are conducted at a location preferred by his family. No politics should be done on this matter and the government must honour the sentiments of Singhs family and the Sikh community.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also criticised the BJP for not allocating space within the Rajghat complex for the last rites of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and said that it reflects poorly on India globally. AAP called on the BJP to clarify its stance and demanded an apology to Singhs family and the Sikh community.

Manmohan Singh, a global icon and Indias only Sikh Prime Minister, was denied even 1,000 square yards of land for his cremation and memorial at Rajghat. Almost all former Prime Ministers were cremated there, but the BJP government refused this basic courtesy to Singh, said AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of disrespecting the Sikh community and questioned the rationale behind the decision.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs assured that a place would be allocated for Singhs memorial and that his family and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had been informed.

BJP President and Union Minister JP Nadda attacked Congress and the Gandhi family for getting into petty politics when the entire nation mourns the demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Congress party is busy turning this moment of grief into an opportunity to fulfill their political agenda. Gandhi family has neither honored nor delivered justice to any leader of the nation, even if they were from the Congress party. The nation will never forget or forgive the historic sins of the principle-less Congress party, Nadda said in a statement.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot accused the NDA government of creating an unnecessary controversy over the cremation and memorial of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He added that the Government of India is conducting the cremation of a respected personality at Nigambodh Ghat instead of at any special place.

Gehlot recalled after the death of former Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat the Congress led Rajasthan government immediately allotted a special place for his last rites and a memorial in Jaipur and similarly after the death of Bal Thackeray in Maharashtra in 2012, the Congress government allotted a special place in Mumbais Shivaji Park for his last rites.

Before the mortal remains of Singh were consigned to flames, the security forces gave a 21-gun salute to the former PM. Sikh priests and Singhs family members recited verses from the Gurbani before performing his last rites.

Singhs wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body. The three daughters of Singh, Upinder Singh, Daman Kaur and Amrit Kaur, along with other relatives were present. Singhs funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter Upinder Singh at the Nigambodh Ghat amid the chanting of religious hymns.

The last rites were performed in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as also top leaders of the Congress party including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful were among the foreign dignitaries who paid tributes to Singh, who served as the PM from 2004 to 2014.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also paid their last tributes to the former prime minister and laid wreaths on his mortal remains. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and chiefs of the tri-services also laid wreaths. Several chief ministers also attended the last rites.

Amid Manmohan Singhs memorial row, former President Pranab Mukherjees daughter Sharmistha criticised the party for demanding a separate memorial space for Manmohan Singh while failing to convene a Congress Working Committee meeting to condole her fathers death.

Speaking out against the lapse, she revealed that a senior Congress leader had dismissed the idea, claiming such meetings were not customary for former Presidents. When baba passed away, Congress didnt even bother to call a CWC for a condolence meeting. A senior leader told me its not done for Presidents. Thats utter rubbish, Sharmistha said.

She further revealed that her fathers diaries documented how, after former President KR Narayanans death, such a meeting had been convened, with Pranab Mukherjee himself drafting the condolence message. She, however, said that former PM Manmohan Singh deserves a separate memorial space.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not allotting space in the Rajghat complex for the cremation and memorial of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. On Saturday, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal expressed his shock on social media platform X, saying, "I am stunned to hear that former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, was cremated at Nigambodh Ghat. Until now, all former Prime Ministers of India were cremated at Rajghat."

Singh was cremated at Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from India and abroad. He passed away on the night of December 26 at the age of 92.

An order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday stated, "It has been decided by the Government that a state funeral will be accorded to Dr. Manmohan Singh. The funeral will take place at 11:45 am on 28th December 2024 at Nigambodh Ghat, New Delhi.

The AAP called on the BJP to clarify its stance and demanded an apology to Singh's family and the Sikh community.

Kejriwal further questioned, "Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, who hailed from the Sikh community, earned global recognition, and served as India's Prime Minister for ten years, was denied even 1,000 square yards of land for his cremation and memorial by the BJP's central government?"

Senior leader and MP Sanjay Singh also stated that the BJP has insulted the entire Sikh community by not providing space in the Rajghat complex for the cremation of former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh. Singh, expressed his dismay stating, It is deeply regrettable that we even have to discuss such an issue. This shows how narrow and petty the governments mindset is. I want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Dr. Manmohan Singh was a great economist respected worldwide. As Indias Prime Minister, he devoted ten years of his life to the countrys progress. Why this disrespect toward him?

Senior AAP leader and Cabinet Minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, expressed his shock, saying, I am stunned to hear that Dr. Manmohan Singh, who served as the Prime Minister of this country for ten years and is regarded globally as a scholar. His economic policies are studied in universities worldwide. He saved the nation from economic crises and led India forward during liberalization.

And yet, the funeral of a Prime Minister from the Sikh community is being conducted at Nigambodh Ghat? Nigambodh Ghat for Dr. Manmohan Singh? Has our nations politics stooped so low that the central government cannot allocate even a thousand square yards of land in Delhi for a learned former Prime Minister? This is disgraceful. Such matters should not be politicised, Saurabh Bharadwaj stated.
Delhi BJP on Saturday accused Arvind Kejriwal of trying to rig upcoming assembly elections by promoting fake schemes and creating fake voter IDs using fraudulent Aadhaar cards.

Leveling these charges Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva during a news conference also presented Hindu homeowners whose addresses were used to create fake Muslim votes, stating that households with five members were suddenly recorded as having 60 or more Muslim voters.

Sachdeva alleged that Kejriwal, along with his MLAs, has been running a fake voter scheme for the last 10 years to win elections.

He said voter history shows a suspicious trend. Before the 2015 assembly elections, the voter count in Delhi increased by 14 lakh in just eight months, jumping from approximately 1.19 crore in 2014 Lok Sabha elections to 1.33 crore.

After that, during the next four years leading to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, only six lakh voters were added. But within eight months before the 2020 assembly elections, the voter count jumped by another nine lakh to over 1.48 crore.

Sachdeva claimed that they tried to repeat this cycle again. Due to BJPs check most such voter application were rejected this time but now numerous fake voter forms were recently submitted online across Delhi. BJP demands that the Election Commission conduct a thorough investigation into these new voter applications in Delhi.

Sachdeva stated that the Election Commission filed an FIR at Shaheen Bagh police station against four accused involved in voter fraud: Jameel Alam, Kishunik, Mohammed Naeem, and Shabana Khatoon.

He also raised the issue of why names of individuals who are no longer alive, have left the city, or are not Delhi voters, still exist in the voter list. He alleged widespread forgery in the creation of fake voter IDs and documents like Aadhaar cards in Delhi.

The state BJP chief highlighted that the age of many newly enrolled voters ranges from 38 to 80 years, with no apparent legitimacy, and presented a list of such names during the press conference.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that adopting cow-based natural farming can help farmers significantly enhance their incomes, saving them Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre.

In a recent event, CM Yogi emphasised the benefits of cow-based natural farming, noting that if a majority of the states farmers adopt natural farming, the cumulative savings would be enormous.

Yogi also highlighted that cow-based farming goes beyond spiritual and cultural values.

It offers multiple advantages, such as reduced agricultural costs, conservation and promotion of cattle, and long-term improvements in soil, water, and human health, which he described as an added bonus, he added.

Farming primarily relies on seeds and fertilisers, which are major expenses. Uttar Pradesh produces only about half of the seeds it requires, sourcing the rest from other states, especially from southern India, at a significant cost to the government.

Regarding fertilisers, India spends a large amount of foreign currency on imports.

According to Central government data, about 15-20% of the most in-demand urea is still supplied through imports. For phosphatic fertilisers and potash, India remains heavily dependent on foreign imports.

Being an agriculture-based country, Indias demand often leads exporting nations to increase prices.

Data shows that in the 2023-2024 period, India imported urea worth Rs 2,127 crore, excluding other fertilisers.

Adopting cow-based natural farming could be a key and effective way to save valuable foreign currency for both the state and the nation.

Given its agricultural traditions, Uttar Pradesh holds immense potential for this practice.

According to Shyam Bihari Gupta, Chairman of the Cow Service Commission, the state has 2.78 crore farmers and around 2 crore cattle. He suggests that if every farmer keeps just one cow, several issues could be resolved naturally.

Experts in natural farming highlight that the dung and urine from one cow, when processed, can support farming over an area of approximately four acres.

The Yogi government aims to make every cow shelter self-sufficient. To achieve this, the government is developing these shelters as training centres for cow-based natural farming and other products.

The government also plans to establish universities dedicated to natural farming in the state to combine traditional knowledge with modern techniques. To encourage more farmers to adopt natural farming, the government is providing financial support to selected farmers for three years.

The financial assistance is Rs 4,800 in the first year, Rs 4,000 in the second year, and Rs 3,600 in the third year.

Additional grants are provided for cattle sheds and biogas plants. Separate outlets for these producers have been created at the divisional headquarters, and the government is also emphasising product certification. Organic products are beneficial for health, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased awareness about health.

Various research institutions predict that people are now prioritising regional flavours and products when choosing food. This creates significant opportunities for local organic products at the local level, as well as potential for exports.

As a result, the prices for these products are also expected to improve.
The CPI (ML) condemned the arrest of the rural poor and partys district secretary Sanjay Nishad on December 27 and their subsequent imprisonment. They had been protesting peacefully at the village secretariat since December 25 against corruption in rural works in Sonbarsa village of Nichlaul tehsil in Maharajganj district.

State secretary Sudhakar Yadav said in a statement issued on Saturday that the government, which used to chant the slogan of zero tolerance, did not like to hear voices against corruption.

The villagers were sitting on an indefinite strike in Maharajganj demanding action against corruption in rural development works and the village head. Earlier, they had received written and authentic information about corruption under the Right to Information (RTI). They started the dharna after informing the block development officer (BDO) about the programme. On the third day of the protest on Friday, the police, led by Kothibhar police station in-charge, reached the protest site and arrested three people, including Sanjay Nishad, and sent them to jail, he said.

The CPI (ML) state secretary stated that due to the police action, there was anger among the villagers, justice-loving people in the area, and the public.

The government is oppressing the poor. The protest at the rural secretariat of Sonbarsa was started under the statewide call of the All India Agricultural and Rural Labourers Association (AIARLA) for a campaign to run from December 20-26, Yadav said.

He said that under the autocratic government, villagers were being sent to jail even for the crime of protesting, and this was an insult to democracy. He congratulated the villagers for continuing the protest even after the arrest of the leading comrades.

He also demanded the unconditional immediate release of the jailed comrades and action on the issues raised by the protest.
To ensure the smooth flow of traffic on New Year's Eve, the Delhi Traffic Police have issued a traffic advisory for a smooth regulation of traffic in the entire national capital. The advisory has said that no vehicular movement will be allowed in the inner, middle or outer circle of Connaught Place except for those with valid access. The restrictions listed in the advisory will take effect from 8 pm on December 31, till the conclusion of New Year celebrations. It will apply to all private and public transport vehicles.

A senior officer said traffic personnel will be deployed in adequate strength at various areas of the city. The main focus will be at the markets, near malls, and the areas where people come for the celebrations like Connaught Place, Hauz Khas etc. Restrictions shall be imposed from 8 pm onwards on Tuesday in the area of Connaught Place till the end of New Year celebrations. It will be applicable to all private and public transport vehicles, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Dhal Singh said. The DCP said strict action shall be taken against drunken driving, over speeding, stunt biking, reckless driving, zig-zag and dangerous driving, etc.

The Traffic Police said that special arrangements and deployment have been made in view of the celebrations. Delhi Traffic Police has made elaborate traffic arrangements, at and around India Gate for regulation of traffic both pedestrian and vehicular.

No vehicle will be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond Mandi House round about, round, Bengali Market round about, North foot of Ranjit Singh Flyover, Minto Road  Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg crossing, Chelmsford Road near Munje Chowk (New Delhi Rly. Station), R.K. Ashram Marg-Chitragupta Marg Crossing, Gole Market round about, roundabout G.P.O., New Delhi, Patel Chowk , Kasturba Gandhi Road - Ferozeshah Road Crossing , Jai Singh Road-Bangla Sahib Lane, Bangla Sahib Lane, Panchkuian Road - Bangla Sahib Lane and round about Windsor place. No vehicular traffic shall be allowed in inner, middle or outer circle of Connaught Place except for those that are carrying valid Passes.

Motorists can park their vehicles at the following places in the vicinity of Connaught Place: Near Gole Dak Khana on(a) Kali Bari Marg (b) Pt. Pant Marg(c) Bhai Veer Singh Marg, near Patel Chowk on Rakab Ganj Road behind AIR, near Mandi House on Copernicus Marg upto Baroda House, near Minto Road on D.D. Upadhaya Marg and Press Road area, near Panchkuian Road on R.K. Ashram Marg, Chitragupta Road &Basant Road towards PaharGanj, near K.G. Marg-Ferozshah Road Crossing on Copernicus Lane as well as K.G.Marg towards C hexagon, near round about Bengali market  on Babar Road and Tansen Marg, near Windsor Place, Rajender Prasad Road, Raisina Road, near Gole Market at Peshwa Road, Service Road along Bhai Veer Singh Marg and R K Ashram Road and near R/A Buta Singh on JantarMantar Road, Raisina Road.

Places across the city where these celebrations will take place include Surya Hotel at New Friends Colony, Eros Hotel, Crown Plaza Hotel, Nehru Place South Exension Market, Select City Walk Mall Saket, Qutub Minar, Prominade Mall, Radisson Blu Hotel, Mahipal Pur Janak Puri District Centre and many others including Connaught Place.

According to the advisory, limited parking space will be available near Connaught Place on first come first serve basis. Unauthorised parked vehicles shall be towed away and prosecuted.

Delhi Traffic Police has made elaborate traffic arrangements, at and around India Gate for regulation of traffic both pedestrian and vehicular.

In case of heavy pedestrian movement, vehicles may not be allowed to go through C-Hexagon, India Gate area and diverted from the following place include Q-Point, round about MLNP, roundabout Sunehri Masjid, roundabout Mar-Janpath, Rajpath Rafi Marg, roundabout Windsor Place, roundabout Rajendra Prasad Road-Janpath, KG Marg-Feroze Shah Road, roundabout Mandi House, W point, Mathura Road-Purana Qila Road, Mathura Road Sher Shah Road, SBM-Zakir Hussain Road. Visitors are advised to use public transport as there is shortage of parking space at India Gate.

In view of large gathering expected at Delhi Zoo resulting in congestion on Mathura Road, the General Public/Motorists are advised to avoid Bhairon Road/Mathura Road between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Pragati Maidan, it said.

The police have warned that strict action shall be taken against drunken driving (U/S 185 MVA), over speeding (U/S 112/183 MVA), stunt biking, reckless driving, zig-zag and dangerous driving (U/S 184 MVA).

Commuters can take the Ring Road from ISBT to the Ashram or via Delhi Gate, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Mathura Road to reach Ashram and vice-versa or via ISBT, Rani Jhansi Marg, Panchkuian Road, Mandir Marg, Park Street, Mother Teresa Crescent Road & beyond or via Rani Jhansi Marg, Panchkuian Road, Hanuman Murti, Ring Road.
In a landmark moment highlighting the synergy between industry and academia, Deloitte India and XLRI Jamshedpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen their collaboration in fostering innovation, bridging skill gaps, and preparing future-ready leaders. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to shaping professionals capable of navigating the rapidly evolving business landscape.

The event was graced by Sathish Gopalaiah, President of Consulting at Deloitte South Asia, whose visit to XLRI was marked by an engaging interaction with the General Management Programme (GMP) students. The session featured a fireside chat and an open Q&A, offering students an invaluable opportunity to gain insights into leadership, digital transformation, and the consulting industrys future.

### A Journey of Inspiration

Sathish Gopalaiah, who began his professional journey as a Deputy Engineer at Bharat Electronics, shared his inspiring story of rising through the ranks to lead one of South Asias largest consulting firms. He emphasized the significance of perseverance, adaptability, and lifelong learning in achieving success, stating, *Your background doesnt define your potential; your belief in yourself does.*

His address underscored the importance of embracing challenges, developing a growth mindset, and continuously upgrading ones skills to stay relevant in a dynamic business environment.

The discussion also shed light on Deloittes transformative journey in India, driven by strategic investments in technology, talent, and client-focused solutions. Sathish highlighted key initiatives, including: : How Deloitte is leveraging advanced AI to drive innovation and deliver cutting-edge solutions. Green Coding: A focus on sustainable technology practices that align with global ESG goals. Inclusive Technology Development: Ensuring technological advancements benefit diverse communities.

Sathishs insights offered a glimpse into how Deloitte remains at the forefront of industry transformation, setting benchmarks in consulting and technology integration.

The open Q&A session allowed students to engage directly with Sathish, discussing topics such as career growth, work-life balance, and the future of consulting in the digital age. His candid responses provided actionable advice, encouraging students to embrace creativity and resilience when addressing complex problems.

This collaboration between Deloitte and XLRI is not new but continues to grow stronger with initiatives like the MoU. XLRI expressed its gratitude to Sathish Gopalaiah for his time, insights, and leadership. The institute also acknowledged its alumni at Deloitte and the numerous Deloitte partners who have contributed to enriching XLRIs ecosystem over the years.

The signing of the MoU and the enriching interactions exemplify XLRIs commitment to holistic student development and industry-aligned education. By fostering partnerships with global leaders like Deloitte, XLRI ensures that its students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to lead with purpose and innovation.

Such initiatives not only bridge the gap between academia and industry but also inspire students to become visionary leaders, ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow with confidence and integrity.
Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Saturday demanded that the Central government build a memorial in the name of former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Dr Singh, Indias 14th prime minister, passed away at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on December 26 night.

He served two consecutive terms as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, leading the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

His last rites were conducted with full state honours at Delhis Nigam Bodh Ghat, a public cremation ground. President Droupdi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other senior leaders were present at the Ghat during the cremation.

Taking to X, Mayawati posted on Saturday, After the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh, the first Sikh Prime Minister of the country, the Central Government should arrange for his last rites to be performed and a memorial should be constructed in his honour at the place where it is the heartfelt desire of his family.

It is not right to do any politics for this and in these matters, it would be appropriate if the Central Government respects the sentiments of their family and the Sikh community as well, she further posted.

This comes after the demand of the Congress, in which it has appealed to the Centre to build a memorial at the funeral site itself.

Earlier, In a post on X on Friday night, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said, The tradition of honouring the countrys former prime ministers must be upheld. There is no need for politics on this issue nor should there be any.

Dr Manmohan Singhs memorial should be constructed at Rajghat. The BJP should refrain from presenting an inappropriate example of its narrow-minded thinking. History will never forgive them for this negative approach, he said.

A controversy surfaced regarding the allocation of space for Dr Singhs memorial. Congress leaders criticised the decision to perform the last rites at Nigam Bodh Ghat instead of a location where a memorial could be established.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly spoken with PM Modi to discuss the possibility of creating a memorial at the same site where Dr Singhs last rites were held.

At the heart of the issue is the Congresss request for a dedicated memorial site for Dr Singh, despite the fact that previous Congress-led governments established a common memorial, Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, for the cremation of VVIPs.

This site, located between the memorials of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri, has been the location for the last rites of former prime ministers since its inauguration in 2013.

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also cremated there in 2018.

The Centre clarified that a memorial would be allocated but stated that forming a trust and designating space for the memorial would take time. In the interim, the cremation and other formalities proceeded as planned.
The Samajwadi Party has slammed Maharashtra-based Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam over his remarks against partys president Akhilesh Yadav on the issue of a non-Muslim member in the Waqf Board.

It seems that Sanjay Nirupam doesnt understand the difference between the Kumbh, which happens after many years and whose committee is constituted just for the execution of the Kumbh, while on the other hand, the Waqf Board is a statutory body, SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand said.

Sanjay Nirupam should ask the BJP government to appoint Muslim members to various boards of other religions too. Why is he just targeting Muslims? he said.

Why dont they start doing it from Maharashtra? We will be happy if they appoint people from all faiths in various boards of different religions, but targeting only Muslims will not be allowed, the SP spokesperson added.

Earlier, Nirupam had slammed the SP chief, saying that if a Muslim leader, Azam Khan, could be made in charge of the Kumbh Mela when the SP was in power in Uttar Pradesh, why cant a non-Muslim be a member of the Waqf Board?

The SP should not raise any irrelevant questions on the Maha Kumbh Mela, Nirupam had said.

The SP chief has been raising questions over the governments preparedness for Maha Kumbh 2025 for the last few days.
The Supreme Court on Saturday witnessed an unprecedented hearing on the issue of providing medical aid to Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on fast-unto-death for over a month at Khanauri border seeking legal guarantee of minimum support price of crops among other demands.

The hearing was conducted by a vacation bench of justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia, which gave time till December 31 to the Punjab government to shift Dallewal to a nearby makeshift hospital, in an attempt to save his life.

The top court, normally, during winter break does not have vacation benches to conduct urgent hearings on emergent issues and sitting of a bench on Saturday is unusual.

However, the past few years have witnessed several instances when the Supreme Court constituted special benches to hear during the weekend cases dealing with matters related to personal liberty, political crisis, pollution in the national capital and even allegation of sexual harassment against a sitting Chief Justice of India.

The top court on January 27, held a special sitting after taking cognisance of an order passed by a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court that termed as "illegal" a division bench order in a case of alleged irregularities in admission of MBBS students in West Bengal's state-run medical colleges and hospitals.

A five-judge bench headed by the then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had stayed all proceedings pending before the Calcutta High Court and issued notice to the West Bengal government and the original petitioner in the case.

This was one of the many instances when the apex court has held a special sitting on a non-working day.

On July 1 last year, the top court constituted two separate benches, one after the other, to hear a plea by activist Teesta Setalvad seeking interim protection from arrest in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases.

In a special late-night hearing on a Saturday, a bench headed by Justice B R Gavai questioned the denial of time to Setalvad to appeal against the high court order, saying even an ordinary criminal is entitled to some form of interim relief.

The three-judge bench heard the matter in a special sitting after a two-judge vacation bench differed on granting Setalvad interim protection from arrest.

In 2023, the apex court took suo motu (on its own) cognisance and stayed on a Saturday an Allahabad High Court order asking the head of the Department of Astrology, Lucknow University, to decide whether a woman, an alleged rape victim, is 'Manglik' or not.

In Indian astrological tradition, a marriage between a person with Manglik 'dosha' and another who doesn't have such 'dosha' (defect or imbalance caused by planetary positions) is considered inauspicious.

A special bench of justices M R Shah (since retired) and Bela M Trivedi had assembled on October 15, 2022, a Saturday, to suspend a Bombay High Court decision to discharge ex-Delhi University professor G N Saibaba in a case linking him to banned Maoist rebels.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India, N V Ramana, had assembled on November 13, 2021, also a Saturday, to direct the Centre and the Delhi government to take emergency measures, even proposing a two-day lockdown, to bring the air quality in the capital back to normal.

Apex court judges have also held sittings on Sundays.

A three-judge bench heard an urgent petition filed by the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena against the swearing-in of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the Maharashtra chief minister on November 24, 2019, a Sunday.

The then chief justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, held a special hearing on April 20, 2019 to probe a larger conspiracy behind sexual harassment allegations against himself.

The hearing of the case, titled as a matter of "great public importance touching upon the independence of the judiciary", was held after stories were published on some news portals about sexual harassment allegations levelled by a former employee of the apex court against the CJI.

In 2020, the top court heard on a Sunday a plea by prominent journalist, the late Vinod Dua, seeking quashing of a sedition case against him.
Top leaders, including foreign dignitaries, on Saturday paid their last respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat, with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying wreaths on the mortal remains of the departed Congress leader.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful were among the foreign dignitaries to paid tributes to Singh .

Besides President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were among the top leaders who paid their last tributes to the former prime minister at the crematorium.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three services chiefs also paid their last respects to Singh.

The procession carrying Singh's mortal remains reached the crematorium at around 11.30 am, where the last rites will be performed shortly.

Draped in the Tricolour, the flower-bedecked casket was placed at a raised platform, where leaders cutting across party lines laid wreaths on Singh's mortal remains.

Earlier, the final journey of Singh began from the AICC headquarters on Saturday morning after Congress leaders paid homage to their departed leader.

The vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of "Manmohan Singh amar rahe".

A large number of Congress workers and leaders along with hundreds of Singh's well-wishers walked along as "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" slogans rent the air.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also accompanied the procession alongside Singh's relatives.

Singh's mortal remains were taken to the AICC headquarters from his residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road a little before 9 am.

The mortal remains were kept there for about an hour, with several top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying tributes, among others.

Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body.

Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.

Considered the architect of India's economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry has announced.
Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. He was 94.

Suzuki was known for his candid remarks and friendliness, calling himself an old guy from a small to mid-size company. He became CEO of Suzuki in 1978 and was leading the company when it became the first Japanese automaker to start local production in India, where its cars proved hugely popular.

Born on January 30, 1930 as Osamu Matsuda, Suzuki worked in banking after graduating from Tokyo's Chuo University School of Law. He joined Suzuki Motor, which is based in the central Japanese city of Hamamatsu, in 1958 when he married a daughter of the company's then-president Shunzo Suzuki, who belonged to the company's founding family. As is sometimes the custom in such situations, Matsuda adopted his wife's maiden name.
When you talk about insurance to an average income Filipino you will get these three famous answers 1) I dont need it right now; 2) I have other important needs where I can put my money in to and 3) I cant afford it.

Last year, Sunlife Financial launched Its Time, their financial literacy advocacy designed to improve the financial literacy and preparedness of Filipinos. Some of the odds this advocacy would like to change include the following facts:

out of 100 Filipinos 90% have little or no savings at all to leave their families when they pass away?

out of 100 Filipinos who get sick 95% sacrifice their saving while 53% borrow funds from family members?

out of 100 Filipino children who enter elementary school only 10% eventually rgaduate from college?

out of 100 Filipinos aged 65 45% are dependent on relatives while 30% are dependent on charity?

79% said they made them think about financial planning

67% said it made them want to buy a financial product for their future

Joining the roster of celebrity Sunlife Financial Its Time Advocates Pia Magalona, Bam Aquino, James Yap and Baby James Yap, Piolo Pascual is the latest spokesperson for Sun Lifest Its Time campaign, specially on the lesson of proper financial planning in order to protect ones dreams.

Piolos Runs With The Sun TV Commercial shows how people should not leave anything to chance and to aspire for great things, take charge of your fianancial future not only for yourself but also for your loved ones.

The commercial was shot at the historical Jones Bridge in Binondo Manila under an overcast evening sky. Take a look at the TVC.

Click to like Its Time on Facebook and interact with Sun Life Financial advisors and get more money making and saving tips.
Corks Fota Wildlife Park has announced the arrival of a new Sumatran tiger to the facilitys endangered breeding programme.

The two-year-old male, named Dao, came from Zoo Krefeld in Germany as part of a European Endangered species Programme (EEP) for Sumatran tigers.

With fewer than 350 individual Sumatran tigers estimated to remain in the wild, Dao has been paired with resident female tiger, Jambi, who came from Germanys Heidelberg Zoo in February 2023 as part of the breeding programme.

The Sumatran tiger is one of the rarest species of tiger in the world, classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2008.

Dao arrived at Fota Wildlife Park earlier in December and went through a period of gradual introduction to his new habitat, said lead ranger at Fota Wildlife Park, Julien Fonteneau.

Specialised

Introducing a new tiger is a highly specialised process that demands expert husbandry.

Were delighted to say that he is settling in really well [and] eventually Dao and Jambi will be gradually acclimatised to each other in preparation for the breeding programme.

To preserve genetic diversity within the EEP breeding programme, tigers may be transferred to other zoological parks to pair with new mates.

We hope [Dao and Jambi] will both play a key part in global tiger conservation.

The last tiger birth at Fota Wildlife Park was a male cub named Dash, who was born in the summer of 2019.

Sumatran tigers, whose collective noun is a streak, are the smallest surviving species of tiger and are distinguished by heavy black stripes on their orange coats.

Known for having the narrowest stripe patterns among tigers, each Sumatran tiger can be individually identified by its unique pattern. The streak at Fota Wildlife Park now consists of three Sumatran tigers, including a 10-year-old male, Batak, the three and a half year old Jambi and the two-year-old Dao.

Fota Wildlife Park is open daily from 9.30am, with entry and ticket purchasing available at the park gates.

For more information, visit https://www.fotawildlife.ie.
University College Cork (UCC) is the fourth most environmentally friendly university in the world, according to an international ranking of third-level institutions from around the globe.

UCC was placed fourth in the UI GreenMetric World University rankings, announced at a ceremony earlier this month in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This marks the eighth consecutive year in which the Cork university has finished in the top 10 of the rankings, and is an improvement of two places from last year.

Additionally, UCC has placed 12th or higher in the world in each of the annual rankings since their inception in 2010.

The educational, research and operational activities of institutions are examined, and last year saw 1,183 third-level institutions from across 85 countries assessed by the rankings.

Measures

Among the measures taken by UCC to increase sustainability was its ban two years ago of the sale of all disposable cups and plastic bottles on campus.

Over the course of those two years the university has saved more than two million disposable cups, as well as hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles. UCC also was an early adopter of the Governments deposit return scheme, with two DRS machines on campus, both of them linked to charitable donations.

The universitys caterer, KSG, has implemented a Positive Carbon AI tool in kitchens, which has resulted in large reductions in the amount of food waste produced.

These, along with other initiatives, have seen the total waste produced on campus reduced by 40% over the last five years.

Reduction

UCC has also seen a 32% reduction in carbon emissions, and in 2024 an ambitious two-year deep retrofit of the universitys Enterprise Centre was completed, resulting in an 80% reduction in energy emissions from the building. This was part of a programme of upgrades and retrofits to be delivered over the next five years, which will see UCC reduce its overall emissions by 51% by 2030.

The university grounds are managed for biodiversity and it is designated as an international open arboretum; in 2024, a new biodiversity trail was launched along the Cavanagh way.

Welcoming UCCs fourth place in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, UCCs head of sustainability and climate action office, Dr Maria Kirrane, said the university was proud to be placed in the top five most sustainable universities globally.

This accolade represents the very real improvements we have made to not only minimise our environmental footprint, but to ensure our university contributes to a more sustainable society, she said.

We could not have done this without the enormous efforts of all our staff, students, service providers and wider community.

Commitment

UCC President John OHalloran said he was delighted that the hard work of students and staff had again been recognised by a high placing in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings.

"We have shown our commitment to a more environmentally friendly university through our sustainability and climate action plan, supported by a dedicated office of sustainability and climate action.

We will continue to work towards our zero-waste and carbon-neutral targets, and to ensure all our operations inspire the transition to a more sustainable future.
One of the biggest privileges I have had as Lord Mayor of Cork has been being able to visit important public services over the Christmas period.

Not only have I been able to witness the commitment and contribution of people working over this time of year, I also found the commitment put into better public well-being to have been extraordinary.

National Juvenile Matchplay Pitch & Putt champion Aidan Spence-Murphy (Claycastle), front left, pictured with members of his family, Cork County Board Juvenile Officer, Weeshie Murphy and Lord Mayor, Dan Boyle at the recent Civic Reception in City Hall. Photo, Darragh Kane

Whether it has been our hospices, or our hospitals, or our care homes, I found the effort put into making life better, safer, warmer for others to be humbling.

Emergencies dont operate on a calendar.

I was struck by the professionalism and experience of those who protect us, the gardai, the fire service and the emergency departments.

While many of us are with families and friends, people working in these centres are picking up the pieces of those whose lives havent gone as hoped for. Yet I also saw so many signs of hope.

Ukrainian Christmas concert event December 20th at Cork City Hall: Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle addresses the Ukrainian community who enjoyed the concert . Pic by Noel Sweeney.

While we continue to struggle with housing and homelessness I was also confronted with stories of people being given hope and opportunity by being offered access to housing.

The most life affirming visit was to Cork Penny Dinners now operating at their new premises on James Street.

UCC alumni from around the world reunited on campus for a special Christmas Homecoming celebration on Monday, 23 December. Pictured are David Merriman, strategic advisor UCC; Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Dan Boyle and President of UCC Prof. John OHalloranPicture. John Allen

Helped by an army of volunteers, those who otherwise would not have had a Christmas meal, received affirmation not only through food but also through a wonderful party atmosphere that helped meet some more of peoples real needs.

The real message of Christmas is made by these heroes who live among us.
FOR Honore Kamegni the year 2024 is one which saw him make significant strides forward in this political career.

Cameroon native Mr Kamegni in June not only became the first black person to sit on Cork City Council, but he also was shortly afterwards selected as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork.

He was elected to the council on the 12th count in Cork City South East on what was very much a landmark occasion.

Speaking to The Echo just prior to the Christmas break, he comes across as someone who is constantly interested in collaborating, and progressing on issues that matter most to the people of Cork city.

He wants to be an example to everyone that it is possible to set out and achieve your ambitions through hard work and dedication and show there is a pathway for future generations of people in Ireland from migrant backgrounds, that they can make a significant and meaningful contribution to Irish political life.

Politics is a good thing and there are not enough people from the minority background in politics, said Mr Kamegni.

We have children and the future generations that are coming. We have to lead them and we need leaders. We need more people to join me on the field and inspire the children and inspire the future generations that are coming.

I am very proud to become the first black person to sit on Cork City Council. I am proud to have done this as a member of the Green Party. There are many issues in the world today, but one issue we cannot afford to let slip off the agenda is the existential crisis of climate change.

Through his work as a postman in the Douglas and Rochestown areas for 14 years, Mr Kamegni was able to obtain a grasp of the main issues which were being faced by the people he met at the doors.

He has always been involved in the community. He has done work with Special Olympics Ireland since 2005 and has also been an active member of both the Mahon and Blackrock Tidy Towns.

He added: I want to make history and leave a safe planet to my children.

In 2022, I saw a photo of the councillors in Cork City Council. Out of the 31 councillors there was not a single black person in the photo.

It was not representative of the Cork population, which is diverse and multicultural.

Cllr Honore Kamegni was recently elected Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork

Then I said to myself that I have to do something about it. I luckily met the chair of the Green Party branch in Cork in that same period and he had the same project as me. I agreed to join him for the fight.

It was a difficult, demanding and hard-working campaign trail. For 14 months I was canvassing, weekends and bank holidays included. I knocked on at least 15,000 doors from rural to city, because I knew that only hard work could get me in. I said to myself that I am a new candidate and I have to know the people I am representing and they should know me as well.

I got horrible, horrible stuff online, but I didnt let it distract me from my campaign. I just ignored them and kept on focusing on my campaign.

No need to interact with these people. I dont know them and they might be living in China, USA, France, Australia, England, etc. I spoke to the real people at the doorsteps and they were very supportive and encouraging.

With regards to some of the main issues which he addresses, he outlines how issues such as expanding public transport, making local streets safe and welcoming to the local community are among those top of his agenda.

Councils used to provide enough housing for people until the takeover of a failed ideology, which saw councils leave a vacuum in the housing sector, supposedly to be filled by private developers.

We have the power to break this pattern and take a leading role in the housing sector again.

I will use every power available to me to support the development of public, private and affordable housing and cost rental to meet our needs, particularly for young people still living at home.

We need leadership to modernise the transport system to cater for the major new housing development we need and will have. I want to make the best use of limited road space to minimise journey times and promote a healthy city.

I want to bring derelict buildings back to life, fix potholes, develop more rainbow clubs and places for families, and make 30 km/h speed zones the norm to save lives and make the places we live in for local people instead of through traffic.

2024 has been a big year in the political life of Honore Kamegni.

2025 will be a year which he will be hoping to make even further progress in the political world and also be a strong public representative for the people in Cork city.
A celebration of life is set to take place next week for the former lady mayoress of Cork, Ursula Shannon, who died in hospital on Christmas Day after a short illness fought bravely, with great dignity and humour.

The 60-year-old adoption rights campaigner, who lived in Donnybrook in Cork, gave written evidence to the British parliament three years ago in which she said she was trafficked to Ireland.

In advocating for increased rights for adopted children of unmarried women born between 1949 and 1976, she said that before she was Ursula Shannon she was Ursula OKeeffe  and before that again she was Bernadette McNally.

Bernadette McNally was born in Paddington General Hospital on February 18, 1964, to an Irish mother who had been working in England since 1958, she wrote.

My birth father was also Irish, from Galway. My mother, at the time of my birth, was 25  so not a young girl that came over on the boat to have me.

I was trafficked to Ireland for adoption. I wasnt the only one.

From the late 50s and right up to the late 70s, and a small few into the 80s, nearly 1,300 babies [were] sent back.

I actually find that number appalling; so many children taken from their country of birth.

Ms Shannon said that she had no rights as a baby, and that strangers made decisions on her life.

I dont know how my mother was pressured into giving me up as she now has dementia, but I do know the girls were pressured, bullied, belittled, berated by people in power like social workers, nurses, nuns, and not forgetting in my case the Catholic Church  or as I like to refer to them ... the moral police without the morals.

I was not an orphan. I had unmarried parents and that was all. It was a family of sorts and it was mine.

She said that she had come across birth mothers who had tried to put their time in mother and baby homes in the deepest recesses of their minds.

They are afraid to tell their now children, afraid to tell their husbands, afraid to tell their siblings. Afraid of rejection by the child they gave up, she wrote.

That takes a mental hold on people. Ive seen depression, alcoholism, and in some a hardness to protect themselves.

Ms Shannon said that she had dealt with two countries with two different sets of laws surrounding adoption.

My human rights dont seem to matter to the powers that be in both countries. I seem to be in a grey area.

I asked my social worker was my adoption illegal. His reply to me was: It was an accepted practice.

Ms Shannon said that she was fortunate to have been able to trace her birth mother.

Due to her condition, I have never had a conversation with her. I have two lovely half-siblings and we have worked hard on our relationship, she said.

I did say to my sister I would love to be your friend  we can work on the sister thing. My mother at the start of her condition was found wandering around the streets looking for the baby. It warms my heart that she might have been looking for me.

Ursula Shannon is survived by her husband, Fianna Fail councillor Terry Shannon, and their four children  Robert, Conor, Katie, and Emily  her granddaughter Blathnaid, siblings Sarah and Dave, mother-in-law Betty, extended family, and friends.

Ms Shannon will lie in repose at Temple Hill Funeral Home, Boreenmanna Rd, tomorrow from 3pm to 4pm.

A celebration of life will take place at noon on Monday at the Island Crematorium, Rocky Island, Ringaskiddy.

Mourners are asked to donate to Adoption Rights Alliance in lieu of flowers.
While Irish children were opening presents with loved ones this Christmas, children in Gaza were struggling to stay alive, one of Corks youngest pro-Palestine campaigners has said.

The weekly city centre protest by the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign was addressed on Saturday afternoon by young campaign members Journey Breen (eight) and Aisling OBrien (11).

Aisling read a 2009 poem, Gaza, Where Time Stood Still, by Samah Sabawi, which contained the line: We dont count on Christmas, nor Eid for cheer / We dont fool ourselves with Happy New Year.

Addressing the rally, Aisling said that while Irish children listened to Christmas movies and music, children in Gaza listened for the sounds of killer drones, adding that the suffering of children in Gaza was so bad that the living sometimes envied the dead.

Israel wants to silence the people of Gaza and hide what is being done, but we will not allow them to do that, we will be their voices and we will continue to tell the world the truth about what is happening, she said.

Reading from a poem, I Like Your Scarf, Journey drew strong applause for the line Your burden is heavy, I will carry it for you.

Because it took place between Christmas and New Year, this weeks rally, the 64th to take place in Cork, had fewer people in attendance than usual, but its numbers still swelled to about 350 by the time its march through the city centre had concluded.

Speaking to The Echo at the protest, the deputy lord mayor of Cork, Green Party councillor Honore Kamegni, said he had been moved by the line I will carry it for you, quoted by Journey.

Thats what we Cork people are showing the Palestinian people every week, that we care and that we will help them to carry the burden, he said.

Aisling O'Brien (11) and Journey Breen (eight) at the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally in Cork city centre. Picture: Donal O'Keeffe

Earlier this month, Israel announced it would close its Irish embassy, citing the Irish Governments decision to support a petition at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said the move was prompted by the Governments extreme anti-Israeli policies, and he accused Taoiseach Simon Harris of antisemitism.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said Irelands ICJ intervention is to broaden the interpretation of what constitutes genocide, adding that he was concerned over the current interpretation.

There has been a collective punishment of the Palestinian people through the intent and impact of military actions of Israel in Gaza, leaving 44,000 dead and millions of civilians displaced.

We are concerned that a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes genocide leads to a culture of impunity in which the protection of civilians is minimised, Mr Martin said.

The Israel-Hamas war erupted after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and took about 250 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, Gaza has come under heavy bombardment from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), with the death toll in the besieged enclave now more than 44,000, according to Gazas Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The war has displaced most of the Palestinian territorys 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger. According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including some people who have been uprooted more than 10 times.
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.

New York City, which is vulnerable to sea-level rise and flooding, seen from the Staten Island Ferry in New York Harbor on Feb. 21, 2024. Kena Betancur / VIEWpress

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires major emitters, such as fossil fuel companies, to compensate for damages by helping to fund climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

By signing the Climate Change Superfund Act, Gov. Hochul is addressing the financial burden placed on New Yorkers by the fossil fuel companies, Richard Schrader, director of New York Government Affairs at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said in a statement. Its a key example of what putting fiscal fairness and environmental justice front and center looks like. The funds raised by this measure will allow for investment in life-saving infrastructure improvements: safeguarding coastal communities from flooding, creating systems to protect people from extreme heat, and improving responses to environmental and public health threats.

As ABC News reported, the law will require companies with the highest greenhouse emissions from 2000 to 2018 to pay fines, with that money going to extreme weather event repairs and infrastructure upgrades.

According to Environmental Advocates NY, funding collected through the act will go toward projects such as wetland restoration, upgrades to storm water drainage systems and installations of energy-efficient cooling in both public and private buildings. The organization reported that a minimum of 35%, with a target of at least 40%, of collected funds will go to projects in disadvantaged communities.

The Climate Change Superfund Act is now law, and New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: the companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable, said New York Sen. Liz Krueger, a sponsor of the bill. The planets largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, and they must pay their fair share to help regular New Yorkers deal with the consequences.

According to Sen. Krueger, costs of climate change-related extreme weather events in New York will reach more than $500 billion by 2050, averaging around $65,000 per household. The bill will require fossil fuel companies to pay a total of $75 billion over a 25-year time frame.

The fines will not go into effect immediately, ABC News reported. The state will first need to establish regulations around notifying companies, collecting fines and allocating funds to projects.

In the meantime, experts expect the law to face legal challenges, ABC News reported. Fossil fuel industry professionals have spoken out against the law, with the American Petroleum Institute stating, This type of legislation represents nothing more than a punitive new fee on American energy, and we are evaluating our options moving forward.

New York is now the second U.S. state to enact such a law. Vermont passed a similar law in May 2024, The Associated Press reported.
(Photo courtesy: Open Doors)Christian woman prays in India

India's Christian community had a year marked by increasing challenges and persecution in 2024, data from various research shows.

Data from various organizations paint a sobering picture of the difficulties faced by this religious minority, which comprises approximately 2.3 percent of the country's population of 1.4 billion, Religion Unplugged reported on Dec. 26..

Hindus account for almost 80 percent, Muslims 14.2 percent, and Sikhs 1.7 percent.

"As 2024 comes to a close, the Christian community in India faces an uncertain future," the report says.

"The sharp rise in attacks, coupled with legal challenges and institutional pressures, paints a picture of a minority under siege.

The report warns, "The persistence of violence--often with apparent impunity--raises serious concerns about religious freedom and minority rights in the world's largest democracy."

For example, the report says, "Uttar Pradesh, for instance, has arrested 1,682 people under its anti-conversion law in the past four years. Currently, 12 states in India have passed anti-conversion laws, reflecting the growing influence of Hindu religious nationalism."

The report cited one instance in which on June 24, Bindu Sodhi, a Christian resident from the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, was killed due to her faith.

Villagers, including some of her close relatives, had been obstructing her from plowing a field, because of her Christian beliefs.

COMPLAINT TO POLICE

After lodging a police complaint against them, her family resumed their farming activities.

Later that evening, a group of villagers and relatives, armed with bows, arrows, axes and knives, launched a brutal attack.

Bindu Sodhi was caught and killed, her throat slit during the assault. Following her death, her body was kept at a hospital in Dantewada, as the villagers refused to allow her burial on village land.

In another incident, this in Punjab state, a member of a church was brutally assaulted by "religious extremists" who are often Hindu fanatics, during a prayer service.

The attack left him with critical injuries, including severe head trauma.

He was hospitalized at a Christian medical college in Ludhiana. Despite receiving medical care, Bhagwan Singh succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 19.

The two incidents highlight the challenges faced by the Christian community in various parts of India.

The report cited data collected by the United Christian Forum, a human rights organization, that found a total of 585 attacks were inflicted on the Christian community through September 2024.

To address the growing violence against the Christian community, UCF also submitted a detailed report to Kiren Rijiju, a federal minister for minority affairs in India.

The memorandum highlighted that a primary reason for these attacks had been false allegations of fraudulent conversions.

It also mentioned how two areas, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, that recorded the highest numbers of such incidents, Uttar Pradesh had with 156 cases while Chhattisgarh had 127 cases.

These involved attacks on individuals during prayer or their unlawful detention by local authorities.

The memo further highlighted a disturbing trend, where authorities have regularly arrested Christians at the behest of Hindu nationalist groups who have filed complaints.

The Roy's Report said on Dec. 27 that recalling the plight of India's Christians is especially important at this time of year.

It said, Pope Francis, for example, marked the day after Christmas by noting that many Christians are still persecuted for their faith on the day the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen, the church's first martyr.
The law that could ban the app is scheduled to take effect the day before the President-elects inauguration.

President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay the law that could ban TikTok until after his inauguration. In an amicus brief, Trumps attorney D. John Sauer wrote that the future president wants the opportunity to find a solution to the problem through political means.

The law requiring a ban or sale of TikTok is set to take effect on January 19, 2025, just one day before Trumps inauguration. The brief calls the ban date unfortunately timedand argues the incoming president should have more time to work on a deal with TikTok. TikToks legal team cited a similar concern in its requests for a delay of the ban. The brief also cites Trumps dealmaking experience and his social media platform Truth Social.

President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Governmentconcerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged, Sauer writes.

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Trumps stance on a TikTok is much different from the one he took in his first term, when he pursued a ban of the app in 2020. He also floated the idea that Microsoft could work out a deal, an appropriate deal, so the Treasury of the United States gets a lot of money without explaining exactly how such a deal would work.

President Trump reversed his opinion on a TikTok ban during his second campaign. He told CNBCs Squawk Box in March that banning TikTok would make Facebook bigger and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people, along with a lot of the media.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the ban on January 10.

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Saturday, December 28, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has frequently complained about unfair treatment of the U.S. by various countries in trade and other relationships. Arguably, his biggest grievance has been the longstanding failure of most NATO members to spend at least 2 percent of national GDP on defense as collectively agreed upon. On that subject, most people have agreed with him, and many of the previous laggards have already taken steps to raise their defense spending.

Given the multiple threats that America and its allies face today from adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, Mr. Trumps highlighting of the importance of bolstering NATO defenses has been quite useful. He deserves a lot of credit for it. But unfortunately, he is now browbeating some of Americas friends needlessly on matters that dont deserve such attention.

Last week, Mr. Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the European Union unless the blocs countries purchase more oil and gas from the U.S. A report by The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative showed that in 2022, U.S. goods and services trade deficit with the European Union amounted to $131.3 billion. The president-elect is aiming to narrow that gap by increasing sales of U.S. energy products to Europe. He may need to look elsewhere because the Europeans already rely quite heavily on America for their energy supplies.

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, an energy and commodities data provider, European imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) rose from 22 million metric tons (MMT) in 2021 to 58 MMT in 2023. The 2023 volume imported by the EU represented 68 percent of U.S. LNG delivered globally that year. For 2024, 53 percent of U.S. LNG exports have gone to the EU. S&P Global Commodity Insights analysts attribute this years lower volume to some U.S. cargoes having been diverted from Europe to Asia and elsewhere because customers there offered higher prices.

With its latest round of sanctions on Russia in response to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the EU has reaffirmed its commitment to completely end all fossil fuel imports from Russia by 2027. To meet that goal, Germany and several other EU countries have hurriedly built terminals in the last couple of years for additional LNG imports. The bulk of that incremental supply is expected to come from the U.S.

Unlike natural gas, the U.S. is not a net exporter of oil. America currently produces around 14 million barrels of oil per day, while it consumes about 21 million barrels each day. Even then, S&P Global Commodity Insights reports that so far this month, daily purchases of U.S. light sweet crude by the EU have averaged 1.8 million barrels. The U.S. uses the proceeds from those sales to buy from elsewhere the heavier types of oil that are required by some industrial sectors in this country.

Quite clearly, the EU already imports substantial amounts of American energy products, and plans to significantly increase those purchases in the coming years. By his pressure tactic, the president-elect is making America look like a greedy bully and an ingrate. He shouldnt be wasting this much precious political and moral capital so needlessly.
Cambodias fabric imports from China surged 31.48 per cent to $3,574.815 million in JanuaryOctober 2024, reflecting higher manufacturing activity driven by strong global apparel demand. However, the share of fabric imports in Cambodias total textile imports from China dipped slightly.

According to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro, Cambodias fabric imports were valued at $2,718.787 million in the first ten months of 2023. In JanuaryOctober 2024, fabric imports accounted for 90.86 per cent of the total textile imports of $3,934.532 million, compared to 91.11 per cent during the same period last year. Yarn imports increased to $353.931 million (9 per cent), while fibre imports were $5.784 million (0.15 per cent).

Cambodia's fabric imports from China surged 31.48 per cent to $3,574.815 million in JanuaryOctober 2024, driven by strong global apparel demand. Fabric accounted for 90.86 per cent of total textile imports, down from 93.35 per cent in 2021, reflecting a shift in import patterns. Meanwhile, yarn imports rose from 6.46 per cent in 2021 to 9 per cent in 2024.

In 2023, Cambodia imported $3,603.120 million worth of textiles from China, comprising $3,300.888 million (91.61 per cent) in fabric, $296.744 million (8.24 per cent) in yarn, and $5.486 million (0.15 per cent) in fibre. Textile imports in 2022 were valued at $3,795.499 million, including $3,493.074 million (92.03 per cent) in fabric, $297.528 million (7.84 per cent) in yarn, and $4.896 million (0.13 per cent) in fibre.

In 2021, Cambodias textile imports from China were $3,498.754 million, comprising $3,265.923 million (93.35 per cent) in fabric, $225.912 million (6.46 per cent) in yarn, and $6.917 million (0.20 per cent), as per TexPro.

Over the four-year period from 2021 to 2024, the share of fabric in Cambodias textile imports has declined from 93.35 per cent to 90.86 per cent, indicating a shift in import patterns. During the same period, yarn imports increased from 6.46 per cent to 9 per cent.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)